August is looking up for me. I’ve got three gigs this month and two of them are pretty dang good.
My sorta’ new bluegrass band Short Cross Ties is opening the GOF on the First Stage on Friday August 11 at noon and happy to be doing so. Getting there early and playing allows for some more jamming on Friday and perhaps the rest of the weekend if I don’t
wimp out. We sold our motorhome a few months back and our VW Eurovan a little before that so I’m stuck with tent camping if I want to stay. My heart is pushing for tent camping but my bad back and practical brain are indicating otherwise. We’ll have to see.
My second gig turns out is also Friday at GOF. My strawberry blond friend (my bass) and me were asked to sit in with another band that evening. I can’t name names yet as I need to pass an audition this week to get the gig. I’ll let you know soon how it turns out but I’m pretty confident, after all I have extensive Farmer’s Market experience to rely on.
Speaking of Farmer’s Markets, my third gig is a Farmer’s Market in Willow Glen in San Jose later in the month. Willow Glen is a new market and I can’t wait to see how far I need to carry my bass and pop up tent to get to our spot. Did I mention we get tips? Actually I’m such a sucker for playing live I’d do it without the tips but it would be nice if they kicked in some heirloom tomatoes and some Anaheim peppers.
I am squeezing all of this in and including writing this column around flying to Florida for my Mother’s 90th birthday and family reunion. With her children, grand children, great grand children and spouses and significant others there will be 52 people involved in the celebration. I posted this column at 4:30 AM this morning. ( I bet Rick’s up). The trip is from Thursday (today) through Monday. A lot of miles, airports and airplanes in a short period of time and I can’t forget ubers.
My biggest concern about this trip is that my mother won’t be reading my column this month as she is flying today as well. As savvy as she is at 90, reading web content on a smart phone is not quite in her skill set….yet. She is the only one that I know for certain reads my column every month. In a week or so I’ll walk her through how to find it in the archives.
Shifting gears again, this is the last shift if you will, this weekend the Santa Clara Valley Fiddlers association is having their monthly August jam in the Rose Garden Park in San Jose. The SCVFA park jams are lots of fun. There are plenty of jam groups with a range of skill levels and a mix of styles. There is always a slow jam with a leader and usually a tune builder workshop for learning some interesting old time tunes (I know, I know that last statement can be viewed as an oxymoron by some of the musical elite among you.)
Speaking of SCVFA, we would like to hear from all of you regarding our jams. What do you like? What don’t you like? Why do you attend? Why don’t you attend? Or any thing else on your mind regarding SCVFA. You can connect with us at fiddlers.org and send your feedback to any trustee or officer.
Gotta run. They’re boarding the plane.
