Acoustic Jam with The Acousta Kitties-Checkers Lounge 11/30/16

Featuring:

Cathy Hartman Spina
Julie Gordon
Lorie Parker
Steve Black Wolf
Belinda Christensen-James
Abigail Bunker
Mark Randolph
Carl Meiners
Skip Richards 

And a few others...

I've played drums on more songs these past two night than I have in two months all together at Rumors Popcorn Jam.  Not that it really matters but the more I play onstage, the more it made sense to drive into town to play.  With us not being too busy at work and I had vacation time to use, I figured since I was in the neighborhood to show up and see what happens.

Tuesday night I sat on on about 6 songs with Brook Hoover, Dan Johnson, Jon Wilson and Tom Giblin, plus having Ernest sing his song too.  And then deciding to take a long lunch and hang with the Acousta Kitties for their Wednesday Night Checkers Acoustic Show.  Recently, Karl Hudson announced that he too was doing a acoustic jam on the same night at Rumors, prompting a conflict of interest. Usually with winter coming, not too many people venture out to jam, it's too cold, too icy, too snowy. Is it feasible to even have two acoustic jam sessions on a Wednesday Night?  I think Karl does have some pull of getting stellar musicians there, but the Acousta Kitties have their own fan base, and a great sponsor with Checkers Tavern too.

I figured I'd stop in and chat with Julie Gordon a spell and perhaps pop on stage and play a song or two and head back to work soon afterward.   I thought I'd be back to work by Ten.  I didn't figure upon being the main percussionist and playing most of the songs that everybody attempted.  There's plenty of them we did, hell we even did Last Kiss twice, once with Steve Black Wolf and later Skip Richards.  Keeping the beat on the congas is pretty hard on the wrists too, but what I found that did work was using the middle finger knuckle to keep the beat moreorless.  Abigail Bunker, did her favorite songs (Bobby McGee, Delta Dawn, Spiders And Snakes, couple others) by around then it was time to grab a pizza burger for supper and chatted with Julie about her upcoming hip replacement.  She thinks she can get back on stage within a couple weeks, but I cautioned her to take it easy for the first month or so.  Her next gig with the Mad Dogs is January 27th at Hot Shots in Anamosa.   She did mentioned that Ron LaFleur has been jamming with Dakota and Mike and the bass player from West 66 (now broken up) for a new band and project.  I'd be interested on how they sound, I'm sure Mike would love to have me spell him a while, but not sure if Ron would sign off on that deal.

For the whole jam, I had a fun time and Julie and her friends, Lorie and Cathy were very gracious and very funny with their crazy comical jokes and heavenly harmonies. At least playing congas, I didn't have to worry about being loud and quietly kept time on songs I wasn't familiar with.  The Acousta Kitties do have a few risque songs, usually Lorie Parker's originals about boobs was worth a laugh to hear.  The easygoing vibes is welcomed; I tend to get too damn serious on Popcorn Jams and want to tear the drums up in front of everybody.   But on Parlor City Blues Jam and the Acoustic Jams it's nice to unwind and not be so noticeable. And congas are perfect for that type of music, although I might invest in low volume cymbals for future acoustic jams and if I have time off.  But thank Lorie Parker for investing  into congas and leaving the power drums at home. Saves wear and tear on the ears.

Plenty of jammers to take the stage but unlike the 7 drummers who pile into Rumors on Popcorn Jams, I was the only drummer up there and I could spend all the time up there.  I have jammed with Belinda on a couple occasions, but this was the first time I got to jam with her man, Mark and he in fact did turn out a more jazzier version of Fever than the one that Tommy and Dan did a couple months ago.  They also did a unplugged version of It's Been Awhile, the Staind song, it was very interesting to say the very least but when we get together to do the Peggy Lee/Little Willie John classic, it does sound special to me.  But then again, when you work with somebody long enough, you get to figure out their arrangement of the song.  Mark did a very good job on the guitar on that song.

Well we were having so much fun, I lost track of the time, and by the time Skip started to do Hang On Sloopy it was past 10.  Cathy being concerned, managed to write out a note to give to Louie about  please excuse me being a late,  I had to keep a beat and no other drummers were around, and Louie got a good laugh out of that.  I think we all did.  After Sweet Home Alabama, I did say goodbye and head back to work and managed to get back there about 10:20.  I should have stayed for the encore of Knocking On Heaven's Door.

In the past week, I have gone through 4 stages of playing music.  The Townedgers, The Popcorn Jam, The Blues Jam at Parlor City and finally the acoustic jam at Checkers to close out a very busy (for me that is) time of music and jamming.   Sometimes I wish still living in the city to get to these jams more often than I do, but having a regular evening job does cut into playing.  So I try to make it count.  And I have to say, tonight was much fun.  We laugh and had a good time and I even sang too.

Thanks everybody for the good times and vibes.   See ya soon.

Photo: Lorie Parker, L to R Mark Randolph, R. Smith, Belinda Christensen-James, Skip Richards

Thoughts Of The Townedger November Edition

It has been a trying year to say the very least.  I've gotten word that Steve Rasmussen, my co worker and co producer for The Highway Home is to undergo open heart surgery this week.  I lost enough friends this year, I don't want to go to another funeral anymore.  Also Julie Gordon is going to have hip replacement done on her next month.  She'll probably be out of action for a couple months too.   She's in my thoughts too.

The next Townedgers album is called Jubilee, and it's basically a live album done within the shadows of the old Viola School Gym.  It's cavernous, and it has a good sound to it.  The hope is that the owners will finally get enough money to cover the sunroof top as shown in the photo.  On this project I wanted to revisit some of the lesser known stuff as well do some choice covers.  For this I enlisted Terry Bainbridge to get the sound up to par.  We usually don't give Terry much to work with. In 1987 we did a low fi cassette to cassette album called Tales Of The Red Caboose and a bright idea was to use metal tape to record it.  Not exactly a good move on my part.

For covers and since Lou Reed has done a lot using the same chords we took on Waiting For The Man and I'll Feel A Whole Lot Better, the Byrds song.  And for a finale, I decided on The End, for a second time and without the Killer Woke Before Dawn segment.  Very much improvised and going with the moment.  Like most of the songs, very rough and sloppy.  We never play the song in the same way, every version is different.  I guess that's what they call  rock and roll.

(this does have potential to be a cool place to play, all they need a decent dance floor)

 
(a blurry sunset photo in Davenport)

Is Brook Hoover and I going to record anytime soon?  I look at it, the way I look at any projects with Russ or Julie or anybody else.  If it happens it happens but Brook makes a living playing music and any appearance I'll have to compensate him for his time and efforts.  He also a great guitar lessons instructor as well. 

I still have pictures from my travels in Arizona, this was taken outside Room 220 at the Motel 6 in Kingman.  I love that area, plenty of trains and that Route 66 spirit lurking around.  I haven't been to my adopted home in over 3 years, but I'm there in spirit.

Trains and music.  The only things I know in life.  I guess it seems full circle to bring certain people back into The Townedgers, Mel Strobie popped in on a jam or two and now Terry Bainbridge manning the sound for Jubilee.  I worked on a song list and messed with different types of songs before settling for 15 songs, concluding with The End.  The big omission was We All Sleep Alone was left off, our only number 1 song.  There was simply no room for that song and since the best version is on Forthcoming Trains it was best to leave it there.  But I wasn't too happy about The Live We Lead, the version sounded unfinished on Fitting Finales and the next attempt was cut short at the ending.  I suppose we can attempt to do another live album in the future but in reality, there's hasn't been a live document since 20 in 2003 and the 2008 cuts were simply bootlegs and no attempt to really issue them on a stand alone best of.  The songs are all there but Jubilee is marketed as an official Townedgers release.   And I tend to be indifferent when it comes to reissuing the 2008 stuff.  If enough interest gets shown then we'll see.  But even in a social media world of millions of bands out there wanting your time (and most importantly) your money I still couldn't be arrested, even as accomplice.  But I think it's worthy enough to put on Townedger Radio from time to time.  And even my A and R guy does get the songs played on Lucky Star Radio.  Outside of Diggy Kat, my trust level for anybody else is very limited.  We've been sold up the river without a paddle a few times.

If memory serves me right, Jubilee will be the first TE live album without anything from Town's Edge Rock. I thought about doing All Over Now at the finale but I think the song has served its purpose many years ago when my X Girlfriend and her then hubby destroyed that song during their reception while a friend of mine played it for them.  The best version was the IMU 1987 Midnight No Shame Theater that we played at.  Later versions I'm not impressed with.  I dusted off Remember Me and Perfect Life just to do something different.   Sure a lot of albums were missing key tracks and I did pick a couple from Pawnshops For Olivia and Fitting Finales and four cover versions, but I wanted to give a glimpse of how the Townedgers sound today.  The object was to have fun and keep it simple.   And I think I can live with the results.

Dennis Lancaster found a old picture of me, Dewayne Schminkey and Randy Hartwig. We agree that this picture was taken in the 1980s and since I'm wearing clodhoppers it must be around 1985, or even as late as 1988.  Thought it was an Open Highway Band photo at first.  There are memories of Randy and myself hitting Dennis' wedding in 1990 and there's other pictures to prove it.  Can't believe that's even me in the picture, certainly Dwayne and Randy don't look like that anymore.

As you can tell (Wake Up Dennis and Dewayne!) DeWayne is a Grandpa now.  Guess he has to take his naps whereever he can. The last leftover picture of the Open Highway/Paraphernalia Reunion.

For Jubilee, I used the Fender electric guitar and the Guild acoustic guitar.  Geoff usually plays Gibson, but he too brought a Fender to the proceedings.  I know when we did The End, I played the Gibson Les Paul, and it has a more aggressive tone.  The past two years, I been using the Zildjian cymbals.  Even in the six years of Paiste cymbals use, people still think that the TE sound was the Zildjians, the dark crashes and 18 inch crash rides come in handy.  Not sure if and when I'll dust the Paiste cymbals off, I should give them a good home, if somebody provides enough money for me. Money does talk you know.

Bruce Stanley has now been gone for three months now and there's not a moment that I don't think about him.  You can't replace somebody with that much music knowledge and he was a great guy to be around with.  I've been blessed with the presence of the likes of a Tommy Bruner, a Terry McDowell, a Brook Hoover and Dan Johnson, Tim Duffy, Mike Serbousek, too many to mention.  And they do take their music seriously, or even jams.  I tend to improvise the hell out of things, I don't play it by record and perhaps that throw a curve into things.  It's kinda punk rock mentality, even back in the days of starting out, we would not play the same song twice.  32 years after the fact, Tyrus Paraphernalia played by our own rules.   Even though back then with an eye toward doing original stuff, I think we really did have something special between us.  We were not seasoned musicians known around the area but rather just home town friends that stumbled upon this rock and roll fantasy to which thankfully got preserved on tape.  We were fast, we were sloppy as hell but damn we rocked.  To which to The Townedgers can't duplicate.  Overall, we were not only friends but also brothers of the rock and roll.

The question still remains, will there ever a reunion of these guys?  As long as we're still alive anything is possible.  Dennis makes good money being an airline pilot and hasn't picked up a guitar in many years.  I'd be tickled pink if he shocks us and pops up at a jam in the future.  Anything is possible, even though we might be dreaming, but I do regret that we couldn't keep it going after the OK Lounge gig.  I guess I never knew how good of a drummer I really was when Dennis came back into the fold after I recorded Towns Edge Rock and wanted to get a band going.  Granted with him and Russ, we did have our own groove and sound.  I was more concerned with original stuff and going from there.  Perhaps had I learned to sing and do covers I could have given Tyrus Paraphernalia a more variety of sound and less reliance on Mike Swearingen.  I'm not sure if Waiting For The Man or The End would make much sense in a bar scene wanting to hear Free Bird or Wanted Dead Or Alive, but perhaps we could get people to dance to Feel A Whole Lot Better.

We still haven't had  any snow on the ground.  This may not look like much but this is our Morning Glories still growing on Veteran's Day 11/11/16, the latest we ever had them growing.  But after that day, the killing frost did take them out.  Morning Glories are nice clingy weeds that grow everywhere you put them.  They certainly took over most of our yard this year.  I'm sure they'll will be back. 

The Parlor City Blues Jam is less loud than the Popcorn Jam and sometimes I'd rather to have fun and keep time rather than bashing the drums.  The rare jam came Tuesday Night with Brook Hoover, Dan Johnson and Tom Giblin helping me out, Jon Wilson providing drums.  I got to do five songs for the quartet plus Sam from Mount Vernon heading back to college in California before the snows hit.  He sounds a lot like John Mayer.  Also Heather Brown joined up to do a cover of Crazy.  Sam's songs I wasn't too familiar or know who did them.  Ernest the Soul Man showed up and I concluded things with his rousing version of The Twist to which his vocals was at around 111 decibels. Parlor City frowns upon anything over 100 DB, but you can't blame Ernest.  Me and Dan Johnson backed him up before (with Tommy Bruner on guitar though) and Brook was a bit taken by the power of Ernest's vocals.  I love Terry McDowell and the Popcorn Jam but I have come to find that I get to play more songs during these Parlor City Blues Jams than the Popcorn Jam.  Parlor City doesn't have seven drummers on hand.  They had a young drummer who did a nice swinging Kansas City/Just Got Lucky medley by Dan Johnson.  Tim Wiley was also there, and I know he wanted to jam with me but he got paired up with the young drummer.   We briefly chatted and sounds like Ben Benton is moving on to other things, so he's looking for a new bass player.  And perhaps a new drummer as well. We did say goodbye before he went out into the night. 

And then I took the stage.

Poprcorn Jam 11/27/16 Duffy's Return

Lineup:

Cecie Stark-Vocals (Rocky Mountain Way, Gold Dust Woman)
Tommy Bruner-Lead Guitar
Bart Carfizzi-Keyboards, vocal (The Break Up Song)
Tim Duffy- Bass
Bob Gleason-Harmonica
Crabby-Drums

A & R: Terry McDowell

I started work on the next Townedger recording this weekend, a revisit of some older music and manic version of Waiting For The Man.  If all else fails, cover a Lou Reed song.  The album is going to be called Jubilee, The Townedgers Live at Viola School Gym.  Technically, not at the gym but our remote four track is a block away so I guess it qualifies as a live album.  It should be out before Christmas, the final release of 2016 I think.  Then it's on the next album, the working title is Logic And Lies.

My yearly checkup reveals everything is in working order, my blood pressure is down around 130/84, jamming will do that I guess, but the usual elevated liver diagnosis, which hasn't changed since 1998. Not worried too much over that.  The hope is finish the next Townedgers albums and then see what happens afterwards.   On the TE album, Geoff Redding is helping out more on guitar, he's been wanting a more active role and live albums are good for granted such wishes.  I haven't release an official live album since 20 in 2003, I did put out a couple 2008 get togethers but they are bootlegs so to speak.  Once again what was to be done in September is once again forced to get it done before the year is out.   The object was to record the songs as planned, mistakes in all, including me forgetting a verse to Love Like Backfire and a quick end to The Life We Lead, I guess I'll never be satisfied or get the finished take I want to get but in the spirit of rock and roll, if we work on a song more than 3 takes then the magic is gone and the songs get more and more forced.   With Rod Albaugh wanting to continue to polish up the stuff I recorded with him earlier in the year, I may have to put that on the back burner.    But on Friday Night after coming home and updating things, Brook Hoover, the brains behind the Surf Zombies and Flaming Camaros  invited me to come over at Midnight to do some recording.  Which I think he was pulling my leg,  I quizzed him Ain't You in Rock Island doing your Ramones Tribute Show,  Oh yeah yeah, we'll be taking the stage shortly.  Watta ham.

Brook turned 55 on Wednesday Night.  To which I was surprised that he was my age too.  He looks a lot younger, in fact we could probably do a Back To The Future sort of thing, he looks like Micheal J Fox and if I grow my hair out, I'm the mad scientist Doc.  I did managed to pop in while he was finishing up his solo set and wished him happy birthday that night.  I also did partake in the Acousta Kitties jam while getting off work early and Julie managed to get me up there to play the conga bongos for the last 4 songs of their set.   It's nice to play more than 3 songs at any jams but everybody seemed to enjoy my back beat on Sweet Home Chicago and a few others.  But conga playing is quite hard on the wrists.  I did managed to say to Belinda Christensen James and her boyfriend Mark Randolph and gave Julie a little something to help her with her forthcoming hip replacement.  She'll might be taking a sabbatical to recover and hopefully she'll get back on the stage in 3 to 4 months.

Thanksgiving, Doug Bonesteel was in town and offered me his grandma's record collection to which I took home.  Mostly a lotta Christmas and Country LPs, but there's a few keepers in tow.  We talked a few things, usual band bullshit and he did mentioned about the Open Highway band photos of our gig and his reception and promised to send them out eventually.  I doubt if I'll ever see them, they went home and was sitting down to supper and their washer/dryer caught fire and their house was a total loss.  I'll have to send something their way to help them through.  Nobody should have to go through that.

So on Sunday, The TEs did three songs and then I went off into town and try to get a bit of walking in before the jam and damned if it rained so that was a short walk.  Tim Duffy was in town to pick up a few things and it was decided that he should be part of the reunion of the Lab Rats.  Tim was much loved around the area, he's a good guy with a good heart and good sense of melody and songs.  The crowd was small but it did pick up later on, with the usual 7 drummers popping up at various songs. Usually Cecie is paired with her husband Peter (which I keep calling him Pete for some freaking reason) when Terry picks the musicians out, but somehow I drew the card to do Gold Dust Woman, a song that doesn't have much drums in it and the bands I did play it, I played hi hat and bass drum, forgetting at the end this is a tribal Mick Fleetwood sound at the end of the song.  Peter says there is a another version that does have drums (probably the version off The Dance, I based mine off Rumors) and playing it with the Night Flowers years ago, a slow beat when Janice Ferguson sang it.   I know Mike Serbousek does a drum track with The Mad Dogs and Peter with the Dunshee Moon.  Perhaps Peter would have been better suited for that song, or least I know how he plays it and plan accordingly.

Photo: Brenda Snow Bart Carfizzi, Tim Duffy, Terry McDowell, Tommy Bruner  The Lab Rats

The mellow side was replaced with Rocky Mountain Way, another song to show off my playing.  Tommy Bruner extended the lead a lot longer than I was used to, that's okay, improvisation is always welcomed, as I try to build it up to the ending, Tommy shook his head no, not yet and continued to play lead.  While of course Tim Duffy making faces and dancing all over the stage.  He was having a good time I do believe.   Overall the song was better done this time than the last attempt when Julie and The Mad Dogs were in town.    My time ended with Greg Kihn's The Breakup Song, which Bart sang.

Outside of that, the usual gang popped up at times.  Even Kim Bean from The Saloonatics did a few songs, he said he was battling a hangover but he still sounded quite good.  Kevin Faulkner and Tim Canfield came on stage to do their Get Together and New Orleans songs, The Starks continued the Stevie Nicks lovefest with Dreams and Mike Lint did his Ain't No Sunshine.  But overall this was Tim Duffy's day, and I was glad to get to share the stage with him again.  And I got plenty of hugs afterwards too.   As they say, I can't complain.

Come back soon Tim.

Popcorn Jam 11/20/16 Remembering Olivia

Still you'll always be in my heart
For the love that we share, shall never part
And maybe some day, when it's all said and done
We'll be together, beyond the sun.

(Photo: New Year's Day 2000)

17 years ago, I was spending time with Olivia up in the chilly winds and rains of Portland, taking on a dinner cruise on the big river and watching the sights of downtown Portland.  I think those times that we spent together were the best time of my life, a great ending to 1999 and hoping of things to come.   But like everything that has happened in this life, it simply wasn't meant to be.

She wasn't made for the cold harsh winters of the Great Midwest and when she did come out here, she ended up getting a walking phenomena that would last a good three months up to our last time together.   It's been so long ago I'm beginning to forget most of it outside of old pictures that confirmed us being together, and occasional reminders: printed emails and letters hidden in a box in the storage room.  And memories.

Around that time, my best friend was dating a woman from New York and things were not exactly going well for them.  However, me and Olivia did our best to convince Deb that my best friend was a nice guy and worthy of settling down with.  We talked about ways of keeping their fire alive for one another in my last trip to Portland in March, knowing that we were about to take different paths from one another.  In April of 2000, in St Louis, Russ realized that Deb was the best woman for him. As for me and Olivia, she remained in the Northwest.  On Valentines' Day 2001 Russ and Deb got married.  Eventually, Olivia would remarry too.  I continued on the road less traveled.  A few years later, both of us would chat off and on, which she managed to tap my inner thoughts that would become the album Pawnshops For Olivia, perhaps the most bittersweet album The Townedgers ever made, to which a followup album would take five years to be made.  Looking back on those times we brought in 2000, it was the best time in my life.   I still miss her.


Popcorn Jam 11/20/16

Tim Wiley-Guitar, vocals
Tommy Bruner-Guitar
Dan Johnson-Bass Guitar
Bob Gleason-Harmonica
I played drums

Songs:
Little Wing
Red House Blues
Crossroads

I always said that I was open to jam with Tim Wiley if and when that time came to be and it did Sunday.  I think it went well, though Little Wing and Redhouse Blues were very short versions. We concluded things with Crossroads, and Tim played a very fast riff and we all followed suit.  Dan Johnson held things together quite well.  Benton wasn't around so it wasn't a full fledged Wiley Kats reunion.  Once things were done Tim packed up and raced on down to Cooters to finish up the acoustic jam.  Some things never change but I did acknowledged and shake Tim's hand for doing a good job.

Next week the return of Tim Duffy for a one off reunion. We'll see how that one goes.

Bruce Stanley Popcorn Jam 11/13/16-Great Drummers Think Alike

Lineup:

With Four Day Creep

Amanda Britcher-vocals
Rick Clay-Guitar
John Baughman-Bass
Troy Mitchell-Drums
R.Smith-The other drummer


In charge: Terry McDowell


Steve Lawrence-playing guitar and vocals on All Right Now and Bonecrusher

Songs:

All Right Now
Bonecrusher

For a sendoff to Bruce it was kinda of a disappointing small crowd but they're mostly into the hard rock and roll.  For the most part the Four Day Creep gang kept things going.  Not a lot of other jammers, I think Mike Lint was the other drummer besides myself to take part in the fun.  Terry jamming along with them during the first hour.

Troy Mitchell is one of the best if not the best drummer in town, he can play Bonham better than myself and a great guy.  He was friends with Bruce for many years.  I had to laugh when Troy said he was following me on Bonecrusher a song from a band called Soul Hat that I wasn't familiar with.  I basically stayed on a regular beat and not the over the top version.  In fact I only knew that Hostage played it last week at Rumors and even then I didn't quite grasp of the offbeats this song was like.  

This was the second time I ever shared the stage with another drummer and it was a honor to have Troy play alongside me.  The guy can nailed the drum rolls on All Right Now too. I think I'm beginning to show my age that my wrist couldn't respond to the cascade rolls on the beginning of the lead guitar part.  Unlike the over the top version I did for The Routers in 1991, I was content to stay within the beats of the song and not over do it.

Although I only did two songs, the total time up on stage was about 10 minutes long.  It was nice to see Tim Hotz, my good friend from days of hanging at the record store come up and say hi.  He might a bit off the wall but Tim is one of my closest friends.  He did mention that he'll swing by Bruce's house on the way home.  I should have asked Tim where Bruce's place was at.  I don't think I've ever been there.  In fact I know I haven't.

Mike Lint did pay me a nice compliment by mentioning that I was one of the best drummers out there when Brook was asking people who their fave drummers were. In fact I was mentioned a couple more times.  It's a good feeling when people put you in the elite company of great drummers in town.  I gave Mike a nice hug over that.  Thanks mate!  You're pretty damn good yourself.

(Photo: Frank Smith  Toxic Blonde with Dawn Sedelcek and Terry Mac on drums)

Terry McDowell says:   You totally deserve to be mentioned on this list, too! Since we've gotten to know each other through the Sunday jams, I've noticed and appreciate your knack for playing what a song needs. I really dig that you realize the importance of dynamics when playing the drums. There's a time and place for it of course, but playing drums really hard is almost always unnecessary. I've seen you play with intensity without overshadowing everyone else - and that requires real talent!




Thanks Big Mac for those kind words.

I tend to think in my later years that I am more at home keeping it straight and to the point, if I overdo things it's because I'm in the moment,  that all goes back to the first time we recorded Rocky Mountain Way in 1982 and I was trying to hang on to my job as drummer for Paraphernalia.   Over course of time, my style of playing basically was decided on that over the top which you can hear on the Paraphernalia recordings and The Townedgers.   But as I get older I realize that I'm more suited to the basic styles of Al Jackson Jr and how he kept things tight more than Keith Moon bashing every cymbal and drum within arm reach.   Doing the jams the past 15 months has enabled me to actually play better drums, especially on Fitting Finales and interacting with other musicians is a plus too.  I don't expect to really change my style, I play by feeling rather than straight by record.  I must be doing something right when I mentioned to be one of the best drummers in town.  It may not look like it but I'm always taking notes when my fellow drummers take the stage.   Not bad for being one of the older rockers in town.

Popcorn Jam 11/6/16

Lineup:

Joe Hutchcroft-Vocals on Simple Man and Sister Golden Hair
Steve Black Wolf- Vocals on Tuesday's Gone
Karl Hudson-Acoustic guitar and backing vocals
Ryan Rolling-Electric guitar
Layne Goldsberry-Bass
Me, I'm just tagging along on drums

Terry McDowell holding it all together

Taking time off from The Townedgers putting the new album together, I didn't think I was going to do this jam.  I ended up getting major back spams from mowing the yard yesterday and barely could sit in my seat for Hostage playing that night.  And with Daylight Savings Time ending, the day ends quite fast, losing that hour of daylight.  But it's still 60 degrees when the sun was out.

While a good crowd was there a host of jammers left to go do the acoustic jam at Cooters and didn't bother waiting their turn.  Dakota and Joe LaFluer were one of them, Tim Wiley wore out his welcome and Jim and John weren't interested.  Joe  played drums on a couple of songs before taking the lead vocalist spot for Simple Man and Sister Golden Hair and I took the stage.  First time I had shared the stage with Layne Goldsberry of the Past Masters and he did a fine job of keeping me focused on the beat and not play too fast.  Not that I really wanted to, I was still having back issues and having a pinched nerve in my shoulder blade as well.  It's amazing how Joe looked a lot like Joe Maddon of the Cubs winning the world series fame.  Was nice jamming with him, he also does duty in The Shadow with Tommy Bruner and Bart Carfizzi.

Tim Wiley was up there and he was supporting Steve Black Wolf on a couple numbers but Terry didn't give him much in terms of songs.  I'm sure he wanted to do a couple of songs with me but that didn't happen.  Usually once he's done he packs up and leaves, he's done that many times including the Wiley Kats but it doesn't bother me all that much.  Abigail, the 12 year old came back to do a few songs but I didn't play drums on Bobby McGee.  But Tim will always be Tim and hooking his stuff up before a gig doesn't go over very well, especially on the host of the jams.  I don't hate Tim, never had, but sometimes I do question his decisions.  Who knows what the future holds but the door is always open to jam with him at Popcorn or Blues Jams.

I thought my segment went well, nothing outstanding but just having fun.  Afterwards I chatted with Ernest the soul man before some blonde took his attention away and then with Terry and The Starks and wished Cecie more happy birthday greetings.  Peter is a lucky guy.  They did a couple duets with Terry playing drums later in the jam. It may have been a first but Cecie that's happened once before.  He has this Aw shucks voice for Stop Draggin My Heart Around and it's kinda sweet.  Before things ended with Comfortably Numb and everybody going off in different directions.