Bob & Tom are still out of town (until next week), so we once again did the morning show with Gunner. Duke and Mark both had the issue with the sound problem resolved for this week, so the song sounded great!
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Sunday, December 27, 2009
Kingston Mines 12/26/09
Chicago welcomed Duke and us back for a day-after-Christmas show. A huge crowd filled the hall for most of the evening, but by 3:00am, they began to head home. We saw lots of interesting dancing in the crowd, and besides a resolved wardrobe glitch with Bill, the show was a great time!
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Bob & Tom Show 12/23/09
Bob and Tom were on vacation this week, so Gunner was filling in. Duke, Mark and I performed "Lord, Help Our Colts" with a few technical hiccups, but the song was well received. Mark brought his son, Nicky, in with him, and we had a chance to pose for a picture.
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Blues Bar 12/19/09
We had some time to kill between St. Joseph, MI and Mt. Prospect , IL today, so Bill and I drove to Merriville, IN to buy Joseph Maddox a drum key. Even with the detour, we still arrived about three hours early for the show. It's a cool venue with a Blues Brothers theme. We slammed through two 90 minute sets of Duke Tumatoe's material, then headed back to Indy. I think I fell asleep at about 6:00am...
Saturday, December 19, 2009
Czar's 12/18/09
Tonight, we backed Duke in St. Joseph, MI, at the club in the basement. We had a good crowd with bunches of dancers. The best line I heard tonight was from a woman who told me she had been a Duke fan for 30 years, and I was her fourth favorite keyboard player. I started to laugh, and she explained she meant fourth favorite of all keyboard players, not just Duke's former players. Also, tonight is my 6 year anniversary with my wife, and I hope she forgives me for being on the road!
Friday, December 18, 2009
Zydeco's 12/17/09
We had a very energetic crowd in Mooresville tonight. One person decided that every instrumental Bill Ritter and I performed, she would add vocals to! Then, she decided that the words I was singing to other songs would be better if she added a few words of her own. Bill played great, and I fixed Deb's piano with some string I cut off of a tassel. Fun night!
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Bob & Tom Show 12/16/09
Today was a bit rushed on the Bob & Tom Show. We went on following Reggie Miller (who's a really nice guy), and played our two songs fast. After the show, Kristi showed off her one-of-a-kind, custom made bobble head doll of herself (which an affiliate station had sent to her). This is the last show with Bob & Tom until after New Year's day, when they return from vacation.
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Speedway Daycare 12/15/09
Bill Ritter and I performed for the kids and their parents at the daycare's annual Christmas show. It was a bit different this year, as they had us perform throughout the program rather than just at the beginning. The kids put on a great show while Bill and I struggled to keep up!
Monday, December 14, 2009
Lucas Oil Stadium 12/13/09
Jay Jones hired me to come run sound for his band at the pre-game for the Colts today in downtown Indy. I sat in for a song, but mostly just was there to make sure they sounded good. As soon as the Colts took the field, we left! Strange thing for this show was just how I was totally organized for what Jay told me would be onstage (instrument wise) and how that was completely different when I actually got to the stadium.
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Indiana Live Casino 12/12/09
This was the first night I've performed a dueling piano gig at the casino in Shelbyville, IN. I was joined by Walter Melon, Nate Sangsland, and Wild Bill to entertain the casino goers for the evening. Strange thing tonight? A couple of my high school classmates, one of which drove in from Cincinnati, decided to meet at the casino to celebrate her birthday. Haven't seen her since 1993, and by chance, she had her party there tonight!
Saturday, December 12, 2009
BJ's Sports Bar 12/11/09
We drove straight from Columbus to Yorktown, IN, which was about an hour-and-a-half away. We only had an hour and forty to get there, set up, and begin our night with Duke. The stage was dark, but the sound guys had a good system up and running for us. The strange thing with this gig was the club sold 180 tickets to the show, but there were only about 40 people in the club. The manager told us that he had been receiving calls all night because somehow, everyone thought we were there tomorrow!
Four Seasons 12/11/09
Bill Ritter, Joseph Maddox and I performed for the retirement village in Columbus, IN tonight. We played light jazz versions of Christmas songs for their holiday party, and everyone had a great time. As promised in my last post, the strangest thing for this gig was how when people found out that most of them knew my grandmother, I started getting questions about how my siblings, Jeff, Amy and Emily were. The strange thing is, those are all my cousins, yet everyone said they remembered me growing up in Columbus. Which I didn't.
Friday, December 11, 2009
Zydeco's 12/10/09
Mooresville, IN welcomed Bill Ritter and I again tonight for a mostly Christmas show. Not too many people came out this evening, but we still performed like it was a packed house. Deb, once again, sang "Santa Baby", this time with the help of an iPhone for the lyrics. I've decided to start putting in the blog the strangest thing for each gig, mostly because each gig has the strangest things happen to us. I'll start with tomorrow, since the strangest thing at Zydeco's tonight was Deb...
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Lucas Oil Stadium 12/8/09
Tonight found us in downtown Indianapolis, performing at the Colts arena for a huge Blood Drive benefit. We performed with Duke, and he pulled out a few classic Colts tunes, plus the theme song he wrote for the Indiana Blood Center. The Colts mascot was there playing with the crowd, and he ended up on stage playing Joe's snare. We even had a chance to hold the Superbowl Trophy! Fun gig!
Static Shack 12/8/09
We re-recorded a tune for Duke Tumatoe's forthcoming CD, "I Want To Be Rich". We've recorded it a couple of times now, but tonight's recording was the best it's ever felt. Joseph Maddox's drum part was driving, and Bill Ritter helped keep the pocket solid. I felt good about the piano part I put down, and Duke seemed pleased. Now for some sleep before I go perform on the Bob and Tom Show tomorrow morning....
Bob & Tom Show 12/9/09
Bob & Tom made us perform "Mustang Sally" today, live on air. Just when I thought I had pushed my career past that song, it crept back up on me. We only sort of played it, then we went right back into the football songs. Mark and I pondered the many food choices in the greenroom after the show.
Monday, December 7, 2009
Zydeco's 12/6/09
Brunch was gooooood today in Mooresville, IN. Besides all the regulars, we had bunches of new fans come out! My wife was also there with her folks and their friends, my sister came out with her man, and all kinds of friends were there. Bill and I played bunches of Christmas tunes and stuff from my CD's. I even tried out Bill's bass for a bit, but quickly gave it back to him. Mike Brown from "Mojo Gumbo" stopped in, and he played a couple of tunes with Bill. Fun brunch!
Gilly's 12/5/09
This gig in Dayton, Ohio was a somewhat last minute fill in for a date a a different club, which had been cancelled. The club is in a building which shares the bus station for the city, but when we arrived, the bus station had been moved! No longer can I tell people we went to Dayton to play at the bus station!
Not to many people came out, mostly due, I think, to it being a last minute gig. No one knew we were there. The only odd thing about the gig was one of the waitresses told me I had beautiful eyebrows, and then she asked if she could touch them. "Hello? Personal space? Yes, I was just wondering if I could invade for a moment?"
Not to many people came out, mostly due, I think, to it being a last minute gig. No one knew we were there. The only odd thing about the gig was one of the waitresses told me I had beautiful eyebrows, and then she asked if she could touch them. "Hello? Personal space? Yes, I was just wondering if I could invade for a moment?"
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Zydeco's 12/4/09
I can honestly say that when I began performing music for a living, I never expected to be attacked by an alligator while performing. But that's just what happened in Mooresville tonight. I was in the middle of a song, and a gator head fell from somewhere above me, broke a glass vase, and rained glass down on my head after it hit me. Other than that, Joe Maddox, Bill Ritter, Karl Liechty and I had a blst playing tonight in the newly remodeled New Orleans cuisine restaurant!
Also, Deb performed her classic version of "Santa Baby", with 68% of the words!
Also, Deb performed her classic version of "Santa Baby", with 68% of the words!
Saturday, December 5, 2009
Upland Brewing Company 12/3/09
Bill Ritter, Joe Maddox and I drove to Bloomington, Indiana tonight to perform for the USGBC Member's Gala. While we set up, the bartender asked what kind of music we played. I told him New Orleans style blues. Of course, as soon as we started playing, we realized that we needed to begin with some background music until the folks got comfortable, so we played some light jazz. Now, forever in that bartender's mind, we are a jazz trio!
Friday, December 4, 2009
Bob & Tom Show 12/2/09
Bob and Tom Show was fun this morning. Duke played the first half of the Colts song slow and disjointed, just like the Colts played the first half of their game this week. I had a chance to plug a few of my shows, Duke told about a couple upcoming Duke shows, and Mark couldn't remember what he was doing this week! Also, Duke wore the ties that he was given by the folks at the Little River Casino this past weekend.
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