The Fatty Acids

About three weeks ago I got a call from an old friend from my home town in Lodi, WI.  Leslie Evert was a good friend of my mom's, she was my church mentor at the Lodi United Methodist Church when I was confirmed oh so many years ago, and she was the first person I ever babysat for (she hired me at age 11 to watch her son Josh who was 1).  I would go over to her house and watch Josh while Leslie was home so she could get things done without having to worry about the baby.  It was a good gig, and from what I remember, he was a really good baby.

Me and Josh Evert at the Lodi Fair (I still have that t-shirt)

Anyway, Leslie called me to tell me that Josh was going to be in Boise with his band, The Fatty Acids, for a gig.  I of course agreed to go.  It sounded like a fun little adventure.  I hadn't seen Josh since he was this stocky 12-year-old squirt, but I figured, why not, I like good live music, and if its not good, I'll leave early.  I text messaged Josh to find out the specifics of the show, and later that night I went in search of this bar I'd never heard of called The Shredder.

After driving around for almost 2 hours, and asking at multiple other bars where this elusive Shredder Bar might be, I gave up searching (Everyone seemed to have heard of it, but no one knew exactly where it was.  Turns out, it moves around, so its more like a rave than an actual club).  I felt terrible to miss the show, but I couldn't get ahold of Josh anymore, and I couldn't find the place.  As I gave up, I sent Josh a text message and told him that if in the end, they needed anything they were welcome to come by the house and I went home and went to bed.

2:30 a.m. the door bell rang.  I woke up immediately, knowing what it was... boy-band needing a place to stay, only to find Josh at the door.  I barely recognized him- he was this tall, handsome, skinny man.  The band's accommodations fell through, and just as suspected, they needed a place to crash for the night.  I offered them (there were 6 of them) the floor and the couches and two lucky people got to sleep in the guest bed.

The next morning I got up around 8 a.m. and made the boys a breakfast of fresh biscuits while they got ready to get back on the road to their next gig in Spokane, WA.  Before they left, they gave me a CD to say thank you for letting them stay.  I made them all sign it... I just know they are going to be famous one day.

Apparently, they show was switched from being at the Shredder to being at the Red Room.  If I'd only known... I drove past the Red Room twice that night... which I'm not going to lie, was a little annoying to find out.  But they're 23 year-old boys who are more interested in the music and girls their age than making sure an old married babysitter shows up to see them play- and rightly so.  However, they are sweet guys, and they've got a great sound, and "the look" to make it big... now they just need to learn how to sell themselves properly.

Before they left I gave them PR 101 (I'm a know-it-all, what can I say... but in my defense, it is what I do for a living!)  If any band can make it, their's can.  I just told them to make sure they contact anyone they or their families ever possibly knew in every town they go in without being bashful about it (there was no reason Josh shouldn't have called me himself) and make sure all those people and their friends show up to the band's gigs.  And there was really no reason I should have been driving around for two hours looking for them that night.

Me and Josh Evert... not the most glorious picture of either of us...
but it was early on a Saturday morning after very little sleep

I'm not sure they took my advice, as I told them to text me when they were headed into Seattle and Portland and LA and I would send people to their shows, but I never heard from them.

I wish them only the best.  I think they are great and I want to help them become a success so... 

Make sure you check them out http://thefattyacidsmusic.com/!