Latest "Open Stage W/ Tommyrocker" commentary

[brian]

Yes, Tommy, well said about the sign up sheet....I'll elaborate on a new thread, explaining it.

[tommyrocker]

Many kudos' to the usual suspects (Bobby V.,Will Keats, Phil Ashley, Joe and his carbon based life forms, Sounds like Red and After Destiny) this past week for continued support and attendance. I was also pleased to see Dan Devine (whom I first met in 2000 at Patriots Cafe in Fairfax) stop in and add some fine mando and guitar fill-in work. Things are kicking off a bit earlier so that all players who attend are given a 20 min. set. Yes I was tardy, though I did not feel tardy, I shall endeavor to get there in time to kick off at 7:30 if there is nobody to fill the early slots. I'm also putting together the first "Strasburg Roadshow" April 24 in Bristow. This will be a private block-party, that will feature folks I've corralled from the open stage roster. If you might be interested, let me know in person, or post here to let me know who might be available that Saturday. Hope to see the regulars, and always welcome newcomers to the big stage. Catch 'Yall at tha' 'Burg......

[tommyrocker]

Greetings to those who follow this thread, I must admit it is very nice to have tamped down the anarchy that had been souring some players, and giving this event a bum wrap. Having said time slots is an idea I had floated last year, but until Steve got behind it along with Brian, things did have a tendency to run over and keep the party going past the 11:00 hour. For some, this is no big deal. For those of us who head to work at 6:00 am, it can be bothersome that it is not taken into consideration by folks who would play all night if allowed. Yes, I can pack up my toys at any time, or not show up at all. My commitment as a pseudo host is not just to Steve and Irene, (and I will not leave them in a lurch) but to the guy who came out the first time, was blown over by the incredible set-up that is our open stage, and gets to play on that magnificent stage. Not to mention the bands who come out of their way to perform for free on a week night. These are who I'm looking out for, because they will go and tell everyone that is in to them about what a time they had. For my efforts, I'm usually guaranteed a slot that allows myself and my better half to get some live practice time in. Sometimes it's good, and well..... sometimes I'm glad I have the only recordings of my sets. The quality level of most the regulars is worth paying a cover for, but that has never been a consideration as far as I know of. Just the idea of sitting in a venue such as this, for no cover and to have a constant revolving door of diverse talent is enough to keep me compelled to see what's coming next (if I was not involved in the process). If you haven't been to open stage, then you really owe it to your musical curiosity to check it out every Wed. from 7:30ish to 11:00. If you are a regular patron, then you should know how much your presence is appreciated......GREATLY!! Shout out to Nicky(Irene's daughter) Chris Brunn,Brett Skaggs,Jacob Rinhardt and Tim, the long-dreaded drummer(sorry, didn't catch his name) Tim of A.D., Bobby V., and what would all these free-form jam guys do without Joe H. On that note...HMMMMMMMM...(In G major) Bum-ba-di-da Bum-ba-di-da, Happy trails to you, till we meet again on the BIG stage at Da' Burg!

[tommyrocker]

By George, I think it's spring....... The Nationals are losing, B-ball is almost over, NASCAR is starting to get interesting, and I can finally go bare-footed on stage. Thanks to Brian Mullins for handling sound, lights and recording this past week, along with some new talent that came out for the first time. Nick Pazzola joined Maggie and myself on stage to give great drum work to my attempts at such classics as "Sympathy for the devil", "Question","Voo-Doo Child" and "The world I know" by Collective Soul. For those who wonder how many times I'll play Hendrix's "Voo-Doo",Answer; as many times as it takes me to get it right, so plenty more. Shouts to Eddie, who put on a fine acoustic solo set. Jeremy was also a new face to try the stage out, and seemed to have a good time at it, though he could have used an acoustic pick-up to fill things out a bit more. Another Ed(on guitar), along with John(Drums) helped me string together an impromptu set of garage band standards, such as "Stranglehold", "Needle and the sthingy" and an embarrassing version of "I need you" by Skynyrd. All in good fun though. Bryan was also prodded into a short closing set to quell his fan base. There is nothing like playing barefooted on that stage, and being able to twiddle the dials with my feet, and to feel the sound that much more so is something I highly recommend. Till then, I'll keep my feet clean, and hope for fair weather. See 'ya on the big stage.......

[tommyrocker]

Yes, indeed...... I would like to thank the usual suspects for another smooth, stress free evening of open stage performances. Props go out to Robbie Sullivan, and Brian Mullins for doing their due diligence and keep the sound and lights up to pro standards. Any one who does not feel like they've ever played in a professional setting can surely say they have after setting foot on stage, and feeling their voice fill this venue. If you got the pipes, you will get chills of euphoria, and if you are not in prime form, Dr. Robbie will still work wonders with what he is given. It was good to see the singer/songwriters represented by Will Keats, Brett Skaggs (who also sat in on the drums later on) Bobby V. and Joe Herbert. All of which treat us all to their originals, and select covers. I, on the other hand have yet to produce an original melody, though most of what I play is distilled down to the most basic guitar, and vocal line. Then what I like to do is depending on what rig I'm using at the moment, shoot the distilled version through my own heavy psychedelic, groovy guitar prism, and see what comes out the other end(speaker). Yes, it is a crap-shoot at times, and is never quite the same any given evening. I never know who I'll be playing with, which in turn keeps on my toes, and sometimes on my arse. I do love to embellish when needed on other folks sets, when asked to do so. I broke out my mando for the first time with Will Keats, and had a blast in doing so. Ed, Brett and myself did an improvised set to close out with, and well......after butchering a few basement standards, my voice horsed from beer , called it a day. Better luck with those garage-band classics next time fellas. See you folks next time at tha' Burg!

[tommyrocker]

Hello again from my bunker in Winchester. It seems safe to come out since all the "Bloomers" are gone. Jeez, do I understand how the Griffins of Quahog R.I. must feel about the "Leafers" every fall(there should be a flash-back clip inserted in this sentence.....what, no clip?) . Last week was interesting in the fact that we had no P.A. or should I say no one to run it properly. This was not anyones fault since the was a theatrical event that had been set up on the stage, so as to not un-do anything crucial to the play, there was really no way to use the stage, but made do with the efforts of one Will Keats. Who by the way, single handedly saved the evening by bringing his system in, and setting up by the bar for an intimate acoustic evening. This is something I've been thinking should be done on a regular basis, and having had a good experience with it, should possibly become a regular event. I would like to thank Eric, Brett Skaggs, Leroy Prince, Joe H. and Tim of After Destiny for showing up and give us their time, and effort to keep our open stage fresh, and lively. There is nothing like averting disaster, and have the event come out sounding like a rose, to coin a phrase. See 'Yall on the big stage, (or maybe near the bar in a bit more subdued fashion) at the 'Burg......

[tommyrocker]

Greetings again, This past week was one of nostalgia. For the one and only Andy Rogers made a long over due appearance. So He, myself and Maggie proceeded to do a classic list of some my favorites that the three of us have done together. Some Jimi, some Stones, some C.S.N, some Ace Frehley(By request), and some Dead, along with my version of "Wicked Game", and "In the city". Another welcome sight was Leroy Prince, who although has had some personal issues lately, gave a heart-felt set dedicated to his late cousin. Bryan Roberts was also in attendance to give his unique versions of jam-based tunes. Eric Hammond made his first visit last week, and was a surprise to me that he was covering Black label society, but looked like a math teacher. Great job then, and this week to, where he was full of even more surprises, and kindly let me sit it on "Blue on black". Will Keats was also on hand to bring his originals to the mix that I have grown quite fond of playing with him. Jerry Talton was in the house to lend a hand on Will's set, and to graciously lend his flat-top Gibson to Ryan to finish out the night in style with his brand of acoustic originals that were just great. It wasn't till I was listening to my CD on the way home I realized that this was one of our better nights thanks in no small part to Andy's irreverent style of playing, Maggie's willingness to go with whatever I put out there, and Will's retro-inspired originals that I love to embellish upon. Everyone who showed up to play, did so with a great attitude, and left smiling. Thanks again to Robbie Sullivan for his fine work with the sound, and Brian Mullins for providing the wonderful recording opportunities for all who attend, and helping keep things running at a smooth clip. Catch y'all next time on the best stage in the valley.

[tommyrocker]

Welcome to another episode of "As the machine head turns". Yes there was a potential for high drama when word got out that Robbie had not made it in to set up the P.A. and run it for the evening (though he did have a migraine,and I hope he is feeling better) this came as a bit of a downer note. But not to fear,for Harry stepped up to run things to the best of his ability (and patience) which turned out to be just fine, until "Cutting Strings" took about 20 minutes to get themselves set up to play. This kind of thing can make the most settled soul surly after a bit. Their set was somewhat together given the hectic nature of trying to set a band up with no real sound check. The songs themselves sound worked out, but there was a bit of turmoil within, cue the drama. Having been in that situation, and knowing how silly it can be perceived, de-fused it as quickly as possible after the set was over. Better luck with all that if they do indeed stick it out as a group. On to more lighter moments. Although I left home a crucial piece of equipment that kept me from playing electric, I made due with my Martin plugged straight though the PA. Maggie said it was "surreal", which I'll take as a compliment referring to "Watchtower", "Dire Wolf" and "Three little birds" as played by Andy Rogers, Maggie and myself. Bobby V. had a strong set, or should I dare to say concise? With Brett Skaggs on the kit, and myself on bass. Things were actually quite fun backing up the Villain, and giving him some room to jam on guitar, I think made it just that much more fun for him. Brett went on to also put on a fine set of quality acoustic bluegrass tunes, of which I did do some mando picking on one or two. Thanks again to all who resist the draw of the Idol and come out to enjoy some local talent instead of "pop-shlock-rock-n-droll". One more episode and we'll have Wednesday evening back, (until next season) and live music will flourish once again in the valley, and at the 'Burg.

[tommyrocker]

Yes, as expected the evenings festivities were a bit hampered, but not completely dowsed due to the Idol extravaganza. Apparently, everybody was at the Kodak theater, or watching the fluff-fest that is "American Idol". At least Bobby V. came out to support live music on such a momentous TV occasion. Though, they did have it on in the theater up front, I took the opportunity to do an extended set after Bobby gave us his offerings for the week. John (last name withheld) sat in on drums for me whilst I dug through my cranium for lost (or dusty) files of epic guitar songs I hadn't attempted for quite some time, and some songs having never sang before at all. Needless to say this was the perfect conditions for the ultimate train wreck on stage. Much to my delight, things went along without too much blood-shed, hacking ,or butchering. Aside from never fancying myself as a Diamond Dave sound-alike, and not having a Micheal Anthony type voice either, the vocal end did suffer. (I wonder what Mr. Anthony is up to these days anyway?) Since John had just seen Van Halen the week prior, he was quite keyed-up for any VH riff I could recall. It turns out I didn't delete all of the 70's & 80's, and was able to to pull songs like "On Fire" and "Ice Cream Man " out of my arse. It was all good fun and 'ya never know, maybe I'll bring my Charvel with the whammy bar out of semi-retirement for the next VH homage. Keep supporting local music, and catch 'yall on the big stage at the "Burg.

[tommyrocker]

Welcome back to my little corner of the cyber-universe, where I like to thank and give props to the deserving. First off to the staff, including those who donate their free time (Robbie & Brian ) who if it wasn't for them running sound and lights for the guest musicians, well....it would be dark and quiet to say the least. Brett Skaggs was on hand to provide an interesting set of "New-Grass" selections, with a leaning to the folk end of the spectrum. Eric Hammond appeared to be in his element, and gave a super set of acoustic covers that included "Blue on black" where he had Michael accompany him on guitar. His best in my opinion was his version of "Blessed Hell ride" by BLS, which makes me wanna get up there and wail on the lead. Though I restrained myself, and left him to his own devices, we might have to have a go at it together one night. It also seems that word has reached across the pond of our little gathering on the biggest stage in this region. To the land of Beef-eaters, Bangers, Bobbies, Beatles and James Blunt. Yes I'm referring to England where one of our guest hailed from, and was on a short holiday in Strasburg. Rich M. was a huge treat on, and off stage. His mates who live here, but are from Britain, brought him in for a pint or so. In the process of correlating the musicians, got to chatting with these blokes, and come to find we share the same love for the BBC's "Top Gear", which I think is the BEST car show on. Yes, I did refrain from using British "lingo" when conversing with them as to not sound like a total "Bloody wanker". Musically speaking, Rich was a joy to have on stage, in where he covered Hootie to James blunt (after everyone was mentioning how much he sounded like him). An old friend, Robert Rampey came out also to give his acoustic offerings as well. From his version of "Punching bag" to "Don't stop" by Journey, really covers a lot of ground, and is such a nice guy to boot. If you know Robert, tell him I have his C.D. of his set, and it quite good. As for my own set, it may be worth mentioning how much fun it was playing with Andy Rogers, who is becoming Maggie and my "Go-To" drummer. Things are coming along with our set of material with him, and Saturday night was for me was a "Water-shed" event. See, it was Andy's wife Mel's birthday get-together. Where I was flattered to be invited, but that was just the half of it. We did a short set, but OOOHHHHHH what a set with Go- Jo on the mike, was like playing with Joe C0cker in all the good ways (minus the vomit,and falling off stage C0cker was so known for) . Once I heard the recording of that set in which we improvised a riff, and let him blow......MY GOD!!! that dude Go-Jo has got it! I haven't jelled like that in I don't know how long. Maggie and Andy need to be commended for their efforts also. So all in all, I had a great week in music at the 'Burg, and so did several others..... Catch 'Ya next time on the big stage.

[tommyrocker]

Hello and greetings, I hope all went well this past week on the 18th. Since Maggie's hip replacement last week, things are progressing well for her, and she hopes to be playing her bass very soon. I've been given some photos shot by Brian M. from open stage, and am very pleased to have been able to upload them to www.myspace.com/maggieandtommy for your enjoyment, but you do need to sign up to view these photos, and to comment. As soon as I figure out how to put some music on that page, or maybe I'll get it on to our web site I will share what gems I've collected over the past year and a half. Believe me, there is some moments that make me proud to be involved with the theater, thanks in no small part to Maggie, Steve and Irene for indulging me on my not-so-stellar performances, when things get a little sloppy, and off key, or out of tune a bit. Some of those nights though, were really "In the zone" moments for me, and quite a few others. One thing for sure is that there is no shortage of eager, talented individuals and bands in this area who make this weekly event unique, and inspiring at times. Huge props go out to Robbie Sullivan also, who in most cases makes me sound soooo much better than I ever have in an open stage situation. For that, I will always be grateful. We will see 'Yall on the big stage, and hopefully at Steve & Irene's "Bash on the banks" of the Shenendoah river.

[tommyrocker]

Hi-de-ho to those who grace this post with their eyes... This past week was a whole lotta fun for the few players that came to "show off" their talents. For me,since there was more than usual time for John Sullivan and I to just get some open practice in, I decided to take full advantage of the hospitality of the theater, and just PLAY, PLAY, PLAY!! Since I brought my Charvel ,I had to hold to my word to play all those old Van Halen riffs I'd socked away for the past ummmmm, say 20 some years. It's good to know that not all was lost in the fire so to speak. We then moved in to even more ambitious territory with some Scorpions, Priest, AC/DC and even gave an obligatory version of "Wanted Dead or Alive". Mind you, this is just me and John on the drums, and well..... A whole lot of dust was flying off the file cabinets this particular evening. We actually filled a 76min CD, with some stuff I can actually stand to let others hear (and not cringe). Thankfully, Eric Hammond was on hand to round out the evening with an extended set, though the poor guy has broken at least one string on his acoustic the past few times he's been out to play, he still finishes out with a smile and good cheer. People like that are what keeps me coming out, and supporting the scene in my sometimes off-key, "Show-off-ee" way. At least when I bring the 80's "Show-off-ee" Charvel with all it's attitude, crunch, and fond 80's memories embedded within the pearl finish. I forget sometimes how much fun that guitar is to play, plus the sound just gives me a way to recreate so many tones of that era. Well enough about that guitar, maybe I'll bring the '67 Kustom k-200 and play all Moody Blues , or something totally different. Hmmmm..... We'll see, and I'll see 'Ya on the big stage Wednesday.

[tommyrocker]

Welcome to my humble corner of this forum, and yes quite a helping of humble pie was served by "Old School" last week. Hector, who's the mentor of the group was a true inspiration, to us in attendance, and his two students, Jake on guitar,and Evan on the bass. Hector, assumed the kit, and vocals for their set, but the surprise were this pair of unassuming youths, who just nailed their entire set. Starting off with "Stairway to Heaven" and just clobbered everyone with a skillful set including "Back in Black" , "Do you feel like I do?"and "Black dog". These guys are 12 mind you, and made me ponder my job security, ( Oh, that's right, I do this for the fun luckily) and really making one say "I don't wanna follow them", and "where the hell did I leave my "A" game?" So I decided to handle this hot potato. Since Hector was in prime form, he switched to bass for a slightly less polished set with Andy Rogers on the kit, and myself left to defend what honor us geezers might still have after all these years. Andy was great as usual as we eeked out "Great White Buffalo", "Immigrant song" and an unusual take on "Heaven's Door". This gave way to Chris Brun, who never disappoints me, nor any one else. This guy needs a band! followed by Bobby V. giving us his takes on Chili Peppers and Sublime. All in all, the talk was this amazing three-some, "Old School" and just how did Hector get these guys to play like some of the best. This act is not to be missed if you happen to stop in, along with all the fine talent on parade Wed. evenings. See you on the big stage.... Hopefully with my darling along side me.

[tommyrocker]

Just thought I'd pop my head in here to say how much I miss the open stage this past month. Well, it's kinda nice not having to rush down after work, and just spend quality time at home. That part never gets old, but having went out a few times while our daughter was in Florida was a treat as well. Thursdays are slammin' at East side Raw bar with The Jokers' Brian and Jimmy really gettin' that place swinging for open mike night. Brett Skaggs was in town the night we played, along with Alan Linde with his "Club Combo" kit, and just wails the heck out of that set. The only draw back is that there is a slew of players, and no list that I saw. So if you hang out long enough, you will have your turn, and a great bunch of fun, and a bit rowdy crowd of people to cheer you on regardless of what you play. But there is really nothing like playing at the "Burg" with Robbie and Brian making us all feel like pros on that magnificent stage. Plus the recordings I've amassed over the past year and a half are to me something to be cherished. The latest open stage recording session was one that just give me chills when I listen to it, in large part to Go-Jo, and his bleeding vocals that completely astound me with his version of "When the night comes" by Joe C0cker. Before that night, I hadn't played or sang that song with Gojo, nor did he have a lyric sheet to help steer the ship so to speak. Let me tell you this my dear readers..... If I had one pick of vocalist to work with, out of all the guys I've jammed with over the years, This is the one! Not that I'm gushing over him, but man! I never get tired of impro with him. Lyrics, Shmyrics, he sounds great just making chit up. I hope he can make it out on the 3rd, and I'll be seeing and hearing all you fine players very soon on the big stage.