STONE CITY ACOUSTIC SHOWCASE 6/3/18

Songs

The Race Is On
Fox On The Run
I Started Hating Cheating Songs Today
Tulsa Time
Everybody's Talking

With:

Bill Schlatter
Glen Gardner
Carl Meiners
Rocky Smith
Mike  Moran
Bart Bock
Donna Jo and Mike Eisner
Bubba Johannes
Jarad and Nicole Reddoor
Bart Bock
Lane Gaffney

Notes:

The fifth and final straight day of jamming and I went for a country feel and did country songs to which the crowd gave big round of support, especially on Tulsa Time.  I never had anybody clap with the beat and sang along to the chorus of any song but it was so much fun having the crowd participated

The crowd did dictate the songs it seems.  It wasn't all perfect, a few lines were missed, my fingers got tied up in knots on Fox On The Road and deciding to yodel at the end of Everybody's Talking didn't go as well.  But with the folks having a good time on Tulsa Time, I can't think of any other time that people got involved with the songs.  This is why I love playing at Stone City.  It's close to home and the crowd are very supportive.

It was nice outside so once I got done with the Stone City jam, I drove down to an roadside park outside of Martelle and took the blue brat  guitar out and worked on some more songs as the sun set.  There was wind blowing so the gnats were not bothering me.   I was thinking about Julie since she was busy tending to her garden and missing her.  It has been half a year that we been dating and while I think things are going good, in the back of my mind I wonder if she can do better in her search for love.  In my deepest thoughts, she has inspired me to believe in my playing, she has inspired me to at least look into changing my eating habits and talked about us growing old together, in the time we have left on this planet.  I know in the back of her mind, she wonders if I do care about her, I know I do.   Maybe I don't show it enough but my waking hours she's always on my mind.

Perhaps on our date night I have failed to dress up and look good.  She went all out for the Class Act and looked like the radiant angel that I fell in love with.  I put on a Doors T shirt and black jeans and I thought I dressed up for the occasion.   Her smile, her beauty...why am I hanging around her.  I feel that I don't deserve a woman like that.  Am I doing the best I can to win her over?  I like to think that I am. I don't want to lose her on a technicality.  And  lose what we had in playing together on stage in the process.  That would end my playing days and I'll retire back to be bedroom.   These feelings are the undoing of me at times.  She might be a bit too radial on her political views but she is a Cedar Rapids music staple and the best damn vocalist right now;  even if I wasn't dating her, I knew she always had the talent and vocals when I first seen her sing when I came out of retirement.  I know she misses Kyle and always will.   I never really had that special someone like she had in Kyle.  I have always stumbled in my relationships, and doing the wrong things at possible but I do know I have never cheated on any of my relationships, even as the walls were crumbling down and seeing my loves move on, I remain loyal.  Some say it's a blessing, it could also be a curse, but I'd never would cheat on Julie.  I need to spend more time with her though.  I may opt out of Whittier next Saturday to dress up and go out on the town. I do owe her that. Whatever the case may be, she'll be my last girlfriend.  I don't plan to be available to anybody if we part ways. The emotional roller coaster is killing me.

It's late night as I enter this blog and put down the set list and happenings and thoughts and didn't intend to go off topic.  The beginning of the jams on Wednesday at Checkers and then the finale at Stone City and then going to the roadside part and just playing guitar serenading the robins and scaring away the redwing blackbirds, in a cool 20 mile an hour northwest wind.  Beginning with Dead Flowers on Wednesday and ending with Hole In The Head tonight, I did a wide variety of songs.  And there were good moments, seeing Julie with Lorie and Cathy on Seven Bridges Road and Sweet Home Chicago, playing Town's Edge Rock songs at the Artisan Sanctuary and getting rewarded with a paying gig three weeks from Saturday, closing down the Long Branch jam and having Belinda James singing Fever and Come Together as well.  And then having the crowd sing along to Tulsa Time at Stone City.

When I think that my life has no meaning, it's these little things that I noted that make me smile an keep me looking for the next gig. And the high point, Julie saying Love You.

Maybe I am blessed.