More Photos From The Wapsi Jam

1) Delayne Stallman

2)  Mike Fredricks with Mark Awad

3)  Steve Black Wolf.  When I was thinking about quitting jamming he kept my spirits up and got me to keep playing, returning on Friday Night and then the Wapsi Jam

4)  Rich Toomsen

5)  Rich and Mark.  Their dueling guitar and bass solo on For What Its Worth was worth the price of admission alone.

6)  Later on, I took over playing drums for Delayne for a few songs.  A rare photo of your's truly with a big smile on his face.

Photo Credit: 1,2 by Barb Myers
3-5: Sofia Chesney
6:  Rich Toomsen

I'm sure there's more pictures out there from various sources, if I come across any, I will be happy to post them and give credit to those who took the pictures.

The Wapsipinicon Dreamers Debut

The Jam On The Wapsipinicon River Hosted By The Eisners And Wooden Nickel Lottery


Featuring The New Wapsipinicon Dreamers

Rodney Smith-Acoustic Guitar And Vocals
Rich Toomsen-Lead Guitar
Mark Awad-Bass Guitar
Delayne Stallman-Drums

Songs:

Does It Matter
Everybody's Talking
Let's Work Together
For What Its Worth

(Mark Awad on bass. Sofia Chesney took the photo)

I started the day out celebrating my best friend Russ' birthday at the Cancun.  Then spent an half hour watching some local talent trying to do rap (and failed) and hearing some girl sing a nice ballad.  The highlight was finding 7 dollars in the street before making my way up to Troy Mills up to Donna Jo's Cabin on the Wapsi for the annual jam featuring Wooden Nickel Lottery.  The cabin is located in a remote part of the county, taking a few gravel roads into a access into a world that cellphones don't work since you can't get a signal out there and the toilet is an outhouse but if you really want to get away from it all, you couldn't find a better place.  The majority of the jammers that made the acoustic jams from Wednesday were there, and I think it was the debut of the Sirenz, which is Cathy Spina and Lorie Parker with Barb Myers joining as a trio. Mike Fredrichs was there as well as Jay Devore and for the first time and with a decent PA system I could actually hear what Jay was saying. He does have a pretty good voice.  Of course I did back up Steve Black Wolf on some of his songs.  Delayne was the primary drummer but he was nice enough to let me sit in on his drumset on a few songs including a very sloppy but rocking Can't You See with Darren Furrster (?) subbing for Rick Gallo for Wooden Nickel Lottery.  He also did Hey Jude, which I never played drums in the first place. And of course a couple of Rich Toomsen lead guitar instrumentals done in a country style.  In my opinion, there's plenty of great guitar players out there but to me, Rich is the best of playing lead.  He's never flashy, never over the top and have a nice clean sort of lead aka Stevie Ray Vaughn.   To which the our finale was Sweet Home Alabama to which Mr. Clumsy Feet managed to trip over some guitar wires and cut out Rich's guitar leads.

(Rich Toomsen (left) and Mark Awad behind me. Sofia Chesney: Photo)

Delayne's drums are DW. Cymbals are Zildjian and he favors the darker K crashes, somewhat the type that I like to play and his ride was a nice and clean ride.  Delayne is a much more disciplined drummer than me, I'm throwing oddball double time and Keith Moon inspired drum rolls to Can't You See to which Darren asked if I was playing double time, and I told him, not really just playing for feel I guess. Sloppy but fun.  Steve Black Wolf then proceeded to do his medley of Stand By Me/This Magic Moment/Las Kiss to which I did more of a backbeat.

For my setlist, I started the whole thing off with Does It Matter since I couldn't remember anything else but I could remember the words and I started out having Delayne and Mark Awad on bass.  Mark  is becoming a regular on the jam circuit, and he picks up things quite quickly.  He never heard Does It Matter before but in a simple A,D,G pattern I did pick it up, as with Delayne.  He can play like Jaco Pacious, the former bass wunderkind for Weather Report and Word Of Mouth, he's very good at funk and soul style songs but my songs are not that way. He's really really good.  I rate him in the top five bass players in town.

For the first time, I used a strap and played standing up rather than sitting down. I don't know if it made any difference but I seemed to sing a bit better after each song.  And while Everybody's Talking was a bit too loose I did managed to remember most of the words and managed to give a few bars to Mark to play a bass solo.  But we really got going on an extended version of Let's Work Together to which Rich Toomsen joined in on the fun and a few more bars were granted to Rich's excellent lead guitar work.  I could have gone with five songs but I decided that For What It's Worth, would be a work out between Mark and Rich and before the final verse the song became a exchange of solos between Rich and Mark.   I really didn't have to do much, I was sitting and smiling at what I was hearing and seeing.  To which after that, there was no need to do any more songs.  I couldn't top that anymore than I could.

So I did managed to stay around the whole jam till it ended and Wooden Nickel Lottery did do two of their songs, The Open Road and Down The Line to wind things up on a high note. While Delayne was packing his drums away, he had a cicada breaking out of its shell on one of his hand drums which the cicada wasn't there at the start.  So we had a good chuckle out of that.

The past three days I have rode the emotional roller coaster, from the highest highs of the Sunday Jam with Wes Side Jam, and into the low valley of the Checker's Jam when Mike Williams' girlfriend managed to make my snare sound like shredded wheat, to which I still trying to get a decent sound from that snare two days later. But the Friday jam and especially Saturday Night, with the debut of the Wapsi Dreamers. firmly gave my faith in playing music does make you feel better and anything you can overcome.  It sure beats staying home and being depressed all the time.

PS. Over 30 years ago I wrote the album called Wapsipinicon Dreaming, which came from the Wapsi River.  In my 50 years of living, this river has played a major part in my life in my walking the trails and fishing upon it.  This is the second time that I have jammed along side the river.  The first time was in 1990 at Matsell's Area. The Wapsipinicon River goes through Independence on down to Troy Mills, Central City, Stone City and Anamosa.  I do love this river.

(Below photo credit: Barb Myers. This is Mark)

Appendix: Rumors Jam Hosted By Terry McDowell

This week's guest musicians

Kim Trevallion-Lead Vocals
Bart Carfizzi-Keyboards
Matt on Guitar
Dave Walerius-Bass
John Hernandez-Bass
Kenny Webb-Bass on Sweet Home Chicago

Songs:

Sweet Home Chicago
Hotel California
Hit Me With Your Best Shot

This Sunday's jam was double bass players (to which Mark Awad was not part of, but plenty were on hand.  Kenny did play on Chicago then made way for Dave, a big guy who I know I jammed a long time ago when I first came back on the scene.  Kim played last night with Blue Scratch somewhere but she managed to sing a few when I played drums.  Like her and after playing two straight nights I was feeling a bit tired on the drums and did an okay Sweet Home Chicago and did Hotel California against my will.  But everybody loves that song and want to hear it.  And then I drop my drum stick on the final of Hit Me With Your Best Shot and improvised playing drums with one hand.  I hate that when that happens.

Longbranch Acoustic Jam 7-14-17

Long Branch Acoustic Jam-Hosted by Tony Nickels

Songs:

Jet Airliner
Does It Matter
The Life We Lead
Get It Over With
Ring Of Fire

With:
Steve Black Wolf-Backing Vocals on Ring Of Fire
Belinda James-Backing Vocals and Funny Girl
Mark Randolph-Playing his guitar when I left mine at home

Tony Nickels is a fine guitar player who managed to score a gig hosting a Friday Night Acoustic Jam at the Long Branch and the guy has a nice PA system, even percussion on hand.  I didn't figure upon going, but since Friday Night we didn't have much work and I really didn't want to deal with our senior complaining about doing scanning work (Hint: you can save it for the next shift).

It's been a rough two days.  I really thought about just giving up music altogether after dealing with the female hog drummer on the Wednesday Night jam and  went to bed Thursday Night depressed as hell and crying half the night.  I've been dealing with the demons of my life and my overacting mind playing games with me.  And beginning to wonder about things.

Wondering about being consumed with all the emotions that went with the making of Logic And Lies.
Or spending way too much time on the social media outlets such as Facebook.
Wondering if I will ever get that second date with Julie
Wondering if I will ever get another date...with anybody.  After all it took five years to even go out on a actual date.
Wondering if I can ever have a conventional relationship with anybody.

I don't think I ever had this type of a roller coaster type of emotions that I have had these past three months.  Why is it so difficult to express myself and my feeling to somebody that I had no problems playing music with her?   Just be yourself they say.   It's one thing being good friends, another if you do start dating.  And you try your best to support their music, their bands, their gigs and not try to interfere with them while they're doing their job of mingling with other people.  Julie is a positive people person, she loves and tries to love everybody.  Myself, I am just a loner that somehow she floored me with her smile and grace. I long to be just like her.

What would be the perfect date?  I have no answer.  The sense of belonging matters a lot.  The deepest wish I do have?  To have a slow dance with somebody when a ballad comes on.  I'd welcome that.

Upon this afternoon after reflecting, there's a song called Just What I Need that nailed it for me.

Last verse:

It could be that I'm losing track of my senses from many years of
Walking on Fences  and waking at night tired and pale
Coming unglued, I'm coming un-nailed
Wondering if I already failed.

(Just What I Need-Big Back Forty 1997)

And I wonder if I did.

Upon this afternoon, I tried to work up The First Cut Is The Deepest but I couldn't sing the verses without tearing up.  In reality, it's nobody's fault.  We live on emotions and driven by some sort of emotional gib to try to convince somebody that we are worth taking a chance upon.  I know I do.   And when the slightest thing goes wrong, it sends me into back my inner shell  I use Facebook for the fact of posting music news and so on, but to keep in touch.  But I tend to think I spend too much time here on the internet  and seldom get anything done in real life. That's why I don't have a smart phone.

Steve told me about Tony hosting the Long Branch Jam on Friday Nights and was trying to get a crowd going.  So after seeing Full Circle for about a half hour, I went over there just to see what it was all about.   I didn't bring a guitar, I didn't figure on playing but Steve offered me his guitar.  Eventually Mark and Belinda showed up and I got to use Mark's guitar for my songs.    It felt nice talking to Steve, Mark and Belinda, I really need some sort of solace and assurance that I wasn't going out of my mind and for a couple hours I managed to lose my depression and ragged thoughts. Being in this state of mind, it wasn't the best of performances, I forgot the second verse of Jet Airliner and my fingers and mind were not on the same page on Get It Over With.  Since I knew the words to my songs I ended up singing them.

For the most part we all laughed and have a good time.  on Ring Of Fire, Belinda made a funny about Taco Bell and we are roared.  Tony Nickles really did a fine job hosting it although the crowd was the regulars that frequent the Wednesday Night jam.  Perhaps getting the word out will get a few more jammers.  The Long Branch is a nice place to play at.  And it really helped that the gang was there, it made me feel a 100 times better.  But now the depression has set back in as I end this document of tonight's happenings.  

And I feel it's going to be another long night again.

Checker's Jam: 7/12/17 Benediction

Checker's Jam-

Hosts: Julie Gordon/Steve Black Wolf

Songs:

Branded Man*

Logic And Lies

Jet Airliner

Everybody's Talking

No Expectations/For What Its Worth

*debut

With:

D.J: Backing Vocals on Jet Airliner and Everybody's Talking

Skip Richards: Bass

Belinda James: Backing Vocals

Mark Randolph: Lead Guitar on No Expectations/For What Its Worth

Started today out by replacing the drums on the first version of Drawn In The Dark with a different take and it sounded better.  Then had enough time to run through versions of Southern Pacific and I Don't Need No Doctor but I think we have enough songs to compile the covers album.

The big question was if anybody was going to show up to the jam, since Bart decided to have a rival jam down at Rumors but I committed myself to the Jules And Wolf showcase.  Friends helping out friends, I bought a snare drum but didn't play that much, and certainly not after Mike Williams and his lovely companion showed up. To which she proceeded to take off most of the drum rings and didn't bother to put them back on the drum after she finished them.  Then she complained about how they sound, which really made me disgusted with her.  The rules are simple, if there's any sort of percussion at a jam, make the best of it.  If you don't like how they sound, don't fucking play them, get your own drum. But it was kind of her to provide her own drumsticks to which they made the snare sound like crap after that. 

Despite that, there was a decent crowd, a bit more people than last weekend.  Lorie Parker showed up and did her Boobieful song and I thought Steve and Julie did a very good job.  As promised Belinda and Mark showed up and helped out a lot too. Skip Richards also popped up to play bass during my segment and while I didn't debut Southern Pacific as originally threatened, I went with Branded Man, the old Merle Haggard song.    Donna Jo aka D.J. as she would like to be known helped me out on Jet Airliner and Everybody's Talking.  And the improvised No Expectations going into For What Its Worth seemed to work, especially with Mark Randolph adding lead guitar.  

Of note was Lorie Parker coming to the jam.  That does speak volumes and perhaps that might lead somewhat of the Acousta Kitties returning to play together again.  I remain hopeful, just like the rest of the folk do.

Whittier Acoustic Crabby Jam 7/8/17-Two Years On

Whittier Community Center 7/8/17  David Lam: Host

Songs

Logic And Lies*
Listen To Love
Knockin' On Heaven's Door
Ring Of Fire
Everybody's Talking
The End*
Come Together (Belinda James: Vocals)

*debut


Also:

Recording songs at Hoarder House Of Hits-Jordan's Grove IA
Producer: Rodney Smith/Terry Bainbridge
Recording: Terry Bainbridge

Logic And Lies (Acoustic Version)
Distractions

Plus drum recording on 20 finished tracks.

And so begins the task of recording the drum parts to the finished songs from Logic And Lies but somehow I wanted to do an acoustic version of Logic And Lies, so basically I took care of that.  It just simply me doing the songs myself.  Distractions is a drum solo that might find its way on the new album.  I haven't done one since Pawnshops For Olivia almost 10 years ago.  Basically, Distractions was us trying to adjust the drum settings in preparation to record the finished tracks.  Once that got done, I started adding the drums to the cover versions.  A lot of them sounded good, others not so much.  In essence the best tracks from the covers will fine their way on a bonus CD once Logic And Lies the album gets finished.  Upon listening to the finished songs, some just got destined to the cutting room floor, or the part of the recorded tape to pass over.


It's July and there was plenty of bands playing around the area and therefore, the Whittier Jam didn't have too many people.  And I led things off with playing Logic And Lies for the first time and people seem to like it.  And for the first time The End was debuted, although it was very rough sounding and I didn't practice it in a while.  It was kinda of a cold take but it went over okay with the folks.  By then we lost most of the jammers and the ones that remained were Mark, Belinda, Steve and David the host. So for an encore Belinda sang Come Together. It was also Belinda that requested Ring Of Fire. And I managed to blotch the second verse.  There isn't much to the song  but dammed if i could remember how it went. so it was back to Love Is A Burning Thing.   The Taste Of Love Is Sweet,  When Our Heart Meet goes the second verse but I couldn't remember that damn lyric. Outside of those small flubs and forgotten lyrics I thought the jam went well.

I didn't dress up for the occasion since I was recording drums all day so I threw a pair of pants over my shorts and went unshaven.  Julie was in Davenport with Bart doing their show since Ryan moved back to the east coast to take care of his ailing grandmother


Rumors Jam- Terry McDowell host

With:
Bart Carfizzi-Vocals
Tommy Bruner-Guitar
Mike Clair-Guitar
Kenneth John Webb-Bass
R.Smith-Drums

Songs:

I'll Be Around
I Wouldn't Want To Be Like You
Superstition

Steve Black Wolf mentioned that Julie got back into town and he was going to visit her.  I probably would have not gone there had I not seen his bike but I chatted with Julie for about an hour. If I could play lead guitar I could have replaced Ryan Paul but I don't know.  I tend to think if we did something together I would have to forgo playing lead guitar, I really don't play lead.  I can barely play guitar on my own.  She was trying to figure out how to play Gold Dust Woman, and she plays it in a different style.   I got to play Kyle's Martin Acoustic, it's has a more full bodied sound than mine but then again Martin Guitars are top of the line acoustic and Kyle went in style all the way.  Now if I could play like Kyle, then it would be a go.  But I have things to work upon in order to impress her, first and foremost to work on cutting back on my F bombs while driving when we did go out together.  I did promise her that next time I will do better in controlling that sort of profanity. I want to be a positive spark for her, not the negative angry person, but that's going to take a lot of time and effort.  But I'll do my best to impress her.

For the Rumors Jam, I backed Julie's partner Bart Carfizzi on some of the songs he sang.  And the process gave everybody a headache on the final drum shot on Superstition, including myself.  But I never pass up on jamming with Kenny Webb when he plays bass.  He's the baddest.

This week marks my second year of being back on the music circuit, something that I didn't think would still be going on.   From the humble beginnings of T Ray Robertson, Dave Bonham, Ted Reily and Peter Stark, plus Terry McDowell doing the Wrigleyville Thursday Night Jam (which was later moved to Tuesday Nights and then ended) to the more recent Rumors jams featuring the likes of Tommy Bruner, Mike Clair, Ken Webb, Bart Carfizzi, Terry McDowell again.  Along the way I managed to hang around various projects with Julie Gordon and seen her in action.  And the aforementioned of having a movie date night. Somehow she managed to get my acoustic guitar playing career a kick in the ass  I've only played the acoustic stage for a little over 8 months, but she managed to get my confidence up to the point of playing live.  I owe her that, plus Lorie Parker and Cathy Spina and the fine folks at Checkers and then I branched out to the Whittier Acoustic Jam.  I have started band collectives with Tim Wiley and Ben Banard which didn't work out but a new band collective featuring my long time jam buddies Belinda and Mark from the acoustic jams seems to have a better chance of playing live.  Russ has talked about John, the guy that we jammed with 12 years ago is moving back in.  I'd be happy to jam with them again.  Of course, I would welcome doing a band project with Julie.  Dream big and perhaps something will come of it.

But at the end of the night, when everybody has gone back home and reality, I still remain committed to making music by The Townedgers since it's the only thing I can lay claim to.  There will be more jams to go to, more acoustic showcases to improve and expand the songs that I can do and of course the Rumor's Jam where I can bash on the drums for three songs and then grab a pizza on the way home.  I'm happy to sit in on a few songs when my fellow drummers need a beer or potty break.  I might be older, and ache more and after a few songs needing a nap but still I have fun playing drums whenever is possible.

And so it goes.  Two years on and the future remains unwritten.  Where the road goes I'll continue to travel, be it with a companion or go it alone.  There'll be songs to write, songs to play and my emotional roller coaster will go way up and then all the way down again, like it has been.   And that will the be way till I'm dead.

To be continued......

Friday Night I did stop to see Tiffany and her band 50 Shades Of Rock for a few songs and managed to chat for a spell.  Fellow drummer Mike Serbousek is now drumming for Cocked N Loaded and he was playing at CRL Saturday Night, to which I couldn't make it due to the Whittier Acoustic Jam commitment.  Frank Smith took this picture of Mike wailing away on the drums.

Checkers Jam 7/5/17

Songs:

Jet Airliner (With Lorey Parker on Backing Vocals)
Everybody's Talking
Get It Over With
No Expectations/For What Its Worth
Midnight Rider

Hosted By Cathy Spina/Lorey Parker

With:

Shawn Ster
Carl Meiners
Jeff Gage
Donna Jo Eisner
Mike Fredrichs
David Arnold
Mark Awad
Jay Devore


It was the first time I actually got to talk with Shawn Ster after so many years.  He mentioned that he was thinking of showing up more in future jams.

I've been battling tooth pain, and looks like the one that I had a cavity is beginning to annoy me. May have to get that looked at although my dentist mentioned since it's the far tooth in the back he may have to yank it out.  Not exactly news to these ears.

Still, tonight's performance went pretty well, and I decided to segment the ending of No Expectations right into For What Its Worth, something out of the ordinary.  The jam started out slow but as the night wore on a few more folks showed up, Jay has a new job so his jam appearances have been few and far between.  Get It Over With managed to sound pretty good since I played the right chords and not mess that up. Afterwards I did chat with Cathy for a spell and she did said that she still loves Julie and hope things are fine with her.  There might be hope that they can share the stage together but for now Barb Myers has settled in with Cathy and Lorie and the name is called Sirenz.

Despite it all, we were missing a few folks, namely Belinda and Mark and Steve Black Wolf.  And Skip Richards as well.   Of course it had to rain at the end of the jam.  The third straight time it has rained.   So it goes.

But on a good subject it looks like Penny and Karl have kissed and made up. He took her to Texas this week to meet the relatives.  The Townedgers wish them all the best and make it their love last.

Rumors Jam-7/2/17 Wicked Willie

Rumors Wess Side Jam Hosted By Terry McDowell

With:

Willie Wells-Lead guitar and vocals
John Hernandez-Bass
R.Smith-Drums

Songs:

Redhouse Blues
Long Train Running
Voodoo Chile

(Willie Wells and friends, Willie is the one with the hat, Photo courtesy of W.Wells)

I'd never jammed with Willie Wells before so this was going to be a first.  We kinda stumbled around for a few minutes before going into Redhouse Blues and a very fast version of Long Train Running. It was almost speed metal.   Another few minutes of wondering what to do before I suggested Voodoo Chile and this was the highlight of the jam.  The song was about 8 minutes long and Willie did just about everything imaginable using his assortment of guitar effects.   Except when he hit a wrong switch and the guitar amp went up to 11, he really got into playing lead, including playing a bunch of sound effects that sounded like invaders from outer space.    John Hernandez from Full Circle helped out on bass.

Good to see my former co worker Brad Milner popping in. I was surprised to see him up there so we chatted for a spell. He mentioned if I ever want a job, they're always hiring up where he's at in Le Mars.  He also said they do a lot of firing too. Eventually Brad got canned too.  He's now working in Orange City.

Side Note: Willie Wells had a 1996 album of metal songs out that I saw in the 2 dollar section at Half Priced Books.  Always amazing how these guys looked like they used a half a can of hairspray back then to show off their metal side and then later changed into a mountain man look.


Appendix:  Blues Jam at Parlor City 7/4/17

With:
Tony Brown-Vocals and guitar
T Bone Giblin-Keyboards
John Heim-Bass
Jon Wilson-Drums

Songs:

Can I Change My Mind
Baby What You Want Me To Do
Green Onions
She Caught The Katy.

The blues jam is a whole new affair.  More on blues and soul rather than rock and roll.  Leave it to Tony Brown to dust off Can I Change My Mind, the old Tyrone Davis song, and it done a bit more faster than the record.  I know the guys do a different arrangement of She Caught The Katy and I didn't get with the breaks of the song till the end.  Jesse Carruthers, fresh from the Rumors jam also played drums but Dr.  George Hanna, the dentist playing drummer decided to go home early, which was a good thing.  Had he stayed I probably would have done 2 songs tops.  I wasn't into fireworks so that what my fourth of July was.