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April 2016

Awaiting Spring

Some nights seem to take on the characteristics of the month that they are in.  A wintery night in December, cold and foreboding might see everyone bundled up and snuggling at their tables.  Patrons huddled together and enjoying hot food and warm drinks.  Whereas a sweltering summer night on the patio would enjoy a cold beverage and cooler island music, to hit that elusive sweet spot.

So, what of a transition night in late April?

Although it was our usual Friday night, it was still clinging onto the winters’ chill, with sullen skies and dampness all around.  Carl and I feared that only those hearty few would venture out on a night that was really not that friendly for neither man, nor beast.

Spoiler alert, we were wrong!

Even during our initial set-up, we noticed how busy it was.  Good for the Three Blind Mice Irish pub, in beautiful downtown Mount Clemens.

The people were filling the downstairs, where we hold court, and were loudly and emphatically out-and-about, as you might say.

Busy from the very first song always makes it a great night, and this particular Friday was no exception.

The requests started early, and really didn’t let up until we were knee-deep into our second set.  That is just what we love about playing; when we don’t have to think about what the people might want to hear, we just do what we’re told.  Perfect!

We can play just like that all night long.  Give us a favorite artist, and away we go.  That not only makes it easy, but for us, makes it fun too.

Good crowd.  Happy, loud and engaged.  We will take that any month of the year.  Not really sure why this night was so busy, but not really too worried about it either.  Just glad to go with the flow.

After the dust settled on the second set, we did get the chance to get upstairs and check out the Friday night band.  Paper Covers Rock was entertaining each and every one of the one hundred fans on the second floor, with ease.   They have an excellent, balanced sound that really cuts through the room with an edgy beat.  We listened to a few songs and really was impressed with their talent.  One can only hope for great things in their future.

Back downstairs, it was time to get everyone’s favorite, sung and enjoyed.  And, there were plenty of them to be shared, still.

You know that the night crescendoes when everyone is singing in unison, (Even if half of them don’t know the words).

One O’clock came sooner than we could envision, but just in time.  Although we were still getting song requests for our next set, from the enthusiastic table in front of us, it was sadly, time to pack it in for the night.

But don’t be too sad, Carl and I will be right back here in two weeks.  Maybe you could be right here too.

We can’t predict what the weather will be like; but we can predict that the music will be whatever you want it to be.  Hot, or cool.  Get your requests ready . . .

Rb

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Flash Friday

Although this Friday night, Carl and I arrived early to set up, the night seemed to go by in a flash.  Partly because of the great people that we were lucky enough to have show up, and partly because, when we are really “into it”, we get lost in the music.

At that point, time really has no effect on us.

And so it was this last Friday at the Three Blind Mice Irish Pub.  The night seemed to go by in a flash.  The people came early and stayed most of the night.  A tribute to the great pub that takes such good care of them; and also to the people themselves, who all seem to enjoy live music.

Having said it a million times, I will apologize right now to express it once more: It is always about two things . . .  the music and the people.  They both need each other to work, and when they are both part of the equation, anything and everything is possible.

At one time or another, we had five tables of fans that had come in to hear us play.  Very rewarding, for sure.   Nothing is better than people who say that they traveled for great distances to hear us perform.  We do all that we can to make their experience very enjoyable.  On this night, we seemed to enjoy the experience as much, or more than even they did.

We began the night, watching the Wings on the many screens, and sampling the local cuisine.

Then as it became time to perform, we were pleasantly surprised by the many tables of fans that we have entertained over the last year, arriving to share their night with us.

And a very fun night it was.

As you know, nothing is better than when we get request after request from excited music lovers.  For us to be able to make their favorite songs come alive is a wonderful experience.  It is why we are still playing after all these many years.

Even better, is when we got requests for songs a little out of the mainstream: one of our specialties.  Everyone loves Margaritaville, but many people might not have heard the Peanut Butter Conspiracy.

Having so many tables surrounding us with smiling, laughing singing faces almost makes everything right.

It was a lot of fun downstairs, so Carl and I ventured upstairs to see what was going on.  To our delight, one of the very best bands around was playing: Under The Covers.  The lead singer has an amazing voice, singing everything from Bruno Mars to Journey!  We can’t say enough good things about this band, as they always bring their “A” game to the Mice.

Back down to earth, and downstairs as the evening unofficially was winding down.  We can tell the high point of any night is when we finish a set with the rock classic: American Pie.  It always seems to signal the crescendo of the evenings’ roller-coaster ride through our musical repertoire.

The night started early and was well attended throughout, but slowed quickly as the midnight hour arrived.  Our last set mellowed as the we ushered our friends into the night with some more thought provoking and contemplative selections, such as Hallelujah, and even an original selection.

An enjoyable evening to the early last.

It is very important for us to make sure that they people that go out of their way to return to hear us, know how much we appreciate it.

It is why we are still singing.

Rb

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Three Blind Mice, April 15, Set four

Bonus!  You can listen to the last set from Friday night, right here……

 

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At The Firehouse

A new musical experience presented itself for Carl and I as we added a great new venue to our list of places we can categorically say, we enjoy playing.

The Firehouse Pub in St. Clair Shores opened their doors to our unique brand of entertaining on Saturday, April ninth.

Before we even brought our equipment inside, we sat down at the bar and had a drink with some of the regulars.  Sometimes that is a great way to scout out the place and get a gauge on the pulse of the crowd.  Sitting next to a guy who could literally walk to his house got us the inside track on what made the place tick.  He even introduced us to the owner, Brian.  (although we had met Brian previously at the Three Blind Mice Irish Pub).

Brian made us even more at ease and directed us to the manager Chad, who offered to set us up with anything that we needed.  All that we had to do was to entertain the crowd, and we knew just how to do that.

Sometimes it takes us a bit to break the ice, so to speak, in a new venue.  Here, however, I believe that we both felt right at home from the very first note.

The response was overwhelmingly positive after our inaugural set was in the books.  Set up in the corner, it gave us a a great view to command the  attention of the entire room.

Filled with happy patrons engaged in their relaxing dinner and drinks, it was our chance to  take control of the evenings’ direction.

We began the night with some Jimmy Buffet, (always a safe choice), and then segued from Bob Seger right into the first of many requests at hand.

Beginning the second set with some country favorites and current hits, the evening was moving along quite nicely.  The sound mix from our corner was perfect, in that we could hear every note being played.  While all great places to entertain, there are many places that we play where we have to struggle to hear ourselves.  And, hearing is the most important thing there is in music.  Not here. For our little corner of the Firehouse proved to be the perfect spot to survey the crowd and offer up our rendition of so many spirited requests.

Halfway through the evening, we were joined by Sarah with her crew, to help celebrate her birthday.  They were all in their mid-twenties, and feeling pretty good about themselves.  (As they should have been).

They were fun and full of energy, singing and playing the Tamborine with reckless abandon.  I must say, Sarah is one of the few women that I have seen actually play the Tamborine while drinking a full beer.  Now, that’s talent!

One great thing about playing a new venue is that every song that you sing, seems to ring new in a different place.  New pub, new people, new acoustics.  Not exactly sure what it is, but the music itself becomes rejuvenated.

As the one O’clock hour approached, only the “die-hards” were still actively participating in the evenings’ adult refreshments.  That’s ok, it was time for us to pack it all up and hopefully come back another time.

The staff thanked us for a hard nights’ work, and we them.  Hopefully we will be back to images-2fan the flames of musical memories once more.

Rb

Want to listen to the first set of the night?  Recorded live, April 9, 2016  Click on the microphone, and enjoy! 

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Rhyme Or Reason Road

Every night is different.

Every single show is memorable and unique.  No one can attest to that fact more than Carl and I, over the years.  We never know what type of evening awaits us until it ultimately unfolds.

Nothing wrong with that.  Its kind of like opening an Easter egg, as it always has the potential to be something unlooked for.

Delicious and memorable.

And so it went on Friday last at the Three Blind Mice Irish Pub in Mount Clemens, Michigan.  Usually on a Friday night, we can count on several things happening. . .

1.) Folks will be eating.

2.) Folks will be drinking.

3.) Folks will be having a good time, talking, arguing relaxing, singing, shouting, laughing etc.

Beyond that is where the unknown lies . . .

A grey area, so to speak.  That grey area is where we come in.

We believe that someway, somehow, we do influence how the night is inevitably crafted.  If we do our job.  (which, most times, is not really a job, per say . . .), then we have drawn people in and satisfied  them.  We give them a respite from their trouble, worries and daily annoyances.

To give them a new song to sing, or better yet, do our best at singing one of their favorites is everything that we have ever hoped for.

But every show is different.  There is no script or set list that we have ever been able to follow.  As much as we have hoped for things to go a certain way, they have not.  Nothing wrong with that, as it tends to sharpen your skills as entertainers.  We generally go where the audience leads us.

We like it that way.

We do start out with one or at most two songs in mind to begin each show, and after that, all bets are off.  After all, the audience is who we are playing for.  We let them guide us.

They show us the musical way.

In that way, we can taylor our songs to fit any mood or atmosphere.  It is all part of our professionalism, a craft learned over many decades and thousands of performances.

We began on this night at eight, playing some Buffett to the few tables that remained after what passes for a normal dinner time of six O’clock.

Typically when we begin, most of those folks are about ready to head out the door, and make room for the next wave of evening affectionados.

As they settle in, it our job to guide them on an evening musical journey that hopefully will be lead by them.  We try our best to let them guide or way down the nights’ song-road.

We do our best to not hit a dead end, although I must admit that at times it happens.

Not on this night.  We began with JB, and headed out a bit slow, through the waves of island music to country and back again.  Lots of smiles and chatter, told us that we were pretty close to the mark, so far.

Then as we met some fans who stopped by to share their night with us again, we went down a road that was filled with oldies and classic rock.  From Creedence and Seger to The Beatles and Eagles.  It was a Journey that everyone was willing to take.

Usually on any given night, when the midnight hour approaches, the patrons seem to dwindle.  Not tonight.  The midnight lull soon gave way to an musical explosion when Sarah the Tamborine player and her entourage arrived with a vengeance.

All Carl and I could do was to hold on tight as we hurtled down the road at breakneck speed towards one O’clock and our musical destination.

One thing that we can always expect, as how we have learned to not expect anything. Every show is different.

Our very next road leads to the Firehouse, in Saint Clair Shores.  A new venue, a new adventure, to be sure.

There are many twists and turns on any given night.  For no apparent rhyme or reason.

Someday we will explore them all.

Rb

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BOB AND CARL