Skip to main content

An Updated Memory

 I first wrote about this on Facebook on March 8, 2020...just about the time the plague hit. 

I've heard it said that as we get older, the world gets smaller. This is one of those tales. 

As a musician, its usually tougher to get local radio play than in other markets. Why? Because they know  ya...they see ya at the grocery store in sweatpants and flipflops. No matter how good ya are, you ain't special. You're just another 'local' musician. (I could reference League Of Gentlemen here..."It's a local shop....for locals!"...and I guess I just did) I'm always grateful when I do get airplay, especially locally. I don't tour anymore, so local is where I perform on the rare occasion that I do. The airplay helps put butts in seats. (No matter how much you think your reputation may precede you, if the masses don't know that you're performing at their favorite venue, they ain't gonna be there)  Here's where it gets fun! My song "Whiskey Wine & Beer" (from my 7 MORE TO GO album) was played right after some Robert Jr. Lockwood! 

Man! That took me back! When I was living in NE Ohio back in the 80s, I started listening to (and often taping) a blues show on WAPS out of Akron. Like our local radio station WYEP, it was at 91.3 on your FM dial! On WAPS I first heard Robert Jr. and made sure I got out to see him when I could, as he was living in Cleveland at the time...a mere 75 miles away. For a blues-loving musician (although I was mostly playing bass at the time) this was some serious schooling! But the smallification of the world doesn't end there. No sirree. 

The cat that usually played drums for Robt Jr. was Bob Ebersol (aka Max Bangwell to you west coast types). Bob and I were the rhythm section on a lot of songs by Alan Leatherwood. Even funnier, Bob and I were never in the studio at the same time. Before he passed a few years back, Bob and I joked that one day we would record together, at the same time! Sadly it never got to happen. So, having one of my songs follow Robt Jr. (possibly with Bob on drums, who knows)...yeah man, this big ol' blue ball is getting smaller every day. I just keep trying to move along with it. 


* since I first wrote this, a year or more ago, my own world has become smaller still, and sadly, quieter. We've lost more of my old musician pals. Leatherwood has endured some health issues that have greatly reduced his volume. My own health issues have sidelined me from performing. I still make noise around the house, much to the chagrin of our kitties. (they have, oddly enough, taken a liking to the sound of a 12 string guitar) If you enjoy live music, do yourself, the venue, and the artists a favor: Find yourself a way to stay informed on who's playing where and when. It's not that difficult and you just might have a bit of fun in the process. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Mama's Little Babies

It wasn't the first time he'd passed out in the old blue Adirondack chair in his yard. Over the years, his habit of drinking alone until the wee hours had grown from occasionally to usually . He'd reached the point in life when most of his friends were married, had families and lives, and heavy drinking just wasn't part of their world anymore. Being a bachelor and a man of singular habits, he'd merely accepted it. What woke him was the sensation of something cold and wet nuzzling his inner arm, followed by what felt like a surprisingly large tongue licking his hand. This was different. Without any great response, he looked down to see a bear cub licking his hand. He didn't move. He knew better than to scare a wild animal. He looked around and saw another cub rooting through a now presumably empty bag of Doritos.  His yard was lit only by the light above his garage and the dying embers of the fire pit. He noticed empty beer cans on the old picnic table. From the ...
Post a Comment
Read more

TRIBUTE BANDS: The Dubious Art of Selling Somebody Else's Identity

Anyone who knows me in any way knows my stance on so-called "tribute acts". They're bullshit. I, like any working musician, have played other people's music. It's kinda how being a working musician operates. My classically trained musician friends routinely perform the works of the great composers; Bach, Beethoven, Brahms, Mozart, etc. Anyone who's played in a bar band in the past 60 years has probably played at least one song by The Rolling Stones or Chuck Berry. Nothing wrong with that. Never has been. But at what point did folks switch from doing covers to paying "tribute" to another act, essentially creating entire commercial enterprises built around imitating the identity, appearance, sound, and presentation of established performers (aka FAMOUS BANDS)? OK, say you really, really like U2 ( I'm sure someone does ). You know that you're highly unlikely to reach their level of success. So, you do the next best thing: pretend you ARE them! Y...
Post a Comment
Read more

Clearing up the Great Gretsch/Rockabilly Sham!

I've had a long-standing friendly argument with a couple of friends about guitars. This has gone on for 20+ years. We're all pickers, and we're all usually lumped under the rockabilly category too. They both love Gretsch guitars. I can take them or leave them. Rockabilly fans have asked me many times why I don't play a Gretsch, which is often associated with rockabilly music.   First, I point out that what I play ain't exactly rockabilly. Sure, there's a definite rockabilly influence...but there's also blues, jazz, surf, garage, punk, country, Tex-Mex, and even some Gypsy & African influences in my music. A Gretsch just ain't gonna cut it. Don't get me wrong, Gretsches have their place and their own, unique sound. But...for a picker who is coming from the afore-mentioned influences, a Gretsch just ain't gonna cut it.   The new Gretsches, mostly reissues, are well-made guitars. MUCH better made than the original ones, which tended to ...
14 comments
Read more