Jock's Music

OTM @ Huey's

2010-05-26T08:34:00.007-05:00

I know it's Memorial Day week-end. Staying in town? Add this to your list.
"On The Move" will be playing Huey's in Cordova this Sunday from 8:30 til midnight. Come on out.

Thanks to all of you who joined us in the parking lot at On the Border for Cinco de Mayo. Dunk Carter, you were great, thanks for sitting in. Scott Smith will be back with us on guitar this Sunday.

Don't forget our fallen Veterans this week-end. I have a past post with just a brief history of how we got here.

See you Sunday night!

Cinco de Mayo

2010-05-05T08:19:00.004-05:00

Come celebrate Cinco de Mayo with On the Move. We will be playing at On the Border(Wolfchase) from 7 til midnight. The event is outside, on the front parking lot. What a beautiful day it is, the sun is out and should reach mid 80's. If you are not an OTM facebook fan already, you should be. Look us up and join in so you will stay up-to-date of when and where we are playing next. See ya tonight!

St Jude Memphis Marathon

2009-12-03T16:24:00.005-06:00

Oliver Grove is playing for the Memphis Marathon. That's this Saturday(5th) morning, starting at 8:45 and playing 'til 10:40. We will be at mile10 station in front of Martin Music at 1659 Poplar.
Poplar Ave will be closed for the runners most of the morning, so make alternate travel plans if you're not there by 8. Bundle up and bring me some coffee, it is suppose to be clear and chilly, in the 30's.

In other music news, I will be playing with Germantown Baptist's orchestra in their "Gloria" program on Sunday night(13th). Then New Year's Eve, "On The Move" is playing at Cara Hills II. This is a brand new venue for receptions, small conferences and other gatherings. More as we get closer.

On The Move

2009-10-20T09:59:00.009-05:00

Our demo is now available online. You can listen to it at OTMband.com. There are 12 cover songs you can hear and vote on as well.
You can catch us this week-end, Oct 24th, downtown at the Memphis River Arts Festival. We will be on the Sam's Town Main Stage from 1:00-2:00. It is located at the National Civil Rights Museum just off South Main Street.
And those of you who have been following my music over the last few years, will recognize Dani, 'cause she is playing at 2:30 on the same stage. Last year, this festival saw more than 70,000 people. Come on out!

Oliver Grove

2009-09-14T11:51:00.012-05:00

This Sunday, Sept 20th, come on out for Advent's Annual Fishfry and Concert. All the activities start at 5pm. We, Oliver Grove will be playing from 6 til 7. Food and music is free. Don't miss out on a good cause.

We've been in the studio lately working on a demo and a few songs. Oliver Grove's music should be available soon.

"On The Move" has also been in the studio and the demo is winding up. We will make that available on Facebook and the website for your listening pleasure. OTM will make a public appearance in October for the River Arts Fest. We are scheduled on the 24th from 1:00 til 2:00.

"Each fall RiverArtsFest hosts hundreds of nationally renowned artisans and thousands of Mid-Southerners to celebrate the fine arts during a two-day outdoor festival that is free and open to the public. See, hear, feel and taste art in all its forms, and become part of the moment as it all melds seamlessly with the sights, sounds and historical reverence of the South Main Arts District."

If you are not already a fan Of "Oliver Grove" or "On The Move", sign onto Facebook and give us a search. Event updates, photos and songs are soon to follow.

Where have you been?

2009-07-25T10:32:00.008-05:00

Due to demands of high pressure schedules, and just plain ole being ME, blogging has taken a back seat. Yet somehow, even after taking a hiatus, I am still getting requests. So let's try this all over again. You're buying all this, right? Here's a brief look at the first half of the year.

Sundays I'm in the service at Germantown Baptist, usually on organ(Korg CX3) and occasional acoustic guitar(Taylor 30 year Anniversary issue).

And after months of debates, chalk board entries, the show of hands voting has turned out a name for our band, Oliver Grove. If you're on Facebook, give a search and join up. We've been in the studio and a couple of originals are on the way. Headed back in to add some covers for a demo that should be ready soon as well.
More on Oliver Grove later.

There's more in the que for the music scene, just too much to mention in one blog. There's a rock project in the works and "On The Move" is coming soon.

Yes, that's Todd. April I think it was, at Minglewood Hall. Great show! Great new venue.

"I'll be back...", I believe was said somewhere along the line.

2009

2009-01-10T11:14:00.007-06:00

Welcome back!! I suppose there's a lot to catch up on since the last update.
Not in any particular order of importance or even anything to do with music, but here we go. Merry Christmas! Our schedule was packed. Christmas parties, family visits, meals, end of year recitals, finals at school, overtime(the job), and I played at Evangel's Christmas service.

My new year's eve was spent at the hospital, I am now a granddad!Presley Ruth, 7 lbs 11 oz. So Happy New Year! What a site, a day, and a way to start the new year.

Looking ahead to 2009...

I found a "must read", The Shack. Ya gotta get it(or even read it online).

The PIG is back at 96 oink 1. For those of you who are tired of top 40 commercial Rock n' Roll.

Oh yeah, we got a Wii(like I've got time to play games). I've even made some Mii's of the Beatles, Bowie and Jagger. Ok, Ok, back to reality.

Zack's album is moving right along, and should be in post production soon.

Yes, I'm still with the unnamed band and you can find me on Sunday nights at GBC.

So, I hope you stay employed and your 401k stays in the black.
Be back soon...

Music on Demand

2008-10-24T22:02:00.002-05:00

well sort of...

I have posted an MP3 player, so let your requests be known.

"As time goes by..."

2008-08-15T10:45:00.007-05:00

I just got a Jay Turser-SG copy that needs a little work. I'll have some pictures soon, Thanks Kevin!
a month later I'm still pickin' away. Sunday nights with the acoustic, my "Music: Appreciation" course is over(4.0, thank-you very much) and found out I'm going to be a granddad to a baby GIRL!

Stay in touch, this SG thing is inspiring me to spend some more time on the electric.

And by the way, check out a friend of mine's site. He's new to the blog world and just can't stop. Hot Rod Projects!

Faith Music

2008-07-15T14:03:00.004-05:00

Tuesday Sun is finally getting out. Friday night we will be at Faith's "Coffee House Series". In other news, I've been sitting in with the Germantown praise band on Sunday nights. Ron Norton plays the keys so I have been on acoustic guitar. Last week we did a short set for Advent Presbyterian's "Focus" on Thursday night. Life is good!

Shannon St Blues Fest

2008-06-05T22:40:00.003-05:00

I have been invited to perform once again with the Fried Glass Onions band. This time in Jackson, TN, Saturday afternoon at Shannon Street Blues Festival.It's been about a year since our last show at Gibson Guitar Lounge. Mostly the same players will be there, Dave Smith on bass, Greg Lundy on drums, Gene Nunez on guitar, EJ Dyce on trumpet and yours truly on keys. Oh yeah the singers, Matt Isbell, Jackie Johnson, Reni and Bob Simon, and Sir Charles Ponder. Oh every one will be singing along, it's Beatles music, Memphis style.

John Kilzer starts at 5:30. We go on at 6:30 followed by Webb Wilder and Guitar Shorty.

This is one big ad. I'm pluggin' everybody. Come on out, Saturday, June 7th.

Life is Busy

2008-05-04T10:46:00.002-05:00

Just to catch you up on some things goin' on, Tuesday Sun is still happening. We have been recording and there are 6 songs almost ready for demo. Dr Louis is the sound meister, as if that's a real engineer title. Keep an eye on the Tuesday Sun website for details.
Lately I have been sitting in with the praise band at Germantown Baptist. This week we will be playing during the revival at GBC on Monday and Tuesday night.
On Saturday, June 7th, I will be playing in Jackson, TN at Bluesfest 2008. It will be a live performance of "Fried Glass Onions, Memphis Meets the Beatles".

So what's been keeping me so busy. School! Yes, I'm back in school studying website development.
I am going to finish something I started a few years back. Day job, night school, family, music. Not at all in that order, but it keeps me in line.

Tuesday Sun

2008-01-10T19:33:00.001-06:00

Here we come, Saturday Jan 19th. We will be playing at Higher Ground in Hernando. Join us for coffee and some tunes.

Shaw Blades

2007-12-15T11:07:00.001-06:00

What a show! This was an add on date at the end of their tour. Here's Tommy Shaw on "Lucky Man". Playing the Moog parts on guitar. It sounded great. Just 3 of them all night. Jack Blades from Nightranger and Will Evankovich from American Drag. They played some Styx, Nightranger, Damn Yankees and everything from their "Influence" CD. Like I said earlier, "What a Show"!

75 bucks

2007-11-04T20:55:00.000-06:00

Nothing to do with music, but...
Go to Getman Orthodontist and click on the contest bar. You'll figure it out.
No strings attached. They just want some website traffic. This contest is over Nov 15th.

Fall Fest

2007-10-26T12:15:00.000-05:00

Tonight I'll be sitting in with some of the guys from Tuesday Sun at Hope Presbyterian's Fall Fest. Got the call last week. They handed me a CD with some Johnny Cash on there. That sold me! "Sure I'll do it".

5:15- 6:45.
Come On!

Keeping up!

2007-10-11T08:46:00.001-05:00

So here we go. To catch you up on a few things. A couple of weeks ago, I hooked back up with Dr Don for an acoustic set at 1st Baptist in Counce, TN(Pickwick). We played for about a half an hour and received a standing ovation. That was truly gratifying.
In other music news, Tuesday Sun is good to go. Got the players in place and the set list is up. You can contact us on the website, so come on over.

Elvis has left the building...

2007-08-03T10:19:00.000-05:00

"Thank-ya, thank-ya very much" for all the calls and referrals. As you may have heard, I have taken a hiatus (a break, pause or interruption) from the Dani band. It's been a great ride for the last 3 plus years. I've met and played with some really talented people (see the list on the right), Dani especially. AFKAS and I enjoyed sharing the stage with her.
Did I say hiatus? According to wikipedia, hiatus is a euphemism for unemployment. Oh, I'm not done playing music, just making myself available to play more often. Keep the calls coming.
Did you notice the Elvis shirt? :)

GoldStrike Casino

2007-07-23T17:20:00.000-05:00

Here's a shot from the last night at GoldStrike. Jeremy Smith on drums and Chris Geswein on bass. So where's Chris? Oh, it's just his arm. And yea, that's me on guitar. We are due back on August 25th.

Ok if you've read this blog before, you'll notice there was another picture below. I've remove it for the sake of " who really wants to see road kill".

Now back to our regularly scheduled program. Here's a picture from 1965 of a band called "Thee Beachcombers". Talk about retro, check out the "duds" and the "do's". David "Murt" Harris on drums and Buzz Allsup(second from left) on lead guitar. These guys opened for "The Byrds" at the Municipal Auditorium in Pensacola. Why these guys? We work for the same people.

Collierville's Fireworks

2007-07-08T19:22:00.000-05:00

Here ya go, we're one week into our 2 week stay at Gold Strike and here's what's up. Along the way I met T.G. Sheppard. Wished I would've had my camera. And one night, a water pipe busted just above the keyboards and started pouring out of the ceiling. Panic. It stopped us in mid-song and mid-set. So I removed my equipment, aired it out and played acoustic guitar the next set. A set later it was all up and running. No harm no foul. Sounds like a Korg commercial. Along the way back early one morning, I created some roadkill. Some said it was an otter, others said a muskrat. I'm just glad it wasn't any bigger.
Here's a shot from Collierville's July 4th celebration. I was told there were over 10,000 people there, wow. It was also Chris Cook's last show with us. So Jeremy Smith has joined us on drums for the Gold Strike run.
We've been added to the Delta Fair & Music Festival in September. Plus there's a Redbird's game coming up we will be playing.
Stay in touch!

Lee Way Studio

2007-06-30T21:07:00.000-05:00

Last week; Dani, Zack and I spent a couple of days at Lee Way Studio recording some tracks. Kevin Houston was at the controls with Dave Smith on bass. Steve Potts from Booker T and the MG's joined us on drums. Pictured from left to right is Zack, Jock, Kevin, Dani, Steve and Dave. We've got a great sound coming up so I'll keep you posted there.

I have updated the photo album on the right. Check it out.

This week we start our run at GoldStrike. Yes, we are there for 2 weeks. And don't forget Tuesday, we're in Collierville for the fireworks and celebration. We go on at 8:00. Music starts at 5:30 with "The Aims Gang" and "Almost Famous".

More later...

Sunset on the Square

2007-06-22T15:46:00.000-05:00

Hello Collierville! That was fun. Not too hot, late in the afternoon and in the shade. Lots of familiar faces, thanks for the support. Suzy from VA, hope you enjoyed the trip down and I'll see you in September. You know we will be at the fireworks on July 3rd. That's at the park on Powell Rd. We will be the last band on before the fireworks.

Starting July 2nd, we will be playing at Goldstrike Casino for a couple of weeks. Check the "All Shows and Times" for specific dates and times. And next week we're in the studio.

Scroll on down, I've got you a back-stage pass. Ya know you can click on the pic for more detail. Did you see AFKAS at the show?
Happy birthday Todd!

Sunset on the Square 07

2007-06-10T10:21:00.000-05:00

Collierville, here we come! Thursday night, June 14th, 7 - 9 at the gazebo in town square.

Memorial Day

2007-05-28T21:02:00.000-05:00

Summer's here! Happy Memorial Day! Mine started with a visit to Memphis National Cemetary with my son as we posted flags on the graves. A parade, some bagpipes and over 47000 markers.Did you know? It was originally called Decoration Day. It was started in 1868 to commemorate the sacrifices of civil war soldiers by decorating their graves. Several Southern states still set aside a day for honoring the Confederate dead, which is usually called Confederate Memorial Day:

Mississippi: Last Monday in April
Alabama: Fourth Monday in April
Georgia: April 26
North Carolina: May 10
South Carolina: May 10
Louisiana: June 3
Tennessee (Confederate Decoration Day): June 3
Texas (Confederate Heroes Day): January 19
Virginia: Last Monday in May

In 1971, Congress declared Memorial Day a national holiday.
In 2007, Northwest Airlines no longer observes this as a paid holiday for it's employees. Hmm?
OK, OK. Back to all things music. June 14th. Collierville town square. Be there or be ...

Target House

2007-04-28T18:39:00.000-05:00

Today we spent the afternoon in Millington at a Q107 remote broadcast. Kennedy and Karson, from the Q, gave away tickets to an American Idol show and a guitar autographed by Chris Daughtry and his band. The catch was to win the musical chairs game. Adults only. Oh there were injuries. People trying to act like adults to get the last seat. Comical!
Jeremy Smith on drums rejoined us for this one. Chris Geswein on bass and Zack playing lead. Dani and I on the left and yes I'm playing guitar.

Sunday night (April 29th), Dani, Zack and I will be playing a charity show at Neil's on Madison. This will benefit St Jude's Target house. Dave from Vexar Entertainment has put together a CD from those of us who have played for the families at Target house. It's called "Wednesday Nights in Memphis". Dave has been organizing Wednesday nights at Target House since late 2005. What a treat! Not only for the families, but what a blessing I get when I meet those guys going through treatment.
Here's the line up.

Sunday, April 29th:
2PM - Nancy Apple
2:30PM - The Central Standards
3PM - BREAK
3:30PM - Tucson Simpson
4PM - Lately David
4:30PM - BREAK
5PM - Jacquelin Simmers
5:30PM - Scott Sorrells
6PM - FreeWorld
6:30PM - BREAK
7PM - Young Loseph and The Law
7:30PM - Dani
8PM - BREAK
8:30PM - Ashley McBryde
9PM - Mike Dees

Come on out. You'll be supporting a great cause.

"All the way from Memphis..."

2007-04-26T08:49:00.000-05:00

Last week was good. So I've heard this Fried Glass Onions Showcase was the best yet. It's good to see Dave Smith , Gene Nunez and Greg Lundy again. EJ(from Free World), you did a great job on the horns. If you haven't heard Zack's version of "Love Me Do", ya need to find it on the third FGO's CD. By the way, this was another first for me this year. So add playing at the Gibson Showcase to the list with FedEx Forum and Desoto Civic Center.

Here's another first. Saturday night we were in Hornersville, MO, playing at the 6th annual "Little Riverfest". Here's a backstage picture at the Festival. I can't seem to get away from the day job, check out the stairs on the right. It's an old airline passenger boarding bridge. And yes, this is a permanent structure. You can see it from the Satellite view on Google maps.
Saturday, the 28th we will be in Millington from noon til 2:30 at a Q107.5 remote broadcast from Freedom Homes on Hi 51.

I need pictures! If you've got any, send them my way.
Oh yeah, If you plan on getting tickets to Beale St Music Festival, Monday is the last day to get them discounted.

Not playin'

2007-04-19T12:14:00.000-05:00

Correction to Friday's TV appearance, due to conflict of schedules I will not be on Fox's GMFM.
And those of you in the Missouri bootheel area this week-end, check out the Little River Festival, which I will be playing. See ya' tonight at the Gibson.

Fried Glass Onions Party

2007-04-14T09:26:00.000-05:00

This will be fun! Thursday night at the Gibson Guitar Showcase will be several Memphis artist' bringing their sound of Beatles music. Once again, I'm invited to be in the house band while they take the stage. There's no need to mention what feeling the Beatles bring about, but if you've ever been to the Gibson Showcase, you know this is a great venue for music.

Friday morning, Dani, Zack and I are going to be on channel 13's "Good Morning from Memphis". I don't know what times yet, so I'll keep you posted later.

Saturday we head up to Hornersville, Missouri and perform at the Sixth Annual Little Riverfest. They are referring to this as "the Bootheel's version of Memphis in May".

Speaking of "Memphis in May", have you seen who is coming? Allman Brothers, Gov't Mule, Derek Trucks, North Mississippi Allstars and that's just part of the line up on Friday night. I mean you still got Kenny Wayne Shephard, Kelley Hunt, and my favorite this year, Steely Dan. They are scheduled for Saturday night. Man, I have only started the list to who's coming. Did you notice Daddy Mack Blues Band? He will be at The Gibson this Thursday. Click on "Memphis in May" for the line up and come on out. Oh yeah, see ya Thursday.

Grizzlies vs Golden State

2007-04-02T13:46:00.000-05:00

Friday night, April 6th, we are playing at the FedEx Forum. We will be on for about 30 minutes prior to the Grizzlies game and again at halftime. So come on down early.
Keep an eye on the calendar, Dani and I have got several shows coming up. You can also find the entire calendar by clicking on "All Shows and Times". April 19th we'll be at The Gibson Guitar Lounge for a night of Beatles music and then the following morning on channel 13's "Good Morning from Memphis".

How about them Tigers? 33-4 !!!

It goes like this....

2007-03-20T17:29:00.000-05:00

Bad news/good news/great news .Thursday at the FedEx Forum has been rescheduled due to the TIGERS being in the sweet sixteen. The Memphis/Texas A&M game will be shown during halftime of the Grizzlies/Lakers game on the Jumbotron. So they don't need any live Rock n Roll. I was going to TiVo the game which could've been challenging 'cause there was no way I would not hear the score. So this works out great for me, we reschedule and I watch the Tigers game. But bad news is, Kobe doesn't get see us. Throw him an elbow and he'll be alright.

Saturday night went good. When we arrived, the loading crew met us at the door, unloaded our equipment and wheeled it up to the stage(I could get use to this). Sound check went off with just a couple of adjustments. Then off to the green room, food, drinks and pics(see below). We had to drop a song due to Jason Aldean's band playing the same one too. Not a problem. So we got to meet Jason backstage after the show. You know he plays a Gibson guitar(thought I'd throw that one in)?

Speaking of Gibson guitar, did ya notice the April 19th date? I've been invited back to be in the house band for a Fried Glass Onions show. You know there are 3 CD's out now. Ya gotta still love the Beatles. And the more I listen to the "Love" CD, the more I like it. It's pretty cool hearing hints of other songs in the mix. "You say good-bye, and I say hello".

Jason Aldean

2007-03-15T21:27:00.000-05:00

"Now with special guest Memphis' own Dani McCulloch". Yep, you got it right, we are opening for Jason Aldean this Saturday night at the Desoto Civic Center.
So I'm putting new strings on and I need a new bridge for my guitar. The bridge needs to be one with an offset b-string. Not as easy as I thought. After going by a couple of stores, I had to start calling around to find one. I should've known to go to Yarbrough's first. Mark Crawley always has a story to tell. Turns out he use to play in a band with Chris Cook(our drummer). After a few more visits, I'll be ready for a road trip and some stories to tell. It'll be interesting to hear Chris' take on things.

We've added a couple more tunes into the mix along with a new original. I've got new strings and we're ready to go.
So if country is your thang, come on out to "Hicktown". Show starts at 7:30.

March Calendar

2007-03-02T17:24:00.000-06:00

OK, I've made a couple changes to the site. You can still view all the shows and times in the Calendar, but now there are dates and links for a quick check too. So Pat O'briens, here we come. On the 17th we will be opening for Jason Aldean. And, we will be playing before and at half time of the Grizzlies/Lakers game on the 22nd. Yes at the FedEx Forum!

Live at 9

2007-02-21T15:45:00.000-06:00

Alright, if you missed our appearance on Live at 9 this morning you can view it online.
Click "Live at 9", go to Feb 21 and Windows Media will open. You need to let it load up. There is a commercial at first and if you see blank spots but hear sound, those are commercials also. Dani's interview is at the 6 minute mark. We perform an original at the 15 minute mark and a BTO song at the 55th minute. Pay close attention, AFKAS is there too. Let me know where he is and the first one to contact me will win..........

"Can't Buy Me Love"

2007-02-18T21:36:00.000-06:00

Who says you can't buy love? Well my darlin' did. I got the CD and DVD "LOVE" for Valentines day. Yes it's another compilation and there are no new songs that were tucked away in a basement somewhere. The DVD is an audio disc and the only photo is the one on the left. I rushed to put it on and skipped through every song hoping to catch some pics or even a video or two. Just more of the picture on the left. The audio quality is a noticeable difference than that of the records of old. It's a great album for the collection. Oh and by the way, "Can't Buy Me Love" is not on here.
Check out the "Love" website, it's a great companion for the CD/DVD set.
Moving on to the local news, Dani's American Idol run has come to an end and she has written a book about it, lol. Check it out here. So with that behind her, it's back to work and here we go. Wednesday morning(2/21) we will be on "Live at 9" on channel 3 in Memphis. Wednesday night we playing at EP's Delta Kitchen on Beale Street. Thursday we are back at the Shanti Steakhouse in Collierville. Last time at the Shanti was a big surprise. The crowd was large enough they had to turn people away by the time we started playing. Thursday night is our acoustic show with Dani, Zack and me.
Don't forget to look for AFKAS. He will be on TV somewhere.

Time In

2007-01-27T19:20:00.000-06:00

What a week! I didn't realize just what would happen. Tuesday, the Memphis segment of American Idol aired and Dani took her shot with Randy, Paula and Simon. With gold sheet in hand, she's on her way to Hollywood. Now you hear what I heard 3 years ago, that girl can sing! Wednesday, it's a buzz all over the radio about this girl, Dani McCulloch, from Collierville. While we were playing at EP's Wednesday night, channel 13 shows up for an interview. AFKAS even got some air time.
Thursday morning we are all over "Good Morning Memphis" and they announce we will be at the Shanti Steak House tonight. We've been there before, sometimes a crowd, sometimes not. I show up about an hour early for set up and the place is crowded. If you weren't there an half hour early, you were turned away, by then it was packed. Brad from "Snap 94.1" shows up and interviews Dani while some of our show is on live. Well it's Zack, Dani and me on an acoustic set and we are having a blast. Word is out.
Kelli uploaded some of it on YouTube. If you see a highlighted word, click on it.
It's a link and there are some videos.
Check it out.
We will be back at EP's Delta Kitchen next Wednesday(31st) night.

Time Out

2007-01-14T19:26:00.000-06:00

Football playoffs, 24, American Idol and Tiger basketball. Not necessarily in that order, but time out anyway. I'm going to Ft Benning to watch my son's graduation from Army Basic/AIT this week. He'll move on to Airborne training afterwards. Just when Bush is announcing he's sending more troops to Iraq. He sure can use your prayers.

Next week I'll be back to EP's on Beale. We're there for the last two Wednesdays in January. On Thursday the 25th, Dani, Zack and I will have our acoustic show at the Shanti in Collierville. Take your pick.
Full band or Acoustic?
Saints or Bears?
Pats or Colts?

EP's Delta Kitchen

2007-01-04T18:57:00.000-06:00

Yep, we're going back. I don't mean Garry Goin, he's there on the week-ends. EP's on Wednesday nights. Check the calendar, we're there 3 times this month. We start sometime around 8 or 8:30, I dunno which. Make plans, the food's great and well, you know the music. Zack on guitar, Chris Geswein on bass and Chris Cook on drums. Oh yeah, Dani will be there, don't ya know. Like you didn't know who was singing. I heard a rumor, Cook is busy later this month and somebody said Pete Mendillo will be "banging the drum" on the last 2 Wednesdays. I guess we'll see, huh?

Here's some real music news. I picked up an old Hammond piper organ. Yeah, it's got flip levers, a tape recorder, a mic and push button rhythm. Get the picture. It's one of those 70's model from a generation that thought they could learn to play the piano by number. No you won't see it on stage.
I'll let you know how this goes.

See ya Wednesday?

Merry Christmas

2006-12-23T07:34:00.000-06:00

"Hello. Yeah it's been awhile, not much, how about you..." Name that tune.
Ok, here's what's been up. My computer crashed, well it got a virus so I had to start all over. I lost most of my contact info too. So here's what I need from you. If you know me, email me, or just look on the right and Gmail me. I know I should've backed everything up and I did, but it was a few months back.

And on to the tunes...
It was good to meet alot of you at the Horseshoe. Like Manny and Bea from The Arizona Band. Don and Tommie, too. You guys from work are still the best. Thanks Larry W for getting everyone together. And to Chop and Perk, I'm glad we were able to spend one more time out with Fat Daddy. He was a good friend to a lot of people.

Last Tuesday night we played at EP's Delta Kitchen.
Yes, it's the old EP's on Beale and they have reopened.
Hopefully we'll be invited back for the summer.
Happy anniversary Rusty and Rhonda.

Don't eat too much over the holidays(yeah right).

Oh, you know...

2006-12-01T19:08:00.000-06:00

You know the routine, places to go, people to meet and too little time to do it. Thanksgiving was spent in Columbus, GA with dinner at Cracker Barrel and my nights at HoJo's. If ya didn't know already, my son is in the army at Ft Benning. He was out on 36 hr leave and when we picked him up, all he wanted was McD's, an ipod and to be left alone. It was good to see him, you can tell he's grown a new appreciation for simple things. Well that left me some time to spend with the "baby Taylor" Colby got for Christmas last year. That's me keeping the fingers in shape. I guess I could use a brush too, huh!
Looks like a few more gigs before Christmas. We're down at the Horseshoe next Monday through Saturday. This one's on from 5:45 - 10:30. Sure beats that midnight run we had in Sept. Got a couple more in the works and as they pop up, I'll pass 'em along.
For those of you Beatle's fans, here's an oxymoron. They have a new album out. Check it out at The Beatles.com.
Later.

Target House

2006-11-03T09:38:00.000-06:00

Dani and I performed at Target House again this past Wednesday night. What a pleasure and a blessing to see those kids with great attitudes, singing along and enjoying a break from treatment.
Truly makes you appreciate what you have. Thanks again Dave for the opportunity.
Mo' music news:
Dennis and Ric at Rock 103 have an interview with Pete Townsend(who?) oh yeah! check it out.
94.1 is no longer the Buzz(here I go in radio promo again, not).
And most of all, Dani and the boys are going back to Horseshoe in December. See you there?

I'm so tired of the polical phone calls and commercials. So go vote Tuesday.

Back from Gulf Shores

2006-10-23T10:50:00.000-05:00

I'm back. Yeah it's been a week or so, but family first. Scout Base camp with Colby this week-end was a hoot. There was about 10,000 campers there in Tunica. You know, we played there a couple of years ago. It was in Millington then. How about that for a segway to music.

I have posted some pics from Shrimpfest. You can find them in the Photo Albums on the right. There's some more on the way, but you can enjoy these for now. It was a good trip down there. From Memphis we went down Hi-78 to Tupelo and then Hi-45 all the way to Mobile. Mostly 4 lanes and less traffic makes for a shorter drive. Don't tell anyone though, it may get crowded.

You know I finally saw Dr Zarr and the Amazing Funk Monsters. They're from Memphis and I go to the gulf to see 'em. What's up with that? It was good to revisit the disco. They've got some pics posted from the Shrimpfest too.

Stick around, ok so stickboy didn't get to go, 'cause there's always more...

National Shrimp Festival

2006-10-06T09:37:00.000-05:00

Gulf Shores, here we come! Thursday And Friday we will be on the gulf coast for 2 shows at the Shrimp Festival. This ought to be alot of fun. We will sharing the stage with Mustang Sally on Thursday. On Friday we will be on before Emerson Drive. We are trying out a new driving route this time. I'll let you know how that goes. Last year we missed the turn in Hattiesburg, 'cause Katrina blew the signs down.

If you haven't, check out the "bored" area on the right. And, if you've got any other sites of interest, let me know. The shrimp fest website has got a web cam on the beach you can control. C'mon, see ya down there. Oct 12th and 13th.

"All the world's a stage..."

2006-09-21T20:49:00.000-05:00

Here we are at Bay Days in Hampton, VA. That show is always a good time. If you haven't looked lately, this week we are at the Horseshoe in Tunica. Seven nights in a row, 11 o'clock start. Yeah, that turns out to be a late night, considering there's a day job involved. Oh, I made some changes to make this happen, I can't burn the candle like I used to. It's been a good run so far. Now that we're past the slow part of the week, Friday and Saturday should be a wild one. We start at midnight. Hopefully, for me things will get back to normal next week. Stay in touch, we are booked back in November and December. In the meantime, Gulfshores here we come!!!

Road Back Home

2006-09-11T15:46:00.000-05:00

Jar of pickles? You tell me. We found them in the back alley behind Preservation Pub. It was our first stop this week-end. In between the stops? Well let me see, mp3's, DVD's, cell phones, laptops, blackberries, XM radio, splitters for the headphones and McD's to go. It was good to get there and do what we do, MUSIC! Live and loud! We got reacquainted with old friends and made some new ones along the way. Mr Mac in Cookville calls everyone George. He's gotta mean well. Dan in Black Mountain has got his hands full with the Town Pump. Val, thanks for the good food. The whole Delbert thing was an experience. Those guys are all good. Rocky on sound, you too. Vaughn, you gotta send me some of those AFKAS pics. And to Chris, WH!
Ok, I've got most of the pics posted. Check 'em out. AFKAS has got a couple added to his "my space" and his Flickr album. It was good to get out again, but better to get back home.
Congrats on the release Billy Gibson.

Bay Days

2006-09-09T07:06:00.000-05:00

Oh yeah! So check this out, we got to meet Delbert McClinton. Opened for him at Bay Days in Hampton , VA. What a band! He even invited Dani up to sing with him on "Stormy Monday". Yeah we're buzzing. This has been a great trip so far. I've got some pics from it all, just give me a couple of days to post 'em.
Vaughn, Suzy and Don: you and your whole crew are so good to us. Thanks for it all!!!

Juke n' Jamm

2006-09-03T18:06:00.000-05:00

Bob Holden joined us Saturday night at Whistler's. Bob is the voice of "Juke n Jamm's" radio show on FM 88.5. He recorded our show and is mixing for a future airing date. Said he'd let us know when. Walt, thanks, I know you had something to do with this. And to the guys from work(the dreaded day job), thanks for coming out. Yes our show has changed some, back to the rock n roll, Zepplin, Jefferson Airplane, BTO and GnR. We needed a good night out before hitting the road next week-end. Thursday we're at Preservation Pub in Knoxville. Friday we're opening for Delbert McClinton at the Bay Days Festival. Saturday we'll be in Black Mountain, NC at Town Pump Tavern. I'll find a way to post some pics along the way. See ya soon!
Jock

Whistler's

2006-08-31T21:31:00.001-05:00

Late notice? Not if you checked the calendar. Friday night. Whistler's in Bartlett. 8 til whenever. Be there!

I'm BACK!!!

2006-08-23T18:26:00.000-05:00

Ok, it's been awhile. A long, hot summer and yes, almost tuneless. So here we go again. I've been practicing w/ 2 versions of Dani. Huh, what's that about? New songs and a couple of new faces. First you can find us this Saturday at Newby's on Highland. We are opening for Django Walker(son of Jerry Jeff). Oh yeah, the we thing is a little different. Zack is still there on guitar, but there's Chris Cook on drums and Chris Geswein on bass. More on them later.
You can catch us next week-end at Whistler's in Bartlett. That'll be on Friday the 1st.

Ok ok, the 2 version thing. If you noticed the calendar update(i know, i've been out of touch), we've got some gigs at the Horseshoe in Tunica. The "we" thing there is, Dani(of course) , Gene Nunez on guitar, Jeremy Smith on drums and Louis Meek on bass.

And the picture up top, it's from Southaven Springfest back in April. That's Neil Bowen in the middle, Dave Kropf on drums and you know who on both ends.

I'll be back, promise.

Billy Preston

2006-06-07T18:25:00.000-05:00

The music world has lost a great keyboard player and song writer on June 6. Do you really know just how far reaching his tunes were and the influences he had on so many? He played and recorded with the Stones, Eric Clapton, Joe Cocker, The Beatles, Sly, Aretha, Dylan, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Neil Diamond, Luther Vandross, Elton John, Gladys Knight, Enrique Iglesias, Ray Charles and Little Richard. I know that sounds like a run on sentence, but it's only the most famous listed. I haven't even mentioned his songs like "Will it Go Round in Circles" or "Nothing from Nothing". NPR's "All things considered" has a short, but great audio documentary on him. Billy Preston's own website has some audio and video links as well.
Check out his hair. That's a visual I'll never forget. He was only 59 years old.

A Memorial Summer Day

2006-05-27T22:11:00.000-05:00

Don't go outside. IT'S HOT!!
Oh, but we gotta. Life requires it and taxes too.
What's all this to do with the tunes?
Well have ya noticed not much blogging going on? Oops, glad you stopped by anyway.
I saw a spike in my site visits last week-end(Memphis in May BBQ).
1200+. What in the world happened?
So here's some reasoning...
--Southern Creed. Memphis Rock Radio has the Creed LP.
Just click on "On Demand Menu" and, Oh you figure it out.
If anyone knows when and where they're playing again, clue me in.

Can you say Taylor Hicks?

Ok, Ok, back to my music. Life is busy and something had to give briefly. We canceled the Huey's gig this week-end, so don't go.
The calendar is empty for now, but there's meat on the grill. So stay in touch.

Southaven Springfest

2006-04-18T21:34:00.000-05:00

Grab you a cup o' coffee, 'cause there's lots to catch up on. First, Dani was featured and on the cover of "Memphis Woman" magazine. Yours truly was called on, interviewed and quoted in the article. So yes, I made Memphis Woman Magazine. Although I can now play drums according to the picture's caption.

Moving on, the scenery has changed on stage. At Isaac Hayes last week-end we brought along Neal Bowen on bass and Gene Nunez on lead guitar. They'll be there for the festival this week-end too.

So what happened to Zack? I told you earlier Jordan opted out, well Zack followed suit and you can find them playing as "Crazy and the Crutch". Good luck guys.

Yep, we're opening for Sister Hazel this Friday at Southaven Springfest. Snowden Park's the place and we're on at 8:00.

have ya noticed? the pictures of the Fried Glass Onions CD's have disappeared. I dunno what happened. I'll figure it out later. Did you see the "something to do- site of the week" on the right?
Check it out.

Sweet Sixteen

2006-03-20T20:21:00.000-06:00

Yeah it was spring break and I took some time off. So let me get you caught up. I had a real humbling experience a couple of weeks back. Dani and I played at Target House for some of the patients and families of St Jude Hosptial. I'm in awe of those guys and how that place is run. All the people and companies that make it possible to provide the care at no cost.

Here's the latest. We're opening for Sister Hazel on April 21st at the Southaven Springfest. Cool huh? Oh yeah, the we thing has changed a bit. Neal Bowen is going to join us on bass in April. That's first going to be at Isaac Hayes on the 14th.

Did I hear someone say Bo Bice is going to be in Southaven?

Ok, nothing I've got going has to do with Sweet Sixteen except, GO TIGERS!!

Fried Glass Onions

2006-02-25T09:53:00.000-06:00

Wednesday night's show went well. It was a larger crowd than Friday and several people returned for a shot of "Memphis Meets the Beatles". Here's a quick pic of Jackie, Greg, Dave, me and Bob after the show on Wednesday night. Rick Nethery couldn't make the rescheduled show so Dave Smith sang on Back in the USSR. Dani, along with Jackie Johnson and Charles Ponder sang on Come Together. Pictures and video should be in the next couple of weeks. So I'll be updating the Webshots site soon and archiving the older ones.
Back to the Dani music, this week-end we're at Huey's downtown. Wednesday we're at Fox and Hound in Cordova. Eye on the calendar, 'cause it's always changing.

Memphis Weather

2006-02-18T15:11:00.000-06:00

Fried Glass Onions party has been rescheduled for Wednesday night! Start time is still 7:30 and if you don't have a ticket already, it would be a good idea to call ahead or show up early. Friday night went great. I've heard some wonderful comments after the show. It was just awesome to play music with these guys. The band consisted of Dave Smith, Gene Nunez, Greg Lundy and Vince Lefler. And to accompany Eddie Harrison, Jackie Johnson, Daddy Mack Orr, Matt Isbell, Charles Ponder, Rick Nethery, Reni Simon and Billy Gibson. Oh you can imagine the feeling when Dani and Zack joined us for "Oh Darling" and "Old Brown Shoe". I don't think the crowd knew what they had coming. They got their money's worth here alone. Eddie(from Inside Sounds) was speechless. If you missed it Friday, you got another chance Wednesday. Come on.
Hard Rock tonight is still on! I hope to get some pictures from this one, ice and all.
Drive safe ya'll.

Fried Glass Onions II

2006-02-08T20:53:00.000-06:00

The second volume of Fried Glass Onions is out and enjoying some radio play. Heartsong Church and Inside Sounds are hosting the CD release party on Feb 17th & 18th. Info and tickets are available HERE. Once again, I've been invited to play keys on both nights. Thanks Eddie! This oughta be cool.
I'll have double duty on Saturday night though. FGO party from 7:30 to 9:30 and then Hard Rock Cafe downtown at 10:30. Dani, Zack and I will play and run. Hard Rock should be packed after the Toby Keith concert at Fed Ex Forum.

More dates are on the way. March 1st we're at Fox and Hound in Cordova. That's a Wednesday. And on April 21st we're at the Southaven Springfest opening for.....

Way to go Jeremy, it's about time.

Since you've been gone...

2006-01-22T18:19:00.000-06:00

Like you're the one who hasn't been around, huh. Since New year's, we've been to Huey's and Hard Rock Cafe. Looks like there will be some return trips so keep tabs on the calendar. Right now we're adding to our set list for the season coming up so our shows will be few til spring. Currently I'm charting out some of our songs, which is time consuming. I need some software to simplify this. Somebody help me out here.

I've updated the photo album with pics from Countdown on Beale and added a couple to the Bay Days folder as well. I'll be back!

New Years on Beale

2006-01-06T21:08:00.000-06:00

What a week-end! We've gotten lots of comments about New Years show. Thanks for coming out and the support from the TV show. Looks like we've made some new friends.
Sunday night we're headed south of the border, stateline that is. I know some of you don't care for downtown so here's your chance to catch us while we're out. Huey's in Southaven is the venue. Start time is somewhere after 8. If you're on the 2nd shift, we'll be there awhile so come on out.
I just got a load of new pictures in, give me a couple of days and I'll get 'em posted.

Countdown on Beale

2005-12-30T09:56:00.000-06:00

Christmas is behind us, the New Year is here and we're on Beale Street adding to the celebration Saturday night at Handy Park. We go on from 10:20 to 11:20. Channel 5 is covering the event and we're scheduled to be on a couple of spots. Dani's got an interview afterwards so set your TiVo.
January's got some dates already at Huey's in Southaven and HardRock on Beale. I'll post more on that later.

How 'bout them Tigers!

Christmas Holidays

2005-12-26T19:56:00.000-06:00

Ok, so I say to a friend of mine, "I'm gonna stop at the Hallmark store and pick up a copy of Michael McDonald's Christmas CD". I get there and cheap out on the whole idea 'cause you gotta buy 3 cards (my darlin' buys all the Christmas cards, which had been done and sent already) before you get the album for 8 bucks. So check this out, it went gold in 2 weeks. Now I want one even more. Someone's gotta bring one in the Shanti Thursday night.

Made plans for New Years eve? You can find us downtown on the main stage on Beale from 10:20 to 11:20. Not getting out? Tune in to channel 5, they're going to be catching a song or two while we're on.

Happy New Year!

Southern Creed

2005-12-14T19:15:00.000-06:00

Recognize this? I know you remember"Fire Cracker". Those of you who were around Memphis in the 70's do. And I mean around places like High Cotton, The Ritz(on Madison), Solomon Alfred's or even Ali-goppo's on Highland. Whoa, I can't believe I remembered those. Anyway, they're coming back this Saturday to the New Daisy.
Other Reunion News: Duck Dunn has a website now and is touring w/ Booker T & the MG's. You know Steve Cropper is there too.

Since I'm on the subject of reunions, we're back at the Shanti this Thursday. Come on in!

December Calendar

2005-12-06T21:31:00.000-06:00

DATE-TIMES EVENT LOCALE
11th Youth Group Collierville Methodist
15th 6:30 Shanti Steak House Collierville, TN
25th MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!
29th 6:30 Shanti Steak House Collierville, TN
30th Twist & Shout KPAC Paris, TN
31st New Year’s Eve Beale St. Main Stage

Live @ 9

2005-12-04T20:40:00.000-06:00

November days gone by. Here's a shot from Wednesday the 23rd on "Live @ 9". Tony Mac invited us to be a part of the "Memphis Rocks" TV pilot at "The Complex". Hence the appearance on TV. I don't know how long it'll be online, but if you click on "Live @ 9" and go to Nov 23rd, you can view us on the show around the 36th minute and again around the 56th. Tony Mac and Dani both have interviews which are included. I've updated some pics in the "photo album" and if you look really close, you'll see AFKAS was on TV too. Dave was out of town and Jeff Burch was in from the Tinsley Ellis band, so he sat in on drums.

I'm working on December's calendar and Oh yeah, Fried Glass Onions, Vol II is out. You can get a copy on Dani's site before the official release date, or you can find a copy at one of our shows. We'll be downtown on New Year's, I'll let you know when and where. Later...

Shanti Steak House

2005-11-21T19:00:00.000-06:00

Oh don't look surprised. Danny Cole, steak house owner/guitarist sat in with us on a Janis Joplin tune. Maybe that's why the look. Where have I been? huh? Where've you been! Thursday nights, check it out.

Alright, let me catch you up. Wednesday the 23rd, Dani and the band will be on "Live @ 9". It's on channel 3 in Memphis.
Same day later on, Fried Glass Onions II is due out.
Saturday the 26th, downtown at Isaac Hayes and Wednesday the 30th, we're at the Complex on Madison. We'll be performing with "$7 Sox", "So She Sang" and "Mad City" on the filming of a pilot for a TV show. Ya gotta make that one, you may be on a music video or even on TV.

And now, days gone by. Huey's was a hoot and we'll be back first of the year. Last week-end, I performed my first wedding. Not my forte, but I held my own.

News to me: Rundgren is fronting "The Cars" reunion and oh yeah,
CONGRATULATIONS to Billy Gibson.

November Calendar

2005-11-02T08:03:00.000-06:00

DATE-TIMES EVENT LOCALE
3rd 7-9p Shanti Steak House Collierville, TN
6th 8-11p Huey’s Collierville, TN
10th 6:30 Shanti Steak House Collierville, TN
16th closed Nashville
17th 6:30 Shanti Steak House Collierville, TN
19th 7pm Private Wedding
26th 7-10 Isaac Hayes Memphis
30th 9p Complex Memphis

Fallin' Back

2005-10-30T08:32:00.000-06:00

Get to sleep in, or did you forget to turn the clocks back?
spring ahead , fall back, blah blah blah, O' you know.

I saw something last week that hurt my feelings. This is what's left-over from Fats Domino's piano. You can see more in the Wreckroom.(no pun intended)

Keep an eye open, I'm working on some changes.
And don't forget the Shanti or Huey's this week.

October 26

2005-10-26T09:54:00.000-05:00

A couple of comments before we get going. If you're headed to the gulf coast toward Alabama, the sign to Hi-98(just south of Hattiesburg) is gone, Katrina hid it somewhere. I know this by personal experience and confirmed from others(it adds about an hour to your drive if you go all the way to Gulfport).
I've been hit with a ton of comment spam, so I've added word verification. Sorry, but I'm tired of the junk coming my way. Nuisance! Ok I'm done, back to business
What's happened on this date, hmmm:
2004, Elvis Presley came top of a list of the highest-earning dead celebrities. $40m.
2002, Jessica Simpson, married former 98° member Nick Lachey. WHO CARES!
1991, Ozzy Osboune broke his foot on stage at a gig in Chicago. Another Who cares?
1974, Barry White scored his only US No.1 album with 'Can't Get Enough'.
1963, Bob Dylan played a sell out concert at New York's Carnegie Hall.
1963, Born on this day, Natalie Merchant, 10,000 Maniacs
1953, Born on this day, Keith Strickland, The B-52's
1951, Born on this day, Bootsy Collins, bass player, James Brown, Parliament, Funkadelic, Bootsy's Rubber Band

Why said? and...

Whose birthday is it anyway?

Where's AFKAS?

2005-10-24T22:22:00.000-05:00

I know it's somewhere on the trip to Gulf Shores, but where?
Yeah that's Stephen, thinks he can outplay AFKAS.

AFKAS went on to PR for the Shrimpfest. Unofficially becoming the event's spokesman. He's a man of many hats. What a ham!

Here he is hanging back stage with the Wes Loper Band.
Not a ham, just a downright groupie.
Thursday you'll find him and Dani at the Shanti. Friday night we'll be downtown at Isaac Hayes. If you bought an entertainment coupon book this year (05-06), there's a 2 for 1 dinner coupon.
Just wanted to share some more photos. See ya this week-end.
So really, Where's AFKAS?

Shrimp Fest

2005-10-18T16:31:00.000-05:00

Oh man, what a week-end! Had such a blast, I almost forgot the back pain. That's us pictured with Ron Kutter in the VIP tent after playing Saturday. On Friday, we ate some great gumbo brought in from Lulu's and on Saturday it was BBQ and boiled shrimp. What a treat!
We drove in on Friday and played an hour later, whew. Bushed, we didn't stay to hear alot of music, but met the band backing Kim Carson, The Casualties.
Checking into our condo for the week-end was a nice surprise. Found out we were on the 10th floor over looking the gulf. Needless to say, we all checked-out early for the night since we'd been on the road since 4am. The place was packed Saturday. We met the guys from Foxy Iguanas and AFKAS snuck in some pictures with the Wes Loper Band. Did you check out the web cam I mentioned earlier? Or even the pictures Dave posted along the way? Those are some candid shots. The one below with Dani was shot with his camera phone.
Gotta send some thanks out. Ginger Parnell, your crew really treated us great. Rick, thanks for getting us there and back in one piece and the daily devotions. And thanks to our roadie, Justin, who was a big help to the band. Zack you're the king of "6 degrees of separation".
Don't forget to visit the photo album. AFKAS was there too, and he has his own pics.

National Shrimp Festival

2005-10-13T14:20:00.000-05:00

Here we go again, another road trip. We're headed to Gulf Shores, ALA this week-end for the 34th Annual National Shrimp Festival. When you go to the Festival website, there's a web-cam you can control. You gotta check that out! Along the way, Dave should be posting photos on his moblog site. Oh yeah, I've replaced my old camera so I'll have some pics on our return.
Wet Willie is playing Saturday night and you know AFKAS is looking forward to getting his picture taken with Jimmy and Jack.

The guitar and mandolin have new strings(D'Addario's that is), got extra 9 volts, ibuprofen's packed, phone's charged up and I'm ready to go. See ya on the flip-flop.

On This Day (Oct 11th)

2005-10-11T17:15:00.000-05:00

Do you know what today is? Do you know what song was #1 on your Birthday? Today is mine and my wife's wedding anniversary. well thank-you. And yes I do know what song was #1. But the only reason I'm familiar with it is due to K-tel records. You remember that label don't you?
"More than Words" by The Extremes was popular when we got married. Mariah Carey was on top of the charts. How do I know this stuff? Musician's Friend sends out a weekly and you can check dates that are interesting to you at "This Day in Music". You don't have to be a member, just click on Birthday #1 up top. The #1 song on my birthday was "Mack the Knife" by Bobby Darin. What was it on yours?

Green Room

2005-10-05T10:21:00.000-05:00

Isaac Hayes has been a great venue for our music. While on break we get to chill out in the "green room". The question finally came up the other night, "why do they call it the green room?" I found several different answers, but this kept popping up on my research.
First, I'll address the room. Originally, the term referred to an off stage room where performers could rest while waiting for their cues. The first reference in use was in a play by Thomas Shadwell called "The True Widow"[1], performed at Dorset Garden Theatre of London in 1678. It mentioned a green room behind the scenes. A later example, in a book called Love Makes Man, written by the actor and dramatist Colley Cibber and published in 1701 was a little more clear in saying: “I do know London pretty well, and the Side-box, Sir, and behind the Scenes; ay, and the Green-Room, and all the Girls and Women Actresses there”. Cibber was closely associated with a different theatre, London's Royal Theatre on Drury Lane, Drury Lane? yep Drury Lane.

But, why the color green? It was not by accident because green was common in alot of theatres.
This is where I found a bunch of unsupported answers and guesses. Some thought because of colors associated w/ different royal families[2]and their actor troupes. Weak. Some found the color green to be soothing and relaxing, hence a break area for the performers. Green also gives the actors' eyes a break from the bright lights. 1700's, bright lights, duh, not hardly. In the limelight? not til the 1840's did that come about. So what gives here? In the 1800's, London theaters were decorated w/ a green curtain, green boxes, a green baize carpet for the tragic heroes to die on and the stage hands wore green jackets when changing stage props between scenes. Maybe just a popular color of the times? A little late, I'd say. Someone might have been misquoted as saying "let's go to the screen room". Whatever!
So the "green room" was already a commonly used term by the 1700's.

We do know it originated in England and when, but just not how.
Today we find green rooms in concert halls, tv studios and other performing places. They're just not all painted GREEN.

Henry Gross

2005-10-02T18:12:00.000-05:00

Henry Gross was in Memphis last Friday night. He played for over 2 and a half hours. Man it was fun to revisit those songs! Those were the days. We wore grooves in albums and knew every word and note. I'd grab the guitar and play along with every tune. Definitely, one of my musical influences. It was a great time to step out and be entertained. We played this week-end too, but I'm still enjoying this memory. So "Show me to the stage, so I can hear the music"

October Calendar

2005-09-30T12:48:00.000-05:00

DATE-TIMES EVENT LOCALE
1st 7-10pm Isaac Hayes Club Peabody Place; Memphis
14th 3-5pm Shrimp Fest Gulf shores, ALA
15th 2-4pm Shrimp Fest Gulf shores, ALA
20th 7-9pm Shanti Steak House Collierville, TN
22nd 7pm Private Party
27th 7-9pm Shanti Steak House Collierville, TN
28th 7-10p Isaac Hayes Peabody Place; Memphis

Dani @ The Shanti

2005-09-27T19:03:00.000-05:00

This is the last Thursday at the Shanti for awhile. We bring our acoustic stuff for this one. The music starts about 7. Danny(the owner) cooks up some great steaks w/ a recipe he's served for over 20 twenty years. So bring your appetite and enjoy a night out with Dani.
Keeping an eye on the calendar, we're at Isaac Hayes Club Saturday night(Oct 1st). This one's the plugged in version.
Oh, and don't forget AFKAS.

Week's End Update

2005-09-23T09:48:00.000-05:00

Check out this custom guitar of Bo's. Along w/ meeting him and his band after the show at Bay Days, this famous axe passed my way so I was able to get this shot.
New faces and old friends or new friends and old faces. You need to make one of these Thursday nights at the Shanti. It's our laid back show and some good eating.
News from the Doc, I've got a ruptured disk in my back. Going for the nerve block Monday and following up w/ PT. Day job is still on hold.
I NEED A ROADIE!
So get out and support your Memphis music.

Week-end Update

2005-09-19T11:03:00.000-05:00

Another 3 gig week-end in the bag. Thursday's at Shanti Steakhouse is starting to gather a crowd. You need to make one of these. Friday at Isaac's was another good show for Dani. And Saturday's Jimmy Buffet tribute at City Cafe was a blast. Sandals, hawaiian shirts and leis while singing Buffet tunes, "reminds me of the places I've been"(some I won't revisit).
I've posted some more pics in the Photo Album under Bay Days 05.
AFKAS updates:
AFKAS now has his own 1) my space site and 2) photo album.
Who would've thunk this could happen. "Too much time on my hands" w/ my disk problem. Speaking of which, I've got a visit at the Neuro Doc today, hopefully to get some relief soon! I tried loading my gear in the other night, not a good idea.
If you've got a "my space" sign in, send an invite, AFKAS loves the company.
Thanks for the visit and go hug your momma.

I Know Bo!

2005-09-13T23:09:00.000-05:00

Check this out! Yep, that's me and Bo Diddley. We got to hang out w/ Bo and his band after Saturday's show. We had great seats, side stage just a few feet from him.
Oh yeah, we played a couple of times too. Friday night we played our acoustic set on the country stage. Then Saturday afternoon we went early, checked out Don Butcher's Band, met some pirates, followed AFKAS around, hungout in the back stage trailer and invited Sue Ann to sing back-up on a couple of tunes. On stage sound was mixed great so it gave us all a boost, Dani did a great job & Zack was on fire. The Bay Days people treated us like royalty, from the stage crew, security, catering and even the crowd was responsive. It's just odd to me to be signing autographs.
Meanwhile, back on Earth...
Our trip home lead us back through Black Mountain, NC again. While there, one of our trailer springs snapped. That extended our drive home another day. Unload the trailer, load another, get up early, get springs fixed, unload rented trailer and load ours back up. Finally back on the road Monday noon and home after dark.
News to come...
AFKAS is working on his blogging adventures(site up soon).
Photos should be in sometime Wednesday.
Don't forget The Shanti Thursday and Isaac Hayes Friday night.
Vaughn, thanks for the camera batteries!!!

ROAD TRIP!

2005-09-07T21:12:00.000-05:00

Packing up and looking back on last week-end. Our acoustic stuff is startin' to gel. Performing w/ the guitar feels good again. We're going to stop in at the Shanti on most Thursdays, but check the calendar 'fore you just pop in. Got a new crowd down in Holly Springs. It gets us going when ya'll join in like ya did. Sunday night, downtown Memphis, that was a loud crowd. I saw some familiar faces in the front row Cat. Thanks for the write-up(sept 6th). I love those outdoor gigs. And that's why we're packing up. Headed to Hampton, VA. Yep, outdoors. Gonna stop in Black Mountain, NC on Thursday night and play Town Pump Tavern. I don't have any idea 'bout this place. That's alrite, they don't know us either. I'll send some pics.
Did I say outdoors? Good, 'cause Friday we're at Bay Days and Saturday opening for Bo. Oh, You know Bo.
We had a blast up there last year. Those people are really good to us.
It's going to be about a 2000 mile turnaround. Gotta love these road trips. Not good on the back, but here we go.

Hug a Refugee

2005-09-02T14:03:00.000-05:00

Have you hugged anyone from the Gulf coast today? You better! Let 'em know you're thoughts and prayers include them. It could be any one of us, just as quick as it was them.
"Count your blessings"

Labor Day Week-end

2005-09-01T07:26:00.000-05:00

If you're staying in town or on your way in, you've got options. Danny Cole can cook up some great steaks at Shanti Steaks House in Collierville. We will be there Thursday night playing our acoustic sets from 7-9 . Friday we are back in Holly Springs at the City Cafe. This is going to be our acoustic stuff too. They have a catfish fare you'll love. Then Sunday night, downtown in the Pepsi Pavilion at 9:30 for a 30 minute show for Dingo Fest. You know that one won't be acoustic. We will crank it up.
My camera is still on the blink. So if you gonna make one of these shows, send me some of the pics.
When you see some Lousiana tags out there, let 'em know you care!
See you this week-end.

Since we've last met...

2005-08-19T14:49:00.000-05:00

there's been "thangs goin' on that you don't know". So allow me a moment or two. Court Square gig was a blast, but I needed help on the load-in & out. I've got a bulging disc in my back. Doc said no "strenuous pulling, pushing or lifting", so daytime job is on hold til' I see Neuro doc.
In the mean time, I'm spending more time w/ my music. Grabbed the guitar for some acoustic tunes and looks like a trip back to Holly Springs for a warm-up to Hampton, VA for Bay Days. Fried Glass Onions is getting some airplay in England(go figure) and FGO 2 is due next month.
Kelli has started up a street team for Dani. Here's another in for ya'll who like to know whassup.
I'll try not to stay gone so long. So check back later.

Court Square

2005-08-11T17:50:00.000-05:00

Court Square in August. Another hot gig in Memphis. You'd think we'd say no to the heat, yet when asked to play music, lately the answer has been, "where & when can we go?"
We've had a great week! Rum Boogie last Thursday, even though it was a late one, and Friday night it was good to be back at BB King's. Sittin' at the B3 is always magical. I'll own one of those someday. It's always good playing to people gettin' into the music. I could use words like encouraging, motivating or just downright inspiring when you know they're hanging on every word and note. That makes it worthwhile. A many thanx to Le Chat for the support.

AFKAS was spotted, but my camera went on the blink.

August Calendar

2005-08-01T20:38:00.000-05:00

Check the calendar, but here it is in short. Thursday the 4th, Rum Boogie. Friday the 5th, BB Kings. Court Square, downtown Memphis on the 10th.
This just in, we're opening for Bo Diddly in Hampton, VA next month. Tell me that's not cool.

So, where's AFKAS?

Artist Formerly Known As Stickboy

2005-07-28T21:25:00.000-05:00

The "Artist Formerly Known As Stickboy" auditioned for a spot in the band. He quickly realized that he's merely a groupie. Still wanting to be a part of it all, AFKAS has vowed to follow us and be our most dedicated fan.
So the adventure begins. Seen here, during our Redbirds gig, AFKAS is deciding what to eat.
Question is, "where is he?" No clues for this one.

Pay careful attention, AFKAS does tricks, morphs and is an all-around thrill seeker.
He shows up in all shapes, colors and sizes.
You can leave your answers in "comments" or "gmail".
I will be keeping score, which implies there will be a winner?
So, "Where's AFKAS?"

Dani & the hot heads

2005-07-25T18:18:00.000-05:00

100 degrees+!!!!!!!
I thought last July 4th's gig was hot(95). Autozone park at 4:30 in the afternoon was killer.
Click on pic and you'll see the towels & the effects of it all. The mandolin wouldn't stay in tune so we skipped those tunes til after the game. Makes you want to invest in large umbrellas.
Still a cool gig though. No pun intended.
I've posted a couple of pics from Saturday's gig. It's listed in the photo album under "Memphis Redbirds".

We've got a new fan. Pay attention, the "Artist Formerly Known As Stick Boy" showed up.
AFKASB is on an adventure and will be posting pics soon.
Too much heat, huh. See ya soon.

Memphis Redbirds

2005-07-22T18:57:00.000-05:00

We're back at the Redbirds game on Saturday the 23rd. Whoa, it's gonna be hot! 99 degrees today, but they expect it to only get to 98 Saturday. Game starts at 6:05 and we play prior to at 4:30. Keep an eye on the calendar.
August is starting to get busy. Back to Rum Boogie on the 4th and BB Kings on the 5th. Court Square Summer Concert Series is the 10th. That one starts at 5pm.
More later!!

Real Musicians?

2005-07-20T21:17:00.000-05:00

Dave, whoever asked this question? They can't be for real. Have you ever been to a "Stomp" concert? Would you call that music? I do and they don't have what we call, a bonafide musical instrument on stage. Brooms, trashcans, newspapers, kitchen sinks, etc...
So if you don't have a musical instrument, can you still make music? Absolutely! A cappella means sung music without instrumental accompaniment. A singer's instrument is their voice, although some I've heard shouldn't be called music.
You know we're all told to "make a joyful noise". So "what level musician are you" may be the underlying question. Or was it just playful banter between musicians?

"Mommy, mommy, when I grow up I want to be a guitar player.
Now Johnny, you can't do both!"

So by example. Not just a piano player, but I picked up a guitar and a mandolin. If it's a musical instrument, I'm game. Why? Because I'm a musician. Just don't hand me a pair of drum sticks, 'cause I can't "make a joyful noise" with them.

McA's City Cafe

2005-07-10T21:30:00.000-05:00

Dave and I chillin' between sets. We were at City Cafe in Holly Springs. Small venue and brick walls make acoutics a challenge, but the intimate setting helps loosen the tie for cuttin' loose on a jam.
I joked about a road trip, but it makes for a late night after teardown and the drive home.
If you haven't met Dave, you gotta check out the "floating head"!

Thanks to ya'll who made that trip!

City Cafe

2005-07-06T20:21:00.000-05:00

Holly Springs, here we come. Friday night we will be at the City Cafe. Soul food, catfish and music! City Cafe is located across the street from the court house on the S.E. corner of the square. If your coming down 78, take the second Holly Springs exit and go north to run into the square. If your traveling south from 72, Hi 7 comes to a tee at the square. Click here for a map you can zoom for print.
We get started at 8:00 and will stay for 3 one hour sets or til ya'll leave.

July Highlights

2005-07-01T19:44:00.000-05:00

Just a couple of dates to note, Friday the 8th , we are going to Holly Springs(ROAD TRIP!!) and perform at City Cafe near the square. Soul food, catfish and tunes!
Saturday the 23rd, we are back to Autozone Stadium for an afternoon Redbirds game. We will play at 3 o'clock and the game starts at 4:30.
August 5th, BB King's here we come again! I'll be back on the B3. Oh what a ride!
One more: ads in the Flyer, Playbook and on FM100 have been announcing the Court Square Concert Series. We are slated for Wednesday Aug 10th. This one runs from 5-8pm, it's free so bring a chair and enjoy the show.

"Fried Glass Onions" too?

2005-06-27T18:30:00.000-05:00

We were back in the studio, "Inside Sounds" last Thursday(yeah same long day as Rum Boogie), recording " Oh Darlin" for FGO ll. This time around, I got to play the grand piano. You know that Korg I play has weighted 88's, but it just doesn't feel or sound the same as the real thing. Funny thing too, me and the piano were in the house while everybody else was inside the studio. Zack played both guitars and Jeremy joined us on drums. And on bass; Ross Rice, remember that name from Human Radio, Free World and most recently toured w/ Peter Frampton. Ross is going to be producing this album.
Mixing is next month and the release date sometime in August.

Final note, there are more tunes than what will be on board. Somebody's not gonna make the cut. You know I'll keep you in on it.

Rum Boogie

2005-06-26T05:49:00.000-05:00

Rum Boogie was Thursday night. I'm not used to these hours. Cool gig though. Ran into Billy Gibson. He was playing early w/ David Bowen. Check out Dani and Zack singing Redhouse.
I've got some studio news I'll post later, Fried Glass Onions 2 is on it's way.

Father's Day Week-end

2005-06-20T21:31:00.000-05:00

I just love outdoor gigs. This was from Friday night at Autozone Park. We got to play for an hour prior to and after the Redbirds game. Too bad they lost. We got some great comments and have been invited back sometime in July. This was also Jimmy's last show w/us. He's moved on to other gigs.

Saturday at Isaac's was a blast as usual. Producer, Pete Matthews dropped in for the show and joined us in the "Green Room". That was cool. Lots of birthdays tonight too, that seemed a little strange. We're not on the calendar yet at Isaac's, but looks like once in late July and pick it back up in August.

We're scheduled for the studio this Wednesday night. Gonna record "Oh Darling" for Fried Glass Onions ll. Apparently the first one went well. I understand it's getting airplay overseas.

Don't forget, we're at Rum Boogie this Thursday.
See ya then.

Memphis Redbirds

2005-06-16T11:12:00.000-05:00

The weather has cooled off abit, so come on out to the Redbirds game Friday(17th). We are playing inside the main gate from 6-7 and the game starts at 7:05. We'll play immediately after the game as well. We will definitely have the camera so I'll post some pics this week-end.
Don't forget, we are playing at Isaac Hayes in the Peabody Place Saturday night. Dave Kropf will be back on drums this week-end. Jeremy did a great job last time out, so you will see him again.
See you this week-end!

Emergenza Finals

2005-06-15T17:24:00.000-05:00

Remember that contest we entered, played at Hi Tone, advanced to second round and withdrew? Well, my brother-in-law's metal band continued on to the finals last Saturday night at the New Daisy. A band out of Nashville won, but Josh Hawkins, my bil, won a limited edition Ernie Ball guitar. It's the same guitar that John Petrucci of Dream Theater plays. He told me there were only 10 guitars of this design made for the Emergenza contest.
WAY TO GO BRO'!

Memphis Italian Festival

2005-06-05T16:57:00.000-05:00

Friday night went good at Isaac Hayes. Jeremy did a great job on drums and I've posted a couple more pics in the Photo Album. Jeremy was supposed to join us Saturday, but he's got a baby boy now and it was check-out time from the hospital. With all that said, Zack played drums at the"will play for change" tour. It was simulcast live on the internet at IndieHeaven.
So check this out, I got to revisit my first concert as a teenager: "Grand Funk Railroad". Mark Farner was one of the guests at the Memphis Italian Festival. Yes he opened w/ "Foot Stompin' Music". WHAT A BLAST! Larry Raspberry and the Highsteppers were the back-up band(that was a treat by itself), but Farner brought his own drummer(check out his hat). You can enlarge the pic.

Opening Week-end

2005-06-01T21:40:00.000-05:00

June is here and we're on for Friday at Isaac's and Saturday at Crossway Church in Bartlett for Indie Heaven's, "Play for Change Tour". The website hasn't been updated yet, but we're on Saturday at 5pm. This week-end Jeremy Smith will join us on drums. We've added a new original and have shaken the dust off a couple of our old tunes.
Later this month we'll be at Rum Boogie and a Redbirds game. Stay in touch.

Dani's Management

2005-05-27T18:54:00.000-05:00

DM(dani management) has a blog site! He will be updating as we travel and gig around town. He has discovered the art of audioblogging as well. This is one cool tool. Feel free to leave your comments. You can get there from Dani's site or just click above.

"Green Room" at Isaac Hayes

2005-05-20T18:39:00.000-05:00

Why is it orange?

Back from Tulsa

2005-05-17T05:47:00.000-05:00

That was a treat. The people of Bixby are great and Oh yeah, the ribs. We dug into some Texas Roadhouse ribs after the show. O, the show, 2 hours worth. We played on their new amphitheater in the park. Dr Jay joined us on "Call me the Breeze". We closed on "Stormy Monday" w/ a great response. Kathy Ivy, you were great. Looking forward to next year already 'cause we've been invited back.