Hotel ZaZa 5/27/12

I witnessed Michelle and Jason being married in Houston, TX tonight, just before I performed for their cocktail hour. The bride contacted me about performing at their wedding a few months ago, and I was excited to accept because of all the great music she asked me to play. Lots of Beatles, a few jazz standards, Oasis, and many other fun songs to keep people's spirits up are what I played on the grand piano in the lobby of the hotel. Congratulations to the newlyweds!

AJ's Ale House NB 5/26/12

Chris Wallis and I joined forces in New Braunfels, TX tonight to rock another great request show. Lots of different types of tunes were requested tonight, and we had a great time keeping up with the crowd's whims. Everything from "Devil Went Down To Georgia" to "Bad Romance" to "Fortunate Son" to "You Shook Me All Night Long" was performed for the happy crowd. Thanks, Chris, for making the evening rhythmically entertaining!!!

AJ's Ale House MF 5/24/12

Joe Resnick played drums tonight in Marble Falls, TX, as I took requests from the crowd. The show went fine, and we made several new fans. My night's excitement started after the show ended, though. After I packed up and got on the road, I began my hour-and-fifteen minute commute back home when at about the halfway mark, I saw the red and blue of police lights behind me. I've learned long ago that when you commute at 2am, even if you are driving within all laws, sometimes you will be pulled over, probably just as a drunk-check. The officer was very professional and said I didn't slow from 55 to 45 quickly enough, and let me go with a warning. After pulling away and getting back on my journey home, I missed hitting a rooster, then a skunk, then a deer, passed a llama, missed a raccoon, and finally ran over a fox. I felt so bad as I saw it in my mirror being flung into the woods. What a hard drive home.

AJ's Ale House NB 5/19/12

A full house in New Braunfels, TX tonight, as I took requests (with Joe Resnick playing drums). Early night requests doubled up on a bunch of late night requests, so the beginning and the end of our night mirrored each other. Duplicate requests happen every once and a while, but tonight it doubled Brown Eyed Girl, Gin and Juice, Benny and the Jets, and others. We also had some cool and unusual requests, too, for example Dreams by Fleetwood Mac and Power Of Love by Huey Lewis and the News.

AJ's Ale House MF 5/18/12

So, my favorite request tonight in Marble Falls, TX was one where Joe Resnick had a chance to keep time in a different way than on the drums. He checked his watch and let me know when time was up for the request for "Two Minutes Of Awkward Silence". I invited the young lady up on stage, stared into her eyes, and waited for two minutes in silence while the crowd tried their best to distract us. Besides the silence, all the song requests were so the folks could dance and party! Quite a few birthdays, weddings, and anniversaries were also celebrated tonight. Fun, fun!

AJ's Ale House NB 5/17/12

Taxi Haskell drummed some drums tonight in New Braunfels, TX at AJ's while I pounded the piano! We had a quite a few people hang out with us for the full evening's entertainment. It was good to play with Taxi again! This was the first gig at AJ's I've performed with Taxi, and I hope we get a chance to work together again soon!

Hotel Sorella 5/12/12

Tonight, I joined forces with Ryan Teter for a Howl At The Moon Piano-To-Go show for Joshua Black's wedding reception in Houston, Texas. We helped out the bride and groom by playing their iPod during dinner, and then did our dueling piano show just after the cutting of the cake. It was a good time for all! Congratulations to the newlyweds!!!

Tantra Coffeehouse 5/11/12

Ian Lee's CD release party was a huge success tonight in San Marcos, TX at Tantra Coffeehouse! "Alive & Well" is the name of his new six-song disc, and I am proud bto not only have played keys on it, but also recorded it in my studio. Ian is doing great things, and the band is much fun to work with. Errin on bass, Chris on drums, and Ian on guitar while I filled in the keys made for an enjoyable evening of music. Special thanks to the two bands who opened for us tonight: "Broken Umbrella Academy" and "Those Nights". They both sounded great!

AJ's Ale House NB 5/10/12

I teamed up in New Braunfels, TX with Joe Resnick to play the request show for the folks who braved the rain to come out and see us. Of course, because it was raining, the first half-hour of requests were all rain-based songs. "Have You Ever Seen The Rain", "Rain", "Riders On The Storm" and "Here Comes The Rain Again" were all played. A late group of people came in to round out our night about a half-hour before we ended to sing and have fun!

7th & 8th UCC 5/6/12

This morning, I performed for the offertory at Seventh and Eighth United Christian Church in Indianapolis. Today was a special service because the Temple Of Christ congregation, who shares the building with 7th & 8th, performed the service, complete with their three-piece jazz trio. It was nice to be back for a service and see all the good folks of the church!

Slippery Noodle Inn 5/5/12

I was asked to sit in for a few tunes tonight at Travis Feaster's CD release party in Indianapolis. The great Kevin Anker graciously let me use his gear, and even snapped a picture for me. For those of you who don't know Travis or Kevin (or Austin's bass or Chris' drums), check them out soon. Very cool, funky blues with great players who bring it to life regularly across this and other countries! Thanks fellas, it was fun!

Fountain Square Theater 5/5/12

A couple of good friends were wed in Indianapolis today, and they had me perform a solo piano set for their cocktail hour before the reception began. Jack and Beth Joseph have been together a long time, and I was happy to perform on their big day. Some of you may know, Jack is a bass player ive worked with in several different projects over the years. They had a beautiful ceremony at St. Michaels church, and the reception was held in the same venue where my wife and I were wed in 2003, so it was nice to go back and visit again. I wish Jack and Beth many years of happiness!

Lakeview Manor 5/1/12

After the daycare this morning, I rounded out what some call my "Circle Of Life" tour by performing at the retirement center where my grandmother lives. She stopped me after one song to tell me my music was hurting her back. When I asked how so, she told me she bounces in her chair to my music so hard, that it hurts her back, and then she smiled! One gentleman in the room said it was hot in the room, but the piano was even hotter. I had fun with everyone, and when I was finished, I had a chance to joke around with my 102-year-old grandmother, and to see the ducklings who had come up to the near-by window to watch my show. Everyone had a great time, and I'm glad I could help make their day brighter.

SUMC Childcare 5/1/12

My triumphant return to Speedway United Methodist Church Childcare in Speedway, IN was great fun this morning! The kids sang along to everything they knew, danced to all of the fast tunes I played, and then listened attentively to the ballads I played. They really make a great crowd, and I'm happy to teach them how to act while at a performance. After I finished playing, the staff was given cupcakes as part of an appreciation day. Pretty cool...and delicious!