We haven’t been to the new Dodge Park facilities since they were even a gleam in the city’s eye.
This summer all of that changed as we got the call to open up for The Shy in the huge new multi-use farmer’s market-ice arena.
If you think after reading those lines that I might have made a typo when I combined a place where people come to buy and sell vegetables with a place where kids and adults come to chase a puck around the ice, you probably should be right.
But, you’re not!
We entertained on a beautiful Saturday afternoon at it, just last weekend.
After settling in early on Saturday, it did take a while to take in the enormous multi-use building that we were to be entertaining.
Jeff Tucker was already wowing the crowd with his guitar, harmonica and vocal stylings while we found our way to the rear of the facility and began offloading our gear to prepare for the upcoming show.
Since we were early, it gave us a bit of time to really appreciate all the work that the Sterling Heights people have done. It really is a first-class venue for just about any activity the city wishes to utilize if for.
The entire week of activity was gaining momentum at this point as the weekend now was ready to conclude outside on the big, main stage with an unbelievable appearance by the one and only Vince Neil of Motley Crue fame.
Mr. Tucker was finished and we were set up and ready to bust out.
We wanted the crowd of smiling, craft-beer aficionados to hear something new and enjoyable, since their day to this point has been filled with single solo acts, strumming their guitars.
We came at them pretty hard with classic music from some of the great musical duos from the last fifty years: Hall & Oates, Simon and Garfunkel, The Everly and Righteous Brothers, to name a few.
The strategy worked.
The people responded with great enthusiasm and appreciation.
Since we were only entertaining for two hours, we took a short, ten minute break to make sure that all of the customers got a chance to offer their requests.
During our break I got to catch up with a wonderful old friend that I hadn’t seen in thirty years. His son now plays guitar. (I’ll probably be opening up for his group in a few years) . . .
A sip of water, a check-in with the sound man and we regained the stage to finish up the second hour.
Up-beat and dynamic were the better part of our second set songs. Trying to accelerate the crowd so that they would be ready for The Shy, right out of the gate.
The Shy is of course a local group who have been entertaining around these parts for nearly as long as we have. Larry Decker and his boys have always been a great group of talented musicians.
It is always a pleasure to share a stage with them.
We finished with our double-shot of two versions of The Letter, by the Boxtops. That segued into The Letter by Joe Cocker, which somehow works very well. The crowd was very appreciative. We shook hands, took a last look around and headed onto Bumper’s Landing, where we would start entertaining again in a couple short hours.
It’s truly great to be a Rock Star.
It’s wonderful to make the most of our summers, playing music and creating wonderful memories for families, friends and new acquaintances wherever we go.
Carl and I both thoroughly enjoy playing at this year’s SterlingFest.
It was a good beginning to a great day to come.
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Read about part Two of our long day here: Girls!, Girls!, Girls!
