The Conundrum

I face seemingly infinite challenges as TapWater's manager. One that has been on the table for quite awhile is where to book TapWater, especially here in Portland where it seems that people are really starting to follow us. For one thing, you know if you have seen us that we have a ton of gear. In fact, we have a running joke called "You guys got alotta" because at least once each time we play a fan, a bartender, a passerby, someone always comments "Wow, you guys got alotta [shit, stuff, gear, equipment, whatever]." We have so much gear that we can't fit in the smaller clubs because their stages and audio systems are too small. But we don't quite have the following to be playing 500-person theaters that do have the adequate room and audio. So, what do we do? We often end up crammed inside smaller venues, spilling out onto the dance floor and forced to augment their audio system with our own mics, cables, stands, monitors, and sometimes even amp racks. Ack! The sound tech -- if there is one -- is generally totally overwhelmed and we are often pressed for time because the venue does not allot us proper time to set up and sound check.

Some people have suggested scaling back our set up. I have thought about this, and well, we don't wanna! The fact that everyone plays multiple instruments is part and parcel to who we are -- our sound, our versatility, our vibe. And I observe that it's what many people like about us, the way we combine many instruments and genres in unexpected, fresh ways. We could leave out the marimba or the upright bass but then you wouldn't be hearing the music the way that it is indeed meant to be played.

This challenge has been a difficult one to deal with. Any suggestions out there?