For those keeping score…
| Bars/clubs | 4-5 |
| Private parties | 4 |
| Weddings | 7 |
| Festivals/Fairs/Community Events | 3 |
| Corporate events | 1 |
| Wisconsin | 51 |
| Minnesota | 1 |
| Illinois | 4 |
| Iowa | 3 |
| Michigan | 1 |
Some best and worst
Most amazing venue for a Sundogs gig, from a historical perspective: The Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake, IA, on whose very stage Billy Holly played his last concert the night of the infamous plane crash. The walls of the green room are filled with the handwritten tributes by countless famous (and not-so-famous) bands and musicians, including (now) the Sundogs.
Most elegant/romantic setting for a Sundogs wedding gig: The grounds of the Washington Hotel on Washington Island, Wisconsin.
Most awe-inspiring setting for a Sundogs gig: The massive stage and sound system erected for the Quad Graphics 10th anniversary employee picnic. In terms of sheer size and sonic wattage, this rig was comparable to what one would find in a modern stadium rock concert. Strangely enough, we could barely hear ourselves play.
Ratio of pay for the Sundogs’ best-paying gig to that of their worst-paying (non-free) gig: 114
Most anticlimactic Sundogs gig: The one way back in 2003 in which the bar who booked us bought actual radio ads(!) to publicize our gig, and then literally not a single person showed up (besides the bartender). To their credit, they paid us anyway.
Worst wedding gig: The one in which the very drunken wedding guests from a tropical country invited themselves onto the stage, knocked over equipment, and nearly ruined the PA speakers by bellowing into our microphones.
Best wedding gig: Almost all of the others.