True spring weather this week on the Olympic Peninsula, and campers, hikers and birdwatchers get ready for Memorial Day Weekend. Port Angeles is a great place for walking when the sun shines and puddles dry up. Outdoor music venues like the Sequim Open Air Market are gearing up for the season, and my old group, Acoustic News, performs there on Saturday. I wouldn't be surprised if they've learned a new song or two. Later on in the summer, Rollin' Waters will perform at the Sequim Concert in the Park, and that will happen on July 3rd. More on that event later. We're getting ready for one of favorite gigs, and that is the Port Townsend Brewing Companing near the marina. We'll have Tom and Todd on drums and acoustic bass for that one. A lively atmosphere awaits all who come there on that Friday starting at 5:00 PM.

That's Bill next to Stephanie in the picture taken at the Junction a few weeks ago. New players show up every week along with our venerable musicians. We're there every Sunday and the gin and tonics (by Cindy) are still the best on the Peninsula!

Live Music is Best

Here you go, George--another good pic of Stephanie from the Junction in Port Angeles at our Sunday night open mike/jam. See the sidebar. And, that's Johnny, of the local band the Lonely H, Miles and Mick in order from left to right in the pic below.

You never know where you'll find good live music beyond the Olympic Peninsula, maybe a street corner in New Orleans, the Open Air Market in Sequim, a rooftop in Port Angeles or a Mexican restaurant in the U-District: Agua Verde as on Monday's trip to Seattle returning Miles to school. There was a duo there (no cover) playing Mexican and Venezuelan songs with guitar, fiddle, drum and Irish harp (not all at the same time, of course.) And they could sing well. Later that night, Mick and I stopped at Connor Byrne's for the weekly Bluegrass jam. Much different than Dave's Tuesday jam at the Fairmont in Port Angeles. No mikes, no amps, and every sat in a circle facing eachother rather than the audience who could barely hear them. And yet, there was lots of clapping at the end of each song from the noisy but interested crowd. I've heard about these bluegrass purists that eschew any kind of amplification. Next time I might talk to them and try to bring them along into the 21st century--they'll probably really appreciate that. Haha...

We're scheduled to play Michael's Divine Dining on March 17th after the Ajax on March 10th. The food is great at both places.