Idle Times

It has been a big month of suck here.  If it ain't 20 below, then we are dealing with 6 to 8 inches of new snow.  It's been that way since January.  On a bright spot, we are half way through winter but on the down side we got Artic Siberia weather.  Even  Anchorage Alaska   is warmer than here.  And it's snowing again.

I've been stuck at home for four straight days.  To which I have been going through the archives of the Townedgers/Route 66 albums for songs to do for the acoustic adventures showcase later in the year.  For this month Blues Rox has two gigs coming up this month and next Saturday another artic blast will make the Norway show not a lot of fun.  Oh we'll get paid but I wonder if the frostbite will be worth it.

Just like that, the Norway show is RSCD.  Too cold to play.

(Redwing lineup early 80s?  Binger, Case, Dewitte, Krause) 

Doug Case's passing ends Redwing, the CR Country rock band of the 1980s, no relation to the Redwing band that recorded for Fantasy Records in the 70s.  Ron DeWitte and Don Timmons passed in 2019.  Turk Krause is the only living person.  The other guy was G Barry Blaise Binger who played bass and got into fights with other people.  He died in police custody in 1992, suffering a aneurysm and heart attack.  The booze controlled him.  We saw them play Kitty's in 1984 to which Binger called the crowd assholes to the point that our guitar player was ready to jump the stage and kick his ass.  But it was just Barry being his lovable self.  We crossed paths a couple times but I don't remember much of them.  He might have worked at Carma Lou's House of Music but the memory is fizzled.  I know one night we were there and the guy accused us of stealing things to which I told him you have to have something to steal and what you have isn't worth pissing on.   That got me banned for a while there, but I don't think it was Barry that chatised us.  If I remember much of Binger, its from some of the tales that I heard from others.  Fellow EGADs member Tim Nemec said that he and Barry would make obnoxious phone calls late at night from playing.  Randy Hartwig, our sound guy wanted to punch Barry in the face after seeing them play.  But there was something about Binger that I had to be on my caution.  In 1992, he tried to break into a woman's trailer screaming that somebody was trying to kill him.   Turns out his inner demons killed him.  Redwing always had a great lineup of musicians but there was something magical with Doug Case and Ron Dewitte playing and Binger and Timmons a steady rhythm section. All are missed. 

 

Jim Jacobmeyer is moving the Artisan Sanctuary back into Cedar Rapids sometime in March.  It's bittersweet for me;  I really wanted to get back to play on the outdoor stage in uptown Marion just like we did back in September.  For the past four years, the Artisan stage was where I crafted my music and songs to a appreciated  folks and dedicated musicians.  On the down side, it was a small and cramped stage.  I do believe I will support Jim and the new location.

The past couple months, I reconnected with Olivia  Mallard, who I saw out in Portland in 1999-2000 and helped me celebrated the new year in style back then.  Then she found somebody closer and we drifted apart, only to reconnect in 2008, which became the theme for Pawnshops For Olivia and then said goodbye to her in 2013.  We have hello a couple times and have shared a few laughs along the way, but these are different times.   She lives out on the west coast with her teenaged daughter.  When she came out in 2000, she developed walking phenomena that lasted for about five months.  No way, she's moving out here, the weather would kill her.  , Julie and me have been together for just about four years, and like most people we have our share of ups n downs. There's always temptations but anybody that knows me is that I am very loyal  and faithful when I'm with somebody.  And that goes back as far as when I wasted my high school years waiting for Jeanette to return, which she never did. I have a strong love and Julie is my love. 

For being a hobbyist gigging, I've always put the music first.  I don't date even when I could: I enjoyed coming and going and hanging at record stores to find music.  I have dated a few times, got lucky even less but I stressed that anybody I share the bed with, I would have to be in love with them.  It's been a while and I have to admit I'm a bit shy about going the next step further with Julie.  I do want that to be a great experience for her if we do take it further.   Julie is quite attractive, time has treated her great.  More so than me. 

I have heard  rumors about Checkers starting up the acoustic jam but due to COVID epidemics going around, it won't happen for a while longer, till we get vaccinated.  I'm in favor of that, so is Julie.  There is expressed interest of seeing the Acousta Kitties reunite, I would love to see that happen.  I am not so certain that Cathy Hart will sign off on the deal but I know Lorie would be in and I'm sure Julie will say yes to that too.   But like everything I write, there's a wait and see and most of the time they don't pan out. Just like Tyrus/Paraphernalia, it's more talk than action but Russ and I have now back together on stage again with Blues Rox.  If it wasn't for the Acousta Kitties and their involvement, I would still be playing drums only.

Our idiot Governor  COVID Kim has lifted the mask mandate and limited public gatherings so that everybody can catch the COVID or flu when you go bar hopping.  For the most part most of the bars and restaurants still have their social distancing and wear a mask rules.  For myself I will continue to wear a mask, continue to social distance and continue to be careful in this time of crisis.  For the Boy Scout Hippies (Ron and Tommy) and other defiant folks, they'll continue to do their own thing and I'll respect their wishes. But at the same time, my commitment to staying safe while about and out will remain so.   I have promised Julie that I wouldn't be bar hopping till things get better.  Which means the Sanctuary will be my only place of playing at for now.  For Blues Rox, I have drums and that will social distance me from everybody.  Better safe than sick.

So, it's been a quiet 2021, no thanks to COVID and shit weather.  but I'll be keeping busy playing and writing up new music.  Plus I still got 11 more episodes of The Untouchables to watch if I get too bored.