Snow Bored on the Olympic Peninsula

More rain. Snow...freezing temperatures...then more snow. And it's still only November. One major holiday down and another will pass soon. Meanwhile, Rollin' Waters nearly had a busy weekend with shows on Friday at Michael's Divine Dining and on Saturday at the Ajax Cafe in Port Hadlock. But on Sunday we were cancelled out of our weekly gig at the Junction in Port Angeles due to excessive snow. Sally and Cindy decided to shut down when at least of foot of snow covered the parking lot. Several of the regular jammers called to see if we were going ahead with Sunday night, hoping to attend and perform, despite the snow thereby showing the trooper-like nature of our loyal participants.
So, at least the time was put to good use sharpening up some old songs and working on new ones and figuring out the ins and outs of new recording software and hardware. Go ahead...cancel school for the whole week. I'll stay in the studio and never be bored!
Saturday at the Ajax was a good night with rowdy diners and many compliments for both Stephanie and me--now that doesn't happen often. Usually Stephanie gets the lion's share of response. Not complaining--that's as it should be! Much thanks to Abel for helping haul equipment. Crowd pleasers in our sets included: Down on the Corner, Long Journey Home, Rocky Top, Deep River Blues, Wonderful World, Tell Me Why, I'm Looking Through You, Shenandoah, Soul of a Man, Fever, Shenandoah, and Blue Skies. Stephanie donned various hats, but I liked the motorcycle cap best--see the side panel. Most of the hats won't fit my big head--could it be an enlarged ego causing the problem and is there a way to have that surgically removed? But should this cold weather and snow continue I will definitely starting wearing navy watchcaps. They stretch.

More Rain and Music on the Olympic Peninsula

There's plenty of rain here in Port Angeles so the trip to Forks in a logging truck is on hold. Besides, the cds or radio in the truck would most likely play contemporary country music, and that would just be too much to take.

The dark days and biblical rains haven't stopped the music, however. That's Stephanie, mother Tina and Joe in the picture at last Sunday's jam. Jeff and Jacob again drew big responses with their songs and I especially liked "Going to California." Bill, Johnny and Patrick(the slide master) were great as usual, and here is Shady Grove recorded on a pocket camera. With any luck more and better video from the Junction and elsewhere with songs featuring Stephanie will follow in the next weeks.

This Friday Rollin' Waters is at Michael's Divine Dining in Port Angeles and Saturday we play the Ajax Cafe in Port Hadlock next door to Port Townsend. The food is exceptional at both restaurants, and you get to wear hats and act silly at the Ajax. Besides, who would feel like cooking after Thursday? Sunday, as usual, we host the open mike/jam at the Junction in Port Angeles.
Port AngelesOlympic Peninsula[Junction]Port TownsendAjax Cafe
live music
[folk/blues]
[guitar]
[northwest]
[Puget Sound]

Dark and Dismal on Olympic Peninsula

I hate the Fall. Everything looks like death and destruction with the leaves almost gone from trees, power outages, howling winds and record rainfall in Port Angeles. There's nothing to do but work, as John Lennon said, yet working for peace seems all but futile. A war protester on a Lincoln Street corner today swayed back and forth in some new age type dance that would have been more appropriate had she been at a Grateful Dead concert twenty years ago. How can the war inspire dancing? Geez! I need to get out of this town. Maybe I'll go to Seattle and live with my boys for a few days. Wouldn't they love that! Sure hope they don't read this! Then again, maybe I'll hitch a ride in a logging truck to Forks like Jack Nicholson in "Five Easy Pieces."
But then it has already been a musical weekend, and Rollin Waters will play at the Junction on Sunday as usual. Tonight my niece and nephew recorded a very rough video version of "Railroad Bill" with just me and a guitar in my living room complete with inane commentary and coughing.

Raining on the Olympic Peninsula

Well, it's still raining in Port Angeles (and maybe all over the world), and my optimism has passed. All you have to do is lie down for awhile and it's gone. Maybe the key to hanging on to a "good" attitude is to keep moving forward, but then it's probably impossible not to keep moving with all the work one needs to do to make a living in this world. That's enough philosophy--get to the music and show business already, for god's sake.
The Junction served potato soup last Sunday, and our regular jammers said it was good and tasty. I will take their word on that one. Jeff and Jacob, of Idaho and Florida respectively, played a lot of Southern rock for our mid-sized crowd that night who, I must admit,liked it better than I did. Don't get me wrong, they can play and sing very well, but "Sweet Home Alabama" has been played way too often, and the whole "southern rock" thing is more than a little dreary. Just my opinion! Like I said, the crowd liked it a lot. Tom, who plays songs by the reverend and Jorma is much more to my liking--the guy can really finger-pick! So it's off to more practice or maybe a leisurely jaunt down to the Crazy Fish for the jazz jam tonight or to see Baby Gramps on Friday. Who knows what the next few days will bring? Perhaps a blizzard after all the storming so far this week.

What a Birthday!

Birthday cake(Red Velvet), balloons with helium, decorations and presents--not to mention all the fellow musicians Stephanie dragged away from homely comforts to attend our Sunday jam at the Junction in Port Angeles. Do I feel honored? Yes! Do I feel older? Not hardly! I feel lucky, as the song goes, and grateful for all the good things that have come our way recently. Had a great conversation with Kim, who also has a November birthday, of Deadwood Revival about just such things that night. I remember an interview with John Lennon where he talked about all the work involved with being a musician that never seemed like work when he was doing it. Paul McCartney disagreed, but I prefer Lennon's attitude. Maybe I should lie down and let this optimism pass, but not just yet. Another good thing about the weekend was that both sons came home from Seattle where they go to school. How can they be young adults already? When did that happen? There's something about nineteen or twenty that is the same as it was in 1973, but that's another post altogether. More on that later....
This Friday we're at Michael's Divine Dining in Port Angeles. The food is mouth-watering and not to be missed. The music is not half-bad either--new songs too!
Port AngelesOlympic Peninsula[Junction]Port TownsendAjax Cafe
live music
[folk/blues]
[guitar]
[northwest]
[Puget Sound]

Raining on Olympic Peninsula

Not much of a surprise for this time of year in Port Angeles (or any time most years). Sure was warm, dry and inviting at the Port Townsend Brewing Company last weekend. This week were back at the Junction where Highway 101 meets Highway 112 just west of our fair city. And the following weekend we're at Michael's Divine Dining in Port Angeles. We hoped to get some more pictures this week with all the cool fall foliage, but it's just too wet outside. So indoor pics! That's John Nelson in his Halloween attire taking a writing break from the Peninsula Daily News where his column details the whereabouts of Rollin' Waters and other local musicians each Thursday.

Save Money on Entertainment

What a great night at Port Townsend Brewing Company last Friday night!It was so much fun playing with Tom on drums again and newcomer Dave on stand-up bass. And the crowd really seemed to enjoy the evening..and the beer which is excellent. When you think about going out on a Friday night..well I have to say, our show was a very good deal. No food, but for the price of a few beers, a lot of fun was had by the patrons of the brewing company. We made some new contacts, including other club owners in the area, and we hope to play more in Port Townsend, which isn't all that far from Port Angeles and other Olympic Peninsula locations. Rumor has it that PTBC will continue to have live music in the "off season." Wouldn't that be nice?
Meanwhile, I'm going through new strings like excrement through a Thanksgiving goose. All this guitar-playing, you know...
And yes, we dressed up on Sunday for the Junction in Port Angeles. Just when it looked like we would be the only revelers, in walked, or should I say creeped, Bill in his outrageous monster costume complete with carved pumpkin and cool blue lights. Jason, from Deadwood Revival, treated us again to his fine singing and guitar-playing and even performed his signature song, "Daisy," with Stephanie on harmonica. When is Barry going to get that podcast thing going?
Then, it was happening again at Dave's Tuesday night jam at the Fairmont in Port Angeles. He really packs 'em in and along with Bill, Stephanie and I did "Long Journey Home" and "Angel from Montgomery." Next time I'm having the pizza, which is the best in town. It's a great time and place to be a guitar player and and a very good deal for audiences around these parts.
Port AngelesOlympic Peninsula[Junction]Port TownsendAjax Cafe
live music
[folk/blues]
[guitar]
[northwest]
[Puget Sound]