Whittier Acoustic Showcase-EGADS! And Julie Too

Songlist

Sundown
She's A Beauty
We All Sleep Alone
Blue Bayou
Gold Dust Woman
Stop Draggin My Heart Around
Ain't No Sunshine
Lovesong
Ring Of Fire
Fever

With:
Julie Gordon: Guitar, lead vocals (She's A Beauty, G.D.W. S.D.M.H.A, Lovesong)
                        Backing vocals (Ring Of Fire, Sundown)
Mark Randolph: Guitar
Belinda James: Lead Vocals (Fever, Blue Bayou, Ain't No Sunshine), Backing vocals (Gold Dust Woman)
Tim Nemec-Bass and acoustic guitars
I played guitar and sang lead on Ring Of Fire, Sundown and We All Sleep Alone, did the counter lead vocal to Stop Draggin My Heart Around.

David Lam-Host

NOTES:

It was a small set of Jammers.  Jeff Overly couldn't make it due to the weather and the passing of his wife's father.  As for the snowstorm, this was the seventh straight night of snow.  Which actually after I dropped Julie off back at her place.  Thankfully, the snow didn't start up till after I got home.

It was the first time that The EGADS were in the same room together (except for Larry Axleman who wasn't there and perhaps we'll never jam with again).  It was the first time Tim Nemec joined us since he had his toes amputated and he sounded pretty good.   It was the first time that Julie did the Whittier jam.  She was kinda surprised how laid back the jammers were, but I did remind her that this jam was more acoustically based than the Checker's Jams she hosts.  Julie did two originals, the first one i wasn't sure of the name but the second one was the lovely She's A Beauty.  I think the jammers were amazed on how well she took Gold Dust Woman to near heights. Last month, I attempted to do Lovesong and Stop Draggin My Heart Around from the male perspective, which didn't work very well.  This time out, Julie did superior versions of both songs.  We tried a different arrangement of Gold Dust Woman and worked on Stop Draggin My Heart Around before leaving.  Over at her place I went over Every Mother's Son and Fox On The Run but didn't get around doing them.

We All Sleep Alone was debuted for the first time.  I have not sang that song ever live since coming out of retirement and while it made number 1 on the Lucky Star Radio charts, I didn't feel comfortable enough to play it till tonight.   It got a good response so I'll reprise that for the Artisan Sanctuary Open Mic Night, weather permitting of course.

Mark Randolph backed up Belinda on all of their songs.  I did rhythm guitar to Ain't No Sunshine and Fever.  With Belinda going through surgery that will keep her out of the spotlight for about a month, she was very active this week in the acoustic jams across town. I did the basic melody to Blue Bayou but still can't figure out the chorus chords.  It's very off the wall and only Mark can play it.

Tim did For What Its Worth instead of me and he plays that too in a different chord.  I basically did backing vocals (for what it's worth).  It doesn't bother me if somebody does a song that I usually do in a regular basis.

With Julie with me, the focus was on the songs that we play together rather than the original songs that I usually do when I play solo but  I wanted to do We All Sleep Alone.  We could have done Rainbow In The Dark, since she sings it as a ballad and I could play that without any problems. I know we have a great working relationship on stage and what the future holds, I'm sure that will continue.  The emphasis is that she wants to start up Julie And The Mad Dogs and go further into a more blues rock sound.  With Ryan back on the east coast, the future of Dreams Of Arcadia is up in the air, Dave Bonham had to take over Friday Night in Coralville and as always does a fine job. I do think with the Mad Dogs, she better off finding a power drummer for that band.  My drumming has  deteriorated over the past couple months, I'm no longer the bash and crash pounder of years ago but rather content to keep a beat close to the song and not over do the drum rolls.   Terry McDowell can get away with that.  Troy Mitchell likewise. But I'm beginning to feel and look my age on drums.  Eventually, she'll find the right person for her band.  And I'll continue to support her any way I can. After all, I am seeing her.  It's slow going but we'll still continue to feel each other out in being closer together in life. Learning to adapt, learning to love, she's always been a good person with a good heart and she has managed to calm me at times when I usually would have flown over the edge.  When it comes to love and anything other, I'll let her decide when the time is right.  I'm happy just to be around her and playing music together on stage.

But as I continue to to play more guitar, I'm finally beginning to frequent the places closer to home, Whittier, Stone City, Waubeek, The Sanctuary etc. What and where the future holds for me, I have no idea.  But as tonight's Whittier Showcase proved that I'm at home jamming with my two favorite vocalists, playing the songs that make people go wow.  

When things go well, I simply smile and count my blessings.   Like I have been  since July 2015.

One year ago.  I made my debut at Whittier.  Time flies.