June 15, Osprey's Dominion, Inner Sleeve

Totally blindsided by the weather on this Father's Day. Dressed in shorts and tee shirt only to find that the temperature barely broke 60 and their was a strong sea breeze most of the day. As a result of this and perhaps the fact that the Strawberry Festival was going on, the winery had the smallest crowd I've seen in the ten years or so I've played there, which is roughly 40 times...

However — and a big however — the Giordano and Bartelli families from Farmingville/Brooklyn, along with cigar-smoking Jon and Nate, from NYC and Montreal respectively, made it all worth while. As did the guy in the Brooklyn Dodgers hat who danced with his partner to "Things We Said Today." These folks moved in under the tent when the weather worsened and we had a bout of showers. And they stuck it out.

What also brought the metaphorical sun out was the fact that Jenny, from Lieb Cellars, was "moonlighting" in the tasting room.

Highlight: American Girl (sans drums)

Hurry back, Ernie. We miss your beat...

Saturday, June 7, Borghese Vineyard, Cutchogue

This debut for Earthtones at the oldest vineyard on the North Fork came about because manager Deborah found one of my business cards from years past in her files... she went out of her way to advertise in advance for our performance online and in print, from Newsday.com and Hamptons.com to the Suffolk Times, Borghese's Web site, and a beautifully done roadside chalkboard sign.

It was a scorcher but nothing like what lay ahead for the ensuing days. In fact, Rick and I enjoyed a brief breeze that materialized as predicted at about 2 p.m. and was gone within fifteen minutes or so.

Personal highlights included visits by the former owner of the Candleworks shop in Greenport (who was gracious enough to buy a CD to see if "you improved any,") members of the Red Hat Society who posed for pictures behind us while we played, and a bridal party who requested a love song (we obliged them with Love Song by Elton John) on our break...

It was a pleasure to play here and meet the count and his wife, Annamarie (I hope I have this right) in a gorgeous setting with unlimited potential. We're back for an encore on September 13 and can hardly wait. It might even be a bit cooler by then...

Musical highlight: For Everyman

Friday, June 6, Four Doors Down, Mattituck

To quote Buffy St. Marie, Magic was Afoot and God was Alive on this evening, an evening that turned into a soiree and a windfall for Earthtones. When Pat McGowan went behind the bar and told everyone to clap for the band, he got the crowd into it. Andrew Cooper, singer-songwriter from Mattituck, was a huge spirit-lifter and wanted more Neil Young (or any Neil Young for that matter) since I don't think we played any. Deniece made the night a total success by inviting us back for several encore performances. Highlight: Zephyr Song Lowlight: Sitting, Wishing, Waiting

Debut of Summer Season at Inn At the Blue, East Marion, May 24 Earthtones

It was pretty cold for late May but Rick and I managed to make it through the night, thanks to the help of Howard, who brought his squeezebox and John the Sailor (I think his name was), who sang a few songs with us (Roy Orbison, Del Shannon, Bonnie Raitt, and Shirelles) to warm the blood. We were also joined by some brave souls who ventured outside from the coziness of the bar to listen... lots of requests for Johnny Cash and a country artist named David Murphy (?). The people at Inn At the Blue make it worth the while... Billy, Michael, Bruce, and "Jez." And a cat named Ollie. As well as a Whiffle-playing father and son team.