End Of Year Thoughts From The Townedger

This year was supposed to be the five year celebration of being part of the Cedar Rapids music scene. But we had two events that pretty much rendered this year a forgettable one.  One was the COVID crisis that shut the bars down in March, which ended the Waubeek and Whittier Jams.  The other was the August shitstorm that destroyed houses, down trees and rearranged everything in this town.  I'd say that the August Shitstorm was the end all.   It shut down the Cabin Jam on the Wapsi.

We did have the jams going at Rumors for a time, and Stone City had the open mic outside till November. The Artisan Open Mic has been continuing on and I've been supporting that, as well as the Pub 1848 open mic in Moline, till the Governor shut that down.  On a plus side, I got to play in front of a supportive audience and it was great meeting hanging with Sean Ryan from the Dawn.  Sean is the one with the glasses, on the bottom is Michael Brock, percussionist extraordinaire.

Through the year, I managed to stay in Blues Rox as we struggled along to find places to play during the COVID crisis, but the cancellation of the Blues Festivals and no Parlor City Blues Jam made us a bit stale over the year, with Brian racing cars on Friday Nights (before that got shut down) and Kris taking up bowling.  But we did managed to score some gigs at the Glass Tap in Monticello and J A Tap in North Liberty, tho the crowds were non existent.   With the arrival of Russ Swearingen, my best friend and part of the Paraphernalia era, we now find ourselves playing together since the OK Lounge 1984 Tyrus farewell.  Blues Rox will continue to be the main source of interest, and time will tell if Russ will hang around in the long run.  I somewhat knew we would share the stage again.  I hope that Blues Rox will get to play more in the summertime.  Kris Bries is the future of the blues in this area if he keeps to it.

The polarization of Pro Trump and anti Trump forces has put a damper on the CR music scene.  And this town has plenty of the former.  I have found myself playing in bands and musicians that thought that Trump was the real deal and helping everybody out.   Thankfully, the music spoke for itself and we kept our political views to ourselves.  To which I managed to play one gig with Boy Scout Hippies on a hot and steamy 4th of July during the COVID pandemic and managed to stay healthy.  Perhaps I could have been a bigger part of that band, but the head Boy Scout tends to have sole procession of  the players   I'll give him credit, he paid me fair and treated me nice in my tenure.   I could fill in again in 2021 but I'm not holding my breath if I do.  Kinda like Ryan Paul and Dreams Of Acadia, now on permanent hold. 

This summer, I discussed helping Kimberly Trevellion out in her quest to be a top notch band.  There was supposed to be a chance to play in a band with Stacia Roccia but a conflict of interest popped up and I opted out.  I guess that band has splintered to nothing and she's looking for some dedicated folk to help her out.   I love playing alongside her, be it the acoustic adventures or the Blues Jam that happened in September on drums.   She's a lot like the Head Boy Scout Hippie, the spotlight is on her and that's all right.  But I tend to prefer my bandmates to be more open minded and giving.  The Townedgers are one and the same, I don't place anybody above or behind me.  Kimberly is looking for a band that will fit her needs on stage.  She's free to help me on the acoustic adventures in the future.

Cyndi Mahoney, I have mixed feelings on her.  She was a distraction and during the summer of 2020 showed up at various jams and open mics and Blues Rox gigs. I gave her part of my record collection. However she got way too close in my private affairs, and things finally came to explosive end which started on the Stone City showcase with Kimberly, and tho Cyndi attended the Blues Jam at the Sanctuary (a shame nobody got a picture of her) she said the wrong thing afterwards, to which the book was closed.  She had hopes of singing once again.  Maybe somebody help her try to live that dream. She blew her chance with me. 

(Guitar Dave And JJ) 

Cyndi did managed to bring me and Julie closer together. While Jules n me have yet to work on us being a duo together on stage, (thanks to me) she did reunite with Dave Bonham for playing live again.  I still would like to get Jules to sing more darker material (Linda and Richard Thompson, hint hint) or have her sing with a rock and roll band again.  2021 will find Jules and me working toward that lineup of dark and forbidden songs.  I think she would rather have me sing the blues.   Julie went through another rough year, to which I worked on getting a replacement for her guitar that she lost in the fire last December.  She has come a long way since then.  And besides, she earned that guitar.

When I got back on stage for the first time at a jam, it was Guitar Dave and T Ray Robertson that greeted me. I think things happen for a reason, while T Ray ended up losing his life to cancer, Dave has been a part of my musical five year journey.  It's a shame T Ray didn't get a good send off at the tribute jam that was for him this August, COVID took care of that, the CR music scene did lose a good guy in T Ray.  T Ray got me inspired to seek out that Montgomery Gentry song Hillbilly Shoes to play at a future jam.  A shame we got around to play it together.

I didn't know Tommy Patterson but for that one time in March, that I became his music partner for the final set that night.  Then to find out he passed sometime in the night later.  Death is always has and will be a part of the music scene and life itself.  Losing Irene Leeson, my biggest supporter at a time I couldn't play shit was a wake up call.  I remember nights Irene would come over and sing along to records with my dad in around 1975.   It's a shame I didn't know how to play music back then, they could have played with a real band instead of scratchy records. I had a big beer can collection (still do, but in boxes) and Orbit beer can was the one Irene bought me.  Which she will be remembered for.

Jim Jacobmeyer....without his help, the Acoustic Adventures would not happen.  Like Julie, he's done more for me than I do for myself about playing, and I hope 2021 I can break myself from the computer to be more of a presence up there for open mic night and a weekend solo performance to yet I am still trying to psych myself up too.  As always, Freddy Jones, always makes me sound great when he plays harp to the songs that I play.

The Hope is to once again see the jams return in 2021, tho I think it will be at least April for Maki Dervo to even consider doing the Waubeek Jam.  Things are still uncertain, David Lam may have pulled the plug on Whittier.  Rumors might start up again in January.  I have done more playing drums this past couple years than I ever did during the Paraphernalia Tyrus years.  As long as I'm able to keep my interest in playing, I'm sure 2021 will be busy once again.  In fact, I already missed out on subbing on drums for a local Southern Rock band on New Year's Day.    That's what I get for sleeping in late.

The highlight was the Blues Jam at the Sanctuary, even with Cyndi up there and in the way, we all had a great time.  The second big highlight was having Russ once again playing bass alongside me, just like we did 40 years ago while trying to learn how to play Same Old Song And Dance.  We got better at it years later.  Throughout the years, I wondered if we could ever have that chance of playing together again and the stars aligned just right and Brian and Kris hired Russ on to be part of Blues Rox.   Paraphernalia/Tyrus may never get together again (Dennis prefers flying and AZ nights, Mike is retired, DeWayne is retired and happy being a grandpa) but Russ has always been the connection between the days of Godzilla to Blues Rox.  He's more important than he knows.

And now, the ones that I shared the stage with last year.  Thanks to them all, they made music fun.

Kris Bries, Brian Bries, Russ Swearingen, Julie Gordon, Dave Bonham, Tommy Patterson, Randy Burghdorff, Bob Gleason, Brenda and Greg Mein, Belinda James, Phil Koening, Morris, Terry McDowell, Sir Bob Miller, D J Hovenstot, Ronald LeFleur, Tommy Bruner, Michael (Bear) Clair, Nate Hines, Dan Johnson, Gary Darling, Mike Williams, Bonnie Harrison, Maki Dervo, Bill Schlatter, Steve Black Wolf, Virgina Harlow, Eric Douglas, Skeeter Louis, Jeff Craft, Rick Trumm, Lenny Drake, Chuck Savage, Nelson Borden, Katy Merrifield, Steve Thereault, Danny Trumm, Freddy Jones, Captain Kirksey, Kevin, Tristin Gray, Craig Erickson, Tommy Giblin, Jon Wilson, Nick Lnenicka, Al Hendrix, Mike Fredericks, Billy Bourbon,  Ed Butler, Doc Rudolph, Rob Merkel, David Lam, Kimberly, Trevellion, Dougie Kouviak, Mark Awad, Joe Hutchcroft, Jay Devore, Jessie Scott Hacker, Geoff Redding, Robert Knowles, Dakota McWhortor, Jeremiah Murphy, Mike Lint, Pat Giesland, Donna Jo Eisner, Lorie Parker, Ted Reily, Layne Goldsberry, Colton Thompson, Marijane Euchner, Rich Toomsen, Jess Toomsen, Shawn Ster, Rick Gallo, Cathy Hart, Brad Zimmerman, Dan Hartman, Carl Meiners, Richard Budde, Eli Snow and Dee Vieman.   Even for a COVID shortened season, I managed to jam with at least 82 people would could sing and play.  

Cali Blake gave birth to a girl on December 23,2020 Charlee Jean Blake.  All the best to Mommy and C.J.

Happy new year.  Let's hope 2021 with be a better year for all of us.