Sunday, October 31, 2010
Indiana Live Casino 10/30/10
Halloween weekend in Shelbyville, IN really brings out some interesting people. I saw a witch, and I also saw a bunch of people dressed up in costumes. I'm pretty sure the witch is a full-time witch. Bill really dialed in his tone, and Joe layed down the pocket again for us to sit in. It seemed to me like Duke let loose and dug in harder than usual, too. I had fun, and didn't leave with my eyes burning nearly as bad as last night.
UAW 10/30/10
Ron "Poncho" Hedrick invited me to perform with him at a rally at the UAW tonight in Indianapolis from 5p-6p, as people were filing in and finding their seats. We played a bunch of cool instrumental groove versions of tunes, including "Chameleon" and "Wrapped Around Your Finger". I don't know why, but I decided at the last minute to bring my Wurlitzer out with me, and I'm glad I did. I love playing on that keyboard. It's the one I've written many of my songs on. It's also well-suited for the sound and style Poncho likes. I might just have to bring it out again sometime.
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Indiana Live Casino 10/29/10
Great night at the Shelbyville, IN casino tonight! It was packed, and a bunch of fans were there to show their support. In the other bar tonight was Don Stuck (of X103 fame), and Chris Shaffer (of Why Store fame) was there just to hang out, so I even had a chance to catch up with a few musician buddies on our breaks. Joe Maddox played a powerful set under the gigantic American flag, while Bill tried out every effect on his new pedal board. Duke and I played out best, while attempting to fix little P.A. glitches and amp issues. It all worked out fine. My biggest concern, as always, was how smokey it was. It's so hard to focus when your eyes are burning in your skull.
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
B.L.U.E.S. 10/24/10
It was stormy in Chicago as we pulled up to the club after our five-hour drive in from Des Moines. I was worried that we wouldn't have much of a crowd due to the weather, but people packed the joint. We had a great show, and although we were very tired from the long day on the road, found lots of energy from the crowd. After the show, we packed up and drove three hours home to Indy!
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Blues On Grand 10/23/10
Tonight was the final show for the club in Des Moines, IA. We headlined the night to a packed house. They had to close off the street for the overflow, and all night had to let two people in only as two people left. A couple of different sax players sat in for a solo at the end of the evening, and all-in-all, was one of the best times I've had at Blues On Grand. Thanks goes out to the club for all the years of great blues music given to the Des Moines area! You will be missed!
Saturday, October 23, 2010
Howl At The Moon 10/22/10
As you can see in the photo, we performed for a very excited and attentive crowd tonight for happy hour! I played two hours of fun, original material, and threw in a Beatles tune for good measure. Bill Ritter and Joe Maddox both played great, which made it easy for me to relax and have some fun. The requests for the dueling piano show (which started right after we left the stage) began rolling up in our second hour, so I'm sure they had a good night after we energized the crowd.
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Little River Casino 10/9/10
Our second of two nights in northern Michigan was a bit harder due to lack of sleep, but once we began to perform, the music energized us. All night long people danced and partied. I think we were all a little slap happy from the eight hours on the road from earlier today, but I still enjoyed the gig. Now I sleep, and in a few hours, I drive a very, very long distance. Uhgg.
Trine University 10/9/10
After the casino last night, we hurried back to our rooms to get about 3 hours of sleep before driving the 4 hour trip to Angola, Indiana, to perform at Trine's homecoming. We played outside from 10:45am to 12:30pm as one long set in the sun. People would stop and listen on their way to their various destinations. It was warm, and I was sleepy, but I played the show, got back in the car, and drove another 4 hours back to Manastee, MI for the second night at the casino! Sleep soon.....
Little River Casino 10/8/10
Another great gig with Duke Tumatoe tonight, this time in Manastee, MI! Every song made us smile, and each note brought out the best dancers Manastee had to offer! Women and men who didn't know each other were aquatinted on the dance floor! They put their hands in the air and waved them like, well, you know the rest! No down side to this gig except the long drive! Each set felt like we would explode with joy! I had coffee!!!!!
Friday, October 8, 2010
Midway Tavern 10/7/10
Mishawaka, IN holds one of northern Indiana's oldest blues clubs, established in 1924. We played to an appreciative crowd. I'm going to try to be very positive about every show I play from now on. Life is good as a working musician. Die hard, life-long Duke Tumatoe fans made it to the show on a dark and stormy night. Ok, so it was dark but not stormy. As a matter of fact, it was a beautiful night. Not too cold, fall was in the air, and the School of Steven Tyler's Dance came out to support us. Am I done blogging yet?
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Bob & Tom Show 10/6/10
Bill Ritter, Duke Tumatoe, & I performed on Bob and Tom again this morning. Bob referred to us as Billdanduke several times, as we played the NFL song. After the show, we walked out to find the man behind the mixer for all of Bob and Tom's albums (and just about ever Duke Tumatoe album as well) Alan Johnson roaming the halls. Another fun show makes me a little sad to know I won't be doing it anymore when I move to Texas. :-(
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Zydeco's Brunch 10/3/10
I had such a good time with old friends today at brunch. Steve Brunner, the awesome drummer who has played on all my albums, Jake Hahn, the guitarist who I've witnessed the largest change in style ever (and great at everything), and Jack Joseph, my old bass player buddy from countless shows and bands over the years, joined me in Mooresville, IN for brunch. We played some of everything today, and I even saw Deb smile a few times!!! Thanks to everybody for hanging out with us today!
Weko Beach Brewers Festival 10/2/10
Under the big top at the Weko Beach Brewers Festival in Bridgman, MI, and as Duke said, "You can almost smell the elephants". This was one of the most energetic drunk crowds I've ever experienced. This was the second (of two) shows we did today, and although it was still cold and wet outside, it was comfortable and dry under the tent. We slammed one solid 90 minute show out, and then packed up to get back for brunch in the morning. On the way home Bill, got some bad news about his dog, and so I dropped him off in Lafayette, IN so he could be there for the vet on Sunday. :-(
County Line Orchard 10/2/10
It was a cold, wet afternoon in Hobart, IN. We set up for our first show (of two) today with Duke Tumatoe, while the rain drizzled on us. We had a good crowd, and I think it would've been a really great show if the rain would've stayed away a bit, but as it turns out, we had to cut our second show short due to the weather. 47 degrees, raining and big gusts of lake-effect wind finally knocked the blues right out of us. At least I had a chance to sample one of the amazing donuts the orchard makes!
Friday, October 1, 2010
Howl At The Moon 10/1/10
I had fun with Bill Ritter and Joe Maddox tonight, even if the crowd didn't. We played a powerful two-hour show, and over eight people applauded! I am moving to the Austin, Texas area soon, and it will be very interesting to see the difference in the crowds. Indianapolis seems to be unhappy, musically speaking, which is too bad. I'm always ready to perform and try to share joy with the crowd, but the crowd in this area seems to have developed some sort of "joy repellent". Don't get me wrong, not everyone shares this distaste for our musical exploitations, but distain is infectious. I guess I'll just keep trying until someone is happy besides me...
Howl At The Moon 9/30/10
Okay, college kids. Time for audience 101. Dollar beer night doesn't mean you should ignore your servers. I think dollar beer night is the night the servers make the least on tips! It should be the most...
Also, if you'd like to hear a song, we'll play it, just write it down and put some dough with it. After we play the song, applause is customary. I know that many of you have never been to a live show, but that's why I'm attempting to educate you. Clap. Cheer. Sing along. Have fun. Drink. Enjoy yourselves. It's usually waaaaay more fun if you let your guard down and be silly for a while. I recommend you come back on another night, besides college night, to see how others do it.
Also, if you'd like to hear a song, we'll play it, just write it down and put some dough with it. After we play the song, applause is customary. I know that many of you have never been to a live show, but that's why I'm attempting to educate you. Clap. Cheer. Sing along. Have fun. Drink. Enjoy yourselves. It's usually waaaaay more fun if you let your guard down and be silly for a while. I recommend you come back on another night, besides college night, to see how others do it.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)