Story and pix by Mary Jane Farmer — Go to end of story for link to the pictures, which were put in somewhat sequential order.
ADDISON, Texas — Folks may have, or may not have, come primarily for the exquisite food samples from Addison’s top restaurants, or for the Nashville-based bands Friday night, but most were treated exclusively to the best band there. The Dustin Perkins Band got to play a 35-minute set between downpours for the expected-but-delayed crowds.
Rain, thunder, and lightning bombed the huge Taste of Addison grounds Friday evening as Dustin and the band headed to open for Tracy Lawrence and Chris Young. What came into sight upon arrival were multiple tarps covering sound and lighting equipment all over the stage. There was one major-sized bus already parked, and that turned out to be Chris Young’s tour bus.
When asked by the stage manager, David, if they minded waiting just to see what the weather would allow, Dustin’s response was a simple, “no problem.” Dustin, Nathan Brown, Michael Waitt, Colton Gilbreath, and road manager Chris (Jet) settled in for a 45-minute wait with the patience that God gave Job, watching the storms on their smart phones. David returned and said that, if they wouldn’t mind, they could play a short set and hopefully all the music could eventually get on stage.
“Awesome,” Dustin answered, after asking the band if that was what they wanted to do.
Suddenly, there was a multitude of stage hands helping carry their equipment to stage and set it up. Four sets of drum kits, one for each upcoming band, went up, each on a separate raised platform on wheels. Tarps came off sound equipment, and sound checks proved to be positive.
After shortening the usual set list, the band kicked off with the aplomb and style its regular fans witness at every show.
The crowd is usually about 5,000 for the first band, but it was a little bit fewer, maybe about 1 percent that number, with about 50 people having braved the rains to come on out to Taste of Addison. They crowded near the stage, dancing and clapping, most having never seen or heard the Dustin PerkinsBand before, some with cameras including a video camera or two, and some with small children. Dustin and the guys delivered a great set, with Nathan throwing in some surprise licks on his drums. The crowd was not disappointed, giving tribute to this band who came to play and did just that. Whatever the size of the audience, the Dustin Perkins Band gives their all with every performance, the mark of a great band.
Toward the end of the set, a surprise deluge of water struck them, pouring off the huge tarp that covered the stage and which was still up. Water cascaded first on the stage-right side, landing, it seemed, mostly in the guitar stand holding about 4 guitars other than the ones Colton and Dustin were playing at the time. Stage hands hustled with towels, mops, and concern. They closed the case, moved it, then diligently did what they could to dry the damage.
With sudden fury, more water spilled off the opposite side, collecting inside Michael’s open guitar case.
And the band played on, not missing a beat.
All done, as skies darkened and again showed signs of dropping open, the band and the stage hands got everything packed up into the band’s trailer. Dustin and the guys networked as best they could before the sky opened up, and the band following them packed up without playing a note. “But it was a set without error,” one of that bands members said as he carried his guitar cases back to their box trailer.
The Dustin Perkins Band pulled its trailer-pulling van out of the parking lot just as a double rainbow sparked up the yellow-gray sky over Taste of Addison and the trailer of musicians who knew they had given it everything they could, and made some new fans in the process.
Sorry, Tracy Lawrence and Chris Young fans. Maybe next year.
The Dustin Perkins Band and Chance Cody & Spur 503 are playing at The Point Restaurant, Grandpappy Point Marina, on Lake Texoma Saturday, May 28, 9 p.m.