Welcome to another Weekend Warrior profile, where we chat to a fellow keyboard player on the front lines of music making. If you’d like to be profiled yourself, here’s how.
Say hi to Dan Long, who is keeping busy across four bands and shows no hint of slowing down! As you’ll see, there’s quite a bit of diversity in style and we’re glad Dan chose keys over bass!
Band Page / My Musician Page
Band Name (or names)
Echoes the American Pink Floyd
What the Funk
Montana Wildaxe
Region
What genres / eras does your band cover?
Echoes is a Pink Floyd tribute, it’s a pretty high-end production with video, lasers, 10 musicians on stage recreating almost note for note renditions of all the classic Floyd stuff. I’ve been with these guys for about 10 years, as a founding member.
What the Funk is a 7-piece band with horns, we play everything from Tower of Power to Michael Jackson, Motown, basically anything funky and fun. The bass and drum player in this band are also in Montana Wildaxe, and we have been grooving together for over 30 years now. The singer in this band is one of the backup singers in Echoes.
Montana Wildaxe is a Deadhead/Jam/Groove band. We’ve been together since the mid 80’s. We play Dead, Allman Bros, Feat, Dylan, and a bevy of other artists. It’s a great group of players who know how to listen and take things out there and know when to bring it back.
Region is an all original band. We joke and say we are prog synth pop. There are 2 keys players in this band and it’s very keyboard driven music. Here’s a link to a tune from our album. We’re working on #2 as time permits.
How many years have you been playing gigs?
I just turned 62. I started doing bar gigs when I was 19, not old enough to be in there lol. I’ve played consistently since then. Montana played every weekend for years. I’ve been in many bands over the years, many genres, original music projects. I never tried or wanted to make a living at it, just enjoying music and being with my bandmates having fun. Of course the money doesn’t hurt.
Now, I enjoy time off as well. We have a 5 year old adopted daughter and a 4 year old grandson, so 3-4 gigs a month is plenty now. I do a lot of side projects as well, sit in gigs with area blues guys, and a project called The Rock Orchestra, which is a tribute band playing 3 or 4 shows a year. Each show is a different artist, and there is a rotating cast of players. I’ve done Peter Gabriel, Springsteen, Talking Heads, and Fleetwood Mac with them. I’m starting to prep for Queen, rehearsals start in March for a late April show.
What inspired you to become a keyboard player in the first place?
Funny, I actually wanted to play bass. Prior to that, my dad was a sales guy for Westinghouse and took his clients to a club called the Latin Casino in NJ. He became friends with the house organist, and my Dad bought a Hammond L100. I was about 6 at the time. The organ player would be teaching my Dad, and I’d watch. They’d leave and I’d sit down and play what my Dad was playing. I messed around with it ever since then, but around 10 years old I wanted to be Elton John’s bass player. I asked my parents if I could learn to play, and they said, if you want to play something, play the organ. So they let me start taking lessons, and I never stopped playing.
What is the keyboard rig you currently use when gigging?
My rig is dependent on the band. I use anything from 1 to 4 boards. With Echoes, I use a Viscount Legend Live, Nord Stage 3 compact, and a Nord Wave 2. I also have an iPad that I trigger sound effects from. The stage covers all the pianos and EPs and a good amount of synth. The Wave 2 does the heavy lifting on the synth stuff, from leads to layered pads. The Viscount of course does its trick of being a great organ. I run it through the original Ventilator pedal that I have in my rack.
What the Funk, I use the 2 Nords. They cover everything I need between them.
Montana Wildaxe is mostly B3, piano, EP, maybe some clav and some synth pads and leads. I typically use the Stage 3, but I also break out the Viscount and the real Leslie once in a while, depending on the show.
Region: again, the 2 Nords fit the bill.
I do a lot of programming from scratch on the Nords for my synth sounds. I also have a Kronos 2, which pretty much stays home, a Roland Fantom 08 which I’m going to use for the upcoming Queen show (along with the Wave 2). I have a Moog Phatty, Nord Lead A1, Roland FA08 as well. I’m also working on a Gig Performer VST setup, but it’s not ready for gigs yet.
Is there a piece of gear you’re lusting after?
Right now, not really. I sort of gassed for the new Moog polysynth. A local friend of mine has one and I need to go over and play around with it. Right when the Moog came out I was starting to work on the VST rig, and the cost of the Moog made it more worthwhile to invest in some good VST software.
Aside from keys duties, do you have other roles in the band?
I sing backups in all my bands, but not lead. I help with the tech stuff in Echoes. I make the setlists for What the Funk and lay out the Echoes shows as well, though we collaborate a little more in that band.
Most memorable gig you’ve played and why was it memorable?
The sad thing is, it’s hard to remember a lot of gigs from the 80s lol. Echoes has had some nice shows. One gig my brother and sister were coming to see us, and I got them comps. I happened to look out the side door of the theater, and they were there in line- the line was wrapped around the block. I told them to go to the front door and I got them in without waiting too much. The place was packed and the show was spot on.
Has anything ever gone spectacularly wrong for you at a gig that you’re happy to share?
A long time ago Montana Wildaxe played in an airplane hangar. The extension cord was so long, my B3 was half a tone flat. I had to play the whole gig on Rhodes. I don’t recall anything going so bad that it caused problems with performing, but there are the gigs where you forget some cords, or your stool.
Are there songs you love or hate to play?
I love doing the Floyd stuff like Any Colour, which is an iconic sound. Songs like Dogs and Sheep have 8 or 9 different parts to cover, so I love that challenge. We do some fun stuff in What the Funk, some heavy Tower of Power, and a lot of other stuff that is fun to rip a lead to.
I don’t really have any songs I hate to play. We just don’t select them anymore. Hate it? Skip it. There are so many great songs to play instead.
Who are your keyboard player inspirations and why?
Chick Corea – my 1st big influence both piano and synth wise. I was probably about 14 or so when my listening horizon expanded a lot, so most of my favorites are from around that time.
Oscar Peterson – I could never play like that but I sure do love listening to it.
Todd Rundgren – not really a keyboardist, but someone who does it all in the studio, and I love his vocal arrangements and how he layers sound together.
Jimmy Smith – the master. Another Oscar: I can’t do it but I sure can try.
Fantasy time: you get a call from your favourite band of all time, asking you to play keys next week at their gig. Who is that band and how would you pull it off?
It would have to be Todd Rundgren/Utopia. They were my favorite band since high school. I’d get the set list and take the week off of work and program and learn the songs.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
Hopefully on this side of the dirt? I just want to keep doing what I’m doing now, staying just busy enough, enjoying the various projects and people I work with and having fun making music.
Your 5 Desert Island Discs
Healing – Todd Rundgren
Anything by Norah Jones
Dark Side of the Moon – Pink Floyd
A Peter Gabriel double disk greatest hits if it existed
Romantic Warrior – Return to Forever
Anything else you’d like to add?
Fun facts- I work in IT. I have 2 grown kids who are in their mid 30’s, a grandson, and our adopted 5 year old who is the love of my life. I have 3 dogs, too many aquariums, like to eat chile peppers, and don’t get to ride my motorcycle enough anymore
