5/26 - Park Tavern

We have a new best friend, Bill.

According to Bill his own self, he was a drinker at age ten, so I'm thinkin' he was a bad boy, but not in the leather jacket wearing/motorcycle riding sense.  Told us that he had been downtown for the rib cook off, got kicked out of one place (just one?, I asked), was on his way home and got lost, so he stopped in and then heard us playing and decided to stay.  I like how he could find his way to Cleveland, but not back to his own house.  I asked him where he lived and he told me Litchfield....the Park Tavern is in North Royalton.  He didn't seem too concerned when I told him that he was no where close to home.  But he told the bartender that his friend dropped him off there and that he would be back to pick him up later. 

It was MUCH later when he left.  Our new friend, Bill was exhausting.   

He was so stupid drunk that the bartenders refused to serve him, except for water and I noticed that he was the only one drinking from a plastic cup.  Even the people who were going to or coming from the patio had glass glasses. 

He was constantly in our faces doing air guitar, directing us, talking to us, singing along, and dancing (well, his version of singing and dancing).  When I was singing Leaving On a Jet Plane, he actually acted out the song like a little kid.  He put his arms across his chest to hug himself during the words "hold me like you'll never let me go" and when it got to the chorus, he started doing the airplane thing with his arms out and buzzing around the bar.  It was amusing for about 3 seconds. 

After we were done, I headed over to the bathroom (I know you've missed the bathroom stories) and these 2 girls come out of the only stall, which was giant and apparently had a sound proof door so that they had to be in there together to chat with one another....anyway, they looked like they're about 12 years old, which made me wonder if I have reached the age where everyone under 30 looks like a teenager, and one of them tells me that I should be really careful if I go in there because the bathroom toilet is almost overflowing.  Okay, really...we have to use the word bathroom as an adjective for toilet????  I suppose if we were in the country, that would make sense so that I would know it wasn't the outhouse toilet or if we were camping I would know that it wasn't the port-o-potty toilet.  So, that alone convinced me that they really were 12 years old and had really good fake ID's.  I took one look in the stall and decided to head back out and I told them that they should tell the bartender.  I watched them stroll back to their spots at the bar, pick up their drinks and continue their conversation even though the bartender was right in front of them.  So, I called her over and told her about the bathroom toilet. 

When we left I made Mudcat stop at the nearest gas station.  Aren't you glad I share these things?

5/25 - Whole Foods, Beachwood

This gig was pretty uneventful other than seeing our cutie little guitar boy.  His mom and dad showed up at just about every gig during the winter and he was always dressed like a miniature Elmer Fudd, but with his blankie....just way too cute. 

Anyway, one day along with his EF get up and his blankie he had a red guitar.  We tried to get him to play something but he was having no part of it.  According to his parents, he could do a mean "Muffin Man".   

Hadn't seen them all since the winter months, just the mom breezing through, but Friday they were all there, with blankie but no guitar.  He was still just as cute.

East side Chuck was back in action, spinning his date around the salad bar.  Can't remember which song we were doing, but he was actually a good dancer.  After the song ended, he was teaching another guy his dance moves, which was way more entertaining to watch than his dancing with the girlfriend.

5/5 - Fat Little Buddies

I apologize for having neglected the blog (again), but the only thing that really stands out in my mind from all those blogless gigs is the guy in a Tony the Tiger suit at The Wine Bar.  No, not like a costume type of suit, but like a man's suit made from fabric that looked like Tony the Tiger.  He had the whole ensemble topped off with a black fedora.  And somehow, he was able to pull off the look.  Definitely sent out the message that he's a guy who likes to have fun.

Okay, moving on to this gig.  We had to be inside, but got to play on the stage ~ pretty fun!  The stage was actually pretty cool, they had it set up like a living room with a giant Oriental rug, a couch, a fire place and a huge tv.  Plus there was a row of old theater seats along one wall.  Tons of space, so we got to have some elbow room for a change. 

There was an older gentleman who could barely walk, he had to hold on to the backs of the chairs as he went, but he made his was to the back room where we were and sat down and started jamming.  He was just too cute.  Then some girl comes in all by her own self, gets up on the dance floor, raises her arms up and yells out like she's at a rock concert that we're awesome (thank you for that, by the way) and then proceeds to dance all by her own self, which I've done, but there were no other people on the dance floor with her.  So, the old man comes up to her with this big smile on his face and they become the perfect dance couple.  It was just way too great.  That girl (but not Marlo Thomas) made his night.  Of course she had to switch to slow dancing, but she didn't seem to mind. 

And Jake was our celebrity for the night when some guy comes in on the last song and is jammin' away, then he gets this "hey, I know you" look on his face and comes up to the stage.  When we were done, he told Jake that he recognized him from the King of the Blues last year.  So, they kibitzed and caught up.

Oh yeah, and it was the super moon.  I had to sneak out before we started and during the break to catch a glimpse.  There's just something about a full moon.