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.