While we were getting settled in one of the show's producers was relaying a few recent horror stories about some bands that have played the same show we were about to play.  Now this guy was professional enough to not name names…he was more using the stories to give us more insight into his job and daily responsibilities.  But the whole time he was talking I was thinking in the back of my head "man, I hope we don't become one of WGN's horror stories.  That would be embarrassing." 

We took a few minutes to get ready and then went to the studio for sound check.  Sound check was quick and painless.  No issues whatsoever.  So now I'm thinking "man we're gonna rock this thing." 

Then, within a matter of seconds the studio fills with producers and film crew members all wearing headsets and in a frenzy.  "Here we go" I'm thinking as I close my eyes, take a deep breath, and picture myself giving myself the rock sign (or as I like to call it, the "reverse shocker").  I give a quick glance to each of other band members and I could tell they were all picturing the reverse shocker themselves.  They were ready.  Pros. 

"OK guys, ready for the first song" the producer calls out, adding "I'll give you a 10 second count down."  My hands were on the piano ready to hit my first chord.  Then madness happened.  First I hear it.  "10, 9, 8…HOLD IT!  Crap."  I'm looking around trying to find out what happened, then I see it.  Ben is on the ground picking up pieces of what appears to be the guts of his guitar.  Somehow, don't ask me how, but at the exact moment the cameras were to begin rolling on his Ben's guitar inexplicably fell apart. 

Now the producers were even more frantic talking over their headsets "hold on…we have a problem… one of the guitars broke.  Yeah.  He's trying to fix it.  Give us a minute.  Yeah…please just give us a minute!"  Ben is desperately trying to fix the part of his guitar where you plug in the instrument cable but having no luck so Josh runs over to help.  Ben then looks up and asks to the horror of the entire WGN crew "does anyone have any needle nosed pliers?"  Billy and I could only look at each other a half-laugh at our luck.  Then as Billy and I were calming our nerves by quoting lines from "That Thing You Do" …which we tend to do …a lot… we hear the producer say to Ben and Josh "hurry guys or we will have to cancel your segment in a few seconds."  Now Ben and Josh are in full panic McGuyver mode (although a lot more like McGrubber now that I think of it) racing against the clock to get the guitar parts back in order.  Suddenly Ben yells "GOT IT!" and they literally sprinted back to the stage right as the producer says "we gotta go NOW guys." 

3, 2, 1 action!  And we played "When I Go" probably better than we've ever played it. 

So when I post the video and you're watching it keep in mind that literally 2 seconds before I played the first note of the song Ben was sweating, out of breath, and re-tuning his broken guitar. 

It's never easy with us.  Haha! 

Hope everyone (in the US) enjoyed their recent holiday!

Joe-