Jeff's Blog

Labor Day Weekend

admin — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 18:43:38 +0000

It was a rough start but Labor day weekend was good. We haven’t played the Anchor Inn in years and were looking forward to returning there. We were scheduled to play 6 – 10 which was too early for Matt and we assumed Denny Wayne would probably play a set or two. Matt got off work in time and we managed to get everything on the barge. It was the coldest night of the summer; John put out fire pits which helped, but the weather kept people inside and home. Then a little after 9, it started raining and we tore down in the rain. All of our equipment got wet as we had to clear the stage pretty much a piece at a time. But a big thanks to Doug, Deb, their gang, Dan Reddy, Nina, Arden, Bonnie, Earl, Bob, Lisa, Chief, and all the rest who stopped out. I took all of my stuff home and spent the rest of the night cleaning. Fortunately, everything was okay and no equipment problems the rest of the weekend. Hopefully, John will book us there again. Saturday had us at a wedding at the Janesville Motor Lodge for band regulars Renee and Ben. It was a fun night. It was a pink theme and the band all wore pink ties. There might be pictures somewhere. I spent some time talking to guitarist Bill Lawrence, who played the service. Nice guy, and hope to run in to him again. We finished Sunday at Crazy Horse campground in Brodhead. It was sprinkling when we pulled in – here we go again! Luckily, they have a pavilion which we set up under. The rain let up and we had a great night which was a good way to cap things off. Next Saturday has us at Finns – the other side of the river. We’re looking to practice Saturday afternoon and add a few songs. See you there.

Tremors / Rock Around the Block

admin — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 19:54:44 +0000

Long, but fun weekend. Matt had to work a little late, so we started Friday night off at Tremors with Denny Wayne on bass. Denny did a great job and Matt was in time for the 2nd set. We must have changed keys on “Boy Like Me” as Denny, who’s never played the song with us, started off in record key only to soon realize we were a 1/2 step lower. He adjusted quickly and did fine. Thanks also to Jamie Cox from the 2 Left Feet band for bringing a spare mic stand on short notice. A good friend of mine, who works as a Hal Leonard freelance writer, Paul Kaye, had his 1st gig at the Speakeasy and stopped out for a few afterwards. Paul lives in Racine and had a long drive back, so I appreciated him showing up. Paul is the Wikipedia of the blues world and I’ve gained a lot of insight working with him. Bob debuted yet another drum set this weekend, which he says he’s happy with. This is a “top end” set and he said he just should have gone for this one from the start. They all sound good to me! We had a good Saturday night and thanks to all who stopped out. Of course, Sunday was Rock Around the Block which had us inside at Quotes in the afternoon. Given the outside temperature and the air conditioning in Quotes, being inside was a good thing. We’ve always had issues with the stage sound and hearing ourselves there, and Sunday was no different, but I heard from multiple people that the band’s sound was good. As I’ve said before, Tim is the best and probably the most experienced soundman around. Sometimes we make him prove it. We had a good crowd and it was nice to see other local musicians and friends. Matt, Denny, and I hung around a while before I had to head back to Milwaukee. All said, it was a good weekend. Next Friday has us at the Anchor Inn from 6 -10. This is another situation where Denny might be playing until Matt gets off work. We’re outside on “the barge” and hopefully the bugs won’t be an issue. If you want to kick back by the river, drink in hand, and hear some music, the Anchor is the place to be on Friday night. Saturday has us at a wedding and Sunday is a return to Crazy Horse campground in Brodhead from 7-11. Crazy Horse has been a regular job for us on the holiday weekends and they treat us nice. Also, it’s not just for campers. You can get a day pass if you want to stop out. Thanks and we’ll see you this weekend.

Owl’s Club / Birthdays

admin — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 14:15:30 +0000

Not the busiest weekend at the Owl’s club, but we expected as much. The confusion as to them even being open had a lot of people guessing. Although, they did do some painting and cleaning up which made the place look nice. It was Cyndi and Tim’s birthday weekend with Tim’s being on the 12th and Cyndi’s on the 17th, and thanks to all who stopped out. Jason was trying out a new guitar this weekend, but wasn’t sure yet if it was the right one for him. Speaking of guitars, after my trouble last weekend, Bob (drummer) brought out Angie’s strat just in case. Quite the thoughtful gesture and I really appreciated it. The new song went a little better this time and we’re planning on adding more soon. I killed some time Saturday afternoon at the Anchor Inn listening to the Manberries. It was really busy there and I was hoping some of the crowd might venture over to the Owl’s. I also stopped at the Owl’s for a tasty burger just to show support for the bar. We’re off again this weekend, although Cyndi and I are playing this Wednesday at Cafe Belwah in Beloit (6 – 10) and again Sunday at the Castaway jam (3 – 7). The band is back at Tremors on the 27th and 28th and then at Quotes on Sunday for the Rock Around the Block at 2:30. Should be a fun weekend. And today in music history is the anniversary (August 16th,1977) of the death of Elvis. I had just finished teaching at Rock County Guitar and was on my way home when I heard the news on the radio. Hard to believe that was over 30 years ago. Anyway, stop out to the Cafe Belwah and Castaways this week and wish Cyndi a happy Bday. See you there.

Varsity Lanes / Bdays

admin — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 16:14:39 +0000

Just the one-nighter at the Varsity Lanes on Saturday and the gremlins were out. On the 1st song, Cyndi’s piano was playing in the wrong key. Turns out her portable keyboard was plugged in and that affected her piano. One of my guitar strings was popping out of the nut. I ran back to dad’s on 1st break and grabbed a spare guitar. On a follow-up: took the guitar to Scott Vogel on Sunday and he solved the problem in a matter of minutes so all is well. Before we started, Matt and I were talking to Mrs. Kilmartin, who was our grade school choir director. Then Gordy Ludke came in, who was my assistant high school band director. I credit Gordy, who’s from Milwaukee, for telling me about the music conservatory where I wound up attending. We had a lot of familiar faces out Saturday and thanks to all who stopped out. It’s always fun to play in the home town. We were celebrating Laura’s Bday and fulfilled our promise to play a swing dance version of Happy Birthday. My voice seems to be getting deeper over the years, so we learned Josh Turner’s “Why Don’t We Just Dance” which we played for the 1st time on Saturday. Gotta say that the original was almost too low, so we raised it up a key. This week has the band off, although Cyndi & I will be at the Castaway Jam in Indianford on Sunday 3 – 7. Our next job is the Owl’s Club on the 13th – 14th. There have been stories going around about the Owl’s, but we’re going to be there and would appreciate your support. Bday notes – Matt’s and my mom’s Bday is Saturday and we’re having a family get-together on Sunday before I head out to Castaways. Cyndi’s Bday is the 17th and we’ll celebrate at the Owl’s. That’s reason enough to stop out! I wouldn’t think of giving her upcoming age away, but let’s say she’ll be playing with a full deck. Stop out to Castaways on Sunday and then wish Cyd a happy Bday at the Owl’s Club. We’ll see you there!

Cafe Belwah/Tremors/Castaway Jam

admin — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 17:58:23 +0000

The Cafe Belwah band has been changed to “Cyndi and the Sensations.” Our recent gig there was inside and went well. Looks like we’ll be there once a month on the last Wednesday of the month. Tremors was another good weekend. First time there with the new PA speakers and the no smoking ban in effect. Of course, all the smokers just go outside. It seems almost every bar now has a patio section for smokers. I just wonder what it’ll be like when it’s too cold to go outside. We’ll see. Matt had a 30th reunion at the Janesville VFW Saturday night and brought a bunch of classmates to Tremors. Side note – my class could have had a 35th this year, but nothing was done. Anyway, I know most of Matt’s classmates and it was nice to see some familiar faces. Castaways was another good time on Sunday. We had a good crowd towards the middle of the afternoon, but wound up quitting a little early as it thinned out at the end. Scotty Vogel (bass player at Castaways) did some work on my strat (black and white guitar) and I played it on Sunday. He did some real precision work and did a great job. Next week has the band back at the Varsity Lanes in Milton on Saturday night. Still working on some new tunes which I hope we’ll get to soon. Cyndi’s been busy with the market and I overheard Bob say his work schedule is crazy. Neither of them had a lot of rest this past week. Hopefully, things will be a little better with just the one-nighter coming up. Holly’s been getting around a little better on the broken foot. She was happy Trevor set up the stream on Saturday as she hasn’t heard the band in a while. Matt’s and my sister, Sheri, had a birthday on Friday and Cyndi has one coming up in August. Anyway, stop up to the Varsity Lanes on Saturday and say hello. We’ll see you there.

Finns / Castaway Jam

admin — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 18:11:20 +0000

Fun at Finns. It was good to be back there again and thanks to all who stopped out. There was a 30th Bday party which made for a fun night. It was some Hawaiian or beach party theme complete with the lays and giant sunglasses – there’s a picture of Matt on Facebook. We used the full set up with Tim,Trevor, lights, and new PA speakers for this one. Cyndi tells us that we have some jobs coming up at the Anchor Inn. We haven’t played there in years – should be fun. Sunday was a busy day with too much going on. We had an Arnold family reunion, Angie had a graduation party in Beloit, and Cyndi and I were at the Castaway jam. I missed Angie’s party due to the reunion, but Cyndi made it. Thanks to Matt, Stacy, Nina, Bonnie, Laura, Kami, John, Denny, Bob, and Lisa for stopping out. Matt got up and played with the band as did Denny, and Gene Church, who was one of my guitar teachers. Wednesday has the Cyndi Meyer band back at Club Belwah from 6 – 10. Remember to bring the bug spray if we’re outside again! Looks like the band is off next weekend, but we’re back at Tremors on the 23rd – 24th. There’s been talk of some new songs as we need to update. I’ve been working on a few which will hopefully be added soon.

Stop down to Club Belwah Wednesday if you’re looking for something to do and we’ll see you at Tremors on the 23rd – 24th.

4th of July Weekend/ Anniversary / Bdays

admin — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 00:53:47 +0000

The weather cooperated and we had a good 4th of July weekend. All three jobs went well. The bad news, which you’ve probably already seen on Facebook, was Holly falling and breaking her foot on Friday night. Her friend, Erin, stayed with her all weekend and even gave up a family get together of her own just to take care of Holly. We went to the doctor on Tuesday and they fitted her with one of those boot type casts. She’s at home now with her son,Chris, looking after her so I can go to work. On band news, Tim and Bob drove to Iowa to pick up some new PA speakers for the band. I heard quite a few good comments on the sound, and Tim and Bob were both happy. Once again, they spent the previous week rewiring our racks to accommodate the new speakers. Anniversary news – Jason joined the band right after the 4th weekend six years ago. I was trying to recall if any other combination went six years with the same members. The Rick Mattelig / Kathy Johnson era lasted a while, although Rick left and came back to the band three times over the course of twelve years. The current version may be the longest running so far. Hope that’s not a jinx!

Birthday news – Cyndi’s and my son, Corey, turned 23 on the 2nd. Matt had one on the 6th.

Our sister, Sheri, has one on the 23rd. Next Saturday has us back at Finns from 9 – 1. And the Castaway jam is back on Sunday from 3 – 7. Stop out to Finns and wish a happy band anniversary to Jason and birthday to Matt. See you there!

Tremors / Castaway Jam

admin — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 23:35:15 +0000

Another Monday morning after a long, but fun, weekend. We had a better than usual crowd for a Friday at Tremors. Jason rode his cycle to the job and as luck would have it, the rain hit about quitting time. We had a graduation party on Saturday for two of Matt’s daughters: Tasha graduating high school, and Meghann graduating 8th grade and being confirmed. Hope I got that right…either way, it was a nice family get together. Saturday at Tremors was a little slow at first, but the crowd picked up towards the end of the third set. Knowing a break would mean people leaving, we decided to skip the last break and play straight through. As always, thanks to all who stopped out. Castaways was good time on Sunday. Thanks to Kami, John, Laura, Dave, and Bob Flaskamp for stopping out. Paul Roberts and Gary McAdams both jammed with the band and sounded great. Still having amp problems, but wanted to mention taking it to Tom’s Electronics (Tom Furan 754-5533) who did alright by me. Another busy week coming up: Wednesday has the “Cyndi Meyer” band at Club Belwah in Beloit 6-10. Rainbow Bridge will be at Shilberg Park on Friday, the 2nd from 7-11. We’re off to Crazyhorse campground on Saturday, and then it’s back to Shilberg for the 4th. This is probably my favorite job of the year as it means seeing a lot of friends and classmates up at the park. Hope our voices hold out for three days! Bdays – Matt’s Stacy has a Bday today (Mon) and we’ll celebrate Matt’s (6th) this weekend. Happy 4th and we’ll see you this weekend.

June Days / Wedding/ Father’s Day

admin — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 23:22:05 +0000

Not much you can do about the weather. I drove through a storm on my way to Orfordville, which ended before I arrived. We managed to get everything in and set up when the rain started up again. Needless to say, we had a captive audience as the rest of the festival shut down. Thanks to Nina, Bonnie, Earl, Kami, John, Stacy, Angie and kids for stopping out. Fortunately the rain stopped before we had to tear down. We had a good time and I think a lot of drinks were sold as there wasn’t much else to do. We were trying to figure out when we played this job last. It may have been 10 years or more – not really sure. The story of the night was Bob getting stuck in the bathroom for about 15 minutes as the door handle broke. John managed to open the door quite easily with his knife which had the police wondering how he did that so well. Saturday was a wedding in Rocton at the Tree Farm – nice place and we had a good time. Apparently, we played the bride’s mother’s 8th grade dance. It was an early gig (7-11) which had us home earlier than usual. Sunday was Father’s Day and we had a gang at the folk’s place which included Sheri, Matt, myself, and most of our kids. After eating too much there, it was back to Milwaukee where it was also Erin’s Bday. We went out to “Bushys” bar and grill for some fancy burgers. (I did a few extra sit ups this morning.) All said, it was a good weekend. A few Bdays coming up soon – Corey will be 23 on July 2nd, and Matt will be (gulp) 48 on the 6th. Our sister, Sheri, has one on July 23rd. Next week has us back at Tremors, followed by the Castaway jam on Sunday. Hope to see you there!

Memorial Weekend/Speakeasy/Knutes

admin — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 18:24:35 +0000

Back again. The big news over Memorial weekend was Tim falling while going back for the truck. He dislocated his shoulder and was bleeding from the nose. An ambulance was called. He’s better now and going through therapy for his shoulder. We had two slow nights at the Owl’s Club which was too bad. Crazy Horse was good, but not as many dancers as we’ve had in the past.

This weekend had us at Speakeasy for a birthday party for the owner’s wife. First time I’ve ever been in there; nice place. They usually have duos, trios, and jazz type groups so we weren’t sure how we would be received. But the night went well and we had dancers. Thanks to all who came out. Knutes was a good time on Saturday. We had a good crowd and the band sounded good. Fortunately, the rain started after we had everything in, although there was a slow leak in the roof dripping on Matt most of the night. The last time we played there we put up plastic as the dripping was too much. We added “Dreams” by Brandi Carlile to the list. Bryan (Meyer) liked the song and suggested Cyndi sing it. I’ve been working on some more new ones now that the “King of the Blues” contest is over. I took runner up in the store finals. There’s a lot of info, including a video, on my Facebook page. The Castaway jam was this weekend. I had my weekends mixed up and didn’t think we were playing! We had a good time there too. Thanks to Cary, Gene Church, and Steve Peck for sitting in. I was disappointed to learn we’re not playing the fair this year – no bands due to volume issues. Guess I’ll have to do pushups just for fun. This Friday has us back in Orfordville for June Days, 7:30 – 11:30. We haven’t played this in a while and are looking forward to a good time. Saturday is a wedding, so Friday is our only public appearance this weekend. See you at June Days!