June 2016

So it was a Saturday in June, that felt very bit like a Sunday to us.

Ok, I’ll explain.

Since we already had played yesterday, (and yesterday seemed like a Saturday, because we didn’t work, and we were playing way down in Trenton, in a festival); today, seemed every bit like a Sunday.  Make sense?

Well, it did to us.  All day it seemed much more like Sunday than a Saturday.  The pace was slow and easy; with people filtering gingerly into the park early and often.

There was a big stage for us.  Ok, it wasn’t for us, but we did get to use a part of it.  The sound man even raised the roof so that we could set up and play!

Centerline has a long history of family events, and this years’ fireworks was just about at the top of their list.  We have played many times over the years, and always have enjoyed doing so.

They have had the even in a few different types of formats.  Two day events, three day events, and other formats as well.  However, over the last year or two, they have settled on this three day format.

Saturday was our day to shine, and we did it by starting off the days’ entertainment on a high note.

Four Strong Winds meandered through the park, as Carl kicked off our two hour show with some, ever popular Neal Young.  Then it was myself, Sitting On The Dock Of The Bay and singing, Against The Wind, to the small but riveted crowd.

It was a very casual atmosphere, and although it felt every bit like a Sunday – Ok, I won’t go into that again, it did have all the classic elements that any perfect Sunday have.

First, it was hot, but not too hot.  It was casual, and easy, (Like a Sunday morning).  It was pretty low-key. People came over between sets and gave us their favorite requests and suggestions.  We even signed some autographs!  (Only a matter of time before they turn up on E-Bay).

The second half of the show was even more fun than the first, as we turned up the volume and the tempo.  Some Motown, Creedence and Cash were just what the this particular Saturday/Sunday called for.  Must have been good, since the Mayor of Centerline and his family stopped by to tell us how much they enjoyed it.

After our scintillating performance, a new country band took the stage to fill the park with cowboys, apparently trying to roll their windows down for some unknown reason.

We packed up in a flash, and then began to unwind ourselves as we took in the music and sights of this fun day.  There was an enthusiastic group of young kids dressed in traditional Polish attire, dancing to wonderful ethnic music in a pavilion to our left.  There were several vendors, with delicious treats, designed to tantalize our awaiting taste buds.  There was even a beer tent.  What a country!!!  (not sure how Carl found that so fast.  Maybe it was just dumb luck).

Ahhhhh, it was a wonderful day for sure.  Just the way to start out our summer of ’16.

If you weren’t there, better not miss our next show.  Think it will be at Bumper’s Landing in Harrison Twp.  Just float downstream, and we’ll snatch you out of the water.

Rb

We were back.

. . . In Trenton, that is.  After about ten years, I believe.  It’s hard to say, actually.  It’s been a while, for certain.  Back in Trenton.

Just yesterday, it seems, we were playing in front of the old hotel, entertaining passers-by, from the front porch of the venerable old gal.  It’s always an old-timey folksy atmosphere in Trenton, and we like that.

We get there early and try our best to take in each and every, sound, sight and smell of the entire festival.  We make a day of it.  We take some time to get to know all the promoters, artists, vendors and participants, who make the event sustainable and vibrant.

As we arrived last Friday, we could hear a young gal on the stage, entertaining all the people in the picnic area with her beaconing vocals.  She was doing a great job of showcasing the new female, singer -songwriter hits out there.  The crowd was thoroughly delighted, and we could tell.

As she finished to the chanting of “Encore!”, it was time for Carl and I to change the atmosphere from contemporary, girl angst, to a more light-hearted musical vibe.

Beginning with Jimmy Buffett was seemingly just what the crowd needed.  Light and breezy, sunshine and casual.  The way a summer really should be in Michigan, or anywhere, for that matter.

We kept it light and easy.  We played an hour and then took a ten minute break to give us a chance to talk to some of the very nice Trenton-ites.

After getting an earful of requests, we were back at it for the second half of the show.  A second half that breezed right by us.  Music so good, the Slushie Ladies, (Not their real names, I’m pretty sure), brought us two Slushies, just for us mentioning them in one of our songs.  (Now that’s product placement!).

After our show, another young gal grabbed the stage to try her hand at entertaining the enthusiastic crowd.  IF she was any indication, the classic singer-songwriter will never go out of style.

There was a lot to see, hear and do in Trenton.  Just across the street from our stage was a young gal who was entertaining people in exchange for college money.  Across from her was a real Cajun Cafe, (If you were buying what they were selling), and I was!

It was a great, relaxing day for us both.  Always a good way to spend the summer, by sharing our musical talents with people and places we have invested in over the years.

Hopefully, we will be back some summer, down the road.  Trenton always brings a smile to our faces.  And, if you were there, perhaps it brought one to yours.

Rb

Sometimes at the Three Blind Mice Irish Pub, the night nearly gets away from us.  The crowd is big, the tempo is fast and we are barely able to hold on for dear life.

On those nights, the requests are flying fast and furious from start to finish.  It is pretty much a blur to us, and before we know it, it’s gone, done and over.

And, then there are the other nights.  Nights when the tempo is much slower.  You can quickly tell that everyone is truly exhausted from the long week, and it even shows.

It was a night just like that on Friday last.  The evening had a much slower pace to it, from the very beginning.  No problem.  We can roll with that.

The great thing about a night like that, is Carl and I get a chance to visit with many new patrons.  Although we have been entertaining on Friday nights since the Three Blind Mice officially opened its’ doors, we are always meeting new patrons, just coming in for the very first time.

That was just the case the other Friday night.  After our first set, we realized that the night was going to be slower than usual.  It was a beautiful night, outside.  Can’t blame anyone for not wanting to sit inside.  We didn’t.  It was our job to make them want to stay.

Quite a challenge, some nights.

What I think we will take away most from this gig, was the knowledge that it really doesn’t matter how old or young the people are that come to see us.  It is the knowledge that people from all walks of life, no matter the age demographic still enjoy the classic music that we sing.

Those songs are classics.  That’s why we still sing them.

And when I sit and spend our breaks talking with great people about the music, what comes across is that so many of them still enjoy those classic songs.

I hear it most every night.  “You know, I grew up on those songs!“, they say. Over and over again.  Like the cute couple that I talked with last Friday night.

Although they were still in their twenty somethings’ they went out of their way to tell me how much they enjoyed the music.  It is still unexpected to me.   To hear those words from people so young.  But, we’ll take it.

They were a truly appreciative couple from the Battle creek area, who were here enjoying the night, thoroughly.

People like them, who were trying to make a difference in all aspects of their lives.  It was so great to chat with them.  Rewarding, you might say.

There is no band upstairs for the summer, since the patio is now open, the upstairs is not.  Out on the patio, people talked and pretty much just kicked back on this late Spring night.

It was perfect outside.  Wait, we were inside!!!

Well, we better finish the night then.  How about some old friends that showed up to cap things off with?  Perfect.

Thanks go out to the fun table who shared some of their night with us, too.  A great guy who works as a professional wedding photographer, grabbed my camera and shot some pics.  He even captured Carl and I improvisation some Jim Morrison and the Doors of Perception.  Check out our videos.  Fun night.

I guess the moral of this story, is that when you have less people, you an spend more time with them.  And, for us, that is a win – win situation.  No matter what it sounds like.

Rb

“What the world needs now is love, sweet love
It’s the only thing that there’s just too little of.”

Those immortal words of Jackie DeShannon, first sung in the summer of 1965 have never rung more true than right here, fifty years later in the summer of 2016.

After the tragic events of this weekend in Orlando, they resonate even more.  What the world needs now, is more love.

Not hate.

Not legislation, or posturing, or politicizing, or even higher walls.

What this world needs it tolerance, and love of other people.  Love of life itself.

Last Saturday night in St. Claire Shores Michigan, Carl and I experienced, first hand.  The other side of the Love / Hate spectrum.  All, (and when I say, All, I mean . . . all), of the people we met at the Masonic Lodge 553, Sock Hop / Steak Out, get together were the nicest people we have ever met at an show.

From the moment we walked in, to the moment we said good night, we were absolutely awestruck by how wonderful this group of over achieving adults were.

When I say, over achieving, It has so much to do with what they do for the community and self.  I know first hand what wonders the Masons and the Eastern Star do for the community; my father, grand father, uncle and step mother were all involved.

I think that is one reason that they are so nice.  They are really happy with where they are in life.  How they fit in.  They are part of the master plan.  Carl and I have also volunteered many times at their functions, through the years.

So, on Saturday afternoon, in the heat, Carl and I arrived at the Masonic lodge in St. Clair Shores.  We found the little stage that was awaiting us, and set up in no time at all.

The crowd was small.  They were there for a nice steak dinner, cooked to perfection by themselves, and some oldies dance music.

Right after the equipment was set up, I had the opportunity to sit down and talk with some fine people, as I ate my steak.  The real joy of a small crowd is that Carl and I feel more at home.  It is easier for us to sit down and chat with a smaller, less intimidating gathering, than a big group.  We were able to really get a feel for what music they would enjoy the most.

We talked about what music we were going to play. what instruments we played and even chatted about how I play bass with my feet. I know, right?

After talking with a gentleman from Hogs’ hollow Utica, we also knew that some of the folks might like to hear some Blue Grass music as well.  No problem!

We started with oldies, with folk, with Do-Wop, with rock & roll, and then took some jogs in the other musical directions.

We played some country, some Island music.  We played Irish, pop, country and western and even Blue Grass.  There were smiles and cell phones recording every note.

As the night progressed, the crowd go noticeably smaller, but no less enthusiastic.  The smiles endured.  The hand shakes and the hearty “thank you’s!” still resounded.

We ended the night with some Kenny Chesney favorites, to the delight of all that remained.

This one, we truly enjoyed.   From start to finish.

We wish this lodge well.  We hope they continue to prosper and grow.  Passing their message of service and love to all they come in contact with.

It is the only message that matters.

Rb

Some pictures by permission, Lodge 553.

What The World Needs Now

Burt Bacharach / Hal David

What the world needs now is love, sweet love
It’s the only thing that there’s just too little of
What the world needs now is love, sweet love
No, not just for some but for everyone

Lord, we don’t need another mountain
There are mountains and hillsides enough to climb
There are oceans and rivers enough to cross
Enough to last ’till the end of time

What the world needs now is love, sweet love
It’s the only thing that there’s just too little of
What the world needs now is love, sweet love
No, not just for some but for everyone

Lord, we don’t need another meadow
There are cornfields and wheat fields enough to grow
There are sunbeams and moonbeams enough to shine
Oh, listen, lord, if you want to know

What the world needs now is love, sweet love
It’s the only thing that there’s just too little of
What the world needs now is love, sweet love
No, not just for some, oh, but just for ever, every, everyone

What the world needs now is love, sweet love (oh, is love)

 

Last night was our triumphant return to the eloquent tranquillity of Auburn Hills.  Never mind the last time we where there, (yes, and also the first), was back in July of 1998.

To be honest, little has changed since then.  Oh the trees have grown some, but our song list hasn’t.  Why, you might ask?

Because most of the music that we have adopted over the years, are classic songs, interwoven into the fabric of our lives.  Or, as one wonderful young lady told us last night, “The music you play is so nice, because I know the words to every song!”

Just the response that we want to hear.  Translation: she and her husband thoroughly enjoyed themselves last night, hearing a band for the very first time.

To us, it means a lot, when kind people take the time to tell us how much they enjoyed themselves after the show ends.

We only played two sets, just more than two hours.  But, the audience had plenty of time to decide if they liked us or not.  They did.

It was a beautiful spring evening in Auburn Hills at the recreation center patio.  The attire was casual, the temperature was perfect and the air was filled with easy listening music.

On this particular night, we were even encouraged to play some of our Irish favorites.  It makes us smile when we see people enjoying music they have never heard before, and yet can’t stop tapping their toes and clapping their hands.

People sat and listened, folks jogged by the path through the woods and some people even took time out of their evening rituals, like walking their pets to come, sit down and give us a listen.

Happy smiles and many encouraging comments let us know that everyone there had a great time.

We only hope that it won’t be another 18 years until we return again.

Rb

Saturday was the very first show of 2016, on the water at Bumper’s Landing.  It certianly seemed everything was in place for a perfect evening of top-notch entertainment with the incomparable Bob and Carl at the helm.

Until Mother Nature had her say, that is.

Nearly in the blink of an eye, it went from mostly sunny to mostly shitty.  Oh well, the life of a rock star . . .

Thankfully someone made the intelligent call to have us set up our equipment in the bar, just in time to see the rainstorm scatter the water-side revelers inside . . . . right into our evil clutches!

Snug inside, the gentle sounds of Jimmy Buffet made the transition from deck-side to bar-side a bit more tolerable, as the requests began to pour in.  Tables in close proximity made communication with the audience easy, as we settled in for what would be an amazing night to come.

Jimmy, Kenny and Bob weren’t at the bar, but springing from our guitar and keyboards; as the perfect mix of alcohol and enthusiasm plied the frowns from those in the full house.  It might have been pouring outside, but nothing nothing could stop the fun, inside.  The tables were jammed, the rain was steady, and the music was accelerating.  Everywhere you looked, you saw . .  . . .  happy.

One of the things we love about playing at Bumper’s is that when we take a breaks, the music doesn’t stop.  Any song that we don’t know can be spun by our good friend, DJ Jimmy.  He never lets the party slow down with his vast selection of enjoyable tunes.  Sometimes, a girl just needs to let it loose on the dance floor, and Jimmy is right there to accommodate.

After only a few songs into our second set, the door opened and sixteen happy faces strolled in.  Looking for only one thing . .. a great time!

Well, they came to right place.  Bumper’s and Bob and Carl were ready for them.  The crew was celebrating a birthday, and they were celebrating with an vengeance.

The entire bar joined together for an rousing rendition of “Happy Birthday“, Vegas style.

So, after birthday props went out to both Kelly and Bobby, we were able to really crank up the party!  The dance floor was filled with happy people, grooving to the timeless classics that delighted both young and old.

While the rain subsided outside, and the fish flies descended; the party raged right to the eleventh hour, inside.

Though neither of us believed that the night was going to turn out so well; we sure were glad that it did.  Sometimes, the best of times are the times never imagined.

Lesson learned: If you are heading to a boat party . . . bring your suit and your smile.  You’re going to need them!

Rb