End Of Month Thoughts From The Townedger

February is such a blah month.  Especially when I was sick most of the month.  Finally lots of Vitamin C and Sunshine managed to kick this cough to the curb.  I'm about 80 percent well and ready to once again reconnect with The Townedgers on what's next.

8 months into returning back into the music scene and I'm ready to go back into playing originals and obscure covers.  I'm simply not cut out to do Hotel California on a nightly basis.  I have taken time out to watch my fellow musicians play in their bands but I've been disappointed in that they have a set list and play the same set list every night.  No surprises what so ever.  There's still a few more bands I need to listen to when they come around the area and Julie and The Mad Dogs are next on my list.

I have been raving about Julie Gordon for the past couple months, she's been one of a few folks that have welcomed me with open arms into the jams in town.  It's a great feeling when she says that she likes the way I play drums, flattery will get you everywhere and I'd follow her to the ends of the world and maybe  some day be the drummer backing her up at the local Anamosa bar (they have three places you can play at).   She can sing just about anything and make it her own.

I wish I would have happier news about getting something going on the side or being the potential new drummer for a local working band but I don't think it's going to happen.  The lines of communication have broken down so to speak.  There's always an outside chance but it's all speculation.  The only definite thing is The Townedgers.  Basically all the talk that was going down the past three months was simply that: talk.  And things are same as they ever was.

Outside of Julie Gordon, the good guys in the CR music scene remain Tommy Bruner, Brook Hoover, Tim Duffy, Kenny Webb, Terry McDowell, Jess and Rich Toomsen.  Bart Carfizzi and T Ray Robertson have been very instrumental in getting me interested to get up on stage and I thank them all for the good times and all the other drummers that were kind enough to let me use their drumsets during the Sunday Afternoon Jam sessions.  These eight months have been special and there have been some great times, and even DeWayne and Russ joining on stage to do a song or two.  That might be the last time we get to see a Tyrus reunion.  We're all getting old, some of them have grand kids and some of them are waiting for golf season to begin.  I have yet to catch up with Mike on doing something, but that'll be karaoke and I can't do that, unless it's with real instruments.   I'm not talking about band reunions anymore, that got realized last year, in May and then in August.  Over 30 and half years later,  it became reality.  For a brief moment it was 1984 all over again.

Looking at that picture of Terry's drumset, wouldn't it be nice to see the full set used at a jam session? He does have a few power crashes that do ring out when you hit them, after all he plays in a hard rock band.  But then again I'm sure he wouldn't have some drummer newbie trying to put dents into his crashes too ;-)   (This is his drum set during the Rumor's Sunday Afternoon Jam-not enough cymbals)



The difference between playing in bands is having a evening job, which makes me a part timer if anything.  I've always been an outsider, even back in the days of The Open Highway/Tyrus band.  We didn't play the hits but rather album cuts and whatever came to mind.  I thought we went over very well.  Coming back into the jam scene, I still remain an outsider.   That's not going to change anytime soon.

The best case scenario is whatever Rod Albaugh wants to do, he's in tune to original songs and can't do the Free Bird/Hotel California/Mustang Sally songs that tends to be overplayed time and time again.  And frequent acoustic jam sessions to do original songs.

The Blue Scratch drummer is Matt Johnson, not Williams.  I hate it every time  I call somebody the wrong name and it happened twice at Rumor's last week.  Sorry Matt, blame it on my old age and short term memory.

While watching Hostage play last night, I missed most of their last set while talking to a woman who said she played drums but never did take the stage on jam afternoons.  I think her name was Sheila.  Loved the way she came up to me and asked if I was a musician.  I thought about saying I'm a hobbyist.  She might had  a few too many but it was a nice casual talk about drumming and how to get on stage.  I told her about a few people I jammed with and Dave Bonham came to mind.  She had a few choice words about him. A total bit of a a hole she said.  He can be.  I didn't mind sharing his last jam at Rumors, an honor actually.  I don't think we'd get along if we did play in a band together. He tends to be more moody than I am. And not in a good way either.

I can't compete when golf season begins. I don't play golf but Russ does. He can have it.

By not playing in a band this summer might free me up for a trip back to Arizona.  It's been 3 years since I've been there, I wonder if they have any decent record stores left.  (Zia's Records rocks!)

The Life We Lead is now in the top 30 playlist at Lucky Star Radio.  Thanks Diggy Kat for the promotion.  Maybe the record isn't a total flop.

Between anniversaries, it was 30 years ago Wapsipinicon Dreaming came out, the first true album of decent originals that I could live with and gave me the idea that I could write my own and make a good album.  I thought about doing a revisit of that record with updated versions.  It's funny how the first couple sessions I had a 100 degree fever and we did five songs right off the bat.  20 years ago it was Light At The End Of The Tunnel, which I had a appendicitis attack and had to get my appendix removed during the recording of that.  I remember it well, being stuck at home without a car, (my ex Clarice was doing errands using  my car) and living at Broadcast Manor.  Which the temps were something like 40 below one day (!) and we had a couple of blizzards.  Five days after surgery, I was back with the first song Borrowed Time.   I also remember her buying a 1994 Corsica two weeks later and damn near ruined my credit rating by not making payments after we broke up on Valentine's Day 1998.   Looking back, Light At The End Of The Tunnel was a fine album, although it might have had a few too many songs tacked on at the end.  As for Clarice, I haven't seen her since 1999, when I took the Corsica back, two payments behind and the repo man not too far off.   I still have mixed feelings about our time together.

Till next time.

Photos of R. Smith (Julie Jules Gordon), Terry McDowell (Frank Smith), Below (unknown)