May 30, 2009-Saturday

Moondogs: Blawnox, Pa.

I’ve said it a million times, “some nights it’s easy, n’ some nights it’s hard”……know what I’m sayin? And when it’s easy, ya can do no wrong. This special evening, da wind was in our sails. How bout….. “Lazy Bones”, “Boilermaker”, “Rock n’ Roll City”, “Look What You Done”, all comin down like fallin rain……right as rain, man. At this time, I was ready to get jiggy……..what I’m sayin?  …..so I whipped out a brand new joint……”Shit House Rat”, which came off pretty well. Stutso ripped up some lead vocals on “Three Times Your Fool” & “Victoria’s Secret” and we generally just about spanked ‘em all…….I almost forgot to mention that “Rich Kid” was outstanding”. We did a solid version of “Comin Home” that seemed to trance out some of the natives, luv dat. Harry sang “King Of The Road”, Stutso sang “You Go Your Way”, Katie Simone sang “Dead Flowers”, Moondog sang “Like A Rolling Stone”, “You Don’t Have To Call Me Darlin, Darlin” & “I Shall Be Released”, and I enjoyed da opportunity to play music wit some nice folks……..what I’m sayin?

May 22, 2009-Friday

The Wonderbar: Asbury Park, NJ

Time flies when your havin fun, and dis was FUN. Saw a multitude of friends that I ain’t seen in a coon’s age. King George, George McMorrow, Glen Palmer, Larry G, Maddy & Vern, Judi & Bob, Bobby Strange, Tony P, Bob Benjamin, Richard Skelly, Kart & Mahoney, and my brother Art, who was in the house wit da Houserocker’s…….it felt great to be back in the great Alcohol State, New Jersey. As soon as we arrived they started yellin at us to get up on stage and get started. When Harry, Vinny, Stutso, and I fired up I could feel some magic in the joint. “Boilermaker” set the tone for an electric evening. “Rock n’ Roll City” loosened up the natives. As I was introducing the next number, ole buddy David Bryan, AKA Mavin Johnson, jumped up onstage and got behind da organ n’ piano so I called for a tune that we’d played together before, “Ready Freddy”……….now I got a five piece smoking band, and I’m in Jersey…….LUV IT…….how bout we slap “High Times” around, OK?......here comes “Nothin To Lose” in all it’s majestic glory, man, did it feel uplifting to rip that long lead at da end…….high as a loon. “That Girl” was followed by “Heat of the Night” which gave Vinny Q the spotlight on the solo, folks luv Vinny. Stutso n’ Harry both showed up on “Rich Kid” in the strong n’ steady rhythm section as well as vocals. The closer, “Love Dog”, gave David Bryan the spotlight on the piano, so I took off my guitar n’ just rocked. Did I say that time fly’s when your havin fun? Me and da guys went for stroll on da boardwalk da morning after n’ Harry said that I was crawling up to other dogs n’… like… freakin da normal folks out ……I don’t know why he said dat

May 16, 2009-Saturday

The Boulevard Stage at the Dash Inn: Youngstown, Ohio

I took this show because I wanted to experience a solo acoustic performance, I must admit that it was a lonely ride on the PA pike. I saw a mess of folks that I know when I arrived, Freddy, Ken n’ Casey, Milo Jimmy n’ Cindi... I also met Michael Stanley of the headline act, The Midlife Chrylsers. “Look What You Done” got me goin, and I think it was a good choice as an opening song for this audience. The second tune was also a good choice, “I’m A Man”. I ripped into “Rock n’ Roll Band” which melted into “Sick n’ Tired”……..came off kinda cool. I think it was a bad decision to ask if their were any Steeler fans in da house…….I think it was also a bad decision to refer to Cleve’s hometown faves as da Clowns…….but I couldn’t stop myself. “Let’s Find a Way” was performed for the first time tonight, and I think it was cool. I thought I’d hate the sound of my voice on this tune ….but I didn’t hate my guts. One for fun, I busted into “Lovedog”, didn’t plan on it, just happened……guess I couldn’t stop myself. “Town With No Name” seemed to lose the audience’s attention……”I’m Com’n Home” helped me refocus the crowd, it’s gentle rollin feel was workin. I took a shot n’ played a short goofy take on brand new song, “Shit House Rat” which really came off well…….BIG FINISH…… “I Was Blind”……..it was a good idea, to go up to Y-Town n’ blow a solo acoustic show……..gotta keep workin on dis stuff

May 9, 2009-Saturday

Moondogs: Blawnox, PA.

I had to start the show with some hardcore hambone Norman shtick, some real nice folks needed to get some footage on tape to document the miracle. So we came full faced with “Lazy Bones”, “Boilermaker”, “Somethin’s Cookin”, “Lovedog” and “Rebel Rouser”. My original intention for this evening was for me, Stutso, and Harry to back up Shari Richards singing some ole tunes that she knows, and some Norman tunes that she don’t know. I really like the sound of Shari’s voice. Just hearing her sing “Minimum Wage” and “Million Tears” was a thrill, but I gotta say I dug “New Blood” comin outta her face even more. By the way, I wrote “New Blood” for my niece, Rena, when she was born. Tonight, she’s at her junior prom. “Rich Kid” kicked strong. We had the balls to try “Pennsylvania Rain”, it came off OK, but the potential for that tune is unlimited so I was underwhelmed. It was a blast doing Neil Young’s, “Down by the River”. We opened set two with the brand new song, “I’m Comin Home”, it’s a gentle piece of music, which I thought was appropriate cause I thought we were a little too loud in our first set. Stutso barked out “Victoria’s Secret” as I watched people react very positively ‘bout his vocal work. Shari got back onstage and sang “Look What You Done” and as she was singing “You Go You Way” sax master, Kenny Blake walks up to the edge of the stage and say’s, “mind if I take a piece a dis tune?”, I’m like,..ah……bring it. So Danny Donahue, flugelhorn man with a plan, follows Kenny up on stage…..da stakes go up. So here’s me, I got da stones to call dis other brand new tune, “The Blues come Blowin In”…….powerful. Danny found the right lines to blow straight away, and Kenny lit shit up……woof……atmospheric…….hypnotic.

May 1, 2009-Friday

Southside Works: Pittsburgh, PA.

This event was put together by the Food Bank to advertise the 2009 Pittsburgh Blues Festival. Speakers included buds Ron “Moondog” Esser and Larry Kuzmanko, which was totally inspiring to me. We kicked it off real lazy like with “Lazy Bones”. Our little three piece was bringin it from the lip……..you feelin me? “If I Had a Child” was a casual sensation, which was totally inspiring to me. We basically rolled all over da first set, in a good way. We closed it down with me handing my guitar to Frank McLaughlin, who was sitting in the audience when I called him up on stage to throw it, n’ show it. I’m not sure Frank enjoyed playing my guitar, but he sure sounded good doin it. For set two, we brought Larry Siefers up to blow some big faced tenor sax, and Neil Gerjuoy to blow some tasty harp. We had them on either end of the stage; I would have liked to have them side by side. Regardless, it was workin for us. I could feel some power and some glory. The standard “Norman”, bluesy numbers ………. “Minimum Wage”, “Hoochie Mama”……n’nat….came off pretty cool in this format. Set three featured two numbers with Bobby Wayne, an excellent R&B vocalist and James Docherty, a slide guitar master. “Turn On Your Love Light” and “People Get Ready” both came off with dignity. I’m proud a’ dat. Da high winds started blowin our stuff of da stage, so we bolted……….Think I got the word, “blowin” in there three times ……….cool!