Popcorn Jam 7/10/16 King Of The Drums (That would be Terry McDowell)

Lineup:

Dakota McWhortor-Guitar
Troy Harper-Bass, lead vocal (Tush, Cinnamon Girl)
Tommy Bruner-Lead Vocal ( Rockin In The Free World, Rocky Mountain Way)
R.S. Drums

Music Director: Terry McDowell 

Songs:
Cinnamon Girl
Rockin In The Free World
Tush
Rocky Mountain Way


The circle is small but the friends in this circle are the best of friends.

One year into playing at jams, and the music keeps on coming, the memories are made and sometimes things come out of left field to make an interesting jam session.  In the past few months, I felt like documenting the results.  At times they seems to be like Almost Famous, mixing with the musicians and being part of the gang, other times it's like a Spinal Tap moment.

I originally was going to stay home and mow the yard but somebody said there was a drumset down at the Goodwill for 40 dollars I should take a look at.  Plus it started to rain, so off I go.

But alas, by the time I got to Goodwill, the drumset was long gone, or perhaps Dave Bonham playing a practical joke. But that didn't stop me from meddling into Record Collector for music (nothing) and Stuff Etc, had a couple CDs  of note, and I picked up a Cure Best of, judge in case I get cornered into doing any of their songs.

With two other jams going on at the same time, there was a much smaller crowd than usual.  But there have been a couple newer jammers on the scene, Randy Faulkner and Tim Canfield, who played in The Hosers with Tommy Bruner back in the early 80s.   Faulkner is more of a swinging jazzier type of drummer, more finesse than the all out crash and smash of yours truly.   Faulkner does add a more smoother style too, his control of the drum sticks are unbelievable, even while twirling his sticks he never misses a beat. On the other side of the spectrum is Terry.  He can play aggressive and not lose the beat, he can do wonders with the double bass petal.  The highlight of this jam was him taking on War Pigs, the Black Sabbath FM classic, he nailed the whole song all the way down to the hi hat taps on the lyrics and complex beats.  Perhaps Black Sabbath should come calling.

Nevertheless Terry McDowell and Tommy Bruner have dedicated themselves to this rock and roll jam and living on the stage.  Going far away as Savannah Illinois Friday Night, then The Chrome Horse in town last night and then host the jam, it goes to show that Terry lives for rock and roll and the love of playing it and dedicating his time and life to it.  Tommy as well.  Who else can play Riverside one night and then return home to play an acoustic show at Czech Village before coming to Rumors?  Two examples of ironmen rockers.  Still Terry can still play drums at full tilt and dead on.  Which is why he's one of the best if not the best in town.

As for me, I teamed up with Mad Dogs guitarist Dakota McWhortor on a couple Neil Young songs. Cinnamon Girl has always been one of my favorite songs to play; I got too used the Mad Dogs version instead of the shorter Crazy Horse version and extended it a bit.   I continue to rave about Dakota's guitar playing, I'm sure hanging with Julie and her band has really sharpened his skills on the classic songs made long before he was born.   He's a natural to play Neil Young.  Rockin In The Free World, I didn't go full tilt like Terry does, I mirrored more of the Arc Weld Crazy Horse version. But for the first time, Tommy Bruner came up stage, he sang lead vocals rather than played guitar.  Troy Harper sang Tush and Cinnamon Girl. 

If I could get the Townedgers to do Cinnamon Girl that would be nice too.  But still, I still love to play Rocky Mountain Way and do it in my own destructive way.  I know Russ isn't too fond of playing it, but since this song defined my music career I tend to call this a must do song.   But anyway, since somebody left the song lists of Julie And The Mad Dogs from the Friday Night show, we all picked the best songs off there to do.  Mike Lint with Terry did Kypnoite (sic), the 3 Doors Down song and Mike also did his Ain't No Sunshine song too.  If he played drums it had to be before I got there at five.  Once I got in the door, Terry put me to work.

That was all right by me.