Bangkok Blues Blues Jam 12-28-08 The Idle Americans

Bangkok Blues
926 W. Broad St.
Falls Church, VA

This was the best Bangkok jam I've ever done!

Bruce Katsu, who I haven't seen in months, came out with his friends and sounded like the monster he is!

Johnny Steinman showed up to give me some advice on being a musician and play a great X-mas-tinged set.

Add in the regulars (Lisa, Dawn, Kevin, Colleen, Hector), Joe Rucker, Mama Cass, and 20-odd musicians and there were over 50 people that wandered through on Sunday night.

And Skeeter promised he would get up to play a song or three next time.

Also, a rhythm section named Sam & Dave showed up who would actually make a good Sam & Dave rhythm section.

This post was brought to you by G13.

Next: Wednesday @ Scott's II near La Plata

Private Party 12-27-08 The Smoking Bobcats

The Diamonds
circa de Harper's Ferry, WV

I got off the plane 48 hours ago and this is my 3rd gig?

Anyway.

Having spent many a summer's day on the Susquehana River, I was familiar with the geography of that place where MD, VA, and WV all meet. So, I wasn't that nervous driving the deer-infested Harpers Ferry Rd. for half an hour past dark. Though I was a little worried I would end up an extra in "Deliverance".

So, imagine my surprise when I stumble on the decked-out log cabin that is The Diamonds. Super nice folks, super great grub, and I got to play with Dave Elliot!

Let me back up. Hanging out at our Bangkok Jam a couple weeks ago, Craig Gaylor asked if I was busy on Dec. 27. I said I probably was, but what was going on? Private party, Boonsboro, MD, blah blah. So, I said I'd look and lo-and-behold, I was free. Moral: If you want a blues gig, go to every blues jam you can find until you're good enough that someone asks you for gigs.

All in all, a pretty good set for a pick-up band, really nice folks, outstanding lasagna and ham, Dave Elliot seemed impressed with my playing ( :) ), and an end time early enough to make it to Fells Point for a couple hours of Bertha's and Carl Filipiak's Jimi Jazz.

Next: Bangkok Blues Blues Jam w/ IA

JV's 12-26-08 The Idle Americans

JV's Restaurant
6666 Arlington Blvd. (best address ever)
Falls Church, VA

I love playing JV's. Zach once said that all he wanted out of music was to have a regular gig here. It's a gen-u-wine NOVA roadhouse that's continually had live music and drinks since 1947. You couldn't ask for a sweeter owner than Lorraine (who else would stay open on Christmas in Falls Church?). I always get a good meatloaf. And, best of all, I get to chain-smoke during my set.

With all these pluses, the place has to be packed every night, right?

Sadly, we played to an appreciative 10 folks all night. You can't win 'em all. Though it was a little disheartening that the place was full on the nights bookending us.

This gig was also remarkable for being Mikey's second-to-last gig with us.

Next: Tomorrow, Private Party w/ Craig Gaylor, Bob Malardi, and Dave Elliot (!)

Cat's Eye Pub 12-25-08 The Regifters

Cat's Eye Pub
1730 Thames St.
Fells Point
Baltimore, MD

So, I spent the week before X-mas in Austin visiting my folks (where I saw the Monday night House Party that is Dale Watson at The Continental Club). The night before I left, X-mas Eve, I sent a text to Tony, owner of The Cat's Eye asking if he had music tomorrow night because I knew I was gonna' be out on the town. I get a response back at noon-thirty on 12-25 saying, "No, we don't have a band unless you wanna' play."

Hmmmm.

But, I was about to board a plane. I don't know, I'll think about it.

Get dropped off at BWI at 5:30 where Rucker is nice enough to pick my ass up. I frantically start making phone calls and by 6:30, I've got a band: Wolf (who has to drive all over MD to make this happen), Ian, $lim Money, and myself. I also texted about 25 people trying to get some folks sick of their relatives out. While I originally wanted to call us The Christmas Rejects, I liked Wolf's idea (yikes, I don't think I've ever said that) or The Regifters.

If you've not heard Ian Walters on keys yet, I highly recommend it. The guy can play (it's all he does) and he's got this huge, soulful voice that you don't believe until you hear.

I had a feeling the gig was gonna be fun, but, in the words of Joe Rucker, it ended up being the best Christmas ever. A modest crowd showed up and the staff told me that our thrown together little thing was better than most of the music that rolls through there.

The Cat's Eye was able to maintain their streak of having live music every day in '08 and I was able to keep my streak of only answering the question, "Gig?" with "Yes" or "I'm busy".

Next: Tomorrow, Idle Americans at JV's

Blue Dog Saloon Sat. 12-20-08 Idle Americans

Blue Dog Saloon
7940 Port Tobacco Road
Port Tobacco, MD
9:30-1:30

Blue Dog was the first place I was ever payed to play music. Mike Dutton (after seeing me at the Zoo Bar jam (jams are how you network)) gave my name to Steve "Grotto" Potter who hired me to play down there, when I still had an 80+ lb. Ampeg amp from the '70s that was falling apart. Whenever I go there, I think of the Kirchen lyric, "The big rig spun a rooster-tail of oyster shells and rocks".

Not too many people there. I don't know if someone else was playing in (I would normally say "town") the county, everyone was tired from the holiday party the night before, or folks were burned out from last-weekend X-mas shopping, but 3/4 of the people that came out are IA regs (Will, Neil, those two guys that request the Blasters...).

Tried all the new songs for the 2nd time. "Winter of Broke" was technically rougher than the first time, but the feeling was closer. That's by far the strongest of the new batch.

p.s. If I write the lyrics here, does that constitute a ©?

Next: Austin for X-mas week; JV's on Friday w/ Mikey

Bertha's Fri. 12-19-08 Glenn Moomau & the Blue Flames

Bertha's
734 S. Broadway
Fells Point
Baltimore, MD

Glenn Moomau is the best gigging harp player in the area and I work with him every opportunity I get.

Drama from this gig centered around my amp. With Idle, I usually use a '66 212 Fender Pro Reverb. This amp is my most valuable possession. But, it's too loud for a traditional blues combo, especially in a room this small. So, I was wondering around MD a month or two ago and stopped into Garrett Park Guitars in Annapolis-ish. Aside from being a vanilla music store that gives lessons, it had a couple funky, old amps lying around and I found a '60's era Harmony (yay!) amp with a new pine cab. At $225, I never expected to use it for anything, but turns out it works really well for this kind of thing.

Used it a couple times; it's a little dry, but it gets the job done at half the wattage of my Pro. Putting it into my car a while ago, I bent the fuse holder. I took it apart and, despite not being an electronic whizz, I figured I could go to Radio Shack, dust off my soldering iron, and make it happen. Long story longer, I did, but when I was putting it back together, I neglected to reconnect the speaker. Result: blown power tube. Moral: ALWAYS connect a tube amp to a speaker load. After regular Friday practice with Pessimist, I ran to Chuck's, found a matched set of 6V6's, popped 'em in, made the gig with 15 minutes to spare. Incidentally, can someone tell me why power tubes need to be matched and why the amp needs to be biased? Glenn advised me I didn't have to bias, so I didn't.

Played a tight gig to an unusually small crowd. Glenn did a Bharat-worthy "Rocker". Experimented with responsible use of Jagermesiter (I remembered going to bed!), peeped OMB at Cat's Eye, made the grueling 0.9 mile commute home, watched a My Name Is Earl, and passed out.

Next: Tomorrow w/ IA at Blue Dog in La Plata, MD

Zoo Bar Thurs. 12-18-08 Big Boy Little Band

Zoo Bar
3000 Connecticut Ave.
Washington, DC
8:30-12:30

Every Thursday, I play in the house band at the Zoo Bar's Thursday Blues jam. This jam has been going on every week for 15-odd years. The Big Boy Little Band has been running it for the last 5 or so and when their guitar player Rusty Bogart moved to FL earlier this year, I was lucky enough to be asked to join the band (a gig I've wanted since I moved to town 7 years ago). If someone cool is in town, this is where they stop by.

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At a blues jam, the house band plays the first set, typically for an hour. Then, any musician that wants to come down and play signs up. The back-line (drums and amps) stays up, so all a musician has to bring is their instrument, though guitar or harp (read: harmonica) players sometimes haul in their amps. The leader (in this case, Bret) then puts together sets that he thinks will sound good. The objective is usually to get the guys that showed up to play as much time up as possible, though the house band musicians fill in where needed. For example, on Thursday, NO bass players showed up and Wolf played all night. What makes one jam better than another is the quality of the house musicians, the quality of the jammers, and how well the house arranges sets (read: politiks).
< /jam >

The Zoo Bar jam is the best around and has been for years.

Thursday night was very subdued. Ian Walters (keys) & $lim Money (drums), two of the best young cats in town, showed up. We ended the night with a really good "It's My Life, Baby" with Ian on keys. That's becoming my fav BBL song.

My week was brightened when Virginia showed up. Even if you hate music, you should come down to meet Virginia.

Next: Tomorrow @ Bertha's w/ Glenn