Overall, Fitting Finale, the album I like a lot. It's mostly unplugged once again with one sole exception. It's very stripped down, with a bit of extra vocals and extra guitar on a few songs. I have to say that the advantages of jamming and singing live has really helped me sing better and Fitting Finales might be the best album I ever sang on. I certainly have come a long way from 1983.
The longer that I have been on the scene, the more I do notice that certain jams and bars have a different style and their own people that hang out together. Parlor City has more of a blues band bunch of musicians, whereas Rumors has a more traditional collective of classic rockers and bar country dudes that hang together. The thing about me is that I'm very shy and a introvert since I've always been a loner sort, if I don't know anybody or faintly know them I don't chat a bit. It's not arrogance, but I have always been that way even in the early years. I don't drink nor smoke, (used to drink jack and cokes and the hard stuff before my liver got enlarged on me and threatening me with cirrhosis around 2002. I'll do a beer once in a while (usually Schlitz, can't drink Budweiser since me and Russ had a 7 pitcher binge and I lost out in the end, can't drink that urinal crap anymore) but since I'm such a lightweight, a half can of Not Your Dad's Root Beer will whop me into tomorrow. But those who did welcome me up on the stage I consider them good friends.
In this area, there are many more drummers than bass players; I thought about taking up the bass guitar just to do something different. I can play guitar but in jam situations my trade is drumming and I prefer to do that. I can also take the mic and sing as well. For guitarwork, I'd rather do that under the umbrella that is The Townedgers. It's a bitch trying to sing and play guitar riffs at the same time.
Mike Lint, became a father on Monday, his wife bore him a beautiful daughter. Mike Swearingen became a great grandfather that same week. And I'm neither one of these. Congratulations Dad and Great Grandpa.
It used to be when I was 30 years younger I had this punk rock attitude of World's Greatest Drummer and "I CAN OUTPLAY ANYBODY", every drummer has this attitude. But as I approach Senior Citizen age (in two months I can get 10 percent off my buffet at Pizza Ranch) I go into jam sessions hanging out with the some of the best drummers out there. I think I touched on this subject last month. As a drummer myself I enjoy hearing how the others parlay their own ways and styles on the bar band classics. Tom Miller (Past Masters), Dana Rocky Smith, DJ Holvenstot, Stan Hersom, Rob Haskell, Mike and Terry Lint, Patrick Geasland I have seen down sharing the stage and each and every one of them are outstanding and have welcomed me into the scene and became good friends too. My favorite local drummers are Terry McDowell, the Big Beat who is so good he plays in at least four bands. He can adapt from metal to country to rock on 4/4 measure. And Herm Sarduy only needs a four piece drum set and two cymbals to make it work. He amazes me with his drumming style, and he's very old school with the old songs but man, when he throws a different trick on playing drums, it makes me go WOW. He's terrible with names and I assure you he'll forget mine the next time we jam but next to Lon Washburn or Neil Machen, he's a hall of fame drummer in this area.
I know I'm missing a few other drummers, but these are the best in town too.
Last week, I got a rare chance to play drums behind a female vocalist, the one and only Julie Jules Gordon, who managed to take a couple pictures of me (one actually smiling). Julie has been busy at work in a couple bands: The Acoustic Kitties and Julie And The Mad Dogs, a band that featured Kyle Oyloe before he passed away last month. I like the way Julie sings, a smoky type of voice and we did a few songs while she was up there. I never did Crazy On You in any other band and we messed around with it with John Shaw on guitar. It's kinda strange to play Dreams too, usually The Starks sing that song during jams but Julie is a total sweetheart in my first meeting with her. I'm happy to say that she will continue The Mad Dogs with Dakota McWhortor (son of Buddy, who keeps disappearing off Facebook) replacing Kyle. I hope it goes well.
Although Mark Glarington appears on a couple songs on Fitting Finales, I hope I can use him more on the next project. I think 2016 will bring more surprises to The Townedgers. Even with all the jamming going on around town I have not forgotten them.
It's agreed upon that had Hugh McConnell had been around, I would have finished Fitting Finales sooner. He would have locked me in the recording studio till we got it done. Martin Daniels and I are on the same page, procrastinators to the hilt, Richard Dennanbaugh the same way. McConnell works on a deadline basis. Forthcoming Trains came quickly since he was cracking the whip. He may have been right, since we have never promoted an album, a year and half after issuing it. We usually are on the next album.
This year has been fantastic, it certainly has gotten better since I got attacked by an enraged Red wing Blackbird in June. The return to the stage and behind the drumset in July. Seeing Paraphernalia Tyrus reunite twice at the bar, and for DeWayne and Russ a return back on stage in various jams. And of course getting together with Rod Albaugh last month. It'd be easy to Thank God for this to happen and I'm sure the stars aligned right, but credit must be given to T Ray Robertson and Bart Carfizzi for taking a boot to my ass to play again. But of course hanging out with the Lab Rats the other night, I was looking at their song list and thinking, if Terry McDowell gets too busy with other bands, I know somebody can sub for him in the future. He's pretty good.
