I live to see the nights of the full moon rising across the skies. It's kind of a nice ending to a hectic week. Of course you know by now that Prince passed away at age 57. I do admit I don't love his music and the only I do have is The Black Album and I found that for a dollar and finally got around playing it. The early years of Prince before Purple Rain and 1999 broke him big time, he proved to be a genuine talent, who can danced like James Brown and play like Jimi Hendrix. I admire him to be a visionary spirit, and a love of keeping music alive. He never strayed from his digs in Minnesota and remained there. I think he was a very shy person who either couldn't interact with everybody but when he got on stage he let the music do the talking. And he was a music collector too, even buying music up till the day he died. Not since the passing of Michael Jackson has the music world been buzzing with tributes and kudos. But we lost so many people already this year. And will continue to do so as we all gather up in age. Prince gave so much of himself to the point, that he simply wore out. But the guy never failed to amaze people when he played. That makes him a true rock star. And they broke the mold when they made Prince
Lonnie Mack had more of an influence on me rather than Prince. His version of Memphis Tennessee and Wham inspired a young boy named Stevie Ray Vaughn and Stevie Ray pay it forward and looked up Lonnie for a nice 1985 comeback album Strike Like Lightning. Memphis Tennessee still remains a classic jukebox record classic and should be played should you find a jukebox with real records.
I'm not sure the future of music will give us another Prince or Lonnie Mack. There hasn't been nobody that the major record label has given us so far that makes memorable music. Sure isn't Georgia Florida Line, it sure isn't Cole Swindell or Luke Bryan. Lady Gaga and Miley Cyrus might be considered rockers with attitude but so far they haven't made any memorable sort of music. And I have no idea what's rock and roll anymore. There's some bands I like (Uncle Acid) but most of the best new music have come from local bands and musicians. Tommy Bruner, Wooden Nickel Lottery, and local discovery The Dawn but anything the major labels puts out is unremarkable or unmemorable. The days of breaking an artist on album is gone. And it's a shame really.
After 10 plus months of weekend jam sessions, I'm cutting back. Due to us getting busy at work and I simply had no time to give to The Wiley Kats. I've shared the stage with Tim for the past four/five weeks and he can play guitar quite well. If there's an knock on Tim, it's that he doesn't extend himself out of the comfort levels of the original recordings. We butted heads on the intro to Voodoo Chile and instead of a long 6 to 8 minute song, ours is basically 2 and a half minutes. But then again that was doing practice when we were hashing things out. There's sense of friction between him and the other jammers it seems, he tends to pack up and go after he's done jamming and hit the other Sunday Afternoon acoustic jam, but that's never unfazed me. Tim has upfront with me in the time we did the Wiley Kats project. As I can tell, when Tim Duffy replaced Ben Bernard for the Popcorn Jam, Duffy extended the song a bit more, which might have thrown Tim Wiley out of his comfort zone. All it is, remains a strictly jam for fun. Which alas, I didn't have much fun last Sunday and probably sit a few out in the coming months. I'll support them anyway I can but I exceeded my allowed shuffle songs for the whole year. And need to take a little break too.
I thought by this time, I would be able to host a popcorn jam or two but so far I haven't. And basically I don't think it's gonna happen at all. I'm too lazy to haul my drumset down to Rumors and I rather not have them bang on the DW set. I have been looking for a pickup drumset to haul to gigs but that's not going happen either. Bart kinda blew me off the time I inquired about hosting one and I never followed up. On the outside looking in, I guess and I have always been on the outside looking in and always will be. I have managed to make a few new friends on the music scene and have gotten to jam with some of the finest out there (Jess Toomsen, Kenny Webb, Barth Walter, Ben Bernard, Tommy Bruner, Jason Christensen, Dan Johnson, Terry McDowell, Julie Gordon, many others). But I must be honest, in order to play in a bar band, you have to play the old war horses of classic rock and I cannot bring myself to do Sweet Home Alabama or Margaritaville at all. And the bands that considered hiring me do play those old war horses and Hotel California too.
With The Townedgers, it's different. I play the lesser known cover songs and my originals and I got spoiled by my thinking on this. That question came up when Tim Wiley was throwing La Grange or Pride And Joy my way. Or well Bart throws out an Hall And Oates song. I think it's more fun to play originals and obscure stuff rather than the tried and tired. It's fun doing One Way Out, cuz nobody else does it. It's not fun when you're subject to four shuffle songs in a 7 song setting at a jam session. Which was the reason why I opted out of The Wiley Kats. And to be clear, it's one thing to quit your job when your 25 and have your life ahead of you. It's another when you're 55 and your job pays your bills and quitting that to split 250 dollars three ways playing songs you don't want to play doesn't sound like fun. Been there done that.
I came back to music scene to dip my toe in the water, to see if I can do this, play along better musicians and hang around chatting about music and drums. And I've done that. And I think I did very well considering the circumstances. If there's a lull at my job this summer, I'm sure I'll be back with a vengeance and this might help with the next Townedgers album.
Since Martin Daniels has gone into production, Pat Jones has replaced him. Pat has played with The Night Flowers and The Bums as well as local country bands Highway 41 and Runaway Trains. If and when time allows, Geoff Redding and I will get together with him and maybe something good will happen.
The door is always open for Rod Albaugh to join up. As well as Russ and Dwayne from the Open Highway years. Dennis Lancaster is invited but he makes way too much good money as a airlines pilot to quit to join a band competing with 250 dollars split four/five ways. You might get a good chesseburger and a half tank of gas for your car to get home.
I'm partial to anything Julie Gordon thinks up as doing, provided if my work don't get in the way. But knowing her if I do show up at a Julie and Mad Dogs gig, she'll find a way for me to play drums on a song or two.
I doubt if Tim Wiley will host a popcorn jam. He doesn't seem to be very popular with the hosts up there. He tends to rub people the wrong way, especially the ones that have pull to get you to host a jam. He says that he gets good rapport from Dennis McMurrin and Dan Johnson and even Bob Dorr when he played the blues jam two weeks ago. Could it be when he said he can get gigs he just dreaming? I donno. I only know (faintly) Checkers Tavern and Rumors but not enough to convince them about getting any gigs for the band. I have no problem with Wiley, he can jam with me anytime, but as for a full time band again, let's just say we tried it.
Geoff would like to do a live recording since The Townedgers haven't done a live recording since 2007 and not a official once since 2003. We talked of putting together a best of, but I think we have put that on the shelf for the time being.
Now I know how Russ felt when I had to do La Grange last week. Didn't want to do it but I did. And I didn't have fun either. But I would rather play La Grange rather play 18 holes of golf, I'm not good at it and don't care.
Doubt if Tommy Bruner and I will do a record project anytime soon. He's got Past Masters and his solo career and album. If he wants me to provide drums for any songs, I be over there right now.
I do think I'm one of the top drummers in Cedar Rapids area. Probably the best unknown hobbyist right now. Best drummer in town: Terry McDowell. Tiffany Z was but she's now moved to Wisconsin. Ones I like: Stan Hersom, Troy Harper, Mike Serbousek, DJ Havenstout, Pat Geasland. I know I'm missing others. Herm Sarday is pretty good, but he tends to grate on people's nerves. Rocky Smith, is a power drummer and a wildman, but sometimes he gets too wild. Those double cymbal boasts tend to be too show offish. I'll tell you this, I do play a fast driving beat that has gotten better since coming back on the scene. If I'm in the zone, I can't be topped.
Sometimes I wonder what this life would have been if I had my own son or daughter playing music. Almost 17 years ago I dated a good woman from afar and it looked like things would get serious. Oh once in a while, somebody will post a picture of her and her daughter, and in the back of my mind I think that could have been my daughter. The drawback was it was never meant to be. In this life it always been music, drums and records, and I would never get out of the record store to be a good boyfriend, always looking for more bargains and recording new music. Martin tells me, it was not in the cards, she took one look at your drums, your guitar, your music collection and she knew it wasn't going to work. It's better not to bring a life into this world if you're not able to surrender time and effort for the family. And I know that very well. You can't change into somebody that you're not, for after a while, you return to your old self and sometimes there are women that rather not be with musicians. And my fate was sealed many years ago, long before I met that good woman from afar. But in a moment of solitude, I can't help but think, what if. But I'll never know.
My favorite Prince album? Dirty Mind (the one that has When You Were Mine on it).
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