A couple of years ago I purchased a download package that a friend's band, Blue Skies for Black Hearts, was offering up. It was a generous offer, proceeds went towards a good cause, and the band is really fun (not to mention that the bandleader, Pat Kearns, is another local studio owner and works in my place occasionally). The package included their recent album, a short film that the band stars in (funny as shit), a few other videos, and a live set from "The Banana Stand." I always keep tabs on the goings on at local clubs, yet I'd never heard of this venue. I looked it up online and found out that Live From The Banana Stand was a video and recording series some folks were putting on in a local residence and making available on the web. It looked interesting, and the set by Blue Skies for Black Hearts sounded pretty damn good.
A few months later I was presenting a recording workshop. When I asked one of the attendees, Louie Herr, what brought him my way, he mentioned he was involved in the Banana Stand project. "Oh," I exclaimed, "I've heard of that." He seemed surprised that I knew what he was up to. We had fun istening to recordings from their shows, as well as talking about tracking and mixing ideas that could help with the sound of the series.
We stayed in touch and, after many invites to attend one of the recording sessions, I was able to make it over. I brought a couple of friends; we had a great time watching the band, drinking beers, and hanging out. At the end of the tracking I mentioned to Louie that if he wanted to use my studio for mixing that I could give them free open days on short notice. I might have been a bit buzzed, or maybe just adrenalized from a fun house party environment, but I opened my mouth and made the offer. One of my friends may have looked at me a little funny too, as if to say, "You're really giving away free days in your studio?"
So far we've mixed three Banana Stand recordings. The guys have brought their own mix engineers, and I've helped get a decent sound up and running and then left them to the details (like vocal rides, mutes and such) while I run errands and get other things done. All three of these have also come out, or re available soon, on CD.