Thoughts From The Townedger-August

And just like that, August is gone. My Gawd the time has flown this summer.  That's not exactly a good thing.  Winter will be here in another three months and they're predicting it to be very snowy and very cold.  Not looking forward to it.

It's been a fun time during the Popcorn jams and there have been highs and there's been lows.  I think last Sunday's jam ranks with the best.  I'm trying to once again play with a more restrained sound and not go balls out. I want it to be fun and not to the point that I scare people off after playing Rocky Mountain Way.  I don't forsee another go at it, but I did really enjoy jamming with Rick Clay on Dreams I'll Never See Again.  Terry McDowell told me he's never played that before with Rick.  I'm sure he will in the near future, we can bet on that.  I also was glad to play the more slower songs with Belinda Christensen-James on Fever.   Then the best were on stage, Dan Johnson playing bass and Tommy Bruner on guitar, the perfect duo to play that song.  I just happened to be at the right place at the right time.

Tommy can play anything, so can Dan.  Their music knowledge is vast.  And Dan while being on stage is also a good teacher and motivator, the man has played with the likes of Bob Dorr, Men Rockin, Dennis McMurrin and many many others, Tommy likewise.  Does playing as a solo artist or part of being with The Townedgers account for anything?  In order to be better known I don't recommend banishing yourself to the local garage or music room to provide 30 years of original music, once in a while venturing out in playing in one off bands.  Years of stage fright and lack of confidence really did waste me away for a good 2 decades and even there are times I have to push myself to even get to the popcorn jam.  Sometimes I go through the motions, sometimes I go all out, and once in a while I might get involved in something special.   Last week's pairings were special.

The question of having other musicians playing my drums at Popcorn Jams has come up. The DW set is one of the top of the line drumsets for 2005 but if I was to host a jam, I think I'd be more inclined to pick up a used and cheaper drum set just in case but I don't see myself hosting for a while, if ever. I guess the drummer from Smokin Guns, which band is hosting a future jam doesn't want to have anybody pound on his drumset and I guess that's his choice. I could volunteer to sat in with Smokin Guns on a last moment notice but only if I get to do the hour set with the band.  Rocky Smith who hosts next weekend will have his set up there and it's quite nice.  But I have other commitments and won't be able to show up, but wish them well.  I would love to jam with John Shaw when he plays later on.   If in case, I do have plenty of cymbals of choice, I'd rather not have Trevor pounding my K's into oblivion, he would get the Rudes for that sort of playing.  Trevor Worcel is a very good drummer, but he really hits those drums hard.  I could swear when he was hitting the snare, that thing was jumping off the snare stand. I don't think he has a real drumset, but he does have an electric drumset.  Not the same thing at all.

40 years ago, I made KROD, the first echophonic album, which was recorded on reel to reel tape and mostly just one take scream a thons and pounding coffee cans and a homemade cymbal.  Not exactly the way to go in order to make music but it was all I had and my folks were not going to buy any more toy drum sets that wouldn't last more than a month. Three and half years later I would finally get a real drumset.  Then I had to learn how to play it.  That took a while too but eventually I did managed to keep a beat and smash cymbals at the same time. Overall KROD isn't worth a listen but I did take For A While and turned it into a decent song 10 years later.   Forty summers ago, these Freshmen girls would make my Sophomore year in high school total chaos.  Too bad I didn't know how to play guitar and drums back then.   Surprisingly I still have their Valentine's Day card that they gave me.  One of them even had a Ramones album they played in the background one night they called me up.  I know Sue and Janice got me to go on one of those spinning tilt a whirls, back when Marion had a fair on the square in the summertime of 1977. Guess it wasn't that bad of times, despite it all.  In the photo, Janice Tyggerson, Sue Boyd, Sue Barker, Jenny Hensen, Martha Balster left to right.  These gals really made a shambles of my Sophmore year, but looking back perhaps I should have been more nicer to them.

I haven't heard anything about Julie And The Mad Dogs, other than with their commitments fulfilled, that they will change the name of the band since it was Julie and Kyle Oyloe's band and Kyle is no long around.  Mike still hangs with West 66 and I'm sure he'd love to see me to come up and watch him play and give him a extended break.  Once he's get settled into a new home I'll look him up and we can do some jamming, with Steve Lannon in tow.  Russ and I continue to talk and exchange song ideas. He can still play bass with the best of them, he simply doesn't like the overplayed classic rock stuff we did in Tyrus Paraphernalia.   I keep trying to get him to do more jams in town but I'm not going to kidnap him to get him to play.  I know he wants to keep a trio with me and Shawn McDonald, but I haven't heard Shawn play and rather not sing the balk of the songs.

It's bizarre, but when I lived in Cedar Rapids I'd spend more time out here in Stone City and Matsells. Now that I live out here, I'm spending more time in Cedar Rapids, mostly around New Bo  and Rumors.  If I could afford it, I could move back downtown but then again we'd have to contend with floods and rain and gangsta dipsticks.  Guess I'll hang here in Stone City since most of my crap is here.

Certainly I'd jump at the chance for a supergroup with Dan Johnson and Tommy Bruner, even play drums for Tommy if he wanted somebody on drums to promote his new album but I doubt that will happen.   Wishful thinking on my part.

The question remains if I will ever be part of the Iowa Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, as a solo artist or part of The Townedgers?  I doubt it.  I'm not well known, even though I have been part of the music scene for 35 years and have 33 years of original songs, working with the likes of Route 66, Townedgers, Paraphernalia Tyrus, Open Highway Band plus hanging with some of the legends that are in the IA RNRHOF.  I've seen some of the local bar bands making it to the Iowa rock hall. Let's face it, I'm not going to make any effort to change my style of playing or making music, but anybody who has put out 30 years of music surely could be considered for nomination.  I think Kyle Oyloe should be in the rock hall, he's been a legend with The Meekats and Surf Zombies and part of Julie And The Mad Dogs.   Looking back, when I did lived in Cedar Rapids at N St years ago, that would have the best time to get out into the jam scene.  Alas I got too lazy and lackadaisical in practicing on the drums, not doing that for weeks at a time.   I'm trying to correct that mistake by jamming now and see where things go from there.  Learning from the best and try to continue with my drums and guitar I hope will eventually pay off into some sort of satisfaction of playing live again.  I do think Forthcoming Trains and Town's Edge Rock as well as my 1990s and 2000's album have stood the test of time. But being an unknown for so long, only way I ever going to make it to Hall Of Fame is posthumously and being dead. And have a hell of an support group out there that would give a nod for myself.  As they say, that's not going to happen.  But I do take pride in the music that I have created over the years.  It shows that I did make a contribution to the CR Music scene, although in a closet cult artist sort of way.

I guess that's a wrap for the month.  And hope to see you soon Bruce Stanley in the great beyond.  BTW this is the acoustic guitar that Bruce sold me years ago.  It's my main instrument (as guitar that is).