Friday nite blues

This Friday I see James Cotton in Sellersville. It should be a great blues show and I am looking forward to it. I didn't know that he had toured with Janis Joplin in the 60's while trying to start a solo career. He has played with Howlin Wolf and Muddy Waters in addition to his solo work. I respect a harmonica player as it is not the type of instrument you can see what your doing. I will have a full report on the show over the weekend and updates on more shows to come this summer.

Talk about a GREAT show

Last night I got to witness an incredible show. Even though I was working it, it was astounding. To see ETTA JAMES live is to witness a legend. She was remarkable. Her voice never faltered, and the band is so tight. To think that she is 70 and has pneumonia, closing your eyes you would think she was 35 and in perfect health. Her show is similar to that of B B King, in that she will talk and tell stories in between songs, but lets face it, she has paid her dues and is entitled to truly entertain the paying audience. I find shows of this nature more entertaining then non-stop music in that it shows the human side of the performer. Etta is also a smart business woman in that her manager is her husband and her two sons are in the band, so it is truly a family affair. I was graced with her autograph on the guitar after the show and will be posting some new pictures later in the week.

MoonAlice

Well, just got back from seeing G E Smith, Jack Cassidy and others in MoonAlice in Sellersville. Let me just say that all the musicians must be in the top ten in their respective field( guitar, bass drums, keyboards, etc). I went into the show not knowing really what to expect, and was so pleasantly surprised at what I heard. Their blend of Blues, folk (even protest songs) was great to hear in a time reminiscent of the mid 60's. G. E. is just hands down a great guitarist. Jack has got to be in the top 5 bassist in the world of rock. Combined with the rest of the band it was a great show. Then to see their hospitality afterwards in greeting their fans and signing autographs in the lobby was invigorating. I was lucky enough to get them all to sign my guitar and even a poster for my co-worker. So glad I went, looking forward to seeing them again in the area. I was even lucky enough to get a copy of the set list, and the only copy of the legend of moonalice, that was read off of during the show. Great night, now to go to work at my real job for the rest of the night psyched.

Why I choose Pay per Post

When I first heard about Pay per Post, I thought it was too good to be true. A co-worker had told me that you could get paid to blog for various products with different dollar amounts paid for the blog. I thought this is the lamest scam yet. Then I signed up for it to try. >http://payperpost.com/advertisers/marketplace.html">drive traffic Well, I started doing articles about different concerts I have been to and what I thought of them. Some include stories of how I met various artists, or if I thought they might just be in it for the money and greed. Some may include whether or not I think they should even still be performing, but bottom line is I now feel like a real entertainment correspondent. My wife and I have been to over 700 shows in the last 7 years, so I have plenty of foods for thought. So this is not going to be that hard a project.
Then I find out that I will have to opportunity to become a critic on Pay per Post, and voice my opinion on a bevy of products and services, and that someone will actually take my view in helping them to decide on getting the service or product. WOW!! is that a rush. And I will get paid for doing it at the same time. Who could ask for more. Needless to say that low and behold, I have no been approved and am now a believer in Pay per Post. I look forward to a career in the blogging business that is profitable to both the product and/or service and to family and myself. This sounds like the perfect part time job for both me and my wife where we can earn money to pay off bills, take vacations, get a new car, and most of all build a nest egg for retirement. So with these thoughts in mind I will not be taking this opportunity lightly and will endeavor to become a guru at it, and hopefully both the product/services and myself I write about will be no worse for the wear.

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G E Smith

I will be going to see G E Smith this week. I always enjoyed his playing when he was the Music Director for Sat Nite Live. He will be playing with Moonalice which is a band made up of Jack Casady, Barry Sless, Pete Sears, Ann adn Roger McNamee, and others. But the caliber of musicians in this band is amazing. I am looking forward to hearing the final sounds by such an eclectic group of musicians. I will not be taking Dawn this time as it is on a weeknight so I will be taking my friend that used to play guitar with me in the old days. I am also looking forward to his impression of these great musicians. More to come on this show by weeks end.

More oldies acts

After meeting the Rip-Chords. Dawn and i had the pleasure of being their guests in Reading for an oldies show. Not once but twice. We got to meet a lot of acts from the 60's on these nights. We got the guitar signed by all of the following: Mitch Ryder, Lou Christie, Gary U.S. Bonds, Ron Dante(the Archies, 1910Fruitgum Company. It was great to see these acts as it brought back many memories of my band in the 60's playing all the "newest hits" at school dances, and VFW's. Hard to believe that the songs by the original artist still sound like the records I bought over 35 years ago. AAAAAHHHHH Memories.

BRE Presents

Just got an email from BRE Presents with multiple shows listed. They seem to be getting bigger headliners coming into town, so I was curious and sent them an email to see if I can get a job there. I feel I know a great deal about classic rock acts, and have been to more than my share of shows, and feel I could be of help to the organization. It would be a giant plus to actually get employed with a booking agent where I could get access to the shows and begin a photo journal of all the great music that comes thru the Philly area. I would love to become a photographer for one of the venues in the area to start a collection of public photos to add to the immense collection of personal pictures I have. Imagine doing something you like and getting paid for it. I will let you all know the progress on this attempt when I get some answers.

My Space

Well, I have a MySpace page that is made up mostly of musicians. I have emailed some that I have seen coming to town to request an autograph on the guitar, and for the most part they reply favorably. Some have offered me to come backstage with them and others I have taken live pictures and/or videos. I am just bad about sending them the finished product. I still owe two the final results. I have just been working too much Overtime at work. Anyway here is my MySpace link

http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=129114115&MyToken=62d1b8a8-c3ce-4c27-9fff-9c5fbe34cbbe

Please check it out

Upcoming Shows

Well, the season has begun, and this is to update on the upcoming shows scheduled so far for this spring. There is a show with Moonalice, (G E Smith and friends) in two weeks. Then there are shows with Boz Scaggs, Tower of Power, Average White Band, Etta James, Kansas, James Cotton, And Ringo's All Star Band. Will probably sign up for some more shows at the Keswick and will keep on looking for more good shows to go to all season and try to get more and more autographs. And dont forget the New Rascals DVD Shoot in May. Also check out my MySpace page fro some more pics of signings.(http://home.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user&MyToken=100642d8-d954-43da-8fa4-9aa446aa5067)

The Rip-Chords

I first met the Rip-Chords at a Brian Wilson show. They were seated behind the soundboard, and Mitch and Ritchie were very hospitable. Then they invited Dawn and I to a show they were doing in Reading with a bunch of classic rock artists. We gladly went as their guests, and got to meet the entire band. We hung out backstage with them all night and have seen them 2times since. As a result of meeting Mitch and Richie, Dawn and I got to meet many other artists and that will be a story for another day. I just wanted to say that as far as bands go, many more bands could learn from the humility of the Rip-Chords. They are not so above the rest of humanity that they do not appreciate their fans and the measures fans go to to attend one of their shows. They are truly humble and thankful for their fans and that is something that is getting rare in the music world. Dawn and I cant wait to see them this summer at one of their shows.

Blues night

Just found out that 2 blues legends are coming to the Keswick. I bought tickets for the show already that seem to be selling fast. The acts are the Robert Cray band and Keb-mo. Dawn and I have seen both of them before, as an opening act for Bonnie Raitt. It will be great to see them both as headliners in their own right. Of course, I will try to get the guitar signed, and having seats upfront wont hurt. Next week its G E Smith and friends in Sellersville. Again looking forward to that show also.

Please keep coming back for more updates, and if possible, start leaving comments.

Andrew Dice Clay

The Dice man was at the Keswick last week. His opening act was unknown to me, but he was ok. Not fall on the floor laughing but no one got up and walked away either. Then came the Dice man. He has gotten a bit grayer and thinner on the scalp and added a few pounds, but none the less still the Dice man. He seemed like he had not been away at all. Still irreverant towards women, children and life in general. It was good to see him, I am just glad I didnt pay for the ticket. My step-son also saw the show and said it was excellent.

Entertainment

How I met the Entertainment Director for TRUMP Casino.

As we passed a picture of a guitar to pick up our "will call" tickets, I mentioned to Dawn that it was a Paul Reed Smith guitar. After picking up out tickets, I was approached by a man in a suit with a name tag, who said that he could not help but overhear me stating Paul Reed Smith. He introduced himself as the Entertainment Director, and informed me that the sign had been there for years and he has never heard anyone mention the brand of guitar. We began to talk and found that we had much in common. He also has a collection of autographs (I am sure it is much better then mine), and of course I asked how to get a job with him. He smiled and said its not like that way anymore. Well, I tried. We spoke of the Ringo All Star show coming and he said that it was always a good show. When we got home from the comedy show I surprised Dawn with tickets to see Ringo. Now the 2 of us cannot wait to see the show.

Greg Giraldo

Went to Atlantic City this past weekend for a show that Dawn had won tickets to. It was a comedy show and I was not looking forward to the drive. When we got there, as we were walking into the club, above in the hallway was a picture of a guitar. More on this later. We got out tickets and were shown our seats which were very good location wise. The opening act was different then advertised, but funny none the less. Then came Greg. He started off slow, and then proceeded to pounce on a person who was shouting out at him. From then on the show was great. Idiot man in the crowd would shout out some innane garbage and Greg would just question where that remark came from and continue with his show. He was timely and funny but after a while the heckler began to get everyone irratated. Aside from the heckler, I would recommend seeing his show if he comes to your town.