Published in the August 31 – September 13, 2016 issue of Morgan Hill Life
By Mark Fenichel
Mark Fenichel
Photo by Mark Fenichel/fenifoto
A reckless driver drove into a rehearsal studio in San Jose earlier this month, destroying the building adjacent to the one used by One Country band, where Mark Fenichel and other musicians were rehearsing.
Every Tuesday for the past year I have had a Tuesday night rehearsal with the One Country band at Musik Inc., rehearsal studios in San Jose. On Tuesday, Aug. 16, like every week, we arrived at 7 p.m., set up our equipment and worked on our material until 10 p.m. That night we had a great rehearsal and happened to be ahead of schedule for the first time, so we decided to quit a half hour early. Jon Barnes, one of the guitarists, opened the front door to start our load out and came running back in.
“Hey, this place is on fire. Get out! Get out! The place is on fire!” We all ran out the door to see fire trucks surrounding the complex. Smoke and flames shot out the roof of the building 20 feet from our front studio door.
Firemen were scurrying around, water was everywhere, police, news crews and people half way down the block behind the caution tape gawking at the building. The street was closed off and all the streets around the buildings were shut down. We had no idea that a two-alarm fire was in full force at the studio building right next to ours.
It was a crazy scene and no one knew we were in the sound-proof building next door playing our music. Everyone else was evacuated and the police and firemen were quite surprised to see us in the space between the two buildings gazing at the scene from close up.
One of our band members had his car parked right next to the burning building, but luckily the fire was under control before it could reach the back end and engulf his Mercedes convertible. I often park next to that building closer to the front, but fortunately that night I found a better spot away from the fire zone.
The police were not allowing us out of the lot and told us we’d need to keep our cars where they were until the fire was completely out. Some of the musicians who rehearse every week at that now-destroyed building were sneaking in the back to get their water-soaked equipment out of the building. It was sad to see a beautiful drum set dripping wet as its owner carried it out of the building.
As it turns out, a reckless driver drove his truck into the front of the building hitting a gas line which caused the building to instantly burst into flames. The fire crews managed to put out the blaze before it spread to the rear of the building and to our building, but the building is probably a loss.
A week later at our last rehearsal, I was able to get inside and see all the damage. Rugs still wet, the smell of dampness, mildew and smoke throughout the rehearsal rooms. Bands were still removing equipment and much of it luckily was unscathed by the fire and water. But some of it still carried an unpleasant odor of smoke and dampness.
Going back there to rehearse, I really felt like those folks I see on the news whose neighborhood burned down but their house is still standing untouched. Good luck to all the bands that are displaced by that reckless driver who was showing off and being an idiot.
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On another note: The folks at the Chamber of Commerce are gearing up to create the 27th Taste of Morgan Hill Festival Sept. 24 and 25.
Playing on the Third Street stage from 1 to 2:30 Saturday is Mike Osborne, from 3 to 4:30 p.m. is Mark Maynard and from 5 to 7 p.m. is Soul Kiss. Sunday, from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Fast Lane Band takes the stage, from 1 to 3 p.m. Rock the Heat will play and from 3:30 to 6 p.m. it’s The Hitmen.
This year, in addition to a main stage on Third Street which will have live bands starting in the mid-afternoon, South Valley Civic Theater will perform 10-minute live musical selections of the “The Little Mermaid Jr.” at 6 p.m. Saturday and 4 p.m. Sunday. You will find more details in one of my upcoming columns.
If you have a local music tip send it to me at [email protected].
