Various Jams-Spinal Tap Incident

Acoustic Jam At Gilligan's-Host: Karl Hudson

Setlist:

Lynching Party
Everybody's Talking
The Life We Lead
For What Its Worth
If I Were A Carpenter


Rumors Fun Jam:

With
Brook Hoover-Guitar
Tommy Bruner-Guitar and vocals on For What It's Worth
Dan Johnson-Bass
Russ Singing Dock Of The Bay And Wonderful Tonight
Joe Hutchcroft-Singing She's A Woman and Bad Time
Trevor Worcel blowing my eardrums out on drum on For What It's Worth
I play Drums on Dock Of The Bay, Wonderful Tonight, She's A Woman and Bad Time
And play air guitar on For What It's Worth
Bob Gleason-Harmonica on For What Its Worth
Terry McDowell-host

Songs:
Dock Of The Bay
Wonderful Tonight
She's A Woman
Bad Time
For What It's Worth

Everybody's talking at me, I can't hear a word they say, it's only the echoes in my mind-Fred Neil

It was a nice day, maybe I should have done the walking of the trails rather than jam.

I don't think it was all bad, but I think in hindsight I would have been to stay doing the acoustic jam at Gilligan's with Karl hosting.  Not a lot of jammers but a select few (Belinda Christensen James and Mark Randolph, Jeff Mattison) and Karl was nice enough to let me sing about five songs of note.  The debut of Lynch'n Party and Everybody's Talking and they were rough go through. And then flying through a sloppy The Life We Lead, before I attempted the first run through of For What It's Worth. It went pretty well.  Enough to give me the courage to try it for the Rumors' crowd.

Only problem was, (and there was a few), that I couldn't hear the guitar although Brenda did say she heard it  and I was going to sing it but Brook Hoover's microphone wasn't turned on.  With Trevor bashing my eardrums into mush, and the guy's version played in a different key and style, I simply just did air guitar while Tommy sang away.   Trevor tore into a pretty good drum solo that got the crowd up and cheering.   In my case a Spinal Tap moment but at least I wasn't booed off the stage. Afterwards Dan Johnson told me to keep at it and I'm sure there'll be a next time.  Probably at Checkers at the next acoustic jam.  It's one thing to play drums and follow the band, it's another when you strap on a guitar and share the stage with the pros for the first time.  Brook was kind enough to let me use his guitar for shits and giggles but I did feel like I was out of my element jamming with them for the first time and not on the same chord and wavelength. And Tommy was ready to kill me when I leaned on his mic stand to talk to him about something.  You think I would learn by now not to mess or lean on his stuff.   But then again, that's the way it has always been in this life.  I will always be the clumsy aloof drummer with two left feet, if God wants a good laugh on my expense he sure finds it in certain ways.  Many ways actually.

I wasn't exactly impressed with my drumming today, but then again I wasn't that thrilled with the songs Russ did besides Dock Of The Bay.  Joe Hutchcroft (who seems to be playing more of a role in my music ventures) came up to do She's A Woman which I fell asleep at the beginning and did the wrong introduction to Bad Time, but recovered to at least keep around the original song Grand Funk did.   But then again it's the first time I ever played that song. What can I say, I write originals and obscure covers.   It's strange how at one place you're on top of the world and can do anything, and then at another place have  one bogus moment and it all comes crashing down.   I think it's still the newness of playing guitar in front of the crowd and still come across as a newbie, although I have done this fronting The Townedgers and had no problems, but then again, I did the songs in my own certain way.  And when things go wrong, I really question why even I bother do suggest doing a song with guys I have not played before on guitar.  There's always a first time for everything and sometimes (according to plan) things won't go well.   Certainly, I would have love to trade Wonderful Tonight in exchange for Midnight Rambler.  However, this is the second time I have taken the guitar up to Rumors and it became just something for me to rest my chin on.  Think I'll stick to the acoustic jams from here on out and focus on drumming at Rumors and just take the guitar to acoustic events.

But I had a good rapport and chatted with Tommy, Dan, Brook, Bob and Terry afterward so I wasn't totally down on the whole thing. The bass player from Rare Earth was down at Cooters and from Mark Randolph said it was a good crowd.  But I am not big on Cooters from past showing ups and it's not high on my places to jam at.    Karl mentioned that the Gilligan's Jam might have been a one off.  It's a shame really, I would have been there more often then Cooters.

Oh well, life goes on. Time to lick our wounds and practice up and get ready for the next jam. The one at Checkers.  I'm sure I'll rebound from the Spinal Tap events of the day.

I won't let you leave my love behind.......