Playing for the President of the United States!
Interview with Chris Daniels
by Torch
President Obama came to Denver on October 26, 2011, to speak to the students of the University of Colorado Denver. Thousands of people packed the gymnasium waiting for the President to speak. The student band, The Claim Jumpers, along with a few members from the Queen City Jazz Band, were the first to take the stage. Chris Daniels &The Kings followed to warm up the crowd for the President. In true Kings’ style they had the place rocking and dancing, they even got a wave going as they played favorites like, “Jump” and “I Like Your Shoes.” Camera flashes and the glory of the American flag behind them, Chris Daniels & The Kings showed once again why they are Denver’s most-beloved band.
CMB: How did you first hear about this opportunity?
CD: The college emailed me that the White House requested our band to play.
CMB: What were the first three things that went through your mind when you got the invitation?
CD: One, was whether the band would pass the security check; two, would we get paid; three, timing, if they had any kind of a schedule for it, because it was going to snow like hell and it did.
CMB: What was your biggest concern?
CD: Production. I didn’t know what kind of PA company they had or what kind of space they had for us. The secret service stuff was easy; the production stuff was the most difficult.
CMB: What was your experience like working with the Secret Service and security?
CD: Funny (he laughs). The guy who stood directly behind Obama was a huge, powerful, African-American guy, he was very intense and clear that we couldn’t touch the podium and we were all squished in behind it. After the gig, he smiled and was really friendly, he said ‘I love your music, I really wanted to dance but obviously I can’t do that!’
CMB: What was the most difficult part of the day of the show?
CD: Waiting for late band members to arrive, the Secret Service was not pleased. (He laughs while shaking his head.)
CMB: Will you explain the general stage set-up?
CD: Yeah, tight! The President was on a 16 x 16 riser, and half of that was taken up by his podium, tele-prompters, and drop guard. So, we had roughly 16 x 8 feet to set up the whole band and we kept thinking the drummer Randy was going to go over the back like Spinal Tap. (Note: there are six members in Chris Daniels & The Kings – *Jim Waddell, alto, tenor sax, flute, vocals; *Chris Daniels, lead vocals, rhythm guitar; *Colin “Bones” Jones, lead guitar; *Randy Amen, drums, vocals;*Kevin “Bro” Lege, bass, vocals; *Darryl “Doody” Abrahamson, trumpet, vocals.)
CMB: What was the best part of the day of the show?
CD: Getting the crowd going. We had that audience rockin’. They were doing the wave and a whole group of people came down and started line-dancing, even the governor was dancing.
CMB: How much did you make playing for the President?
CD: Nothin’ (he laughs), but it was worth it.
CMB: Did you get to meet President Obama?
CD: No. The POTUS (President of the United States) is pretty isolated and protected. I was standing next to the mayor and the governor and we were all audience members, not backstage.
CMB: Now that you’ve played for European royalty and the President of the United States of America, if you had a dream list who else would be on it?
CD: Somebody who would really appreciate it like … (he thinks for a moment). Hmm, if I could play for anybody I would like to be Otis Redding’s back-up band for one night.
CMB: There is a reason the White House requested Chris Daniels & The Kings. Chris Daniels is a true entertainer with his uncanny ability to engage the crowd with humor and stories; he creates an atmosphere where everyone in the room is involved. When he is on stage it’s not a just a performance, it is a party. This band is so tight and have played together so long that they can roll with any requests in their unending repertoire. Chris Daniels & The Kings continue on their musical journey rocking out the fans and representing the Colorado music scene with exuberant finesse.
*Photo taken by Darrell “Doody” Abrahamson, trumpet player, while on stage at the Presidential ev
Category: The Post
Subscribe
If you enjoyed this article, subscribe to receive more just like it.
 |
 |
