Popcorn Jam-Tim Duffy's Finale

I live for days like these.

(photo by Mike Lint)

Lineup:

Tiffany Zweibohmer-Lead Vocals On What's Up
Duwayne Schminkey-Guitar and Vocals (Oh Boy)
Tommy Bruner-Guitar and Vocals (Rocky Mountain Way, I Saw Her Standing There)
Tim Duffy-Guitar On What's Up
Bart Carfizzi-Keyboards
John Hernandez-Bass (Rocky Mountain Way, Oh Boy, I Saw Her Standing There)
John Stepaniak-Bass  (What's Up)
R.S.-Drums

Music Director: Tim Duffy

One thing I learned over the course of the 10 months of playing in jam sessions is to expect the unexpected.  It's a far cry from July of last year, when a timid unknown could barely walk up to ask to set in a song or two.  That time ago, I was still trying to shake to rust of me of not playing drums on a regular basis.  Somehow that road went from Wrigleyville to Rumors in a matter of months and perhaps Karen Tipton could be blamed for getting me to return to the drum set on a part time basis.  Over the next few months, I actually have gotten plenty of praises from my drumming friends and the rest of the C.R. musicians.    And have a few of them wanting to start new bands with myself, the interesting of them all is Ernest really wanting to do a soul revue type of band.  If I didn't have a evening job, I would jump on that chance.  I love to watch him strut his stuff across the stage, although tonight it was Herm Sarduy doing the honors.

It was a special occasion.  This was Tim Duffy's final popcorn jam before moving to Georgia.  He has been hosting the Popcorn Jam from Bart Carfizzi since January and for these five months, he didn't take a Sunday off.  He has gotten some of the finest musicians to play and Tommy Bruner and Bart managed to play Sunday after a Saturday Night gig in around Sioux City.  These guys are the finest professional musicians who sacrifice their time and effort into keeping the jams alive.  Dan Johnson also figures into this, but he wasn't on stage with me, that honor went to John Hernandez of Full Circle with DJ Havenstot playing percussion along the side.   Tiffany Zweibohmer played in Bettendorf with 50 Shades Of Rock and here she is once again playing drums.  There were at least 8 other drummers around (host Terry McDowell there too) so time was restricted to a four song tops.

While there were plenty of no shows and a few cameos from ones who came in and said goodbye to Tim (Ted Reily, Julie Gordon, Rocky Smith), Tim Wiley was there and he did his three songs and was out of there, off to Cooters.   But I didn't talk to him and he kept his distance from me.  There really wasn't much improvement of his songs; a very awkward Little Wing, Red House and Crossroads.  Herm sat in on drums on that number, but if  Wiley would have asked I would have gone up stage.  Thankfully Dan Johnson helped Wiley through the numbers, and I like Dan Johnson.  He's a great jammer and a teacher and one of the best musicians in the area.   He really helped me make Ernest shine a few weeks ago.   For Wiley,  he's good but he remains an enigma, he'd make a good sideman but if he's going to resurrect The Wiley Kats, he has to have a bit more  charisma and to have a better feel of doing the songs that are played.  When we played last, we knew enough of the songs to make them go over with the crowd, but this time out, at least on Little Wing, he seemed lost and continued to play shorter versions of Little Wing or Crossroads.  If you're going to make it as a band or leader, you have to stretch out more and improvise often too.   By unplugging his amps and guitar and hi tailing it out after his set still leaves a bad impression  but then again, Wiley has always done that.   If I'm at a jam, I stick around till things are done and thank the hosts for the fun of playing.  It makes good band etiquette.

While this was Duffy's farewell and good bye, it was special for two reasons.

1.)  I got to play drums on What's Up and let Tiffany Zweibohmer just sing lead.  As you know, I have been raving about her drumming ever since seeing her play last year and for my money, she remains the best drummer that shows up.  Not knocking the rest of the drummers, they all rock and really do a outstanding job.  Herm, Terry, Peter, Mike, DJ, Rocky, Stan, Troy have their own style and I can watch Terry McDowell play drums all night too.  But Tiffany is special; she remains the hardest working drummer out there.  If I had half of her drive and verve I could make a decent living playing drums too.  She killed it on Sunshine Of Your Love, and that's a fucking bitch of a song to do!  The off beat, the cymbal crashing she knows her music, even if she wasn't born when those songs came out.  But when she vacated the drum throne for What's Up, and called out my name, I was floored.  That was an honor; to have one of my favorite drummers ask for me to play the beat to a song I barely know, I must have died and gone to heaven.  And she even complimented me on playing that song.  It's the kind of things like that which makes jamming fun and worth doing.  Especially from fellow drummers.  And she's a great singer to go with her drumming.

2)  Dewayne Schminkey, my fellow Paraphernalia/Open Highway guitarist managed to show up as well.   While I consider sharing the stage with the likes of Tommy Bruner or Dan Johnson or Tiffany Z an honor and, really these guys are the backbone of the music scene today.  They let the hobbyist come up and bang on the drums for a few songs and then I go home happy.   Dewayne is much different.  He was part of the original Paraphernalia band and his presence helped shape me into playing drums in the way that I play now.  With history going back 35 years, any original band member that plays on a popcorn jam with me is a closer bond.  We played at shitty dives, crappy house parties, got shut down by irate neighbors by playing too loud and sometimes we manage to score a bar gig.  I love jamming with the CR Finest and got to do that today, but I always welcome to see any of the guys from the band, Russ, Dennis, Mike come up on stage and play.  I look forward to that but I know the guys have families and jobs and golf courses to play at.  If Rod Albaugh shows up with guitar at hand, I'd be ecstatic, ready to play.  If Ben Bernard comes in from Norway to do a couple songs, I'd be down with that.  But when Dewayne surprises me by showing up and wanting to play, I'll find a way to get him up on stage and help him through his stage fright, because I known him all these years and we have supported each other in the early days.   It means so much to me to have DeWayne play as much as it does if Russ shows up.  And we can still rock with the best of them.   Jams are supposed to be fun and to make music and to mingle for a while.   And it's hard to decide which was the highlight, being the drummer behind one of the best drummers in the state or jamming three songs with my co conspirator of Paraphernalia.  Either one, was a highlight in itself.

Back to the songs, when Dewayne played guitar, it was Rocky Mountain Way and I Saw Her Standing There, both sang by Tommy Bruner.  Dewayne did sang on Oh Boy and was helped by the guys in the band, Bart, Tommy and even John Hernandez.  This was the first time I shared the stage with John, he plays in the band Full Circle with D.J. and John is a fine bass player too.   We concluded things with I Saw Her Standing There, which I suggested and thought that the guys would know.   Rocky Mountain Way remains a staple in any of my bands, I played it for so long I know the words by heart.  I think for the first time I managed to play the song in the way that I used to do with Paraphernalia, a lot of cymbal accents, odd ball beats.  Not too drummers can really do that song well, it's a bitch to play and sing at the same time, it has that Rainy Day Woman 12 and 35 beat.  When I first started playing it, I did turn it into mostly cymbals and not enough drums.   I've done the song with Guitar Dave Bonham and he sings in a more bluesy way but it doesn't fit the song.  Julie Gordon's version is more closer to the original   Our version is a bit more drawn out, but even for our first time working today, John Hernandez knew where I going to go with the tag ending.  As for true professionals helping out the hobbyist and his guitar buddy, Bart and Tommy did their job quite fine.

After that, Terry McDowell took over and they did a couple more songs with Tim Duffy singing, How Long, Bart may have done Dancing In The Moonlight before Ian Jacoby came on stage to sing Comfortably Numb with George Madson on backing vocals.  Tommy and Terry really do a expert version of this song, usually The Lab Rats close their sets with that song.  The encore was extended one more when Ernest came up to do his song The Twist.

And that was it.  I was amazed and floored by all the kind people saying I did a great job on the drums, and chatted briefly with Ernest about doing a project with him (if I can work out my evening shift hours but I think I have most of the summer off, he's a bit more promising and I'd love to do it if the stars align just right).  But I missed seeing Wooden Nickel Lottery's final set.  I said goodbye to Tim Duffy, wished him well, he'll be making the Georgia scene as soon as he gets there.  But for the next two hours  before the Karaoke drew us out I chatted with DeWayne and talked of old times and perhaps getting together to have some fun with music.  Chances are good I'll see him more at the jams in the near future.

By the time we got done, most of the food places were closed or closing up, so I went back over to New Bo at the New Bo Ale House to chow down on some 3 Cheese Mac And Cheese and went home happy.

As always, thank you Sonya for being an outstanding bartender and to the hosts Dan Johnson, Tim Duffy, Tommy Bruner and Terry McDowell, especially Terry for the use of his drums and support.