"Glad We Were There..." Awards:
Soup Kitchen, Memphis Smoke,
Beale Street, Union Street (T.C.), Jimmy G's, Moby Dicks
"...Wish We Hadn't Been" Award:
Gator
Jakes ("Turn it down!" "But, we haven't started yet!")
"Here Comes The Sun..." Award
For Rowdiest Gig: The Cove
"...And There It Goes" Award For
Biggest Dud: Le Bear's Leelapalooza
(What if they gave a sunset and nobody came?)
"Skin Cancer Awareness" Award:
Dearborn Homecoming concert (Hotter
than Texas!!!)
"Cold Fish" Award: Freezing
on the deck at Big Fish (Sh-Sh-She c-c-caught the K-K-Katie...)
"Shoehorn" Award: Dave
Dixon Radio Show (Shows how much fun you can have in a phone booth!)
"Weirdest Scene" Award: Tie
between Roger's Roost's firetruck stage and "Tuxedos and Torpedos" in Muskegon.
"Big Yawn" Award: Otsego
New Year's Party (Even the torch skiers fell down.)
"It Ain't Heavy, It's My Bari"
Award: Roy Wachtel and his brilliant,
back-breaking sax.
"She Shoots, She Scores" Award:
Stanley Cup winning wedding gig.
(Even the bride gave up on the reception and watched the game.)
"We Are Ironman" Award: Newt's
Hat Party! (Three hours straight...for FREE!)
"Dearborn Civic Pride" Award:
The Poontango!
Observation on fat
guitars: Can't beat 'em! People want to see you work for your money! Throw some
12's on big old hollow body ES-165 and wrestle with the monster! The crowd eats
it up!
I had the opportunity to play with Bo Diddley a few years ago, and he gave some
great advice: "You don't need but one note!" He was dead on--less is more! People
can tell the difference between playing with feeling and playing "what you've
learned". Start slow and give yourself someplace to go!
I wrote this fun blues piece for my boys--Hey Pookie Bear! Hey Sweet Pea! (You
too, wifey!):
Family
Man
Used to love the late nights, running with the crowd and living life out on
my own.
But after all the drinking, the dancing and the dating I still ended up all
alone.
The I met a beauty, a smart little cutie, we hit it off right from the go.
Now I got two kids, a dog and a mortgage and I spend all my evenings at home.
I'm a family man, doing the best that I can.
Schoolday morning's a production line, the routine numbs my brain.
Take a shower, dress the kids and pump out PBJ's.
Let the dog out, find the keys, hurry up or we'll be late.
By the time I drop them off at school and get to work I'm drained.
But I'm a family man, doing the best I can.
Saturday's a long day, just like any other day.
At six a.m. my 5-year-old says, "Daddy can we play?"
There's honey-do's from last week, grass to cut and bills to pay.
And it seems like a year since I grabbed a beer and sat down to watch a game!
To see the girl I love our calendars must be fine-tuned.
It seems likes weeks since the both of us have been in the same room.
A quiet night alone, an hour here or there might do.
But we've learned to sneak our loving in, thank God kids watch cartoons!
You work real hard to get ahead and stay there once you do.
Every day the pressures on, the stress is nothing new.
There's times I'm at the edge, and jumping sounds real good.
But there's a picture on my desk, reminds me life's real good.
I'm a family man, doing the best I can. Got my priorities right.
Tuck them in most every night.
