March 2019

Sometimes an entertainer will get to a place in their career when they lose sight of what got them there in the first place.  Talent, hard work and above all, being at the right place in the right time sure does help.  However, in the end, (as it was in the beginning), it is always about THE MUSIC.

Always.

Carl and I hardly ever forget that, but when we do, we are very fortunate that we have some great patrons who remind us, without fail.

And so it was on another night at Bumper’s Landing when we knew not what to expect.  The word on the street was that a huge crowd was on their way in to watch the big basketball game against Michigan and Michigan State.  Since the game began at eight, we would wait until it was finished before we would take the stage.

All good.

We arrived at our very same time, and began setting up in our usual way.  The goal was to be settled in and ready to start as soon as the big game concluded.

All well and good.  The game began and everyone was glued to the big screens.  You know how men are with huge television screens to keep them focused . . .

We were set up and ready, and in the zone.

When half time arrived, we kicked off the music, with Jimmy Buffett urging everyone to think about a trip to Margaritaville.  A couple more songs got the patrons thinking about anything but basketball, just in time for the game to begin its second half.

Of course, some games, just like men are bigger than others, and the second half of the game turned out to be a prelude to nothing as State ran away with the outcome.

That of course, left many of the Michigan faithful to head out early, and with it, our chance to play their favorite songs.

We did however, (as luck would have it), meet a group of guys who loved live music just as much as sport.  They stopped in to watch the rest of the game, but stayed to listen to our first set.

That was all it took.  They loved each song we played and we loved playing more and more of their favorites.

This is when it really gets enjoyable for Carl and I, when we have a group in front of us that we can interact with.

They shout out a musical favorite, and we play it.  Simple as that.

It really doesn’t get any better.

We actually played only two sets on Saturday night, the first one, an hour long, and the second an hour and a half.

But what sets they were!

We really, really enjoyed the evening, and owe it all to those five guys.  While it really IS about the music, a lot of times, it’s about the people we are lucky enough to play the music for.

After all, that’s why we play: for them.  Song after song, week after week, year after year.  It’s a great job most of the time.  And when some wonderful people are there appreciating our effort, it’s not a job at all!

Rb

Just down the street  . . .

 

. . . . is your friendly neighborhood bar.

That probably can be said for just about any city street in America, but in Mount Clemens, this particular bar is special.

Why, you might ask?

Well, this bar has been dispensing liquor, refreshments and fellowship, in the same spot for more than one hundred years!

Think about that . . .

When carl and I were born, (way back in the fifties), this bar had already been serving its fellow man and woman for over a half century.

As if that by itself isn’t amazing enough, consider the fact that while most everything in our society has changed: automobiles in stead of horses, supersonic jets and drones in stead of propellor airplanes, the information revolution in stead of books and newspapers . . .

. . . our need to gather together to talk about or lives has not.

Something about sharing a pint just brings people from all walks of life together.

When alcohol is flowing, any of the worlds troubles and woes can be solved.  Or so it may seem.  It’s the promise of clarity and coherence that binds like minds and sets them on the task of righting all the worlds’ wrongs.

We see it every night from our vantage point under the bright lights of the stage.  People working as one to solve all the riddles before their drinks are dry.

Lucky for us, we provide the sound track to the solution.

If only the worlds’ leaders would come down from their lofty perches to walk among us common people, they would certainly learn a lot.  They might even have the daunting issues of world hunger, climate change and most government boondoggles resolved in one afternoon.

Well, we’ll be here at the Mice, sipping a brew and solving all the world’s problems.  We might even share a story, a joke or a song.

The world can be a cruel place if you choose to go it alone.  Why do that?  Stop by your local neighborhood pub or watering hole.

If it wasn’t the solution, then why was your great grandfather here sharing a pint?

Rb