I had my big financial NYE gig at Arts Quest for two shows in the afternoon, part of Peeps Fest.  A pretty manic gig on the floor of an arts center, amongst a 5 K race, movies, kids’ activities, food, beer and a very nice day outside.  I swapped sets with Balloons the Clown, which set the stage for an interesting day.

I met up with several generations of family/fans, which always define my day.  Ah, yes, always the twins……  My friends with two, yes, two sets of girls, from last New Years’ fame, showed up, and brought Granddad with them.  Thank goodness there was only one of him.  Two other young toddlers, with pink cowboy boots, showed up again.  But then, I’m one of the family, as the mom says….

It was a tough gig, but played for a lot of good folks…. off to Godfrey’s for first night.

I did a morning gig with my friend Doug Roysdon and his Mock Turtle Marionettes at the Ice House in Bethlehem.  It was connected with a community group in Allentown and the general public, so it was a nice mix of families and fans.  Cookies, puppetmaking  and two sets of music.  So nice to see some familiar kids, two sets of twins, and to play for new folks, too.  Nice to collaborate with Doug, as well.  and thanks to Kathy Lauer Williams for getting a photo in the Thursday Morning Call.  Tomorrow, 4 gigs on New Years Eve.

We did a rather short trip (for us) to Clinton Township MS for two shows for 7th and 8th graders.  A very nice auditorium and good kids – the 7th graders a little nuttier than the mature 8th graders.  John Sanfilippo sat in for Kevin on drums, who’s nursing a knee operation.  I am amazed by the folks who sub for the band, who think and play on the run.  Some time off for the band.  It was a good December.

I traveled a block for this gig, and it was one I’ve looked forward to.  Holy Infancy is a big building with a small group of pre-K to 8th graders that I’ve connected with over six years, beginning with my PASELA experience – a pilot program linking arts with pre-school kids on the SouthSide of Bethlehem.  I learned a whole lot from the pre-K kids, and use those skills in all of my shows.  I learned the Tutti Tah from them, and use it to loosen up my shows.

Those kids are now in the fourth grade, but I’ve been back every year, so I know most of them.  And they were cranked to take part.  Cat Came Back, Bear Hunt, Magic Penny, along with Christmas songs.  I picked on the older kids for their relative inactivity (but that’s the way they act at that age….), and basically got to play with the kids.  It was cool.

This was a highlight for me in this Christmas season for several reasons.  First – it’s my neighborhood.  Second, I needed a big dose of holiday love this year, with my untimely divorce and move to Bethlehem.  I needed a hug and I got a big one. There’s something to be said about love and respect from your neighborhood and from kids that restores my soul.  

The coolest moment happened at the end after they all sang ‘We Wish You a Merry Christmas’ to me.  The older kids asked for ‘Tutti Tah’, which is one I learned from the Pre-K years ago.  It is a very silly, and physical playground song.  It brought us all back to our common grounds in a wonderful way.

These folks restored my soul for the day. 

It was a fairly quiet night at the old saloon tonight, but that’s expected in the holiday season.  I did finish the night connecting with a little lad Nathan, with his Rudolph, grooving on some rhythm instruments.  I gave him my Holiday CD, and he was tickled.  It made the night for me.  These bar gigs are hard in that there are so many variables – the bull, food, etc. – so its not ‘concert conditions’ which I feel the best at.  so it goes….

I had the express joy to return to CT and to my friend Frank Pergola’s evening in Shelton on Saturday night.  This is a nice place, The Huntington Street Cafe, that features great food and a good listen space and audience.  It was a great chance to catch up with my good friends Ron Anthony and Sue, Denny Collin, Pat Lauder and Frank, of course.  There were some folks who had seen me before, which was curious, but it was a good situation to play in.

Tom Manna opened with some cool 12 string songs and tunes… (fingers of steel).  Ron and Denny did a wonderful set of songs, in spite of some very talkie tables and some sound quirks.  I was really contemplating how to play this kinda ‘bar’ situation.  And I wasn’t really excited about doing another bar situation.

Ron finished up, and, providentially, the talkie table got up and left.  It turned into a very nice, listening situation.  I decided to start with Kent’s Santa Assassin, which really got their attention, and said so.  I did some of my good stuff, including some stuff that worked at Allentown Symphony Hall.  Smoking Babies continues to be an artistic risk, especially in New England, but gives me a great laboratory experience in my folk music studies.  I screwed up stuff along the way and could have been a whole lot tighter, but its the audience interplay that is the craft.  … and that was all to the good.

I’ve been under a cloud of blues recently, and it was a wonderful way to get away from my situation, and play for friends.  I also got to reconnect with some Bruce Cockburn music as I drove, that helped sooth my soul.

A good night amongst friends…..

I finished up my three gigs at Bethelehem’s Christkindlmarkt, a holiday crafts fair at Arts Quest.  Big heated tent, filled with craft folk, food, music, etc.  It’s a big stage, with sound and lights and folks eating at tables in front of the stage.  I’ve done it and continue to enjoy the situation.

I get to mix Christmas music, family music with mando and guitar tunes.  I also put out my bag of musical toys for kids to join in.  It was cool that, today, a bunch of teens ‘dared’ to come up front and join in.  Four girls grabbed tamborines and joined in, eventually provoking some other male teens to get up on stage behind me and dance and play.  It turned into something new and fresh and wonderful for me.  And real folk entertainment theater as well.  Cool.

Santa showed up, too.  I got a picture of me on his lap.  Cool, squared.

Community, in its wonderful spontaneity.

We did a fine one-show at a parochial school in Yardley for K – 8, which is always a challenge and a joy.  The smaller kids always get up and dance, usually led by a few goofy fourth grade guys, and some eight grade girls and the music.  It was a good session, and the final run of 8 consecutive school days for the band.  We survived. 

I look forward to this gig on several levels, and I’m always glad I do what I do for a living.  I’ve played this country club’s family Christmas brunch for awhile, so I’m getting to know the kids over the years, as well as the parents.  And the club does it up very nicely, with great family-friendly food, ice cream bar, Santa, carriage rides with hot chocolate, big tree, and a great staff of waiters, cooks, etc.  oh, yeah…. they hire me to play music. I get paid well for a full day of music, and this year’s check goes to my Honda’s ‘new’ engine.  (finally paid off from August…)

And it is all about families.  Grandparents, girls in Christmas dresses, boys in argyle sweaters, new parents, and their club friends.  As folks settle in, after checking out Santa, I play some standard holiday faire, but as the kids get down, they dive into my bag ‘o instruments, and we proceed to play.  Best show in town.  I get to watch them….

…families.  The grandparents dancing with their grankids, toddlers letting loose on the dance floor, girls enjoying their dresses, some mean egg shaking, and folks taking pictures of the kids having fun….. 

It’s fun seeing some of the kids grow older, and yet feel comfortable being kids again.  Brothers dancing together, two young twin sisters dancing, lots of great interaction amongst themselves.  Again, I get to watch…

These are well-to-do folks, but still folks.  I’m lucky to play for them.

The lads wind up this week of gigs for one show in Radnor ES, near Wayne, PA.  A K – 3rd school in a well-to-do suburb of Philly.  It was a packed house in half a gym, so kids were crammed in (no problem), but the shorted space made it loud for the band.  Kevin blew the ears out on his ‘acoustic’ drum part.  Long week of driving, I suppose.  The kids were especially noisy, and we had to rein them in several times.  But it all works out in the long run as they eventually get up and dance.  And, that’s really the reason why we’re there.  Attach the knowledge with kinesthetic movement.  It’s really deep planning on my parts…..

We survived the week, in relatively good spirits.  We still have Monday to go.

Today we found ourselves in the Devon area of PA, north of Philly.  We passed some mighty big house as we approached the school.  We had two shows, and the principal was very enthusiastic. as were the kids…. 

Hopefully we’ll be able to play most of the schools in this district.  Tomorrow, another school nearby in Radnor.

It was very rainy and long drive to Cherry Hill, outside of Camden, NJ.  It took longer than expected with traffic, but they were flexible and we got going only 15 minutes late.

Y.A.L.E. School is for kids 1 -12, special needs of various kind, so we were playing for an older group of kids.  Not as much dancing, but into the show. 

We did Peanut Butter where I get four kids up from the audience, and we sing the song together.  I then get each to sing “Peanut Butter” into the mike.  This time, the high school girl took the mike from my hands (a RR first) and belted it out, to the amazement and delight of the whole school.  cool.

Again, I’m proud to play with these guys, and in these unique situations.  Tomorrow, Philly suburbs.

We did two shows at a pleasant ES, who’s motto this year is “Brook School Rocks!”. So we did.  We’re two days into a full week of school gigs, and makes me think what it would be like if this were steady work.  Too bad its a rare week.  Wednesday is a double show at a Special Needs school in Cherry Hill, NJ.

RockRoots in Montclair, NJ (home of the Yogi Berra Museum) this morning at 9:15 for two shows at Bradford ES.  The folks were real gracious, with a nick ‘o time arrival of the band.  We did two fine sets, especially for a Monday morning in the middle of NJ, and got some nice compliments from the music teacher, and others.  Tomorrow in East Brunswick.

I headed back to Quakertown for my Sunday gig at this restaurant.  It was slow, at first, so I decided to play through.  I ended up playing for 2.5 hours straight, and it was no problem.  I mixed cowboy, country rock and Christmas for the folks.  I’ll be back in two weeks with some intermittent gig in the future, which is fine with me. 

I played my banjo for some of the kids riding the mechanical bull, and, for the first time this century, I was asked to play Dueling Banjos.  This is why I don’t play banjo in bars……  Frailing banjo is not bluegrass banjo. Sheesh…

Still don’t know what to think about this gig, but it still is an opportunity to play for folks, kids, and money.  All very good things…..  Perhaps a few concerts there on Sunday afternoons, and that would be cool.

I’m off next week but back on Sunday, Dec. 18th.

We drove into central NJ this morning for one show at for pre K through 4th grades, about 400 kids.  It was a school spirit day, and, in this case, was Crazy Hair Day.  Even the principal had blue hair.  And the four kids that came up for ‘Peanut Butter’ had some fine dos.  The band still amazes me with their great playing, good attitudes and musicianship.  The PTA folks were quite happy, and we got back to the LV before noon.  Big week next week, with Monday through Friday gigs in Jersey and Philly burbs. 

I made it through afternoon traffic in time for my Allentown gig in PP&L Plaza for the Chamber of Commerce Tree Lighting ceremony.  I followed several community teen groups, which was cool because it seeded the crowd with arts-oriented kids and parents.  Some nice moments when the crowd sang the Falalalas, and Rudolph’s nice and public, and by themselves.  I try to make this happen, so that we can all experience the people’s voice.  Rare, indeed, in our modern society.

Occupy’s Mike Check…  that’s the new one…

Towards to end, I invited kids up on stage to play, dance and sing with me.  The stage filled up with inner city kids, and gave me a new prop to play with.  I launched into Mary had a Baby, a rocking SC island carol, and we jammed.  I actually got them going rhythmically, sang, and then, as they played, I taught them the tune’s chorus, which they picked up and maintained to great effect.  It also gave me room to explore the tune.  It was so much fun, and the essence of what I do, and, amazingly, what the event folks could be proud of.  Community and arts in action.  Downtown…..

I diverted from Xmas to Xdance, since the kids were up on stage and cookin’.  We did a freeze dance, and urban kids are not afraid of dancing (another lesson).  This is all great vaudeville technique, by the way, along the lines of dog and pony show and other great animal acts, and it expanded the ‘production’ to very nice levels.  (Who needs a band?)  … and I could stretch the set…..  and play guitar…..  feed the artist….

We finished with Jingle Bells, with kids singing, playing shakers (let’s hope not too many walked – but what the hell, as long as they use them).  I let them sing the last time through, and it was perfect.  The community singing to the community.  I also broke a string, which is karma for the same thing.

It was a great gig, as it turned out.  Tomorrow, RockRoots in Scotch Plains, NJ at 9:30 am.  Crack o’ dawn…..

We kicked off our whirlwind tour this afternoon in an ES in Warwick, PA for a Bucks County school.  As usual, it was two good shows, working with the kids and teachers in a noisy gym.  The defining moment occurred, as the last group of K -2nd graders left.  A little kid said, “So long, suckers!”  Huh?  Pack up and off to my outdoor gig in Allentown this evening.

Homecoming – that’s the word….  Even when I was in CT (especially when I was in CT), I looked forward to sharing the stage with such a wide variety of LV players, many of which I never get to see play, many of whom I have deep musical respect for as musicians.  Lots of mutual respect going on, and we folkies need all the stroking we can get. 

The audience is a mix of art’s-going people, and are as receptive as it gets.  And, even if I can’t see them, I can feel them.  And to experience that communication is powerful (it happened at the Philly Folk Fest), and, for me, is the essence of my craft, my art.  I can count on it once a year at this event. I just have to center myself, and try to slow things down.

I went early, third, after Cambriata, a Renaissance music group, wonderfully delicate and well-played.  I came on, sensing a shift from the sublime to the absurd, so I started with the really slow version of Kent’s Santa Assassin, which built nicely, and Kent, I’ll have you know, they were applauding after the first verse.  It was very cool.  And wonderfully appreciated.

I followed with Louis Armstrong’s Cool Yule, a wonderful swing tune that I don’t get to sing enough.  I got to record this with Rob Stonebeck on trombone several years ago, with my feeble ‘trombone’, and it was fun.  Knowing that, I encouraged the audience to take his part.  So the ride came along, and I took the first time through, and then told the audience, “Your turn.”  And, invariably, that magical chaos happened that was a mixture of brave souls and raucous laughter.  In Symphony Hall, no less.  Cool.

The sound was phenomenal, with Rosalie’s little Macheche Martin filling the hall.  Cool, squared.

The evening wasn’t over by any stretch, for I signed on to emcee.  This year it was for 4 or 5 acts.  Again, on the fly, with some notes prepared by Miriam,  I was speechifying while the sound crew sets up the next act.  (Again, like Philly)  I managed some fun stuff, including a joke I had worked up during the week that I stole from FB, and localized to great effect.  I also noted that there was lots of food for the performers, and the sound system was all set up, so why don’t we just Occupy Symphony Hall….. 

Lots of musical surprises, lots of catching up with fellow musicians, food, food, and did I mention food? 

I had to explain my move back to the Valley, and that gets rather tiresome, but many, many good folks have wonderful things to say: about my playing, my emceeing, and my deep and wonderful history with these folks.

Saturday was a recent booking at the Sun Inn Courtyard in Bethlehem, sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce.  A four hour session of holiday music in historic Bethlehem.  Lots of folks out and about, especially with 60 degree weather.  (Boy, did I luck out?)  I had originally turned down the fee, but was offered this one on short notice and took it, for educational and recreational purposes, only. 

It turned out nicely, with kids, families stopping by, playing along.  Lots of photos taken of dancing grandchildren, etc.  That was the good part.  The hard part was doing 4 sets of music, and I pity the artisans in the square who had to listen to Zat You, Santa Claus four times……

Sold some CD’s, got some tips (always a surprise), and played Christmas music.  That’s okay in my book.