The Pub gig is always a blast and even more so with lots and lots of peep support!
Thanks to Betty & her crew, Anne, Gail, Sugar and Tom Jones.
Of course, the most thanks goes to Matt for having us there in the first place! It's been a great run and we look forward to many more gigs at The Pub in 2011.
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
10/2 - Mojo's Coffe House
This was our first open mic with the mic being used in quite some time!
Both Amanda and Dave were great, especially Amanda with having a sore throat and all...I never would have known had she not told me, her voice was clear and beautiful.
Thanks to Betty & Bernie for coming out to have some fun with us and as always, your support is greatly appreciated.
Both Amanda and Dave were great, especially Amanda with having a sore throat and all...I never would have known had she not told me, her voice was clear and beautiful.
Thanks to Betty & Bernie for coming out to have some fun with us and as always, your support is greatly appreciated.
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
9/26 - Trading Post
The bikers...I think we're starting to grow on them.
We must be doing something right when a big, burly guy donned in full leather, including the fingerless gloves that were not removed even for the eating of the hot dog, sings along to "girl" songs. And I don't mean that he just mouthed the words while watching TV, but he sang with so much gusto that we could hear him from about 20-ish feet away. Oh, and let's not forget the choreography. He was quite expressive.
Apparently, underneath all that machoness lies a marshmallow that's been toasted a few times.
He was fun to watch and he was pretty much our entertainment until The Family showed up.
Picture this ~ into this full blown biker bar (remember the padlocked, chain toilet paper holders) walks a mom, dad, teen age daughter, older daughter and her perfect husband....all dressed in OSU attire and as clean cut as a tomato sliced with a Ginsu knife. They make a bee line for the machine with the stuffed animals that you have to scoop up with the claw crane where dad says goodbye to a twenty.
According to Dad, this is their Sunday ritual and throwing modesty to the wind, he informed us that they are quite good at this game, having more stuffed animals at home than they know what to do with.
In the middle of the stuffed animals waiting to be clawed to the top and into The Family's home lies a plastic Harley Davidson with glinting rays of light that only Dad can see radiating off the plastic it's encased in, accompanied by a choir of angels singing the sweetest of songs that only Dad can hear. This is HIS prize. He must have THE BIKE.
The girls win a couple of stuffed animals thanks to Dad and his perfect son-in-law, but not before he surrenders another bill to the claw crane machine. They have a system where everyone gets a turn and they take those turns in a very specific order. Dad's turn has ended and he walks away to give his perfect son-in-law some elbow room for his turn.
Just as Dad takes a sip of his soda pop (the one that he brought into the bar so as not to waste his money on something as frivolous as a drink), the most glorious thing happens ~ Perfect Son-In-Law scoops up the Harley for Dad and at that point, I'm pretty sure I heard the angels singing too. Dad was as happy as a kid at Christmas getting that one thing he just had to have or he would die, which must have been their signal to leave, because as a group The Family paraded past us with their winnings and they were gone.
We must be doing something right when a big, burly guy donned in full leather, including the fingerless gloves that were not removed even for the eating of the hot dog, sings along to "girl" songs. And I don't mean that he just mouthed the words while watching TV, but he sang with so much gusto that we could hear him from about 20-ish feet away. Oh, and let's not forget the choreography. He was quite expressive.
Apparently, underneath all that machoness lies a marshmallow that's been toasted a few times.
He was fun to watch and he was pretty much our entertainment until The Family showed up.
Picture this ~ into this full blown biker bar (remember the padlocked, chain toilet paper holders) walks a mom, dad, teen age daughter, older daughter and her perfect husband....all dressed in OSU attire and as clean cut as a tomato sliced with a Ginsu knife. They make a bee line for the machine with the stuffed animals that you have to scoop up with the claw crane where dad says goodbye to a twenty.
According to Dad, this is their Sunday ritual and throwing modesty to the wind, he informed us that they are quite good at this game, having more stuffed animals at home than they know what to do with.
In the middle of the stuffed animals waiting to be clawed to the top and into The Family's home lies a plastic Harley Davidson with glinting rays of light that only Dad can see radiating off the plastic it's encased in, accompanied by a choir of angels singing the sweetest of songs that only Dad can hear. This is HIS prize. He must have THE BIKE.
The girls win a couple of stuffed animals thanks to Dad and his perfect son-in-law, but not before he surrenders another bill to the claw crane machine. They have a system where everyone gets a turn and they take those turns in a very specific order. Dad's turn has ended and he walks away to give his perfect son-in-law some elbow room for his turn.
Just as Dad takes a sip of his soda pop (the one that he brought into the bar so as not to waste his money on something as frivolous as a drink), the most glorious thing happens ~ Perfect Son-In-Law scoops up the Harley for Dad and at that point, I'm pretty sure I heard the angels singing too. Dad was as happy as a kid at Christmas getting that one thing he just had to have or he would die, which must have been their signal to leave, because as a group The Family paraded past us with their winnings and they were gone.
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
9/24 - Whole Foods
I made it to this gig and so did this woman who looked like a cross between the Swiss Miss girl, an Oktoberfest beer chick (not the young, sexy ones, but the older ones who who still see themselves as young and sexy), and just a wee bit of Flower Child thrown in. It was most interesting in a disturbing sort of way or disturbing in an interesting sort of way. Not sure if she dresses like that all the time, if that's what she wears when she goes grocery shopping, or if she was practicing for Halloween. Any of the choices was not a good choice.
We did have the cutest little princess there who clearly wanted to wear her Halloween costume ALL the time. I'm thinkin' that her parents had to wait for her to fall asleep so they could get that costume off her. She was dancing and twirling and having a ball. Get it ~ princess...having a ball...I crack my own self up.
Those were the highlights of this Whole Foods gig. Now, the next one will be a story to tell. It's on the 29th and we'll be dressed in full Halloween garb along with everyone else (unless they just told us that they all dress up to make us show up as the only ones in costume).
We did have the cutest little princess there who clearly wanted to wear her Halloween costume ALL the time. I'm thinkin' that her parents had to wait for her to fall asleep so they could get that costume off her. She was dancing and twirling and having a ball. Get it ~ princess...having a ball...I crack my own self up.
Those were the highlights of this Whole Foods gig. Now, the next one will be a story to tell. It's on the 29th and we'll be dressed in full Halloween garb along with everyone else (unless they just told us that they all dress up to make us show up as the only ones in costume).
9/19 - Whole Foods
This was a Lolaless gig, which left the boys to report back, which means I got nothin'.
Thursday, October 14, 2010
9/10 - Mutt & Jeff's
A wee bit cool-ish, but still a patio gig.
Other than the scent of a cherry/vanilla cigar drifting in and out, the evening was pretty uneventful...until the baseball team(s) arrived.
One couple on the team had their daughter, Clara with them. She was a cutie-patootie, but she also had that serious look about her. Anyway, Clara was probably 4-ish, give or take an ish. I offered her the shaky egg and she took it as in took it back to the table where her parents were, where she seemed to find more enjoyment in rolling it around like a miniature ball than shaking it to keep the beat to the songs.
After a while, she came back up to us and just stood there, egg in hand. I motioned for her to come up to stand by me and the second she got "in the spotlight", she was a rock star and I thought for a brief moment that my position as egg shaker might be terminated.
Her mom took pictures and then when it was time for them to leave, Clara looked up at me with those dark, doe eyes and asked me in her teensie, tinsie voice if she could keep the egg. If it
weren't for the fact that it was a gift to me, I probably would have caved and given it to her.
And of course Jake tried to make me feel all guilty for telling her no. He's nice like that.
Other than the scent of a cherry/vanilla cigar drifting in and out, the evening was pretty uneventful...until the baseball team(s) arrived.
One couple on the team had their daughter, Clara with them. She was a cutie-patootie, but she also had that serious look about her. Anyway, Clara was probably 4-ish, give or take an ish. I offered her the shaky egg and she took it as in took it back to the table where her parents were, where she seemed to find more enjoyment in rolling it around like a miniature ball than shaking it to keep the beat to the songs.
After a while, she came back up to us and just stood there, egg in hand. I motioned for her to come up to stand by me and the second she got "in the spotlight", she was a rock star and I thought for a brief moment that my position as egg shaker might be terminated.
Her mom took pictures and then when it was time for them to leave, Clara looked up at me with those dark, doe eyes and asked me in her teensie, tinsie voice if she could keep the egg. If it
weren't for the fact that it was a gift to me, I probably would have caved and given it to her.
And of course Jake tried to make me feel all guilty for telling her no. He's nice like that.
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
9/4 - Thacker's Field Hog Roast 2010
We were the other "band", but we're counting it as a gig anyway. Gutter Monkey (the real band...notice, no quotes on my description of them) was kind enough to let us use their equipment to do a short set.
What a great experience this was! We're definitely planning on making it out to the next roast.
So, we get there and join the gathering among the planes and the tents that are taking over Bill & Janice's back yard, watching the newcomers arrive and just kibitzing in general. We decided to set up the tent while there was still light and soberness involved and thank you, Bill for suggesting the side of the yard where there were no planes (more on that later).
The neighbor's donkey (a.k.a. jackass, and again ~ more on that later) was quite vocal in making it clear to us that he did not appreciate the intrusion.
Once everyone arrived, the barnstorming began. We were regaled with the likes of Rick and his Texan, Colonel Gimlet, the bi-planes, and of course Kernel Smoker, who I need to thank for my thrilling ride that would have been even more thrilling had I agreed to the loops. After watching Mudcat's video of his ride with loops included, I'm very glad that I passed on those.
The rides and air shows went on until supper time when we were treated to Mississippi's BBQ. It was most dee-lish.
After everyone ate, the tables were quickly taken down and the chairs pushed to the edges of the hanger to open up the dance floor. Now, I have to tell you that Bill & Janice are multi-taskers to the max ~ the hanger is equipped with a disco light (and yes, he moved his plane out before the party began).
The absolute cutest girl ever was going wild with the dance moves and we were all envious of her energy. While it lasted. After a few dances, I looked over to see this little girl completely passed out on her mother's shoulder. Her mom said that she parties like a rock star. And she passes out just like one too.
Into the evening, Rick and his Texan put on a night time air show for us, seeming to be one with the stars. And speaking of stars (no, not you Jeff) ~ Mudcat, Jake and I all saw the same shooting star at the same time. That was pretty cool. And this was the first time I've ever seen the Milky Way other than in candy bar form. I honestly thought that it was just a picture in a book to illustrate a point. I'm still stunned that it's really real and that I actually got to see it. It truly was an incredible sight. I plan to take the tri-pod with me to the next roast to get some pictures. And yes, I'm well aware that the tri-pod does not take the pictures.
The band has packed it in, the crowd has thinned and those of us who stayed the night are in the process of winding down, but the donkey is cranked that we're keeping him awake and he's letting us know. He finally gave up after we settled in for the night. And oh, what a short night it was.
Apparently, donkeys and/or jackasses don't require a lot of sleep. It was not quite the butt crack of dawn when he started with the braying again. It took me a brief moment to figure out what the sound was, but then I remembered. I guess he's their equivalent of a rooster.
Not to be outdone, our resident jackass (a.k.a. Smoker) decided to fire up his RV and do a fly by or two, or three, or four as our very own wake up call and I'm thinkin' that those campers who were in his wake were most envious of our plane free campsite, although I'm pretty sure that wasn't their initial thought on the subject.
After about 45 pots of coffee and some recovery, the fun began again.
Bill took out in the paraplane, which I think is a flying lawn mower powered by flubber. His first landing turned into a go around when the unexpected sight of a full moon in broad daylight broke his concentration (and most likely his spirit as well). And that full moon risin' is captured on video. Soon to be released. Or not, if the price is right.
We can't thank Bill and Janice enough for their hospitality. You are truly the most gracious hosts and we look forward to seeing you again in 2012.
What a great experience this was! We're definitely planning on making it out to the next roast.
So, we get there and join the gathering among the planes and the tents that are taking over Bill & Janice's back yard, watching the newcomers arrive and just kibitzing in general. We decided to set up the tent while there was still light and soberness involved and thank you, Bill for suggesting the side of the yard where there were no planes (more on that later).
The neighbor's donkey (a.k.a. jackass, and again ~ more on that later) was quite vocal in making it clear to us that he did not appreciate the intrusion.
Once everyone arrived, the barnstorming began. We were regaled with the likes of Rick and his Texan, Colonel Gimlet, the bi-planes, and of course Kernel Smoker, who I need to thank for my thrilling ride that would have been even more thrilling had I agreed to the loops. After watching Mudcat's video of his ride with loops included, I'm very glad that I passed on those.
The rides and air shows went on until supper time when we were treated to Mississippi's BBQ. It was most dee-lish.
After everyone ate, the tables were quickly taken down and the chairs pushed to the edges of the hanger to open up the dance floor. Now, I have to tell you that Bill & Janice are multi-taskers to the max ~ the hanger is equipped with a disco light (and yes, he moved his plane out before the party began).
The absolute cutest girl ever was going wild with the dance moves and we were all envious of her energy. While it lasted. After a few dances, I looked over to see this little girl completely passed out on her mother's shoulder. Her mom said that she parties like a rock star. And she passes out just like one too.
Into the evening, Rick and his Texan put on a night time air show for us, seeming to be one with the stars. And speaking of stars (no, not you Jeff) ~ Mudcat, Jake and I all saw the same shooting star at the same time. That was pretty cool. And this was the first time I've ever seen the Milky Way other than in candy bar form. I honestly thought that it was just a picture in a book to illustrate a point. I'm still stunned that it's really real and that I actually got to see it. It truly was an incredible sight. I plan to take the tri-pod with me to the next roast to get some pictures. And yes, I'm well aware that the tri-pod does not take the pictures.
The band has packed it in, the crowd has thinned and those of us who stayed the night are in the process of winding down, but the donkey is cranked that we're keeping him awake and he's letting us know. He finally gave up after we settled in for the night. And oh, what a short night it was.
Apparently, donkeys and/or jackasses don't require a lot of sleep. It was not quite the butt crack of dawn when he started with the braying again. It took me a brief moment to figure out what the sound was, but then I remembered. I guess he's their equivalent of a rooster.
Not to be outdone, our resident jackass (a.k.a. Smoker) decided to fire up his RV and do a fly by or two, or three, or four as our very own wake up call and I'm thinkin' that those campers who were in his wake were most envious of our plane free campsite, although I'm pretty sure that wasn't their initial thought on the subject.
After about 45 pots of coffee and some recovery, the fun began again.
Bill took out in the paraplane, which I think is a flying lawn mower powered by flubber. His first landing turned into a go around when the unexpected sight of a full moon in broad daylight broke his concentration (and most likely his spirit as well). And that full moon risin' is captured on video. Soon to be released. Or not, if the price is right.
We can't thank Bill and Janice enough for their hospitality. You are truly the most gracious hosts and we look forward to seeing you again in 2012.
Saturday, September 11, 2010
9/3 - Jackalope
Did you know that the Jackalope has opened another lope in Avon on Chester? They did.
Anyway, I didn't get to see any wild life this time around, but I did get to see the light house all aglow. That was pretty cool.
I was a wee bit cranky at this gig (okay a LOT cranky) and Jake wasn't there to talk me off the ledge. But I survived and more importantly, so did the people who were the root of my crankiness.
Things improved as the night progressed and people interacted with us by singing, chair dancing, and requesting songs....even got a request for "Big Bad John" and "Greensleeves". Honest. How could I possibly make that up?
Anyway, I didn't get to see any wild life this time around, but I did get to see the light house all aglow. That was pretty cool.
I was a wee bit cranky at this gig (okay a LOT cranky) and Jake wasn't there to talk me off the ledge. But I survived and more importantly, so did the people who were the root of my crankiness.
Things improved as the night progressed and people interacted with us by singing, chair dancing, and requesting songs....even got a request for "Big Bad John" and "Greensleeves". Honest. How could I possibly make that up?
8/29 - Trading Post
This must be Jeff Bridges' hang out, because he was there again! Nice guy.
And we had our number one fan plus his two friends at this gig. It was great.
Jake's cigar box guitar peep came out and requested Little Feet. We played it, and then he requested Little Feet. He's a happy cigar box guitar builder. His son was less happy and he actually recognized the songs that he requested.
A small, but appreciative group hung out on the deck. One of the chicks made me feel like a rock star during "Landslide" when she started clapping and cheering during the ending where the hold out is....or maybe she was just glad that I was finally about to stop singing.
And we had our number one fan plus his two friends at this gig. It was great.
Jake's cigar box guitar peep came out and requested Little Feet. We played it, and then he requested Little Feet. He's a happy cigar box guitar builder. His son was less happy and he actually recognized the songs that he requested.
A small, but appreciative group hung out on the deck. One of the chicks made me feel like a rock star during "Landslide" when she started clapping and cheering during the ending where the hold out is....or maybe she was just glad that I was finally about to stop singing.
Friday, September 10, 2010
8/27 - BW3, Medina
Once again, we're at a patio gig where everyone is inside. But after a bit, people started to figure it out as they headed in to begin their evening and requested to sit on the patio, so it worked out okay.
During one of the songs, I noticed a plane overhead and was thinking that it was Colonel Smoker, but neither Jake nor Mudcat payed it any mind (actually, it was because they didn't see him fly in), so I went back about my task of people watching while we sing. And it's a good thing that's what I do, otherwise I would have missed the show. People were looking up and pointing and when I looked up to see what they were pointing at, sure enough it was the Smoker giving us our own Private Idaho air show in the form of a smiley face. I really wanted to see "surrender Dorothy" in script across the sky, but nooooooooo.
Jim, Paula, and Deb came out to offer their support and Colonel Smoker joined them after he
hung up his plane at Medina Muni.
And once again, there was a class reunion there, but in the party room inside. One of the alumni came out for a smoke and somehow ended up right next to our support crew's table and engaged us in conversation. After he told us how his buddies from high school were putting their wives up to going up to him and asking if he remembered them and then being all offended when he didn't, Deb looked at him with a straight face and asked him if he remembered her. When he tried to give her the "haha, good one" response, she kept it up and almost had him convinced that she was one of his classmates.
Keeping that in mind, a couple hours later we're packed up and ready to leave (no, it doesn't take us that long to pack up, we were on a break....kinda like Ross & Rachel, but different and then did the second set), I decided to go mess with the guy one last time and walked up to him while he was chatting it up with a couple women. I said hi to the girls and then gave him a hug and acted all happy to see him and when he gave me the deer in the headlights look, I told him that I couldn't believe that he didn't remember me. Then the wheels started turning and he realized that he only had to remember me in hours, not years and gave me his "haha, good one" response.
People are fun to mess with, especially when they're drunk.
During one of the songs, I noticed a plane overhead and was thinking that it was Colonel Smoker, but neither Jake nor Mudcat payed it any mind (actually, it was because they didn't see him fly in), so I went back about my task of people watching while we sing. And it's a good thing that's what I do, otherwise I would have missed the show. People were looking up and pointing and when I looked up to see what they were pointing at, sure enough it was the Smoker giving us our own Private Idaho air show in the form of a smiley face. I really wanted to see "surrender Dorothy" in script across the sky, but nooooooooo.
Jim, Paula, and Deb came out to offer their support and Colonel Smoker joined them after he
hung up his plane at Medina Muni.
And once again, there was a class reunion there, but in the party room inside. One of the alumni came out for a smoke and somehow ended up right next to our support crew's table and engaged us in conversation. After he told us how his buddies from high school were putting their wives up to going up to him and asking if he remembered them and then being all offended when he didn't, Deb looked at him with a straight face and asked him if he remembered her. When he tried to give her the "haha, good one" response, she kept it up and almost had him convinced that she was one of his classmates.
Keeping that in mind, a couple hours later we're packed up and ready to leave (no, it doesn't take us that long to pack up, we were on a break....kinda like Ross & Rachel, but different and then did the second set), I decided to go mess with the guy one last time and walked up to him while he was chatting it up with a couple women. I said hi to the girls and then gave him a hug and acted all happy to see him and when he gave me the deer in the headlights look, I told him that I couldn't believe that he didn't remember me. Then the wheels started turning and he realized that he only had to remember me in hours, not years and gave me his "haha, good one" response.
People are fun to mess with, especially when they're drunk.
Thursday, August 26, 2010
8/14 - The Pub
This was sort of a milestone gig, as it was the last gig before Jake goes off to be a pilot (congratulations on that!) and to air traffic control school. I tried to make him not go or at least lie to me and tell me that he wouldn't leave, but apparently that whiny shit only works on your dad when you're two. Of course, that doesn't mean that I won't ever try it again.
He says that he'll be back every weekend, so I'm holding him to that. I do not like being Jakeless.
This was also our first (and hopefully last) gig with Pepe Le Pew making a guest appearance. He was either too little to have pewing ability or he just didn't care to waste it on us, either one being a good thing. Pepe wasn't just in the neighborhood, he was actually on the patio with us wandering around the edge and then meandering under some oblivious woman's chair. Luckily, this was all on the opposite end of the patio from where we were, but I'm thinkin' it wouldn't have mattered had he let loose. The thing that I couldn't understand was that pretty much everyone was leaning in to watch him rather than making a mad dash for the door.
Although Pepe was some fierce competition, I think we held our own with entertaining the masses, especially for the guy who cared more about hearing the blues than watching the skunk.
Some girls asked Mudcat to take their picture as we were packing the van and they were leaving, so he strategically moved back just enough to get the marque with Project Mojo on it in the background of their picture.
He says that he'll be back every weekend, so I'm holding him to that. I do not like being Jakeless.
This was also our first (and hopefully last) gig with Pepe Le Pew making a guest appearance. He was either too little to have pewing ability or he just didn't care to waste it on us, either one being a good thing. Pepe wasn't just in the neighborhood, he was actually on the patio with us wandering around the edge and then meandering under some oblivious woman's chair. Luckily, this was all on the opposite end of the patio from where we were, but I'm thinkin' it wouldn't have mattered had he let loose. The thing that I couldn't understand was that pretty much everyone was leaning in to watch him rather than making a mad dash for the door.
Although Pepe was some fierce competition, I think we held our own with entertaining the masses, especially for the guy who cared more about hearing the blues than watching the skunk.
Some girls asked Mudcat to take their picture as we were packing the van and they were leaving, so he strategically moved back just enough to get the marque with Project Mojo on it in the background of their picture.
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
8/8 - Reinhart Graduation Party
Bob and Linda, you are the most gracious hosts! Thanks for all your kindness and for a fun day. And if you ever want to go into the catering business, I'm thinkin' you would be quite successful with all that dee-lish food.
Oh yeah, and congratulations, Andre.
We were semi-Jakeless this time around. Apparently, it's way more fun to be IN the party than AT the party. But, he played a mean air guitar and did some kick ass lip-synch.
Okay, how is this possible ~ one of the girls who was playing volley ball was texting during the game. She was really playing, not just standing there watching the ball zip by her head. I could not take my eyes off her. She finished her text, put her phone in her pocket and as she received a new text message, she would take her phone out of her pocket, read the message, and reply never missing a beat in the game. Now that's multi-tasking. I have enough trouble doing one or the other separately...
Oh yeah, and congratulations, Andre.
We were semi-Jakeless this time around. Apparently, it's way more fun to be IN the party than AT the party. But, he played a mean air guitar and did some kick ass lip-synch.
Okay, how is this possible ~ one of the girls who was playing volley ball was texting during the game. She was really playing, not just standing there watching the ball zip by her head. I could not take my eyes off her. She finished her text, put her phone in her pocket and as she received a new text message, she would take her phone out of her pocket, read the message, and reply never missing a beat in the game. Now that's multi-tasking. I have enough trouble doing one or the other separately...
Friday, August 13, 2010
8/7 - Firehouse Grille & Pub
Check out the booming metropolis of Malvern. And this was at 7-ish on a Saturday evening, although you wouldn't know that from looking at their town clock. Apparently, the entire town is on bar time and it's always closing time as the clock was fixed on 2:15.We thought that it would be a patio gig, which would have made sense since that's where everyone was (except, of course for us), but being that we were booked as a "Dinner Music Show" we were inside for the dinner crowd, which turned out to be some sleepy guy at the end of the bar and the owner and his wife with their 2 friends. There were a couple of other tables, but they came, they ate, they left (hopefully, they listened as well).
Their food is yummy and very reasonably priced and they appear to be THE place to go, so I'm not sure why there weren't more peeps out to eat. Well dammit, now I want Peeps. Did you know that you can skewer them like regular marshmallows and roast them over a fire and they'll get all weirdly deformed? But I digress. You're shocked, I'm sure.
So, we're just finishing up the last song and a few more people start to roll in and then a few more as we started packing up. By the time we we're done packing up the equipment and loading the van (which we've got down to a record 12 min), the place was approaching full capacity. I guess they're night owls in Malvern and/or conditioned to having the band start at 10:00, rather than finish at 10:00.
I think my favorite part of the journey was seeing the sign outside the fire/police station that just had "call 911 for emergencies" on it, which begs the question were they really giving the townspeople instructions or was it their way of saying "stop calling us for your damn emergencies".
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
8/6 - Whole Foods
This has definitely become one of my favorite places to play. In a grocery store....who'd a thunked it?
Unfortunately I missed the first half, because I was trapped at home waiting for the
maintenance man (and I use that term loosely) to finish installing a new hot water tank. He got to the house at 8:00am and left at 4:50pm. I was beginning to think that I might have been better off to just install the damn thing my own self.
And because I got there in the middle of things, I didn't scope out what food items were being offered for their 5x7. Oh well, there's always next time. It really is a great deal ~ 5 wines and 5 appetizers for 5 bucks from 5-7 every Friday.
I asked the boys (who are a wealth of information) what happened during the first half of the gig and this was their report:
Iggy Pop was there and he got a hair cut.
Now you see why the boys don't write the gig blog.
The 3 women who were singing along while choosing cheese, stopped for a bit to listen to us and then one at a time came up to put money in our tip bucket. But the way that they formed their little line and reverently approached, I'm pretty sure they were practicing for communion.
A bit later, I noticed a woman standing on the opposite side of the display between us and I'm sure she was looking down and reading one of the packages, but from my viewpoint, it looked as if she had fallen asleep standing up.
We had lots-o-little-ones this time around. I get such a kick out of watching the kids watching us. They're all mesmerized with Mudcat's and Jake's guitar playing. I often wonder how many of those kids will end up learning the guitar because of the memory that Mud and Jake create for them.
Unfortunately I missed the first half, because I was trapped at home waiting for the
maintenance man (and I use that term loosely) to finish installing a new hot water tank. He got to the house at 8:00am and left at 4:50pm. I was beginning to think that I might have been better off to just install the damn thing my own self.
And because I got there in the middle of things, I didn't scope out what food items were being offered for their 5x7. Oh well, there's always next time. It really is a great deal ~ 5 wines and 5 appetizers for 5 bucks from 5-7 every Friday.
I asked the boys (who are a wealth of information) what happened during the first half of the gig and this was their report:
Iggy Pop was there and he got a hair cut.
Now you see why the boys don't write the gig blog.
The 3 women who were singing along while choosing cheese, stopped for a bit to listen to us and then one at a time came up to put money in our tip bucket. But the way that they formed their little line and reverently approached, I'm pretty sure they were practicing for communion.
A bit later, I noticed a woman standing on the opposite side of the display between us and I'm sure she was looking down and reading one of the packages, but from my viewpoint, it looked as if she had fallen asleep standing up.
We had lots-o-little-ones this time around. I get such a kick out of watching the kids watching us. They're all mesmerized with Mudcat's and Jake's guitar playing. I often wonder how many of those kids will end up learning the guitar because of the memory that Mud and Jake create for them.
7/31 - Old Whedon Grille
Ahh...the Stepford Wives gig. Aside from that glorious 2 minute break, it was a continuous 3-1/2 hour, Jakeless gig.
Our new friend Mike was a nice boy. He made us feel good about being there and good about ourselves in general and stayed for quite some time longer than he had originally planned (you're welcome, Don).
Our new friend Mike was a nice boy. He made us feel good about being there and good about ourselves in general and stayed for quite some time longer than he had originally planned (you're welcome, Don).
Friday, August 6, 2010
7/24 - The Pub
This has always been one of our favorite gigs and we were really looking forward to playing on the patio during patio season. In Pub gigs of yore, their patio was enclosed and equipped with heaters. Although it was open this time around, it still felt like the heaters were going. Super duper hot night. Really hot. I'm talkin' hot. We did remember to bring the fan (not our #1 fan, but a fan none the less) and that helped a bit. Just a bit.
Mudcat staked out his spot on the squishy mat for dart throwers. No dart throwers were present this evening. Well...they might have been present, but at least they refrained from the throwing of the darts in his general direction.
Thanks to Dorothy and the California Girls for coming out to show your support! The best we could do was "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" for Dorothy and "Hotel California" for the girls.
There was a table of six right up front (or in the back, depending on your perspective) and one of the boys sang/yelled along with "You're So Vain" to the boy across the table from him. Vain Boy and the 3rd guy kept leaving the table and going out to the sidewalk where I assumed they were smoking and they went there a lot and stayed for a while. Then the girls from the table went up to the edge of the patio to watch Vain Boy and his friend. Turns out the boys were playing cornhole, not smoking, which makes sense as cornhole seems to be much more of a spectator sport than smoking.
Jake and I tried our hands at cornhole after the van was packed (okay, during....we were playing while Mudcat was packing the van). And yes, I still suck at the game.
Mudcat staked out his spot on the squishy mat for dart throwers. No dart throwers were present this evening. Well...they might have been present, but at least they refrained from the throwing of the darts in his general direction.
Thanks to Dorothy and the California Girls for coming out to show your support! The best we could do was "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" for Dorothy and "Hotel California" for the girls.
There was a table of six right up front (or in the back, depending on your perspective) and one of the boys sang/yelled along with "You're So Vain" to the boy across the table from him. Vain Boy and the 3rd guy kept leaving the table and going out to the sidewalk where I assumed they were smoking and they went there a lot and stayed for a while. Then the girls from the table went up to the edge of the patio to watch Vain Boy and his friend. Turns out the boys were playing cornhole, not smoking, which makes sense as cornhole seems to be much more of a spectator sport than smoking.
Jake and I tried our hands at cornhole after the van was packed (okay, during....we were playing while Mudcat was packing the van). And yes, I still suck at the game.
7/22 - Ziggy's Sports Bar
This joint was much bigger than I expected. Kinda reminded me of a smaller version of BW3.
Wow, did we get the rain that night. When Mudcat sang "Ridin' the Storm Out", he wasn't kidding. The bad thing is that it kept people from venturing out, but the good thing is that it kept people from venturing out. We didn't get any more people coming in, but we didn't loose anyone either. Thankfully, the rain stopped by the time we were to the loading of the van stage of the evening.
And we can add wriggly, crawly things to the list of insects of which Jake is most fond. I really think he should consider being an entomologist. It's not too late to switch career paths.
Another thing that Jake added was a new fan. Some guy came up to him just as we finished up and sang his praises. He actually didn't even look at Mud or me, so I guess we know who's the real rock star in the group.
Other than that, it was a pretty uneventful and low key gig.
Wow, did we get the rain that night. When Mudcat sang "Ridin' the Storm Out", he wasn't kidding. The bad thing is that it kept people from venturing out, but the good thing is that it kept people from venturing out. We didn't get any more people coming in, but we didn't loose anyone either. Thankfully, the rain stopped by the time we were to the loading of the van stage of the evening.
And we can add wriggly, crawly things to the list of insects of which Jake is most fond. I really think he should consider being an entomologist. It's not too late to switch career paths.
Another thing that Jake added was a new fan. Some guy came up to him just as we finished up and sang his praises. He actually didn't even look at Mud or me, so I guess we know who's the real rock star in the group.
Other than that, it was a pretty uneventful and low key gig.
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
7/18 - Trading Post
So, it's a bazillion degrees and we get to play outside. How nice for us. We learned one thing from Jake (just the one thing) and that's to bring along our fan. And we were smart enough to bring the canopy as well, so it could have been much worse.
Their back yard area is kick ass. It's completely secluded even though it's right next to the street. Empty picnic tables abound. Well, the tables became empty when our Trading Post crew realized that the picnic table on the deck is much closer to the beer and the grill, but God bless them, it took 3 rounds for them to figure it out.
Beyond the back yard is a little bridge that takes you to a mini Woodstock area. And speaking of bridges, we did have a special guest ~ Jeff Bridges. He's a real nice guy. Down to earth (when he's not flying his plane) and disguised as a biker, he fit right in with the regulars.
Their back yard area is kick ass. It's completely secluded even though it's right next to the street. Empty picnic tables abound. Well, the tables became empty when our Trading Post crew realized that the picnic table on the deck is much closer to the beer and the grill, but God bless them, it took 3 rounds for them to figure it out.
Beyond the back yard is a little bridge that takes you to a mini Woodstock area. And speaking of bridges, we did have a special guest ~ Jeff Bridges. He's a real nice guy. Down to earth (when he's not flying his plane) and disguised as a biker, he fit right in with the regulars.
Thursday, July 22, 2010
7/17 - Riders 1812 Inn
Once again, our summer gig at Riders is on the same night as Painsville's Party in the Park. Guess where everyone was? If you guessed the park, you would be correct.
We had a few die hard Riders Inn folks who hung out in the bar and they seemed to enjoy the music.
Oh yeah, and Riders is a Jakeless gig, because the place is so wee and I don't like the Jakeless gigs one bit. Not one bit, I tell you.
The bright spot of the evening was when Barb (my friend since 1st grade) showed up with her brother, her mom & dad, and her 2 kids. Her son was bored out of his mind, which made me feel sorry for him for having been dragged out there, but also made me feel so proud of him that he was doing what his mom asked of him...he's 19. One of the first things I did when we took our break was to thank him for coming out and then give him permission to leave. He didn't argue.
As Barb and Erica (her 22yrd old daughter) were leaving, Erica told me that she doesn't like it when her dad is out of town while she's home from college. I told her how sweet that was that she missed her dad and she informed me that that wasn't the case. When her dad's away during a weekend, she has to hang out with her mom. I asked her if she meant hang out with "old" people and she just grinned.
So, this gig turned out to be a family reunion of sorts for me. That part of it I enjoyed. Being Jakeless, not so much.
We had a few die hard Riders Inn folks who hung out in the bar and they seemed to enjoy the music.
Oh yeah, and Riders is a Jakeless gig, because the place is so wee and I don't like the Jakeless gigs one bit. Not one bit, I tell you.
The bright spot of the evening was when Barb (my friend since 1st grade) showed up with her brother, her mom & dad, and her 2 kids. Her son was bored out of his mind, which made me feel sorry for him for having been dragged out there, but also made me feel so proud of him that he was doing what his mom asked of him...he's 19. One of the first things I did when we took our break was to thank him for coming out and then give him permission to leave. He didn't argue.
As Barb and Erica (her 22yrd old daughter) were leaving, Erica told me that she doesn't like it when her dad is out of town while she's home from college. I told her how sweet that was that she missed her dad and she informed me that that wasn't the case. When her dad's away during a weekend, she has to hang out with her mom. I asked her if she meant hang out with "old" people and she just grinned.
So, this gig turned out to be a family reunion of sorts for me. That part of it I enjoyed. Being Jakeless, not so much.
Saturday, July 17, 2010
7/10 - Capps Tavern
Where is Capps Tavern, you ask? It's in BF Egypt....unless you happen to live in BFE (like my brother and sister-in-law), then it's just down the road a piece.
Apparently, their golf outing was quite a success. Lots of people turned out for the event and even the loosers won something. Actually, I wouldn't have minded some of the lovely parting gifts....guess I need to take up golf. Or not.
They have a pretty cool patio, complete with a fountain that some little girl decided needed a rock rearranging. And by rearranging, I mean throwing rocks onto it. Good thing they didn't bounce back.
There's also a canopy so we got a nice little break from the blazing sun. And the OFF gave us a nice little break from the bugs once the sun went away and we turned on our lights. What is it about lights that bugs like? Maybe in their little bug minds they think they're crossing over.
We actually had some dancers, but they danced to "Sittin' On The Dock Of The Bay". Odd song to dance to (I thought), but they made it work.
Apparently, their golf outing was quite a success. Lots of people turned out for the event and even the loosers won something. Actually, I wouldn't have minded some of the lovely parting gifts....guess I need to take up golf. Or not.
They have a pretty cool patio, complete with a fountain that some little girl decided needed a rock rearranging. And by rearranging, I mean throwing rocks onto it. Good thing they didn't bounce back.
There's also a canopy so we got a nice little break from the blazing sun. And the OFF gave us a nice little break from the bugs once the sun went away and we turned on our lights. What is it about lights that bugs like? Maybe in their little bug minds they think they're crossing over.
We actually had some dancers, but they danced to "Sittin' On The Dock Of The Bay". Odd song to dance to (I thought), but they made it work.
7/8 - The Boneyard
Okay, so it's a thousand twelve degrees outside and we're scheduled to do a patio gig. I was most unhappy about that. I like patio gigs, but not when it's so stinkin' hot that everyone is inside enjoying the AC while we're outside trying not to pass out from heat exhaustion.
But, oh happy day ~ we got to play inside!
The acoustics were funky in there, but we muddled through. Muddled, actually is the key word. That's kinda what our sound was. But, oh well. We got through it. I know Jake was loving it.
Thanks to Col. Smoker and company for stopping out to see us. You guys are alright.
We got the plug pulled on us an hour early, because of the "big announcement". Stupid, stupid, stupid Lebron. Oh well, what can you do?
But, oh happy day ~ we got to play inside!
The acoustics were funky in there, but we muddled through. Muddled, actually is the key word. That's kinda what our sound was. But, oh well. We got through it. I know Jake was loving it.
Thanks to Col. Smoker and company for stopping out to see us. You guys are alright.
We got the plug pulled on us an hour early, because of the "big announcement". Stupid, stupid, stupid Lebron. Oh well, what can you do?
7/4 - Meadows Neighborhood Fireworks
Once again, Vic and Amy pulled out all the stops for a great party with lots of fun and lots of food!
Jake brought along our number one fan (thank you, Betty!). What a difference it made being able to have a wee bit-o-breeze.
Vic was nice enough to set up the canopy for us again this year, so that we didn't have to be in direct sunlight. Kinda like a house plant, but different....at least we weren't leaning toward the light.
We did Marylou's songs for her; "I'm Looking Over A Four Leaf Clover", "Bye, Bye Blackbird", and "Crazy". She's a hoot, that one.
And the fireworks were awesome, but not long enough. We did get to see some on the way home, so that was fun.
Looking foward to being a part of the party next year!
Jake brought along our number one fan (thank you, Betty!). What a difference it made being able to have a wee bit-o-breeze.
Vic was nice enough to set up the canopy for us again this year, so that we didn't have to be in direct sunlight. Kinda like a house plant, but different....at least we weren't leaning toward the light.
We did Marylou's songs for her; "I'm Looking Over A Four Leaf Clover", "Bye, Bye Blackbird", and "Crazy". She's a hoot, that one.
And the fireworks were awesome, but not long enough. We did get to see some on the way home, so that was fun.
Looking foward to being a part of the party next year!
Thursday, July 8, 2010
7/3 - Jackalope
Everyone was pretty subdued this time around, with the exception of the reincarnated Sam Kinison, who at first glance appeared to be a perfectly quiet and well behaved 2-ish year old girl. It was Sam.
For quite a while, we had the pleasure of watching a deer grazing in the grass beyond the parking lot, although Mudcat insisted that it was indeed a jackalope. She wasn't bothered by any people wandering around, car doors closing, and/or engines starting, but she drew the line with a little Toto impersonator and she was gone.
We also got to see a beautiful sunset that turned the view of the lighted boats gathered at the dock into a picture perfect evening.
And this is our job.
For quite a while, we had the pleasure of watching a deer grazing in the grass beyond the parking lot, although Mudcat insisted that it was indeed a jackalope. She wasn't bothered by any people wandering around, car doors closing, and/or engines starting, but she drew the line with a little Toto impersonator and she was gone.
We also got to see a beautiful sunset that turned the view of the lighted boats gathered at the dock into a picture perfect evening.
And this is our job.
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
BW3 - Broadview Hts
This had to be one of the most uneventful gigs in PM history.
With the exception of B&B (thanks for coming out and enduring the comfy seats), it was pretty much a take out kinda night. The taker outers had a couple drinks while they waited for their food order, gave us the 2 thumbs up and promptly left.
However, I did learn a couple things ~
1) A take out order is "almost ready" at the end of the first drink and will arrive almost immediately after the second drink is served. Coincidence? I think not.
2) A vodka exists in a bottle that looks like a crystal skull (hence the name Crystal Skull Vodka).
The bottle represents the human skull carvings made from rock crystals purported to be pre-Columbian, but research has found them to be from the mid-19th century. I sound all smart, huh? Wikipedia is a wonderful thing. Reminds me of the Golden Encyclopedias....artifacts from my youth.
With the exception of B&B (thanks for coming out and enduring the comfy seats), it was pretty much a take out kinda night. The taker outers had a couple drinks while they waited for their food order, gave us the 2 thumbs up and promptly left.
However, I did learn a couple things ~
1) A take out order is "almost ready" at the end of the first drink and will arrive almost immediately after the second drink is served. Coincidence? I think not.
2) A vodka exists in a bottle that looks like a crystal skull (hence the name Crystal Skull Vodka).
The bottle represents the human skull carvings made from rock crystals purported to be pre-Columbian, but research has found them to be from the mid-19th century. I sound all smart, huh? Wikipedia is a wonderful thing. Reminds me of the Golden Encyclopedias....artifacts from my youth.
6/25 - BW3, Medina
This was a patio gig, so we got to watch the comings and goings of the crazy drivers who apparently thought that the parking lot was a slalom course. Seems they just had to get inside to have some wings and/or beer. Lots of motorcycles about, which made me a little nervous what with the slalom course crazies and all.
It was also a full moon. Hey, maybe that s'plains the meandering motorists.
This was the night that Jake was presented with his crown and scepter, which he was robbed of....robbed I tell you. Stupid, stupid, stupid spoon boy.
And it turns out that when a group of people gather together at the local watering hole to have a class reunion and they're standing in the only open area to accommodate their mass, it's a fire hazard. So, the real life Francis Soyer (a.k.a. Psycho from "Stripes") arrives on the scene to reclaim law and order. He was pretty intense. Oh, and neither law nor order were reclaimed.
However, he did try to intimidate the group from across the room by staring at them, which might have worked had anyone actually been paying attention to him other than his own self.
It was also a full moon. Hey, maybe that s'plains the meandering motorists.
This was the night that Jake was presented with his crown and scepter, which he was robbed of....robbed I tell you. Stupid, stupid, stupid spoon boy.
And it turns out that when a group of people gather together at the local watering hole to have a class reunion and they're standing in the only open area to accommodate their mass, it's a fire hazard. So, the real life Francis Soyer (a.k.a. Psycho from "Stripes") arrives on the scene to reclaim law and order. He was pretty intense. Oh, and neither law nor order were reclaimed.
However, he did try to intimidate the group from across the room by staring at them, which might have worked had anyone actually been paying attention to him other than his own self.
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
6/19 - Mustard Seed
This might have been our last hoorah at the Mustard Seed. No, we didn't do anything outrageous and we kept our pyrotechnics to a minimum....they're changing their entertainment format and trying new things to see how that works, so we won't know until next year if they will want us back or not.
But, in the meantime ~ here's what happened: Everything was going along pretty non-blog worthy until this gentleman who had been dining alone, but was now just sitting at the bar listening to our music, decided to play maitre d. He was dressed for the occasion with a suit jacket and a Quicksilver Sly Fedora hat. I do believe he is the real life version of Chuck Finley from "Burn Notice".
A couple came in and they were waiting to be seated, just like the sign instructed. Chuck decided that they had waited long enough and got up from the bar, went over to them, greeted them with a slight bow, took 2 menus from the hostess stand and told them to follow him. He then proceeded to slowly, and deliberately escort them to a table where he made a grand gesture of getting the woman settled in her spot and then exchanged pleasantries with the man and I'm assuming he then told them that their server would be right with them and to enjoy their dinner.
The manager chick in charge intercepted Chuck on his way out and had a nice long chat with him, which I'm guessing might have had something to do with his lack of employment at the restaurant.
After their conversation, he exited as slowly and deliberately as he had seated that couple at the other end of the restaurant, glanced at us, grinned, and tipped his hat on his way out.
Wonder if we were as memorable...guess we'll find out next year.
But, in the meantime ~ here's what happened: Everything was going along pretty non-blog worthy until this gentleman who had been dining alone, but was now just sitting at the bar listening to our music, decided to play maitre d. He was dressed for the occasion with a suit jacket and a Quicksilver Sly Fedora hat. I do believe he is the real life version of Chuck Finley from "Burn Notice".
A couple came in and they were waiting to be seated, just like the sign instructed. Chuck decided that they had waited long enough and got up from the bar, went over to them, greeted them with a slight bow, took 2 menus from the hostess stand and told them to follow him. He then proceeded to slowly, and deliberately escort them to a table where he made a grand gesture of getting the woman settled in her spot and then exchanged pleasantries with the man and I'm assuming he then told them that their server would be right with them and to enjoy their dinner.
The manager chick in charge intercepted Chuck on his way out and had a nice long chat with him, which I'm guessing might have had something to do with his lack of employment at the restaurant.
After their conversation, he exited as slowly and deliberately as he had seated that couple at the other end of the restaurant, glanced at us, grinned, and tipped his hat on his way out.
Wonder if we were as memorable...guess we'll find out next year.
6/18 - Whole Foods
Thanks to Lightnin' for stopping out to see us!
We didn't see our regular dancer guy, but we did see a couple dancing in the ice cream aisle (or it could have been frozen yogurt).
Our new friend, Dave pulled up a chair to make his very own ring side seat and stayed for about an hour.
I think the joint is jinxed for Mudcat. The last time we were there he dropped his glass slide on their concrete floor...yeah, it broke. Oh, guess what he did with his back up glass slide this time. If you guessed that he dropped it on their concrete floor and that it broke then you would be correct, but win nothing.
We didn't see our regular dancer guy, but we did see a couple dancing in the ice cream aisle (or it could have been frozen yogurt).
Our new friend, Dave pulled up a chair to make his very own ring side seat and stayed for about an hour.
I think the joint is jinxed for Mudcat. The last time we were there he dropped his glass slide on their concrete floor...yeah, it broke. Oh, guess what he did with his back up glass slide this time. If you guessed that he dropped it on their concrete floor and that it broke then you would be correct, but win nothing.
Thursday, June 24, 2010
6/10 - The Boneyard
Our first patio gig of the year! Well, our first outdoor patio gig. And to help us celebrate the occasion were some midges, which made Jake SO happy.
We had a tiny dancer at this one. She was a little cutie and she was quite mesmerized by Mudcat.
After a bit, one of the servers came out and with the bartender's help, rearranged the tables into a long line, because there was a party of 12 coming out to the patio. They get it all right and proper and moments later, 2 guys sit down with their beer at the far end of the tables.
They are obviously part of the party for which the rearranged tables were intended as they were watching for their friends. However, their friends decided to stand around a high top table that could fit four, if those 4 people were either really small or they were all jammed in together.
The boys at the long line-o-tables motion for them to come over and sit down. They don't. Oh, and I forgot to tell you that one of the boys was a big jock type guy and the other one was a scrawny geek type guy, which brings me to my next observation.
The bigger of the 2 boys is getting more anxious the longer he's segregated from his average size friends, so after a bit of what I'm sure he thought was an internal struggle....you know, the one that showed all over his face and was made even more outward with his body language, he left his small friend to fend for himself. But he was kind enough to leave the pitcher of beer with him.
So, now Scrawny Boy is getting to be even more of a Nervous Nelly, sitting at the head of the otherwise empty table with a pitcher of beer and his very own beer glass. When he realizes that all his "friends" are quite content to be standing all jammed together without him, he makes one of the most important decisions of his life. He holds his position as head of the empty table.
The look on his face told me that he probably spent a lot of his school years saving places for his friends in the cafeteria, while they ate at another table with the hope that they would at least join him for dessert and he was reliving those moments.
Finally Jock Boy comes back over to join Scrawny Boy, but only long enough to refill his glass from the pitcher that he left on the table with him. Scrawn Boy takes this as his cue to have an "in" and walks back to the group-o-guys with his large friend, leaving the pitcher of beer on the table to act as a beacon.
The good news is that the server chick and the bartender did not rearrange those tables in vain. That's where all the pitchers of beer ended up, so that the boys wouldn't have to take turns holding pitchers along with their glasses.
Curiously, the pitchers were always at the far end of the table from where all these boys were congregated....the very same spot where Scrawn Boy was lording over his invisible subjects.
One way or another, he was going to get his friends to that table.
We had a tiny dancer at this one. She was a little cutie and she was quite mesmerized by Mudcat.
After a bit, one of the servers came out and with the bartender's help, rearranged the tables into a long line, because there was a party of 12 coming out to the patio. They get it all right and proper and moments later, 2 guys sit down with their beer at the far end of the tables.
They are obviously part of the party for which the rearranged tables were intended as they were watching for their friends. However, their friends decided to stand around a high top table that could fit four, if those 4 people were either really small or they were all jammed in together.
The boys at the long line-o-tables motion for them to come over and sit down. They don't. Oh, and I forgot to tell you that one of the boys was a big jock type guy and the other one was a scrawny geek type guy, which brings me to my next observation.
The bigger of the 2 boys is getting more anxious the longer he's segregated from his average size friends, so after a bit of what I'm sure he thought was an internal struggle....you know, the one that showed all over his face and was made even more outward with his body language, he left his small friend to fend for himself. But he was kind enough to leave the pitcher of beer with him.
So, now Scrawny Boy is getting to be even more of a Nervous Nelly, sitting at the head of the otherwise empty table with a pitcher of beer and his very own beer glass. When he realizes that all his "friends" are quite content to be standing all jammed together without him, he makes one of the most important decisions of his life. He holds his position as head of the empty table.
The look on his face told me that he probably spent a lot of his school years saving places for his friends in the cafeteria, while they ate at another table with the hope that they would at least join him for dessert and he was reliving those moments.
Finally Jock Boy comes back over to join Scrawny Boy, but only long enough to refill his glass from the pitcher that he left on the table with him. Scrawn Boy takes this as his cue to have an "in" and walks back to the group-o-guys with his large friend, leaving the pitcher of beer on the table to act as a beacon.
The good news is that the server chick and the bartender did not rearrange those tables in vain. That's where all the pitchers of beer ended up, so that the boys wouldn't have to take turns holding pitchers along with their glasses.
Curiously, the pitchers were always at the far end of the table from where all these boys were congregated....the very same spot where Scrawn Boy was lording over his invisible subjects.
One way or another, he was going to get his friends to that table.
6/5 - Mojo's Coffee House
This gig was just the boys. I was in Kent at the Wine & Arts Fest (as a vendor, not just a wine tasting wanderer), so here's the gig report I got from Mudcat ~
"It was good."
He's a man of many words, isn't he? Of course I had to nag more info out of him, but I didn't get much.
A couple guys were there for open mic night and came up to play and sing for a while and our friend, Don was there.
Okay, for Mudcat that's a huge amount of information.
So, that's it for this one.
"It was good."
He's a man of many words, isn't he? Of course I had to nag more info out of him, but I didn't get much.
A couple guys were there for open mic night and came up to play and sing for a while and our friend, Don was there.
Okay, for Mudcat that's a huge amount of information.
So, that's it for this one.
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
6/4 - Paradise Resturaunt & Pub
I don't know about you, but when a place is called "Paradise", I usually picture a dump. This place was actually not a dump, but very nice.
This time, we were not on the patio due to rain. And this time, the place had AC....just not flowing into the stage area. There was one tiny air vent that Mudcat was kind enough to point in my direction. The vent really didn't help much, but the gesture did. Thanks, Mud!
It was an unusual crowd mix with some people dressed to the nines, and others in their dirty baseball uniforms. But everyone played nice together.
One couple at the bar caught my eye, because the woman was drinking white wine with a marciano cherry in the glass and I thought that was kind of fun. The guy was drinking beer. But wait, there's more. After a couple of drinks, they ordered shots. The shot was Sky Vodka direct from the bottle on the shelf, not chilled, with a lemon wedge. How in the world they drank that at all was beyond me (warm vodka just isn't appealing to me), but how could this chick drink that after white wine with a cherry and then go back to the wine with the sweet cherry after sucking on the lemon? And not once, not twice, but 3 times....and they both walked out of there like they had been drinking water. I'm still stunned.
The owner, "Stanley" (and I use quotes, because for reasons that I won't get into I am pretty darn sure was not his real name) bought us a round of drinks and then shut us down a little early. There seemed to be a private party brewing and we were not invited, which was fine by me.
This time, we were not on the patio due to rain. And this time, the place had AC....just not flowing into the stage area. There was one tiny air vent that Mudcat was kind enough to point in my direction. The vent really didn't help much, but the gesture did. Thanks, Mud!
It was an unusual crowd mix with some people dressed to the nines, and others in their dirty baseball uniforms. But everyone played nice together.
One couple at the bar caught my eye, because the woman was drinking white wine with a marciano cherry in the glass and I thought that was kind of fun. The guy was drinking beer. But wait, there's more. After a couple of drinks, they ordered shots. The shot was Sky Vodka direct from the bottle on the shelf, not chilled, with a lemon wedge. How in the world they drank that at all was beyond me (warm vodka just isn't appealing to me), but how could this chick drink that after white wine with a cherry and then go back to the wine with the sweet cherry after sucking on the lemon? And not once, not twice, but 3 times....and they both walked out of there like they had been drinking water. I'm still stunned.
The owner, "Stanley" (and I use quotes, because for reasons that I won't get into I am pretty darn sure was not his real name) bought us a round of drinks and then shut us down a little early. There seemed to be a private party brewing and we were not invited, which was fine by me.
6/3 - Milestone Bar & Grille
Did you ever wonder why "grill" is spelled with an "e" at the end when it follows "bar &"? Yeah, me neither.
So, this was one of the warmest and most humid nights EVER and we get to play in a bar with no AC....not that it was broken, but that it was nonexistent. And there was no cross breeze, there were no ceiling fans, just the open front door and that did absolutely nothing to help lower the temp inside.
And yes, yes they did have a patio....
Everyone, with the exception of Karen and Elmo got their drinks and fled to the patio where there was a nice breeze and a coolness to the air.
After encouraging words from Karen, Heather came back inside and stayed for a bit. She even joined us for a few songs as did Elmo. I tried to force Karen to be our backup singer/dancer for "stop in the name of love" and she complied for a wee bit.
And we were Jakeless, but with good reason. He was at the second round of the King of the Blues competition and oh guess what, he WON! If you didn't see the link in my congrats posting, here ya go ~ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=01_v9_p5PZY
Once again, CONGRATULATIONS, JAKE!
So, this was one of the warmest and most humid nights EVER and we get to play in a bar with no AC....not that it was broken, but that it was nonexistent. And there was no cross breeze, there were no ceiling fans, just the open front door and that did absolutely nothing to help lower the temp inside.
And yes, yes they did have a patio....
Everyone, with the exception of Karen and Elmo got their drinks and fled to the patio where there was a nice breeze and a coolness to the air.
After encouraging words from Karen, Heather came back inside and stayed for a bit. She even joined us for a few songs as did Elmo. I tried to force Karen to be our backup singer/dancer for "stop in the name of love" and she complied for a wee bit.
And we were Jakeless, but with good reason. He was at the second round of the King of the Blues competition and oh guess what, he WON! If you didn't see the link in my congrats posting, here ya go ~ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=01_v9_p5PZY
Once again, CONGRATULATIONS, JAKE!
5/29 - Mustard Seed
Well, with it being the holiday weekend and all this gig seemed as slow as molasses in January.
Really nothing eventful, but we still had fun.
For some reason, every time the manager came out to the main dining/bar area where we were set up, I kept feeling like we were going to get into some sort of trouble...kinda like having the principal come into the classroom his own self and escort you to his office (not that that ever happened to me, of course). But, we never saw his office.
The end.
Really nothing eventful, but we still had fun.
For some reason, every time the manager came out to the main dining/bar area where we were set up, I kept feeling like we were going to get into some sort of trouble...kinda like having the principal come into the classroom his own self and escort you to his office (not that that ever happened to me, of course). But, we never saw his office.
The end.
Thursday, June 10, 2010
5/28 - Whole Foods
Our spot this time was between the lemonade and the bananas, opposite the bottled water (oh yeah, Whole Foods is a grocery store).
We were also in prime viewing location of the cheesecake sampling. I got more nervous as the slices dwindled, but thankfully there were a couple pieces left by the time we finished. I'm pretty sure I ran over there to get some and I'm pretty sure that Mudcat would have appreciated having more than a wee taste, since I chowed it down on the way back to our spot.
But I did assure him that it was a tasty treat. I'm nice like that.
Saw some familiar faces this time ~ the guy who danced his way past the cheesecake to the deli and then doubled back to scoop up the artichoke and spinach dip girl. She wasn't made out of artichoke and spinach dip, she was serving samples of it. And the couple who clearly have different wardrobe requirements for their jobs (she was in a skirt and really high heels, he was in shorts and boat shoes...and yes, they both were wearing tops). Or maybe they just have different ideas about what's comfortable to wear on a milk and bread run.
It just makes me chuckle to see people dancing while grocery shopping, but so does the concept of having live music in a grocery store. Even so, glad that it's us, because it really is a fun little gig.
We were also in prime viewing location of the cheesecake sampling. I got more nervous as the slices dwindled, but thankfully there were a couple pieces left by the time we finished. I'm pretty sure I ran over there to get some and I'm pretty sure that Mudcat would have appreciated having more than a wee taste, since I chowed it down on the way back to our spot.
But I did assure him that it was a tasty treat. I'm nice like that.
Saw some familiar faces this time ~ the guy who danced his way past the cheesecake to the deli and then doubled back to scoop up the artichoke and spinach dip girl. She wasn't made out of artichoke and spinach dip, she was serving samples of it. And the couple who clearly have different wardrobe requirements for their jobs (she was in a skirt and really high heels, he was in shorts and boat shoes...and yes, they both were wearing tops). Or maybe they just have different ideas about what's comfortable to wear on a milk and bread run.
It just makes me chuckle to see people dancing while grocery shopping, but so does the concept of having live music in a grocery store. Even so, glad that it's us, because it really is a fun little gig.
5/15 - Tavern Of Richfield
Ahh...a quaint little tavern tucked away in a quaint little town.
The Marcel Marceau gig, as I like to call it.
We are now officially "gig whisperers".
If you've ever seen the movie "Spinal Tap", you know that their numbers all go to 11...ours go into the negative.
We were actually asked to turn down (which just never happens) and not once, but twice.
Apparently, they were unaware of our motto: our music should be enjoyed, not endured.
The Marcel Marceau gig, as I like to call it.
We are now officially "gig whisperers".
If you've ever seen the movie "Spinal Tap", you know that their numbers all go to 11...ours go into the negative.
We were actually asked to turn down (which just never happens) and not once, but twice.
Apparently, they were unaware of our motto: our music should be enjoyed, not endured.
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
6/9 - CONGRATULATIONS, JAKE!!!!
Jake is the King of the Blues Store Winner ~
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=01_v9_p5PZY
This is an acceptable reason for missing a gig, don't you think?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=01_v9_p5PZY
This is an acceptable reason for missing a gig, don't you think?
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
5/8 - Firehouse Grille & Pub
The Firehouse Grille & Pub is in a tiny town called Malvern. And I mean tiny. A population of 1,218 people sounds like it's not so small, but compare that to Strongsville (43,858), Chagrin Falls (4,024), even Geneva-On-The-Lake beats them out (1,545).
To "put" it into perspective: Put-In-Bay tips the scale with 128 (obviously they weren't counting summer squatters). And I do believe that the amount of people we had at this gig could double the population of PIB.
I should have told you at the very beginning to take your potty break now, grab a big mug of coffee and perhaps a small snack, because this is going to be a long one.
Okay, here we go ~
As we drew closer to Malvern, we noticed quite a lot of restaurant/bait shop combos and fortunately none of those restaurants were advertising sushi as their daily special or the catch of the day. And most of the bait sections were drive through for the fisherman on the move.
We finally get there (and yes, I had ample opportunity to ask "are we there yet?" during our drive....and ask it, I did) and as we turned right to go over the bridge into town, I swear we had turned into an abandoned dirt lot and I'm pretty sure that I heard banjo music playing in the background while Mudcat noticed that cell phone service had ceased.
That quickly faded to the welcoming "downtown" area. There was the Firehouse Grille (thankfully), a bank, and oddly enough a tanning place across the street. A few more shops lined the main street, but I was too busy wining about being cold to notice what they were during our walking tour before the gig.
We had some supper time treats before setting up and the food was quite tasty and reasonably priced, if you ever get the urge to drive to Malvern for a meal. A couple in the adjoining booth asked who was playing and as soon as the bartender called over to them that it was Project Mojo, the guy in the booth said, "oh, they're that NEW band" with not a very nice tone to his voice. I was both amused and a little frightened. They left shortly after, so I didn't have to find out if my fears were warranted. Turns out that we were labeled as "new from Cleveland" and the other bands for the month were listed as "returning".
Their shot for the month was Swamp Water. I wondered if it was an accurate description of the contents, so I looked that up too, only to discover that it's a combination of a variety of liquors, depending upon which recipe you choose, but the common ingredient is vodka.
And of all the things to see when I didn't have my camera with me ~ a wall mounted pay phone, complete with rotary dial. During our break, I asked the bar goddess if it was a working phone and she didn't know. Then I asked her if anyone has a cell phone in Malvern, because non of ours were getting a signal. She said that the only cell phone service that works there is Verizon, but it cuts out every time she goes into Brooster. So, wouldn't you think that Brooster is even smaller than Malvern? I did, but it's not (2,324).
So, the first set started out fairly generic...people alternating between singing along to some of the songs and ignoring us. It was pretty obvious that everybody knew everybody in town (as our new friend Paul pointed out to us) when any newcomer arrived, at least 4 people said hi and/or hugged them before they settled in. And it was pretty obvious that nobody knew us, because when we walked in everybody turned around seemingly in unison and stared at us for quite a disturbing amount of time before they turned back to their beverage at hand.
We had a tiny dancer named Capri. What a doll she was and not a half bad dancer, either.
The second set was like we were at a completely different gig all together. Maybe it was due to the reverse raffle at the church that got the town all revved up, or maybe it was because the people in Malvern like to let their hair down. I don't know why, all I know is that it was very different. Mudcat describes it as our "Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hide gig".
And we had another dancer, who wasn't so tiny. She was quite grown. I'm assuming that she and the guy and girl she was with had just come from a wedding reception, because they were dressed to the nines. Well, she was mostly dressed....on the outside. Apparently, she used all the money she saved on not buying undergarments to put toward the purchase of the dress, which was beautiful, but not long on fabric.
This chick was hugely fond of the "grinding" maneuver for her dancing and she was determined to captivate ME with that move. Although she ignored the boys during the song that would not end with her face and parts directly in front of me, she gave Jake some one-on-one attention.
And I do mean one-on-one. If she were any closer to him, she would have been inside his skin. She almost succeeded in at least being inside his shirt....tried to stuff her broken necklace (which must not have been intended to be worn while grinding) down the front of Jake's shirt while he was playing his guitar, singing, and trying to ignore her. I think he may have been temporarily traumatized.
Along with her grinding ability, she must be good at climbing trees, because she mounted the back of some guy at the bar with the greatest of ease and they "danced" together that way, making the space between my mic stand and them get smaller and smaller. Thankfully, they and my mic stand remained upright, which is more than I can say for the bar chair that was holding her purse while she was busy. She managed to scoop up her purse and the bar chair in one easy motion and as she walked away, the chair toppled in her wake.
Now, on to the guy she climbed.....he and one of his buddies were singing along to our songs, which in itself is not a bad thing at all. However, boys who sing along to "Harden My Heart" make me wonder about things....like for instance; they know the words, but do they know what the words mean?
He also was a HUGE fan of Jake's and got the entire bar to cheer him on during one of his solos.
We found out from our friend, Paul (remember Paul at the beginning of this?) that most everyone in town is a "Buckeye", so we played "Hang On Sloopy" at the end and I am not kidding you when I tell you that everyone in the bar was doing the O-H-I-O part. It was really loud and kinda cool to get that sort of response.
Thus ends the tale of our adventures in Malvern.
To "put" it into perspective: Put-In-Bay tips the scale with 128 (obviously they weren't counting summer squatters). And I do believe that the amount of people we had at this gig could double the population of PIB.
I should have told you at the very beginning to take your potty break now, grab a big mug of coffee and perhaps a small snack, because this is going to be a long one.
Okay, here we go ~
As we drew closer to Malvern, we noticed quite a lot of restaurant/bait shop combos and fortunately none of those restaurants were advertising sushi as their daily special or the catch of the day. And most of the bait sections were drive through for the fisherman on the move.
We finally get there (and yes, I had ample opportunity to ask "are we there yet?" during our drive....and ask it, I did) and as we turned right to go over the bridge into town, I swear we had turned into an abandoned dirt lot and I'm pretty sure that I heard banjo music playing in the background while Mudcat noticed that cell phone service had ceased.
That quickly faded to the welcoming "downtown" area. There was the Firehouse Grille (thankfully), a bank, and oddly enough a tanning place across the street. A few more shops lined the main street, but I was too busy wining about being cold to notice what they were during our walking tour before the gig.
We had some supper time treats before setting up and the food was quite tasty and reasonably priced, if you ever get the urge to drive to Malvern for a meal. A couple in the adjoining booth asked who was playing and as soon as the bartender called over to them that it was Project Mojo, the guy in the booth said, "oh, they're that NEW band" with not a very nice tone to his voice. I was both amused and a little frightened. They left shortly after, so I didn't have to find out if my fears were warranted. Turns out that we were labeled as "new from Cleveland" and the other bands for the month were listed as "returning".
Their shot for the month was Swamp Water. I wondered if it was an accurate description of the contents, so I looked that up too, only to discover that it's a combination of a variety of liquors, depending upon which recipe you choose, but the common ingredient is vodka.
And of all the things to see when I didn't have my camera with me ~ a wall mounted pay phone, complete with rotary dial. During our break, I asked the bar goddess if it was a working phone and she didn't know. Then I asked her if anyone has a cell phone in Malvern, because non of ours were getting a signal. She said that the only cell phone service that works there is Verizon, but it cuts out every time she goes into Brooster. So, wouldn't you think that Brooster is even smaller than Malvern? I did, but it's not (2,324).
So, the first set started out fairly generic...people alternating between singing along to some of the songs and ignoring us. It was pretty obvious that everybody knew everybody in town (as our new friend Paul pointed out to us) when any newcomer arrived, at least 4 people said hi and/or hugged them before they settled in. And it was pretty obvious that nobody knew us, because when we walked in everybody turned around seemingly in unison and stared at us for quite a disturbing amount of time before they turned back to their beverage at hand.
We had a tiny dancer named Capri. What a doll she was and not a half bad dancer, either.
The second set was like we were at a completely different gig all together. Maybe it was due to the reverse raffle at the church that got the town all revved up, or maybe it was because the people in Malvern like to let their hair down. I don't know why, all I know is that it was very different. Mudcat describes it as our "Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hide gig".
And we had another dancer, who wasn't so tiny. She was quite grown. I'm assuming that she and the guy and girl she was with had just come from a wedding reception, because they were dressed to the nines. Well, she was mostly dressed....on the outside. Apparently, she used all the money she saved on not buying undergarments to put toward the purchase of the dress, which was beautiful, but not long on fabric.
This chick was hugely fond of the "grinding" maneuver for her dancing and she was determined to captivate ME with that move. Although she ignored the boys during the song that would not end with her face and parts directly in front of me, she gave Jake some one-on-one attention.
And I do mean one-on-one. If she were any closer to him, she would have been inside his skin. She almost succeeded in at least being inside his shirt....tried to stuff her broken necklace (which must not have been intended to be worn while grinding) down the front of Jake's shirt while he was playing his guitar, singing, and trying to ignore her. I think he may have been temporarily traumatized.
Along with her grinding ability, she must be good at climbing trees, because she mounted the back of some guy at the bar with the greatest of ease and they "danced" together that way, making the space between my mic stand and them get smaller and smaller. Thankfully, they and my mic stand remained upright, which is more than I can say for the bar chair that was holding her purse while she was busy. She managed to scoop up her purse and the bar chair in one easy motion and as she walked away, the chair toppled in her wake.
Now, on to the guy she climbed.....he and one of his buddies were singing along to our songs, which in itself is not a bad thing at all. However, boys who sing along to "Harden My Heart" make me wonder about things....like for instance; they know the words, but do they know what the words mean?
He also was a HUGE fan of Jake's and got the entire bar to cheer him on during one of his solos.
We found out from our friend, Paul (remember Paul at the beginning of this?) that most everyone in town is a "Buckeye", so we played "Hang On Sloopy" at the end and I am not kidding you when I tell you that everyone in the bar was doing the O-H-I-O part. It was really loud and kinda cool to get that sort of response.
Thus ends the tale of our adventures in Malvern.
5/7 - Emerald Valley Golf Course
Emerald Valley....not to be confused with the Emerald City, which by the way was not green.
This was an interesting joint. It was once a full golf course until 30 acres were sold off to make a home for some new buildings. So, now it's a driving range with parts of the original course still in tact, but taken over by the Canadians. Canadians as in geese and there goslings (why aren't they called geeselings?).
This I just don't get ~ it was super duper warm in there and the bartender chick had on a turtle neck, a hoodie, jeans....and sandals, which were really cute, but I just don't get the winterization and summer time shoe item combo. Maybe she was going through a transitional phase.
Thankfully, it was not a patio gig because the sky just let loose with rain and wind. It was pretty intense. And of course, Mudcat played "Ridin' the Storm Out"....he's clever like that. As brutal as it was, it still did not keep the smokers from going out to have some puffs. I have no idea how they lit their cigs, much less kept them going. They're a very determined lot.
Jake's new technology loving friend kept Mudcat engaged during our break and he attached himself to Jake's 3 foot perimeter during tear down. I think the guy had quite enough of sitting with his wife and her 3 girlfriends. It started out with him and his wife being a cute little couple, but as the girls filtered in, we could see the will to live start to drain out of him.
Project Mojo: Unlike the Government, We're Here To Help.
This was an interesting joint. It was once a full golf course until 30 acres were sold off to make a home for some new buildings. So, now it's a driving range with parts of the original course still in tact, but taken over by the Canadians. Canadians as in geese and there goslings (why aren't they called geeselings?).
This I just don't get ~ it was super duper warm in there and the bartender chick had on a turtle neck, a hoodie, jeans....and sandals, which were really cute, but I just don't get the winterization and summer time shoe item combo. Maybe she was going through a transitional phase.
Thankfully, it was not a patio gig because the sky just let loose with rain and wind. It was pretty intense. And of course, Mudcat played "Ridin' the Storm Out"....he's clever like that. As brutal as it was, it still did not keep the smokers from going out to have some puffs. I have no idea how they lit their cigs, much less kept them going. They're a very determined lot.
Jake's new technology loving friend kept Mudcat engaged during our break and he attached himself to Jake's 3 foot perimeter during tear down. I think the guy had quite enough of sitting with his wife and her 3 girlfriends. It started out with him and his wife being a cute little couple, but as the girls filtered in, we could see the will to live start to drain out of him.
Project Mojo: Unlike the Government, We're Here To Help.
Monday, May 3, 2010
5/1 - Mojo's Coffee House
WE MISS YOU, BETTY! Please get better and stay better (although you're already better than most!).
It was all quiet on the western front, so we invented a new, fun game...I'll call it "random requests". Played some songs that we haven't done in a while and a couple that we've never done.
Swan showed up to save us from ourselves and stayed for the duration.
The doors were open and our music lured a woman and her daughter away from their intended route to the DQ and into Mojo's. They saw us through to the end as well.
The little girl looked at my cast and asked me how I broke my arm. The exchange went something like this ~
Lola: I fell
Little Girl: Down the stairs?
Lola: No, just walking
Then the Little Girl was speechless...just the look of "how is that possible????" on her face.
As they were leaving, she told me that she would say a prayer for my arm. How sweet is that?
And speaking of little girls, an even littler/more little/less big girl and her dad were taking a walk and she dragged her dad over to the patio to look in the window at us. She was wearing a headband that looked like giant flower petals, which made her face the face of the flower. Too cute. She and I played a little game of peak-a-boo and wave exchange until her dad had enough and insisted they continue on their way.
Geeze-o-petes, almost forgot ~ Congratulations, Jake (I mean, Blind Lemon Ockuly) on your naked teeth!!!!!
It was all quiet on the western front, so we invented a new, fun game...I'll call it "random requests". Played some songs that we haven't done in a while and a couple that we've never done.
Swan showed up to save us from ourselves and stayed for the duration.
The doors were open and our music lured a woman and her daughter away from their intended route to the DQ and into Mojo's. They saw us through to the end as well.
The little girl looked at my cast and asked me how I broke my arm. The exchange went something like this ~
Lola: I fell
Little Girl: Down the stairs?
Lola: No, just walking
Then the Little Girl was speechless...just the look of "how is that possible????" on her face.
As they were leaving, she told me that she would say a prayer for my arm. How sweet is that?
And speaking of little girls, an even littler/more little/less big girl and her dad were taking a walk and she dragged her dad over to the patio to look in the window at us. She was wearing a headband that looked like giant flower petals, which made her face the face of the flower. Too cute. She and I played a little game of peak-a-boo and wave exchange until her dad had enough and insisted they continue on their way.
Geeze-o-petes, almost forgot ~ Congratulations, Jake (I mean, Blind Lemon Ockuly) on your naked teeth!!!!!
Thursday, April 29, 2010
4/24 - Fox's Sports Bar
First, let me say that being at Fox's brought about some mixed emotions for me...some 20 odd years ago I bellied up to that very bar on occasion with my dear friend Marylin, who sadly lost her battle with cancer a few years ago. We threw back a lot of "vodsonics", but more importantly, a lot of laughter. Sorry, Mar ~ I just had a regular vodka/tonic this time around.
Okay, on to the gig ~
Jake was all kinds of happy. Not only did we have a stage (even though his happiness about the stage turned to loathing by tear down time), we also got to play loud. He likes that.
And he got to jam with Lightnin'. Lightnin' sat in with us for the last set and a good time was had by all. Thanks for coming out to play and thank you, Gina for indulging us.
You know how I was on a roll for a while with describing various establishment's bathrooms and then the "interesting" bathrooms were no more? Well, they're baaaaack....
The bathroom door was hand painted with a bouquet of beautiful flowers, which impressed me because this didn't seem like the kind of joint that would have a lovely bathroom. And it isn't, which I discovered once I got beyond the door.
The toilet tank was strapped down with some criss-crossed metal stripping (still not sure what that was all about) and I could still be in that stall reading all the eloquently put thoughts that covered the walls and door.
I just have to share one such thought (the others were pretty much potty mouth stuff and yes, pun intended). Scrawled across one wall was this ~ "Seriously, writing on bathroom walls? Who does that anymore?, which was followed by, "Obviously you do, bitch!", which was followed by, "Sounds like split personality to me".
And how is it that girls can walk in 5-6 inch heels, much less dance in them without snapping their ankles like twigs? I don't know if I could even sit wearing them. I had my day of wearing high heels, but 3" was considered high and 4" was considered CFM. Wonder what the girls are calling theirs (besides a challenge).
A couple (and I do believe that's the operative word here) of girls who were not only sporting the highest of high heels, but who were also wearing swishy little party dresses ("little" because of the girls' stature, but mostly because of the lack-o-material involved in the making of these dresses) danced and sang their hearts out to "Folsom Prison Blues". Not sure if it was the song, the swishing, or perhaps the alcohol, but one of the girls decided to cop a feel and the coppie didn't seem at all surprised nor bothered by this sudden and unexpected (at least to us it was unexpected) PDA.
Everyone seemed to enjoy the variety of songs that we did and the rain didn't dampen anyone's spirits. Wow, I just realized the play on words in that sentence. It would have been pretty clever had it been intentional...
Okay, on to the gig ~
Jake was all kinds of happy. Not only did we have a stage (even though his happiness about the stage turned to loathing by tear down time), we also got to play loud. He likes that.
And he got to jam with Lightnin'. Lightnin' sat in with us for the last set and a good time was had by all. Thanks for coming out to play and thank you, Gina for indulging us.
You know how I was on a roll for a while with describing various establishment's bathrooms and then the "interesting" bathrooms were no more? Well, they're baaaaack....
The bathroom door was hand painted with a bouquet of beautiful flowers, which impressed me because this didn't seem like the kind of joint that would have a lovely bathroom. And it isn't, which I discovered once I got beyond the door.
The toilet tank was strapped down with some criss-crossed metal stripping (still not sure what that was all about) and I could still be in that stall reading all the eloquently put thoughts that covered the walls and door.
I just have to share one such thought (the others were pretty much potty mouth stuff and yes, pun intended). Scrawled across one wall was this ~ "Seriously, writing on bathroom walls? Who does that anymore?, which was followed by, "Obviously you do, bitch!", which was followed by, "Sounds like split personality to me".
And how is it that girls can walk in 5-6 inch heels, much less dance in them without snapping their ankles like twigs? I don't know if I could even sit wearing them. I had my day of wearing high heels, but 3" was considered high and 4" was considered CFM. Wonder what the girls are calling theirs (besides a challenge).
A couple (and I do believe that's the operative word here) of girls who were not only sporting the highest of high heels, but who were also wearing swishy little party dresses ("little" because of the girls' stature, but mostly because of the lack-o-material involved in the making of these dresses) danced and sang their hearts out to "Folsom Prison Blues". Not sure if it was the song, the swishing, or perhaps the alcohol, but one of the girls decided to cop a feel and the coppie didn't seem at all surprised nor bothered by this sudden and unexpected (at least to us it was unexpected) PDA.
Everyone seemed to enjoy the variety of songs that we did and the rain didn't dampen anyone's spirits. Wow, I just realized the play on words in that sentence. It would have been pretty clever had it been intentional...
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
4/23 - Whole Foods
It still slays me to play in a grocery store, but we did it again and the people shopping there seemed to like our music. Even had an older gentleman dancing in the aisles.
And it also amazes me that for a smart girl (Master's degree....in science), I can be really dippy. I'll try to explain it the best I can for you to get the full effect. Here goes ~
An aisle to the left of us was this woman trying to get her grand daughter, who was sitting in the shopping cart to clap and cart dance, rather than chair dance (ooh, would that be dancing a la carte? I crack my own self up, but I digress...shocking, isn't it?). Anyway, the girl was having none of her grandma's enthusiasm. She was watching us with the most intent look on her face (perhaps she was a bit perplexed about a band in a grocery store).
So, let me clarify that I know with all certainty this woman is the little girls' grandma, because of the obvious age difference, but more so because this little girl was an exact miniature of the woman.
This little girl looked like an older version of the Gerber baby. She had the most beautiful blond hair, big expressive eyes, that little pouty mouth to go with the cheeks that strangers feel compelled to "pinch" and she was wearing what looked like her Easter dress complete with the white tights and white Mary Janes, topped off with a polite little white sweater. So, you see this little girl made quite an impression on me.
The dippy part is coming. Wait for it....wait for it....
After a couple songs of just the grandma dancing and clapping, they make their way down that aisle and out of sight, but in this case it wasn't out of sight/out of mind for me (well, the out of my mind thing pretty much always applies, but you know what I mean).
A few songs later, I look over at the aisle to the right of us where this same grandma is pushing a cart with a little girl wearing the same little Easter outfit, but this little girl is about 3 times bigger than the Gerber Girl and she has black hair. My first thought was that this grandma chick was not paying attention and took the wrong cart with someone else's kid in it and I was horrified at how she wouldn't have noticed.
And then I saw that grandma wasn't alone. The woman with her was clearly her daughter, who looked just like a younger grandma with black hair and an older version of the girl in grandma's new cart and she was pushing the cart with the Gerber Girl. She also had a baby in one of those front papoose things. And the baby looked just like her too. If it weren't for the women's sunny dispositions and the dark hair, they could have been from "Children of the Corn".
So, that's my dippy story.
This grocery store is more like a health food store with just about everything being all natural, organic, or "green" and yet a woman strolled by us with a McDonald's cup, sipping some kind of liquid that probably wasn't all natural or organic....but it might have been green (just not "green"). Clearly, she wasn't a health food nut.
And then there was the guy who had a bag of carrots in his cart. Not just any bag and not just any carrots. This was an industrial size bag, like 50 lbs. And the carrots were giant (maybe they grew next to the Perry power plant). I'm thinking that this guy either has a horse, a really big rabbit named Harvey or a big old juicer at home. Seriously, how much do you have to like carrots to buy that many at one time? Obviously, way more than I like them.
And it also amazes me that for a smart girl (Master's degree....in science), I can be really dippy. I'll try to explain it the best I can for you to get the full effect. Here goes ~
An aisle to the left of us was this woman trying to get her grand daughter, who was sitting in the shopping cart to clap and cart dance, rather than chair dance (ooh, would that be dancing a la carte? I crack my own self up, but I digress...shocking, isn't it?). Anyway, the girl was having none of her grandma's enthusiasm. She was watching us with the most intent look on her face (perhaps she was a bit perplexed about a band in a grocery store).
So, let me clarify that I know with all certainty this woman is the little girls' grandma, because of the obvious age difference, but more so because this little girl was an exact miniature of the woman.
This little girl looked like an older version of the Gerber baby. She had the most beautiful blond hair, big expressive eyes, that little pouty mouth to go with the cheeks that strangers feel compelled to "pinch" and she was wearing what looked like her Easter dress complete with the white tights and white Mary Janes, topped off with a polite little white sweater. So, you see this little girl made quite an impression on me.
The dippy part is coming. Wait for it....wait for it....
After a couple songs of just the grandma dancing and clapping, they make their way down that aisle and out of sight, but in this case it wasn't out of sight/out of mind for me (well, the out of my mind thing pretty much always applies, but you know what I mean).
A few songs later, I look over at the aisle to the right of us where this same grandma is pushing a cart with a little girl wearing the same little Easter outfit, but this little girl is about 3 times bigger than the Gerber Girl and she has black hair. My first thought was that this grandma chick was not paying attention and took the wrong cart with someone else's kid in it and I was horrified at how she wouldn't have noticed.
And then I saw that grandma wasn't alone. The woman with her was clearly her daughter, who looked just like a younger grandma with black hair and an older version of the girl in grandma's new cart and she was pushing the cart with the Gerber Girl. She also had a baby in one of those front papoose things. And the baby looked just like her too. If it weren't for the women's sunny dispositions and the dark hair, they could have been from "Children of the Corn".
So, that's my dippy story.
This grocery store is more like a health food store with just about everything being all natural, organic, or "green" and yet a woman strolled by us with a McDonald's cup, sipping some kind of liquid that probably wasn't all natural or organic....but it might have been green (just not "green"). Clearly, she wasn't a health food nut.
And then there was the guy who had a bag of carrots in his cart. Not just any bag and not just any carrots. This was an industrial size bag, like 50 lbs. And the carrots were giant (maybe they grew next to the Perry power plant). I'm thinking that this guy either has a horse, a really big rabbit named Harvey or a big old juicer at home. Seriously, how much do you have to like carrots to buy that many at one time? Obviously, way more than I like them.
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
4/21 - Gobs-o-Gigs
I am so sorry for the delay in gig updates, but in my defence there really are an awful lot of shiny things around here to distract me, which accounts for a couple missed blogs, and then I decided to test out gravity to see if it still works and found out the hard way by breaking my wrist that yes, gravity does still work (do not try this at home...or anywhere else for that matter).
Okay, enough with the excuses and/or whining. Let's get to some serious gig updating. I'll do my best to remember the ghosts of gigs past.
Ready? Here goes ~
3/19 - Old Whedon Grille
Once again stupid, stupid, stupid basketball takes precedence over us....the nerve. But, it wasn't until the very end of the gig that we got shut down. Thankfully, it was a late starting game.
We got there too early to set up, so decided to take a stroll through "Stepford" (and we saw some wives). As we were coming back through the park, we saw a car pull out of a spot directly in front of the bar, so we picked up the pace to cross the street, Mudcat went one way to get the van from the nearest parking space we could find, which was about 3 blocks away and I went the other way to stand in the newly open parking space to hold it for him. I was not only successful in holding the space for him, but I also annoyed a couple people who tried to pull in there, but couldn't, because I was standing right in the middle of it pretending to be completely oblivious to them.
The place we were set up in was wee and there was a TV hanging from the wall right above and somewhat behind Jake's head. It reminded me of Max Headroom. Remember him from the 70's or 80's? Of course Jake had no idea what I was talking about and looked at me like I'd gone off the deep end (hmmm...I get that look a lot from him).
3/20 - The Pub
Always a fun time and to make it even more fun, Betty & Bernie were there with their entourage and Mike & Sue came with their peeps and Dave & Patti were there too. Jake's friend Chris and his crew were there as well. Lots of good company, but during the break, we felt like a couple at their wedding reception going to each table only getting to spend a brief moment with each person.
It was still a little bit chilly, so the industrial strength ceiling heaters were on full blast, including the one directly above us. I asked the boy who was hostess for the night if he would please turn off our heater. Being that it's high up, this boy had to stand on a chair and stretch to reach the controls (and he's tall to begin with). He was quite reluctant to do it for me, because the uniform for everyone (boys included) is a kilt. He looked down at his kilt, back up at me and asked me if I noticed what he was wearing. I asked him if it was really true then about what's worn (or not worn) under a kilt. He said that he wears boxers under his. He was still reluctant to climb up there and risk having anyone see his underlings. I promised that I wouldn't look up his skirt if he didn't look up mine. He didn't think that was a fair trade, but turned the heater off for us anyway. I can't tell you how tempted I was to say, "nice boxers" after he climbed down, but I refrained.
3/26 - Whole Foods
Missed this gig due to the gravity test, but Mudcat reported that someone did a long distance request and held up their cell phone while he and Jake played their song. And the boys were an end cap this time rather than being set up in the "dining area".
3/27 - Mustard Seed
Once again, missed because I was still nursing my wound and wouldn't ya know it ~ Greg finally makes it out to see us with his son, Elliott and I missed them. He called from there to harass me about sitting at home on the couch with my feet up, eating chocolates and drinking wine. What are friends for?
4/3 - Mojo's Coffee House
Betty & Bernie were there to offer support and this time, Sarah was with them. Since this was our open mic night, we forced Sarah to come up and sing. What a voice that chick has! I was a little concerned that she might be my replacement. Thanks for jamming with us, Sarah. Hope you had as much fun as we did.
4/10 - McCarthy's (Strongsville)
The stage there was giant and multi-levels! What a treat, although I did feel like we were miles apart from each other.
Many thanks to Betty & Bernie for their continued support and for gathering a group together to cheer us on. Sorta felt like rock stars.
Some guy who was clearly feeling no pain decided to invite himself up to "sing" with me.
We had tons of requests and oddly enough, we knew all of them. Ended up playing overtime to get all the requests in, but enjoyed every minute of it.
4/15 - Milestone Bar and Grille
The weather was so nice that pretty much everyone was on the patio....except us.
Our new friend, Karen was a hoot! She stayed for quite a while. If you get a chance, check her out at www.miscellaneousyammering.blogspot.com.
If The Sleeper has a brother, Big Al is him. Pretty scary....
Thanks to Mark & Gina for coming out (and for not sitting on the patio)! Too funny that when they walked in Mud was singing the "Gina works the diner all day" line from "Living On A Prayer".
4/16 - Laurello Winery
I do believe their stage is the smallest stage EVER. We were pretty packed up there and with my wing still in a full arm cast, I kept bumping into Mudcat and had to turn sideways in order to sing and play the maracas at the same time.
For some reason, my mic stand was being a little tipsy and I swore I was going to end the night with a fat lip and/or chipped tooth to go along with my lame wing.
As we were leaving, I caught the toe of my boot on the floor strip going out the door and almost did a pinwheel thing out of there. Jake was behind me and was convinced that I was going down. Hopefully, I sing better than I walk.
4/17 - Mustard Seed
The place was packed all night. Re-mark-able. During our break, we went to the back banquet room to sit and some people actually sought us out to tell us how much they enjoyed us. Pretty cool, huh?
And as always, there was at least one screaming child (hopefully not because of our music) and a "clean up on isle 6" in the grocery store below.
.
.
.
Okay, I'm finally caught up on my gig reports. Did you make it all the way through?
Okay, enough with the excuses and/or whining. Let's get to some serious gig updating. I'll do my best to remember the ghosts of gigs past.
Ready? Here goes ~
3/19 - Old Whedon Grille
Once again stupid, stupid, stupid basketball takes precedence over us....the nerve. But, it wasn't until the very end of the gig that we got shut down. Thankfully, it was a late starting game.
We got there too early to set up, so decided to take a stroll through "Stepford" (and we saw some wives). As we were coming back through the park, we saw a car pull out of a spot directly in front of the bar, so we picked up the pace to cross the street, Mudcat went one way to get the van from the nearest parking space we could find, which was about 3 blocks away and I went the other way to stand in the newly open parking space to hold it for him. I was not only successful in holding the space for him, but I also annoyed a couple people who tried to pull in there, but couldn't, because I was standing right in the middle of it pretending to be completely oblivious to them.
The place we were set up in was wee and there was a TV hanging from the wall right above and somewhat behind Jake's head. It reminded me of Max Headroom. Remember him from the 70's or 80's? Of course Jake had no idea what I was talking about and looked at me like I'd gone off the deep end (hmmm...I get that look a lot from him).
3/20 - The Pub
Always a fun time and to make it even more fun, Betty & Bernie were there with their entourage and Mike & Sue came with their peeps and Dave & Patti were there too. Jake's friend Chris and his crew were there as well. Lots of good company, but during the break, we felt like a couple at their wedding reception going to each table only getting to spend a brief moment with each person.
It was still a little bit chilly, so the industrial strength ceiling heaters were on full blast, including the one directly above us. I asked the boy who was hostess for the night if he would please turn off our heater. Being that it's high up, this boy had to stand on a chair and stretch to reach the controls (and he's tall to begin with). He was quite reluctant to do it for me, because the uniform for everyone (boys included) is a kilt. He looked down at his kilt, back up at me and asked me if I noticed what he was wearing. I asked him if it was really true then about what's worn (or not worn) under a kilt. He said that he wears boxers under his. He was still reluctant to climb up there and risk having anyone see his underlings. I promised that I wouldn't look up his skirt if he didn't look up mine. He didn't think that was a fair trade, but turned the heater off for us anyway. I can't tell you how tempted I was to say, "nice boxers" after he climbed down, but I refrained.
3/26 - Whole Foods
Missed this gig due to the gravity test, but Mudcat reported that someone did a long distance request and held up their cell phone while he and Jake played their song. And the boys were an end cap this time rather than being set up in the "dining area".
3/27 - Mustard Seed
Once again, missed because I was still nursing my wound and wouldn't ya know it ~ Greg finally makes it out to see us with his son, Elliott and I missed them. He called from there to harass me about sitting at home on the couch with my feet up, eating chocolates and drinking wine. What are friends for?
4/3 - Mojo's Coffee House
Betty & Bernie were there to offer support and this time, Sarah was with them. Since this was our open mic night, we forced Sarah to come up and sing. What a voice that chick has! I was a little concerned that she might be my replacement. Thanks for jamming with us, Sarah. Hope you had as much fun as we did.
4/10 - McCarthy's (Strongsville)
The stage there was giant and multi-levels! What a treat, although I did feel like we were miles apart from each other.
Many thanks to Betty & Bernie for their continued support and for gathering a group together to cheer us on. Sorta felt like rock stars.
Some guy who was clearly feeling no pain decided to invite himself up to "sing" with me.
We had tons of requests and oddly enough, we knew all of them. Ended up playing overtime to get all the requests in, but enjoyed every minute of it.
4/15 - Milestone Bar and Grille
The weather was so nice that pretty much everyone was on the patio....except us.
Our new friend, Karen was a hoot! She stayed for quite a while. If you get a chance, check her out at www.miscellaneousyammering.blogspot.com.
If The Sleeper has a brother, Big Al is him. Pretty scary....
Thanks to Mark & Gina for coming out (and for not sitting on the patio)! Too funny that when they walked in Mud was singing the "Gina works the diner all day" line from "Living On A Prayer".
4/16 - Laurello Winery
I do believe their stage is the smallest stage EVER. We were pretty packed up there and with my wing still in a full arm cast, I kept bumping into Mudcat and had to turn sideways in order to sing and play the maracas at the same time.
For some reason, my mic stand was being a little tipsy and I swore I was going to end the night with a fat lip and/or chipped tooth to go along with my lame wing.
As we were leaving, I caught the toe of my boot on the floor strip going out the door and almost did a pinwheel thing out of there. Jake was behind me and was convinced that I was going down. Hopefully, I sing better than I walk.
4/17 - Mustard Seed
The place was packed all night. Re-mark-able. During our break, we went to the back banquet room to sit and some people actually sought us out to tell us how much they enjoyed us. Pretty cool, huh?
And as always, there was at least one screaming child (hopefully not because of our music) and a "clean up on isle 6" in the grocery store below.
.
.
.
Okay, I'm finally caught up on my gig reports. Did you make it all the way through?
Friday, March 19, 2010
3/13 - BW3
So glad that the crowd didn't turn ugly like the weather did! It was normal-ish when we started, just a little spritz-o-rain, but by the time we were finished the rain turned to snowiness. Of course, it was just in time for us to load the van. What a lovely treat.
But inside it was warm and welcoming. How could you not feel warm singing "Margaritaville"? And the couple who requested it not only sang along, but danced too....well, he danced...with someone else....it was alright, though. No fight broke out.
Wally and Chris made it out to see us. Thanks, you guys! It was great to see you both again.
The gig closed out with Parker and the MVP of pee-wee hockey helping us out on percussion. Parker requested the Charlie Brown song, but sadly we couldn't honor his request. And we call ourselves professionals.
But inside it was warm and welcoming. How could you not feel warm singing "Margaritaville"? And the couple who requested it not only sang along, but danced too....well, he danced...with someone else....it was alright, though. No fight broke out.
Wally and Chris made it out to see us. Thanks, you guys! It was great to see you both again.
The gig closed out with Parker and the MVP of pee-wee hockey helping us out on percussion. Parker requested the Charlie Brown song, but sadly we couldn't honor his request. And we call ourselves professionals.
Monday, March 15, 2010
3/6 - Mojos Coffee House
Our open mic night at Mojos is really starting to catch on!
Catfish joined us again and it's always great to have him there, especially when he does his "Violet" song. Great falsetto.
Our new friends, Austin and his dad Larry came out and brought their entourage along. Austin is 15 and a heck of a guitar player/singer/song writer. We certainly wish him the best with his music. Austin did 3 numbers on his own and then Larry joined him for a song. He also sat in with us on a couple songs at the end. A good time was had by all.
Harmonica Dave still wouldn't come up and play, but he's a nice boy so we'll let it go.
And Peanuts his own self graced us with his presence (not presents). Thanks for stopping out.
Mostly, thanks to Betty for being our best supporter EVER!
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
2/26 - Doogan's
HUGE snow storm, so we thought the place would be like a ghost town, but when it comes to an overabundance of snow, those eastsiders are pretty resilient.
We do a run of songs from our hometown peeps who've made it big (Pretenders, James Gang, Outsiders, The Choir, Tracy Chapman) and one guy was able to name all the artists. Pretty impressive. Well, it's impressive to us (mostly because someone was actually listening....).
One of the guys who works at Doogan's asked if we do any opera. Wow, that's a first. And by the way, we don't.
A Cav's game was on and we were humbled every time people started clapping wildly during the songs, because they weren't clapping for us. Although, we did get a good response after each of our songs...still, not basketball worthy.
Hoping to play back at Doogan's during the summer so that we can be on the patio. Stay tuned to the schedule.
We do a run of songs from our hometown peeps who've made it big (Pretenders, James Gang, Outsiders, The Choir, Tracy Chapman) and one guy was able to name all the artists. Pretty impressive. Well, it's impressive to us (mostly because someone was actually listening....).
One of the guys who works at Doogan's asked if we do any opera. Wow, that's a first. And by the way, we don't.
A Cav's game was on and we were humbled every time people started clapping wildly during the songs, because they weren't clapping for us. Although, we did get a good response after each of our songs...still, not basketball worthy.
Hoping to play back at Doogan's during the summer so that we can be on the patio. Stay tuned to the schedule.
Monday, February 22, 2010
2/13 - The Mustard Seed
Yes, finally getting around to writing about the Valentine's Day Eve gig.
Well, being Jakeless made it way less interesting, but don't worry about me....I'll be alright.
With it being Valentine's Day Eve, obviously there were lots of couples, but there were also families, which sort of surprised me. One small family was a man with his little girl, so of course we used her name in the "Amy" song. Her name was Emma. In talking with Emma during our break, I was told that she liked my dress, her dad has 3 guitars, and that she liked my dress.
I also discovered that most of the songs I do are not very romantic AT ALL. Most of them are about good love gone bad or bad love gone worse. Very nice for Valentine's Day. But everyone was either fine with that or they were ignoring me and had no idea what I was singing. Probably the latter of the two.
So, if anyone has a romantic song suggestion, please let me know. Or I could just write one....
Well, being Jakeless made it way less interesting, but don't worry about me....I'll be alright.
With it being Valentine's Day Eve, obviously there were lots of couples, but there were also families, which sort of surprised me. One small family was a man with his little girl, so of course we used her name in the "Amy" song. Her name was Emma. In talking with Emma during our break, I was told that she liked my dress, her dad has 3 guitars, and that she liked my dress.
I also discovered that most of the songs I do are not very romantic AT ALL. Most of them are about good love gone bad or bad love gone worse. Very nice for Valentine's Day. But everyone was either fine with that or they were ignoring me and had no idea what I was singing. Probably the latter of the two.
So, if anyone has a romantic song suggestion, please let me know. Or I could just write one....
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
2/6 - Mojo's Coffee House
Thanks to all who braved the cold and snow to come out and play ~ especially Betty, Little Pat & Mark, and Ted & Nora. Also out and about were a couple of familiar faces and some strangers, who will hopefully turn into familiar faces.
Dave and Ron (a.k.a. Catfish) stopped in after their recording deal. With it being open mic night, we thought that Dave might join us with his harmonica, but he could not be coerced. Catfish did some originals and sat in with us during the last half of the gig. Loads of fun!
And congratulations, Andrea on your new catering business. We wish you much success.
Dave and Ron (a.k.a. Catfish) stopped in after their recording deal. With it being open mic night, we thought that Dave might join us with his harmonica, but he could not be coerced. Catfish did some originals and sat in with us during the last half of the gig. Loads of fun!
And congratulations, Andrea on your new catering business. We wish you much success.
Monday, February 1, 2010
1/30 - Java Cafe
Betty, thank you SO much for coming out (sorry about the time mix up) and for staying. You are the way best chick EVER!
Jake's entourage was there to offer support as well.
And we were graced with an appearance by Peanuts. Once again, I'm sorry that we didn't get to chit and chat with you. Thanks so much for stopping out. See you at your b.day bash.
Mudcat broke a string early on in the gig, but like a Boy Scout he's always prepared. Jake and I made the best of it while Mud was re-stringing.
We had another tiny dancer, but this guy decided to incorporate surfing moves into his dance and made use of the entire length of the place. Pretty entertaining.
There was a window to the side of us that looked out to the parking lot (lovely view, by the way) and I noticed a tow truck drive by. It was one of those tow trucks that have the car sitting up on the bed of the truck, like the car is on a stage. This particular car was some maroonish car (and yes boys, that's the most important thing about a car to me). That sighting in itself was no big whoop. Some time passed (pretty sure it was time and not gas) and the very same tow truck with the very same car passed by again. Wasn't sure if the driver was circling the parking lot because he was bored or if his GPS was doing the "recalculating" thing and he just couldn't find his way out.
Some girl was there trying to take artsy fartsy pictures of a glass coffee mug. She kept moving the mug around and trying different shots. Not sure if she took any pictures of us. We're probably not as photogenic as a glass coffee mug.
The Java's turtle brownies were a big hit with Mudcat. I got distracted by something shiny and forgot to get a sample (how is that possible, that I could forget about food???), so I did the next best thing and made my own version of them last night. And not to toot my own horn, but they're most dee-lish. Pretty doubtful that there will be any left to share at the next gig.
Note to Jake: the same thing happened to me with the car alarms today in the parking lot of the grocery store...you're not alone.
Jake's entourage was there to offer support as well.
And we were graced with an appearance by Peanuts. Once again, I'm sorry that we didn't get to chit and chat with you. Thanks so much for stopping out. See you at your b.day bash.
Mudcat broke a string early on in the gig, but like a Boy Scout he's always prepared. Jake and I made the best of it while Mud was re-stringing.
We had another tiny dancer, but this guy decided to incorporate surfing moves into his dance and made use of the entire length of the place. Pretty entertaining.
There was a window to the side of us that looked out to the parking lot (lovely view, by the way) and I noticed a tow truck drive by. It was one of those tow trucks that have the car sitting up on the bed of the truck, like the car is on a stage. This particular car was some maroonish car (and yes boys, that's the most important thing about a car to me). That sighting in itself was no big whoop. Some time passed (pretty sure it was time and not gas) and the very same tow truck with the very same car passed by again. Wasn't sure if the driver was circling the parking lot because he was bored or if his GPS was doing the "recalculating" thing and he just couldn't find his way out.
Some girl was there trying to take artsy fartsy pictures of a glass coffee mug. She kept moving the mug around and trying different shots. Not sure if she took any pictures of us. We're probably not as photogenic as a glass coffee mug.
The Java's turtle brownies were a big hit with Mudcat. I got distracted by something shiny and forgot to get a sample (how is that possible, that I could forget about food???), so I did the next best thing and made my own version of them last night. And not to toot my own horn, but they're most dee-lish. Pretty doubtful that there will be any left to share at the next gig.
Note to Jake: the same thing happened to me with the car alarms today in the parking lot of the grocery store...you're not alone.
1/29 - Flat Iron
The full moon was so incredible! It was the Wolf Moon and the brightest moon for the entire year, which also made it appear to be enormously huge, but it was just regular moon size.
Because of it's brightness, Mars (but not the candy bar) was visible to the left of the moon. Okay, enough with the science lesson.
There was a guy sitting at the bar who looked like a cross between Sammy Davis Jr. and Stevie Wonder. He was telling tales of his grand adventures from the 60's. I pointed out to him that it's common knowledge that if you can remember the 60's, then you weren't really there.
Well, our new friend Tim was an interesting character. Came in wearing sunglasses (why yes, it was a night time gig) and he left them on for quite some time. But what was even more interesting /borderline disturbing, was when he asked me if he could smell my hair. He was sitting about 8-10 feet away from us and just yelled it out (during the gig). I've got to say that's a first for me. Just to set the record straight ~ I said no.
Jake was our resident comedian....started to play "I Shot The Sheriff" when a couple of policemen came in for their supper break. Mudcat compromised and we did "White Rabbit" instead.
Because of it's brightness, Mars (but not the candy bar) was visible to the left of the moon. Okay, enough with the science lesson.
There was a guy sitting at the bar who looked like a cross between Sammy Davis Jr. and Stevie Wonder. He was telling tales of his grand adventures from the 60's. I pointed out to him that it's common knowledge that if you can remember the 60's, then you weren't really there.
Well, our new friend Tim was an interesting character. Came in wearing sunglasses (why yes, it was a night time gig) and he left them on for quite some time. But what was even more interesting /borderline disturbing, was when he asked me if he could smell my hair. He was sitting about 8-10 feet away from us and just yelled it out (during the gig). I've got to say that's a first for me. Just to set the record straight ~ I said no.
Jake was our resident comedian....started to play "I Shot The Sheriff" when a couple of policemen came in for their supper break. Mudcat compromised and we did "White Rabbit" instead.
Friday, January 29, 2010
1/23 - Mustard Seed
The joint was hoppin' with a private party (but people kept oozing out to listen to us, so that was nice) and with regular diners. And the bar had its fair share of people (probably for the giant lava/glitter lamps).
Wearing stripes appeared to be a requirement to get into the party. Or perhaps it was a Where's Waldo convention...it could have been.
The absolute best part of the entire gig was Sadie. She was so freakin' cute I can barely stand it! Probably 2-ish years old and her percussion instrument of choice was the cabasa. She definitely liked that better than the maraca.
During the chorus of the Pure Prairie League song "Amy", we changed Amy to Sadie and looked at her while we sang it. The look on her face was complete shock and utter disbelief that we knew her name (we asked her dad, we're not psychotic....I mean psychic), but that look quickly changed to a look of horror, because we knew her name. Sadie ran back to the safety of her dad's arms and when she saw that he was smiling, she realized that it must be alright and started to relax again. Wonder how many times that incident will come up in future therapy sessions.
And her side kick looked like he was straight out of a Baby Gap add. What a little cutie pie he was (didn't get his name) and he was most interested in the cabasa as well, but only after Sadie had it in her little mitts.
We saw some familiar faces and I'd like to believe that they came back to see us.
Much thanks to Betty and Bernie for coming out to show their support!
Wearing stripes appeared to be a requirement to get into the party. Or perhaps it was a Where's Waldo convention...it could have been.
The absolute best part of the entire gig was Sadie. She was so freakin' cute I can barely stand it! Probably 2-ish years old and her percussion instrument of choice was the cabasa. She definitely liked that better than the maraca.
During the chorus of the Pure Prairie League song "Amy", we changed Amy to Sadie and looked at her while we sang it. The look on her face was complete shock and utter disbelief that we knew her name (we asked her dad, we're not psychotic....I mean psychic), but that look quickly changed to a look of horror, because we knew her name. Sadie ran back to the safety of her dad's arms and when she saw that he was smiling, she realized that it must be alright and started to relax again. Wonder how many times that incident will come up in future therapy sessions.
And her side kick looked like he was straight out of a Baby Gap add. What a little cutie pie he was (didn't get his name) and he was most interested in the cabasa as well, but only after Sadie had it in her little mitts.
We saw some familiar faces and I'd like to believe that they came back to see us.
Much thanks to Betty and Bernie for coming out to show their support!
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