This Was Pretty Cool (Hamer and Shishkov Content)

[Dana_V]

All three of us in my blues band, SUIT, work for the same company – High End Systems – which is owned by ETC (Electronic Theatre Controls). Every year ETC has a company picnic at their headquarters in Middleton, Wisconsin (about 1,200 miles from where we live in Austin, Texas), and this year they invited us to play. 

2025 is ETC's 50th anniversary year, so they really went all out this time. It was an all-day event, with about 1,000 people in attendance. Lots of food and drink (including alcohol for those of-age), activities for kids, door-prize drawings, etc. Throughout the day there were solo and duo performers on stage (all ETC employees), including a guy that did a tuba-based comedy set. We played from 6:00 - 7:15, followed by the headliner, The Grass Roots*.  The whole thing culminated in a fifteen-minute fireworks show. 

*There are NO original members in the 2025 version of the Grass Roots, but this incarnation has been together since 2008 and they sounded great.

Due to space constraints of making the trip, we brought a somewhat reduced setup. I used my Mesa Nomad 55 combo and my "B" pedalboard rather than my usual Mesa Mark V/Magnatone and "A" pedalboard rig; bass player Sean brought a small bass amp instead of his 1971 Kustom tuck-n-roll cab. I also limited myself (😆) to five guitars and one lap steel.

Our drummer couldn’t make it, so we tapped another co-worker to fill in on drums. He’s a good drummer and used to play a lot but hadn’t picked up a pair of sticks in about a decade – so he was a little rusty. Through a whirlwind series of rehearsals we got him up to speed and he did a great job, although – full disclosure – his tempos tended to rush a bit.

Here’s the setlist and what guitars I used:

08/02/25 – ETC Company Picnic – Setlist #S200

1-1 – Give Me Back My Wig (Hound Dog Taylor) – Tele
1-2 – Diggin’ My Potatoes (Washboard Sam) – Tele
1-3 – Bad to the Bone (George Thorogood) – Lappie
1-4 – License Plate Stomp (SUIT) – LPG-5
1-5 – Shake Your Money Maker (Elmore James) – Smokey
1-6 – She Put the Whammy on Me (Freddie King) – Smokey
1-7 – When the Levee Breaks (Kansas Joe McCoy & Memphis Minnie/Led Zeppelin) – Dan-O
1-8 – Down the Road a Piece (Will Bradley Trio) / Jesus Just Left Chicago (ZZ Top) – Smokey
1-9 – Money Collection (SUIT) – Smokey
1-10 – Let’s Work Together (Canned Heat) – Lappie
1-11 – Night Train (Tab Benoit) – Blackie

Tele – 2009 Fender American Vintage 1952 Telecaster Reissue
LPG-5 – 2013 Texas Box Guitars LPG-5 (open-G tuning)
Lappie – 1955 Supro Student DeLuxe lap steel (open-G tuning)
Smokey – 2020 Shishkov DC Custom
Dan-O – 2000 Danelectro DC-12 (open-G tuning)
Blackie – 1981 Hamer Special

 

Nice big stage, great PA. The lighting was awesome, too (hey, it IS a lighting company), although most of our set was in bright daylight. The covered gear, tweed guitar amps and SWR cabs belong to The Grass Roots.

 

During Freddie King's "She Put the Whammy on Me."

Texas Box Guitars LPG-5, custom made for me using an old license plate from my 1986 Mustang.

Another gratuitous shot of Shishkov 0092.

1955 Supro lap steel.

 

On a walkabout with Blackie during Tab Benoit's "Night Train."

The Grass Roots. No original members, but they sounded great.

Fireworks.

[specialk]

Good to see at least one company still values its employees.

Looks like a Whole Lotta Fun!

[Steve Haynie]

Are you really "limited" to just five guitars with a selection like you brought with you?  

I have seen The Grass Roots a few times, including a show when Rob Grill was still alive.  The present-day band plays the songs as if they wrote them.  

[Dana_V]

12 minutes ago, Steve Haynie said:

Are you really "limited" to just five guitars with a selection like you brought with you?  

I have seen The Grass Roots a few times, including a show when Rob Grill was still alive.  The present-day band plays the songs as if they wrote them.  

Those five covered the bases very well, but by "limiting myself" I was referring to how, with this band, I usually bring a dozen or more guitars to a three-to-four hour gig. Some for practical reasons - different tunings, 12 strings, etc. - but others just because it's ridiculous, over-the-top and fun. Bringing a bunch of guitars has become my shtick with this band; if I were to show up to a SUIT gig with only one or two guitars everyone would ask me, "Are you okay?" 😆

Of course, if we were touring, or if we were playing out seven nights a week I would approach it differently, but since we only do about one gig a month - usually pretty close to home - it's fine. It's a little extra work, but I enjoy it.

This was my first time seeing TGR, but yes, they sounded fantastic. Plus they seemed confident, relaxed, and happy to be there. 

[velorush]

What a great set list! 

[Kerry Marchman]

Looks killer, Dana! I'm sure you guys were great!

[gorch]

Great pics. It sure had been a great evening.

[RobB]

Looks like a stone cold ball. Is there any YouTube?

Im on the video crew for a tech conference starting tomorrow. I’ve worked with ETC gear for 30yrs and it’s always been top notch kit. I’m sure there’ll be a ton of it for the general session. 

[Dana_V]

6 hours ago, RobB said:

Looks like a stone cold ball. Is there any YouTube?

Im on the video crew for a tech conference starting tomorrow. I’ve worked with ETC gear for 30yrs and it’s always been top notch kit. I’m sure there’ll be a ton of it for the general session. 

Yes, we did get some video. The camera was kind of in a dead spot so the mix isn't all that great, but otherwise it came out okay. The YouTube playlist is here:

 

ETC has been great - both as a company to work for and a host to events like this. Everyone there was SO accommodating and nice to us.

[Dana_V]

On 8/27/2025 at 12:42 PM, specialk said:

Good to see at least one company still values its employees.

Looks like a Whole Lotta Fun!

 

On 8/27/2025 at 4:06 PM, velorush said:

What a great set list! 

 

23 hours ago, Kerry Marchman said:

Looks killer, Dana! I'm sure you guys were great!

 

13 hours ago, gorch said:

Great pics. It sure had been a great evening.

 

Thanks!

Yes, it was a lot of fun - including the Texas-Wisconsin road trip to get there.

And yes, ETC seems to be one of the rare companies that still values its employees; they bought High End Systems in 2017, and it's been great ever since. 

 

 

[Jakeboy]

On 8/27/2025 at 4:06 PM, velorush said:

What a great set list! 

This! Right up my alley too.