A sleepy Saturday anywhere else would be just that.
Not at Bumper’s Landing. There is no such thing.
Carl and I get in the van around four O’clock in the afternoon on a Saturday, to begin our musical “experience”.
Up until then, everything is quiet and complaisant.
All of that changes when we arrive at Bumper’s Landing. That’s where the action is.
Always.
This Saturday was no different, as the summer now is in full bloom. These boaters are in the groove by now, with their hearts and souls on autopilot. They just know where the good times are, and steer right in that general direction.
Seems to me that Bumper’s is almost like Put-In Bay, North. It’s crazy now. We just hold on and hope to get through each night. Kinda’ like gently guiding your canoe through the rapids as it careens towards the falls.
Like that.
So, our first set begins, and a young lady approaches from the east to play Tamborine. She announced herself as Meghan, and decided to join our group for a while as apparently we needed a professional Tamborine player/dancer/singer/keyboard player.
She was right, of course. We did.
Meghan was great fun, and certainly got all of the guys’ attention while set entertained with us.
The first sets this summer have really ben epic for us. They have been long and fun and full of the diversity that is our musical trademark. We try and play all kinds of music, so that everyone in the crowd feels included.
This afternoon was no different, as we threw in lots of alternatives to the usual musical fare as well. Songs that might not have been the A side of a single. You know the hidden gems that both of us love.
There were lots of good comments during our first break about the music that we had selected to begin the night. It was getting busy and about now we could tell that it was going to be a big night.
During our second set, the Macomb Sheriff Department decided to liven things up even more as apparently a rogue swimmer who thought that it was a great idea to forge the Clinton River and jump onto someone’s boat, couldn’t afford an Uber. So, they very generously gave him a ride.
We began throwing in some dance tunes as there were a few people brave enough to not care what anyone thought at the time.
That’s always a good feeling, when you have them dancing.
The best is when you have them singing along. Then you know that you’re really doing your job.
Patrons, staff, dogs . . . everyone seemed to be having a good time. Funny how fast things can ramp up here. The Sheriffs returned again to patrol the establishment.
Great people watching, here. No one can every deny that.
People laughing, singing and having fun. Waitresses darting here and there. Dogs wagging and barking, folks dancing and singing. Great conversations. Good food and an occasional drunken round-up.
Yup, sounds like your ordinary evening at Bumper’s Landing.
You know what? How about next week, we throw in a parade of lights. That should “liven” things up nicely.
See you then. I don’t think that you’ll need your Nodoz.
Rb
