Out of the blue, a few days ago, I received a call from Colin at the Stony Creek Roadhouse. Seems as though they had a rare opening on a Thursday evening, and wondered if we could play.
Let me back up for a moment, won’t you . . .
About a month earlier, I finally got around to checking out the Roadhouse for an evening of dinner with some friends. It was everything that I had heard about and a little bit more.
First of all, the Roadhouse is a little bit out of the way. You pass Stoney Creek Metropark, a wee bit on 26 mile road, and after a few subdivisions catch your eye, there it is on the south side of the street.
It appears as a rustic, woodsy lodge, nestled in the quaint countryside, though the sign out front belies much more. Live entertainment, great food and attentive service are the corner stones that this warm establishment has over the years built its solid reputation on.
For a very long time, people have approached Carl and I about seeking to play at the Roadhouse. Finally, the evening arrived when I made the connection.
Our dinner was nice, sitting at the high-top tables with good friends. The music played in the background, and yet was not overbearing. On the night that we visited, there was a three piece band who played a mostly instrumental set of eclectic songs, designed to warm the crowd quench the palette. The night was enjoyable, and after taking in that the venue had to offer, I envisioned that Carl and I would be a pretty good fit, should they be interested in engaging us.
On our way out, I gave one of our cards to manager, and after a few attempts, we got the call to make it all happen.
Right off the bat, we had a pretty good feeling that things would work out for the best, when we arrived to set up an hour early, and customers began to pour in.
Setting up was pretty easy, as the staff was very attentive to us being rookies in their establishment. After a short period of time, we were all set up and comfortable in front of the fireplace were Bruce the moose watched over the lodge.
Several of our good friends also dropped by to make our inaugural evening even more special. There is really no way to thank them for all that they do. Carl and I are truly blessed to have so many wonderful people in our lives that we can count on for such great support.
Playing was the easy part. We felt very much at home, and right from the start hit all the good notes with the patrons in the lounge area where we entertained.
We launched from one classic to the next as the audience applauded with deserved enthusiasm. We met many wonderful people from the Shelby area, even on our first night in a strange new venue. Soon, our three hours was concluded, but were so into it, that we just had to play another twenty minutes, for good measure.
All in all, it was a hugely successful night for us. We really enjoyed the Roadhouse. The staff, the customers and the setting were perfect for our type of entertaining.
Like a magician who practices “close magic”, Carl and I enjoy having people so close to us that it makes it exceedingly easy to interact with. Their requests are elicited, played and enjoyed flawlessly in an intimate setting like this.
We hope that we will be back in the near future. Maybe in April, as they are all booked for March. Either way, make sure that you stop by and enjoy any of the fine musicians that call The Stony creek Roadhouse their home. You won’t be disappointed.
Rb
