Doc Stevens

It's quite interesting how things can change in a matter of days, let alone over two years.One thing that has impressed me is that now Doc and Marilyn have classic looking posters that are used to promote the events that they are playing at. This is a long way from when I first met them and they were playing on street corners and Marilyn would pass the hat. Me: Doc, these posters that you guys have are fantastic! How'd that come into being?  

Doc: "Well, it aint all that much to it. That guy what gives us things from time to time, Billy, from down south, got hold of a artist who makes 'em for us. Marilyn gets the info, an' then she calls it in or texts or somethin' an' he makes 'em up. Then she takes them somewheres an' gets 'em printed at her friend's job. She also sends them in a eletter to different people what likes us an' they pass 'em to they's friends or somethin'. They DO look pretty good, I gotta admit.

"That guy does a real good job an' Marilyn frames 'em an' decorates the walls with 'em. It brightens up the room a bit. Plus it reminds us places where we played an' gives us good memories.I like 'em and other people say they like 'em. That guy what makes 'em made up a bunch of different ones an' then just fills in the name an' date or something like that. Marilyn knows more about it than I do.  

Me: They look really good, Doc. Kind of old school. They remind me of something from out of an old movie or something. I don't quite know, but I like them very much, and they're definitely eye-catching. They also suit the kind of music that you and Marilyn and the band play. If I see the poster, it makes me expect something that is different, old school and interesting. They would make me want to go hear you!
Doc: "I heard other people say things like that, too, Tondy. I guess it's a good thing. Marilyn gets 'em, then emails 'em and prints some, and other people what gets 'em emails 'em and twitters them or whatever that thing is called an' sends 'em to they friends on they phone. I don't know all the ways they do it, but it works an' they ain't usin' paper for most of them and Marilyn says it saves trees.

"I say it don't really matter 'cause all the trees they make paper out of is planted by the paper companies what intended from day one to make paper outta them, an' they's always plantin' more, so they can make more paper. They don't just go out into the woods with chainsaws an' cut down everything they see. They grow 'em special for that. But usin' phones and computers to send them posters out is a good idea what Marilyn had and is faster and cheaper, too. You can count me in on that idea, Tondy."

Doc showed me a couple of dozen or more posters from various venues that they have played. The posters look good, the venues are better than they were a few years ago, and it is interesting how someone can go from playing on the streets and passing the hat for a few pennies to having a band and playing regular venues on a regular basis. He said that there's more he needs to tell me, but it can wait until later. I do think that he has an inborn sense of timing and pacing. I thought that the first time I heard him playing out on the streets, working the crowd, building his presentation to a pitch and then passing the hat. 

When I first heard him with Marilyn, and saw that she had that same sense of presentation and timing, as well as being better looking than him, I figured something good might come of it all. I can see that it clearly is working well for them.