While in the studio recording, a last-minute opportunity came up to play live on the Fox2 Morning News show. Our friend Kathy Vargo told us about a group was booked to appear the next day, but the singer got sick and couldn’t do it. I volunteered. She made some calls, and we were in! One caveat: President Obama was speaking locally and Fox2 was to broadcast his speech live that morning, also. Meaning, our performance might be delayed.
Undaunted, we hustled to get to the TV studio bright and early for our chance to play live on TV. Leann and I were up at the crack of dawn getting our hair and make-up in order. I had packed my gear up the night before. This was February, so it was icy and cold out. Coffee in hand and wrapped up in our winter coats, the band converged upon the Fox2 Studio in Southfield, Michigan and loaded our gear onto the dock.
We were shown our dressing room and then the set where the broadcast would be filmed. It was suspiciously dark in the studio, but the corner spot for the band was lit. We set up the amps and the drums. Monitors in the studio were playing the morning show live. A spot about shopping ran, I think, along with promos about Obama’s upcoming speech from Ann Arbor. The news desk sat dimly in the other corner; “FOX NEWS” letters gleaming in the low light across the front. Our gear set up, guitars tuned, and hair in place, we stood at attention. We were ready. We had one song to perform. Texts were coming through for each of us, parents and friends were tuned in.
We waited. Nervous conversation and jokes were made. No sound crew came in. This kind of stuff is common in music, hurry up and wait. Finally, word from the crew came that Obama was late. We waited some more.
Suddenly, the doors popped open on the other end of the studio. Clipboard wielding, headset-wearing folks stuck their heads in the door. They looked at us, then back to the hallway. The news filtered back to us across the set: we’d been axed. Our performance was cancelled to accommodate the live Obama coverage.
A moment of disbelief, then the jokes ensued. Obama, who did he think he was? The true tragedy of the day being sleep lost, we started roaming around the studio and went to the set next to ours. It was set up for a cooking demo. We could not leave this alone. Video and photos were shot and the idea of a Valentines cooking show was hatched. I think Rachel Ray would like us!
Obama, you may have won this round, but we will meet again!