Various Weekend Jams-Mothers Day Weekend Edition

At Gilligan's Pub  (Karl Hudson: Host)

Set list:

Does It Matter
You're Gonna Miss Me
Teri  (Jeff Overly-Sax)
Ring Of Fire (Jeff Overly-Sax)
Everybody's Talkin
Ever So Much (Jeff Overly-Sax)


Whittier Acoustic Jam (David Lam: Host)

With:
Belinda James
Mark Randolph
Mike Fredrichs
Rose Slaymaker
Tim Nemec

Listen To Love
Oh Death
For What It's Worth
Teri My Love
Ring Of Fire
I Hear You Knocking (David Lam/Belinda James-vocals)


With The River City Drifters  At Knucklehead's Anamosa
Nick Lneicka-Guest Harmonica.
Dean Kirby-Guitarist
Mike Serbousek-Drummer
Mike Wendler-Bass
Brandon Berry-lead vocalist


Songs:

Keep Your Hands To Yourself
Folsom Prison
Sweet Home Chicago

We didn't have to work the weekend after all but I still had a full plate of jams to go to and basically I hit the ground running.  For the most part, the Gilligan's set were the songs that I was going to do at Checker's before going in a different direction and this time Does It Matter and You're Gonna Miss Me made their debuts.   Jeff Overly came up from Fort Madison and I used him a lot through the song list.  This time out, I went with songs that I knew the words, only I stumbled on Everybody's Talking and ad libbed when I couldn't remember the words.   It was a sparse crowd at Gilligan's, (Karl, Jeff, Belinda and Mark were the only participants), so the last two numbers were encore songs. The future of the Gilligan's Acoustic Jam is in doubt, there is one more but after that we don't know what's going to happened.

Julie had to work today so the version of Ring Of Fire was much different and I didn't consider anybody else to do the songs that she does sing.  Not that anybody else could do the job, but she owned the version of Gold Dust Woman and it's a shame nobody recorded that. It's hard to say what will happened the next time I get the night off to go to Checkers to do the acoustic jam but whatever the case may be,  Julie is my first choice.  I still marvel at the way she really brought those songs we did to a whole new level.

On to Whittier for the monthly acoustic jam and this time I started things off with Listen to Love and then the debut of Oh Death.  I'm not sure if people really get this song, although it's been done by Camper Van Beethoven and the Kaleidoscope, it tends to be too dark to play at acoustic jams, or for that matter other jams.  To have my sort of sense of humor to even do Oh Death it may have gone over the jammers' head although I did try to explain the origins of this song.   I doubt if I'll play it at Checkers anytime soon.  I did also brought a snare drum to the acoustic jam just to liven things up.  And I'm not sure if David really cared that much about having drums but I have to find some sort of something to keep a beat on and not just a guitar. The copper snare sound I was not happy with, I need to replace those God awful drumheads that DW put on that snare.  Even with the hot rods, the drum sound got a little loud and the only time I like the drum sound was having my cheat sheets on top of the drum head.  Back to the drawing board.  Next time I'll bring bongos.  Listen To Love was dedicated to somebody that wasn't there but was thought of and I redid Teri, thinking that the guy playing flute was going to play it but by then he packed up and was heading for the door.  I closed my set list with another version of Ring Of Fire and was backed up by Tim on bass with Rose and Belinda doing backing vocals.

I promised Mike Serbousek that I would check out his new band River City Ramblers which was formed from the ashes of West 66, the guitar player and bass player was with that band along with Mike.  For a debut they did quite well although the lead singer admitted he was not that familiar with the songs.  Due to the lateness of the Whittier Jam, I got there around 11:00 and got to see their final set and a few of the second set, and as per course, Mike drafted me into doing a couple songs and I did three, Nick Lneicka, who usually plays the blues jams at Parlor City surprised me by being there and we hung out and chatted a while.  Of course Nick had his arsenal of 30 harmonicas and put just about every one to use on the songs.  As for Mike, we didn't do Johnny B Goode but I did spell him.  After a five minute rest, he comes back hitting those drums a lot harder and more rocking. They did do a very loose version of Bad Motor Scooter and Mama Let Him Play.  Anybody that does Doucette's song gets kudos from me.   We managed to close the bar down before going home and crashing for the night.

Rumors Mother's Day Jam  (Terry McDowell; Host)

Songs:

Rocky Mountain Way
Crossroads
Brown Sugar

With:
Cecie Stark-Vocals on Rocky Mountain Way
Michael Clair-Bass on Rocky Mountain Way
Dave Bonham-Guitar and Vocals
Tommy Bruner-Guitar And Vocals
Ken Webb-Bass on Crossroads and Brown Sugar

There was an attempt to do Whipping Post but since I haven't played that,  the song was passed over in exchange for Crossroads.  Cecie Stark did the vocals to Rocky Mountain Way and the rest was sang by Dave Bonham, who I have jammed with  for the first time in quite a while.   The original intention was to back Belinda James up on her songs, but she ended up getting ill so that got scrapped.  The interaction between Dave and Tommy was quite good.  A big surprise that Dave sang the Rolling Stones number Brown Sugar rather than Tommy.  That was a rare occasion.

A funny moment was when I was playing Rocky Mountain Way, the drumstick got away from me and hit the snare drum and bounced up in the air and I managed to catch it and not miss a beat to which Mike Clair, Cecie and I share a good laugh over that.  Thank our lucky stars it didn't fall on the floor.  A fun performance although once again people commented on how wild I was playing on the drums.  I told them this version was much more tamer than the ones I did a while ago.  Compared to the crash and bash of the Paraphernalia years, it was a walk in the park for me.

Since it was Mother's Day, I didn't stick around, I had to go over to celebrate the day with my mom.  With that I concluded a long weekend of endless jamming and song ideals and rehearsals.  I think I'm in need of a break from that.

On that note, it was 2 years ago on Monday that the original guys from Paraphernalia/Tyrus got together at the Scoreboard in Marion when Dennis Lancaster came through town and we talked about getting back together to play.  While that hasn't made into reality just yet, I have jammed with DeWayne a few times and have recently begin to get back with Russ to go over new songs.  I don't hold my breath about a full reunion, Dennis makes way too much good money flying airplanes but as long as we're still alive anything is possible.  However, that get together did push me back into playing drums at various jams around town and I thank the many drummers who let me bash away on their drumsets and of course Terry McDowell most of all.  But in December I decided to try the acoustic guitar jams and found myself in a whole new concept of playing now.  While I have yet to be fully satisfied on my guitar playing, I have managed to do more and more originals to the covers when I play live.  It's still a work in progress and I make no guarantees that this time next year I'll still be jamming.  I do have a small support group of musicians that really helped me along the way. Without their encouragement, I'd be still hiding inside my music room upstairs.   But I am coming out and playing more songs, even though they might be a bit eccentric and a bit more droll than say Wonderful Tonight.  I dare anybody out there to follow up a hymn like Jesus Loves Me to a song like Oh Death.  I may break barriers for new songs but I want to do songs that nobody will play.  If it don't work, we can file it away but it is the eclectic side of me that I would love to explore more in the forthcoming weeks, and to challenge myself with new music, and perhaps find another voice to help me explore new music and what I can play.  And I think I have found the perfect voice Wednesday Night.   It's a long road but you gotta start from somewhere to get anywhere.   But so far I'm enjoying this ride for a change.

(2 years ago, one of the high school girls I dated, eventually reunited and married Karl and the reception was held at the same place where Paraphernalia/Tyrus staged their reunion.  You would think that the third time would be a charm, but  even high school sweethearts are not what they used to be. I wish both them the best of luck in their endeavors in life)