Jeff’s Blog

Just as we hoped for – two good nights at Tremors and a lot of fun. Stacy was the birthday girl this weekend and was out both nights. Of course, thanks to all who stopped out and made it a fun time. Bob debuted his new drum set this weekend and it sure is impressive. He was pleased with both the look and sound and received a lot of compliments on it. We added a couple of new songs from upcoming band Lady Antebellum. Both are country/rock and got an okay response. These are both new on the charts and just now getting popular so hopefully they’ll go over better as time goes on. This 4th of July should be interesting in that Corey (Cyndi’s and my son) turns 21 on the 2nd – the day before we’re in the beer tent. Matt’s daughter, Kami, is 22 and has been a regular for a while now. Matt’s and my niece, Jessie, is also 22 and might be out. It’s not that we’re getting any older….it’s just that the kids are growing up! Cyndi, and Matt’s and my sister, Sheri, both have a big ones coming up soon – Sheri on the 23rd and Cyndi in mid August. And, Matt has a Bday on the 6th which we’ll also be celebrating this weekend. The 4th of July in Milton is probably my favorite time of year. I really enjoy seeing relatives, friends, and classmates again and it’s just a fun job to play. We’re playing on the 3rd and 4th so be sure to stop up, check out Bob’s drums, and say welcome to adulthood to Corey – I’m assuming he’s going to make an appearance. Saturday, the 5th,  has us back at Crazy Horse which should be a fun time. According to reports, the weather should be good this weekend. Anyway, happy 4th – stop out and we’ll see you there!

We didn’t play Friday night but Holly and I did get to see Les Paul. There was a presentation for him downtown at the M&I bank which Holly and I had VIP passes for. We didn’t get to meet him directly, but we did get to wish him a happy birthday on a video, and sign the presentation birthday card…something only VIPs were allowed to do. Saturday had us back at Mick & Tony’s and we thank all who made the trip: Laura and Dave, Linda and Lisa, Earl, and even Bryan to name a few. Laura was happy that her divorce was final Friday. It wasn’t a big crowd but fun just the same. We had a practice Saturday afternoon and learned “Love Don’t Live Here Anymore” by Lady Antebellum….nothing to do with Laura by the way. We’re planning on learning another one of theirs next Saturday too. Sunday was a return to Marshall for the Fireman’s Festival and once again we had some rain. It didn’t last long and we had a good time. This was another one that wasn’t real busy, but considering the flooding in the area, it wasn’t bad. I was glad 94 was open to Milwaukee for the trip home! Next week it’s back to Tremors on Friday-Saturday and we’re hoping for a good turnout and a lot of fun. See you there!

Two pretty good nights at the Countryside and thanks to all who stopped out. Rich treats us well there and it was great to have a busy weekend. As mentioned last time, both Bob and Jason bought new gear. Musicians are always looking for a better sound and this week was my turn. I’ve been reading up on various  guitar amplifiers and decided to try something different. Brian Hughes of the Manberries, was nice enough to let me use his new amp this weekend. It worked out quite well on Friday night, but I was still looking. I actually drove up to Madison on Saturday and bought another one of the same brand. I used it about half of the night and could not find a sound I was happy with. So on a break, I went back to my old set up, which I’ve used for over twenty years, and felt at home again. Ironically, after I had switched back, a fellow musician introduced himself and told me how much he liked my guitar sound! Go figure…I spent Sunday returning amps to Brian and the Guitar Center. It’s always fun to look at new equipment, but I guess the reality for me to sound better is to just practice more! I had a couple of special friends out this weekend – Gordie Ludkte and Mike Kriigel. Gordie was a practice band director when I was in high school. He studied in Milwaukee and told me about the Conservatory there which had a guitar program. I was accepted and all set to go to Milton College as a saxophone major but wound up at the Conservatory based on his advice. Mike was in charge of the stockroom at the Burdick Corp. in Milton, where I worked for about 18 months. Mike is a great guy and made the job a real treat everyday. I owe all of my fork truck driving skills to him….It’s a weekend off for now and then back to Porkfest on Wednesday, the 11th – followed by another return to the Countryside. Also, Holly and I are celebrating 6 years on the 15th. Maybe we’ll take the money I didn’t spend on the amp and get away for a while! Anyway, stop out to Porkfest for some great food and then again at the Countryside. See you there!