Checker's Acoustic Showcase and Aces And Eights Jam With Terry McDowell

Songs sang at Checkers

Games People Play
You Ain't Going Nowhere
Everybody's Talking
When Will I Be Loved
Bootyful

Donna Jo-Percussion and Backing Vocals (Games People Play, Bootyful)
Lorie Parker-Backing vocals (Games People Play)  Lead vocals on Bootyful
Cathy Hart-Guitar and backing vocals  on Bootyful
I played guitar and sang

With:
Glen Gardner
Bill Eisner
Mike Spina
Jeff Gage
Steve Black Wolf
Pam Herrington
Mike Fredericks
Jay Devore


And the debut of the Aces And Eights Jam

Terry McDowell-Host

With;

Kim Trevillion-Lead Vocals
Billy Bourbon-Vocals and Guitar
Randy Burgendoff-Vocals and Guitar
Tim Canfield-Bass and vocals
Terry McDowell: Drums
R.Smith-Drums

With:

Vic Hernandez
Kim Bean
Scott Sanborn
Trevor Worcel and his dad


Songs:  6 of em

Further Down The Road- Billy-vocals
Dust My Broom  Kim-Vocals
Just Because I'm A Woman- Kim: Vocal
Drift Away-Kim and Billy Vocals
Hit The Road Jack-Billy and Kim Vocals
Roadhouse Blues-Randy:Vocals

(Scott Sanborn, with Vic Hernandez, Tim Canfield and Billy Bourbon)

After eight weeks, the Bacon Jam ended at the Silver Star Saloon and at the last minute Terry moved to Aces And Eights for the debut of the new jam there.  Which also falls on the Checker's Acoustic Jam.  So I do my best to support both venues.

After mowing the yard this afternoon, I took a nap before a line of bad storms came and dumped about two inches of rain and flooded the ditches.  Too much rain also toppled a tree in the park near Czech Village.

First up:  Aces And Eights.  I know Terry enjoys the weeknight jam more, with enough drummers he can take the rest of the night off.  It was a very short crowd due to the last minute announcement of the jam earlier in the afternoon and everybody that showed up were drummers.  Kim started, I took over for six songs before the break and Scott did a 40 minute set and Trevor finished up as I was leaving to do the Checker's Jam.  Kimberly, on loan from Blue Scratch did a amazing four song set of blues.  The surprise was Hit The Road Jack with Kim and Billy trading vocals.  It was classic the way that they did it, the first time I ever done that song.

The highlight was chatting with the now retired Scott Sanborn, going for the David Letterman look with the beginnings of a full beard.  He complimented on my drumming and we talked about drumming in particular.  Scott has been a long time TV anchor, beginning at KCRG and then moved over to KGAN and later FOX 28, basically the same owner owns both KGAN/FOX 28,and a lot of propaganda, but I always thought Scott was one of the best anchors we had in town before he decided to retire and take up drumming.   The first song that was thrown at him was If You Wanna Get To Heaven, and I don't think he knew that one.  Scott's playing is very loose, and quite playful.  The reason why I stayed to watch him play.  And besides that, another monsoon came rolling into town and I didn't feel like getting wet.  But I still had to pay Cathy/Lorie a visit at their jams.

(Lorie Parker)

The rain stopped long enough for me to hit Checker's to jam with the gang there, even though I got there late, Cathy and Lorie were kind enough for me to do four songs.  I was worried about my singing; I have been dealing a week's worth of post nasal drip and constant coughing from a summertime cold.   Lorie and DJ helped out on  Games People Play, a song I haven't done in a while and You Ain't Goin Nowhere was debuted.  But even for four songs, it was very hot on stage and I ended up sweating up a storm. Carl Meiners was out biking in Missouri so we all did a video and sent it to him.   I'm sure he'll get a kick out of it.

(Jeff  Gage)

This is the second straight night I got to jam with Billy and am beginning to get familiar with some of his songs, namely Five Long Years, the old Buddy Guy/Eddie Boyd number to which at the end he does something like this.

It's been five long years.

And she had the nerve to...

I think I gotta say this one time (BAM)
No no, let me say it two times (BAM BAM)
She got me hurt so badly I gotta shout it three times (BAM BAM BAM)
Oh, we gotta make it four time (BAM BAM BAM BAM)

pause.

She had the nerve....to kick me out.

Billy Bourbon really brings the blues.  He was from Houston Texas and has come up here for a spell. And already he got a gig lined up at Rumors next month.

He might be here awhile.

PS:  While they have said that the Bacon Jam might be back in the fall, I seriously doubt that the Silver Star will live up to that promise.  For 8 months, the Bacon Jam was a steady flow of jammers to participate.  I did enjoy my only time being up there.   The Aces And Eights Wednesday Night Jam will be more of a continual jam, but jammers will have to pick and choose between that and the Checkers Acoustic Jam or start at one place and finish up at the other.  The Silver Star Saloon has been notorious for starting jams and pulling the plug and the Bacon Jam after two months was the longest lasting jam that they have.  Can't blame the jammers or Terry for that matter, they do get the word out and people do come.   And I'm sure Silver Star did turn a slight profit.  But I know the owners' are been suffering of late and the end of the Bacon Jam might be their last gasp before closing their doors.  I wouldn't boycott them, but they are a bit out of the way in my destinations to jam at than Checker's or Aces And Eights.  A shame Silver Star don't support the music better, I actually like the acoustics of that place.  Not as harsh as Aces And Eights.