"I Bless the Day I Found You"

Just Friends played a memorable occasion on June 16th -- the wedding of Chrissy Carbonaro and Joel Worrall. You may hear occasionally of musicians who mock "wedding bands." They've apparently never had the honor of participating in an event such as this. Two hearts became one, two families were joined, and we were privileged to provide the soundtrack for this celebration. Well, okay, some of the soundtrack was pre-recorded, like the theme from Raiders of The Lost Ark, but that was cool, too.



This wedding took place at Visaggio's. You've heard of the restaurant, but may not realize that they specialize in wedding receptions. If you can't afford to fly your entire wedding to a villa in Italy, Visaggio's is the next best choice. John, Rosemary and the entire staff of Visaggio's have continually impressed me with their hard work, attention to detail and staggering skills in the kitchen. Check out this wedding cake. It's almost as classy as our business manager, Jack Traino.




The evening was perfect, marred only by the appearance of an armed robber disguised as a groomsman, who ordered all the dancers to "reach for it!" as he pulled a weapon out of his rented vest. (Sorry, I couldn't resist.) Yes, it's the "Y" in "YMCA."



Playing weddings is more than just a business. Some of the highlights of my playing life have been thanks to brides and grooms. The bride's parents were married in 1977. Their first dance was to the Everly Brothers' "Let It Be Me." The band, unfortunately, did not know the words and so just faked their way through the tune. The bride requested that we play the song for them, a song Joreen and I have been playing since our days in The Cards. When we announced the song and performed it, the bride's mother was deeply touched.



You may not be aware of this, but our friend Parker has been consorting with bluegrass musicians, namely Reese and Dave of the band Heart and Soul. Here we see them performing at St. Thomas Roaster Coffeehouse in Linglestown. This Sunday, June 24th, the Heart and Soul bluegrass band will be at St. Thomas UCC church in Linglestown (6490 Linglestown Road) for a picnic at 6:30 pm. (Go to the square at the Eagle Hotel and turn right.) Joreen and I cannot attend because we'll be at Mass, but if you go, say hi to them for us. Dave and Reese are exceptional bluegrass musicians, and Parker will surprise you with his ability to play I and V without stopping to hit I-1/2 and III-3/4.