second thoughts (more mixed feelings)

 

      SUNDAY 8/1/21 12:02AM--rather suddenly I'm having second thoughts about going to the Riley's Lock Jam...Audience participation seems to be automatic...but not every member of the audience is an even semi-professional Musician...judging from the few videos I've seen, it's one big communal singalong...Call it whatever ya want, ego or conceit, but I'm not sure I wanna be a part of that...it kinda feels like I'm lowering myself a bit...Like I said, it's an ego thing...
8:18AM--and now I'm having second thoughts about my second thoughts--sheesh...
9:44AM--I WANT to shave and shower but the roomie is still asleep...and I still dunno what, if anything I'm bringing with me...
11:20AM-I deliberately left any guitars at home… I think I’m at the location of the jam itself, watching some kayakers floating down the Potomac…I’m about a half an hour early but I don’t care – yet…
11:43AM-found it… how long will it be before I regret leaving my guitar at home?
12:20PM-maybe MAYBE I’ll bring the Blues Jr next time-there are 3 generators here...
2PM--just got back from the cancelled Riley's Lock Jam...So I was there for more than two hours...hopefully I can go next week...One of the guys in charge was prepared to let me use HIS guitar and amp...that PRS felt good in my hands...I would have loved to have jammed with a certain busy ( as in works a lot) guitar player, but it was not meant to happen--yet...
 

mixed feelings this time

 

               MONDAY 7/26/21 10:05AM--for some reason I was thinking that today is Tuesday...I'm SO glad it's not; that gives me one more day to finish straightening up the house before the cleaning ladies come to clean it--on Wednesday...Lou is considering going to the open mic on Tuesday...I wonder how he'll feel if SueEl comes with me..
4:52PM--I just realized earlier today that I may have left a verse outta my rendition of STUCK IN THE MIDDLE.last week...Lou kinda sorta in a way suggested doing that one tomorrow evening...we'll see...
TUESDAY 7/27/21 10:57PM--got back from Lou's about thirty minutes ago...the trip to the Main Stage Grille was a success on pretty much all levels...he seemed to like the place...I think he appreciated the way the open mic was being run...*I* was recruited by Max to play alongside two guys I didn't know...the older of the two was the featured performer; me and the younger guy backed him up...the Lou & Scott set (three songs) went well enough...the surprise is that Lou thought so too...he's usually more critical than I am...we could return next Tuesday...I'd like that...
WEDNESDAY 7/28/21 7:30PM--I WAS looking forward to going to Hershey's tomorrow, until I was reminded that there's a Jim&Eileen rehearsal tomorrow...except that there might NOT be a J&E rehearsal after all...Bob can't make it, seemingly...If I had MY way, I think I'd rather go to Hershey's, Musical anarchy though it may be...I guess I'll know more tomorrow...unless I get the schedule this evening...
9:30PM--I sent an FB message to Eileen...I have no idea when I'll get a reply...pins and needles until then...
11:44PM--the J&E Project is at this point in time scheduled to practice tomorrow at 5:30...we'll be w/o our main singer, but Eileen wants to "muddle through"...
THURSDAY 11:07AM--practice is still on, as of now..
3:07PM--rehearsal is a "go" as far as *I* know....
10:10PM--in spite of the fact that I forgot my stomp boxes, the J&E rehearsal went well enough...I borrowed Jim's Strat...there was considerable tension afterwards--turns out both Mike and Jeff hate the Government telling them what they can and can't do...sheesh...if the pandemic starts up again, the gig will likely get postponed...but I did a bunch of substitue singing...I was pretty dammed good if you ask me...
FRIDAY 11:29PM-- what I would LIKE to do is take this new voice to the Riley's Lock Jam on Sunday...
5:30PM--starting to think about the Lock Jam--what songs would *I* sing? I AM afraid it's gonna rain tomorrow--in fact, I expect it to...but I'm still gonna look at my SOLO song list for the hell of it...if the Universe is gonna make it rain, let it be at dinnertime...

More than 47 years

 

    

         50 YEARS AND THEN SOME  

           This is Part Two of my Musical History, the way *I* remember it...I suspect it's only marginally accurate due to the passage of time...  

      THE COMBUSTIBLES--I joined a group led by Barry Fantle called the Combustibles...The name made sense, we changed drummers at least once and Bass players too...Barry was a good song writer, but IMO, not the best singer...he wasn't the worst either...

        ACME BAND COMPANY/ IN TONE NATION--both were led by Dave Koplow...In fact ITN, was TWO bands--a Montgomery County line-up and an Anne Arundel Co. line-up...I was the guitarist  in the MontCo line-up...The guitar player in the other band was Joe Dyson, who had actually been in the Last Chance with me, if only briefly...The two bands also shared a drummer...

         THE SNOWDAWGZ--I joined a band formed by Stu Judd, we gigged some but, the way *I* remember it, we just sorta drifted apart...But not before I could record a pair of gigs...It may have been the least stressful of any of the MontCo bands I was in, other than MSR...

        THE FULL HOUSE BAND--we intially came together as the house band at the OTWC Open Mic...I believe *I* came up with the name...I would say it was possibly the best of all the MontCo bands I'd been in since leaving Glen Burnie in 1985...but I also think there was room for improvement...we had "philosophical" differences, musically speaking... I don't WANT to be in a cover band that plays the songs EXACTLY like the record...and of course, my guitar skills DO have limits...I couldn't play a Van Halen solo if you held a gun to my head, for instance...

          A pandemic in the Spring of 2020 put a complete stop to what seemed like EVERYTHING, including the bands...it's could be that I had actually left them of my own free will...with the possible exception of the FHB...I think I was fired from that one...it may have been fun when I joined, but as time went on, the fun slowly eveaporated...

How different will it be?

 

       FRIDAY 7/23/21 8:21PM-I think Ray is coming here in September…I guess I’ll have to tell Dianne what has happened between me and him…not looking forward to THAT…
        I will not apologize for doing what Ray wanted me to do-TELL THE TRUTH… and I don’t expect him to ever admit that perhaps he made a mistake…I’m assuming our friendship will not be repaired…I don’t intend to fix it…
    In the meantime my friendship with SueEl is developing nicely, but it will never be a romance...And I'm fine with that and I think she is too...seriously, I mean it...
SATURDAY 7/24/21 8:12PM--told SueEl that I'd thrown out a bunch of setlists--trying to "be here now" I guess...but today I found a binder full of 'em...
11:36PM--Lou has expressed interest in going to the open mic on Tuesday...it may complicate things, but I bet SueEl will wanna go...*I* think Lou&Scott are gonna knock 'em dead...
SUNDAY 7/25/21 12:51PM--My guess is that IF SueEl goes with me, Lou won't be happy...I really think it would be unwise (to put it mildly) to surprise Lou, so IF SueEl wants to go, I'd better check with Lou...

MAJOR change of Plan-for the better IMO

 

    THURSDAY 7/22/21 1:50PM--my plan to attend the Hershey's Jam has been superceded by another event--rehearsal with Jim and Eileen and whomever tonight at 7PM...my whole schedule went out the window, but I'm FINE with that...
4:46PM--on the other hand I kinda feel like somebody's understudy, I guess because I am understudy to an unknown number of players...Eileen might think I should feel honored, but frankly, I don't exactly...
11:39PM--rehearsal at Jim & Eileen's went way better than I thought it would...I sang three or four songs I've NEVER sung before--except in the car, drivin' around...like 867-5309(Jenny) and STUCK IN THE MIDDLE...and I didn't have any kind of cheat sheet...I'm not sure that I'll be singing them at the gig, but IMO I should be...I didn't feel like an outta practice guitar player, or an understudy to Neil or Jim...frankly, vocally at least, I kicked serious butt...I didn't really screw up any of the lyrics to any of the songs I sang,WITHOUT  cheat sheets BTW...in addition to the aformentioned songs, I also sang TAKE IT EASY and MARY JANE'S LAST DANCE, also w/o cheat sheets...although I apparently won't be singing THOSE songs at the gig either...but, if they haven't already, Jim&Eileen could replace our departed friend in however many bands they were in together with...me.
FRIDAY 7/23/21 11:39AM--I think the roomie and her sister are going out somewhere tomorrow...depending on when they go, I might go see a band at the Elks Lodge in Rockville...I like a fair amount of 80s Music...any more modern than that I could take it or leave it...

the thanks I get/that took guts

 

       TUESDAY 7/20/21 5PM-- Barry asked me for my reccommendation regarding keyboard players..."Putting a band together?" I asked optimistically? His reply? "Kind of...Got a new guitar player..."  I have mixed feelings about being excluded, naturally...I guess I dug my own grave that time...I doubt that Barry has gotten that much better than he was before the pandemic...
9:43PM--there's gonna be a Memorial for a friend of mine who passed away suddenly and somewhat recently...I heard from one of the organizers...she wants me to be part of the group of Musicians who are gonna play at the service...She says there's not much room "onstage" and not much time to have the service...the actual date is 8/12 I think...
10:51PM--I asked her if her band needed a guitar player...she said "no" of course...pretty dammed depressing if ya ask me...
WEDNESDAY 7/21/21 11:26PM--finally, I can start thiking about the Hershey's Jam...we might not a keyboard player--he's got a gig somewhere...

it was ultimately worth the hassle

 

          THURSDAY 7/15/21 11:30PM--just got in from the Hershey's Jam...the "Gizmo" performed admirably, but it was a b**ch to hook up, I dunno why...as it turns out, the reason I initially couldn't get a signal is because I didn't have one of the three (?) volume knobs properly adjusted...SHEESH...I AM glad we were inside...I might not have played at all if we had been outside...
      Eventually I got warmed up, and I stayed onstage for quite awhile...I played Bass for a bit and even had a go at playing LET IT BE on the piano...I think I'd give the evening a 7 on a scale of 10...a pretty good vocal performance on ONE WAY OUT was marred only by my forgetting the lyrics to the 2nd verse...SueEl is already asking about next Tuesday, but it's way too soon to know what's gonna happen...
SUNDAY 718/21 6:27PM--still feeling somewhat left out of the MontCo Music Scene...the Crimestoppers added a 2nd guitarist--whether it's true or not, I strongly believe Stoney was responsible for my being excluded from the auditions, if there were any...or, based on my poor performance at Branded '72 years ago, they just decided I am a bad guitarist...I'm not a bad guitarist, but I AM inconsistent...I think that's partially because I'm not in a working (busy) band...I believe Liz Springer's band also added a 2nd guitarist...As for Tuesday, I still dunno what I wanna do...
MONDAY 7/19/21 10:20AM--I'm leaning towards going to the Main Stage Grille tomorrow, but I'm not 100% sure about it...dunno what SueEl wants to do yet...I can't assume that I'll be able to use Dianne's car...I think my car can make it there and back...but I dunno for sure...
11:13AM--there seems to have been an explosion of live gigs going on recently, all over the place... apparently club owners think the pandemic is behind us...*I* don't believe it is...I GET that they have to make money...*I* don't think they can make back what they LOST, but I think that's what most (all) businesses are trying to do...
7:25PM--got my CRETONES CD today..apparently it's quite rare...was able to find a certain PHISH song online...glad I remembered how to install it into my iTunes Library...
IF I go, I think I'll just bring my guitar and use whatever amp I can...
10:31PM--it took awhile but I uploaded (?) an alternate version of SAIL ON SAILOR with Carl singing lead vocals...I tried to used the (2nd) MP3 converter I installed on my laptop, but it wouldn't load...and yet somehow, it did...I tried to find it in iTunes, but I DIDN'T find it...

Can hardly wait

 

                  SUNDAY 7/11/21 5:50PM-Lou and I are discussing going to the Main Stage Grille on Tuesday… I think we’re gonna knock ‘em dead… as of today, the plan is for me to be at his house early enough that we could rehearse a little bit before we go… I suppose we could have dinner there…
   7:26PM-Lou just contacted me… he says he can’t go this Tuesday or next Tuesday but we will go eventually.
WEDNESDAY 7/14/21 7:45PM--I didn't go to the MSG yesterday, but I'm hoping to go to Hershey's tomorrow...By the time I get used to open mics that start at five o'clock, they might go back to a "normal" start time--like 9:00PM...I'm thinking of (maybe) taking the Gizmo instead of the stomp boxes...but I gotta check the batteries first...
THURSDAY 7/15/21 11:15PM--getting nervous/excited about the Hershey's jam...I hope somebody has the good sense to have it INSIDE...It was held inside two weeks ago...I won't be as happy if they have it outside...in fact, I might not participate, I'll just spectate...the weather is not (IMO) ideal for any outdoor activities...
3:42PM--having Dinner now...hope to be on my way to Hershey's soon...
 

Life Goes On

              THURSDAY 7/8/21 9:43PM-until just a few minutes ago, I had gotten used to the idea that Ray and I were finished as friends… but now I’m kind of thinking about it again , and it makes me sad… but life goes on, and my plan is to go to Woodstock on Tuesday, either with or without Sue Ellen…
FRIDAY 7/9/21 4:30PM-there is an open mic tonight at the Rockville American Legion Post 86, just like in the olden days… I think Howard is running things; that’s OK, I’m gonna try it out anyway – there doesn’t appear to be anything good on TV… My car is all packed up and ready to go… I’ll be leaving in a few minutes…
7:17PM-I could be playing BASS at the open mic, hell I might even get to play DRUMS…there are four guitarists here so far…
10:32PM-The first night of Howard’s open mic at the American Legion Post 86 was in just about every way a bit of a failure..it takes time to build up an open mic… I DID get to play some drums and a lot of bass… I believe *I* was the best Bass player AND the best drummer...In fact I didn’t play guitar all evening long…SO glad I left my amp in the car – I didn’t need it…
I think I would’ve been the second best guitar player at the Legion this evening, technically at least… The guy from Columbia (I didn’t catch his name) was WAY better than me in terms of technique IMO… but I do like the style that I’m developing…hopefully Howard's open mic will catch on...dunno when/if *I* will be back...
11:06PM-I wonder how many of the people that I’ve met through Ray will desert me… Or maybe the question might be – will I desert THEM? I get a funny feeling reading Facebook posts from Denisa, among others…Dunno if Ray has told her anything about the break-up...she of course witnessed the conversation that eventually led to the spilt...

THAT was a surprise

    

           FRIDAY 7/2/21 11:03PM--a half an hour ago, maybe less, I was browsing thru my iTunes library when I came across SPEED OF SOUND by Margot MacDonald...I was about halfway thru it when it hit me--let's do a remix of THIS...I got it right on very the first attempt--I couldn't have been more surprised...I would say it's a 9.5 if not a "10"...
         11:44PM--Then I got cocky...I tried connecting my remix to the original four minute version...the "join" is a 9.75 on a scale of 10...unbelievable...
     SATURDAY 7/3/21 6:38PM-- I wrote a post on social media expessing my thoughts about the break-up between me and a certain singer/songwriter...frankly, I wouldn't be surprised if one of our mutual "friends" is able to send him the post in some manner...so, whatever...