2. The Turbo 2000-Battle of the Bands 1997
THE TURBO 2000 Dave had not yet bought a drum set, so he did the next best thing: he built one. Using a big rubber trash can, a smaller metal trash can with a lid with some coins in it, wood, and some metal plates bought at the thrift store, he constructed his beat-keeper. He later made it fancy by adding flames to the rubber can (with Pete Hewko's painting expertise), and an airplane with the drum's namesake written on the side: the Turbo 2000. Dave used this drum set for all of the shows in spring of 1997, and for recording the band's first demo tape.
Mr. McFeely's goal for that first semester of play was to be ready to play by the Battle of the Bands during Meltdown of the spring 1997 semester. So in the 2 weeks preceding the Battle, the band worked its tail off to perfect the five songs it chose to play for the show: Fish Heaven, Radiowave, River, Henrietta, and the UAF Theme Song. The work paid off: the band played a great show and won Battle of the Bands in 1997, fending off the more established Funky Eskimos. It was close, though the five judges gave the edge to the Funky Eskimos, but the crowd's votes favored Mr. McFeely. Everybody in Mr. McFeely felt great about their first show. That moment after the band finished its final song and the crowd was enthusiastically cheering was the single greatest moment of Gage's life.
In the next 2 weeks following the Battle, the band played two more shows and recorded an album on cassette. The band played before the outdoor movie "Mars Attacks," and then they played with The Stuarts in front of Nerland Hall on a sunny, warm day. Then on a Saturday afternoon, Joe Plein let the band make use of The Pub and its sound equipment, and produced Mr. McFeely's cassette album, "For Your Pleasure: The Pub Recordings," which contained the five songs played at Battle of the Bands plus My Sunny Day. Mr. McFeely played no more that semester.
©Mr. McFeely 2000