Five Firsts: Thomas Lail of soundBarn

NAME: Thomas Lail
BAND AFFILIATION: soundBarn
INSTRUMENT: Guitar, organ, pedals, other

1. THE FIRST ALBUM I EVER BOUGHT WAS … “Batman and Robin,” performed by the Sensational Guitars of Dan and Dale (which, years later, I discovered was, in fact, Sun Ra). So many childhood hours spent by the close-and-play listening to Sun Ra.

2. THE FIRST CONCERT THAT I EVER SAW WAS … The Cars… “Candy-O,” I think. I remember being struck by the chilly, implacability of them. They lost me after “Panorama” when they became a garden variety pop band.

3. THE FIRST MUSICAL INSTRUMENT I EVER OWNED OR PLAYED WAS … I had some sort of electric organ as a tween, which I played a lot (and which I had completely forgotten about until now), but my first “real” instrument was a blonde Kay electric guitar with a wooden bridge and action that could stun a charging bull. I wish I still had it.

4. THE FIRST SONG THAT I EVER PERFORMED IN PUBLIC WAS … Probably some Rush or Yes song of excessive length.

5. THE FIRST BAND I WAS EVER IN WAS … I really can’t remember. It might have been called The Stand (after the Alarm song), but that might be completely wrong. It began as Rush and Yes covers, gravitated toward early U2, Skids and Plimsouls and eventually arrived at originals that sounded like early U2, Skids and Plimsouls.

Thomas Lail and his soundBarn co-hort Patrick Weklar team up with members of the Albany Sonic Arts Collective for “Benjamin Britten Is Dead,” an evening of long form improvisations and sonic explorations, at the soundBarn in Valatie at 8pm on Saturday. Admission is free.