Another great New Jersey name! We played the ES and MS today, just off Rt 78 in middle NJ. Yup; it was fun.

Both Kevin and Donnie had gigs the night before and were tuckered out, but they came through like the troopers they are.

Crack o’ dawn tomorrow – yet another great Jersey name Succasunna!

This past weekend kicked off the frenzy of Halloween parties – and I love it. It’s the wonderful opportunity to shuck off our every-day personae, and take a spin in another character. Why not?!

Friday night , I played at a day care facility in Orange, CT, where I played for several spider men, princesses, football players and folks decked out as parents. We raised a ruckus, for sure.

Saturday gave me two opportunities to play, one at a birthday party for Nick in Old Lyme, and for a private party for adults in Madison. It was nice to have a weekend of “local” gigs for a change.

The birthday party in Old Lyme was in a magnificent old house on the main street in this classic Shoreline town. I got to play in the front hallway – great acoustics – for a really good group of kids. One dude appointed himself as roadie, and helped me set up my stuff. Green cake with a rubber chocolate skin – good, though.

The evening performance was a great change, playing for older folks (at least, older than me…) in small sitting room. Nice folks, good food, and every Halloween gadget one has ever seen: talking mummies, ravens, skeleton pirates, etc. I was struck by the fact that older folks like to sing along, whether its “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” or my more personal favorites like “Branching Out” and “Giants”. Folk music has always been a social lubricant, and its nice to see it work its magic.

Next week, more Halloween fun and a big RockRoots tour in NJ.

A long drive to Annapolis, MD, but well worth it. Lots of toddlers and moms, one dad. I was particularly amazed by several infants who were totally bug-eyed with the live music, entranced by all the sound, kids and the live music. Amazing!

Just a couple blocks from the Atlantic Ocean on Tuesday at Little Silver, NJ. Again, a great name for a town. Donnie picked on the principal, the custodian, as usual, making feel oh, so welcome. Kevin was in his Fidel Castro costume (was it a costume?), Nick in his Jack Bruce outfit, and I still can’t figure out what Donnie is. RockRoots rolls on!

Off to Annapolis – crack o’ dawn tomorrow.

This incredible weather continues. The Saucon Valley CC hayrides were in shirt-sleeve temperatures, and we sang along to Giants, The Cat Came Back, etc. The thing I like especially about this gig is that the families are together. Let’s see: three ninjas, five princesses, four Egyptians, two vampires, an assorted alien or two, Army guy, soccer dude. I love the Halloween season.

We had a good time at the Banana Factory for the families of the Red Door Center. Thanks to Karol and Kristen for putting the event together. One toddler, Brandon, had me autograph his blue guitar. Cool.

I played in the art gallery, and just behind me was a plywood box attached to the wall, oh, about as big as shoe box. The top was painted white. That was it. The price? $2000. I pointed out that my CD’s seem quite a bargain. But then again, if you only sell one at $2000, that’s not bad.

Hayride in Saucon Valley on Sunday!

Well, another summer day in October…. thunder showers and a very interesting sky. I was in Ironton, just off Mauch Chunk Road (one of my favorite-sounding PA names). I did an assembly in the afternoon and then a Book Fair Family concert in the pm. Again, a good time had by all.

The moment that stuck out in my mind was refreshing a connection with Matt, a new teacher at Ironton. Matt is the step-son of my very good friend, photographer of the stars, and band-mate Hub Willson. We both agreed that Hub’s sonic “spider” is the signature of his true artistry; listen to “Spider on the Floor” and you’ll understand.

Matt’s is a story unto itself, and I’ve told his story to some of my friends. Matt worked for a large pharmaceutical company, well-paid, but subject to some heavy philosophical dilemmas. He, and his young family, packed it in, and decided to become an elementary teacher. A mighty decision that really impresses me. Matt – you are a super star in my book. It is about community…

We had really good show in Morris Plains, NJ this morning. Interesting layout with 3th, 4th ,5th ,6th grades on the main floor and 7th and 8th in the balcony. It’s not often we play schools with that grade range in one school, but it worked for us.

Saturday was a picture-perfect fall day for this festival in CT, in my old home town of Madison. Folks were all over the place, at reptile and birds of prey demos, hay rides, food consumption, and, of course, music. It was nice to see familiar faces from my East Wharf summer concerts, and lots of toddlers playing rhythm instruments. Fresh apple cider! Tis the season.

“Let’s Swim Together” was a ball on Friday night; we raised a ruckus and money for Matt’s new bout with therapy. Matt’s dad came up afterwards, and said that Matt’s doing well, looking good and up for the new round of treatments.

I put Matt’s picture on my guitar’s head stock, and the whole thing was video-taped for Matt, since he’s off to the hospital. We had “Shark” bracelets (ala Lance Armstrong’s) and a big production of “Magic Penny” performed by all the kids for Matt’s sake.

It’s great to see a community come together to help out the Bell family, especially those who baked cookies, donated raffle items, hot dogs, etc. Thanks to Christine Haffling for putting it all together.

I returned to Topton School on Thursday – a day between gigs – and signed a bunch of CD’s for the kids that ordered them.

It reminded me of a very funny thing that happens when I was there last month. I’ve taken to asking kids what their stage name is. I’m finding out that more girls have this figured out ahead of time…. One boy, Zeke, said, “I’m Z -man.” That was good. But the next kid told me his real name, and I when I asked him for his stage name, he said, “Bob.” A palpable silence and then the whole place went nuts… You had to be there. The only “Bob” I know would be Dylan, so it’s not overused.

Off to Belvidere, NJ for a benefit concert for Matthew Bell, for whom good friends of the Bell family are sponsoring this event. Two sets this Friday at 7 pm: lots of shaking and dancing and singing. I’m really looking forward to an evening celebrating community with these folks.

What a great name for a Jersey town. I wonder if it ever made it into Dave Van Ronk’s New Jersey Blues tune? Anyway it was good to get the lads out on the road again for another busy assembly season. The 3rd, 4th and 5th grade assembly really rocked – lotsa dancin’ and carryin’ on (educationally speaking, of course).

I had the Tuesday blues on a Wednesday – Nick corrected me – seems Columbus Day threw me off. Easily done…

I dropped in on Shirlene, who lives outside of Hellertown, PA with here husband and fan Dave, many cats and her glorious garden of dahlia’s. Row and rows of knockout beautiful flowers, some ten inches across. Its a slice of heaven to see these wonderful flowers, and to witness the tremendous amount of work that goes into these tubers. She’s in the midst of making arrangements and selling them to make some money for her church. One of my most favorite places on earth.

Kevin, Nick, Donnie and myself did a quick 15 minute showcase for YANJ in Hamilton, NJ this morning, introducing ourselves to a passel of 4th graders and a mess of PTA moms. It went well and it was good to see the lads again. Donnie’s got his own band up and running – checkout the Don Mayer Band site: donmayerband.com/ and Kevin’s off to Boston for his band’s gigs this weekend.

I’m in Bethlehem for the weekend – I’m running a Vintage Open Mike at Godfrey’s – it happens only on a blue moon, or the 5th Sunday of a month. We hope to see all the old open mike vets dust off their “cue-sticks” and come on out.

I had a wonderful time in Topton, PA today, back in my old haunts in the hills of Macungie, Longswamp, Mertztown, Kutztown, Siesholtzville, Rockville, Lyons. I played for the K-4th grades and we all worked up a sweat. Thanks, folks! Back to CT tomorrow morning – crack o’ dawn….

I had an inspiring Saturday at an Arts Education seminar in Middletown, CT, sponsored by Young Audiences of CT, on “The Art of Inclusion”. Centered on reaching children with disabilities, myself and a group of artists explored the latest in brain research in how the brain is wired in early childhood. Amazing! It seems most of the optimum windows of learning for speech, basic motor skills, vision, vocabulary, etc. happen early on, and that the arts play a great part in reinforcing them. Powerful stuff.

The past two nights have been some good get-togethers with some of my CT performers at two open mikes here in CT – Peaberry’s in Simsbury and at the Buttonwood in Middletown. A good crowd at Peaberry’s (I’ll be there the first Saturday of October) and I got to meet Sour Grapes, a husband/wife quasi-jug band. The lady played a boom-pah with a crutch as its base – very cool. We had a nice discussion about the boom-pah, or devil’s fiddle, as it’s called back in PA. Good time had by all. The Buttonwood was a small crowd, but inhabited by some of the same folks that were at Peaberry’s the night before. Do any of us have a life?

Off to the Farmers’ Market on the green in Madison today. I look forward to playing more than two songs….

It was a hot and sweaty day in Kent, NY, as I helped open up this hamlet’s community day on Sunday. I encountered a young blond kid who used every chance to get on mike to sing “Leaving on a Jet Plane”. The power of the microphone! Back to CT…..

I’ve been doing some work on my computer to process some great pix passed on to me by some very creative kids. I’m in the process of putting these pictures into a workable form and will be making some of this great kids’ art available. Stay tuned.

Another rousing session at one of my favorite gigs (yes, another one…) on Third Street on the SouthSide of Bethlehem – First Friday. Interpretive dance, laugh-out-loud toddlers, and mighty fine chocolate.

As I set up in the afternoon, Brian greeted me with chocolate-soaked gloves – how cool a job is that?! Well, we’re in the same boat – folks who decided to work for ourselves. Yes, there are moments when we both wonder what the heck are we doing? Well, ya gotta do what ya have to do….

A wonderful moment with a dancing toddler, simply starting to dance (how come the adults aren’t ?) and then bursting into laughter. It caught fire. Yes, adults, kids, and myself, couldn’t help but chuckle out loud. A woman came up afterwards and said, “It’s a gift from God to make children laugh.”

Yes, it is. And it still is all of us, if allowed to bloom. Sometimes you have to let the children lead: dance, laugh, sing and be ourselves. I’m a lucky guy, to be able to experience it so often.