“Alive” by Pearl Jam, and a pair of originals written by Papas and Fischer.
Papas says such performances fit with Bullhorn’s mission—safe to say, no other vendors provide that kind of experience to the company’s clients.
“It’s a very special way to entertain customers,” Papas says. “It humanizes, I think, the company a little bit. And also, it’s a blast.”
The big question: will Stampede go on tour?
“We’ve thought that it would be cool to do a multi-city tour for our customers,” Papas says. “After the San Diego show, a few people asked us if we would come and play their holiday parties and stuff like that. I don’t know. We’ll see. I wouldn’t want to burn out the audience.”
As our time winds down, Papas asks me if I’d like to jam with him. As if that was even a question.
I haven’t played drums regularly in a year and a half, but I ambitiously choose Foo Fighters’ “Everlong,” despite the nonstop, frenetic pace at which my arms will have to move. (Stampede always opens with “Everlong,” Papas says—Foo Fighters front man Dave Grohl is his music idol.)
I’m rusty. The tempo drags a bit, and I screw up an early transition so badly we have to stop playing and reset. But we settle into a comfort zone and have a lot of fun with it.
Afterward, Papas—who has clearly been playing a lot of guitar lately—kindly compliments me while deflecting my praise.
“Any time you want to play, just let me know,” Papas says.
He’s running late for his next appointment—a conference call, I think—but he tells me not to worry.
Apparently, the call can wait. The jam session is always worth it.
