All entries filed under Dave Fry Gigs

Monday, March 5^th, 2018

Lehigh Valley Music Awards 19 on Sunday

This is a pretty epic Sunday afternoon every year for the “music industry” in the Lehigh Valley, and it’s no surprise it’s held at the center of our musical industrial complex at Steel Stacks. It’s grown to be a big production these days and the LVMA organization continues to improve the whole shebang. It’s a rare opportunity to meet up with a lot of my friends and live music supporters, hear some curious live music, see new and old performers get recognized, and to generally schmooze the day away. Crowds in general, still bother me, especially if I’m performing though. (I’ll have to blog on that some time.)

I’ve been honored many times over the years and appreciated the pat on the back from my fellow musicians. But, I admit to becoming a little jaded, mainly because I’m used to seeing extremely talented folks at Godfrey’s and at the Philly Folk Fest. I know my place in the greater folk music community and I’m proud of what I’ve done for it, but I’m no David Bromberg, Tom Chapin or Stan Rogers. That’s okay. A lot of the players here may not have the perspective I have.

I received a Lifetime Achievement Award in ’16 and wanted to perform on that day. The selection committee said they were full and awardees usually play the year after. Well, I got the brush off last year so decided to throw my hat in the ring for this year. Initially I was turned down but then got call a couple of months ago. I contacted Kris Kehr and Ed McKendry, one of my working trios, and they agreed to sign up for this two song set. Finally.

Wanting to play stuff from my new CD, I picked out Giants and Lessons from Pete, the former being a good audience interaction piece (few LVMA acts engage the folks) and the latter being an original tune with a good arrangement, meaningful lyrics and some crafty playing by Ed on the acoustic. We met up early and worked on tightening up our set to close to the 8 minute limit. (We came close to it and played the set well, in spite of an on-the-spot sound check) I have some mighty friends in Kris and Ed.

Mission accomplished. The audience in front of us appreciated our efforts though many of my fellow musicians were yakking it up at the bars on either side of the room. So it goes and it is expected.

The awards were dealt out over the afternoon and, early on, I was not expecting Godfrey’s to win, but Godfrey’s won, not only the Best Open Mike, but the rather startling Best Performance Venue. In past years the big boys have won – Musikfest Cafe and other bars, so it is particularly gratifying to have this small but mighty stage acknowledged in the larger music community. I wasn’t able to get to the stage in time to accept it, but it’s for the best that I didn’t slow down the show.

I did make it up on stage to accept my Children’s Performer Award. I’ve gotten this regularly and enjoy picking it up live, with a thanks and a blown kiss to the audience. (They played my version of John Gorka’s Tell Me the Truth as I came up. That’s cool.) Both Robbi Kumalo and Kira Willey are equally deserving performers, but it is a popularity contest. There is a respect I get from the older players, not so much from the rock newbees. The real players know what it takes to play for kids, it’s a rare talent and those who do, know.

I picked up my third Community Radio “Personality” award. The personality phrase is an outdated term from AM/FM radio days, so its kinda funny to wear that moniker. But I had prepared a small speech if I had the chance to speechify. I didn’t get to do it but I wanted to acknowledge all the community broadcasters on the four local community stations for providing a curated soundtrack to our lives. I was going to say, “Call them up, say thanks and get off the phone cause they’re busy.” I don’t think I deserved it the first time but now I’ve upped my game on WDIY. I worked for this year’s award.

There were many of the acts who played with ‘tracks’, a simulating a full band. I was not alone in thinking that this was below expectations. Do it live, or don’t do it at all. Cheap, but not unexpected at this level.

I also picked up the Best Folk Solo/Band Award. Again, measured against our own Anne Hills and other folks on the circuit, I appreciate the nod, but it’s a shallow pool here in the Lehigh Valley. I am good at what I do, perhaps as good as anyone around here and therefore deserving the award, but……. Perhaps it’s time to retire this one, like James Supra did this year. (I knew him when he was Jimmy._

Mike Duck and I worked hard on this web site over the last year and I had hoped that it would win Best Music Website. It didn’t but not for quality reasons. I just don’t have the traffic among the voters for folks to recognize the difference. I was pulling for the award so that Mike could enjoy some recognition and future business from it, but it was cool to see it up on the screen.

I enjoy the awards, the congratulations from friends and fellow musicians, but what I really want to emphasize is the fact that I’m still performing at a high level, improving as a musician, recording artist and radio broadcaster. That’s what makes these days special.

It’s all a good thing, in the big picture.

Thursday, March 1^st, 2018

Dave’s Night Out with Rachel Marie and Jordyn

These are always fascinating evenings and this one was particularly interesting. Two relatively new women exploring the singer-songwriter field but with different life experiences. Jordyn Kenzie is a Charter Arts School student but has been writing songs and poetry since she was twelve, but has gathered herself quite remarkably in on-stage poise, as well as vocal and songwriting chops. Rachel has a decade more experience and is beginning to perform in some East Coast folk venues and has a history here at Godfrey’s.

Between the songs, I guided the conversation to “owning your stage presence”, working in the studio, vocal lessons, singing in Old French, etc. and both stepped up with intelligent comments and reflections. This only happens during these DNO sessions.

At the end, I commented that it would be wonderful to hear these two women on this stage twenty years from now. I’m sure they will be crafty performers.

Another moment at the end: I asked each to comment on what they liked about each other’s music. Jordyn said, “That voice!” She loved Rachel’s quirky persona and her strong songs. Rachel loved Jordyn’s fluid voice and confident presentation and songs. It was a particularly wonderful moment.

As usual, a sparse turnout for an engaging evening. I even got to play a few tunes myself.

Saturday, February 10^th, 2018

Dave Fry 50 Year Retrospective at Godfrey’s

This was the second stab at this program, the first being last November at the IceHouse, a rather challenged event with sound problems and a small turnout. That one was worth it, though, since it a good beta test on the set list, slideshow and concept.

This one at Godfrey’s had the benefit of good publicity (a mention in the Morning Call on Thursday), a nice Jack Murray poster and Godfrey’s clientele. I invited John Christie, Chris Simmons and Hub Willson to come back for this one and my good friend Kris Kehr was available to join in on bass. Harley Newman also reprised his lunatic set, as well.

I set up the screen in the far corner of the club, borrowed the projector, connected the sound to Godfrey’s system and I was prepared to launch the evening. Having done this last year made all the difference and I was at ease.

As folks piled in, many acquaintances and old friends from the past came in and I shared my thanks that they came by. I’m always surprised that people show up for my gigs and I take time to acknowledge them all.

I decided to have the core of the band up for the whole evening. Last time I had in mind to gradually bring folks up, but I went the idea to just play the songs. John and Kris did their homework and I have trust in their abilities to play on the fly.

A few slides in, I started the music with The House of the Rising Sun, the first hard song I learned, a folk song that also was part of the British Invasion of the mid 60’s. A good opener with a good story. Chris Simmons came up for the Graveyard Skiffle Band/Early Sheiks set and we did Sheik of Araby, Sales Tax, The Dogs Meeting and The Barnyard Dance. The band did it fine, and Chris and I had some of that old chemistry going.

The Steppin’ Out! section feature tales of the tangos and we did Walking Stick. The Touchstone set featured The Cat Came Back with John’s nasty leads and great audience singing. For The Last Ditch Medicine Show set I turned it over to Harley and he did some short tricks with his inimitable corny humor. It was cool to watch the audience riveted to this unexpected part of the show. I have some cool friends.

The Out on a Limb set featured a very nice version of Mamma Wants to Barrelhouse from Bruce Cockburn, and it was a good way to finish out the first set on a strong musical note.

I started the second set with Bearly Loveable and The Bear Hunt. It was particularly funny to have the whole adult audience doing all the sounds, especially the turkey farm. It was a hoot. I followed with the RockRoots section, using the videos from the PBS-TV show with Jay Proctor knocking out the Motown Medley and then my rather amusing home boy RockRoots Rap. Pavlov’s Dawgs featured Peter Rowan’s Blue Mule that came off nicely..

The next section was my time as a tweener at the Philly Folk Fest on the main stage. Sixty Minute Man with Wendi and Lauren from 2001 and I Wanna Be a Dog from 2005 during the full moon Saturday night show. Very few of my friends had ever witnessed this major part of my performance career so this was particularly sweet.

We got back to live music for the Murphy’s Trousers Celtic set with Don’t Call Me Early in the Morning, again with great audience singing. We followed with Giants (kids’ drawings of giants on the screen) and, again, it was a marvelous audience connections with their monster sounds.

I saluted my mandolins on the next slide and played my Jig Medley morphing into the Mickey Mouse theme. The Godfrey’s slide was a tip o’ the hat to Cindy Dinsmore. We followed with a strong version of How Legends are Made.

We rolled into the newer material from the Troubadour CD with Stan Rogers’ Giant, Bill Hall’s Rosie is a Friend of Mine and an my own Lessons from Pete as the closer. I thanked the band on music, Steve on sound board and Ramona on cash register and we walked off the stage.

There was a standing ovation. I’m not quite sure how to respond to this and I feel somewhat uncomfortable but I dragged the lads back for an encore. We killed Pay Bo Diddley with leads from both John and Kris. It was good to end with a rocker.

Lots of thanks from the wide variety of folks, and it is through their reactions I can gage the success of the show. I would like to reprise the show again sometime. It works really well.

A very curious thing happened after the show. Ramona asked me to come up a talk to the two young men who were at the show. I told them it was cool that they were the youngest folks in the hall tonight, and they proceeded to tell me that they are big Stan Rogers fans. When they heard Giant and Legends, they were going nuts, saying, “Who is this guy on stage?” This level of connection over the years between us was simply mind boggling.

I was exhausted by the end of the evening with too many moments to digest. I was extremely pleased with the 50 Year Retrospective: the concept and its execution, the support of my friends on stage and the incredible warmth of a full house at Godfrey’s

Sunday, January 28^th, 2018

Artist Chat at Kirkland Village on Sunday

I signed up for an artist’s chat with Mary Lilley-Thompson, an acquaintance from my old UU church days in town. She had developed an interview format called “Rising Stars – Live Talk Show Series” This was held in Kirkland Village, a retirement facility in North Bethlehem. Mary was quite familiar with my career and put together a lively set of questions, improv inquiries, some leading into some songs she knew I knew (I Like Peanut Butter, A Place in the Choir, The Cat Came Back).

The twenty or so folks who showed up were wonderful and attentive, the conversation was spirited and we covered some interesting phases of my life: early Fats Waller influences, Beatles, Lehigh years, Touchstone Theater, RockRoots, etc. so I got it all said, played some songs and Mary was adroit in navigating the proceedings.

As we wrapped up the sessions (with no questions from the audience), I suggested I do one more song. I did Lessons from Pete and it encapsulated everything that I had brought up during the set. The reception was spot on.

It was a good afternoon among the seniors in my community.

Sunday, January 28^th, 2018

Opening for Craig and Nyke at Godfrey’s

I’m glad I have an ‘in’ with the folks booking Godfrey’s so that I could open for my friend Craig Thatcher on Saturday night. Craig is the ace guitarist in our town and has developed a well-deserved following with his many shows including Clapton, Hendrix, Cream, Allman Brothers, etc. retrospectives as well as his own Martin showcases. He particularly loves playing this stage though, since it’s intimate and close. I get great joy in having superlative artists appreciating the club. No surprise there.

Nyke and Craig both added their talent to my new CD Troubadour so this was an opportunity to showcase some of those tunes for his audience. It worked out well.

Craig brought out two full houses tonight, a rarity these days at the club, so it was a pleasure to do my sets here in my living room for a packed audience. Since it was a busy night with a turn-over crowd, I was encouraged to make my set short, and Craig was gracious enough to allow three songs. I picked out Don’t Call Me Early as a solo, invited Nyke up to play fiddle on Giant, and bring Craig up for Lessons from Pete and then hand off the show to them both. Perfect.

It felt great to hit the stage running with Don’t Call Me, get the audience singing and nail the song and the ending. Bang! Nyke came up for Giant and added his electric violin and spooky effects to the Stan Rogers’ tune. Nice improv on his part and I sang and played it strong. Again, a strong tune that would be new and novel to Craig’s audience. Lessons turned out great, with Craig’s leads, Nyke’s backup and my control and the message of the song. I think it made a fine impression on these new ears. I introduced Craig and Nyke to their audience and got off stage. Mission accomplished.

Normally I would have done different songs for the second set, but there was a complete turnover for the 9 pm show, so I decided to ride with the same set, especially with Craig and Nyke comfortable with the material. (Craig pretty much did the same thing for both sets – that’s show biz, ya know)

I had the pleasure of having some of Craig’s fans come up afterwards, complimenting my set as well as thanking me for creating this wonderful space. It was a good night all around in this magical room.

Friday, January 26^th, 2018

RockRoots on Wednesday afternoon

This is as close as it is to be ‘On Tour’ for me, driving to Somewhere, NJ for a couple of shows with RockRoots, my wonderful assembly program, now in it’s 28th year. We had two assemblies at an ES in Hawthorne in northern Jersey. We had a 1 and 2 pm show for around 550 K – 5th grades, a great age group to play for. The principal was very cool and explained that it was a strange day for the kids, with a false alarm fire drill, a half-hour wait outside in the cold with no jackets, and then, RockRoots. The kids and staff were primed to have a good time.

Both sets were fun, with different energies from the older kids first, and the little kids second. The principal and the PTO lady were appreciative and want us back annually. That’s saying something.

It was a long day with 4+ hours on the road and 2+ hours at the school. I was a tad frazzled getting back. I still have a Dave’s Night Out to do later tonight.

Friday, January 26^th, 2018

St. Peter’s Bakery on Friday

It’s been a while since I played at this comfy bistro in the quaint sliver of a community in Berks County. It’s perched along a gorge/creek, with an inn, some hiking trails and this little St. Peter’s Bakery. Friday is pizza night, so the place fills up with folks, friends, bottles of wine and some live music. I have friends who play here: Mike Holliday and Ed McKendry.

I actually got there ahead of time, for a change. It’s 75 minutes from Bethlehem, and it’s always a Friday night so I tend to make it in the nick of time. I set my small amp (vocal/guitar) for the first time here and it worked out great in this small room. I got my coffee and launched into I Can See Clearly Now and Here Comes the Sun and pretty much hit the ground running. That felt real good.

I put new strings on the Mahogany Martin and I had a great time banging on my new guitar, leaning into the songs. Although there were some chatty tables, some folks listened intently (tip o’ the hat to Table 1!) and applauded even for the obscure stuff. I did The Irish Ballad a Capella and the room dropped to a whisper. Remarkable. It’s a big hit here. Afterwards I commented that why should I bother playing an instrument with this response on a unaccompanied song.

The time went quickly and, by the time I looked at my stage watch, I only had a half hour left. Time’s fun when your’e having flies. Few screw-ups. dude!

I got paid in a pizza and a pastry and a fairly good haul in my tip case for this place. As I drove back through these familiar country roads, I put on the most recent tracks from Troubadour and listened to my friends’ efforts to support my music. Phat. Who are these people?

The home circuit ain’t too bad for a Friday in January. Tomorrow, the studio and Godfrey’s. Like I said, Phat!

Wednesday, January 17^th, 2018

Primary assembly in Monmouth Jct., NJ

A rare Young Audiences solo gig today at a K and 1st grade school in Monmouth Junction, NJ at a small, older school that I’ve played many times before. It was supposed to be a 9:30 morning show but the threatening snow storm moved it back to 1 pm. (It’s never a good idea to decide at 6:00 am if we want to cancel the show.) As it turned out, the snow in PA was only a few inches and Jersey got very little. I’m glad we went ahead. “A gig played is a gig paid.”

This was a group of 200 or so kids of little kids, mostly Indian and Pakistani children, a warm and involved principal and some good teachers – you can always count on K and 1st grade teachers to be loose and open for some fun.

It’s been a while since my last kids gig so I was a little rusty on a couple of tunes, but there was room for some experimentation. Lately, I’ve tried to end up the gig by asking the kids to share something from the show with their parents, and I also try to ask them to reflect on what we did, so that some of the activities can be fortified. A couple of kids mentioned singing, Bear Hunt, Cat Came Back but a couple of kids raised their hands but couldn’t say anything. I choose not to press it too far, but give them the opportunity to access what we did.

I left a couple of CDs with the principal, packed up my gear and headed back to Bethlehem.

Tuesday, January 2^nd, 2018

Hank Williams night at Godfrey’s on New Years

My friend Jack Murray asked me (assigned me) to open up his annual evening of Hank songs and I obliged with a short set of tunes. I started with Santa Assassin, knowing it helps break the plane between me and the audience.

I had worked up two Hank classics I Can’t Help It If I’m Still in Love with You and I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry, two really beautiful sad tunes with great phrasing and lyrics. I particularly enjoyed working in some country slurs and voice breaks. Got my country on. I had worked these up a couple of hours beforehand, changed the keys and they worked out well.

“A picture from the past came slowly stealing, as I brushed your arm and stood so close to you Then suddenly I got that old time feeling, I can’t help it if I’m still in love with you.”

This one resonated with my interaction with Kim last week when we celebrated our son’s promotion in Atlantic City. It all came back the and it still hurts. Still in love.

and:

“Hear the lonesome whippoorwill,
He sounds too blue to fly.
The midnight train is whining low.
I’m so lonesome I could cry.”

Great imagery on that one and, again, it resonates with my present state of mind after the holidays. Hank could really mine the depths of despair and make you love it.

I found that these sharing these tunes with this audience lent itself to some nice sing-alongs. Good. Sharing helps.

I finished up with a Paul Siebel song Pinto Pony, a feature length movie in three verses. I knew this one cold and it was good to finish strong. I talked about Paul’s only visit to this stage one month after opening up the club in 1976. He was the first major act to perform here and he brought in a crackjack band. A great night and one of many to follow.

I introduced Jack Murray and The Blue Tarp Wranglers and they did a great job of recalling Hank, Ricky Nelson and Townes Van Zandt. Great instrumentals on steel, fiddle and guitar along with bass and drums. The audience picked up on the good vibes. A mighty fine production from my friends.

Monday, January 1^st, 2018

Godfrey’s First Night Second Set.

The second set of Godfrey’s First Night started out with Brittany Ann, Dina Hall and myself doing a round robin of songs. It was a very comfortable crowd of people, wonderfully respectful and quiet. Remarkable .

As we did small, two song sets, each of us was able to create small vignettes, play a couple of tunes that connected with this diverse audience and create a pretty nice, full evening of musical entertainment. Brittany Ann’s vulnerable and yet strong vocals and original songs held their own, Dina’s ever stronger presentation and songs and a chance for me to play my good stuff made for a good two hours of music.

I had the chance to maneuver through Santa Assassin, Barrelhouse, Don’t Call Me Early, Giants, We are Welcomed and Lessons from Pete and end up with I Can See Clearly Now for the last song. It seemed wonderfully complete and satisfying for the three of us and the audience, too. A great way to finish out 2017.

Monday, January 1^st, 2018

Godfrey’s First Night Kids Show.

Always a special evening in my own living room, come to think of it. Godfrey’s has taken up the mantle of First Night with its own version of Three Generations of Godfrey’s each New Year’s Eve. Tonight was a recreation of the first one eight years ago with Dina Hall, Brittany Ann and myself and it was pretty good.

I usually start off with a kids show at 7 pm and there are only a few folks in the house. That’s okay. Tonight I had three families and I can work with that. One overactive boy, one family with a three year old girl and a family with three brothers of diverse ages. I can do this.

I was able to engage all three targets. I got two brothers (including the truculent older brother and proactive sib) to do Giants, the grandchild with hyperactive shoes to focus and play and the very young girl in front of me to eventually get up on stage with grandmom Patty to sing Twinkle, Twinkle. All in the span of 45 minutes.

It was good to put together a strong set to engage these three diverse families. It worked in this small space.

Sunday, December 31^st, 2017

Peeps Fest on Saturday

End of the year gigs are always a good thing and the Peeps Fest is a welcome local gig that pays well. It has its quirks but there’s a sound system and it’s only five minutes from home. Peeps is one of the products of Just Born Candy, a fairly large manufacturing plant on the northside of Bethlehem. It’s great to have them sponsor this sugar-coated festival.

I was signed up for three sets at 10 am, 12 noon and 2 pm, so it is similar to a bar gig, putting in at least 6 hours on the job. I was the opening slot, so folks were filtering in for my first set. Thankfully, there were some familiar faces there to work with, off the bat. I cranked up my strong stuff knowing I could probably be able to repeat some of it later in the afternoon (though I enjoy the challenge of not repeating songs during a gig like this.). Start strong.

I swapped sets with Ari, the magician I’ve worked with over the last couple of years. He’s good and has fairly hip stage patter but sitting through two of his sets is tedious. Same jokes, tricks, attitude and, worst of all, a piercing “Aaaaah!” that he uses to express surprise. Assault on the ears…… Still, he gathers crowds.

This area is essentially in a mall, with movies, snackbar, knick knack shop and three levels of mayhem, promotional ventures (haircuts, child care, summer camp grounds, etc. etc. etc.) and more. I asked for some extra seating for my area but no help. Just the plastic tables and chairs that are there for eating. Not really an inviting place. The folks at the welcome counter said that folks would be standing to watch, and I shot them a dirty look. For a family show??? Disconnect.

Still, I was able to connect with the folks who showed up, striking up conversations with the adults, having the kids graze and play in the instrument field in front of me, and watching folks interact with their families. It’s always good. And a challenge.

As powerful as the backdrop of the steel stacks is behind me, it is particularly lousy as a stage setting. The lighting is miserable, the sound comes from the ceiling and there is no visual focus for the performer. I have a tenuous relationship with this organization so I have to lay low with my suggestions. This “stage” is a minor part of the whole entertainment mecca of Arts Quest and this is very low on their horizon, but they could really sharpen it up.

Still, I got to exercise some part of my kids’ repertoire I don’t usually get to play, freshen up my guitar playing, play musical catch with an audience and watch the snow slowly drift down on the steel stacks of my hometown. There were moments of beauty and art, for sure.

Thursday, December 28^th, 2017

Emmaus Jam

Boy, is it cold! I bundled up for a short trip to Emmaus and the regular jam at the Vargtimmen King Koffee shop in town. It’s particularly intimate affair but with some good friends and a strong sense of listening to each other. I find myself enjoying the challenge of finding tunes that folks can pick up on easily, but still able to pull out tunes I’ve been working on. Everyone adds to the mix.

There are some great musical moments, especially tonight, with piano, dobro, fiddle and guitars in a small acoustic space, with everyone listening first and then finding a place to fit in. That’s very special and appreciated.

A good night among friends.

Thursday, December 28^th, 2017

Dave’s Night Out with George Hrab

George Hrab is quite the artist and media maven, and he was someone I wanted to get to know better, and this was the perfect way to do it. I am familiar with his reputation as a quirky songwriter and as the drummer for the Philly Funk Authority, a superb 11 piece band, but had never seen him in action. He did sit in with Dina and myself at Musikfest once. That was it.

I primed myself with his web site, checked out his weekly webcast, and counted on his outgoing personality and our mutual respect tomake this work. This was going to be good.

I usually start with a tune and did Pay Bo Diddley, and though he didn’t take a lead on his acoustic, we did trade some nice atmospheric licks, and created some spontaneous fireflies. I knew we were on the same wavelength.

George brought out his delightfully esoteric tunes like When I Was Your Age, The Misconception Song, I Don’t Believe in Christmas and Everything Alive Will Die Someday. But we really got into discussions on skepticism, the creative process and other heady topics. There was lots of room for both of us, and I’m glad I can provide a comfortable space for the the artist and the audience, too. The conversations were really good and it is a rare opportunity for dialogue the artist and the crowd.

There was a crowd! As satisfying as these evenings are, I am somewhat disappointed in the turnout for them. George brought in a good number of folks who were bright and receptive to this format. I think the audience came away enlightened and entertained. I certain was, and so was George.

Always a treat, and especially with curious George.

Tuesday, December 26^th, 2017

Christkindlmarkt on Saturday

I usually land a gig at this large Bethlehem Christmas fair every year. It’s a tented holiday Arts Quest (read: corporate) event and I get to play my holiday music in front of folks eating and hanging out, or, in some cases, coming out to see me.

I was signed up for two afternoon sets on the last day of the event; the Saturday before Christmas. Even the sound man was counting down the hours and I was glad I could help him out. We set up and did our sound check thing and off we went.

There were fewer kids than usual and a sparse crowd, so I got to exercise my favorite Christmas songs, the ones I’ve worked on and have grown to love. I only get a chance to play them during this season and they all have deep resonance with my own personal holiday connections. This canon of music is very deeply familial and genetic. So it is with music that we all have sung together for years and years. This is essential folk music. It seems I have a Christmas album in me, too.

It seems that other performing groups at this venue don’t always pursue the holiday “purity” that I expect, and some don’t necessarily play seasonal songs. I’ve always added mandolin tunes and some Celtic songs to help me fatten out my meager Xmas set list. And I’m also fine with doing kids and family songs in order to seek out and connect with folks who are up front, listening and engaged. And when I even play to a relatively sparse crowd, I am surprised that folks clap and respond to the songs I play. Always surprised. I tell them to calm down.

I enjoy these gigs, as strange as they are. I get to sing special songs that I want to, crank up my guitar with a real PA, work on a public audience, get in touch with my creative self and deposit a check the next day. That’s a good arrangement.

There was a special moment at the end. A young kid and his slighly older brother were left up front as their mom and dad headed off to do some shopping. I connected with “Nate” and he was working on his tambourine licks with his brother. I asked him to come up to do Rudolph with me. We worked on the hand motions (antlers and noses) and proceeded to do the song. There were only a few folks in the house at this point in the afternoon, but his brother sitting up front was in tears. This made my day.

I picked up my paycheck, packed up my gear, thanked the sound guy for his friendship, and headed off to Atlantic City to celebrate my son Jaimie’s business promotion.

Tuesday, December 26^th, 2017

On the Road with RockRoots before the Holiday

The Friday before Christmas vacation is always a busy one for the band. The schools and faculty have pretty much punted, the kids are rammy and principals are looking for something to give the kids to send them out for the winter break. That’s fine with us and we can be assured that we can wind them up. Unfortunately, it involves dealing with Friday holiday traffic.

We had two morning sessions at a middle school in central Jersey in Cedar Grove with 5th and 7th grades and then 6th and 8th grades. I had a chat two weeks ago with the principal at this school. He was worried that we wouldn’t be able to connect with the older kids (apparently, they had had a few groups that had played down to the kids and the assemblies were not well received), and there’s nothing worse that a group of disappointed 7th graders… I assured him that we play aggressively and would treat the kids like adults. Things would be fine.

We were in the gym and on stage ready for the 9 am show after a 6:30 am Bethlehem departure and surprisingly easy commute to the school. (It’s always an hour and a half – RR rule of thumb) The music teacher helped us settle in for the show and it was neat to connect with musician off the bat. He is a classical guitarist himself with a guitar ensemble at the school (he liked my fingerpicking stuff). Both shows went well and it was cool to see the principal in the back having a great time, laughing at the jokes and being generally relieved that we were the real deal. The kids dug it, the PTA moms were glad, and the music teacher said it was the best assembly they have had. Mission accomplished. 600 kids and 30 teachers entertained. Off to round two…..

Now for the drive back west to Clinton for our 1:20 single assembly. At least, it was on the way back to PA. Wayne and Nick got lost, but Kevin and I are pros at gettin’ there. Again, we were welcomed back (we do this school on this date every two years) by folks familiar with the show, and that is no small thing. I even got Christmas cookies from the office secretaries, a cart to haul my equipment in, and beautiful auditorium stage to set up on. We actually play some pretty sophisticated arenas, believe it or not. (Your school taxes at work.) Big stage, real lights, great seating…. It’s not always a multi-purpose/cafeteria room.

The lads got there in time, in spite of travel and lunch, and we gathered ourselves for the show, no small thing since we had just done two shows in the morning and put in miles of Jersey traffic to perform for these 300 middle schoolers.

I was feeling some recent hip fatigue, so I pulled up a stage stool and decided to try out this wrinkle in the show – play from the stool, mix the sound, run the show – all pretty strenuous, come to think of it, and make it work.

There were several wonderful moments during the show. When we play the jigs early on, I always ask if there are any kids who are Irish dancers. One 8th grade girl came up to dance and she was dressed in a one-piece reindeer suit (w/cute tail) and proceeded to prance across the full stage with leaps, kicks, turns and shear talent. Damn. The place went nuts, as did the band.

We brought out Mr. Schaffer (Steve, to us). He is the music teacher at the school, a professional rock guitarist in the real world, and has sat in with us before. We have a nice slot in the show for this, a Muddy Waters’ tune I Got My Mojo Working that lends itself to someone sitting in. Steve, being a pro, stepped up, wailed on two leads, nailed the ending and left the stage to the cheers of a full house of students and fellow faculty members. What a great, great thing to happen in this community.

It was a tough gig though. I had to navigate the stool in the afternoon performance, dealing with 900 middle school kids and three shows, the physical travel fatigue and pulling off the show with my good fellow musicians. I’m glad I work with pros. Really.

It was an extraordinary day on this small sliver of “The Road”. I love what I do.

Sunday, December 10^th, 2017

Annual Brookside CC Breakfast with Santa

This is always a big date on my calender for several reasons. It pays really well. It’s a long day with two two-hour sets of music. I connect with folks who are familiar with me and my music over several generations. Pretty good reasons.

I do two ‘sittings’ for the Santa brunch at 9 am and 12 noon and the country club really rolls out the food, a great Santa, horse-drawn wagon rides and more. I add music and personal interactions with the kids, many of whom know me from years past. The girls dress up in Christmas dresses and the boys in bow ties. The grandparents bring the newer kids up to play along and the situation brings out some deep familial ties. I get to watch and enjoy.

The bag o’ instruments continues to be a great device to encourage interactions with me and between the kids as well. Lots of back and forth.

I have a good selection of Christmas tunes including some obscure, but rockin’ rhythm songs. My friend Jack McGavin is the Santa (he’s really, really good at it) and comes out later in the set to dance with kids during my Santa medley. Lots of cell phone pix from the adults. The club really appreciates what I do and I appreciate the work. This year’s check goes towards travel to Italy to see my daughter Rosalie in February.

I’m sure the folks are movers and shakers (I chatted with the Yocco’s Hot Dog dude and one of the Arts Quest folks) and they all thanked me for my work with the kids. That’s pretty nice.

What I take away from it all is the fact that I can provide a rich experience for generations of families in this community. And I really like working with the kids first hand. They fill up my sets with smiles, dancing and fun. Not a bad way to spend a Sunday in December.

Saturday, December 9^th, 2017

First Snow

I was able to perform today at the America on Wheels Museum in Allentown today, unlike a lot of my fellow performers who lost out due to the snow later in the day. The snow started as I headed out and things were fine for my 11:30 am show.

This was my first time at this museum and it is pretty cool: fire trucks, old racing cars, hybrids, vintage cars from the 20’s, 30’s, etc. I got a warm welcome from the staff including an older gent who remembered me from some local school gigs when he was a custodian in Catasauqua. There were actually a number of retired men who obviously loved automobiles.

We gathered in the North wing and it filled up with families, granddads and dads, moms and a 4 year old’s birthday party, so I had folks to work with. I mixed holiday material with my regular stuff, passed out red reindeer noses, and we danced, sang and carried on.

It was a pleasant gig with one grandpop thanking for doing a good job. It was my first indoor gig this week so I was thankful for the warm climes today.

Tomorrow, Brookside CC’s Breakfast with Santa with new snow on the ground.

Friday, December 8^th, 2017

Allentown Tree Lighting Ceremony

I was asked to return again to PP&L Plaza for Allentown’s annual Tree Lighting event, as a performer and emcee. When I started about 4 pm, it was chilly and a tad windy, but not to bad. The temperature would drop into the 30s over the next two hours.

Families were lined up down the block, waiting for Santa (and the Toys for Tots’ free giveaways) so I encouraged the kids to come on up and dig into the bag of instruments, scarves, noses and hand puppets. It took a couple of kids to break free and soon, the grassy spot in front of the stage was filled with kids. Controlled chaos.

Some of the kids remembered that they came up on stage last year, so, after a while I invited them up for (appropriately) a freeze dance. It was good theater for the adults (taking cell phone shots, of course) and we filled up the time before Santa’s arrival. I chased the kids off but some kids didn’t take clue and I had turn, off mike, and tell them to scoot. I’m sure some of the instruments walked but I expected that. Still, some of the families don’t get it.

Santa arrived via fire truck and I launched into my Here Comes Santa medley, and folks settled in for the tree lighting. I was joined on the stage by Mayor Ed Pawlowski, Melvin, the Phantom’s mascot (he’s really good) and the local TV weatherman to count down for the tree lighting. There was the big build up and most of the lights went on (it worked perfectly ten minutes beforehand…). The top and bottom were lit and the vast inbetween remained dark. I made a remark that was pretty snide on my part (and really, really regret), “Welcome to Allentown.” What I thought was clever in the moment was quite foolish on my part.

The lights came on (apparently Melvin’s scooter unplugged the lights behind the stage just before he came up) and the was a nice, appreciative cheer from the crowd. I then introduced the local choral group from Dieruff HS, the Allen HS band and a local youth dance group YEA!. It was getting really cold and I applaud this kids for performing in this tough situation. But it was in front of families and friends and the energy was very nice.

I was supposed to close things down at 6:30 with a few songs, but I didn’t think I could handle the cold at this point. I thanked folks, the community performers and we closed it down. I was still shivering an hour later.

The sobering moment occurred when my friend Miriam came up to me during the first group. She was disappointed with my comment on stage, and that someone had complained. It was then I realized the enormity of dissing Allentown with my remark, and in a most public situation, live TV…. gack…). I apologized to Mir and said I would make some positive comments later on, and I did. But, my ironic sense of humor was inappropriate, to say the least, especially since I was hired by the Allentown Chamber.

I was uneasy the rest of the night with some loss of sleep. It kind of ruined my recollection of what should have been a successful, but very cold gig. Lesson learned, once again.

Friday, December 8^th, 2017

Professor Amy Forsyth’s Lehigh Class – Thursday afternoon

My friend and fiddler Amy Forsyth led a unique class at Lehigh this semester: imagining musical instruments. Each student was to build an instrument during the fall and Amy invited me up for an end of the semester jam with them. From flutes, kitchen pot theremin, kazoos, fluted pipes, various boxes and stringed instruments to a functional banjo.

We gathered in the stairwell in the basement of Chandler Lab (chemistry lab in my LU years) and it turned out to be the perfect place to jam. Each student demonstrated his or her instrument, their thought processes and sound experiments. There was a small Pignose amp available for instruments that used a pick up.

One enterprising student by the name of Gibson (!!) made a wood head banjo that was set up perfectly: frets, 5th string, neck, etc. so I asked to try it. I clawhammered a tune, Amy joined in on fiddle and the others tooted and banged along. I had the chance to brainstorm with Gibson, compliment his craft, gave him a short lesson on my simple, but effective frailing style.

We jammed on a Bo Diddley beat that morphed into a blues. Another LU professor joined in and we attracted various students and staff in the stairwell. I’m sure the sound was pretty cool and it was a particularly good jam, especially with the curious but untrained students. I was glad Amy asked me to help grease the session on guitar. And I got to have another bizarre Lehigh experience.

Amy’s great in inspiring young folks in the creative arts, not just music. She also teaches furniture building and is a fine graphic artist, too. Quite the renaissance woman, and a kindred spirit.

Accordion kazoo.

Electric banger twanger.

3D printer flutes.

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