Stone City-Avenues

Songs:

My Baby Loves Me

Gold Dust Woman

Tennessee Whiskey/

I'd Rather Go Blind

Avenues

Dark End Of The Street

Good Time Charlie

Logic And Lies

Behind Blue Eyes

Cinnamon Girl

Kat Blue-Vocal 1-4 

(Sunday Funday Band: Nick Lnenicka, Stacia Roccio, Timothy Canfield, Terry McDowell, Kat Blue, Jeff Taylor and Tommy Bruner)

Kimberly was quite busy Sunday.  Playing a few songs with Lane Gaffney, then I borrowed her for a few songs before she moved on to Rumors to do the Sunday Funday Jam.  I think we did a better version of My Baby Loves Me and Gold Dust Woman brought the house down. 

Avenues and Dark End Of The Street made their debut, and Dark End was well received.  I did that song better on the first go around than Behind Blue Eyes.  Still despite the mess ups and mistakes, the audience enjoyed my set.  Apologies to the guy behind me that was taking videos of the next singer playing guitar and I had to get back into town to visit mom.  

Avenues Lyrics

Avenues

Another song to sing

Another chapter to write

Hoping to keep my balance

Somewhere between wrong and right

I've been gone for awhile

Didn't think I'd come back again

Although I feel like I'm losing the fight

Should have quit while I was behind

Where does this road lead

I've been down this before

It lead me down the guided path

Destination unknown

Maybe deciding

It's time to go it alone

So I'm hitting the highway

But I'm running out of avenues

Too old to change my ways

But I'm too young to call it a day

Some days I feel like I'm getting somewhere

Other times it's the opposite

I wish I could start again

Find some  way to think that I can win

Sometimes I wish I could find a freight train

And ride it somewhere down the line

Where does this road lead

I've been down this before

It lead me down the guided path

Destination Unknown

Maybe deciding

It's time to go it alone

So I'm hitting the highway

But I'm running out of avenues.

R.Smith

C1999 Townedgers' Music Emporium

Album: Land Of Abandonment 1999

Chords: F E D (3)  A

Chorus: G,D 7

last line: A, G D

A song about being a loner and the choice of being one. the F,E,D riff is unique in the way that the chords repeat through the verses.  It seems that D is the main choice of chord for the majority of the songs played. Originally the 151 Song was slated to lead off Land Of Abandonment but Avenues sounded better as opener.  

Whisky Jo's-Kat Sings The Blues

Songs:

Cinnamon Girl

Stop Dragging My Heart Around

Tennessee Whiskey/

I'd Rather Go Blind

My Baby Loves Me

Kat Blue-Vocals on 2 to 5

I suppose this is promising, but two weeks into the Acoustic Open Mic with Julie and Guitar Dave, a full slate of people came out to play.  Stuart Pershing played, it was the first time I have seen him play anywhere in over two years.   

I'm not sure how many showed up but I did count about 8 other musicians playing guitar and singing. I did make up a list of about 10 songs to play but by the time I got to play it was after 10 PM.  I never did any of the songs worked on earlier in the day.  Julie was taking videos so I ended up using Kimberly (Kat Blue) on the final numbers, including the medley of Whiskey/Blind numbers.    Cinnamon Girl, usually done at the end of show, was played first in the drop D tuning, which made it sound much better than usual. 

As we come to end of the month, this will be the first time that I didn't play the Sunday Funday Rumors jam, and only played drums at Whisky Jo's once.   I really don't see a need to do a end of month review since I've been catering to the needs of my folks through their health issues.   I do keep up on the updates of who played where at Rumors/Whisky Jo's.  

I do admire Kimberly for coming to Whisky Jo's to support the acoustic cause, even if Julie and Dave are wary of her.  Kimberly and I do have a nice working business relationship  when we play together. Certainly, I'd love to help Julie and Dave as much as I can, but Kimberly has been more receiving and receptive of my musical tastes.  Would it be good to have a project with Kimberly?  If I could find the time.  With family issues, I cannot commit on anything other than a open mic get together.  

Remembrance Wind Lyrics

Sometimes late at night I sit back and wonder about things

About people and the places I used to go to

It's hard to believe that they're all gone

It's still the same ole town but with different faces

While the present's here, the past keeps coming back

In the way that it's hard to show

Well when the wind blows it takes me back into time

I get the sensation that you are still mine

From another directions it gives a different sign

You can feel it if only for a while 

Can you feel it?  Remembrance Wind

Well if you truly believe  there's something  here for you

Then you truly believe that nothing will stop you

Go anywhere that God intended you to 

Just be yourself, you'll make it through

Well when the wind blows it takes me back into time

I get the sensation that you are still mine

From another direction it gives a different sign

You can feel it if only for a while

Can you feel it?

Remembrance Wind

R.Smith

C 2002  Townedger Music Emporium

From The Road Less Traveled. 

Hard to believe this came out 20 years ago, the album that is.  The last album that Brian Mullahan co produced with me,  I tend to look at this album to be one of the best that I put out.  We were on a roll, after 2001's There' Nothing Left, I wanted to have a more power pop sound than the experiments that were used on the 1999 Land Of Abandonment and There's Nothing Left.  It was quickly recorded, with Jack Orbit helping with the arrangements and Geoff n  Mark McClelland adding their two cents worth.  

Remembrance Wind was about time and memories slipping away and nostalgic feelings for a town no longer around.   John Maier got credited for the term Remembrance Wind.  One of those rare songs that didn't need drums.  

Chords:  for starters, it's D but the forth string is open for accents

Verse D G D

forth line G,E,D

Chorus: A,G,D

Can you feel it line: G strum 7 times back into D

To lively things up. between the repeated chorus

G,C,D (3) 

A,G,D

It's better suited for a bluegrass type of number, but on this song there are no drums.

(Photo by Saul)

Everlasting Thoughts Lyrics

Exceptions to the rule

We're not typical

What we're looking for

We usually don't get

Our moment in the sun

Before the clouds set in

Then we're swept out to sea

By a hurricane wind

And all we get out of this

Is everlasting thoughts

Everlasting thoughts 

Of everything as it ever was

Why are we so elusive?

We got things in common

Is this another illusion

Or a new day coming?

Are we made for each other?

Or just another excuse

Of  winning this race

Only just to lose

Chose the lesser of the evils

Find the least of the sins

Somehow the answer lies within

In the shelter of the wind.

C 1995 Townedger Music Emporium

R.Smith: Lyrics

Album: These Things Must Pass (1995)

Notes:

This song is written in a different style, a mutated 3/4 waltz.

I don't believe this was written for the person that I was seeing.  We had a very good year and half of being together before a big falling out and drifting apart but back in 95 we had lot of fun.  But as I found out that relationships with the other half having kids and dealing with petty ex boyfriends that the  longer you hang with somebody, the longer you'll going to have fights and insecurity issues.

The main chords are  A, E, D

to which the final line of the verse leading to the chorus would be  A,E,A

Chorus is G,D,A  First line 

Everlasting thoughts line G,D (Three times)

G,D,A

Redding got credit for the arrangement of the waltz riff.  I think this is the only song that I do that has that oddball 3/4 time.   In the history of the Townedgers, Everlasting Thoughts never got played much. The guest drummers couldn't figure out how to play the riff.  For the influence of this song, it might have been Uncle Tupelo or even Whiskeytown.  Even after 27 years, the mind gets clouded of the actual influence, but it may have come from jamming out notes and seeing if anything sticks.  Brian Mullahan said that it's a unique song and it should be recorded.  In our trademark learning as we go, we might have done 7 takes before getting a decent version.  For my Acoustic Adventures, this song seems to fit in well and has been dusted off to play to the masses again. 

Stone City-Rock N Roll

Songs

I Rather Not Cry

Good Time Charlie

Sundown

Slippin Away

What Goes On

I Fought The Law

Never Trust A Sleeping Train

Cinnamon Girl

It Hurts Me Too 

With

Danny Trumm, William Schlettler, Rick Wingle and Dave Bonham.

I took the songbook with me and drove  a bit more deeper into the songs that I don't usually do.  It was another cold January afternoon, and hardly anybody came to play.  I had to leave after my songs to go see my mom.    It is kinda tough not to hang to do more songs, but till my mom gets better, she is my own priority.

We're supposed to get hit once again by yet another polar express, another five below day awaits us on Tuesday.  For a birthday present, this is not needed.  Old Man Winter can shove it up his ass sideways.

A year into being 60 and I find that this year was the hardest to get through and turning 61, it doesn't look any much better either.  I've been known to be a person who is set in his ways but awfully clueless when life throws its worst on me.  I've had COVID for a couple weeks and got over it, watching my mom fall deeper in the Demetria and hating every moment of it and seeing my dad having breathing problems as he tries to get over that too.  My brother is the glue holding the family together. I'm there to watch the house at night, washing the old man's duds, whereas my brother chaffers Dad to the doctor's and to work.  I hope it doesn't get to the point that things deteriorate.  Picking and choosing my jams while working around visits to Sliver Oak Assisted Living and trying to appease the old man bas been a very depressing sort of state.    Shoulder pain and now kidney issues have not helped along with the depression and self doubt.  The music is fun but anything else in life has not.  Hell I cannot enjoy a dinner with Dad without spilling a fucking drink  all over him.  

Nothing is helping. Cold weather, snow, dealing with idiots on the road, red lights, dumbasses going the wrong way down the highway.  It's frustrating.  I can only try my best.  Some folks have it worse.  In this life, being clueless and indecisive does not help.  

Not at all.   

Archives-Paraphernalia Live In The Studio 1982

When Russ and I started our little band in 1980, we couldn't play worth shit.  I just got my first real drum set.  an Zickos five piece clear drum set and spent most of that time collecting cheap cymbals in order to look like a real drumset.  There were two Zym Cymbals, an English made that had a nice ride sound to it but the other if you hit it too hard, it would bend.  It turned out to be a china like cymbal.  

The first session, Darren Johnson played guitar.  But it was mostly me and Russ trying to add our spin to Same Ole Song And Dance and Godzilla.

One year later, after learning on my own without lessons I managed to get better.  Doug Spinler and I jammed with his dad.  And when when Russ came back from leave we got together with Doug Bonesteel and Mike Swearingen.  Mike being the de facto leader and one we leaned heavily on for musical guidance.   A 1981 recording session we recorded Come Together and Rock Me Baby.

In late 1981.  The band was me, Russ, Mike, Doug B and Dewayne Schminkey and I managed to convince my dad to record our little EP making album on Jan 28, 1982.

The songs at hand.

Rock Me Baby

Take It On The Run

Lovin Touchin Squeezin

Heavy Medication (D. Schminkey solo song) 

Highway To Hell

Rocky Mountain Way (2 versions)

Personnel:

Mike Swearingen-vocals

Doug Bonesteel-Electric guitar

DeWayne Schminkey-Acoustic 12 String

Russ Swearingen-Bass

R. Smith-Drums 

The sessions were quite exciting,  I think I played more cymbals than drums.  I don't think it was actual drum playing but rather bashing the hell out of them due to being frustrated.  The second version of Rocky Mountain Way was used.

With this new and exciting sound, Paraphernalia became part of the Iowa music scene, tho we only did one gig, opening up for one of Mike's regular bands.   But it was our music and our way of doing things that makes this session somewhat special.  Due to time restrictions and Russ needed to get back to the Marine Corp two days later, there would be no more recordings.  Of course that didn't stop me from putting all the music that we did before in other sessions and solo stuff called Turn Off The Picture You're Disturbing The Sound.   These songs were known as the Live at 9 EP.    Rock Me Baby would be issued as a second single later on.

Eventually, we got better.  In 1982 without Russ, we became the Open Highway Band, with Dennis Lancaster drafted as harmonica and guitar player.  We did play the Pink Elephant in 1983 with Russ playing bass.  I remembered we tried out a bass player but he was looking for a band that was playing regularly.  We never did find that replacement.

A year later, Russ returned and Paraphernalia struggled to hang together.  By then, Doug Bonesteel and Dewayne Schminkey were no longer part of the band and Dennis Lancaster was full time guitar player. Will Sigsbee and Shawn Ster became guest guitar players at various gigs.  The December 7, 1984 OK Lounge gig would be our last.

In theory, the 1982 Live In The Studio session is really, our starting point. 

Technical stuff:

Cymbals: Zildjian A's

13 inch Quick Beat hi hats

16 inch Rock Crash

16 inch Thin Crash

16 inch Medium Thin Crash

18 inch Crash Ride

20 inch Rock Ride

20 inch Pang Sizzle

I'm surprised that these cymbals didn't crack under the constant bashing, especially the 16 inch crashes. The rock crash was rarely used outside of this recording and later on 4 of these cymbals were sold to a devious chump who only paid half of the 300 dollars  that was sold to him.  Even while winning a small claims court victory, the devious chump never paid for them.  I never quite forgave Mike on losing my cymbals on the honor system.

I think that these cymbals that I did buy gave me the ultimate sound and probably best cymbal lineup, up till I got the K's later in life.  They did sound great on the recording, they must have since I have played them more than the actual drums themselves.  For some reason I had the rock ride leveled with the bass tom, and the pang cymbal about 8 feet high (don't ask why).  It seemed like a good idea at the time to have the cymbals about five feet up, nowadays, my cymbals are about an inch or two higher than the 1982 set up.  At that time Ludwig's Hercules cymbal stands were the best, but the plastic that adjusted the cymbals would break off and if not tighten, the cymbal would fall to the side (as shown on Ratt's Round n Round video).  I later got a Yamaha stand to put the pang cymbal upside down but for a china, it was more of a washy and not a total china crash.  The sizzle sustain was the longest sizzler sound cymbal that I ever had.  Oh, I loved that cymbal but Russ absolutely hated it.   That cymbal remained a part of my lineup till 1987 when I foolishly traded it in along with the Quik Beats and Rock Crash to get a 20 inch Impulse Ride.  To which the folk at Phoenix Drums took great delight in ripping off an out of towner who was trying to update his sound.  And never realizing, he had the right sound of cymbals in the first place.  

Whisky Jo's-Four Below And Falling

Songs played

Everybody's Talking

Behind Blue Eyes

Fox On The Run

All Along The Watchtower

Light My Fire

Never Trust A Sleeping Train

Cinnamon Girl

Julie Gordon-Percussion on the last three songs

With

Dee Vieman

Rick Wengle

Dave Bonham

In the dead of winter, nobody likes to venture out in below zero temps.  I have had other gigs that the temp was so damn cold nobody showed up.  Three years ago, Dreams Of Arcadia opened for Four Day Creep and nobody showed up for that either.  Buddy Holly had his life ended during a clipper and blizzard.  

I figured Julie and Dave would need some sort of support, so I borrowed Dave's guitar and slugged through seven songs of note.  Julie played the cajole on the last three songs.    Dee was surprised that I did play guitar since she's known me strictly as a drummer. 

It was cold, another artic front gone through another day of below zero temps.  It sucks.  But what sucks even more was driving home and having to deal with the more than usual red lights, semis, stupid drivers and another wrong way driver going down on highway 30 and almost going head on into a semi.  The mentality of some of these idiot drivers are a joke.

The Artisan had Patrick Ticklenburg, John Weldon and Eric Paul playing for a benefit.  Not sure of who showed up but I think they had least 10 people in attendance.   These are tough times for the performer and bars and places to play at.  I do think the Artisan is hurting for donations now.  And another place we played at, the check bounced.   With my situation with Mom and Dad I haven't really been that inspired to play all that much.   Whatever the case may be, week after next, I need to get back to work on a regular basis.  A elderly care helper is very hard work.

Whisky Jo-With Mr Shaw

Songs Include

I Love You Too Much

Can't Get Enough

Peaceful Easy Feeling

Long Train Running

Proud Mary

Folsom Prison Blues

Dreams

Pancho And Lefty

Comfortably Numb

Terry McDowell-Host

John Shaw-Guitar and Vocal, 1-6

Dee Vieman-Lead Vocals 5-8

Tommy Bruner-Lead Guitar

Billy Bourbon-Bass

Nick Lnenicka-Harmonica

R.Smith-Drums

Ian Jacoby-Guest vocalist on Comfortably Numb

(Tommy and John)

It has been noted that John Shaw has been coming to the Whisky Jo's jam of the past couple weeks.  Although our relationship is pretentious due to his right wing views, I wouldn't never say no to him.

I really could do without another Can't Get Enough version but at least he's plays it okay. 

It was Dee Vieman's birthday so she got to sing a few songs of note.  Most curious is playing Pancho And Lefty for the second straight night and in a different arrangement.   Ian Jacoby from Four Day Creep came up to help sing Comfortably Numb with Dee.  Tommy did a wonderful lead out at the end and and gave me a wink and a smile after that one.  

A decent crowd was there,  Kimberly sang before I got there and there were two new drummers that played before me, one of them gave me a headache.  

John may have sang one more song before Dee joined up.  Bad Company was attempted but never got off the ground, so we went with the Tina Turner version of Proud Mary.   I'm still dealing with the family health issues of my parents but music can be a healer.  

That's what its supposed to be. 

Artisan-1/11/22

Fire And Rain

Cash On The Barrelhead 

Fire On The Mountain

Love Potion Number 9

Poncho And Lefty

Bill Schettler-Lead vocal and guitar

Dave  Bonham-Lead Guitar

Freddy Jones-Harmonica

R.Smith-Percussion

Brett Johnson-Played harmonica on one song

For the past two weeks, family health issues have come into play.  With my mom suffering from Demetria and Dad having breathing problems I haven't been able to focus on the music.  After visiting both of them I had some time to go check out the Artisan open mic, tho I didn't play guitar.  There was a full scale of people play and I managed to back Bill up with percussion, namely drumming on a box. There might have been one more song Bill played but I think these were the ones that he did do.  

Mike McMeins did leave his drums up there but with no snare or cymbals, I used a box to maintain the beat and a tambourine for a hit hat.  The cowbell trick didn't work.  But for the most part, Bill usually plays mellow and slow tempo songs.  But with a full crew of jammers there, after his set was done it was 9 35.  I passed on playing guitar tonight.  

Blues Rox At The Bohemian

 I had reservations about this gig, since I haven't played alongside these guys, never mind that I had a flu shot and Covid Booster to boot.  So I was dead tired when we got in to play on a chilly and freezing night. We didn't need the freaking drizzle shit.  With the write up that we got when The Bohemian announced us playing, we had to rise above the chaos that was the bizarre Checker's gig and the Artisan with Mike playing drums in my absence.  At least play the songs that won't get us into trouble. 

While other bands had issues, Blues Rox didn't.  Owner Mike Richards treated us with respect.  The guys had to set up on the floor, the stage was way too small, even for my drums I had to employ half the set and a couple cymbals to boot..  I didn't set the bass drum legs, and it moved most of the songs and the gig.  Plus there was a vent that went down to the basement and another room,  I damn near dropped a drum stick between the rails, thankfully it didn't fall through.

My biggest complaint about my so called musician friends is how many bitch and whine that nobody goes to their shows, or they promise that they'll be at yours and never show up.  It's a Saturday Night and of course there are bands playing down the road and elsewhere and I know people had to pick and choose, plus the weather never helps either in the winter.  It's either a snowstorm or blizzard or freezing drizzle or rain or below zero.  One was complaining that there was no bands playing (I guess he doesn't bother to read my updates, while feeling for himself) but did pop in at North Port to see Past Curfew. Fair-weather friends, got plenty of them.   Only Julie and Guitar Dave managed to show up and Julie took plenty of pictures.   Mike Richards also took a few videos to document.   He might have taken this one photo.

We were surprisingly good tonight. There were a few lapses on songs. but despite me trying to get over the shots of Friday at Unity Point, and despite the drum stick almost going down stairs did better than usual.  I haven't practiced all that much.  Having the smallest stage and not big enough to have a full drum set, I had to go with the basics.  One bass drum, one hi hat, snare and two cymbals and cajole for a stool.   The Bohemian is interesting place, the basement has rooms down there and a bar and some private rooms for conversation.  It's an old business place that Mr. Richards has been putting together and originally this was supposed to open in 2020 before the COVID epidemic broke out and messed things up.   I haven't been upstairs, but the basement is super cool.

I don't think any one moment stood out, which is fine.  It was a workmanlike performance, and Kristopher doing some outstanding guitar leads and the blues shuffle went well as well as the tired favorites of Brown Eye Girl or Johnny B Goode.  We did drop Stuck In The Middle for Further Up The Road before concluding with Free Bird, probably the best version of that song that we did.  We still cannot get people to dance to that. 

It was a 2 hour event, so breaks were taken.  We did not do Wipe Out.  My decision.

There were some issues about payment but we all did get our money for playing.  I'm not sure if we will be back there but if we do play, we will be playing upstairs outdoors in the patio area.  By then I can find all of my drums into one space.  The stage inside is for acoustic people only.