Before we left for this private party, we ran through A Horse with No Name one more time.

Not because it is especially complicated. Quite the opposite: it has two chords. But we had attempted it once before by request and somehow managed to play different chords from each other. Two musicians who have worked together for years, defeated by a song with roughly the harmonic complexity of a doorbell.

So we did our homework. We worked out the harmonies, the solo, the bass line, the guitar and piano parts, then gave it one last check before heading out. This time it became a little two-chord redemption story—and a reminder that even the simple songs deserve more than a hack version.

 

A Trailer, Some Dogs and New Technology

We set up outdoors on a trailer, with several dogs nearby enjoying the nice weather. The booking gave us four hours to stretch out, with two short breaks and background music keeping things moving while we stepped away.

It was also our first show using the new interactive request technology Greg has been building into the website. Plenty of requests came through, which meant Greg got a real-world look at where the system needed adjustments. Nothing tests new technology quite like taking it out to a party and asking it to behave while you are also playing guitar, piano and everything else within reach.

The requests took us into songs we rarely play—and some we had never played at all. Pancho & Lefty was a particular treat. Then came Rhinestone Cowboy, a song we had never received as a request before. We both love Glen Campbell, and Greg was more than ready to play it.

The Lights Had Their Own Set List

Once the sun was out of the way, the lighting setup got to do its part. Greg does not simply run one sound-synced program and hope for the best. He has different scenes arranged for different kinds of music, so he rotated the lights throughout the night.

 

We also got to catch up with friends we had not seen in a while. By load-out, Tom may have had more energy than when we started—which is a useful trait when the instruments, stands, cables and lights all have to find their way back into the vehicle.

The Glamorous Road Diet

Of course, no short Bell & Field road trip is complete without carefully planned culinary support. Greg stopped at McDonald’s on the way there. The party was far enough into the country that Taco Bell was not waiting conveniently on the route home, but after dropping Tom off, Greg corrected that problem with his usual bean burrito and steak quesadilla.

And there it was: outdoor trailer stage, dogs, shifting light scenes, unusual requests, one successfully redeemed two-chord song and fast food on both ends of the trip. The working-musician life, at least the version where nobody is handing you a catered dinner.

If that sounds like the right kind of music for your own gathering, you can take a look at booking Bell & Field. We’ll bring the songs—and we promise to agree on the chords.

Audience Gallery

Audience photos from the show.