This year was the most fun and best year since coming out of retirement. There's a few things that stand out, being part of The Maury Baker Jam at the Mockingbird and having Phil Bo King and Joe Hilgendorf back me up with Craig Erickson popping in to play on Spoonful. And I can be proud to say that I had Janis Joplin's drummer back me up.
As always, spelling Troy Mitchell when Four Day Creep played and I managed to get there. Frank Smith managed to capture some interesting photos of me playing, some good, most looked like I was asleep. I got play dueling drummers with some of the best in town, Terry McDowell, Rob Haskill, DJ Hovenstot, Bonnie Williams. Jim Jacobmeyer has been instrumental in getting me the chance to play with Craig, Maury, Joe and Phil Bo. Without his valuable help and support I would just be a faceless drummer on a Sunday afternoon jam.
I backed up Dreams Of Arcadia at a few places, Solon, Scotch Grove, The Winery at Buchanan, Monticello. Ryan Paul backed me up on drums at Otis Tailgators during a early August jam. Throughout the year, Julie Gordon and myself made good music together. Even in our dark moments together, she remained my favorite singer. Another highlight was getting a paying gig during Freedom Festival and having my parents come out to see me and Julie play. I do think seeing my mom and dad see me perform is a dream come true. For many years they had to sit and suffer as I pounded on the drums and guitar. It probably shocked them to hear me actually play some songs, even a couple from my dad's record collection. In the end the most fun gig I played for 50 dollars.
I also got to be the host drummer for the Wapsi Cabin Jam hosted by Donna Jo and Bill Elsner. Even though I had to fight off the mosquitoes, the humidity and the sweat, I was aided by a turbo fan that kept the nasty buggers off me. It also got me into playing drums and having Maki Dervo out in the open on guitar and pan-flute. As well as Dave Bonham who's been a bigger part of the music of mine lately. Dervo has been gracious enough for me to play drums the majority of the time up at FB Company, on the Waubeek Open Jam. This did open the door for me to become part of The Boyscout Hippies, the band that is led by Ron Lafleur and Dakota McWhorter. I do know that Ron can be hard to handle, but I did let him know about my job situation and other bands that I'm a part of. Ron and me so far has been pretty good and hopefully I can help his band out. I also know I don't hold out much hope of being part of his band after three or four months, any meltdowns or blow ups, will be a one and done deal.
This year I discovered the Stone City General Store and managed to fit in with the regulars up there with my songs and observations. Of course the highlights are always with Julie being there as well. The support from the likes of Carl Meiners, Glen Gardner, Steve Black Wolf, Bill Schlatter and Aaron Caryl 2019 promises more fun and music from Julie as well. She would love to start up the Acousta Crabbys a term used for my Checker's showings. Sad to say that the Checkers is doing away the acoustic Wednesday jams if they can't find a suitable host now that Cathy Hart and Lorie Parker wanted to do other things. They seem to draw the bigger crowds, tho' I tried to get them some showing ups, my heart was with trying to make the one with Julie and Dave just as successful. I do know also that I need to spend more time with Julie in music and life itself. Things could change but so far Julie is still here.
This spring they revived the Bacon Jam for about a month before moving it to Aces N Eights on Wednesday for a couple more months before putting it on hold. Terry McDowell has been very gracious to me and letting me play on his drums and his new Paiste cymbals. For the majority of the year, I got to jam with Billy Bourbon, Mike Clair, Randy Burgdorff and Tommy Bruner on the rock and roll numbers. On occasion, Jeff Overly would be a part of the band and he was part of my acoustic sets at Whittier and The Long Branch before they ended the Long Branch Jam. I also got to jam with the blues folks at Parlor City, namely Tommy Giblin, who suggested a few things in improving my drumming and not to rush the beat and let the music come to you. That prompted a big change in my playing skills and for the past couple months, people have talked about I have been playing my best drumming ever at this point. I don't think I changed much, I don't hit the drums or cymbals as I used to, and now followed the other musicians to see what they do. Greg and Brenda Mein have been big fans of this new style and even Tommy Bruner made note that I'm playing better. I don't need to go all out anymore. I'm too old for that, but when I noticed more people dancing on the floor and dropping some money in the tip jar, I must be doing something right.
I got more paying gigs this year than any other time. Including a November gig with Blue Scratch. A shame we only had 10 people showed up, but I got paid eighty dollars and came in cold. I had to do a crash course in their songs via You Tube, but in the end it was a fun night, even tho' it was a one off. Jay Dean, I thank you for being the fill in and of course,getting paid good as well.
Jams come and they go, The Long Branch ended their jam so Tony Nickels moved it to Urban Pie for about a month and ended that. There's Ramsey's that keep going on, The Artisan Sanctuary, Otis Tailgators and Uptown Live which we did the debut blues jam that enabled John Hernandez and Jay Dean to back me up when I was playing guitar instead of drums. Of course Whittier's second Saturday Jam, to which I have to leave in order to play along with the Boyscout Hippies, since they are the house band at Waubeek the second Saturday. I still think I'll be back at Whittier sooner than expected. And Checkers is in limbo, however Tyler and Dowling has their own jam on Wednesdays so that will probably be the next destination, or maybe Jameson's in Waterloo.
There was good times, there were bad times, and then there were ones that I couldn't play due to the cold or flu and once again this year was no exception. I had to pass on the Quentin Duarte Benefit and I could barely do the last Whittier Acoustic Showcase. I gotten nailed three or four times this year and am starting to get over this flu cold crap. I had to deal with indifference, depression, disgusted and second guessing myself and stage fright and somehow managed to conquer that. And the usual Spinal Tap moments of playing a guitar and breaking a string twice and playing a out of tune guitar with two dead strings and managed to get applause for the effort. I know that every performance will not be perfect but the intent is to at least have fun and have folks liking what they hear, be it drums or guitar.
But as you know, I tend to document the performances that I do, the songs, the set list, and the players that helped. And they all helped in one way or another. Between 1984 and 2015, I really had no outside desire of playing in bands, Greg Nutter did get me playing in 1991 which started a new era of music with The Townedgers and I did partake a jam or two thanks to Mike Swearingen but I didn't practice all that much and it sounded like that. When I started Forthcoming Trains in 2014 I begin to think I should at least hit a jam and play and see where it would lead. And started to practice on the drums more, at least 15 minutes a day and the playing got results. To be honest, I am not sure what the future will be, but I'm not quitting my job just to starve playing for 10 percent of the gate on jam night. As I found out, that does not pay very well. I'll try a new project with new members and see what happens. But I know the history of some of the players out there, but I'll keep an open mind till one hussy fit comes up. I have no time for egos, so I have to go with they need me more than I need them. I'm happy with what I got and the bands that I play in, The Townedgers, The Crabbtones, Julie and Me, Dreams Of Arcadia, The New Julie And The Mad Dogs and Boy Scout Hippies. Who knows? I might get engaged or married or I might be dead by this time. Or maybe I'll just return back to the basement and live out this life playing my own stuff. But I have friends that won't let that happen.
In the end, it's the music that matters. Julie matters, The Townedgers matter, and every musician that makes music with me matters. I hope there's more surprises in store, I'm always hoping for some sort of Paraphernalia/Open Highway/Tyrus reunion. Perhaps Doug Spinler and myself will play something for the class of 79 reunion. But if the Cabin Jam falls on that day, I have to go with the Cabin Jam. I'll continue to support the open mic jams, the Sunday Funday Jams, The Stone City Jams, the Sanctuary Open Mic jam, Parlor City Blues Jam and anything that keeps the music alive. As this year winds down, I come to take a look at what I accomplished and for the most part, smile that I contributed something to the music scene around here, even tho' there will not be a new Towndgers album out.
Here's hoping that 2019 that there some classic moments forthcoming. It doesn't pay much but it's been a wonderful 3 and half year ride back from the outside looking in. Still rocking, that's all that matters.
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