When the Funky Butt Brass Band formed in 2008, we were already leaps and bounds ahead of most startup bands, because we had our very own sound man. Charlie “Captain” Spaulding (any Marx Brothers fans out there?) had been running sound for Gumbohead, a band featuring Tim (who had worked with him earlier in a band called Shut Up & Dance), Ron and original FBBB member Ben Reece on sax, for years, so it was a natural transition when we decided St. Louis needed its own New Orleans-style brass band. Over the years, Charlie has brought sound advice (pun intended), exceptional mixing skills and knack for upgrading his PA equipment at precisely the right time. Not sure how many assorted configurations of sound systems he has, but it has to number in the dozens. Whether it was an intimate club gig, a boomy wedding venue or an expansive concert-in-the-park, the Captain always brought the goods. It’s impossible to count the number of times fans have complimented FBBB on the clarity and effectiveness of its live sound. Well, an era ends on Saturday, April 27 at the Broadway Oyster Bar, when we bid farewell to Charlie and his wife Deb as they pack up the big trailer and head off to enjoy a life of leisure at their new home in Lady Lake, Florida. It will be a sentimental celebration of more than a decade working with the finest sound man around. We’re very sorry to see him go, and we will soldier on with a rotating crew of gifted audio professionals, but we’re so glad to have had the opportunity to work with him. Sail on, O Captain! (Photo by Corey Woodruff)
