Author: Brad Sacchetti

At long last, the band’s FIRST BIG SHOW! While the crowd size may not have been what was initially announced, by 1-2 PM we managed to play IN FRONT OF 30 PEOPLE! A momentous and FIRE LIGHTING show if I ever have seen one. What FIRE did it LIGHT? The playing from the band FIRED ON ALL CYLINDERS, especially on the EXTENDED JAM of “HIGH ON A PLANE”. The band played a grand total of 9 SONGS, 3 MASSIVE SETS WITH ONLY TWO REPEATS.

Let’s get into it!

SET 1: START TIME A LITTLE AFTER 1

First, SET ONE, kicking off around 1 with a BLISTERING “DAY IN DAY OUT”. The band played with ferocious energy. LITTLE KIDS in attendance got to experience ROCK N ROLL for the first time, and hopefully be persuaded to CHECK IT OUT over TAYLOR SWIFT. After our first song, AUDIENCE CHEERS could be heard.

 Not one to let the crowd die down, the BAND kicked it into OVERDRIVE. HANDING THE MIC to DOM, he took vocals for “NEW MATERIAL”. While it may be the most PUNK SONG in our DISCOGRAPHY, it got a BEACH BOYS comparison from an ELDERLY AUDIENCE MEMBER. You must start somewhere, and BRIAN WILSON is certainly ONE TO BE COMPARED TO. The mellower, bluesy, “OTHERSIDE” was next. The band, having struggled with the BRIDGE during rehearsals wouldn’t be able to tell you otherwise AS THEY EFFIN NAILED IT. AJ even took us for a walk as he RIPPED A KILLER SOLO. SEAN told the crowd “WE ARE FREELANCE SWEATPANTS; WE’LL BE BACK IN AN HOUR”. YOU BETTER BET THEY WILL BE.

SET 2: START TIME A LITTLE AFTER 2

At this point, people in the crowd could forget about COVERS, even as the WIND WHIPPED, because THEIR FACES HAD BEEN MELTED BY THE POWER OF ROCK. ‘OH WHY” got the crowd back into a nice comfortable groove. THE CROWD IS AT PEAK NOW. AT LEAST 20-30 PEOPLE IN ATTENDANCE. The band has them eating out of the PALM OF THEIR HAND. Kicking things off next, the band’s biggest SHOWSTOPPER; “HIGH ON A PLANE”.

THE BAND, LED BY A dynamic jam session, featuring JUSTIN CRUSHIN IT ON DRUMS, DOM AND AJ SOLOING like MADMEN, AND SEAN SLAPPIN DA BASS. The crowd was in AWE OF WHAT THEY WITNESSED. Following up showstopper like that is no mere feet, BUT FREELANCE SWEATPANTS ARE NO MERE PEOPLE. Ending the show with a festive and SINGLE WORTHY song in ‘SPOOKY”, the band knew from the crowd CHEERS that they had them WHERE THEY WANTED EM.

SET 3: START TIME AFTER 3

The band knew the AUDIENCE wanted more. The AUDIENCE KNEW THE BAND WANTED MORE. SO, they gave EM MORE. “Here’s a song you’ll probably know.” SEAN said before ripping into the COUNTING CROWS, “HANGINAROUND”. For it being the third time played by the band, THEY KILLED IT. ENCORES included reprises of “OTHERSIDE” and ‘SPOOKY” in which SEAN thanked the good people at HUNTINGDON VALLEY SKILLED NURSING AND REHAB CENTER and FALL FEST organizer JULIE WALLER for her help in getting the band the venue.

THIS IS ONLY THE START PEOPLE, I KNOW, YOU DON’T WHAT’S COMING.

SETLIST

SET 1

“DAY IN DAY OUT”

“NEW MATERIAL”

“OTHERSIDE”

SET 2

“OH WHY” (WITH FINISHED LYRICS)

“HIGH ON A PLANE” (WITH EXTENDED OUTRO JAM)

“SPOOKY”

Set 3

“HANGINAROUND” (COUNTING CROWS COVER)

“OTHERSIDE” (REPRISE)

“SPOOKY” (REPRISE)

Preparation for FALL FEST is well underway. The massive festival in HUNTINGDON VALLEY is bracing for a band who is LOCKED, STOCKED and ready to ROCK! The band began the night by RUNNING THROUGH THE SET.  The set is to be played AT THE TOP OF EACH HOUR, with TWO SONGS to be performed during each slot. It’s like a LATE SHOW. Only THE BAND is the HOST! 

The band powered through set one. The unstoppable “DAY IN DAY OUT” kicks off the proceedings like a train running in a very controlled manner OFF THE TRACKS. Keeping the train from turning into UNSTOPPABLE 2, SEAN, AJ, DOM, and JUSTIN hit with a wall of CONTROLLED HARD ROCKING SOUND. “We are FREELANCE SWEATPANTS” SEAN says before handing the mic to DOM. DOM takes the reins for “NEW MATERIAL” featuring a BLISTERING solo and some guitar swinging.

GUITAR SWINGING- to swing one’s guitar by the strap attached to YOUR NECK.

Set two, saw “OTHERSIDE” get reunited with the bridge. While the band struggled to connect the bridge with the track, that didn’t stop LOCOMOTIVE from running. Why would it be reported that this band makes mistakes? Aside from being ROCK GODS, they are HUMAN. After that little bit of FIXIN UP, they crushed it like a PHILLIE’S HOME RUN. AJ even got some killer solo action during the track. The spunky “OH WHY” featured some intense grooves and some cool DRUMSTICK TRICKS from JUSTIN.

The last set featured——- ——- ——– ——– ——- I can’t tell you that. I KNOW, YOU DON’T, what happens in the last set. LET’S JUST SAY, it’s best to SEE performed LIVE.

Check out the band live SATURDAY, OCTOBER 21, at HUNTINGDON VALLEY FALL FEST 12-4. EVERY HOUR, ON THE HOUR. BE THERE!

Like THE MCRIB returning next month after being out of the public eye, the band has IS READY TO RETURN to a PUBLIC CLAMORING FOR IT EVEN EARLIER. That’s right folks, big THINGS ARE HAPPENING.

LIKE THE MCRIB, the band will be available at this gig PERIODICALLY, playing 2 songs EVERY HOUR at the TOP OF THE HOUR from 12-4pm! WHEN’S THE DATE YOU ASK? Why OCTOBER 21^st of COURSE! This gig is HUGE. HUGE EXPOSURE, HUGE CROWD, HUGE OPPORTUNITY.  This is as EXCITING as it gets.

For those unaware, THE FALL FEST is located at 3430 HUNTINGDON PIKE AT THE REMOTE PARKING LOT.  The festival Is OPEN TO THE PUBLIC (Meaning FANS OF THE BAND CAN COME FOR FREE). FALL BEVERAGES, COOKIE BUFFETS and oh yes, lots of PERFORMANCES BY FREELANCE SWEATPANTS.

The group has been hard at work rehearsing THEIR SET. The band is prepared to PLAY for anyone who has heard them, and if you haven’t, YOU BETTER LISTEN. So, like THE MCRIB, come celebrate something that comes around RARELY BUT LEAVES a LASTING IMPRESSION WHENEVER IT DOES. Come see AN AMAZING SHOW and JAM out to FREELANCE SWEATPANTS!

NOW, for a gig like this, maybe, just maybe, SOMETHING COULD BE RELEASED? I know, YOU DON’T.

SPECIAL SHOUTOUT goes to JULIE WALLER. Thanks for BOOKING FREELANCE SWEATPANTS for this show!

SEE YOU ALL AT FALL FEST!

With DOM BETTING IT ALL ON BLACK in Atlantic City, the band played on. Last night’s jam was a hodge podge, a jambalaya, a COSMIC GUMBO of sounds. It is proven that this band is FREELANCE in that it can take any song, any style any GENRE, and OWN IT! The night kicked off with a tight cover of JEFFERSON STARSHIP’S “JANE”. How tight? So tight that JEFFERSON STARSHIP will be playing OUR VERSION of the song from here on out. AJ, in a stroke of musical genius, jammed the songs KEYBOARD PART. Who needs keys when you have talent in YOUR BAND?

From there it was an all-out DIRTY FREE FOR ALL OF STYLES. Kicking off the jam was the illustrious “OH WHY” followed by some funk jams with SEAN rapping to KENDRICK LAMAR’S “KING KUNTA”. Rock and rap coming together, this band is getting into AEROSMITH territory. This writer is ALL FOR IT.

The band is like a chameleon, a MUSICAL CHAMELEON, like BECK. They even had a BECK like jam thrown in for good measure. As the night went on, more styles were thrown into the mix. A cool PUNK JAM was played with JUSTIN, having practiced his drum chops for 8 hours, BLASTING his kit into the stratosphere.

This band makes any style, any song, THEIR OWN GENRE. For future reference for fans, good things are coming soon. LIVE THINGS, MUSIC VIDEO THINGS, and most importantly, RECORDED THINGS. I know about them, YOU DON’T!

What do all bands need to be SUCCESSFUL these days? ORIGINAL KICK ASS, DRIVING SONGS, and of course, a repertoire of COVERS! Kicking off the night, the band, in its THREE-PIECE FORM of SEAN, DOM, AND JUSTIN kicked things off with a cover of JEFFERSON STARSHIPS “JANE”.  The cover songs didn’t stop there, as the SWEATPANTS once again showed why they are FREELANCE.

Various genres were PLAYED, TRIBUTES PAID, and with the arrival of AJ and influences of JOHN BORKOWSKI and MILLER LITE, the magic flowed as QUICKLY AS THE BEERS. Kicking off the night was a moving tribute to LEGEND STEVE HARWELL. SMASH MOUTH laid many musical BRICKS to build the FOUNDATION OF THE HOUSE OF THE SWEATPANTS. The tribute to STEVE HARWELL came in form of an ON-THE-SPOT cover of the SMASH MOUTH classic “WALKING ON THE SUN”. No rehearsal NEEDED. Expect to see the moving TRIBUTE within the coming days.

Speaking of CONSTRUCTION, what is needed to lay the foundation of a good song? A BRIDGE. SEAN made the discovery of a LOST BRIDGE to “OTHERSIDE”. Like INDIANA JONES discovering the ARC, the BRIDGE was like looking back into HISTORY. Like most discoveries, it was RESTORED properly before TOP MEN could take it away FOREVER.

MORE COVERS followed in the evening as the band tackled a potential new rendition of BLACK SABBATH’S “N.I.B.”. The group then put focus to their LIVE SHOW. While most artists would simply walk TO THE STAGE to ENNIO MORRICONE’S music, the band decided to just PLAY IT. What better way to capture the attention of OPEN MIC attendees than to play it before launching into “DAY IN/ DAY OUT”? SIMPLY AWESOME STUFF HERE PEOPLE!

As for those WARM HUGS, the BAND jammed on that for the remainder of the show. Couple WARM HUGS with a rendition of HIGH ON A PLANE, you got a band that’s more together than the script for the last INDIANA JONES film. RUN ON SENTENCE, I know. You got a problem with it? It’s MY BLOG.

More cool BAND NEWS to come, expect BIG THINGS within the COMING WEEKS!

Can you believe it’s been ONE YEAR of FREELANCE SWEATPANTS at this point? Formed from the EMBERS of a dying house party FIRE, FREELANCE SWEATPANTS rose from the ASHES to put forth unto this world some ALTERNATIVE ROCK AND ROLL. The band members, JUSTIN, SEAN, AJ, and DOM have shown tremendous GROWTH in their PLAYING and SONGWRITING abilities since they formed ONE YEAR ago TODAY!

Since then, they have logged over 41 HOURS, 36 MINUTES, AND 24 SECONDS of practice time during our WEDNESDAY SOCIAL jams. Yes, WE do LOG everything. Down to the SECOND, because if we don’t, WILL YOU? That’s what I thought!

These practices have culminated in two LIVE APPEARANCES, at the ROCK DEN and JUSTIN’S BACKYARD. They have also led to the development of a YOUTUBE channel, a MANIC BLOG, an INSTAGRAM ACCOUNT and much more.

None of this would be possible without the DEDICATION and COMMITMENT from the band. This is the type of COMMITMENT that gets you COMMITTED for believing in the band THIS MUCH. Yet here we are A YEAR INTO IT, with MORE TO COME.

How much more? WELL, we have an EP in the FINAL STAGES OF MIXING. More LIVE DATES, and some cool cover songs coming your way!

IN addition to jamming on HIGH ON A PLANE (with a new, EXCITING ENDING) and OH WHY this WEEK, some covers were played. WHAT COVERS? Well, that’s where the FREELANCE part of our name comes in.

We may be ALTERNATIVE ROCK, but our influences are WIDE RANGING. Everything from NIRVANA’S “LOVE BUZZ” to badass composer ENNIO MORRICONE’S main theme to “THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY” were given the FREELANCE SWEATPANTS treatment. Maybe, just maybe there will be some JEFFERSON STARSHIP in the future as well.

So, here’s to YEAR TWO of FREELANCE SWEATPANTS, may it bring more GIGS, RECORDED MUSIC, BRIGHTLY COLORED INSTRUMENTS, BLOGS, and SWEATPANTS our way.

This past Thursday saw a return to form for FREELANCE SWEATPANTS. The quartet made no bones about it and got right back into being a BAND AGAIN. Jamming for a solid hour of hits, and soon to be classics. The band tore through the RIP ROARING “WEDNESDAY SOCIAL”, the punk rock tinged “SPOOKY”, they even gave good ole “OH WHY” a try! “Oh Why” did we chose to focus on JAMMING, instead of RECORDING?  Because that’s what GOOD BANDS do! They make the choices that help keep them creative and active on a near CONSTANT BASIS!

For the SECOND SET, more of the same was played. In these BAND meetings, everything is TOP SECRET. No one goes INTO or OUT OF the meetings except for members of the band. How SECRETIVE? So much so that this time, NOT EVEN A PHOTO could capture what took place during it.

Though with EVERY BAND MEETING, we always look to the FUTURE. A mockup for the “SPOOKY” MUSIC VIDEO has been shot (not yet edited) . When it comes time to release the OFFICIAL VIDEO, you will be THE FIRST TO KNOW. Otherwise, whatchu doin’ here?

For those awaiting the EP, it IS COMING. As the CGI old man once said, “YOU CAN’T RUSH ART.” That is PRECISELY why things must be KEPT SECRET. So that when it’s out, EVERYOOONE will know about it!

THE DAY OF RECORDING IS HERE! That’s right, the debut EP (that’s Extended Play for digital listeners) is almost UPON US. For the last few weeks, the band has been slaving away to deliver MUSIC unto YOU! So far, the GUITAR, DRUMS, BASS and VOCAL tracks have been LAID DOWN. This is exciting stuff! Last week’s rehearsal saw SEAN belting out the vocals, SOLO, delivering his lyrics TO THE WORLD.

Meanwhile the band has been BREAKING AND ENTERING INTO JUSTIN’S house to deliver onto the EP their command of the sonic hard driving sound FREELANCE SWEATPANTS is known for.

AJ and DOM delivered the goods on the RIFF front, and JUSTIN beats his drums like they owed him money. ALL IN THE NAME OF ROCK AND ROLL.

Even more INCREDIBLE NEWS, this month marks the ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY of the musical machine that is FREELANCE SWEATPANTS. One year ago, FOUR GUYS WHO LOVE MUSIC, got together, and showed the world that they can make their own.

How will we celebrate such a MONUMENTOUS OCCASION?  We have a new EP coming, but if you had read the above, you would have already known that FACT. There are some LIVE APPEARANCES in the works.

Keep checking in as I KNOW, and YOU DON’T when things are happening in the MANIC WORLD OF FREELANCE SWEATPANTS.

It appears it is that time again, time FOR BIG STUFF TO BE HAPPENING. How big? So big that I can’t even DESCRIBE it to you. This week, the RECORD button is FINALLY BEING PRESSED. Creative tensions are high within THE BAND. After a very productive meeting a group decision to record an EP HAS finally been reached. Like OPPENHEIMER with the bomb, the band is ready to EXPLODE onto the NORTH WALES music scene.

This is a scene already bursting with creativity, with another NORTH WALES based act LASER SHARK, providing us with a LASER FOCUSED goal of being a great band. What do all great bands need? A LOOK, something we have discussed and will be unveiled in true FREELANCE SWEATPANTS fashion in the MONTHS TO COME. What else DO THEY NEED? They need LIVE SHOWS to promote the recordings. Dates for open mics nights WILL BE ANNOUNCED soon.  Additionally, the songs have been selected for the EP to be recorded THIS WEEKEND.

But, the drummer is out of town, so how will the band pursue their MUSICAL PASSIONS? By doing what most hard working, hard drinking bands do, BREAK INTO the drummer’s house and RECORD. This EP has been a YEAR in the making, the SONGS are there, the DESIRE is there, the FIRE is there, all that needs to be there is YOU!

Without YOU, there would be no band. So, THANK YOU, THE FANS, for listening, supporting and hoping you continue to do so with all the great stuff coming soon!