Sunday at the Casino in Sequim

Many thanks to all of you who came out to see us Sunday night at the casino. The band had a great time playing for you, and although we had some trouble with the sound setup, especially in the first set, the crowd didn't hold it against us and danced the evening away. It sure is fun to play with the quintet again. Tom really nailed "Shake, Rattle, and Roll," and his new song, "Help Me." Stephanie wowed the audience as usual with her versions of "Stormy Monday" and "Guilty" among others.

We have many more gigs on the Olympic Peninsula coming up this summer. School is almost out! We're looking forward to the farmers' markets in Port Angeles and Sequim and our first time at the Port Townsend Brewery in August. We'll be at the Ajax Cafe on the 24th of this month and my mouth is already watering. And of course we'll be at the Junction again this Sunday hosting the jam/open mike.

You should check out John Nelson's column in Thursday's Peninsula Daily News to find out about live music on the peninsula.
[Port Angeles][Olympic Peninsula][Junction][Port Townsend][Ajax Cafe]
[live music]

Casino

We're really looking forward to our gig at the Seven Cedars Casino Sunday night. There will be dancing and Bill and Ida have pledged to be there helping us sing "Wagon Wheel." Contrary to what the casino says, we are not funk! Blues and folk would be more like it, thank you very much!
But last Saturday we played the Ajax Cafe in Port Hadlock. For a region with relatively few people and lots of open space, the Olympic Peninsula sure has some fine restaurants, and the Ajax is certainly one of them. Not only is the food great, but there's live music and hats! Yes, even Stephanie and I donned hats that aprticular night, although not altogether voluntarily, as several were thrust upon my head by Maria and her rowdy entourage. What a lively gourp theya re as you can see by the accompanying pics. I had the halibut (for the "halibut") and it sure was tasty. Lots of people were trying the ribs which have not entered my mouth to date. We tried some new songs, including "Jackson" and "Move It On Over" and "Tore Down." Still a bit rough, but the crowd was generous with their applause. It's a fun place and we're there again June24th. Get reservations.

Then there was Thursday night at the Landings in Port Angeles and the open mike with Kim and Jason (Deadwood Revival)and we have more pictures of them, Bill and Stephanie, and Larry on guitar. It was a good that will have to wait for another posting. I'm going to bed!
[Port Angeles][Olympic Peninsula][Junction]

Junction

 
Sunday was Stephanie's birthday celebration at the Junction in Port Angeles, and it was a festive event. As you can see, Ida and Bill were in fine form as were Paul, Gabriel, Bill Jagger and Patrick, all of whom contributed enormously to a great jam. It was one of our best to be sure, and summer on the Olympic Peninsula looms ahead with the prospect of many more great jams/open mikes and live music.

Later this week look for another post about Saturday night's show at the Ajax Cafe in Port Hadlock with more pictures!We just heard that we get to play the Port Townsend Brewery in August and September.

Don't forget to come to the Seven Cedars Casino in Sequim for our show this Sunday starting at 5:30 PM. We'll have the quintet and there will be dancing!
 
[Port Angeles][Olympic Peninsula][Junction]

Live Music on the Olympic Peninsula

Sunday night at the Junction in Port Angeles was full of mostly pleasant surprises. The weather was the more typically gray and cloudy but fairly warm in the early evening. Berry, the resident cat, was inside the bar for most of the night, and most of the "regulars" including Bill and Ida were in attendance and ready to sing and play. Paul, Bill and Ida joined us for "Wagon Wheel" early on and it was so much fun we repeated it later the same night. Bill Jagger was there with his banjo and Stephanie and I accompanied him on "Billy in the Lowground" and "Old Joe Clark."

Later in the evening, Freesound showed up and mentioned that they would like to play a few songs if they could borrow a guitar or two. We gladly came up with a couple guitars and they launched into wonderful versions of "All Along the Watchtower" and "Sitting on the Dock of the Bay." Then Kim and Jason, aka Deadwood Revival, walked in and joined them on vocals and bongos. What a treat! People, including Stephanie and Tina, got up and danced. The crowd really liked it so they played a few more songs, including "Stir It Up." A big part of the excitement at a jam/open mike or any live performance, for that matter, is that each night is different with surprises either in the form of new songs, new performers or even the weather.

We're looking forward to this weekend when we'll be at the Ajax Cafe in Port Hadlock hoping lots of you show up and wear a hat!
[Port Angeles][Olympic Peninsula][Junction][Port Townsend][Ajax Cafe]
[live music]

Rollin' Waters and Jazz in Blume

On Wednesday we went down to the Crazy Fish in Port Angeles and participated in the Jazz Jam hosted by our friends Tracy Blume and the Jazz Express Band. What a treat for us and what a great audience! Tracy really has a great jam going there and everyone has a good time, both musicians and audience. We played three songs: Wagon Wheel, Fine and Mellow, and Stormy Monday. It was another opportunity for us to play with Tom Svornich, Ray Wood, Jim Rosand and Ed Donahue. Ed and Tom also perform on our demo cd, adding great trumpet and drums. One of the nice things about the Olympic Peninsula with its sparse population is the opportunity to play on numerous with musicians of their caliber. They are truly A-list players by any region's standards.
Last night was fun at the Landings where we hosted the jam/open mike for the second week in a row. Many thanks to Stephanie's dad, Bill Tiderman, Patrick, and Paul for playing with us again. Much larger crowd last night, too! Hope to see you all at the Junction on Sunday.
[Port Angeles][Olympic Peninsula][Junction]

Thursday

I forgot to mention in the last post that Rollin' Waters will be at the Landings in Port Angeles Thursday (that's tomorrow) hosting the jam/open mike from eight to eleven. As usual, we'll be at the Junction on Sunday night from 7 to 11.

The Olympic Peninsula has more jams/open mikes per capita than anywhere else in the world. Or, at least it seems that way! At any rate, it sounds assertive, kind of like Stephanie's voice which you will hear if you come on downtown tomorrow night. Hope to see you there.
[Port Angeles][Olympic Peninsula][Junction]

Port Townsend

Did you know Port Townsend has an "uptown?" I didn't. That's odd after living on the Olympic Peninsula for twenty seven years. But up the hill is a very cool little business district with the site of our Saturday night gig last weekend: the Uptown Pub. Parking right on the street in front of this little place we started unloading equipment and noticed raucous laughter and hoots from the fifteen or so pub-crawlers just getting ready to board their bus waiting on the street. Yes, they were wearing matching t-shirts. They were definitely having fun and this was their second to the last stop. Unfortunately, they were gone by the time we started playing and as this was a last minute gig, we played to very few people. But they liked us a lot and we hope to play there again soon...maybe for a happy hour or another pub crawl. And next door is Lanza's, which was packed--the menu looked great and the pizza, which you can order through a curtain at the back of the pub by ringing a small cowbell, was quite good.

Colorful characters at the pub really liked our music and were very encouraging. It's so nice to play for appreciative audiences, even when their numbers are few. Stephanie's powerful voice always gets compliments but this group would have stayed up late for more, or so it seemed. "You don't look like a blues singer, but you sure sound like one," said one guy. Another told we should check the Port Townsent Brew Pub downtown. Haven't found it yet, but we'll get there soon.
[Port Angeles][Olympic Peninsula][Junction][Port Townsend][Uptown Pub]

Landings

Yes, it's true..we are covering the jam at the Landings in Port Angeles for Kim and Jason, aka Deadwood Revival this Thursday and next Thursday. Looks like the weather should be cooperative on the Olympic Peninsula, or at least in Port Angeles for the next few days so we'll try to play some good weather, spring songs. Hmmm....guess we'll find out what that means. Maybe I'll try a gin and tonic and see if Cindy out west at the Junction has any serious competition.

This just in: we are playing at the Uptown Pub in Port Townsend this Saturday from 8:00 PM to 11:00 or so. Never been there before but it sounds like a thrill!

Stephanie and I have been working on new (old) songs, especially the more obscure Bob Dylan selections. If Miles would ever return my cd we could take a shot at the ashtray song-bet nobody knows what I'm talking about. Yes, it's that obscure, even more so than "Wagon Wheel" that should be posted here soon, or at least a clip of it.

Later this month we play the Ajax Cafe in Port Hadlock again. I think it's the 27th but Stephanie will correct me if I'm wrong. Anyway, we hope to see you at the Landings on Thursday, the Uptown Pub on Saturday, and at the Junction on Sunday.
[Port Angeles]
[Olympic Peninsula]
[Junction]
[Port Townsend]
[Uptown Pub]

Junction and Wailers

Without a doubt, Cindy at the Junction in Port Angeles makes the best gin and tonics I've ever tasted on the Olympic Peninsula. Even the ice was good! Last night was a very good night there with Smitty letting me play his new guitar and a new player, Doug, showing us an old Wailers song, "It's You Alone." I'm talking about the Wailers from Tacoma, not those guys from Jamaica, by the way. The author of that song, Ron something, played a show at the Rainbow tavern in Seattle many years ago, but I don't think he ever played with the original group. What a great song but it never became a national hit to my knowledge although it was played locally a lot. I heard one of the originals players now works in Las Vegas in a retro show. We hope Doug comes back next week as he claims to know three sets worth of songs.

The shoe still hangs proudly at the Junction, and I will tell its story soon.

[Port Angeles]
[Olympic Peninsula]
[Wailers]
[Junction]

Finding the Right Volume

Playing live music in a busy restaurant is not without its special challenges. On Saturday we played at the Ajax Cafe near Port Townsend, and the food was good, the place was packed and the tips were generous as usual. However, finding the right volume, which usually isn't a problem when we perform as a duo, was particularly difficult that night. People applauded enthusiastically and seemed to like our sets, but all it seems to take there is for one person to tell a staff member that the volume should come down and we are asked to "turn it down." This happened several times that night until there was almost nothing coming out of the PA. Oh well, people still clapped and smiled and we got paid. So I'll stop complaining and just be grateful. The weather couldn't have been better and when the sun shines anywhere on the Olympic Peninsula, it's a definite treat, and from the tiny stage there you can see the water and trees...all that grandeur.

Then it was back to the Junction in Port Angeles, where volume is rarely a problem and a shoe hangs from the ceiling, but that's another story deserving of an entire post. Bill and Pat were in top form contributing excellent vocals and guitar to such favorites as "For What It's Worth" and "Feelin' Alright." Stephanie's harmony on Bill's version of "Since I Fell" is worth a recording session and we talked about getting that done later this week. We'll see.
[Port Angeles]
[Olympic Peninsula]
[Ajax Cafe]
[Port Townsend]

Ajax Cafe this Weekend

On Saturday, we're at the Ajax Cafe in Port Hadlock--near Port Townsend on the Olympic Peninsula. Excellent food and unusual atmosphere awaits! It's right on the water and now that the days are longer the views are something to see. It's always a thrill playing there.

We had a good time at the food bank benefit on Saturday and Sunday even with my car problems. One of these days I'll have to get a proper musician's vehicle, a van or something larger than my Honda Accord which has lately been stalling at the worst possible times. Many thanks to Waynne for the wrenches on Sunday. And thanks to Dave for bringing the music stand I left to the Junction and for performing with us. Bill and Patrick also put in fine performances on guitar and vocals. Bill continues to rewrite some old favorites with surprising introductions--well, it's better listened to than described here so come down to the Junction on Sunday at seven or eight and you'll hear it.

There's live music in Port Angeles almost every night of the week now. Read John Nelson's column in the Peninsula Daily News on Thursdays and find out when and where.
[Port Angeles]
[olympic peninsula]
[Ajax Cafe]
[Port Townsend]

Port Angeles

Rollin' Waters will be busy in Port Angeles this weekend. On Saturday we help out with John Nelson's Benefit at the Eagles Annex, and as usual, on Sunday we're at the Junction for the open mike/jam. So bring your guitar, hand drums, bass and voice out there at 7:00 PM for some musical fun.

Stephanie worked on our upcoming cd this week making two trips out to Port Townsend to record drums and bass on several tracks. Tom and Todd really play up a storm on "Wagon Wheel" and "Fine and Mellow." Ida and Bill added some nice vocals last week as well. It's so fun to record and make cds. I hope we can record some live cuts out at the Junction in the near future.

Recording

We stayed in Port Angeles this weekend. No trips to Sequim and the Baja like last weekend. Meanwhile, the recording work progresses with Jim Spencer adding some more fire with electric guitar parts to "Wagon Wheel." Now all we need are the drums and bass from Tom and Todd who are scheduled to record their parts later this month. Our next casino date with the larger Rollin' Waters band is June 4th. Can't wait!

As usual, we'll be at the Junction next Sunday starting at 7:00 PM. Bring your instrument and voice and we'll see you there.

Sequim this Weekend

The weekend is almost here and it will be a busy one. Friday and Saturday we perform at the Baja Cantina in Sequim for the first time. We start at 8:30 PM and play until we get tired! We've heard there's often a large crowd on Fridays so you might want to get there early. Then, of course, we are at the Junction in Port Angeles on Sunday starting at 7:00 PM as usual.

Just received some new recording equipment and can't wait to record more with Stephanie. Any day now there should be some audio on this site. How exciting!

Weekend in Port Angeles

Not wandering far from Port Angeles this weekend we played an unusual event in Sequim. Suzanne Arnold's Celebration of Life was held at the John Wayne Marina on Sunday, and we were there to provide music. It was a sad but moving event, and it felt good to be there offering some kind of comfort to friends and relatives. Suzanne was killed tragically in an auto accident on Hurricane Ridge in January. She and her husband had seen some of our shows in Sequim and Port Angeles last summer and liked our music.

Sunday the jam/open mike at the Junction was slow at first but picked up by nine or so as more regulars stepped up to the mike and did their thing. Remarkably, it was nearly smoke free, which is unusual but a very welcome change. Maybe more musicians will attend from now on. We'll see.

Tree House

Thursday we'll be at the Treehouse Lounge in Poulsbo for the second time. Although it's bound to be different every week, the place looks so good (like you're really in a tree) that one can't help but have fun. Not sure what we'll play yet, but probably at least one with some finger pickin'.

Ran into a few problems with the audion posting process. I'll have to get out my trusty mac for the mp3 conversion, looks like. That's alright though, and by Friday the new audio interface for recording could arrive on my doorstep. Then we may just have to do some live recording at the Junction on Sunday nights! Glad to hear that John Nelson is feeling better, and we look forward to his article tomorrow in the Peninsula Daily News.

The pictures from our gig at the Seven Cedars should also arrive soon. Where could they be? I'll have to ask Stephanie about them this afternoon. Busy weekend coming up with a Celebration of Life performance at the John Wayne Marina on Sunday before our jam/open mike at the Junction.

Recording

While last weekend was a little less busy than usual in terms of gigs, it was nonetheless productive in other ways. Stephanie and I recorded "Wagon Wheel," one of our favorites that recently entered our set lists and receives a good reaction, especially at the Junction on Sunday nights. Now I can't wait to give a rough copy to Jim at Strait Music and record another guitar part. Stephanie's harmonica work on this song sounds most appealing. We plan to add it and "Fine and Mellow" to our cd asap. And yes, we're close to posting an audio clip right on this here blog!

We're looking forward to Thursday when we travel to Poulsbo for the second time to play at the "Treehouse Lounge" for their open mike/jam. Getting there early would be wise as they pack them in. Lots of good jammers are sure to be there--just wish it was a little closer to Port Angeles! More later....

Rollin' Waters

The Treehouse Lounge

Last week we were in Poulsbo at the "Treehouse Lounge," and it was a blast. Who knew Poulsbo was such a happening place? You walk up a set of steep outside stairs next to a big, leafless tree, and enter the coolest bar around with skylights, recessed booths, patio and small stage area. But the crowd....jeez...they hooted and hollered for us and the other players. Such enthusiasm and the place was packed to the gills. We're going back soon! We played the following: "Wagon Wheel," "Love Me Like a Man," "Wade in the Water," and "Stormy Monday." Randy Paddock, an ace sax player, helped us out on the last two, as did unamed piano and bongo players.

The Weekend

What a weekend! Saturday at Michael's started out slow, although the dinner was good, as usual. Around 10:30 people started coming in after the symphony auction and they stayed and cheered us on. We're at Michael's again Tuesday for the Children's Hospital Benefit. Good cause so come on downstairs.

On Sunday Jim Spencer, local guitar master, came over to record at my place. I can't wait to finish "Fine and Mellow" in the home studio and post a piece of it here. He really smokes and Stephanie's vocals are amazing. I think you'll like it.

Later that night at the Junction, the house was treated to Kim and Jason, aka Deadwood Revival. We didn't get a chance to join them on stage, but it was as inspiring short set with new songs that turned into a great informal welcome home scene. Ari was there, too, and played some great slide and mandolin. There really will be a pic posted here soon. I promise.