Sunday, July 20, Earthtones, Corey Creek, Peconic
Another day you could fry an egg on a sidewalk. Luckily a breeze usually kicks up mid-afternoon at Corey Creek and this day was no exception.
Even before I played a note, a man named Luis came in from the fields and purchased Nasty Weather.
Got to finally meet Erin, one of two of the managers from Corey Creek and sister vineyard Bedell's. As well as one of Suffolk County's Finest, moonlighting as security and with lots of great stories to tell...
Not sure if it was because we were both exhausted (Rick needs to rest that non-healing elbow) and this was my third day in a row playing in high heat and/or humidity, but the crowd was unusual with the exception of some folks from Connecticut and Rhode Island. A fairly transient crowd that refreshed itself frequently and wasn't easy to connect with...
The most interesting thing about this gig was that other musicians were in the audience — namely Jean and the Obvious and Joe Allegue. They were both incredibly supportive and Joe stayed until the end and talked to us through the entire pack-up.
Rick's camping next weekend and after a private party at Ernie's with Inner Sleeve, it's off to my sister's annual garage band next weekend in Schenectady...
Monday, July 21, 2008
Saturday, July 19, Jamesport Vineyards
It had been a month layoff for Inner Sleeve and we weren't expecting much because of the sizzling heat. In fact, manager Jacob and his bayman sidekick (I'm getting worse with names if I don't write them down) helped us rig a tarp over the lattice-work gazebo, which would make a big difference, so all but Ernie played in relative shade. Still wound up drinking a quart of water at the gig and another later that night...
For some reason we all took it up a notch and played our hearts out. A lot had to do with two groups of people who made the gig special — a group of 20 or so women from Westhampton celebrating Karen's birthday, and a later-arriving group of 20-somethings who called themselves the East Quogue gypsies. They brought their chairs up right in front of us and kept us at the top of our game until the very end.
They kept calling Ernie Woody Harrelson...
Hope we see both groups again down the road...
Also deserving of mention were the amazing oysters being served at the oyster bar... a little horseradish, Tabasco, and lemon made for a little bit of heaven from the bay...
It had been a month layoff for Inner Sleeve and we weren't expecting much because of the sizzling heat. In fact, manager Jacob and his bayman sidekick (I'm getting worse with names if I don't write them down) helped us rig a tarp over the lattice-work gazebo, which would make a big difference, so all but Ernie played in relative shade. Still wound up drinking a quart of water at the gig and another later that night...
For some reason we all took it up a notch and played our hearts out. A lot had to do with two groups of people who made the gig special — a group of 20 or so women from Westhampton celebrating Karen's birthday, and a later-arriving group of 20-somethings who called themselves the East Quogue gypsies. They brought their chairs up right in front of us and kept us at the top of our game until the very end.
They kept calling Ernie Woody Harrelson...
Hope we see both groups again down the road...
Also deserving of mention were the amazing oysters being served at the oyster bar... a little horseradish, Tabasco, and lemon made for a little bit of heaven from the bay...
Friday, July 18, Chowder Pot Pub, Greenport
Got this gig by way of Who Are Those Guys so thanks a lot Marty!
After playing here many times in summers past and hosting my first two CD parties here, it was a surprise to see the gazebo being used as a tiki bar, meaning that the bands set up against the building in the grassy area.
Began playing for the dinner crowd and one little four-year-old named Sophia was dancing from the start.
The other highlight was a table of three (and an infant) who were attentive throughout and stayed right to the end. The one fellow was from Brazil and I apologize for forgetting his name but he bought Nasty Weather and My Vacation and said he loved the music.
Great burgers and beers. Thanks Jamey...
Got this gig by way of Who Are Those Guys so thanks a lot Marty!
After playing here many times in summers past and hosting my first two CD parties here, it was a surprise to see the gazebo being used as a tiki bar, meaning that the bands set up against the building in the grassy area.
Began playing for the dinner crowd and one little four-year-old named Sophia was dancing from the start.
The other highlight was a table of three (and an infant) who were attentive throughout and stayed right to the end. The one fellow was from Brazil and I apologize for forgetting his name but he bought Nasty Weather and My Vacation and said he loved the music.
Great burgers and beers. Thanks Jamey...
Monday, July 14, 2008
Sunday, July 13, Bedell's Vineyards
Earthtones
This one felt right from the very start as Rick and I returned to our usual format, playing all of our favorite ballads in the opening set, many of them before the crowds arrived.
One of the highlights was seeing Rick's friends Janet and Jim, who stayed for the final two and a half hours and visited with us afterwards.
The other was this little boy who kept throwing change in our tip jar throughout the concert.
It was great to see Keith, Matt (from Corey's) and the rest of the crew again...
Not a huge crowd, but most of the people who were there stayed throughout much of the afternoon and our cup overfloweth...
Really got on a roll with the country/western folk portion of the show that included Johnny Cash, Hank Williams Sr., and Willie Nelson...
And Christy Moore's City of Chicago went over well...
And we actually took at least one break...
Earthtones
This one felt right from the very start as Rick and I returned to our usual format, playing all of our favorite ballads in the opening set, many of them before the crowds arrived.
One of the highlights was seeing Rick's friends Janet and Jim, who stayed for the final two and a half hours and visited with us afterwards.
The other was this little boy who kept throwing change in our tip jar throughout the concert.
It was great to see Keith, Matt (from Corey's) and the rest of the crew again...
Not a huge crowd, but most of the people who were there stayed throughout much of the afternoon and our cup overfloweth...
Really got on a roll with the country/western folk portion of the show that included Johnny Cash, Hank Williams Sr., and Willie Nelson...
And Christy Moore's City of Chicago went over well...
And we actually took at least one break...
Saturday, July 12, Michael's, Riverhead
Earthtones
I had been trying to play at Michael's for several years and it finally happened thanks to the openness of Ernest, who booked me. The man is a breath of fresh air, a straight shooter and the industry needs more like him.
We opened at 6 pm and rearranged our traditonal set to fit the audience, which was primarily a lot of women in their 20s and early 30s. They wanted Summer of 69 by Bruce Springsteen and Elvis (Jailhouse Rock), Brown-Eyed Girl, and The Gambler (OK, this one is starting to crop up more and more along with Sweet Caroline).
A really pleasant surprise was that an old friend from the Riverhead Women's Softball League, Maddy, showed up with her partner Ann and they are huge country music fans. They bopped and sang along to the music and when Rick's daughter Julie showed up with his wife Ellie, Ann began coaxing Julie to sing with us.
It's tough when you don't do this all of the time and as musically gifted as Julie is both instrumentally and vocally, most of the material we cover is not stuff she knows. So it was a pretty touching moment when father and daughter collaborated on the popular song "Bubbly."
Special thanks to Trish, for her enthusiasm behind the tiki bar...
Earthtones
I had been trying to play at Michael's for several years and it finally happened thanks to the openness of Ernest, who booked me. The man is a breath of fresh air, a straight shooter and the industry needs more like him.
We opened at 6 pm and rearranged our traditonal set to fit the audience, which was primarily a lot of women in their 20s and early 30s. They wanted Summer of 69 by Bruce Springsteen and Elvis (Jailhouse Rock), Brown-Eyed Girl, and The Gambler (OK, this one is starting to crop up more and more along with Sweet Caroline).
A really pleasant surprise was that an old friend from the Riverhead Women's Softball League, Maddy, showed up with her partner Ann and they are huge country music fans. They bopped and sang along to the music and when Rick's daughter Julie showed up with his wife Ellie, Ann began coaxing Julie to sing with us.
It's tough when you don't do this all of the time and as musically gifted as Julie is both instrumentally and vocally, most of the material we cover is not stuff she knows. So it was a pretty touching moment when father and daughter collaborated on the popular song "Bubbly."
Special thanks to Trish, for her enthusiasm behind the tiki bar...
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Saturday, June 21, Jamesport Vineyards—The debut at Jamesport was a toasty one and we played under the familiar arbor, which provided little shade. So we all wore hats for protection, but the heat and direct sun proved draining. Only the week before, we were freezing. The new manager, Jake, was a breath of fresh air, loving Neil Young, the Dead, and the Band. Ernie’s back held up miraculously and among our guests were Sue and Madelaine from the East Setauket area. He hired us for two more gigs in September and referred us to his friend’s bar on Fire Island.
Sunday, June 22, Corey Creek Vineyards, Peconic—The weather forecast was grim, the sky looked tornadic, and the breeze suggested storms weren’t far off, but by the grace of the musical gods the rain stayed well to our north across the Sound. The result was one of my favorite concerts of all time, with sun taking over by 4 p.m. and a delightful breeze kicking in. As Rick said, “You look out over the vineyards south to the horizon, without a house in sight, and you imagine yourself in Provence. After the gig, we sat with manager Matt and employee Dan, and sipped wine while eating cheese from Italy and Spain.
Saturday, June 28, Antares Café, Greenport—Cancelled, and our season there ended. We had a nice run last summer, as did a few other musical acts, but according to owner Matt, customers wanted to dine in silence. Will now have to fill these dates if possible, which might be tough so late in the season.
Saturday, June 28, Clovis Point, Jamesport—A friend of Rick’s recommended us for a fund-raiser being held by the marines and it proved to be a windfall for us. In spite of the wind nearly knocking over the huge umbrella we played under, we had a nice crowd outdoors and turned our speakers around to face the crowd on the deck and in the tasting room. At the end of the gig, a gentleman came over and asked us how far west we played and when we said, “Copiague this year,” he said, “I mean WEST. I would like to hire you for my private party tomorrow in Queens.” It turned out that he was Clovis Point vineyard owner Nash Misk. Tasting room manager Carmella loaned us a golf cart to move our equipment and packed up a six-pack of wine for both of us.
Sunday, June 29, Jackson Heights—Rick and I got started at 1 and in spite of getting off on the Grand Central way too soon on Northern Boulevard and having to go through 120 streets and numerous red lights, we made it to our destination on 87th St. and 35th Ave. to our host’s party. Our host was out in search of another tent when we arrived but Lourdes made us feel welcome and soon after we met Nash’s wife Marilyn, several Mannys, and a host of other folks that would make this gig such a special occasion. The party spanned three backyards and we set up under a tent in the middle one. This proved to be our saving grace as an hour into our first set the sky opened up and the lightning and thunder chased us all indoors. With the help of Jill we managed to secure the equipment under the tent and some extra tarp. Rick was fearless, poking the top of the tent periodically with a broom to eliminate pooling. Amazingly, the storm was short-lived and we were back playing within 50 minutes. In addition to mojitos, there were Argentinean steaks and Portobello mushrooms and Cuban seafood salad laced with cilantro. We played until nearly 8 p.m. after starting at 3:30. When we broke, Inez and Maria sang a lovely song in their native Spanish tongue a capella. Our hosts were most gracious and even purchased a full set of my CDs.
Saturday, June 21, Jamesport Vineyards—The debut at Jamesport was a toasty one and we played under the familiar arbor, which provided little shade. So we all wore hats for protection, but the heat and direct sun proved draining. Only the week before, we were freezing. The new manager, Jake, was a breath of fresh air, loving Neil Young, the Dead, and the Band. Ernie’s back held up miraculously and among our guests were Sue and Madelaine from the East Setauket area. He hired us for two more gigs in September and referred us to his friend’s bar on Fire Island.
Sunday, June 22, Corey Creek Vineyards, Peconic—The weather forecast was grim, the sky looked tornadic, and the breeze suggested storms weren’t far off, but by the grace of the musical gods the rain stayed well to our north across the Sound. The result was one of my favorite concerts of all time, with sun taking over by 4 p.m. and a delightful breeze kicking in. As Rick said, “You look out over the vineyards south to the horizon, without a house in sight, and you imagine yourself in Provence. After the gig, we sat with manager Matt and employee Dan, and sipped wine while eating cheese from Italy and Spain.
Saturday, June 28, Antares Café, Greenport—Cancelled, and our season there ended. We had a nice run last summer, as did a few other musical acts, but according to owner Matt, customers wanted to dine in silence. Will now have to fill these dates if possible, which might be tough so late in the season.
Saturday, June 28, Clovis Point, Jamesport—A friend of Rick’s recommended us for a fund-raiser being held by the marines and it proved to be a windfall for us. In spite of the wind nearly knocking over the huge umbrella we played under, we had a nice crowd outdoors and turned our speakers around to face the crowd on the deck and in the tasting room. At the end of the gig, a gentleman came over and asked us how far west we played and when we said, “Copiague this year,” he said, “I mean WEST. I would like to hire you for my private party tomorrow in Queens.” It turned out that he was Clovis Point vineyard owner Nash Misk. Tasting room manager Carmella loaned us a golf cart to move our equipment and packed up a six-pack of wine for both of us.
Sunday, June 29, Jackson Heights—Rick and I got started at 1 and in spite of getting off on the Grand Central way too soon on Northern Boulevard and having to go through 120 streets and numerous red lights, we made it to our destination on 87th St. and 35th Ave. to our host’s party. Our host was out in search of another tent when we arrived but Lourdes made us feel welcome and soon after we met Nash’s wife Marilyn, several Mannys, and a host of other folks that would make this gig such a special occasion. The party spanned three backyards and we set up under a tent in the middle one. This proved to be our saving grace as an hour into our first set the sky opened up and the lightning and thunder chased us all indoors. With the help of Jill we managed to secure the equipment under the tent and some extra tarp. Rick was fearless, poking the top of the tent periodically with a broom to eliminate pooling. Amazingly, the storm was short-lived and we were back playing within 50 minutes. In addition to mojitos, there were Argentinean steaks and Portobello mushrooms and Cuban seafood salad laced with cilantro. We played until nearly 8 p.m. after starting at 3:30. When we broke, Inez and Maria sang a lovely song in their native Spanish tongue a capella. Our hosts were most gracious and even purchased a full set of my CDs.
Sunday, June 22, Corey Creek Vineyards, Peconic—The weather forecast was grim, the sky looked tornadic, and the breeze suggested storms weren’t far off, but by the grace of the musical gods the rain stayed well to our north across the Sound. The result was one of my favorite concerts of all time, with sun taking over by 4 p.m. and a delightful breeze kicking in. As Rick said, “You look out over the vineyards south to the horizon, without a house in sight, and you imagine yourself in Provence. After the gig, we sat with manager Matt and employee Dan, and sipped wine while eating cheese from Italy and Spain.
Saturday, June 28, Antares Café, Greenport—Cancelled, and our season there ended. We had a nice run last summer, as did a few other musical acts, but according to owner Matt, customers wanted to dine in silence. Will now have to fill these dates if possible, which might be tough so late in the season.
Saturday, June 28, Clovis Point, Jamesport—A friend of Rick’s recommended us for a fund-raiser being held by the marines and it proved to be a windfall for us. In spite of the wind nearly knocking over the huge umbrella we played under, we had a nice crowd outdoors and turned our speakers around to face the crowd on the deck and in the tasting room. At the end of the gig, a gentleman came over and asked us how far west we played and when we said, “Copiague this year,” he said, “I mean WEST. I would like to hire you for my private party tomorrow in Queens.” It turned out that he was Clovis Point vineyard owner Nash Misk. Tasting room manager Carmella loaned us a golf cart to move our equipment and packed up a six-pack of wine for both of us.
Sunday, June 29, Jackson Heights—Rick and I got started at 1 and in spite of getting off on the Grand Central way too soon on Northern Boulevard and having to go through 120 streets and numerous red lights, we made it to our destination on 87th St. and 35th Ave. to our host’s party. Our host was out in search of another tent when we arrived but Lourdes made us feel welcome and soon after we met Nash’s wife Marilyn, several Mannys, and a host of other folks that would make this gig such a special occasion. The party spanned three backyards and we set up under a tent in the middle one. This proved to be our saving grace as an hour into our first set the sky opened up and the lightning and thunder chased us all indoors. With the help of Jill we managed to secure the equipment under the tent and some extra tarp. Rick was fearless, poking the top of the tent periodically with a broom to eliminate pooling. Amazingly, the storm was short-lived and we were back playing within 50 minutes. In addition to mojitos, there were Argentinean steaks and Portobello mushrooms and Cuban seafood salad laced with cilantro. We played until nearly 8 p.m. after starting at 3:30. When we broke, Inez and Maria sang a lovely song in their native Spanish tongue a capella. Our hosts were most gracious and even purchased a full set of my CDs.
Saturday, June 21, Jamesport Vineyards—The debut at Jamesport was a toasty one and we played under the familiar arbor, which provided little shade. So we all wore hats for protection, but the heat and direct sun proved draining. Only the week before, we were freezing. The new manager, Jake, was a breath of fresh air, loving Neil Young, the Dead, and the Band. Ernie’s back held up miraculously and among our guests were Sue and Madelaine from the East Setauket area. He hired us for two more gigs in September and referred us to his friend’s bar on Fire Island.
Sunday, June 22, Corey Creek Vineyards, Peconic—The weather forecast was grim, the sky looked tornadic, and the breeze suggested storms weren’t far off, but by the grace of the musical gods the rain stayed well to our north across the Sound. The result was one of my favorite concerts of all time, with sun taking over by 4 p.m. and a delightful breeze kicking in. As Rick said, “You look out over the vineyards south to the horizon, without a house in sight, and you imagine yourself in Provence. After the gig, we sat with manager Matt and employee Dan, and sipped wine while eating cheese from Italy and Spain.
Saturday, June 28, Antares Café, Greenport—Cancelled, and our season there ended. We had a nice run last summer, as did a few other musical acts, but according to owner Matt, customers wanted to dine in silence. Will now have to fill these dates if possible, which might be tough so late in the season.
Saturday, June 28, Clovis Point, Jamesport—A friend of Rick’s recommended us for a fund-raiser being held by the marines and it proved to be a windfall for us. In spite of the wind nearly knocking over the huge umbrella we played under, we had a nice crowd outdoors and turned our speakers around to face the crowd on the deck and in the tasting room. At the end of the gig, a gentleman came over and asked us how far west we played and when we said, “Copiague this year,” he said, “I mean WEST. I would like to hire you for my private party tomorrow in Queens.” It turned out that he was Clovis Point vineyard owner Nash Misk. Tasting room manager Carmella loaned us a golf cart to move our equipment and packed up a six-pack of wine for both of us.
Sunday, June 29, Jackson Heights—Rick and I got started at 1 and in spite of getting off on the Grand Central way too soon on Northern Boulevard and having to go through 120 streets and numerous red lights, we made it to our destination on 87th St. and 35th Ave. to our host’s party. Our host was out in search of another tent when we arrived but Lourdes made us feel welcome and soon after we met Nash’s wife Marilyn, several Mannys, and a host of other folks that would make this gig such a special occasion. The party spanned three backyards and we set up under a tent in the middle one. This proved to be our saving grace as an hour into our first set the sky opened up and the lightning and thunder chased us all indoors. With the help of Jill we managed to secure the equipment under the tent and some extra tarp. Rick was fearless, poking the top of the tent periodically with a broom to eliminate pooling. Amazingly, the storm was short-lived and we were back playing within 50 minutes. In addition to mojitos, there were Argentinean steaks and Portobello mushrooms and Cuban seafood salad laced with cilantro. We played until nearly 8 p.m. after starting at 3:30. When we broke, Inez and Maria sang a lovely song in their native Spanish tongue a capella. Our hosts were most gracious and even purchased a full set of my CDs.
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