The Bona Blues

I didn't get a chance yet to talk about our last band practice at Bona Signs, even though it was really awesome.  And now that Adam posted some sweet pictures on Facebook that he took with his nice SLR camera, I figure it's about time that I show them off a bit.

Two weeks ago, we had our second practice at the Bona Signs warehouse in Springville.  It was about as long as the first one, and once again we got a lot done, working on new and old songs, as well as some sweet covers we're trying to hammer out for our next shows.  There was, however, one very big difference that set this practice apart: the lighting.

In the center of the warehouse was a large, LED message board, like what are used on huge electronic marquees on billboards and at shopping malls.  Just drive down the freeway for 20 minutes--or even down state street in Orem so you can get blinded by the Supersonic Car Wash sign--and you'll know what I'm talking about.  We actually took our band promo pictures in front of a similar message board back when we were preparing our album.

Anyway, halfway through the practice, Brian shut off the main lights as Blue turned on the message board, bathing the warehouse in an eerie blue light.  It really made it fun to practice, as it almost made it feel as if we were at a show with stage lighting.

It also made for good practice, because it really tests your skill when you have to play an instrument in the dark, as you can't see what frets your playing and really have to rely on memory and feel.  Back when I played in my old band 2 The Same, and when I first started with Formerly So, I used to practice to the songs in my basement with the lights off and only the computer monitors to give me light, so that I could get used to it.  But it even close to the same.

It was definitely a band practice to remember, and really got us excited to hit some future shows, and to finish up all of the new songs we have in the hopper that are super close to being completed.