This was a strange gig for me due to the fact I received notice that my son Jaimie was in a motorcycle accident back in CT in the afternoon. I was able to learn that he was relatively unhurt but it was a messed up situation that he apparently survived with no small amount of luck, his clear mind, and layers of protective equipment (gloves, boots, jacket, pants, helmet) that literally saved his skin.

 

It was hard to put together the prep and deal my show, but it probably helped me get through these few hours. I did get to check in with him after the gig.

 

This is a gig I’ve tried to get back on my schedule for several years. It’s in the fine Sculpture Garden along side the City Hall. It’s a nice amphitheater that has been given some love by local folks. The series is run by the Bethlehem Fine Arts Commission, the folks I got an award from a few years ago. They pretty much insisted that I do it with a band, in line with the other acts they’ve booked.

 

I’ve always thought I could do it as a solo, and it almost ended up that way, with all the usual suspects gigging, vacationing, etc. but I got my friend and RockRoots bud Donny Mayer to sit in on guitars. He’s semi-familiar with some of my tunes, but never afraid to take in what I deal out and create. He definitely fattened out my tunes.

 

I then invited Sam Steffen to do a couple of short solo sets amongst the pot pourri and he did great. It was a particularly fine listening crowd, and they latched on to his songs and his style and his humor. It was a good addition to the evening.

 

Spotlight moment: Donny and I launched into a rocker, Peanut Butter, I think, and teen challenged boy jumped up to dance. He came up to the ‘stage’ and I asked him to grab a tambourine, which he did. He immediately fit it to the tune. I then said, ‘Take the drum lead’, and he did it and nailed it, with some nice variations. The crowd went nuts! He then proceeded to nail the ending, too. The moment cemented everyone gathered, and was quite magical.

 

I got some compliments from some fellow performers about it, which kinda struck me by surprise. It’s just what I do. But, it’s a good thing that I do it.