Gig Updates

January 25, 2009-Sunday

Moondogs: Blawnox, Pa.

This memorial tribute to my ole dear friend, Rob Johns (the beadman) was a labor of love that brought a whole lotta folks together. I looked around da room and thought; this is where I come from. We started things off with a haunting “Amazing Grace” that featured Mark Stutso on lead vocal with Bob McKeag supplying plenty a’ grease on da side. Larry Siefers was blowin tenor sax, Da Fishman, Warren King, was stroking mellow tones, Harold J. Bottoms was oohin n’ aahin while droppin pillows of huge bass meat. I had a guitar in my hands, but I’m not sure if I was even playin, I was just feelin da moment real strong………….can ya feel it? We then did a take of “I Was Blind” that just involved Harry, Stutso and yours truly preachin da gospel wit Stutso shoutin out on a tune he only heard for the first time 24 hours earlier. Time to catch a strong wind blowin, so we slapped “Somethin’s Cookin” on ‘em so fast they didn’t see it coming. Luv Dat. Bob (Bubs) McKeag then took center stage and sang da sh*t outta his own tune, “Sail On” with Siefers on sax n’ Fred Delu on keys. Powerful……… I looked out in the club and saw the Beadman’s mom, aunt, uncle?, sisters and their sons, brother,daughter, X wife(baby mama), in laws, friends, X girl friends, guys he used to be in a band with, guys he used to paint with, and folks he forgot along the way, but they didn’t forget him. I felt all the luv in da room pourin all ova da place. McKeag started singing an ole BB King tune and I handed my guitar to Donny Hollowood and then he started spankin like ya spose to. The folks from the Blues Society, Jim Weber and his crew, helped us out when they got onstage and raffled off some ole Diamonds stuff, I hope I remembered to thank them for their support………Gil Snyder got right up front and sang “Hoochie Coochie Man” with Donny and the Fish on guitar followed by the Fishman playin da sh*t outta “Mercy Mercy”. The Beadman’s nephew Brendon Burn, this twenty-something kid, gets up and sings a tune he wrote. I was supposed to have an acoustic guitar for him to play, but mine crapped out, so he strapped on an electric guitar and took center stage for his solo performance like a man. We then got David Johns, Rob’s younger brother up to play drums with Harry on bass, me on guitar, Fred Delu on keys, and Brendon out front singing a tune that he just learned a few days before, “Knocking On Heavens Door”. WK got back onstage with Donny Hollowood and Fred Delu and sang “Goin Down Slow”, while Larry Siefers blew horn. For a total mood change, Erin Burkett and Virgil Waters took over the stage, her on piano n’ vocals, n’ Virgil playin major upright bass. Just da two of ‘em. Nice. The Blues Society got back onstage, something bout a fifty-fifty, which worked out well. Longtime Pittsburgh shouter, Gary Beloma, center stage, he’s been there before. With Don Czaplicky on bass, Stutso keepin time, Fred on keys, Larry on sax, Fish n’ Frank Giove on guitar, Beloma took ova da place for a minute. How bout dis? Frank Zuri shows up and me n’ mine with da Fish, Frank and McKeag, and I think Fred n’ Larry was throwin something in da pot, fired up da joint wit “Rock n’ Roll City”, “Rock You”, “Hog For Ya Baby”. At this point we settled things down wit a lazy take of “Bring It On Home” that featured McKeag and Zuri just like da ole days at da Varsity House. Craig King and Gene Sweeny traded chops on “Help Me”. Next up was a band of guys that used to play with Rob Johns back in the 90’s, the Fat Henry Band, never heard of ‘em before, but these guys did a great job. Dave Losi got behind the piano and banged out “Slow Down” with Don on bass, me on guitar, and Rob’s nephew, Mike McArdel on drums. Riff Mitchell closed out the night with Tuck on harp and Mike on drums bangin out “Honkey Tonk Women”. Nights like this night, cleanse da soul…………….I’M CLEAN……………………Bead, see ya on da other side…………there’s a tear in my beer……

Stay tuned for the latest updates! Better yet, come to one of the shows and experience "The Manful Handful" himself, first hand!

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