A LIST OF OPEN STAGE EVENTS I'VE ATTENDED.
(in alphabetical order, w/ # of sessions per event)
"1938 North", in Land O' Lakes, WI - 4x
"Hiawatha's Hide Away", in Eagle River, WI - 11x
"Joe's Pool Hall", in Conover, WI - 58x
"The Finish Line", in Eagle River, WI - 11x
"The old lumberyard", in Land O' Lakes, WI - 2x
"Three Lakes Art Center", in Three Lakes, WI - 3x
"Snipe Lake Pub", in Iron River, MI - 27x
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That's a total of
116
sessions, involving
7
Open Stage locations
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----- DETAILS OF OPEN STAGE SESSIONS -----
(Sorted alphabetically by location, then date. )
The "1938 North", in Land O' Lakes, WI
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General Info :
This "Open Stage" event is being held in in a banquet hall in a restaurant & bar called
"1938 North" in Land O' Lakes, WI. The people who've organized this event are the same folks
who organized the outdoor Open Stage event on the property of the old lumberyard in the uptown area.
Now, to accomodate the change of season, they've found a nice indoor location for the event. The stage
platform is very much like the one which was at the old lumberyard, except that it's indoors. The P.A.
system is the same; the one being lent by the Land O' Lakes Chamber of Commerce. There are a large number
of folding chairs available for attendess to sit on. The schedule of the event is similar; scheduled to
run from 7:00 PM till 8:30 PM every Friday night. The structure of the event is the same. People wishing
to perform check in with the guy with the clipboard, and their name is added in the next available slot
on the list of scheduled performers. Everyone is allowed to do approx. 3 songs, and nobody performs twice.
The restaurant is located in the back (western) half of the same building housing the B.P. gas station and
Subway restaurant at the corner of Rt. 45 & Hwy. "B".
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Friday, 10/29/10 :
I arrived a little late; about 7:30 PM, bringing just my JBP guitar with me. I wasn't sure what to expect re. the
stage setup, but suspected the line-up of performers would include people I'd seen at the old lumberyard. That
turned out to be true. Being so close to Halloween, they had a spread of treats for audience & performers on
a table to the side of the main seating area. I was the last performer to show up, so I was also the last performer
on the stage. I played 3 songs: "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down", "Knocking On Heaven's
Door", and "Angel". The one thing that really stood out as exceptional & unusual, was a
sing-along instigated by John (an accordion player). It required 9 people from the audience to help; we made do
with 8, with one guy doing 2 parts. It was a song about a donkey. Each of us was given cue cards with a phrase on one
side and a single word on the other. John would play & sing a short piece, then we'd add a counterpoint. Every
time we reached the counterpoint section, another person would be added; i.e., first time, just the first person.
Second time, second person would talk the phrase then sing the single word followed the the first person singing
their single word. I considered this to be exceptional, because it was so unusual - completely at right angles to
99% of all other performances I've witnessed at Open Stage events. So, I'll extend my compliments and thanks to
John, here in this entry!
Friday, 11/05/10 :
I arrived a little late; about 7:30 PM, bringing my Gold Tone banjitar and white violinla with me; but, intending
to only play the banjitar. (The violinla was brought for elsewhere, later.) I played "Forget About Me",
"Fatherless Children", & "City of New Orleans" (a version similar to what Arlo Guthrie did).
I met a guitar player named Mike at 1938, and took him down to Joe's for introduction there.
Friday, 11/19/10 :
I arrived quite late, bringing just my old viola in with me. I'd only been there a couple of minutes before the man
in charge ("Bill") came over to let me know I was to be next on stage (the last act). I told him my viola
was still cold from the car, and I'd need a minute or two before I could tune it up. When the 2 girls who were up
there playing guitar were done, Bill took the stage and played a couple of songs with his guitar. Then, I was
ready, so up on stage I went. I played 4 songs: "Down On The Corner", "4 and 20",
"People Are Strange", and "Mother Nature's Son"; actually singing the lyrics, while I played
the 2nd & 4th songs. (I don't usually try to sing, while playing fiddle.) NOTE: Before the show ended, Bill
took the stage and announced that there would be a break in the schedule, and the next session was scheduled to
happen on Dec. 3rd.
Friday, 12/03/10 :
I arrived a little late; about 7:30 PM, bringing my tenor banjo with me. I played 3 songs when my turn came:
"Delta Dawn", "Lying Eyes", & one other (I've forgotten which one). It went smoothly,
w/o any problems. Worthy of note, was seeing a guy named Steve who was performing w/ Mike assisting, when I arrived.
They were very good together - so good, I thought it was radio music before I got inside where I could see them.
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"Hiawatha Hideaway", in Eagle River, WI
General Info :
This "Open Stage" event is just barely started; still in the process of trying to get set up,
and get the word out that it will be available. At the moment, the equipment on hand is limited to a drum
set, some amps, and one mic. The performing area is a raised platform approx. 10' x 8', set in one corner
of a large dining room. The primary person in charge of the event is named Chris. There is another person
who is a friend of Chris, but I don't know whether he's just helping it get started, or if he intends to
continue as a co-operator of the event. I might or might not end up being a co-operator of the event; we'll
see how things work out... For now, Chris intends to keep the schedule of having Thursdays be the Open Stage
nights. The exact start time hasn't been set yet, but will probably be around 8:00 PM.
NOTE: This event is now defunct, cancelled, and no longer available.
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Thursday, 10/29/09 :
I arrived very late; about 10:00 PM. Only Chris and the other guy were there. (Didn't get his name!) We spent about
half our available time just trying to get equipment set up, then did a few songs together. Chris was on the drum
set, and the other guy was playing harmonica. I'd brought both my
banjitar and my djembe, but it turned out that I need a mic with a 1/4-inch plug instead of the low-Z. So, I ended
up spending most of my stage time on the banjitar. I did, however, play some djembe toward the end of the night
(accompanying the juke box) when Chris & I went into the bar area in the other room.
Thursday, 11/05/09 :
I arrived late again; about 10:00 PM. Only Chris and 2 other people were there. One was Chris'es room-mate, and the
other was a mutual friend of me & Chris, Tony. Tony only stayed about 10 minutes after I arrived, because he was
overdue returning home to his wife (she was just getting over the flu). I'd brought my Dean CZ guitar, so Chris
& I played several songs with me doing vocals & electric guitar, and him doing the drumming. Chris'es
room-mate stayed long enough to hear several songs, but he was quite drunk and eventually had to get himself home.
Afterward, 2 guys from in the bar area came to listen to our music, but they only stayed for about 2 songs
duration. Later on, we received compliments from some other people who'd overheard us from the bar.
Thursday, 11/12/09 :
I arrived approx. 9:30 PM. Chris and I were the only 2 people who showed up. I think Chris was getting discouraged,
because he didn't play his drums at all while I was there. He said he'd played earlier in the day... My Crate amp
became disfunctional while I playing guitar through it. It's at least 25 years old, and I think it's hitting the
end of its useful life (barring servicing by someone who knows how to fix such things). Chris said he'd want to
buy it from me for $20.00, and I told him that sounded like a good deal. I think next week I'll need to drag out
the big gun, and ferry my P.A. system down there; which, of course, means I'll have to arrive much earlier in
order to get it set up & ready for use in the Open Stage event. Chris showed me an old mixer/amp system that was
given to him. He said he was told that it works perfectly; had been in a church before being given to him. It looks
like it will be very useful, once we figure out how to connect the wires. I wrote down its info, to try to look up
manuals online.
Thursday, 12/10/09 :
I arrived approx. 9:30 PM. Chris and I were the only 2 people there, although a couple of guys showed up later.
I think this "Open Stage" event has flopped. Chris barely played his drums while I was there. I'd brought
only my banjitar, because of the difficulties caused by subzero cold outside - and, most of the time I was there,
I was basically playing & singing alone with nobody else in the room. Chris spent most of that time drinking
in the bar, 2 rooms away. And, when he was in the room, he was preoccupied with amplifying his MP3 player instead
of playing drums. All 3 of them were mainly focused on getting drunk, as if they were guests at some party instead
of musicians attending a session. Chris & I had discussed the idea of starting up a "house band" for
Hiawatha's Hide-Away, instead of continuing to pursue the Open Stage event. However, after my experience this night,
I find myself much less than enthusiastic about it. Hooking up with musicians pursuing intoxication at sessions
is like hooking up your wagon to a drunk horse; i.e., you won't get very far, and where you end up is almost
guaranteed to not be in the direction you were hoping for.
Thursday, 01/14/10 :
I arrived approx. 10:45 PM. Chris was there with a guitar player named "Ryan". I'd brought both my djembe setup and
my Dean CZ guitar with me. We played for about 3 hours, switching instruments at whim. Ryan really liked the djembe.
I discovered that I'd met him there once before. He's the owner of a really nice old Dean guitar. He told me at
this session, that he'd be willing to sell it for $300.00. I think it's probably worth that much or more, but I
can't afford it right now. (I've shot my wad on other music expenses, and won't have that kind of money to spend
for at least 2 months - IF, then.)
There was a visitor who played drums for about a half hour, and did a great job. We also had a guest vocalist,
whose name I've forgotten - but, he was important because he's the father of the owner of Hiawatha's Hide-Away.
I also met his wife, whose name is Pam. They both seemed like very nice people, and he sang well.
Thursday, 01/28/10 :
I arrived approx. 9:30 PM. Chris was there with a guitar player named "Doug", who reminded me a lot of the
pro wrestler who called himself "Hulk". Ryan also showed up, bringing his Jackson Guitar & amp w/ him.
Doug had a really nice old (1987) Gibson "Flying V" style electric guitar. I'd brought just my JBP
amplified acoustic guitar w/ me. We played for about 2 hours, till Doug & Ryan both decided it was time to
leave. Doug turned out to be very good, but we had difficulty finding material we both knew. I'm not sure if he
intends to come back to this event again, but it was nice to meet him.
Thursday, 02/04/10 :
I arrived approx. 9:30 PM. Chris was the only one there. I'd brought just my aplified acoustic violalin. Chris
was down, and didn't even approach his drum set while I was there - so, it was just me playing music this evening.
(Doug had intended to show up, but had transportation problems this evening.) Next week, I intend to take my
bass guitar down there, as per request from Chris.
Thursday, 02/11/10 :
I arrived approx. 8:30 PM. Chris and Doug were there, but we had to hold off playing due to people dining in the
adjacent room. I'd brought my Ibanez 6-string bass guitar (only) this evening. I'm not sure this session can really
be called an "Open Stage", because nobody else showed up to play... The 3 of us practiced together
for about 3 hours; Doug on 6-string electric guitar, Chris on drums, and me on bass guitar.
Thursday, 02/18/10 :
I arrived approx. 9:15 PM. Chris was there with a couple guys I didn't know. I only remember the name of one of
them; "Dave". I'd brought my JBP amplified acoustic guitar this evening, and took my equipment setup a
big step further by hauling my PA system down there. (I did this because the PA system Chris has on site has a
grounding problem that was a huge annoyance last time I was there.) Chris played drums and
sang. Of special note, a guy I hadn't met before showed up this evening. His name was George. I let him play my
guitar for a while, and he was pretty good.
Monday, 02/22/10 :
This is being entered in a tardy manner; over a week after it happened. I arrived approx. 9:15 PM. Chris was there.
Doug was scheduled to arrive, but hadn't shown up yet. The vocalist from Doug's band was there; unfortunately, I've
forgotten his name. I went whole-hog, this evening. I'd brought my JBP amplified acoustic guitar, my Ibanez
6-string bass, my amplified acoustic violalin, and my PA system. After Doug showed up, we all went into the back
room where the music happens. Chris played drums and sang. I switched from instrument to instrument, mainly using
the violalin. Bringing the bass had been as per Doug's request because he wanted to have the chance to try it. He
played it for about 5 minutes total, which I found very disapointing. The vocalist played on his Gibson
"flying V" guitar, and sang. Doug mainly played his own guitar and sang. This didn't work out very well,
as a practice session, or as an Open Stage event. Doug continuously failed to clue me in to what chords he was
going to be playing, so most of the time I was just guessing and faking it. What really ticked me off, was that
as soon as I tried to play some of the songs that I know, both Doug and his vocalist packed up their equipment and
left; i.e., they weren't even going to try.
Thursday, 03/11/10 :
I arrived late; approx. 9:30 PM. Chris and one other person were both there. The other person was named
"Shane". He had an amplified acoustic guitar, that he'd brought with him. I'd brought my JBP amplified
acoustic guitar, and my P.A. system - but, when I walked in Amber told me she was shutting down at 10:00 PM. So,
I left the P.A. system in the car and just played unplugged. Shane turned out to be pretty good. He showed me the
chords for "Comfortably Numb" and "Mary Jane's Last Dance". I showed him the chords for
"Brain Damage" and "Knocking On Heaven's Door". After our very short session, I joined them
at a bar and talked for about an hour. NOTE: I told Shane about the Open Stage event at Snipe Lake Pub, and he
might show up there one of these nights.
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"Joe's Pool Hall", in Conover, WI
General Info :
This "Open Stage" is hosted as an ongoing series of benefits; one charity per month. The format of
the event is that it operates as a jam session. Any musician in attendance is welcome to join in with the
others in attendance. They have a large raised stage area at one end of the bar & pool hall room, with
a railing separating it from the main portion of the room. It's approx. 20' x 6'; plenty of space for a
large crowd. There were about 7 people performing up there, when I arrived for the very first time. My
guess, is that when it's not being used as a stage area, they can set up table & chairs up there as
an elevated eating area. It's very nice. The event is an ongoing affair. It happens every Wednesday night
starting around 7:00 PM, and continues until the Pool Hall closes.
NOTE: During the time since I wrote the preceding paragraph, the Open Stage jam sessions have been extended
to also occur on Friday nights; i.e., they've added a 2nd night each week.
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Wednesday, 10/28/09 :
I arrived a bit late (normal for me...), and was welcomed; made to feel at home. Everyone was nice to me. Once my
djembe had been set up, I just jumped in and started playing along with the rest. No problem! They were doing
primarily country music. The owner of the bar gave me free coffee, the entire night. About a half hour after I
arrived, the group took a break for a few minutes. I took the chance to go unpack my banjitar, and set it up for
use on stage. I played a couple of songs on it, when others weren't playing. I also let a few of the people there
try it. NOTE: I really need to remember to tell people that I do NOT want them to unfasten the end of the
strap from the knob! I've had a couple of people do that, and now the strap end comes off much too easily; even,
falls off when I don't want it to. I'll need to get one of those plastic retaining disks, to keep the strap on
the knob. (The same thing happened to the strap on my Seagull!) As seems to be always the case wherever I go, I was
the last musician to leave the place at the end of the night.
Wednesday, 11/04/09 :
I arrived a bit late, and for a few minutes, thought I'd got the nights mixed up (Tuesday, instead of Wednesday).
However, I was told that simply nobody had shown up; the first time that had ever happened. I'd brought only
my bongos w/ stand & mic, so I decided I'd play some music for the people present. While I was setting up the
bongos, Joe (the owner) and another guy named John came to play also. We ended up playing music together for the
next couple of hours, mainly w/ John doing singing & guitar (mainly country stuff), me on bongos, and Joe
alternating between doing spoons and guitar accompaniments. There was only a small audience present, but they were
appreciative of our music. So, what seemed like a wrong night, then perhaps a wash-out, turned into a nice jam
session.
Wednesday, 11/11/09 :
I arrived about 9:30 PM, bringing only my Toca 14" djembe drum with me. There was a fairly large crowd there,
for the "Veteran's Day" benefit. I played the 1st few songs unamplified, then plugged in the mic when
a couple of people temporarily left the stage (gave me room to get through to the mixer). I noticed that Chris
had brought his bongos, so I switched off between djembe and bongos most of the evening. Later on, when some of
the guitar players left the stage, I sang & played Joe's black Ibanez amplified acoustic for several songs.
Wednesday, 11/18/09 :
I arrived about 10:30 PM, bringing only my banjitar with me. I'd chosen to bring the banjitar instead of a drum,
because I'd been pressed for time (grab something and run off to the session), and last week I'd promised Joe
that I would bring the banjitar the next time I attended. Part of the time there, others were doing guitar work, and
part of the time others were trying out my banjitar - so, I didn't play very many songs, but I did have a good time.
Wednesday, 12/02/09 :
I arrived about 9:30 PM, bringing only my new amplified acoustic guitar with me. During the 1st hour or so after
arriving, I did bongos accompaniment for a guy who was playing guitar & singing. When he left, I took his place
and used my new guitar. Note: While I was doing bongos, I let Joe use my new guitar. He really liked it. When my
turn came, I found that it was wonderful to have a better guitar to use, as vs. what's been available previously.
Wednesday, 12/16/09 :
I arrived about 10:00 PM, bringing only my djembe setup with me. During the 1st hour or so after arriving, I did
rhythm accompaniment for a guy who was playing guitar & singing. When he left, I took his place and used Rina's
(sp?) guitar. As always, I had a good time there.
Wednesday, 12/23/09 :
I arrived about 9:30 PM, bringing my djembe setup & banjitar with me. I did rhythm accompaniment on djembe for
2 guitars & a harmonica player, for about 2 hours. Then, the other guys seemed to have had their fill, packed
up their equipment, and left. I took over the guitar & vocal work, for about another hour. I had a good time,
though this wasn't one of my better days. It's worth mentioning that there were a few times during our show, that
the group got in the groove, and it was just right. And, I could tell (by the applause & cheers),
that the audience loved it as much as we did.
Wednesday, 12/30/09 :
I arrived about 10:00 PM, bringing my djembe setup & my cheap electric violinla with me. I did rhythm
accompaniment on djembe for John (who was singing & playing guitar) for about an hour. Then, John declared
that he'd hit his limit. After about 4 encores, he finally left the stage and packed up his equipment. I did the
final setup of my electric violinla, giving it a fine-tuning, and played for a while. I think everybody was both
surprised and pleased, at the change of venue, because nobody else (that I know of) has ever brought a fiddle to
Joe's event. I started out by playing the "Star Spangled Banner" followed by "America, The
Beautiful",. Afterward, a guy who'd been listening compared what I'd done to Jimi Hendrix. Now, I know I'm
nowhere near that good - but, it was still flattering; and stylistically, there is a slight similarity, in that my
version of those 2 songs is highly embellished with lots of grace notes. After that, I did what I think of as my
"Christmas Medley". As I was switching to guitar, I had some problems getting it amplified, and Joe had
to help. In that interval, most of the clientelle left. I'm fairly sure it wasn't my music, since there was a
lot of applause in those moments when I paused between songs. I only played & sang a couple of songs on
guitar, since by the time I was halfway thru the 2nd song the only people left were Joe & Maggie. NOTE: This
was the first time I've ever brought that electric violinla to an Open Stage event, since I've always been
unimpressed with its tonal quality - but, all things considered, I think it worked out pretty well.
Wednesday, 01/06/10 :
I arrived rather late; about 10:30 PM, bringing just my banjitar with me. The place was almost empty; only one
customer, one entertainer, and three people who worked there. I played several songs on my banjitar for those
present, although after about 20 minutes it was just me playing for the staff. Before I left, Joe told me he
needs me to show up earlier, about 8:00 PM. Given that he was specific about arrival time, and the fact
that he stated it as "needs" (w/ vocal emphasis), I've decided to place this as a priority and start
treating the 8:00 PM time he specified as a deadline for arrival. I don't know how well I'll do, but I'll have
this in mind to be treated as a request from a friend.
Wednesday, 01/13/10 :
I arrived comparatively early this time; very close to 8:00 PM. This was because I was responding to Joe's explicit
request that I do so. I brought with me my banjitar and my djembe setup. I divided my time there more or less
equally between banjitar & djembe. I also got the name of an extremely talented guy who I've seen there frequently
playing guitar and singing: Greg Everett. He gave me his business card when I mentioned my website and the list of
sessions that I maintain here, because he has a music website of his own. The URL is
http://www.gregeverett.com
. Before the night was over, 4 guys came in; one of them, brining with him a bass guitar being returned to Joe after
being elsewhere for servicing. Joe asked me to check it out, so I played it for about a half hour. It was in fairly
good condition; played well, with good tone. My only criticism, was that it needed load balancing for the pickups,
and filing & leveling of the frets at the upper end of the neck (the top string buzzed there).
Wednesday, 01/20/10 :
I arrived a little late; about 9:00 PM, bringing just my djembe setup with me. The place was rather empty; only
5 or 6 customers, and three people who worked there. I played rhythmic accompaniment for several songs on my djembe,
while Bill played harmonica, Joe did several things, and a guy whose name I don't know played guitar & sang.
After the others quit the stage it was just me - so, I picked up a guitar; played & sang a few songs. Later, I
also played for about 15 minutes on Joe's bass guitar (at his request).
Wednesday, 01/27/10 :
I arrived a little late; about 9:00 PM, bringing just my djembe setup and amplified acoustic violalin with me.
The place was rather empty; only 3 or 4 customers, three people who worked there, and one other guy there for the
Open Stage. I played rhythmic accompaniment for a few songs on my djembe, before the other guy announced it was
time for him to leave. I switched to violalin for one or two songs, then used Joe's amplified acoustic guitar to
do a few more.
Wednesday, 02/03/10 :
I arrived a little late; about 9:30 PM, bringing just amplified acoustic violalin with me. The place was rather
empty; only 3 or 4 customers, three people who worked there, and one other guy there for the Open Stage. As has
become the usual, he was just about to leave when I showed up. I really need to get there earlier, if I want the
chance to practice with him. I played violalin for a few songs, then used Joe's bass guitar for a while, at his
request.
Wednesday, 02/10/10 :
I arrived relatively early (as vs. my usual arrival); about 8:15 PM, bringing my both my djembe setup and my new
acoustic tenor banjo. There were about 5 customers present, Joe & Maggie, and Greg (there to perform for the
Open Stage). This earlier arrival worked out much better. Greg & I played several a couple of hours together.
He had a difficult time leaving at his normal time, and ended up staying about an hour later than he usually does.
I started my evening playing djembe about a half hour, then switched over to using Joe's bass guitar for about an
hour and a half. I spent part of my time playing the tenor banjo, but it was just a song here, a song there... I
need to work with it more, to improve my quickness & surety w/ the tenor banjo chord forms.
Wednesday, 02/17/10 :
I arrived a bit late; about 9:00 PM, bringing just my djembe setup. There were about 5 customers present, Joe &
Maggie, and Greg (there to perform for the Open Stage). I played djembe accompanying Greg on guitar for about an
hour, till Greg left. I then switched over to using Joe's black amplified acoustic guitar for about an hour.
By that time, everybody else was gone, and Joe announced it was time to shut down the place. Of special note, is
that while Greg was there, I requested of him that he let me play his beautiful nylon string Godin guitar. He said
it was all right, so I played it for about 4 songs. This was important for me, since I've been thinking that I
should have a nylon string guitar (maybe a folk guitar?) instead of the working with the steel strings I currently
have on my JBP amplified acoustic. It would be much easier on my arthritic hands, to be working with nylon instead
of steel; less painful, too. It was very kind of him, to help me in this way. Of course, realistically, it was
only half of a fair test, re. using nylon. Greg tunes his guitar down a whole step, so the strings were more
slinky than they would have been at full tension. Still, it was good experience for me, and a place to start in
making a decision in this matter.
Wednesday, 02/24/10 :
This is being entered in a tardy manner; a full week after it happened. I arrived late; about 9:30 PM. Greg was
there, shooting pool - but didn't play at all while I was there. I'd brought my djembe setup and my amplified
acoustic violalin. There weren't any other people there strictly for the music, so I didn't play my djembe at all
this evening. I played my violalin for a while, then switched over to playing Joe's black amplified acoustic guitar.
I got some compliments this evening, with people telling me they thought I'd improved in my fiddling skills. After
about an hour and a half, I put down the instruments and played some pool for about another hour and a half. It was
nice, since I haven't really played pool at all for about 7 years.
Wednesday, 03/03/10 :
I arrived late; about 9:30 PM. I expected that Greg would be gone already, and no other musicians present (other
than Joe), so I brought only my banjitar with me. It turned out that there were 4 other musicians in the place,
although Greg wasn't there. (Apparently, he didn't show up at all this evening.) I've forgotten the names of 2
of the new people, but the one I remember the name of was "Eddie". The other John was also there, this
evening. I played banjitar the entire time I was there; half the time, just using it as a drum w/ the head held
near a microphone. I was the last person to leave the Pool Hall, this evening. I guess, I was just really in a mood
for playing...
Wednesday, 03/10/10 :
I arrived earlier this time; about 8:30 PM. Greg & John were both there, playing guitar & singing when I
arrived. I brought both my djembe setup and my Ibanez bass guitar w/ me. Right after arriving, I made an announcement
to the room in general re. both instruments being up for sale, and for how much. (I figured it would be best to
make this announcement before people started trickling out heading home.) I saw Rina this evening, and she sang
one song while I was there. As seems to usually be the case, I was again the last person to leave the Pool Hall
at the end of the night. NOTE: I gave Joe a set of banjo strings as a late b-day present, so he can get his
5-string banjo into usable condition. Friday, on my way down to Eagle River, I stopped at Joe's and retrieved my
guitar stand I'd left there Wednesday. When leaving, I also took Joe's banjo w/ me, to install the strings for him,
and then do a re-adjustment of head tensioning after they're on & up to pitch.
Wednesday, 03/17/10 :
I arrived earlier this time; about 8:30 PM. Greg & John were both there, playing guitar & singing when I
arrived. I'd spent my day on a shopping expedition, which only ended up done when I ran out of time for getting to
Joe's. Prepping for my shopping, I put both Joe's banjo & my amplified acoustic violalin into the back seat
of the car. So, that's all I had with me when I arrived at Joe's. Joe was pleased to get his banjo back; restrung,
tuned, and tensioned. Rina was there this evening, looking very pretty in snow-white slacks.
She sang a couple of songs before she left. I was very tired this evening, so I didn't give a
sparkling performance doing anything - but, I did manage use violalin to accompany John & Greg without sounding
too bad... When they left, I switched over to playing guitar & singins. I probably did this much longer than I
should have, given how tired I was, but the people present seemed to like it (despite the fact I kept forgetting
lyrics & chords). For once, I wasn't the last person to leave the Pool Hall at the end of the night.
Wednesday, 03/24/10 :
I arrived late time; about 9:30 PM. When I arrived, the stage was quite full, having Joe, Rina, Greg, John, &
a banjo player whose name I don't know, all on stage at the same time. I brought in my equipment, and slowly set
it up. (I'd brought both my djembe setup and my banjitar, this evening.) The stage was actually so full, that I
had difficulty getting the ends of my cords over to the mixing board for hooking up. I stuck with playing djembe,
while the other performers were on stage, only switching to banjitar when everyone else was gone. This was another
night where I was the last to leave.
Wednesday, 03/31/10 :
I arrived very late; about 11:30 PM. I'd overslept by many hours, which I think was my body avoiding getting sick -
so, this was the earliest I could make it. I'd brought only my JBP guitar, which turned out to be a good thing; less
to pick up and walk back out with, when they told me all the music was done for the night, and they didn't want me
to play. There were still about 5 people hanging out in the bar area, but Joe didn't want to let me play. So,
although I did make the 30-mile round trip drive, attempting to attend and play I can't really count this
as an Open Stage session that was attended, in my list.
Wednesday, 05/05/10 :
After my fiasco of arriving so late and being turned away instead of being able to play, I decided to take a break
from attending. I'd been going there every week for a long time, and for a while lost my motivation to go. This
particular evening, I was really in the mood because I'd started missing it; escpecially the good friends I'd
made there.
I arrived earlier this time; about 8:00 PM. Greg & John were both there, playing guitar & singing when I
arrived. There was also 2 other people on the stage, whose names I don't remember now. One was playing guitar,
and the other was playing accordion. Joe, of course, was there also. He played several instruments during the
evening. I'd brought only my acoustic viola with me, this time. I set up to sit in one tall chair (w/ back), so
I could have my legs stretched onto a tall stool, sitting down off the stage, next to the railing. I spent most of
my time (while others were on stage) this evening playing viola, although I did a very small amount of percussion
on tambourine also. After all the others had left the stage, I played for about an hour using Joe's black
amplified acoustic guitar & singing. My only real disappointment of this evening, was that Rina didn't show
up. NOTE: There were no negative comments at all, re. my extended absence from attending the event.
Wednesday, 05/26/10 :
I arrived a little late; about 9:15 PM. I brought only my djembe with me this evening, and no mic setup for
amplifying it; i.e., I arrived with the intention of playing "unplugged". There were several musicians there;
3 guitar players/singers, an accordion player, and me. There were no problems, and I think everyone present
had fun. After the other guitar players had all left the stage, I played Joe's black amplified acoustic
guitar "unplugged", singing w/o using amplification. I ended up teaching one of the others the chord sequence
for playing "If I Was A Carpenter".
Wednesday, 06/09/10 :
I arrived a little late; about 9:00 PM. I brought both my djembe and my JBP guitar with me this evening.
There were several musicians there, but Greg was already done for the evening; he told me he needed to leave early.
There were no problems, and I think everyone present had fun. I switched from djembe to guitar earlier than
usual, but it was difficult to find material that the others would also know. I made the acquaintance of a
keyboard player named "Barek", and we played several songs together. Worth special mention, is that
he came up with a great keyboard accompaniment for one of my old songs, "I Know A Lady" - really made
me wish I'd been able to record it that way.
Wednesday, 06/16/10 :
I arrived a little late; about 9:00 PM. I brought both my djembe and my antique viola with me this evening.
The stage was empty when I arrived. There were 2 o 3 musicians there; John, and a couple of others. After a few
minutes, John came up to the stage. We played together for about 2 hours. There were no problems, and I think
everyone present had fun. I switched from djembe to viola when John began to wind down, and only played a little
bit before a couple of guys came up onto the stage, commandeered the mic, and began telling some ethinically
abusive jokes. That was when both John and I decided (independantly) to vote with our feet - began packing up
our equipment, and left. A few quiet, private words between us before leaving verified that we both felt the same
way, and had made the same choice, for nearly identical reasons.
Wednesday, 07/21/10 :
I arrived a bit late, bringing just my djembe with me. I spent a large portion of my time outside at the picnic
tables, because Wisconsin has now instituted a new fascist law prohibiting cigarette smoking inside any public
meeting place building like bars, restaurants, etc. I left earlier than normal, this evening, mainly because of
the new fascist law.
Wednesday, 08/04/10 :
I arrived relatively early this time; about 8:00 PM. I brought just my djembe with me this evening.
The place was packed with customers, and the stage was chock-full of musicians. In fact, there was nowhere I could
sit up on stage, so I sat on a chair down off the stage. Of special note re. this evening, is that there was a
woman present who'd brought a "stump fiddle" with her. This was misc. percussion instruments attached
on a tall post that was anchored on a base. (Fascinating device!) I spent a large portion of my time outside sitting
on the picnic tables because of the new fascist law prohibiting cigarette smoking inside the bar. Also of special
note, was meeting a woman from Rhinelander who'd brought a small (5-inch head?) conga-style drum w/ her. She said
it was the centerpiece of a 3-pc. set, that had 2 other, smaller drums set to the sides of it. Her name was
"Missy".
Wednesday, 08/11/10 :
I arrived relatively early this time; about 7:30 PM. I brought just my djembe with me this evening.
There was a sizeable crowd, but not quite as large as the previous week. The group of musicians on stage was
proportionately smaller as well. I spent a more than half of my time outside sitting on the picnic tables w/ Joe's
12-string guitar, because of the new fascist law prohibiting cigarette smoking inside the bar.
Wednesday, 08/18/10 :
I arrived about 8:00 PM, bringing both my djembe and my JBP guitar with me. There was a smaller crowd
this evening, probably because of the rain we'd had earlier in the day, and the probability that there would be
more before the evening was over. I sat in with the group of about 5 musicians, playing my djembe, for about 5
songs, then went for a cigarette outside (forced to do so by the fascist law re. smoking in public places). Arriving
back inside, I sat in for one more song on djembe, then the others took a break. So, I switched to playing guitar.
I played & sang about 7 songs, then yielded the stage so I could go have another cigarette. Arriving back
inside, I sat in on djembe for about 5 more songs - then, went for another cigarette break, forced to do so
outside by politicians pandering to lobbying efforts by wealthy insurance company stock holders. While outside,
the rain began again, so I quickly packed up my equipment and left to go home.
Wednesday, 08/25/10 :
I arrived about 9:15 PM, bringing just my Julliard violinla with me. There was a medium crowd this evening,
I sat in with the group of about 5 musicians, playing my violinla, for about an hour and a half, till most of the
others were packing up to leave. I switched to playing Joe's 12-string guitar at that point, and played about
5 songs. At that point, the bar was almost empty and Joe was preparing to shut down for the night. Note, that there
were 3 or 4 time when I went outside for cigarette breaks - forced to do so by the new "indoor
smoking" prohibition set by fascist politicians pandering to lobbying efforts by wealthy insurance company
stock holders.
Wednesday, 09/01/10 :
I arrived about 7:30 PM, bringing just my set of tablas with me. There was a medium crowd, and there were a LOT
of inquiries from people wondering what kind of drums those were. It was a little difficult using tablas to fit
in with western music, but by the end of the evening I felt that I'd gotten a handle on it.
Wednesday, 09/08/10 :
I arrived about 7:15 PM, bringing my set of tablas and my JBP guitar with me. There was a smaller crowd than the
previous week, but there were also some new musicians present that I hadn't met before. Unfortunately, I didn't
get names... I played the bass tabla primarily, for most of the evening. When most of the other musicians took a
cigarette break enmasse, I took that as my chance and switched to playing guitar. I played about 6 or 7 songs
before other people started returning to the stage. Since my guitar is tuned to "Open D", that makes
it difficult to play along with other when I don't know the songs very well; i.e., transposing on the spot with
songs I'm not familiar with can be difficult when I need to figure out what chords they're playing at the same
time. After a cigarette break, I returned to hand-drumming accompaniment.
Wednesday, 09/15/10 :
I arrived about 8:00 PM, bringing just my Julliard electric violin. There was a small crowd this evening, but
there were also musicians I didn't know. I did a little fiddling, but found I was having difficulty figuring out
the chords on the spot with the more difficult pieces they were doing (things I had no knowledge of chord sequences
of). So, I switched to playing a djembe that's now being kept on the premises for people to use. A very interesting
aspect of this evening, was that there was a man who'd brought a full drum kit; it was set up on stage there.
I enjoy it when there's a drum kit going, for me to accompany. Near the end of the evening, most of the other
musicians had left. However Rina showed up this evening, and she wanted me to sing while she played guitar. After
several songs that I faked the lyrics of, I sat down at the drum kit and tried to play along with her. I don't
think I did very well, but the people out at the bar seemed to enjoy it. Who knows, maybe I'll get some more
practice on the drum kit in future sessions? Worth noting, is that at one point in the evening, Joe sat down and
played the drums. It turned out that he was pretty good! When asked, he told me that he'd played a bit of drums
in the past.
Wednesday, 09/22/10 :
I arrived moderately early, bringing just my djembe w/ me. There were several musicians there, including a couple
of other people doing hand-drumming, so that was a nice treat. I did play a little guitar late in the evening after
the other guitar players had left the stage, using a 12-string guitar that's kept there on the premises.
Wednesday, 09/29/10 :
I arrived about 8:15 PM, bringing just my JBP guitar w/ me. There was a small crowd, but that was okay. I'd been
hoping to discover that I'd left my 20-ft patch cord there (on 09/15/10), but no such luck. I've misplaced it,
and I'll need to purchase another one like it if I don't find it sometime soon. I just brought the guitar, because
I've had some problems w/ my right shoulder this week. It'd improved slightly as vs. 2 days before, but I figured
that avoiding drumming and fiddling would help prevent backsliding of my condition. I got the chance to play
several songs (mainly w/o any other accompaniment) this evening.
Wednesday, 10/06/10 :
I arrived about 8:00 PM, bringing just my white electric violin w/ me. There was a moderate crowd, and a couple of
musicians there who I didn't know. They were doing some nice blues when I walked in. One of them was named
"Reed", but I never did get the name of the other. (NOTE: I'd discovered my long patch cord on a shelf
where it didn't belong, during the week, so I had it with me this evening.) I didn't know any of the songs they
were doing on stage this session, so I spent most of my time patting out an accompaniment on a small conga that
was on the stage. I couldn't stay as late as I would have wanted to, because of family matters that needed attending
to. Reed had asked if I would play some guitar, so I interrupted an ongoing jam involving a beautiful woman with
platinum blond hair playing guitar. I used the guitar she had been using (Joe's) to play a couple of songs w/ Reed,
the other guitar player, accompanied by the guy on drums. It's so true that once I get started, it's hard to stop...
I ended up playing 4 songs instead of just 1. But, I managed to cut it off at that point, to go attend to what
needed to be done elsewhere.
Wednesday, 10/13/10 :
I arrived about 8:15 PM, bringing both my djembe and my JBP guitar w/ me. The crowd was small, and there weren't
any musicians playing on stage when I arrived. I set up my instruments and tuned my guitar. By the time I'd finished
that, one of the other guitar players came up to join me. We played several songs together, although it was
difficult to compensate for the difference in tunings (my guitar's tuned in open "D"). Rina was there,
and when she came to participate I switched to djembe. That way we had 2 guitars and a drum instead of 3 guitars.
Later on, after Roger left, Rina also left the stage. I switched back to guitar. I must have been in good form this
night, or maybe the people were more receptive - but, regardless of why, I had the feeling that the audience was
more enthusiastic in their responses than usual.
Wednesday, 10/20/10 :
I arrived about 8:00 PM, bringing both just my white electric violinla w/ me. There was a moderate crowd, and
about 3 guitar players on stage when I arrived. A "Rogue" brand banjitar was there on the stage this
evening. I didn't know whose it was, but nobody seemed to be playing it at all. (I need to inquire, to find out
who it belongs to!) So, I spent my evening repeatedly switching off between violinla, djembe, and banjitar.
Wednesday, 10/27/10 :
I arrived about 7:45 PM, bringing just my Tenor Banjo w/ me. The crowd was average, and there were only 2 people
on the stage; Roger on guitar, and Tom on drums. I spent about an hour playing banjo accompanying Roger & Tom,
then switched to playing the banjitar. I was in fairly good form this evening, and even managed to do the vocals
from "Southern Man" on pitch.
Friday, 10/29/10 :
I'd never gone here on a Friday night, so I wasn't sure if there would actually be any music going on - but, I was
on my way home from the "1938 North" Open Stage event, and passing right by Joe's Pool Hall, so I decided
to give it a try. At worst, I'd end up just saying "Hi" and then continuing on my way home. This caused me
to arrive about 9:00 PM. I was pleasantly surprised to discover there were about 5 people performing on the stage
when I walked in, including Joe, Greg, Reed, John, and a harmonica player whose name I don't know. I had my JBP
guitar w/ me in the car from attending the other event, so I went out to the car and brought it inside. There was a
fairly large crowd compared to what was usual for Wednesday nights, but that's not surprising considering it wasn't
Wednesday - it was Friday. I joined in the jam by playing the small conga that's kept on the premises.
Unfortunately, the timing of my arrival was just before Greg intended to leave. (He's very good.) I think in the
future, I'll have to hustle when leaving 1938 North, to get down to Joe's a few minutes earlier. When Greg called
it a night, most of the guys on stage took a break. I took that as my cue to pick up my guitar and fill in during
the interim. I stayed about 2-1/2 hrs., till the place closed, repeatedly switching between playing the conga and
playing guitar. Of special note, is that Reed taught me the chord sequence for an Eric Clapton song. I'm not sure
what the title is, but the lyrics include "Before you accuse me, take a look at yourself.".
Maybe if I practice it a bit, and track down the lyrics online, I can eventually do it solo...(?)
Wednesday, 11/03/10 :
I was the only person playing music at Joe's this evening. I'd brought my Tenor Banjo, and basically played all
the songs I've worked out for doing on it. Then, I switched to using Joe's guitar and played some more. It was
nowhere near as satisfying, without others there...
Friday, 11/05/10 :
I arrived approx. 9:00 PM, bringing my banjitar, my white violinla, and a guitar player named Mike that I'd met at
the 1938 North Open Stage. There was a good crew of musicians there: Greg, Dave, Joe, Missy, Mike, and me.
Mike was very good and worked well w/ Greg & everyone present. In fact, there were several times while we
played that I had the feeling as if we'd found some magic combination of people to form a group that clicked.
I ended up playing Missy's conga most of the evening, and my banjitar after most of the people had left.
I didn't play the violinla at all.
Wednesday, 11/10/10 :
I arrived approx. 7:30 PM, bringing just my JBP guitar w/ me. There were only one or two people there when I
arrived, one of whom was a guitar player - but, he wasn't playing; just, drinking. (He did play 2 songs before
the night was over, though.) I stayed about 4 hours, playing music. By the time I'd hit my limit and left, there
were about 8 new people who'd come in and stayed for the entertainment (both music & pool).
Wednesday, 11/17/10 :
I arrived approx. 7:15 PM, bringing just my acoustic violalin w/ me. There was a good sized crowd there this
evening. Joe, Mike, & Tom were on stage playing music when I arrived. I joined in playing the small conga.
I had difficulty playing along w/ Mike. I didn't know any of the songs he was doing, and his constant use
of a capo made it difficult to figure out "on the spot" what the chords were. (He never stopped to
explain the chord sequences - he just dove in, and if I managed to figure it out, he'd approve. Around 9:00 PM
Mike, Tom, & Joe all took a break. I was going to fill in using a guitar there, but the canned music got turned
on. I endured that for about a half hour, then left. If they'd wanted to hear me play, then they wouldn't have turned
on the canned music. If they were just using the canned music to fill in till Mike hit the stage again, then it's
become the "Mike Show" - in which case, why should I stay?
Friday, 11/19/10 :
I arrived about 8:30 PM, bringing in my old viola and my djembe drum with me. There was a very full stage of
musicians present, but I was disappointed discovering that a couple of the people I was looking forward to seeing
(Greg & Dave) weren't there. Still, there was some good talent performing on the stage, so I joined in by
playing my djembe. I was definitely in the groove this session, and felt like Tom (drums) & I were really in
sync. However, as the evening progressed, I started feeling dragged out; lack of sleep was catching up with me.
So, I ended up leaving about 9:45 PM, to head home.
Friday, 12/03/10 :
I arrived approx. 9:30 PM, bringing my tenor banjo & my djembe w/ me. There were only one or two people there
when I arrived, and nobody at all playing music. I decided to hang around and talk, and after a while I got out the
banjo and played softly while sitting at the bar. Although this wasn't much like an Open Stage event, I've decided
to include it in my list. I did, after all, do the footwork to attend - and, even if I was the only musician who
showed up, I ended up entertaining about 7 people before the night was done. I stayed about 2-1/2 hours, till Joe
closed for the night.
Wednesday, 12/08/10 :
I arrived approx. 7:30 PM, bringing my JBP guitar w/ me. There were 7 or 8 people at the bar when I arrived, and
3 people up on the stage playing music (Joe on guitar, Mike doing guitar & vocals, & Tom doing drums).
I unpacked the guitar and joined them on the stage. This was not a really good session. Mike had his guitar detuned
down 1/4 step, to be halfway between E and E flat. He said it was to make singing easier. Joe's guitar was tuned to
match Mike's. My guitar (of course) was properly tuned - and, therefore wouldn't work harmoniously with their
guitars. I wasn't willing to detune my guitar to suit Mike's whim, so I didn't play very much guitar this session.
I did play a small conga that was available, during several songs. Eventually, though, after only having been there
about an hour and a half, I got fed up with the tuning issue, packed up my stuff, and left. I've made the decision
that I'm not going to expect to play guitar on Wednesdays at Joe's. I'll probably just bring my djembe on such
nights, if I go at all.
Friday, 12/10/10 :
I arrived approx. 7:30 PM, bringing my acoustic violalin w/ me. There was a good size crowd present, and several
musicians on stage. I stayed about 4-1/2 hours total, playing violalin for about 3-1/2 hours of that. During the
last hour, the others had left the stage and Joe had turned on the canned music from the jukebox. I picked up a
banjitar that was available on the stage, and sat up there playing softly along with whatever came up on the jukebox;
mainly, single-note runs and intervals. I was a little surprised when, during a cigarette break right before I left,
a guy who was vacationing from Illinois thanked me for having played. I hadn't thought that I'd done exceptionally
well on either instrument this session, but I simply told him "You're welcome. I'm glad you enjoyed it."
In retrospect, I think I should take this as evidence that I actually did a better job playing than I assessed it
as.
Wednesday, 02/02/11 :
I arrived approx. 7:30 PM, bringing just my tenor banjo w/ me. There were only one or two people there when I
arrived - no other musicians. I chalk it up to the very cold weather. People had elected to just stay home instead
of going out for the evening. So, instead of going up onto the stage, I decided to just on a stool at the bar and
play my banjo there. I stayed about 2 hours, playing off & on for the people who were present.
Wednesday, 02/09/11 :
I arrived approx. 8:00 PM, bringing just my amplified acoustic violalin w/ me. There were about 7 people there
when I arrived. Two of them were musicians. Tom, the drummer was at the bar, drinking. (He didn't play at all while
I was there.) Rina was on stage, playing a guitar unamplified. After a while, Chris showed up with his friend
Dave. I played fiddle for about 5 songs, accompanying Rina w/ Chris on drums. After Rina left the stage, I took
over playing the guitar accompanying Chris. Several more people came in while we were performing, and stayed as
audience members. There were several times when Chris & I were in good sync, and the crowd seemed to enjoy
the show. I left about 11:30 PM.
Wednesday, 03/02/11 :
I arrived approx. 8:00 PM, bringing just my Ibanez SR-406 6-string bass guitar with me. There were about 8 people
there when I arrived. There was a small group playing music in the stage area: Tom, Dave, Joe, & Rina. I took
my time setting up, and then played along with the group during several songs. It was a little unusual, because
Joe was also playing bass guitar; i.e., 2 bass guitars going at the same time was something I hadn't experienced
before. After the others were all played out, I sat around talking with people for about a half hour, then went
back and fiddled with the bass trying to play along (very softly) with the music from the jukebox. Around 10:30 PM,
all the other people who'd been there left (about 4 people at that point), so I left too.
Friday, 12/11/10 :
I arrived approx. 8:00 PM, bringing my JBP guitar w/ me. There were several people on the stage playing music.
I unpacked the guitar and joined them on the stage. This was a good session. There were 2 other 6-string guitars
on stage, and a bass guitar, so I focused on doing simple melody lines instead of chords. I also sang several songs
and did some solo work while others were on break.
Wednesday, 03/16/11 :
I arrived approx. 8:00 PM, bringing my JBP guitar w/ me. There were about 4 people on the stage playing music.
I unpacked the guitar and joined them on the stage. This was another good session. I met 2 new people;
"Quinton" and "Bob". Quinton was a raw beginner at guitar, but Bob had some good leads down
from S.R. Vaughan. Bob is from the U.P. I played & sang several most of the evening.
Friday, 03/18/10 :
I arrived approx. 9:00 PM, bringing just my amplified acoustic violalin w/ me. There were about 4 people on stage
when I arrived. I played along doing fiddle melodies (on & off) for about an hour. Then, I talked Joe into
setting up the keyboard which has been stashed under a bench unused for a couple of months. I managed to accompany
several songs, doing melody lines, although on most of the songs I ended up leaving the keyboard during the first
round of the song to go watch John's hands on guitar so I could figure out what chords to play. When the others
left the stage, it went sour immediately. Everything I tried to play seemed to annoy either Joe or Dave, and they
called out to me to not play those things. When I saw John packing his gear, I decided this was the right thing for
me to do also. I packed up my fiddle and was out of there in about 3 minutes flat.
Wednesday, 06/29/11 :
I arrived approx. 9:15 PM, bringing my JBP guitar w/ me. There were 3 people on the stage playing music. Joe was
on bass guitar, Tom was on drums, and Roger was on amplified acoustic guitar. Roger is a "snowbird" who
leaves in the winter; it was nice to see him again. I unpacked the guitar and joined them on the stage.
This was a fairly good session, although they all took a break about a half hour after I arrived - which left me
playing & singing solo for about an hour. NOTE: Maggie wasn't there at all, this evening. I inquired of Joe,
but he wasn't inclined to discuss it in detail; all he told me was that she was "probably at home".
I stayed till ~ 11:30 PM.
Friday, 07/08/11 :
I arrived approx. 9:15 PM, bringing both my JBP guitar and my djembe w/ me. I could hear the music from outside
when I arrived, and based on what I heard I decided the best way I could contribute would be by playing djembe.
So, that's what I brought in. There were about 6 people on the stage playing music. Joe was on bass guitar, Tom
was on drums, John was on amplified acoustic guitar, John's daughter was playing tambourine, a guy whose name
I don't know was playing 6-string electric guitar, and Dave was singing & playing harmonica. I took the case
off the djembe, and played along with the group for about an hour. When they all took a break, I fetched my guitar
from the car to fill in. But, by the time I'd tuned it, they were all back again. I put the guitar back in the case
and played djembe. About 11:30 PM, John was done for the evening, and all the others took that as their cue to
leave. I got out the guitar, but the place was empty of customers. I started playing anyway (playing for Joe &
other staff there), but they turned on the jukebox anyway. I played about half a song, and then quit, feeling a
little insulted. I packed up quickly, and left approx. 11:45 PM. NOTE:John told me there's a new Open Stage
event starting up at the Art Center in the town of Three Lakes; Monday evenings, starting around 6:30 PM.
Friday, 07/15/11 :
I arrived approx. 9:00 PM, bringing just my bongos w/ me. The regular bunch of guys were there: Joe, John, Dave,
Tom, & another guy playing electric guitar (whose name I've forgotten again). I sat in w/ the group playing
bongos for about an hour and a half, till they called it a night. It worked out fairly well. Then, when they
packed up & left, so did I. NOTE: I've been making attempts lately, at doing some backup vocals while
drumming. It's not working out great, but not too badly... I just need a lot more practice at it, I guess.
Friday, 08/19/11 :
I arrived approx. 9:00 PM, bringing just my amplified acoustic violalin w/ me. The regular bunch
of guys were there: Joe, Dave, Tom, Chris, & a guy I hadn't met before playing an Epiphone
hollowbody electric guitar, named Michael. I sat in w/ the group playing fiddle unamplified
for about an hour and a half, till they called it a night. It worked out fairly well. Then, when
I realized they'd all gone (only one guy bothered to say goodbye), I left too. I had the feeling
while jamming, that I was doing much better this time as vs. previous sessions, picking up the
key and accompanying in it by ear.
Friday, 10/07/11 :
To start this entry, I think it's important to make clear that my attendance at Joe's has become infrequent because
of transportation problems - NOT because of any unpleasantness while there. My car broke down in August, and
I haven't had the money to fix it. Because of that, my attendance at Joe's only occurs if & when I can borrow
a car to travel the 8 miles it takes to get there.
I arrived approx. 7:30 PM, bringing my acoustic violalin & djembe w/ me. Other musicians straggled in one by
one over the next hour or so. Eventually, we had a full group on stage: Tom (drums), Joe (bass guitar), Chris
(electric guitar), Mike (electric guitar), and me (djembe & violalin). We were having fun, although I think
they were missing the presence of Dave (singing & harmonica), who hadn't shown up this evening. There came a
point where they asked me to do some singing for the song, "Mustang Sally". I didn't have the words
memorized, but they had them on paper - so, I gave it a try. Once I got into the song, I relaxed and started
having some fun with it, adding hand gestures that pretended to be riding a horse. EVERYBODY got a kick out of
that! After the song was over, I tried to go sit down at the drum again, but they kept calling me back to do more
singing. I didn't mind, and everybody seemed to like it. The session basically petered out and ended around 11:30
PM. That's when I packed up my stuff and went home too.
|
|
"The Finish Line", in Eagle River, WI
|
General Info :
This "Open Stage" event is being held in the "Finish Line" tavern near the western
edge of Eagle River, WI. It's a small, friendly place set slightly back from the east side of the road.
To find it, leave the business district of Eagle River using Highway 70 westbound. There's a "T"
intersection with the "Honey Bear" restaurant across from it. Make a left turn there, onto the
road that's the stem of the "T". The "Finish Line" is about a half mile down the road,
on the left/east side.
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Friday, 11/11/11 :
I arrived rather late; about 9:15 PM, because it took me about 45 min. to find the place. (I hadn't been able to
write it down, when I was being given directions two day before this.) Since I wasn't sure what I would find, I
brought just my djembe with me. I found there were 4 musicians present; 2 of whom I already knew. There was
Greg Everett (guitar & voice), Bob (guitar & voice), Jerry (keyboard, flute, saxophone, & voice),
& a guy whose name I've forgotten doing harmonica & voice. There was also a guy whose name I didn't get,
playing a pair of wooden spoons on his leg. (He was actually very good with them!) Plus, of course, I was there
doing djembe & voice. All of the musicians I found there were well skilled, so it turned into a pretty good
session. I was able to sing lead for the song "Knocking On Heaven's Door", because I turned out to be
the only present who had the words memorized. Everybody liked that song. Two things worth mentioning, were 1) The
cute 9-month female German Shepherd pup who spent about an hour repeatedly pestering me for attention while I was
trying to drum, and 2) A woman (perhaps, drunk?) who helped herself to assist me playing the djembe. I didn't
really mind it that much... It's happened before, and now I just take it as a challenge of musicianship to be able
to continue playing at normal performance level while that's going on. Given the fact that I have to borrow a car
in order to attend, I'm not sure when the next time I'll return there will be. In the meantime, I now have a good
reason to practice the djembe more often. Greg announced it was the end of the session around 10:30 PM. Bob was
still playing, but the other 3 guys were packing up - so, I packed up also, and went home to update this list.
Friday, 11/18/11 :
I arrived early this evening, because I got there via getting a ride with Bob (a guitar
player who attends Open Stage there). I brought just my djembe with me. The same people
were there this evening as the last time I was there. Greg (guitar & vocals),
Jerry (keyboard, flute, sax, & vocals), Gary (harmonica & vocals), Bob
(guitar & vocals), and myself (djembe, guitar, & vocals). I mainly played djembe
for most of the time until when Greg, Jerry, & Gary left. I borrowed a guitar that
was hanging on the wall (property of the place's owner) and did a few songs at that
point. Bob accompanied me on keyboard. Before leaving, I had the chance to do some
drumming to accompany Bob on keyboard & a new guy I hadn't met before, Jim. Jim was
playing guitar & singing.
Friday, 11/25/11 :
I arrived early this evening, because I got there via getting a ride with Bob (a guitar player who attends Open Stage
there). I brought both my djembe and my acoustic violalin with me. The same people were there this evening as the last
time I was there. Greg, Jerry, Gary, Bob, and me. I played djembe until when Greg, Jerry, & Gary left. After that,
I borrowed a guitar that was hanging on the wall (property of the place's owner) and did a few songs. There were a
couple of guys there who each played guitar & sang, so we jammed a little, with me going back to djembe. Bob
joined in a little. Eventually, Bob called it a night, so we left.
Friday, 12/23/11 :
I arrived late this evening, because I drove myself. I brought just my djembe. In attendance for performing music were:
Greg, Jerry, Gary, Bob, and me. I played djembe until when Greg, Jerry, & Gary left. After that, I packed up
my djembe and also left.
Friday, 12/30/11 :
I arrived late this evening. I brought just my djembe. It was the regular group (Greg, Jerry, Gary, Bob, and me) plus
a bass guitar player named "Wayne" and a guy who was very skilled at playing the wooden spoons (don't know
his name). There was also one song where the woman of the couple who own the bar ("Dee") sang a song w/ us.
I played djembe until when Greg, Jerry, & Gary left. After that, I also packed up & left.
Friday, 01/06/12 :
I arrived early this evening, because I rode w/ Bob to get there. I brought just my djembe. It was the regular group
(Greg, Jerry, Gary, Wayne, Bob, and me). After Greg & Jerry left, we played some more music w/ the 4 of us who
remained. It turns out that Wayne is also very good on rhythm guitar, and singing. He has an excellent sense of both
rhythm & pitch. During this 2nd session time, I also played some guitar & sang, using one of the house guitars.
Bob & I ended up being the last people to leave (other than the bartender).
Friday, 01/13/12 :
I arrived slightly later this evening, because I drove myself, and I brought extra equipment. I brought my set of congas
w/ their stand. It'r ture it's only one instrument setup, but the drums are big & heavy, and the heavy-duty stand
also weighs a lot. Bulky, very heavy, awkward to handle... I consider that extra. I didn't update this list in a timely
manner, so now (3 weeeks later) I've forgotten the details. But, I did attend the session this night, and while there I
sold the set of congas w/ stand to the owner of the Finish Line, Tony. Because of this, anyone who goes there will now have
a set of congas available to play.
Friday, 01/20/12 :
I arrived slightly later this evening, because I drove myself. I brought just my djembe. I didn't update this list
in a timely manner, so I've forgotten some of the details. But, I did attend the session this night. The regular
group of people was there for performing, except no Gary or Wayne. The bar was fairly crowded this evening, and
everyone seemed to be having a great time while there.
Friday, 01/27/12 :
I arrived slightly later this evening, because I drove myself. I brought both my djembe and my aa'violalin. I only
played these a little bit, spending most of time playing Tony's congas. I was in better than usual physical shape
this evening, and spent most of my conga-playing time standing up. I think this improved my performance slightly,
being able to move from side to side to adjust the angle of my strikes on the drum heads. (It makes a difference,
when using dull thumps as the primary sound during complicated rhythms.) I did play one or two songs on djembe, and
about 3 songs on aa'violalin. I didn't think I really excelled in the fiddling this evening, but people did clap -
so, I guess it must have been good enough. I was slightly miffed, though, that we didn't play "Eleanor
Rigby". I've been practicing that piece very day, because Jerry had requested that I come up with a fiddle
part accompaniment. There was a guy there this evening, taking videos of us while we played. He told me he'd be
posting the vids on You Tube. I told him that was great, and I'd be looking forward to seeing them. I ended up
leaving very late, because I got into a prolonged conversation with Patty. In fact, to my chagrine, I was actually
the last person (other than the bartender) to leave the building.
Friday, 02/03/12 :
I arrived ~8PM. I brought just my tablas. The 3 other regulars (Greg, Bob, & Jerry) were there for performing,
except again there was no Gary or Wayne. The bar was busy but not crowded. Everyone seemed to be having a great
time while there. The guy who took a vid last week was there, and he took another vid of us; this time, doing the
song "Sweet Home Chicago". NOTE: He did post a vid of us onto You Tube. The sound quality turned out
very good, although the video was too dark to see any performers except Greg.
Friday, 02/10/12 :
I arrived ~8:30PM. I brought just my tambourine. The 3 other people who were there for performing were Greg, Jerry,
& Gary (who we hadn't seen for a few weeks). Bob wasn't there, because he's been having health problems.
The session didn't seem to go as smoothly this evening, and I'm guessing this was at least partially because of
Bob's absence. It was very cold outside, and the bar had very few customers present. The vid guy was there with his
girlfriend(?), but I don't think he took a vid this evening. NOTE: So far, I haven't found the "Sweet Home
Chicago" vid on You Tube. I didn't think to ask him about it, while I was there.
I discovered when I started playing, that someone had retuned the congas. The pitch was higher. I didn't ask, but
I suspect this was Jerry (who's a music teacher) doing a charitable service for Tony (owner of the congas). Thinking about
it since then, I've realized that the pitch they were tuned to is considered by many to be the "standard"
pitch for congas. This standard is as per latin music's use of & tuning for congas; considered to be the standard,
because so many latin groups use congas that it's considered to be a latin music instrument. However, this isn't
entirely true. I think congas should properly be considered a "world music" instrument, since they're
used so frequently in African music. I've also realized that the tuning of congas to a higher pitch is part of the
reason I don't enjoy latin music. Don't get me wrong - I admire the musicianship of many latin groups. However, I
find the music to be a little on the frantic side, and the drums frequently lack resonance. I don't find that higher
tuning pitch to be very useful for playing country, rock, or blues. Also, the higher pitch makes the drum heads so
tight that they become hard to work with; less capable of tonal expressiveness. Not only that - the overly taut skin
becomes like hitting a rock repeatedly while playing. It hurts my hands after a very short while. Before the congas
were tuned to the high pitch, it was very convenient for me having them there to use. Now, I've decided I'm going to
avoid using them. At the higher pitch; not only was it hard on my hands, but I couldn't get the tonal expressiveness
I prefer. I don't feel I have any basis for complaining, though. The congas belong to Tony, and he can have them
tuned any way he wants. I'll just have to return to always bringing my owns drums.
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"The old lumberyard", in Land O' Lakes, WI
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General Info :
This "Open Stage" event is being held in the yard in front of the "old lumberyard"
in uptown Land O' Lakes, WI. This is a very low-budget event. There is a low stage platform which was
donated by a local business. It's approx. 8" tall x 8' square; no sides or roof. The P.A. system
is being lent by the Land O' Lakes Chamber of Commerce. It's pretty good quality, although not overly
large. People attending this event must bring their own chairs, or sit on the ground. I believe the
couple who are in charge of the event are married, because they arrive & leave together in the same
vehicle. The event is scheduled to run from 7:00 PM till 9:00 PM each Friday through September, but it
hasn't been going past 8:30 PM given a small number of musicians showing up. The presentation is that
people who desire to perform get signed up on a sheet in whatever order they arrive, and nobody performs
twice.
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Friday, 08/06/10 :
I arrived rather late; about 8:00 PM, bringing both tenor banjo & djembe with me. I'd had the expectation
that there would be people there from the group that shows up at Joe's Pool Hall (which is why I brought the
djembe), but I didn't see anybody at all I knew. I was walking back toward my car, debating whether I should just
leave, when one of the people in charge stopped me, asking me to play. I had the gut feeling that I was not
in good form, but I changed my mind about leaving and let her put me down for the last time slot of the evening's
show, performing on tenor banjo. This turned out to be a mistake. My gut feeling about not performing turned out to
be true with a vengeance. I don't think I've ever flopped so miserably on stage. I couldn't remember the
chord sequences for the songs, and ended up doing 2 or 3 different songs that I'd start and then end up aborting.
I eventually did an entire song, "Helpless" by Neil Young, and that was the end of my time on stage.
Afterward, I realized I had to take a dose of the same advice I always give to young or new musicians: Let it go.
There are good times & bad times, and it's just one performance out of a nearly endless string of performances.
I should add here, that after my miserable flop on stage, I went up to the LVD Casino to watch live music there.
It turned out that the band of the evening had failed to show up due to transportation problems, and everyone was
disappointed. After sitting & talking w/ friends for about a half hour, I brought in my tenor banjo and played
& sang (softly) for about an hour and a half in the lounge while sitting at one of the tables. By the time I
was finished doing that, I felt much better again about myself and my ability to play the tenor banjo.
Friday, 08/13/10 :
I arrived earlier this time; about 7:30 PM, bringing just my JBP amplified acoustic guitar w/ me. I'd just put a new
set of a different type of strings ("Elixir" electric guitar "Heavy") onto it the previous
night, and tuned it to "Open D" instead of "Open E" - and, was feeling good about the result of
the change. The weather was heavily overcast and humid. I was fairly sure it was going to start raining, but I'd
decided to try attending & performing anyway. I was signed on the sheet as the last performer of the evening.
During the 3rd-to-last session, I felt the first drop of rain. I mentioned it to the guy w/ the clipboard (sitting
next to me). While the next to last person was performing (she only did one song), it started sprinkling in earnest.
I packed away my guitar into its case and hustled it back to the car while she was playing. Arriving back over near
the stage, her song was ending, and they asked me to play. I had my big golf umbrella w/ me, so I decided to go
ahead and play. I retrieved my guitar and got on stage w/o much preface. They offered to plug me in for
amplification, but I was fairly sure the people in the crowd would hear me, so I declined getting plugged in. One
of the guys from the crowd held the golf umbrella over my head while I played and sang "Knocking On Heaven's
Door". I could tell people were really surprised, and enjoying it. There were 2 children from the crowd who
came up on stage w/ umbrellas. (I think the guy holding the umbrella was their father.) It was really cute, and
I just couldn't help smiling any time I glanced over at them. There was also a guy out in the crowd who kept a
digital camera trained on me throughout my performance. I think he was making a vid of it. (Maybe I'll show up
on "You Tube" sometime in the not-too-distant future?) I only did the one song, and they were packing
the equipment away into their van while I did it. After my performance, the woman of the couple running the show
asked me if I'd give her guitar lessons. I'm not sure I can really do that... Teach music? Yeah, probably. Teach
guitar playing? I think I'd probably end up stalling out after teaching the most basic fundamentals.
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"Three Lakes Art Center", in Three Lakes, WI
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General Info :
This "Open Stage" event is being hosted by the "Three Lakes Art Center".
I found the location w/o any problem; it was on the corner of an intersection on the main drag, and hard to
miss. The front room is a reception area which functions as an art showcase and ticket sales area. There
wasn't any cover charge for this event, though. It was free. Passing through a doorway at the rear of the
front room, you enter the auditorium. It turned out they had a truly beautiful medium-size hall, built in
1947 w/ classic domed ceiling, clamshell sconce lighting fixtures, rows of cushy blue folding seats, and a
nicely elevated, sturdy stage w/ side curtains. It can probably accomodate seating for 150 (200?) people.
In my opinion, this was the very best setup I've ever seen for an "Open Stage" event.
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Monday, 07/11/10 :
I arrived later than I'd intended. I was running late, so while hurrying to get out of the home I took just the
amplified acoustic Violalin. Only 2 other musicians showed up this night for the Open Stage event; John (guitar
& voice, known from Joe's Pool Hall), and Joe (guitar & voice). There were about 4 non-musicians in the
audience when I arrived. They also had a sound tech guy, whose name I didn't retain. I met a woman who is a
professional violinist (something Kline), and the woman who volunteers running the Art Center during the Open Stage
event (Gaye). I was quite attracted to Gaye, but discovered by overhearing her conversing w/ John, that she's
married. (Drat!) I played my fiddle for about 15 minutes, then yielded the stage. I don't think I did that well,...
They clapped after my first song ("Greensleeves"), but by the time I finished my fiddling, the 4 audience
members had all left. Later on, I borrowed John's black guitar and played 4 songs. By that time, about 4 new people
had arrived to listen. (I played "Me & Bobby Magee", "Knocking On Heaven's Door",
"You've Got To Hide Your Love Away", and "Sitting On The Dock Of A Bay".) I did fairly well,
but I did screw up "You've Got To Hide Your Love Away". It was unusual, because that's one I play all
the time and usually have no problem at all with. They have another event scheduled for next Monday, and I intend
to go - but, next time I'll go well prepared, bringing all 3 instruments; fiddle, guitar, and djembe. Nobody played
it while I was there, but they also had a beautiful natural-wood-color grand piano to the side of the stage.
Monday, 07/18/10 :
I got delayed by other matters before going, so I missed the pre-event jam session, but I did manage to arrive
approx. 7 PM; i.e., just as the Open Stage series of individuals was about to begin. I came overly prepared this
time, bringing my djembe, my JBP guitar, and my acoustic Violalin. The only fundamental I fogot, was to a guitar
stand. There were several other musicians there for performing this evening: A young girl on guitar whose name I
didn't catch, a young man from Milwaukee on vacation (I've forgotten the name), John (known from Joe's Pool Hall),
another young man whose name I didn't catch playing guitar & piano, and another John who was the M.C. for the
event. I learned the sound tech's name, but I've forgotten it again. There were about 10 non-musicians in the
audience when I arrived, and I think at least 6 of them remained throughout the entire session. I'm fairly sure
there were at least 8 others who came & went during the evening. Gaye, the woman who volunteers running the
Art Center Open Stage event, was there also. I hit the stage as approx. act 4, and played 4 songs: "The
City Of New Orleans", "Cowgirl In The Sand", "Forget About Me", and "The Ballad Of
John & Yoko". About a half hour later, when John (from Joe's) hit the stage, he wanted others to come up
and join him. I offered to play djembe, & he accepted. So, I spent most of the rest of the evening accompanying
John w/ others, by playing djembe. There was one point where I stepped out for a cigarette break, and I let a
woman from the audience play the djembe during that time. At the end of the night, I asked if I could lead a song
on guitar. John consented, so I played & sang "Knocking On Heaven's Door" w/ the groups of about
4 others accompanying me. After the song, somebody looked at their watch, and commented on the time. It was 10 min.
before 10 PM - way past the scheduled end time for the event. So, that was that. Everybody packed up & left.
I helped Gaye and the 2 John's putting away the folding chairs that had been set out for the pre-event jam session.
Final note: While everybody was packing up, I heard somebody singing "Knock, knock, knocking on heaven's
door..." From that, I deduce that for at least that one person, the performance had ended up being something
memorable.
Monday, 07/25/10 :
I've been burning the candle at both ends, trying to fix computer situations, studying Linux - and, taking care of
things that have slipped in favor of that study had to be dealt with. It made me late arriving - so I not only
missed the pre-event jam session, but I also missed about an hour of the Open Stage performances by arriving
approx. 8 PM. I brought both my djembe, and my JBP guitar; and this time, managed to remember to bring a guitar
stand. There were several other musicians there for performing this evening. Too many to list; especially,
considering that I'd missed an hour. There were about 8 or 10 people in the audience when I arrived, and about
2 left when the stage closed; approx. 10:10 PM. The audience was appreciative, and several people both thanked
& complimented me on my performance w/ guitar & voice - but, I wasn't satisfied. I'd forgotten lyrics during
a couple of songs. I need to do better - but, that requires me to practice; something that's been neglected
during the marathon computer study sessions. The last act ended up being 6 people on stage (inclusive of me on
djembe), doing blues, bluegrass, & country songs. I think we sounded pretty good, and I even managed to do some
backup singing on chorusing refrains (I rarely sing, while drumming). The event will be skipping a week, so the next
session will be Aug. 8th.
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"Snipe Lake Pub", in Iron River, MI
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General Info :
All data & entries re. this Open Stage event were withdrawn from online display, when I began
boycotting the Snipe Lake Pub.
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