Snowgrass, Surgery and a Not So Subtle Winter

Yes, it's still winter on the Olympic Peninsula, and Port Angeles is cold, like the surgeon's knife. Snow threatens and Snowgrass is tonight! It's a benefit for "First Step Families" held each year in the high school auditorium. This year, Deadwood Revival headlines, and Loose Gravel from Forks performs along with other local groups, all in the bluegrass or semi-bluegrass style. It oftens sells out, but there may be a few tickets left at Port Book and News in Port Angeles.

Three of our regulars at the Junction Jam, Johnny Mustang, Rudy Maxion, and Bob Driver, play for the lunch crowd at the now non-profit Roots Coffee House in Port Angeles. They serve fair trade coffee and white clam chowder (wish someone would start serving red around here) along with the usual sandwiches, scones and stuff. But the music was good as one would expect. Ok, it's Saturday and time for guitar lessons.

Guitar Instruction Tip #18: Acoustic Guitar magazine has published a new instruction book worth a look.

Winter on the Olympic Peninsula

Wow! How many times did that particular comment enter my email this morning? After last night's jam at the Junction in Port Angeles most people were at a loss for words, apparently. There was a lot of dancing! And then smiling. And more smiling and dancing. Fun, fun, fun. There was the group of teachers (whose names shall not be mentioned) exuberant over their graduation from a Master's program that found the perfect celebratory location and proceeded to revel with the other revelers. No, you won't pry any details out of me! Check the sidebar for more revelatory images. It certainly is winter with a vengeance as far as the season is concerned, but inside the Junction on Sunday nights it's warm, cozy and cheery like summer at the beach. Did someone mention surf songs? Yes, we have those, too, just didn't get around to them last night. Thanks again to the Dry Creek gang for coming out last night! Oops, that may have been too much detail.
Guitar Instruction Tip #18: Keep using a flatpick and anchor your hand to the pickguard. You're not ready for finger-picking yet so show a little patience.