Music!

Music.

What a day yesterday was! I am having such a blast doing this blog website! I am sure this transition would be going much smoother if not for my mad computer skillz.

OK, we all do things when we are happy to make us happier, and I turn to music. I have played in garage bands and performing bands and solo gigs since I was 13 years old. One of the stories in my book talks of a pretty special Happy Hour gig I did a couple years ago. I really would like to update my music knowledge and I think I am going to take lessons if I can talk Karen into it. Not bloody likely. SHE is the smart one, trying to limit our exposure in this pandemic, and my justification of “rock must rock” just didn’t move the needle. I was in a band a few short years ago, playing in local college bars. When I joined, I was excited to learn new music. But in the first practice, it was the same playlist as a HIGH SCHOOL BAND I played in! Santana, Stones, Neil Young, Allman Brothers. The first time we got together to play for the first time, we did some simple A-D-E rock progression with big bass and heavy drums. After a few bars we kind of looked around at each other. The surprised look was hey, we’re good.

Wingman was born.

We were more well-known for the gigs we turned down rather than the ones we played. My nickname for the lads was World’s Most Unmotivated Band. The day that the boys turned over the managing/booking gigs guy role to me, our fortunes changed pronto.

I could talk club owners into giving us a shot with no problem whatsoever. The problems came when I would book a gig and one of the guys had an excuse why they couldn’t play for whatever reason. I honestly don’t think they were convinced they had what it took to be a working band.

They’ll learn.

In the several years and numerous surgeries later, I have recently retired and with all the restrictions in place due to the COVID situation, my wife and I are Arizona-bound. We plan on moving east closer to her sister in southern Ohio. She is happy knowing (more accurately believing) that this will soon end. So in the meantime, I think that here in Arizona, with our temperate winter approaching, I believe that outdoor patio venues will be big so I am currently looking to put together a happy hour act for a duo.

Keep you posted.

As a 34-yr. old rocker, I thought the wheel had been re-invented again when I heard the first few bars and then the crescendo with Slash making his guitar scream AND cry on Sweet Child O’ Mine. I felt the exact same thrill going through my body in 1971 when I heard Led Zeppelin’s Stairway to Heaven.

Here’s your challenge: if you could recommend ONE album to bring me up to the year 2021 in music, what would it be?

Time to do some catching up.

Stay Well