2019 is already shaping up to be a break-out year if last Saturday is any indication.
To say that our first gig of the year was a success would be quite the understatement.
When we arrived at Bumper’s Landing in scenic Harrison Twp. Michigan, it looked as though there were no more tables to be filled. The room was as vibrant as we had ever seen, and ready to explode.
Great to see the people and the fun they were already experiencing. It was up to us to keep them smiling and enjoying the evening ahead.
Setting up was a blur as the entire cast of Bumper’s regulars were in motion, watching the game, drinking their drinks or eating their delicious entrees.
Even before we began, there were people letting us know that they were ready to help entertain, when needed.
Perfect!!!
Doing what we do most times goes smooth. Annnnnnd then there are some nights when we have to jump through a few hoops to accomplish anything. This was just one of those nights, as some things were not working from the beginning. However, Carl is pretty prepared, so when things go awry, we can roll with the punches.
There’s a saying that goes, “The customer is always right. We’ve all heard it, and in the music biz, it pretty much holds true. Even before we began we had a suggestion of what song needed to be played before any other; “What Do You Do With A Drunken Sailor!“, apparently was what the crowd needed to hear to start the night out on the right foot. (or, peg-leg.)
Well, it worked, that’s for sure. They were singing after that. Some nights we love rocketing right out of the gate, as it is a change from the norm for us. If you know anything about us, you know that we don’t like boring, anything.
More “up-tempo” was the vibe on this particular night, as more and more people came in to share the fun. So many friends, so many smiles. It was truly great to see the walls ready to burst and the new year cheer being passed from patron to patron.
The byproduct of all this merriment however was the decibel level in the bar. It was LOUD!
So loud that Carl and I couldn’t talk to each other, from four feet away. Probably for the best, as we really don’t have anything too exciting to say in the first place.
When the group of eight arrived, including Dan, The Singer Man, it was really time to blow off the roof. You thought it was loud before?
Just at that point we had finished our first set, and were putting our heads together to find just the right song for one of the Bumper’s singers who happened to be in the house.
To begin our second set, we put Judy’s vocal talents to good use in making everyone feel like they were at a Red Wing game, when Judy wowed the crowd with her rendition of the that great Four Non-Blonds tune, What’s Going On.
Now that everyone was singing along, we played a few more classics until Dan took the stage with his musical staple. For What It’s Worth.
Now it was a party!
Since the sing-along ice was truly broken, we played all of the shameless tunes we could to keep everyone on their post-holiday high, like Country Roads, Evil Woman and the ever popular, Piano Man.
I know, “Not Fair!” right?
I get it, but what are you gonna do?
It’s a brand new year; we might as well break it in the right way.
Keep ’em guessing, keep ’em singing, and by all means, keep ’em coming back for more!
Both singers joined us again for another great rock ballad or classic, and before we knew it, we were playing our second encore of the night.
So great to be back. So great to see so many faithful friends. So great to begin a brand new year, just the way we like it . . .
. . . out of control!
RB
