Just Friends July

It's been an eventful week for the Just Friends Band. We played for the Fourth of July party on the veranda of the Hotel Hershey, thanks to whoever put St. Joseph in the window. We waited out the hurricane warning and then played to a spectacular fireworks display. Unfortunately, I have no photos, so just use your imagination. Thanks once again to Mr. Ron Suski and the staff of the Hotel Hershey for their accommodation and assistance. We look forward to this event every year, and hope to see you all there next year.



Friday evening, we played the wedding of Susan Sunchych and Dage Gardner at the Carlisle War College, and a good time was had by all. We were warmly received by the guests and the staff as well.


Noteworthy: This was the premiere of Parker's new gear configuration, playing rhythm guitar in addition to horns and percussion. Two necks are better than one.


For those of you who could not attend the Knoebel's show on 07/07/07, you missed all the excitement. The weather was glorious and the crowds were responsive and mostly under control -- until Gio pulled out The Trombone.


Pandemonium ensued. As you can see, the capacity crowd nearly emptied the bleachers as they rushed the stage.

Fortunately, the new Just Friends security detail was on hand to keep Gio from being ripped to shreds by the adoring fans.

Brian just sat there and ran sound, like he always does -- impeccably.

Actually, we did put on an amazing show, and we are grateful to the Knoebel family for inviting us. We hope to return again next year, when we'll probably share the billing with Pat Davison, the World's Greatest Juggler, and his long-suffering wife and kid. (They're really sweet people, and he's actually very good.) I have more photos from this day, and when I get the chance I'll post them to Flickr and put the link here.

Finally, we played the Lykens concert series Wednesday, the 11th, which was held indoors to keep us from getting soaked like we usually do in the gazebo. We always enjoy playing for Kevin and the great citizens of Lykens. Sorry, no pics, but imagine a really big, cool stage with a large crowd enjoying our performance.

Just Friends is now on vacation until August 11th, when we return to the Lawnton Legion with all our gear properly tweezed and the band all tanned and rested. Hope you're having a great summer, just like this guy:

Check out the new Papist

Saturday was the Baptism of Theodore a.k.a. Theo a.k.a. Teddy a.k.a. TJ a.k.a. T'Jhon a.k.a. Theodorable a.k.a. Prince Theo the Spoiled. Thanks to our family and friends who helped us welcome him into the Church.

The prize for the one who traveled the farthest goes to Johnny Yulich, who drove all the way from Erie where he is a chef in a successful Italian restaurant to be the godfather of the son of an old classmate -- one who tortured him mercilessly when they were in grade school together. He's a fine young man and we hope to see him again soon. Thanks also to his godmother, Stephanie Grossnickle, who taught Andie and was also her Confirmation sponsor. She has been a great friend of our family and a positive influence on Andie's life, as well as on the lives of countless other students over the years. We are blessed to have such good people as family friends.

This may be the last blog entry for a little while. I'm starting a weeklong gigstravaganza, playing almost every day until the 11th of July. Hope to see some of you at Hotel Hershey, or Knoebel's, or somewhere soon.

Meanwhile, for those in town tomorrow, Bill Nork will be playing twice at the American MusicFest on the Riverfront on July 4th: with the Bayou Bandits at noon on the World Stage and with Robert Bobby at four on the Coca-Cola Community Stage.

Both acts are worth checking out. I've reviewed the Bandits in an earlier post. Robert Bobby was the lead singer and songwriter for The Speedboys, formerly the West Philly Speedboys, one of my favorite bands of the Eighties and a world class good time bar band. Robert Bobby continues to write, record and perform, recently opening for Chris Smithers. He's not exactly a gig hog, so this Wednesday will be a great opportunity to go hear him, and for no cover. You won't be disappointed.

Just Friends Summer

Saturday evening we traveled to the Sunbury Legion and played for a small but enthusiastic crowd who stayed and danced the whole night. We've made many new friends with the management and locals of this Legion and we look forward to returning there on August 25th. This is an old-school social club dance hall with a great stage. The building is fifties vintage, and the tiles on the floor take me back to St. Francis of Assisi kindergarten.

Along with the locals, we were privileged again to play for a special table full of fans: Renna Kenyon, Kathy Patti, Pat Roth and Angelina Traino, a/k/a "The Band Wives." These wonderful women have been at almost all the band's performances since the very beginning. By my rough estimate they've listened to some of these songs about 500 times, and applauded every single time. The Wives have been joined recently by bassist Mark Evans' wife, Sharon. The members of the band are fortunate to have that kind of support at home, and we appreciate them.

(There should be a photo here of the wives, but the picture I took turned out to be pretty hideous, and if I put it here the four of them would beat me to a pulp. I'll post one later.)

The Just Friends Band is gearing up for some of our favorite summer performances. We will be playing at the Hotel Hershey on the Fourth of July. These are the best fireworks you'll see in central PA. The traffic is always pretty heavy, but it's a great chance for the general public -- that's you! -- to come and hear us in a unique setting. We will be performing the Patriotic Medley during the fireworks display.

"Saturday, in the Park, I think it's on the Seventh of July." The park is Knoebels Grove, and this is another chance to see the band in a unique setting. If you've never been to Knoebels, you owe it to yourself. Find some kids to bring along so you'll have an excuse to ride the coolest rides around. For more information, contact Manager Jack at 717-985-9797. For park info, check out http://www.knoebels.com/ The park is about 90 minutes from Harrisburg and you'll be glad you made the trip. Hope to see you there. Yes, we'll be playing "Saturday in the Park."

Sunday, August 12th, Just Friends will be playing for a worthy cause at the Car Show to be held in the parking lot of Boscov's at the Colonial Park Mall to benefit the Muscular Dystrophy Association. This will be an afternoon event and we hope to see all of you come out and support the band and this important fundraising effort. More information to follow.

"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.

Theo's First Road Trip/Just Friends Summer Events

Here we see the world's youngest rock star chilling out on the first night of the tour.


Ah, yes, a hotel room full of beautiful women holding bottles. Livin' the dream.



Meanwhile, Just Friends was hard at work at the Chambersburg VFW, again pleasing the entire crowd (well, except for one guy, but ask me about him privately). I'm playing with the settings on my camera, and took this without flash. If you listen hard, you can hear Vince tearing up "Harlem Nocturne."

The next night we came back "home" to the Lawnton Legion. It was great having so many friends and family in attendance. Ed and Grace stopped by, and my brother Bill and sister-in-law Ginny were there. (I sure hope I didn't just misspell her name or I'll hear about it for the rest of my life.) And yes, we did Route 66, as a tribute to Rudy. "Thank you, music lovers" -- wherever you are.

Coming events: Just Friends will be doing the fireworks at the Hotel Hershey again July 4th. The traffic is atrocious going home, so be ready for it, but the pyrotechnics are the best around. We'll be doing the Patriotic Medley arranged by Joreen in the best possible setting for it. Bring your lawn chairs and prepare to go "ooh, aah" a lot.

Saturday, July 7th, Just Friends plays at Knoebel's Grove. I've mentioned this before here, but I can't stress to you enough what a cool park this is. If you're old enough to remember Hershey Park when it was two words and it didn't cost 50 bucks to get in, you'll love Knoebel's. Free parking, best roller coasters around, bring your own food or buy it there (you're a winner either way, although the pizza is a bit too sweet), and check out the band in a real live band shell. We'd love to make this a reunion of as many folks who can come as possible. Be in touch with us or contact Manager Jack at 717-985-9797 for more information.

Just Friends On Tour

The band will be playing in Chambersburg this Friday at the VFW. Saturday, we'll be at the Lawnton Legion from 9 to 1. If any of you are interested in attending, call me and we'll make sure you get signed in.

Thank You, Music Lovers

It's been a week of comings and goings. This past weekend, we learned that a good friend and former member of Just Friends, Rudy Thomas, passed away. Rudy was a real character, and the stories about him are part of the lore of the band. The tag line of this entry, for example, was a quote from Rudy. The picture here shows him performing with us at the Lawnton Legion. It was a tradition that at some point we would begin "Route 66," and Rudy would stroll up to the stage with that confident smile, and sing that song like he owned it. He will be sorely missed.

Joreen and I also send our prayers and condolences to Barry's family on the passing of his father. Barry was raised in a family that loved good music, and that love lives on in every performance Barry gives. God's peace to all who mourn, until we're reunited again.

So, What's New?

He is. His first name is Theodore. His middle name is John. His last name is the same as his mother's. (I'm preventing his full name from being a Google hit at his tender age.) In this photo, he is about nine hours old. He was born May 23, 2007, before breakfast, and after his mom had a very, very hard night's work. He came in at eight pounds, seven ounces, 20 inches, whip-smart, dangerously handsome and poised for greatness. As of Saturday morning, he will be residing with his mother and grandparents.





Surprised? So are we. The details of the story are unimportant to share here. Those who need to know them will. What I'd just like to say for now is that perfect love really does cast out fear. A mother's love is a miraculous, transformative thing. Prayers are heard by a loving Father, and sometimes answered faster than you would believe possible.

Hold on to your hats, kids. This next part of the trail isn't on any map I've ever seen.

Gonna Break out the Hats and Hooters

Sorry for the delay in new content here. We've been busy. The big news is the band management has signed a contract with the Sheraton Harrisburg-Hershey for New Year's Eve, and I have some details.

The celebration begins at 8:00 p.m. Tickets are $55 per person and include dinner (Italian, of course), a champagne toast/coffee and pastries at midnight, and of course music and dancing with The Just Friends Band. Tickets are at this moment in the process of being printed and will be available directly from Jack Traino, Sr., band manager, at 717-939-4462. Or, of course, Joreen or I will hook you up.

We are really getting excited about this as we begin to fine-tune the details. I personally want to thank Jack, Vince and Gio for all the hard work in negotiating with the Sheraton. If you've shopped for New Year's events in the past, you know that $110 a couple for a complete dinner, live music and other goodies is a bargain. We're going all-out for this, and in the words of that guy from Animal House, "This is gonna be great!" Stay tuned for more information as it develops.

A. Ginger Ale, Dayquil and Lipton's Chicken Soup

Q. Why hasn't John updated the blog since May 2nd?

I have lots to report but no energy to report it with. I started with a cold that went into flu symptoms. Talk to you all later.

Just Friends at the Verhovay

Just a reminder that the Just Friends Band will be at the Verhovay Friday, May 4, from eight to midnight. We don't have many shows on the schedule that the general public (that's you!) can come to, so we expect a good crowd. We hope to see as many of you as can make it. Drink prices are reasonable, the menu of bar food is filling and tasty (don't order the fries unless you have someone to split them with) and the dance floor is always open. We'll even turn the mirrorball on for you.

Now, That's Funny

Some of you already know about the Central PA Gazelle, another blog on Blogger. Those who don't, check this out:

http://centralpagazelle.blogspot.com/index.html

This is satire at its best. Whoever the writer is, they have the journalistic style nailed, and some of these entries are hysterically funny. It helps to know the central PA area and some of its newsmakers, and they're not all direct hits, but for instance, here's a quote from the latest entry, in which Gov. Rendell admits to having broken 140 separate laws:

(HARRISBURG) - In response to a Freedom of Information Act request from the Gazelle, Governor Ed Rendell today released a list of local, state and federal laws he has broken during his time in office. The 317-page document seemed to indicate that the governor's recent admissions about speeding were just the tip of the iceberg.Included in the list are several traffic violations Rendell has committed through orders to his state trooper escort, including failure to yield to pedestrians, tailgating and a litany of aggressive driving-related offenses.In addition, Rendell said he once urinated from the top of the reserved section bleachers at a Harrisburg Senators game. "I should note that I was high as a kite at the time, so I guess that's another one," he wrote.

This is funny stuff. Make sure you dig through the earlier entries, like the one in March where Mayor Reed enacts mandatory smoking for all Hbg. employees.

Hail to Thee, our Gold and Blue

Saturday, April 21st, the Just Friends Band continued our tradition of playing for the Bishop McDevitt Blue and Gold Gala at the Hershey Convention Center. This was our fourth appearance at the gala. Thanks to Ellen Miscannon and all those who organized the event. It was elegant and well attended. Highlights included a video retrospective of the history of McDevitt, and performances by the school jazz band, a flute choir and cast members of the upcoming musical, "The Music Man."

We look forward to this event every year as a chance to see old friends and renew acquaintances. Joreen, Gio and I are all McDevitt alumni, and Joreen is a former faculty member. McDevitt alumni and supporters should watch for this event next year. It's worth attending, and for a worthy cause.

Mark was in Rochester at his daughter's wedding, so Andy Alonso of Leghorn helped us out on bass. Andy is a top flight bass player, a veteran of the New York City music scene, a bass instructor and a great guy to play with. Thanks, Andy. Great job.

Just Friends will be appearing next at a private dance at the Colonial Country Club on April 28th. Don't forget about the May 4th Verhovay gig, a rare chance for the public to come and party with us. We play from eight to midnight, and you should get there early if you want a seat. Better yet, just stay on your feet and dance!

The Durable Goods

Friday night was the second outing for the four piece known as The Durable Goods. Readers of this blog will recognize Charlie and Tom from the entry "Rawkin the Basement." This was an opportunity to go out and really let it blast at the brewery. We must have had the levels set perfectly, because we were told to turn it down twice.

I chose the name of this band to evoke not only the four of us, who have all been playing for decades, but for the type of material we choose, songs that have stood the test of time as well as some new tunes and originals of mine which hopefully will fare as well.

Here is Charlie, who facilitated this band by introducing two of his clients, Tom and myself. Charlie is a first-rate accountant and Tom is a first-rate building contractor and, like Joreen and I, they still find time in their lives for music.


Check out the shirt, purchased in the French Quarter.

Thanks to Charlie for getting us the opportunity to play at the Appalachian Brewing Company Friday night. Believe it or not, Brewmaster Artie Tafoya sat in on drums and sounded great. Ed and Grace were there (several of these photos are their fine work) and we generally had a rockin' good time. There's some video which we'll try to get in some viewable shape and share someday.

In the words of the prophet Zappa: Music is the best.

Big Fun on the Bayou

Wellsville, PA, although not that close to New Orleans, was the best place in central PA to hear genuine Cajun music on Saturday night. Joreen, Ed, Grace and I went to hear the Bayou Bandits at the Wellsville Fire Hall. Joreen is a fan of this band from years back, and we're even more into them now that they have a new git-tar player: the one, the only Bill Nork. We've heard him play and sometimes played along with him in Wooden Nickel, that band from Millersville whose name I can't think of, the Pickups, the Fender Twinns, the Johnsons, Dewey and the Decibels, the Avalons and the Gliders, and now you can catch him at the height of his powers, playing the acoustic Martin and the chambered Telecaster in a really unique musical setting.

The Bayou Bandits is a side project of Randy and Brian Harter of Silver City, a band that has played this area for 31 years. Don't be misled, though. The Bandits are a long-standing, very successful band in their own right, having played this area for many, many years, back when Nick's was open on Third Street. This is not a variety band, kids. They play Cajun music. Really good Cajun music. This is dance music, and the folks at this event were dancing up a storm, even though most of us didn't have the slightest idea what they were singing about -- unless the song was "Jet To The Promised Land." Hey, come to think of it, they didn't do "C'est La Vie."

Another unique feature of the band is that they have someone who has more than one button accordion, and he knows exactly what to do with all of them.



This is just a picture of the mirrorball that I took so that I could finally shoot something that was in enough light.

This is a yearly event thrown by a fellow named Kenny, whose last name I never caught, but he is a great guy who loves this music enough to hire a hall, sell tickets (at a very reasonable price), provide pretty high quality snacks and throw a really fine party just so he can dance all night long. He's something to see, I tell you. When this dance comes around next year you should watch for it. I need to thank my friend Tony Bosak (T.J. Homestyle, the best lunch around, 600 Bridge Street, New Cumberland; what are you doing at McDonald's, you schmuck, go eat real food!) for posting the flier in his restaurant that tipped me off to this shindig.

Happy Easter

Not much else to say right now. We're deep in the Triduum, two down, one to go. Tomorrow there will be eggs and candy to make. Today is the day when you walk in the church and there's that eerie sensation of nowhere to genuflect to, that Someone's missing. Tomorrow night, after the consecration, it's such a relief. Oh, there You are! Not to go all Catholic on y'uns, but it really is one of the coolest times of the year, although it's a busy time keeping up with the liturgical music. It also reminds me of the story my Dad tells of the altar boy, the Paschal candle and the Zippo lighter. Remind me to tell you that one sometime.

Something of interest to many of our friends: The Bayou Bandits will be playing in Wellsville PA next Saturday. I don't have much more info than that, and their website is on the fritz for the moment, so I'll get more details about tickets and stuff later. JF is off so we plan on attending. Joreen loves those guys, and did even before Bill joined them.

My Favorite Cartoon

No time for a long post today, but I thought I'd share my favorite cartoon ever. As you can see by the date, it was published in 1991. I laughed my @$$ off the first time I saw it, and 16 years later it still cracks me up.

Rawkin' the Basement

Last Friday, March 23rd, we hosted a little beer tasting, shrimp gobbling, cheese slicing and ear splitting seminar at our place. You may have been able to hear a lot of different tunes played at a lot of different venues, but I'd bet my draft beer system that my house was the only place you could hear a cover of "Big Bottoms" by Spinal Tap. Alex, pictured here with his sweet new Geddy Lee Signature Model Fender bass, provided the tablature and led the group in a swing at this classic. Okay, so it's a work in progress. Alex, Charlie and Parker handled the lead bass, bass bass and rhythm bass. Alex wants to take another crack at it sometime (get it?!?).

I'm going to try something here. Rather than posting a bunch of pics, here is a link to my Flickr page. I'm still figuring it out, so be patient.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/66913936@N00/sets/72157600039529745/

In addition to Alex, who plays with our choir at church and also handles the devil's music quite well, we had Tom and Charlie, who join Joreen and I in the Durable Goods, our side project; Parker from Just Friends and sideman in demand; Bill Nork of the Bayou Bandits, with his new Beard dobro; Terry Keating, turning on the Lovelight; Tony Formica, blues singer deluxe, of the Slaughterhouse Blues Band; Roger Wilkinson of Hemlock Hollow; Ed McGovern, solo artist appearing frequently at Coyote Joe's; Dave, Charlie's friend, whose last name I'll learn next time; and many of our "civilian," non-playing friends who were there to listen. That's much appreciated, since in my old age I don't really get off on playing alone or to an empty room as much as to human beings. Also, a shout-out (is that hyphenated? I'm not sure) to Karen Gray, comedienne and playwright, who's got a smile so bright, you know she could have been a candle. We are really blessed to have so many loyal, long-standing, talented friends -- even when they yell for Freebird (thanks, Sean).

Tally Ho Again!

Saturday, March 24th, Just Friends Band traveled to the Country Club of York for our second Hunt Club Ball of the season, this time for Joey Anderson (pictured here with the band) and the Rose Tree Hunt Club. Despite the formal surroundings, this crowd was ready to cut loose and dance, and they hit the dance floor from the first song to the last. The crowd especially enjoyed the Electric Slide, despite having some difficulty deciding in which direction to dance. Here we see the Sliders partially crushing Gio, although he's still smiling.

This was our first time playing for this Hunt Club and we're pleased to report that it won't be the last, as we were asked to return next year. Everyone had a great time.

Well, okay, maybe not everyone.

The band now begins a short Easter break. On Saturday, April 21, the Just Friends Band will perform at the annual Bishop McDevitt High School Blue and Gold Gala. This is another one of our annual events, this year to be held at the Hershey Convention Center. Graduates of McDevitt who are interested in attending should contact the high school for more information. This is a very special occasion to benefit the alma mater of Gio, John and Joreen. The Gala is always a great time to socialize and celebrate while supporting a worthy cause.

Please Stand By

It's been a very busy weekend and I have lots to report about, but right now there are transcripts that have to get in like yesterday, so please be patient. There will be new content soon.

Got Dem Ol' Central PA Blues, Mama

Last night Joreen, Parker and I went to the Blues Club session at the 40 & 8 in Chambers Hill. Sorry, no pictures. Most of you have heard me talk about it, and it's a pretty unique thing in this area. The place is usually packed and was even more so because one of the favorite sons of the Blues Society of Central Pennsylvania, which sponsors the jam, "Uncle Bill," was celebrating his 84th birthday last night. Watching this guy in a suit, who needed help getting to the stage but who needed no help singing, really encouraged us 53-year old geezers that maybe we have a few more miles left on the tour bus after all. Apparently, being a bit lecherous is a plus.

The three of us ended up in a line-up fronted by a guy who didn't get the memo that this was a blues-only jam, making it difficult at points to play along. It was an object lesson for me: I have to learn the lyrics to some of Da Bloos PDQ. Parker played some tasty trombone licks, though, and pleased the crowd. The Mighty Mrs. Kelly rode the B-3 beast with confidence, finally over her shyness.

The Thursday blues jam is a blast. It's open to the public, no cover. Get there before 8:30 if you want a good parking place and an early slot to play. It's good etiquette to toss a buck in the donations can, but bottles of lager are only $1.75, and that's with live music. You sign the list with your name and what you play, and you'll be put in a line-up that may include some kid playing out for the first time or somebody who's fronted bands for 20 years. That's part of the fun. It's a very supportive environment.

I should mention that it's the most not-smoke-free environment in the county, but if you want you can stand on the front porch and still hear the music --although last night that was getting a little smoky too. Hey, it's the blues. Whaddya expect, vegetarians in Birkenstocks?

Coffeehouses...

... sure have changed since I was a kid. When we said "coffeehouse," we meant a bunch of teenagers in a church basement or unused building at Olmsted Air Force Base. The stage was small, the closest microphone was in any cabs driving by, and the lighting came from the candles on the upended wire spools we used for tables. If it were any more low-tech, we would have been playing log drums in loin cloths. There, earnest young men and women performed, some of them for the first time in their life, and it was exhilarating, scary, and a maker of lifelong memories.

Last night was my debut as a sound engineer at St. Catherine's Youth Group Irish Coffeehouse Night, and things have ramped up, amped up and anted up since my day, kids. I didn't have the board out and plugged in when the Dad Squad wanted to know how many lights I brought (uh... none...), what accommodations I had made for the DVD projector presentation (uh... what?), and finally -- my favorite -- how soon I could provide the audio feed out of the board to the digital videocamera. It was at that point that I switched to speaking Italian.

You will be looking for pictures from this event. I don't have any. I was busy. (You want pics, take them your @%$&@! self.) The rig was impressive, though, and I only sent death ray feedback through the bins once in the very beginning. People who want to use wireless mics should know better than to stand in front of a closed curtain right over top of the monitor and ask me to turn them up. After that, it went passably well.

Special thanks to my guardian angel, who was portrayed yesterday by Joe Trojcak (Progressive Enterprises, the best place in town for all your recording needs! http://www.progressivestudios.com/ ). Without him, I might have had feedback coming out of the coffee makers. Also, thanks to the dads and kids who stuck around to the end to help schlep gear. It was appreciated.

Coffeehouses have certainly gotten more high tech, but when you stripped away the cables, adaptors, microphones and computerized hoochie-coo, what was left was -- you guessed it --earnest young men and women performing, some of them for the first time in their life, and it was exhilarating, scary, and hopefully a maker of lifelong memories. The performers included Irish step dancers, a flag twirler, poets, guys playing electric guitars, and a couple young rappers, including one very talented girl named Monet. She was especially good.

Kumbaya, however, was not performed, not even once. These kids today....

Corned Beef, Cabbage and Just Friends

Vince O'Patti, Gio McTraino and all the members of Just Friends were surrounded by green shirts and smiling faces at the Progress Home Association's St. Patrick's Day party. For me, the musical highlight of the night was our new vocal arrangement of the Irish standard, Danny Boy. Hearing it, you'd swear Gio must have some Irish blood in him -- until you look at his picture.
Mrs. Kelly was resplendent in her new green blouse, outshining even the Bud Light sign.
The Home Association was packed to capacity with members and guests, and from the response of the crowd and the comments to the band, they were having a great time.
Although, of course, you can't please everybody.
Saturday was our second appearance at the Progress Home Association, and once again the welcome and response we received was as enthusiastic as we've ever seen. Club members requested songs, sang along, danced and applauded from start to finish. Several times while announcing drawings, club managers complimented the band and thanked us for playing.

Unlike some of the private clubs the band has played, the Home Association appears to be growing and thriving. Many members, club management, staff and guests approached the band to say how much they enjoyed our performance, which encouraged us to play our very best. Just Friends Band thanks Karen, Cindy, and all those connected with running the club for having us. We wish them a successful year and look forward to our next appearance at the Progress Home Association on December 8, 2007.

Good Dog

Spring of 1991. I was away on a Cursillo weekend shortly after my cat, Matesa, aka Kitten (because nobody could pronounce "Matesa"), had passed away. I came home, walked in the door and there was this thing that looked exactly like an Ewok. She looked up at me and immediately went wild with joy. I had never had a dog before, and all I could say to her was, "Have some dignity, willya?" I was used to cats, who would never let on they like you even if they do.

Gracie was a Schnoodle, a mix I was familiar with from working with a guy who had one at Town and Country Store. Freak was wicked smart, friendly and easygoing, never barked once in the store. I don't think the managers ever knew he was there, but we knew when they were coming because Freak would hide, and we'd get back to work.

From the very beginning, Gracie was the perfect kids' dog. Schnauzers aren't known for being real kid friendly, and I never cared much for poodles (no disrespect to folks who do), but for some reason the blend of the two makes a great dog. Gracie learned a few tricks -- sit, speak, give a paw, up, lay down, head down -- and was so into it that if you said "Sit!" she would then do all the rest of the tricks in a row without waiting for the command.

If there was any problem with Gracie at all, it was that she was a bit neurotic about being left alone. We would come home to find the toilet paper torn off the rolls. Turns out that problem was easy to fix. We got another dog, Katy. They were inseparable.

She also got along well with the cats, as in this very early picture of Cinders with Gracie.
Funny, out of hundreds of pictures I went through for this entry, these are just about all the pictures I found of Gracie. She was just always there, sitting just outside the dining room, waiting for something to hit the ground.
In her final years, a series of stroke-like events left her confused and weakened, and right after New Year's Day '07 I even took her to the vet's expecting not to bring her back. Dr. Shenk gave her some pain/arthritis pills and she rallied long enough to make it to her 16th birthday. When the time came, there was only one more thing I could do for her.

The last words spoken into her ear were, "Gracie's a good dog." She was.

Gracie

Today was the day we've been dreading for some time now. Our little dog Gracie, by our best estimate one day past her 16th birthday, just couldn't go on. I will have more to say later.

Tally Ho!

Saturday night we played for one of our favorite groups, the Beaufort Hunt, at their 2007 Annual Ball and Silent Auction at the Harrisburg Country Club. Pat Banzhoff, here pictured with the band, chaired the committee which put on the event, and it was elegant as ever. We truly enjoy these folks, and they must like us because both the band and the Hunt Club have lost count of how many years we've played for them, five or six or something like that. From the opening strains of "John Peel" to the closing kick line of "New York, New York," everyone had a great time, and as the evening closed, we all said to each other, "See you next year."

Next week: We return to the Progress Home Association for a private St. Patrick's Day party, wherein for a change the Irish members of the band will get at least as much respect as the Italians. (Just kidding, guys. No, really.)

Festa! Just Friends at DiSanto Confirmation

The DiSanto family celebrated the Confirmation of their son Alessandro and Just Friends was privileged to play for the reception at the Hershey Convention Center. Among the many highlights of the day was the opportunity to be photographed with the confirmand and Bishop Kevin Rhoades.

Alessandro also plays trumpet with the Bishop McDevitt Jazz Band and sat in with Just Friends for two songs, "Blue Skies" and "In the Midnight Hour." He had poise and tone that you would never expect from an eighth grade student, and of course he had the crowd in his pocket -- just like Mark's hands in the picture with the bishop. (Got 'ya, Mark.)

Thanks to a men's worship breakfast being held in the ballroom before the reception, we had the use of some pretty cool lights and a mildly psychedelic backdrop, as shown here with Gio and Parker:

There are other photos and highlights of the day, including the food which was as good as it gets, and the chance to play some of our Italian standards and pop favorites, but I've got to go do my pesky day job right now. I'll just say that overall, yesterday was the kind of party that Just Friends was made for, and a whole lot of fun. Thanks again to the DiSanto family for allowing us to be a part of this happy and blessed occasion. Next: the tuxes go to the cleaners to prepare for the Foxhunters Ball at the Harrisburg Country Club this Saturday.

"You like me, you really like me!"

Just a quick post here as I'm getting ready to load the car to go rock the Hershey Convention Center for a Confirmation party with Just Friends. We caught Ed and Mike Miller at Coyote Joe's last night, and they made a very effective duo. I like the combination of guitar and bass more than two guitars, and the next time Ed and I play together I'm going to bring a bass. Mike's got the harmonies going on, of course, and plays the fretless bass quite well, as you would expect from someone who is in two bands at once. Quite the gig hog, Mike is.

We also caught the second half of the Amici Trio set in Hershey, and they were having a great night. Many people who had attended a private function at the hotel came into the bar, and the Trio did what good live acts do: they held them there. We had to scramble around to find a chair.

Thanks to Mike and all our friends for the kind words about this blog. I'll try to keep coming up with halfway interesting stuff to say. Now to go schlep gear.