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Love these guys and their music 
I swear you have many wonderful memories and I love hearing about them. Had I lived near you I would have been at many of your gigs, your taste in music is similar to mine. That had to be a fun party for everyone 
It was "potluck" so there was a ton of food. We got a couple hundred bucks of lasagna from the local Italian place, and about the same in fried chicken from another local restaurant. Then, the bar owner got me 4 cases of Korbel & sold it to me with no upcharge, plus he didn't charge for the room. (We hosted many of his jam nights so he made his money off us.)
One woman my wife worked with brought her contribution to the potluck. It was a bowl with 4 chicken wings. FOUR! 150 people, 4 wings. I think she underestimated our circle of friends LOL!
That band played over 1,600 gigs together. 80 a year for almost 21 years.
We had a 2.5 hour radius. We'd take gigs, if the room was big enough, as long as it took 2 & a half hours or less to get to, with only one exception, which was annual for 10 years, and was so good we couldn't say no.
Off campus club at a university in the Quad Cities. Fancy ballroom, 450-500 people, playing only 7 to 10.
$2,500 and 5 hotel rooms, plus they fed us with the rest of the folks. (Started at 2 grand, went up to 3.)
It was a terrific hobby. Lucrative too. That's why there are 13 guitars & a piano in my rec room! Plus, my recording gear & amps. My wife doesn't get to do much decorating in that room. 
It certainly sounds like you did quite well with your band, that is awesome! That has to be some rec room lol and I bet your wife doesn't mind considering how much you love music. 