C.T. Clements & The Realtime Phantom Band

Yes, we do play live with Alex (Our Alesis our drum machine). We love to play live, since the audience gives you energy that feeds your creative spontaneity, and in a very real way they help make the songs what they are on any given night. We never play a song exactly the same way twice, and in part this is due to the influence of the audience energy. Further, we take chances alot, and break away from arrangements that we know like the back of our hand in order to push the envelope. The way we figure it, songs can evolve and grow just like we do. Dave thinks I am related to the late Jerry Garcia, since I do like to improvise, and expand the full potential of some songs. (I also have a touch of grey, and like to do extended Jams)! If the audience is into it, why worry about a set song length. I say, if you get into the groove, play until you drop. One very special moment that comes to mind is when we were playing at Gepetto's Pizza in Holiday UT. and a little girl named Carly Kevern started crying, so I ask her what was making her sad, so her mother sent her up to the stage to tell me. She said that she was crying because she had to leave, and that she wanted to stay and listen to our music. From then on her family would bring her out to hear us on a regular basis. Over time we became close friends with the Keverns. Folks like the Keverns contribute spirit to our songs, and thus we consider them phamtom members of the band. Further, we have a some loyal fans like Anne, the pathologist, and Allen, the computer guru, who are phantom members as well. We have invited them to come to the studio when we make our next CD, so we have a "Realtime Phantom Audience" to play for. We play for parties, conventions, restaurants, and occasionally clubs. We have also played some concerts as well. Hey, sometimes and intimate audience of one is really fantastic. We have played several coffee houses, and even at churches, as you already know, sometimes the churches actually have people in them. The Unitarian church in SLC sponsors an incredible coffee house venue, which everyone enjoys. They provide candles for ambience, and you can bring food and beverage etc. It is a place where both muscians and music are honored. Once in a while though, I do the "Street musician" thing just to remind me of how great it is to put music in the air for those are just walking down the street, or shopping downtown. Another special moment in this regard that comes to mind is was when we stopped to play for some transients who were passing a bottle of cheap wine back and forth during the winter. I said to my guitarist: "These folks look like they could use a little entertainment", so we broke out our guitars and started to play. They became ecstatic and began rounding up wooden pallets to build a stage for us to stand on, since we were standing in the middle of a field, and it was starting to snow. We played half a set for them, then went for coffee to warm up. Hmmm... guess we are a little bit on the crazy side. "Have guitars will travel" :) But everyone needs to be entertained, even the entertainer, and the poor souls on the street need to be nourished with both food and the Neil Young "Dream-comfort" that music can provide. In closing there is another group of Phantom members and that is the folks at Acoustic Music in SLC. Hardin Davis, "Pete", & Kim have been long time supporters of both music and muscians. Pete has purchased harmonicas for me when I was low on funds on more than one occasion, and once Hardin took a $2000 dollar Taylor Guitar off the wall for me to barrow over a weekend, since my guitar was being repaired, and I had a gig that weekend. He also wanted me to have a decent guitar, so he sold my guitar to me at cost. From time to time I drop in and run a new tune by them. They are the greatest! I would be remiss in appreciation if I did not mention John Sinclair, who has made us into a "House Band" over the years at Gepettos Pizza. (Yes, we are close enough to John to know the secret ingredients to his prized pizza sauce). Then there is Jack Drake, who is a great audience of one, and who has sat in a snow bank with a six pack of brewski while I was composing a new song. You just never know when the mood or muse will strike! Ahhh, I forgot about the time in Berkeley California when I got busted for playing music on the street. The cop came back later to tell me that he really liked the music, and that we should go over to the University to a place called India Grove, where we wouldn't be bothered, nor would we bother anyone. So, we decided to to take the advice, and as we made our way over to "Indian Grove" folks started coming out of the woodwork and following us with their instruments. We ended up with about 50 folks in one hellava jam session. We played all night but the sprinklers came on, and the police came about 5 am in the morning, so we packed up and left.