Checkers Jam-The Rod Smith Acousta Guitar Phase 2/22/17

Song list:

Everybody's Talking
You Can't Judge A Book By It's Cover (debut)
For What It's Worth
Knockin On Heaven's Door
The Life We Lead
Rock Me Baby
Get It Over With 
Dead Flowers
Games People Play
Ever So Much
If I Were A Carpenter

With:

Skip Richards-Bass and backing vocals (Knocking On Heaven's Door, Dead Flowers)
Tom-Congas
Lorie Parker-Backing Vocals On For What's It Worth
Belinda Christensen James-Backing Vocals on (Games People Play, Ever So Much, Carpenter)
Mark Randolph-Guitar on If I Were A Carpenter
Julie Gordon-Percussion
Donna Jo Fairley Elser-Percussion

(Photos: Russ Swearingen)

Just three days ago, I was bummed out about my guitar song at Rumors and was beginning to question if I really want to continue playing guitar ever again.  I spent the afternoon at the Nature Center, walking the trails and debating just to cancel the whole thing.  In the end I decided that I took the night off just to do this and to have my anxiety attacks keep me away would defeat the sense of purpose.   So I went on to do it.

After which Julie Gordon, mentioned about maybe doing an  acoustic duo, just like the one she used to do with Kyle Oyloe before his passing.  I was really floored by even her thinking about me doing a duo with her.  Kyle has big shoes to fill, the man can do it all.  It's an honor and I love Julie for suggesting such a thing.  Maybe some day that might come true, but I told her I'm still a drummer at heart and basically playing guitar remains a hobby.  But with David Lam talking about doing acoustic jamming with him at Maquoketa last week and Karl Hudson liking what I played, perhaps I got something going for me on  guitar and songs.  I never thought of anything else of playing wineries and small town coffee houses and get paid for it.  Perhaps I should have gotten out of the basement sooner than I did.

The surprise was seeing my best friend Russ show up for an hour and hung around to hear a few songs.  It was a small crowd, perhaps the warm weather kept most away but it was a good support crowd.  Still a rough version of Everybody's Talking started the whole thing but then I debuted my version of You Can't Judge A Book By It's Cover and then revisiting For What Its Worth with Lorie Parker helping out on vocals.  Belinda and Mark came to the jam later on and she ended up helping me sing on the last four numbers and I expanded If I Were A Carpenter for an extra stab at the chorus.  Belinda has been a very good supporter of the acoustic songs that I have and it's nice to have a counter vocals, likewise Skip Richards as well.  It's amazing how the early live recordings of The Townedgers (1998 The Art Of Deception recorded live at Whittier) mirrored the ones that I do today and get applause.  But then again 19 years ago I didn't know the musicians that I know now.  Should have tested the waters sooner.  I might enjoy life more.

Afterwards, I didn't realize that I sang this many songs till I compiled the set list and found out that I did 11 songs tonight, the first time that ever happened.  And this time around conquering my anxiety attacks and self doubt brought upon me from the Rumors jam.  And got my self confidence back in a big way.  I would love to return back to Checkers once again to build upon this showing but since my workplace is getting busy, it looks like it'll be weekend jams only.  Do I envision any projects with Julie playing guitar?  I'm not quite there yet but if she wants to do a duet with me sometime in the future I'd be happy to do that.   I do think working evenings has curtailed a lot of projects that could have happen, something with Dan Johnson, or maybe Brook Hoover or anybody else.  But this has to be fun for me as well, I don't want this to become something like work.  At my place of employment they pay better for the misery that goes with my job, playing acoustic jams it's a hobby that doesn't pay but in satisfaction.  But satisfaction doesn't pay the bills.

That said. these past two months of playing guitar and singing songs  has made me feel like living again. After all, music is what I live for, be it record collecting or recording new music.  It's a shame that I waited very late in life to do this but better late than never.  But the trick is to continue to polish the rough versions of songs but fall back on the ones I can do.  I seem to know the words to songs from Town's Edge Rock and Life We Lead and Get It Over With. The more I think about it, the more that even I am amazed of the accomplishments that I have done since debuting 2 months ago.  With a good crowd and support group anything is possible.

And so it goes.

(with Lorie Parker and Julie Gordon)