Moonshine & Ale 1/30/20

Heather Ray and I headed to New Braunfels where we met up with guitarist Pancho Garza. The three of us provided the backing music for Live Band Karaoke, and the public got up to sing with us. Heather hadn’t played drums for this type of show before so we swapped between keys and drums a bit, and she did great on the drums! It’s not an easy show to drum for because you have to wear headphones for a click track, and operate the computer with the lyrics for the crowd, but she handled it like a champ. Pancho is a pro, and it’s always fun to gig with him, but at one point, he said he wished he got a little of the special chemistry Heather and I share on stage, so the rest of this blog is dedicated to Pancho. Pancho Pancho Pancho Pancho Pancho Pancho Pancho Pancho Pancho Pancho Pancho Pancho Pancho Pancho Pancho Pancho Pancho Pancho Pancho Pancho Pancho Pancho Pancho Pancho Pancho Pancho Pancho Pancho Pancho Pancho Pancho Pancho Pancho Pancho Pancho Pancho Pancho Pancho Pancho Pancho Pancho Pancho Pancho Pancho Pancho Pancho Pancho Pancho Pancho Pancho Pancho Pancho Pancho Pancho Pancho Pancho Pancho Pancho Pancho Pancho Pancho Pancho Pancho. 

Darwin’s Pub 1/26/20

Today was a whirlwind. I didn’t sleep well, and when I awoke, read some sad family news that my uncle had passed away. I was a little down all day, but my wife kept my spirits up. We had some lunch with my brother and sister-in-law, which was nice. Then, I headed to Austin for my gig with my best buddy Heather. We had some dinner before our show together, and she helped me get my head right for the show. The crowd and the staff was really appreciative of our performance! The complements and little notes sent to the piano were humbling. It turned out to be a fun Sunday night of music, and I’m glad I had the awesomely talented Heather Ray with me. Life is short. Tell your friends and family you love them. 

Elroy Floyd’s 1/25/20

A couple “firsts” for me tonight included my first show in Angleton, Texas, and the first time I have shared the stage with Rickey Getwood. We performed at a cool little venue with a bunch of really nice people in the crowd. It was more of a listening room-type show, with a slightly lower key vibe than some of the large piano bar rooms that I play in. We never ran out of requests and they were quite a few comical moments scattered throughout the evening. I enjoyed my night with the talented drum stylings of Rickey!

Moonshine & Ale 1/24/20

Dude! Heather Ray and I had a great time in New Braunfels tonight! We had a fantastic crowd, and tons of requests, and happy people singing and dancing. By the end of the night, they couldn’t stop themselves from dancing on the stage with us. Heather is such a fantastic partner, and I’m so happy to be performing regularly with her now. 

Moonshine & Ale 1/23/20

We got a little goofy at Live Band Karaoke tonight. We had a bunch of singers, ranging all skill levels, come join us on stage. Some were there to poke fun at themselves. Some were there to show how amazingly they can sing. I was there to play drums. Heather was there to play keyboards. Pancho was there to play guitar. That is all. Lol. 

Darwin’s Pub 1/19/20

I finished off my weekend on 6th Street in Austin for a little Sunday night Piano Bar. We had a bunch of bachelorettes in the room, and a couple birthdays, so we celebrated with all of them. I had a chance after the show to talk with a group from Chicago. They were super cool and enjoyed the show, and even talked about trying to get me for a wedding reception. I’m always grateful when people enjoy the show! 

Corpus Christi Moonshine & Ale 1/18/20

We had a big crowd in Corpus Christi at the show tonight. Dave Lovett and I once again split piano duties while Juan Vargas drummed. So many requests came up that we had a hard time getting to them all, but everyone was happy with all the tunes we did get a chance to play! It was a good weekend in Corpus, and tomorrow night, I’ll be up in Austin. Maybe I’ll see you on 6th Street! 

Corpus Christi Moonshine & Ale 1/17/20

Friday night in Corpus Christi went well with me and Dave Lovett swapping piano duties while Juan Vargas drummed. I made a few new fans who let me know they’d come to any of my shows they can from now on. That made me feel good. Dave was fun to work with, as always, and Juan did an amazing job keeping up with incredibly complex tunes. All three of us will return tomorrow night! 

Corpus Christi Moonshine & Ale 1/16/20

I traveled to down to Corpus Christi to perform for Live Band Karaoke tonight with drummer Juan Vargas and guitarist Aris Pouncey. I’ve worked with both of them before, but tonight was their first time together, and it was Aris’ first LBK experience. He did great! Although it wasn’t super-busy, we had a steady stream of people coming up to sing with us. I’ll be here for two more nights taking requests with Dave Lovett, and Juan will return to do his part on drums. 

Kissing Tree 1/13/20

Gray Gregson invited me to perform with him at Kissing Tree in San Marcos tonight from 7p-9:30p. We set up a dueling pianos show, and the crowd loved it! We performed there a year ago, and it was nice to be asked back. The people brought us everything from The Who to Little Richard to Garth Brooks, and everything in between. A big thank you to the residents for having us out! 

Darwin’s Pub 1/12/20

After our all-day wedding convention event, Heather Ray and I played a three-hour show on 6th Street in Austin. It was a fantastic show! We had two different groups come in to see us for private events, plus we got a chance to entertain folks from all over the world. Netherlands, New York, Canada, Germany, Austin, Norway and India were just a few of the represented places by crowd members. Heather was as amazing as always, and it is a joy to perform with her! Now, sleep is waiting for me.

Austin Bridal Extravaganza 1/12/20

We had a great second day at the Bridal Extravaganza! Many brides and couples came through to get all of our info and to discuss dates with us, and we have our tons of info. The best part of the wedding show was getting on many new “preferred vendors” lists at venues around Austin and the Hill Country! Heather and I tore down after the show ended, after all day talking to everyone, then we headed Easy Tiger to get some dinner before heading to our evening show on 6th Street! 

Austin Bridal Extravaganza 1/11/20

Heather Ray and I had a wonderful time at Palmer Event Center during the Bridal Extravaganza! We played off and on all day, in between talking to brides and grooms about their receptions. We’re back at it tomorrow, too, so come out and say hi. Free admission with the code “PIANO”. 

Austin Bridal Extravaganza 1/10/20

We set up today in Austin, TX, at the Palmer Events Center for this weekend’s Austin Bridal Extravaganza. Heather Ray and I will be there from noon until 5p Saturday and Sunday, taking requests for performing at receptions. Stop by and say hi! Use the code “PIANO” for free admission into the event. 

Darwin’s Pub 1/9/20

Originally, I was supposed to perform in New Braunfels tonight, but they asked me to cover a shift in Austin, so I asked my partner, Heather Ray to cover New Braunfels, and I performed on 6th Street with drummer Joe Resnick. The crowd danced some and sang some with us on a casual Thursday night. It’s fun performing with Joe, especially when the audience throws us tunes by Tom Petty and the Beatles! 

Darwin’s Pub 1/6/20

I played in Austin on 6th Street with drummer Joe Resnick tonight. We entertained people from Michigan, North Carolina, England, Canada and Spain, to name just a few. The dentists were dancing in the isles and the scientists were mingling with other scientists who they just met in the bar. We played lots of songs for this random grouping of people, and it was good to hang out with Joe on a random Monday night! 

Moonshine & Ale 1/4/20

Joe Resnick, Hailey Stockton and I performed in New Braunfels tonight. The place had bunches of people in it, but it was a little more difficult than normal to get them involved than in previous weeks. I guess the holidays took their toll on people’s energy. We still had fun and the crowd did eventually come around. By the end of the night, everyone was ready to dance, so we kept it upbeat for them! 

Axis 1/3/20

Heather Ray and I played our first show together of 2020 in San Marcos at the underground club, Axis (formerly Kiva, Taxi’s). We did our three-hour show for a bunch of people out roaming the square, coming and going while stopping to request a few tunes. We were asked to play everything from Prince to Zeppelin, and Outcast to Coolio. Heather kept me smiling all night, which is what it’s all about!  

Moonshine & Ale 1/2/20

First gig of 2020 for me was Live Band Karaoke in New Braunfels! Pancho, Andrea and I entertained the every musical whim of the singers in the full house. We got a little goofy, and we had some truly great singers on the stage. It was a good way to start off the new year! 

Moonshine & Ale 12/31/19

Happy New Year! I rang in 2020 in New Braunfels, Texas, with Hailey Stockton, and a special guest appearance by my buddy Pancho on guitar! We had a packed house. People were in good spirits as they said farewell to 2019 and hello to 2020. I’m looking forward to the new year and I hope everyone achieves the goals they set for themselves for the new year!