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For those unfamiliar, the Phoenix is an immortal bird associated with Greek mythology that cyclically regenerates or is otherwise born again… that is my desire heading into 2023 – a musical rebirth.
Coming off Body & Soul’s final gig as a band (as far as anyone knows or has said), I’m hoping to land a similar project that maybe works a little more… OK, a LOT more… sitting home weekends is driving me insane… 🙂 There was certainly no lack of interest in the group as every gig there were multiple inquiries about contacts and dates and travel…
During a break New Year’s Eve there was some talk about a different projects and players going and coming but nothing that seemed to involve me… maybe I am getting too old… I could feel the rust each time B&S would reconvene for a gig every few weeks which I attributed to not playing almost every weekend… I went through a similar thing after the COVID shutdown… I don’t have room to setup at home for practice and I had to move my drums out of school when they returned to in-person learning… I did manage to play myself back into shape back then with my former band’s heavy schedule… hopefully I can do it again or find an alternate solution to keeping my chops up… anyway, tonight, by the second set, I was loosening up and starting to groove a little more… I also noticed that I was starting to play with more confidence at times… confidence in the arrangements (many of them odd medleys) and my tempos and my feel… and when that happened, I could sense Eric (bass player) start to relax and enjoy himself… this was a great feeling – to be DRIVING a band again rather than just going along for the ride… It’s something that was ripped out of me a few years before my last band and I parted ways… there was plenty of talk from B&S members about their plans after tonight but no one looked my way so I guess I’m searching again… I’ve got the new vehicle and working on a kit / packing refresh when the weather warms up… time will tell…
January 3… To my surprise, I get an email from Bill – the bandleader for Body & Soul – saying my playing Saturday was ‘stellar’ and how much he ‘loved my chops’ and is contemplating some sort of project in the near future and would really like for me to be a part of it!! WOW!! I’m bursting!! This was the second time I’ve filled in with one of Bill’s groups and have enjoyed it immensely!! He’s an amazing player yet very chill and I’ve already told him I’m ready when he is. 🙂
January 31… It’s been a month already since my last gig… I’m trying to be patient but at the same time I’m anxious to be part of a project that’s growing and getting tighter in the lean months of winter and ready to rock some worlds come spring and summer… but it’s been quiet… a few players have reached out to see who I’m playing with and the short answer is I’m not…
Yesterday (yes – I’m feeling the desperation) I reached out to a group that posted in a local music forum for on call subs at several positions for what sounds like a good sized group… hoping to hear from them in the next day or two but it happens far too often that I don’t even get to audition… they see pictures and make up their minds… this area is notorious for groups that place the actual music as a lower priority… we’ll see…
February 3 update… Crickets… ‘chirp… chirp’…
February 10… I finally got a call to fill in with a group… an emergency call due to a drummer with COVID for a group I’ve never seen or played with at a children’s hospital fundraiser… normally I’d be all in but unfortunately, it’s during the afternoon on the same day of my late brother-in-law’s service so I had to decline…
February 13… Today I got an email with a phone number for a group that may be replacing their drummer… I don’t recognize the man’s name and it didn’t say the group’s name… guess I’ll have to call to find out more… 🙂
February 14… Tonight (between celebrating the day with my Valentine) I called the number and spoke with Terry… the band is ‘Edge of Town‘ and features the music of Bruce Springsteen as well as ‘songs that other bands don’t play’… we talked for a while and he pointed me to some video clips of the group… we exchanged some band philosophies and discovered we shared a mutual distain for playing Caroline Street… the band sounds very good and I recognize some of the other member’s names though I don’t recall ever seeing them perform… it’s a tempting project but I needed some time to review the videos and the audition tracks…
February 15… I’ve vowed to take my time and not jump into anything just to be playing again – then end up miserable in a few months or even weeks… after reviewing their live video clips for over an hour last night, then exploring the original versions they asked me to prepare for the audition, I tossed it around in my head all night and most of today… this afternoon I messaged Terry to thank him for his time but explained that it’s not what I was looking for at this time… I liked the group, wished him the best of luck and I hope to catch them live this summer.
When it came right down to it, looking at the songs on their list gave me a pretty good idea of the types of venues they might play and I’m not quite ready to return to rock & roll bars at this point… Body & Soul spoiled me and I think that’s the type of full-time situation I’m really hoping for…
Speaking of Body & Soul… today I got an email from Mike (New York Players) asking all the members and myself if we’d be interested in playing The Crossings summer concert again… everybody was in (including me, of course)!! This gives me some hope that there might be a few gigs and maybe even a wedding or two left in the group… I’d really like to be doing something full-time with a single group playing 30-40 gigs a year (or more – I miss the grind)… but at least this is a glimmer of hope… 🙂
February 17… YAAAAAAAY!! I’ve finally got a couple band inquiries!! Problem is one is in Carolina and the other Virginia… 🙂 I’m not sure how I ever got on these people’s radar but it gave me a chuckle anyway… sorry to ‘cry wolf’… 🙂
And the Body & Soul concert was taken back… apparently I’m still just filling in and the regular drummer was available… oh well… 🙂
March 1… some exciting non-band news to report… tonight was Selena’s Senior Dinner for her college culinary classes (she graduates this year)…
She had to select a region of the world (she chose France), create the menu and prepare a number of the dishes at the actual dinner where she was the head chef – ‘Chef de Cuisine’ as it appears on the menu… 🙂
When the main courses hit, they were so busy scarfing down the amazing food that nobody got pictures of the Coq Au Vin or Ratatouille… they did pause for desserts…
Seasoned is an amazing restaurant with a semi-open kitchen (seen behind Selena’s boyfriend Mike) which was fascinating to watch!!
There are TV screens scattered throughout (like the one behind the hostess) where you can watch the entire kitchen!!
I spent much of the night watching my ‘Peanut’ at work… 🙂
She was pretty stressed about running the entire kitchen but did a fantastic job and we’re extremely proud of her!!
She was pretty stressed about running the entire kitchen but did a fantastic job and we’re extremely proud of her!!
March 18… first gig since New Year’s Eve… back at my old stompin’ grounds as they say – Ridin’ Hy Ranch… It’s the last weekend of their season then they shut down until the end of April or thereabouts… City Limits is now a trio but sounded amazing and the audience had a great time which is the point of it all… 🙂
For me it was great to be playing again!! I hadn’t touched a stick since the end of last year and was afraid I would be stiff and rusty but I had the kit up and tuned in less than an hour (no electronics or mics – just the full acoustic kit)… and, after a few songs, I felt like I was dialed in and everything felt great… 🙂
Next up, a couple fill-in dates with a new group for me… a classic rock band named Third Rail!!
March 24… It’s been an unusual few days to say the least…
Julie was discharged at 1:00pm today… last weekend she kept complaining of feeling lousy but insisted it was her usual pain and nausea… Monday morning I was at work and received a call from Selena saying she was taking Julie to the ER… turns out that her relentless physical and emotional pain (recent loss of her brother and her Mom’s diagnosis of Schizophrenia, etc.) pushed her over the edge and, unbeknownst to Selena or myself, sometime Friday or Saturday night she’d taken a handful of Tylenol and Ibuprofen to try to lessen the pain one way or the other. Monday morning she called her therapist who told her she needed to get to the ER and have her liver and kidneys checked!! Fortunately, they both showed no sign of damage but the incident had to be treated as a suicide attempt and she spent 5 days in the Behavioral Health Unit of Glens Falls Hospital… I’m sure if she really had wanted to die she would have OD’d on her Oxy or Morphine… she realized it was a stupid mistake and the doctors there must have agreed because by Thursday they were telling her that she really didn’t belong there and today was released. It was a scary incident and just goes to show that you just never know what someone might be going through and to what degree…
March 26… Julie’s been resting since her release and is doing great!! It will be a day-by-day process as with any recovery but we’ll all get through it together.
April 5… Sadly, I had to back out of my first gig with Third Rail…
My van went into the body shop today after losing a fight with a crow… it was minor and I was thinking I’d be without the van a day or two… then I was told it would be more like 4 business days… OK – that would be the 10th or 11th and still gave me a few days before the gig but I’d want a rental car… shortly after I dropped the van off, I received a text from them saying we were on track April 17th (a day later that would become the 18th)!! I’m glad I added the car rental to my insurance and equally glad I decided to take advantage of it… and I’m thankful to have it… but it only covers $30 / day and Enterprise has nothing on the lot for that so I’m paying $2 / day out of pocket which could have been worse… but there’s no way I could get any drum configuration in this little Kia Soul… I can get me in it and maybe my sticks if I jam them up my butt… 🙂 It’s really not that bad but there is no way to fit my gear and the guys in Third Rail were very nice about it… now I’m really looking forward to working with them May 20th!!
April 20… OK – this one totally caught me off guard…
Last night, just after supper, I get a text from New York Players to call Mike (band leader)… he wants to know if I’m free for a three gig weekend in August while he handles a personal commitment… BOOK IT!!! He sent the details today…
August 11, 2023 I’m returning to a favorite from the old band… the annual Italian Festa at Our Lady Queen of Peace in Rotterdam!!
5:00pm start if you’d like some great food and music… 🙂
Then Saturday August 12th is a wedding out in Massachusetts…
Then on Sunday August 13th I’m playing my first gig on the patio at Wicked in Clifton Park!! I’ve tried to see other bands there a couple times but couldn’t get near the place… I hope to have better luck as a player… it’s like the old joke about being short… ‘the only parade I’ve ever seen was one I was IN!!’ 🙂
I can already feel the butterflies in my gut as I think about playing with this legendary group… you can bet I’ll be more than ready for it!! Thank you!!
May 12… A very special day…
Today our little girl graduated from SUNY Adirondack with her second degree – this time in Culinary Arts / Baking!!
We couldn’t be more proud of her… how far she’s come and all the hard work she’s put in to get to this point. And last week she started her second year baking at the Lake George Club!! She loves it there and they love her… can’t beat that. Way to go, ‘Peanut’!! 🙂
May 15… My first gig with Third Rail scheduled for 5/20 has been cancelled… the venue says their business has dropped significantly with the nicer weather… oh well… maybe next time… hope I remember how to play… 🙂
June 1… still crickets… other than that 3 day weekend with NY Players the end of August. I have nothing on the horizon for the rest of the year… I’m sure Body & Soul’s drummer will double book with his main band and I’ll get a gig or two out of that but I’m losing my mind being home weekends – listening to my body stiffen up… 🙂
July 1… no gigs in sight – at least nothing on a local level (other than NY Players in August)…
While I’m totally chomping at the bit to be playing again, I’ve resolved myself to be content with the body of work I’ve accomplished locally and internationally (that I don’t publicize)… at this point I have no interest in ‘starting over’ – playing with some mediocre band in horrible venues for what amounts to gas money… it took me over 20 years to get out of that rut and I honestly don’t want to play bad enough to do it again.
With school out I’ve moved my kit into a music room and am practicing daily to stay sharp for that 3 day weekend in August and anything else that might pop up (I’m still on call for one touring act)… have a great and safe summer everyone!! 🙂
July 5… the NY Players weekend has been reduced by one – the Wicked show (Clifton Park) was rescheduled and Mike will be back for the new date… I still have the other two that I’m looking forward to… 🙂
It’s clear to me at this point that the Phoenix will NOT be rising this year… I’m practicing regularly which feels great and the occasional travel fill-in is fun (back to Indy in a couple weeks) but the local bands are set and I’m willing to be patient… I have a feeling that there’s another band in their ‘twilight years’ whose drummer is ready to move on just around the corner and I’ll jump in and we can end our careers together… it’s just a gut feeling I have… we’ll see if I’m right… 🙂
August 1… I received a heartbreaking message today…
Dave Teta – the drummer I filled in for and eventually replaced when he stepped down (shown at right on the night we shared a gig when he returned to the band after back surgery) – committed suicide a few nights ago…
I’m numb and at a loss for words… since hearing the sad news I’ve started questioning myself as to whether I could have done anything to make a difference… all I had to go on were his social media posts and it looked like he had his life in order once again… he was in getting shape and healthy and had started drumming again (it seems like I recall him selling his gear after the divorce but I’m not sure)… I didn’t know his ex but know they had two boys and my thoughts are with them and all the musicians that knew and loved him… you never know what someone might be going through or how close they are to that ‘dark place’… RIP, Dave.
August 11… FINALLY – some gig news to report!! Tonight was the first of two nights filling in with the legendary New York Players!!
I’ve been anticipating this night since I accepted the gigs back in April (and driving Mike – the band’s leader – crazy I’m sure with song list requests so I could start preparing)… I received the master song list less than a week ago and needed help from former FE bandmate Mikey D to decode the band’s title shorthand… once that was resolved, I started downloading material like a crazy person!! 🙂
There were a lot of songs I’d never played and quite a few I’d never heard before… New lead singer Todd stepped in to help weed out some of the lesser called songs and sought to give me the best chance for success which I really appreciated.
Thursday night I received the set list from the leader and there a few more songs I’d never heard… I added those to my driving mix that I’d been studying the past several days, made some notes and hoped for the best. I’m already a nervous wreck because I don’t know any of the other members of the rhythm section… my goal is to stop shaking enough at some point so I don’t lose any sticks… 🙂
The first gig was the Festa at Our Lady Queen of Peace in Rotterdam – a gig I’d played several times with the old band and actually looked forward to…
The night couldn’t have gone better – thanks to several members willingness and ability to feed me cues and tempos and I can’t thank them enough!!
August 12… today I hit the road for the NY Player’s wedding in Sheffield, MA… the two hour drive gave me time to review any trouble spots from last night as well as the 4 special requests we were playing (none of which I’d heard before)…
It was a small wedding – only 137 people total – and a beautiful setup at a private residence that I believe is part of the Berkshire School – an amazing campus out in the middle of nowhere… I had plenty of time after setup to review my notes and thoughts from the previous night with various members preparation for the night ahead… everyone was very ‘chill’ and didn’t seem worried but, while I tried to appear cool and composed on the outside, my insides were doing the Merengue!! 🙂
There was some light rain as the night went on and one moderately heavy downpour just as we were getting ready to start the last set but the lightning and more severe storms continued to pass to our south – only grazing us.
When it was all over, everyone couldn’t have been nicer or more supportive and encouraging and complimentary… I tried to tell them how much I appreciated all their patience and assistance but could only stammer out repeated ‘thank you’s to everyone.
It was a pretty incredible weekend and important to me on a number of levels – primarily as a test of whether or not I still had it in me after 20+ months away from regular gigging (my only other gig this year was Ridin’ Hi Ranch back in March)… I proved to myself I could still do it… it wasn’t as easy as when I was doing 80 or 90 every year but I made it through… now it’s time for some soul searching to see if I really do want to pursue another full time band… the mind says ‘go for it!!’ but the body says ‘you fool – you’re going to pay for this’… 🙂 Time will tell and I’m still being very selective in an attempt to avoid jumping into any situation that could immediately frustrate me into retirement… tick tock, tick tock…
August 19… a last-minute call to fill-in with Aged In the Hills for the Ballston Spa Fire Company’s Family Day at the Saratoga County Fairgrounds!!
I haven’t played the fairgrounds in years… it might be even longer since Aged In the Hills (also based in Ballston Spa) has played together!! Darcy (lead singer) was busy in NYC so Marty jumped in for a few tunes… George (still recover from surgery on both shoulders) and Cherry and I held things down for the rest of an easy 2 set day… 🙂
The fireman and their families were very pleased to see the hometown band together and loved everything we played… of course there was plenty of food and beverages and everyone who stopped to talk reminded us to eat and drink whatever we wanted… then, as we were packing up, they brought over clams and corn!!
Wonderful people and a great time was had by all.
September 1… no gigs on the horizon but a glimpse of hope… today comes word that the Avant Garde Alumni Drumline plans to be back on the streets Memorial Day 2024!! If history is any indication, the whole time the drumline was marching, I’ve had to juggle their schedule with a hectic band schedule… no drumline, no band… I’m hoping this scenario repeats itself and I have a new band by May 2024!! 🙂 The drumline needs to get their feet under them once again as I’m sure there will be one final full corps reunion for the Avant Garde Drum & Bugle Corps’ 50th anniversary in 2025!!
October 24… The year is winding down with no gigs on the horizon… I feel like this was a harder year than 2020 when COVID canceled 39 of 40 weddings I was booked for… at least then I knew no one was playing but this year it feels like I’m the only one who wants to be playing out but isn’t…
The thought of ditching my show kit that I love so and squirreling away one of those tiny pack-and-go kits has crossed my mind – only because I think I could still be musical and effective on one of those and honestly wonder if anyone would notice the difference… the last band would only ask why I carried so much gear… it’s called professionalism… while most in any given audience don’t understand the inner workings of a drum kit, they are fascinated and excited to see an impressive one – especially in the hands of someone who knows how to use it… that used to be me and I hope to do it once more but we’ll see… 🙂
December 1… Well it’s safe to say that the Phoenix didn’t rise – it FIZZLED… I had a couple offers but past experience has made me cautious – wanting to avoid the awkwardness of getting into something and being miserable within weeks and having to walk away… hopefully 2024 will present an opportunity to rejoin the ranks of the working musicians – finding a good fit but without having to start over in some of the little hell holes I survived 15-20 years ago… 🙂
December 22… This is shaping up to be an interesting holiday… back on the 19th we had a techies luncheon at school… it was a great time with tons of great food… later that afternoon one of the techs didn’t feel great and headed home… the next day (20th) he called off with a bad headache and fever and later tested positive for COVID… this put the other attendees on edge – especially with the holidays only days away… thankfully, at least so far, the other 8 people (including myself) have remained healthy… fingers crossed… 🙂
Selena has completed her move and is now living with her boyfriend / fiancé Mike… super nice guy but Julie and I miss our little girl terribly…
On the 20th, Selena and Mike BOTH tested positive for COVID!! At 4:30 this morning (22nd) she calls to say Mike is taking her to the ER… about 8:30am we got word that they gave her a shot and ordered a couple prescriptions and she was back home (Mike’s) resting… Mike is feeling fine already…
Julie started feeling bad overnight so I’m bringing my last test kit from work home to see if she got it too… I’m feeling fine so far… either I missed it or that 4th booster (6th Pfizer shot overall) I got a couple months ago is helping…
Please everyone – be safe and have a wonderful holiday!!
December 28… We all made it through Christmas… none of the tech party attendees came down with anything… Julie tested negative the 22nd and was feeling a little better by the 23rd… Selena was feeling better on the 23rd and came to visit on the 24th almost back to normal but masked just in case… Julie has been deeply depressed about her baby girl not being around and ironically slept through most of her visit… she did get to spend some time with her before she left for Mike’s family’s Christmas Eve party… she planned to come back and spend the night but as it got to be 7:30 or so, it was obvious that Julie wasn’t moving from bed and the weeks of shopping and planning and stressing over everyone’s health and enjoyment was catching up with me so I too headed for bed so we told her to enjoy the party and we’d see her in the morning.
Julie admitted a few days before Christmas that she just wasn’t in the spirit this year but today she started to come around a little… she’s got a lot on her plate with Selena’s moving out, her Mom’s physical and mental health in a facility about 90 minutes away, her own mental health – dealing with the scars from all the physical, sexual and emotional abuse she was subjected to as a child, and her own prognosis… it’s been 8 years since her Chemo treatment and they told her then that most women with her type of cancer only make it 5-10 years… it’s a daily struggle and we butt heads sometime because I’m more of a ‘see-what-happens-and-deal-with-it’ type of person where she has the funeral home on speed dial… I know that sounds morbid but I will tell her things like that and she will laugh and call me an ‘ass’ but it snaps her out of it for just a moment which is all I can hope for at this point…
December 30… Tonight I made good on one of Julie’s Christmas presents – a date night to the Strand Theater in Hudson Falls, NY to see Storm Front – The Music of Billy Joel. Julie doesn’t get out much – especially for band shows – because there are a lot of songs that trigger her anxiety from the abuses she suffered when she was young… then there’s her health issues… bad knees and back and she has to where a mask because of her compromised immune system… but tonight I arranged with Selena to dog sit and she came early to help Julie with her makeup – including her eyebrows which never grew back after chemo 8 years ago.
We had a blast!!! I don’t know which I enjoyed more; watching the band or seeing Julie have the best time she’s had in a long time…
We’ll have to do this more often if her health allows… 🙂
December 31… Well it’s a feeling that I don’t know if I’ll ever get used to yet here I am… home on New Year’s Eve for just the 3rd or 4th time since becoming a professional musician way back in 1975… Selena’s with her boyfriend… Julie spent the day visiting her Mom who’s in a home and suffers from Dementia… between the stress of her Mom’s health and 90+ minutes in the CR-V in both directions, Julie’s in pain and exhausted and went to bed shortly after she got home so there’s no board gaming tonight… thankfully there’s football… I’ve had the games on all day while I created some custom cards with our dogs on them for one of our new games so I’ve managed to entertain myself… but I’d rather be performing somewhere… 🙂
Here’s to 2024!! Hopefully everyone has a great year!! Hoping there’s better health news in Julie and Selena’s future… as for me – I’d be happy with that… and maybe a game night… and a new band… 🙂 HAPPY NEW YEAR!!