This might have been the fastest August on record. Just four weeks ago, I was ready to sit back and relax a while. Alas, I ended up catching bronchitis and had to take two of the weeks off to recover. It was also a month that I lost out on playing at the Rocking Reunion at Ellis with American Legend. So going up to Waterloo to find a bunch of 45s and the Cactus World News CD was a big price to pay. I am not sure if I was slated for American Legend but D J Hovenstot is just as good as anybody else.
I did play The Cabin Jam and then with Dreams Of Arcadia in Monticello the next day. The pictures from the Cabin Jam have been few and far between and were used in a earlier blog. Lisa Harbit replaced me when DOA played Wheatland. The reviews were great on how everything sounded. Perhaps Lisa is best suited for DOA. Opinions vary on Monticello but I thought I did pretty good.
This month I had great times and jams but this month was disappointing. Missing out on money making gigs and having lines of communications fouled up. This may have been my final chance of trying to make a splash in the music scene. With September coming up, I don't foresee much jams and when October rolls around, I'll be a stranger to the music scene again. The Townedgers have been on the back burner for the past two years, I need to either make a new recordings or hang it up. I haven't exactly been playing much music lately, usually the songs I've been playing at Stone City for most of the summer. The surprise was this month I didn't even play the Artisan Sanctuary open mic at all. And it doesn't look very promising that I'll be back anytime soon.
Jim Myers is playing with the Boy Scout Hippies in New York. I've had nothing to do with them since March. This is a recent photo of BSH with their recent drummer Linda. I've always said if you can hang on to where Ron takes the song and know where the breaks are, you will fit in. I think she'll be around a while for them as you can tell by the bass drum. My time with Ron and Dakota was a lot of fun and probably a different style than Jim or Linda. Not a lot of acknowledgement from head BS master but I think ole Stone Face Smith did quite all right.
When Checker's pulled the plug on Julie this month, it felt like a kick in the teeth, especially after seeing the owner at Fas Fuel and him saying nothing about that. The breakup of the Acousta Kitties forever hurt the acoustic jam. Kevin Moore couldn't draw anybody at all and Julie tried but no matter who hosted, nobody showed up. The Wednesday Acoustic Jam was a big part of me playing guitar and doing something different Cathy Hart and Lorie Parker took over Julie's spot and nobody has said much about the outcome. I had other plans before Hart/Parker got tapped. For the most part, I was disgusted with Checker's Management decision to sever ties with Julie. So that was my gift to her, simply saying I had other plans. They threw her under the bus. Do I think Checkers will bring somebody new to the Wednesday Night Jam? I doubt it. Will I return to the Wednesday Night jam if it came back? I doubt it.
I think if there is a fork in the road, a decision that perhaps that DOA should consider moving on and having Patrick and Lisa do the gigs. I seem to be the dark cloud that hangs over the band when they play at Monticello. I had to hear from Julie telling the crowd that I made her sick all over again, even after the fact, I was feeling better than the week before. I didn't participate in their CR gig nor her solo show at New Bo because I was contagious. Had I felt the same way a week later, I wouldn't done the Monticello gig, nor the Cabin Jam.
The Facebook issue shouldn't been a big deal. Life goes on, but at the same point, while you stay cordial to that somebody, you will never ever get close to them like you once did. This is one reason why I try not to close to people, once you give them your trust they will shit on you. A sweet goodbye kiss is poison. And somebody will take it the wrong way.
And no I haven't seen or talked to Jean Gilmore for almost a year. It's better that way.
I have had good times with most of the people during the jams. And the only woman I did go out with was Julie. People continue to ask about us. We remain friends. But it's hard to get to close to somebody who lost their best friend. Julie is free to see anybody else that has more in common with her beliefs. She'll never get over losing Kyle.
Julie did finally record her song with Brook Hoover producing. Maybe they'll do a couple more. Glad to know that behind the scenes I managed to encourage her to do this.
Lisa Fox is the lead singer of Dreamer's Edge. She's a pretty good singer. Since telling her I had other commitments to other bands she tends to ignore me at jams. I never said no to starting something up if time allows. I find her to be a bit odd. But she does have a damn good band with Dreamers' Edge. I jammed with Dave Walerus a couple times on bass, he's very good. Their drummer is killer. He might be more rowdier than Mike Serbousek.
Uptown Live has been around for a year but I haven't been there since their grand opening jam. Adam Dinchell spends more time up there, but haven't seen him in a while. He debuted his new band DB2 at the Sanctuary last week. It's not in the best spot in town. It reminds me of the old Attitudes place which is now forgotten and replaced by overpriced studio apartments in New Bo.
Last month's guest sit in with Notes From The Underground was a lot of fun. Tom Berdo is super cool and the rest of the guys are like my distant brothers. I may once again sit in for Mike at a future gig.
I don't think Bubs Johannes has ever forgiven me for playing 8 songs when he hosted the Stone City Jam a couple months ago. I only did that since he was outside having a smoke. It's funny how we can all stand each other first time we all meet and then we reveal ourselves, for better or for worse. At least I didn't share my inner secrets with him like I did with somebody else. If he subs for Lane in the future, I promise just to do three Pinkard and Lowden songs to make things right.
Nate Hines, a great sound guy but kinda stuck on himself., Conversation: hello Nate, Nate: yep, have a good day Nate, Nate: Yep.
Billy Bourbon is an opportunist, he's got a big song list and can do about 300 songs off the top of his head. I remember being sick and had to cancel a benefit for a local musician. He wanted to know if he could have my gig. Told him it's a free gig. He's taken a few pics of us together but all of them have been deleted. Usually the hustlers n opportunists get the gigs. Hobbyists are outside looking in.
After 2020, there won't be any more Townedgers albums. Once I turn 60, I would have fulfilled my obligations to this world as a singer songwriter. I'm not a fan of growing old, the mind is willing but the body is F U, I'm done.
John Field, I'm afraid will not play guitar again. Russ talks highly of him but ever since he lost everything from the 2008 flood, it hasn't been the same. Neither Russ or myself wants to make the trip to Iowa City to pick him up and take him home. In 2006, this might have happened, but not in 2019. That time has passed.
Believe it or not I still listen to new music. The new King Gizzard is more fun than the new Tool and Slipknot album, The Diplomats Of Solid Soul's new effort is throwback soul, fifty years out of time but these guys believe in their music. Maybe after a couple more listens I'll get it too, they have done better. New Steve Earle and Ride albums are pretty good. I'm still waiting on the new Dream Syndicate With the passing of my other dad, I've been playing Glenn Miller and the Statler Brothers albums of late.
When people ask me who are the best drummers in town, I seem to always leave one or two off. It's nice to know there's a few jammers that consider me up there too. There's are the ones that I admire most (since I know them) Terry McDowell, Jon Wilson, Rocky Smith, DJ Hovenstat, Mike Lint, Mike Serbousek, Troy Mitchell, The Drummer From Dreamer's Edge, Miles Demarso, Kraig Spratt. I know there's more I'm missing but these stand out.
So ends the month of August and thanks to those who asked the questions. Maybe next month we'll see return for more secrets of the soul.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: only a member of this blog may post a comment.