Sad Sweetheart of the Rodeo

Tags: music career

John Roderick walks on to stage, plugs in, and thumps the bass. It’s the first time he’s ever heard the bass growl through an amplifier, and he’s only played bass for a day. Not that bass, any bass. Five seconds later, he is playing bass, with Harvey Danger, on national television, and rocking it.

Check out the bass amp behind him: “Get well Aaron.” The real bass player flew home sick and went straight to the hospital. Rather than cancel the show, John stepped up to the bass after playing keyboard in the band.

I’ve played bass for half of my life, pretty seriously for a good chunk of that half, and I still can’t sing and play at the same time.

I heard John’s story in Episode 24 of Roderick on the Line, The Wrong Mustache, check it out for more details and more crazy stories. And go do something awesome.