Second Date

Second Date was the first band I joined after moving to the San Francisco Bay Area. It was also my first-ever cover band. Although some of my previous original bands played the occasional cover, they all concentrated on writing their own songs.

I saw an ad in the East Bay Express that stated it was specifically looking for a female guitar player, and it said that "we're over 40."

As a newly-minted 40-year-old, I was feeling like my moments for music were heading quickly into the rear-view. But here was a band that might just want me! So, I called and auditioned.

Second Date was a campy cover band that had the concept of the lead singer changing throughout the show into various outrageous and fabulous outfits. Every three songs or so, I would take the lead vocal duties, and she would hurry backstage and change into something else amazing. Anne Marie had outfits that resembled Tina Turner, Carmen Miranda, Disco Queen, and many more. Wigs, heels, gowns.

The band played at various clubs like Molly Malone's and Ireland's 32 in San Francisco, but really thrived playing for the LGBT community in Guerneville, CA. We played at Fife's Resort for both Men's and Women's weekends, and also at a big club up there (former movie theatre) the name of which I can't recall.

The band eventually broke up after bassist Gary left. For a time, Donna, the drummer for Lick/As If filled in on bass for us, until it was decided to put Second Date to rest.

A short-lived offshoot of Second Date was a band called "The Down Low" with Donna and me, plus Ari, a great keyboardist that Donna had met at Blue Bear School of Music. Ari started up a one-off Elton John tribute show through Blue Bear that I played in, too. (Fave tune: Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding).