The title is from a tune of mine, "Steady Love," and it describes what I did pretty much all weekend. Friday, I played a solo acoustic show at the Cornerstone Coffeehouse in Camp Hill, PA. It's a nice venue, and I stacked the deck by inviting a bunch of friends. Thanks to Ginny and Bill (Hi Ginny I said hi to you first!), Ed and Grace, Chris and Roger, my dear friend from back in the day Maria Gardner Reedy and her husband Ron, Terry, Alex and his buddy Mark, Sean, Dave Weyl, the multi-talented Karen Gray, the one and only Susie Carter from our first band The Cards, and of course my dear wife, the mighty Mrs. Kelly for their support. This show went more smoothly than the first, and thanks to Alex I actually have a bootleg of it. The above photo is from the CD cover. It's great to have technologically savvy friends.
Some of us went over to Ed and Grace's after the gig to help me celebrate my birthday. We sang and played some more, ate some of Grace's Pampered Chef creations, and did the traditional coconut cake and Jamison's thing (hey, it's our tradition, go get your own!). Before you know it we were partying like kids again -- well, maybe a little more intelligently than kids, but we had a blast. I've said this to all of them and I'll say it again here. There's lots of people with lots more money, but in terms of the friends I've made and kept over the years, I am one of the richest men in the world. It's been a rough patch in some ways recently, and this was a welcome oasis of fun and relaxation. Thanks to you all.
Saturday, my actual birthday, we attended the wedding of Vince's daughter Megan. Joreen played the organ at the Grace United Methodist Church and I accompanied her on guitar for the candle lighting song, "Grow Old With Me," by John Lennon. Nice touch, eh? The reception was a great time. Just Friends were invited as guests, which meant we could scarf hors d'oeuvres and hit the open bar without feeling guilty. We also brought our axes and did a quick set, ending with the father of the bride and I singing a duet on "Volare." Man, how cool is that? Laredo, featuring my brothers Dave and Bill, were the actual wedding band for the day, so we didn't have to load any gear in or out. Bonus!
Sunday was another peak musical experience. Fr. Sullivan organized a solemn vespers to honor those who have died this past year, parishioners and relatives of parishioners. The church was candlelit, with beautiful flowers on the altar and votive candles on a table in the front of church with the names of those who had passed away. My sister in law Jinny had a candle there. Joreen and I and a young man from McDevitt, Tony Bender, who has an amazing voice, did the music. It was deeply moving, and some of the family members of the deceased were visibly touched. Frank DiNatale, another friend from high school and before that, lost his father recently. He came up and embraced me with tears in his eyes. I felt honored to be a part of something so healing and consoling to people who need it.
And now it's back to the grindstone. We've been scaring up a few gigs for next year and hoping we can find the right audience for our band. If any of you know anyone who's getting married, let me know. There's at least a toaster oven in it for you. I hope that doesn't sound too needy.
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