Sober Nixon

No, the title of this post is not a speculation on the physical state of any past president or anyone else. As you may know if you visit this space with any kind of regularity, Sober Nixon is the name of my... for lack of a better word... band.

You see, I always have wanted to sing. Always, always, always. I realized in high school that I had a pretty good voice, but I also realized I didn't have the greatest pitch in the world. So I concluded that I couldn't sing and had to content myself with merely singing along with my favorite records in secluded places. Well, long story short, a stint in a fake band with some co-workers three years ago lead to some singing lessons, and that lead to better pitch and, more importantly, greatly improved confidence. I know my limits (for example, harmonizing by ear is not my strong point), but I've realized that I can, in fact, sing. Some even say I sing very well.

So I have taken this new found knowledge and put it to good use. In addition to becoming a karaoke addict, I have spent the last couple of years finding musicians to sing with. Sober Nixon is the current vehicle for my warbling hobby. We play open mics, mostly, but last Wednesday we had a real gig. We were the first band on the bill at the Rockit Room. Since I don't write music (that's the next challenge), Sober Nixon is a cover band. We did do one song on Wednesday that our guitarist wrote, but in general, she keeps her original material separate from Sober Nixon's song list. You'll never hear us perform currently overplayed numbers like "Love Shack" or whatever has topped the charts more recently, but if you like the Monkees, the Beatles, Nick Lowe, Blondie, Fairground Attraction, the Go-Go's and the Bangles (early Bangles only), then we're your kind of cover band.

One day I would like to be in a band that writes its own material, but for now I'm happy to sing the songs I've always imagined singing when I hear them on the radio or through my iPod headphones as I jog. So here's to more Sober Nixon shows. Hopefully you'll be able to see us at a club near you soon.