Rod's Birthday Bash and EGADS Reunion

Hosted by Julie Gordon and Dave Bonham

Songlist;

Eve Of Destruction
The Fire Inside
Last Kiss/This Magic Moment/Stand By Me Medley

Steve Black Wolf-Lead Vocals, guitar
R. Smith-Percussion

The EGADS reunion

Mark Randolph-Guitar
Belinda James-Lead Vocals
Tony Nickels-Percussion
Dave Bonham-Guitar
R. Smith-Guitar (Come Together) Percussion (Fever)

Come Together
Fever

My Setlist

Let Your Love Flow
Summertime Blues
Tulsa Time
Being With You (An Doug Spinler original)
Gold Dust Woman
Stop Draggin My Heart Around
Unchained Melody

For the first four songs it was:
R.Smith-Guitar, Lead Vocal on Summertime Blues and Tulsa Time, Percussion on Being With You
Doug Spinler-Lead Guitar and Vocals on Let Your Love Flow and Being With You.
Tony Nickels-Percussion on Tulsa Time
Belinda James-Backing vocals
Julie Gordon-Percussion

Then on the final three songs:
Julie Gordon-Lead Vocals and Guitar
R.Smith-Guitar and counter vocals on Stop Draggin My Heart Around
Belinda James-Backing vocals

Also in the house:

Ed Butler
Tim Canfield
Glenn Gardner
DJ Hovenstat
Pam Herrington

For 57 revolutions around the sun, I really don't hold much stock into birthdays.  If people are happy to celebrate my birthday, who am I to argue?

I started out the day with my mom buying my lunch at Pizza Ranch.  And then off to find some bargains and came up empty.  So I didn't really know what to expect when Julie made the banner about my birthday celebration at Checkers and who would show up.  Usually in the winter time everybody stays home.

A couple surprises came up.  First, for the first time in a couple months, Belinda showed up from her busy working days to wish happy birthday to me.  Second of all Mark Randolph was there and technically it became a reunion of THE EGADS.  I didn't take part on her singing Blue Bayou but I had to help them out on Fever, after all that was the song that introduced us together. I missed hearing her angelic vocals to Blue Bayou.  It was the first time that Mark and Belinda played together since the Vinton EGADS show.  So was special.

(Palomino Band:  Doug Spinler, Mike Eastman, Fred Hoffman)

The second and biggest surprise was seeing Doug Spinler (of the Palomino Band and 5 Of Hearts) come in to say hello and we chatted a bit and asked if he was interested of playing a few songs on stage.  Not only did he do that but it was the first time that he and I played guitars together on stage ever.  I used to jam with him and his dad when I first got my drum set and we did a few songs in around 1981 (or late 1980)  I was quite new at playing but I had fun back then.  There was an jam that was recorded around 1983 and was recorded under the Paraphernalia banner but Doug was a guest star.  There was talk about drafting him into the band, but he was more country than the rest of the guys and he was playing in a band at that time (Airwave with Joe Sherman of KHAK) and we kinda fell out of touch before I started to go see his band play when I came out of retirement.  We have been very good friends but our paths never crossed all that much.  But I basically gave Steve Black Wolf and Ed Butler the slots ahead of me and Doug and I talked about the old times.  And then  we got on stage.  Let Your Love Flow was suggested and he sang it. and I ended up doing Tulsa Time and Summertime Blues before he did an original song to which I played percussion.  I always said I like jamming with the finest musicians in town but I love it when I get to jam with friends that used to play in my old bands.  This does mean a lot to me and it was special.

(Steve Black Wolf, Ed Butler,Glenn Gardner and Mark Randolph-Julie Gordon took the photo and made cupcakes in the process)

I usually do songs solo but having Doug in the audience and the EGADS as well, I opted to get Julie to close the jam with Gold Dust Woman, to which she sang it beautifully and Belinda adding backing vocal.  To hear my favorite singers sing together was another shining moment.  Then of course our attempt of Stop Dragging My Heart Around which went pretty good.  To conclude things Julie wanted to end the jam with Unchained Melody.  And it was surreal to have just me and her on stage ending that song. It does send shivers down my back when she sings it.   Julie was kind enough to bake some cupcakes and brought a cake in for the jammers and patrons to eat.  Plus she got me some body wash to take a shower on and hand lotion.  She really has gone beyond the call of duty to make my birthday a great day, which is why I love her for all the things that she does for me.  And Dave Bonham got me some drumsticks too.  Plus the fine staff at Checkers gave me a free supper.  I love that place.  I'm sure once I get my band going they'll let me play there?