On a Thursday after a long party weekend that was almost destined to be slow and steady, Carl and I prepared to showcase music that boasted about all the good things we take for granted, living in America.
It was never going to be crowded by any means, however we understood that, while preparing for the long afternoon under the music pavilion at Bumper’s Landing.
Understood, and yet there is still a great deal of enjoyment to be had by anyone on a beautiful summers’ day by the water.
The temperature was perfect, and though you could sense that a lot of the people who were by the water, were just doing a little coasting at that point, it was fine by us.
With the fourth of July being on a Thursday, it was almost pre-ordained to be a little different from the beginning. Many people had plans for the weekend, and were pretty much taking a wait-and-see approach to the approaching holiday.
There have been holidays that fall on the Friday or Saturday, and those have been out of control. Even on a Tuesday or a Monday, folks get a day before and a day after to spend some time recovering from one crazy day of being let off the chain.
This year however, it was a bit more subdued as most people were poised to party on the upcoming weekend. Lots of family get-togethers, graduations and even others making poor choices to be with people they already regret being with.
By now, we’ve seen it all.
Our job is to entertain, no matter what. Cold, warm, crowded or quiet.
What matters when we sing are not the size of the crowds, but the size of the hearts who would listen.
Since it was a holiday, another band was already entertaining as we arrived. Foster and Lewis, a fun-loving duo, had connected with the people and were enjoying their last set.
Drums and a strong purposeful guitar had the crowd singing and fully engaged. It is so great to hear talented musicians succeeding by playing classic songs in an creative setting.
They really sounded great!
Soon it was time for Carl and I to take the torch they had passed at 8:00. We began, (as usual), with some Buffett and cranked it up from there.
On a night such as this, we weren’t really going to get too wild and crazy. Everyone was still burned out from the long week past, and anxious to leave something in the tank for the approaching weekend.
This particular crowd was really laid back and into chatting for the most part. It was tough to make a connection with them.
They were quite content simply talking and listening.
Our music generously washed over them with a little help from Van Morrison, Tom Petty and Gordon Lightfoot.
There we’re fireworks close at hand being offered down the road at Mac & RaYs when dusk finally arrived. We finished our last set just as the fish flies were showing up to join the party.
Actually, the entire evening was like a day in the life of a boater: pretty much even keeled! Boaters don’t seem to get too high, or too low. They maintain an even course. It works out just fine on most evenings.
I cannot forget to thank the amazing wait-staff at Bumper’s once again, for all that they do. Incredible, amazing, outstanding are all adjectives that fail miserably at summing up how hard they work. We are always in awe of how they keep everything going, day in and night out.
As the last glow of the fireworks flickered and faded, Carl and I packed up our gear and headed out. Another pleasant evening by the water. Not the normal night, but deliciously different. By now, we all know the adage, “You never know what to expect at Bumper’s Landing.”
. . . .But, its never dull!
Rb
