Last Jam at Crazy Fish

A large crowd turned out for what could have been the last Wednesday night jam at the Crazy Fish in Port Angeles. That's Johnny and Eric Whitman from the Lonely H joining Miles(number two son on drums) and me onstage for "Down on the Corner" and "I Shall Be Released," among other songs. Lots of their friends, many home from school for Christmas break, were present to cheer them on. Looks like they're playing tonight at the Tractor Tavern in Seattle. Certainly a highlight of the season for me since both Miles and Mick got up on stage with me to perform, and everyone else seemed to have a good time. Stephen sang expecially well on "Stormy Monday" and "Route 66." This isn't the first time patrons have been heard to comment about how there sure is a lot of musical talent in our neck of the woods. And, not all of them are guitar players! Whatever happens with the Crazy Fish, the music will continue in one venue or another for a long time to come. Speaking of which, the acoustic jam on Sundays at the Junction in Port Angeles continues to thrive. Maybe some of the at-risk tech-savvy youth out there will step up to make a web page for that venue. Would that ruin the "low-tech" atmosphere of the place?

Guitar Instruction Tip #18: So you want to be a rich rock and roll star? Well, listen now to what I say. Practice early in the morning(that means you have to get up!), play every gig offered to you, practice some more, and then strike oil or win the lottery.

Stephanie at the Junction!

Believe your eyes. That is Stephanie last Sunday at the Junction in Port Angeles, and we're performing "Stormy Monday," with Patrick(in the background on lead guitar) and Paul and Joe (off camera) on drums and harmonica respectively. Needless to say, the crowd was tuned in and awed by her voice. We also played along with Dave Secord and Luck of the Draw who also made one of their all too infrequent appearances. Rollin' Waters may play the Ajax in Port Hadlock soon--stay tuned.

The fate of the Crazy Fish in Port Angeles is uncertain, and consequently, so is the Wednesday night jazz/blues/folk/country jam. The owners are trying to sell the business or make some kind of arrangement so the club can stay open. There have been lots of fun nights there over the last four years, many of them on recent Wednesdays at the jam. Last Wednesday, thirteen year old Ashley brought her fiddle and wowed the crowd with solos on "Old Joe Clark" and "You Ain't Goin' Nowhere." Maybe there'll be some good news next week about the future of the "Fish."

Guitar Instruction Tip 17: Keep your guitars--all of them. Never ever give your guitar to a girlfriend/boyfriend/significant other/ex-wife/ex-husband/whatever/. They will sell it and buy a better one every time.

The Unbearable Heaviness of Holidays

I want a dog, plain and simple. But, for now and because of the holiday season crunch, work schedules and the joy of responsibilities, singing about "Old Blue" and playing with the neighborhood canines will have to suffice.

It seems my current musical partners will insist on doing Christmas songs at the jams and upcoming party gigs. This is a new turn of events. In the past none of my partners made such outrageous and difficult musical demands. As a result last night, Rudy and Bill "forced" me to rehearse "The Little St. Nick, Jingle Bell Rock, and Jingle Bells." Actually, "The Little St. Nick" is a Beach Boys song, and therefore at least somewhat enjoyable to play and sing with the background parts and extra unusual chords. Thinking the worst might be over (at least until Friday's sing-along) I settled into the Math lesson this morning only to hear, wafting through the thin classroom wall, the sounds of neighbor teacher Warren leading the fifth graders in Xmas carols. So we paused and sang along since it would have been futile to resist. Ok, maybe it was a little bit enjoyable....

On Sunday we started a little later at the Junction, but the players turned out in good numbers once again and we played until nearly 12:30 AM. This was after our gig at the "Flotation Device" in Gig Harbor where we barely arrived on time having fought the snowstorm that ravaged the region over the weekend. Rudy, who recently moved here from Oakland, CA, was a little nervous about the white stuff, but we told him to consider it an adventure. Peer pressure sometimes works but we did see lots of vehicles in the ditch between Port Angeles and Bremerton.

Saturday, Mike and I played at the Ajax Cafe in Port Hadlock. What a treat! Music, good audience, funny hats on the diners and a halibut dinner, too.

Guitar Instruction Tip #16: Never change your guitar strings right before a performance. The strings will inevitably stretch and you will spend time either tuning or playing out of tune.

Live Music and Dancing in Port Angeles

If you've ever wondered whether people would dance to music played on acoustic guitars and a few voices sans bass and drums, the answer is "Hell yes!" That very question was answered on Sunday night at the Junction between the hours of 7:00 PM and 12:20 AM. We're supposed to stop at 11:00 PM but there were lots of players to get on stage and everyone seemed to be having fun so we went longer. Conventional wisdom dictates that a band must have bass and drums (especially drums) before people will get out on the dance floor. Not necessarily true. The proof is in the pictures. It has happened before, but it still surprises and inspires. The next best thing for a musician is seeing people in the audience singing along with a song that has moved them to vocalize. Nice.



For the second week in a row we had no drums at Crazy Fish, but there were plenty of electric guitars and my borrowed Peavey Classic 30(thanks Strait Music). Rudy, as always shined on bass and he's starting to sing more with fine harmonies. Kelly was missing in action but will be back next week. Dan, from Rate Limiting Step, and Mike from the Soul Shakers, once again sparkled on electric blues, drums or no drums. Patrick played lick after tasty lick on my Strat and voiced good reviews for the Classic 30. I must admit it took several songs for Stephen and I to find a groove in the first set, but his vocal on Route 66 perked up the crowd. Hope to see you all at the jam at the Junction on Sunday.

Rain on the Olympic Peninsula

The rain is returning to the Olympic Peninsula this week. It never leaves for very long, however. The streets are wet and skies are gray. Normal. Election day has passed, and apparently few bothered to vote, and Jefferson County had more voters than Clallam County. Why is that? Different worlds in some ways except when it comes to music. A lot of musicians travel and perform between the two counties even though the rural miles are long, especially during the frequent rainy nights.

Here in Port Angeles Sunday night at the Junction got a boost from Cindy and Mike of the Soul Shakers when they revved up the crowd with rockin' blues. Even without electric guitars! In fact, the vocals were right up front where they belong. Very cool. Check the sidebar for pics of Phyllis and John who also lifted our spirits on another musical night at the Junction.

Last night at the Crazy Fish was really fun. Kelly wowed the large crowd with new songs and Dan Lieberman accompanied on my Stratocaster while Marty added harmonica. Cory was in fine form wth Rudy and Patrick playing the blues. Bill never fails to bring the dancers to their feet with his classic version of the Wanderer. Back in New Jersey, Dion is proud of you, Bill. Stephen added some jazz classics including Route 66 and Wonderful World. Teachers and firefighters-each out of uniform-made up much of the lively crowd.

Port Angeles Halloween at the Junction

John Nelson calls it the "Six Days of Halloween." That because most, if not all, of the live music venues in Port Angeles are doing something for the Halloween season. I won't be hosting on Halloween itself (Wednesday) since the Crazy Fish will have some other band that night, but on Sunday scary folks indeed will come out to the Junction. There are many pictures of helpless victims in the clutches of Vampire Stephanie, but this is one of my favorites from last year. Bill is a huge fan of Halloween, and guests can expect his all out performance this Sunday.

Speaking of performances, Rusty was in top form last Sunday, and she sure makes my guitar sound and look good! Jimmy Hoffman also put in fine performances of some of his favorites, including the tribute to our friend Lawrence, but also helped us out on "Aimee" and several other standards. See the sidebar for one pic of him.

Blow up your TV and come on out to the Junction this Sunday! Trick or treat.

Port Angeles--Jam City Two

George sang played especially well this last Sunday at the Junction, and that's Johnny Mustang to his left in the pic. There was music just about everywhere in Port Angeles last weekend with the Crabfest and all the usual venues with live music. For some reason the Crabfest features mostly out-of-town acts. Lots of folk singers and Irish types. But most people came for the crab anyway. Joe and I had hot dogs made deliciously by Cindy at the Junction. Sometimes a hot dog really hits the spot after a night of live music. Paul is trying hard to have his drums ready for next week and this Wednesday at the Crazyfish. It's almost for sure that Ed Donahue will bring his horn and knock your socks off once again.

Mike and I are at the Ajax in Port Hadlock Saturday evening for our debut performance. Yes, we've been practicing! We'll do new material as well as some of the Rollin'Waters favorites.

Guitar Instruction Tip #15: Practice chords, not just melody. You won't get to solo all the time or even half of the time. Develop a good rhythm technique or else!

Fall and Spider Season is Here

Have you noticed how many spiders are around these days and did you know that spider silk or "gossamer" is one of the strongest materials? Well, now you do. There must be some good songs about spiders and if so, we should start playing them at the Juncton or Crazy Fish soon. I am trying to add a pic to this post but there seems to be some problem tonight. So, the pic may have to be loaded later in the edit mode. There's a whole bunch of new songs (actually old songs) to work on this week. I hope to have "Big Boss Man" ready to perform, if not tomorrow, then next week. We've been thinking up some cool ideas for "theme" nights at the Junction. Hmmm...I wonder if there are any Betty Page look-alikes on the Peninsula...

Guitar Instruction Tip #14: Find a song you like and practice singing it while playing. Don't wait twenty years to try this because you think you have no voice for singing. If nothing else, you'll learn more quickly how to accompany another singer(or yourself) which is what you'll be asked to do more often than not when playing in a band.

Jam City on the Peninsula

Bill's birthday....tonight! You bet we'll sing, and the plan was to have a room full of dancing girls to help him celebrate, but most likely that won't happen this year. Still, we'll have a terrific jam like last week as you can see from Patrick's smiling face (I think he was dancing with that girl from Retroville in Port Angeles). I think Vicki is baking Bill's cake as I type this entry. Yummm.

Yes, school has started and I, along with the other ruler-packin' disciplinarians are back at it in full swing. That doesn't mean there's less music jammin' and open mikin' on the Peninsula, expecially in Port Angeles and Sequim. Quite the contrary, in fact. Why, it's truly "jam city" these days on the North Olympic Peninsula, and the talent keeps showing up at the Junction, the Baja and Crazy Fish, to name but a few of the local live music spots. Had a chance to jam with Blackbird and a dobro-playing guy from Texas last night. Sidney and Noel can really belt out the harmonies. At times I thought we were channeling Crosby, Stills and Nash. Very fun evening. Cary plays a mean harmonica, too, and plans to join us for a Junction jam soon.

Guitar Instruction Tip #13: If you are an acoustic player and don't have a capo, buy one now (that means today).

Port Angeles Electric Jam and Open Mike

Not very often, but every now and then we open up the jam/open mike to electrict instruments. And so it shall be this Sunday at the Junction in Port Angeles as Joe (pictured left) helps me host from Seven to Eleven. Of course there will be acoustic instruments including a banjo! Can't wait to try "Wagon Wheel" with a banjo.

Patrick joined me at Strait Music after my guitar lessons today to work up a few more acoustic songs for upcoming jams. Did you know he sings, too? I don't think most people know that!

Still working on the "poster" and it's slow going. With all those pics from the last several years I'm determined to get a finished product soon. In the meantime, rough drafts will have to do. If anyone knows of a good program to make posters please let me know.

Guitar Instruction Tip #12: Use a hard or medium flatpick. You'll get more volume and a better tone.

Almost Over

Rollin' Waters plays the Clallam County Fair this Sunday at 5:00 PM, and then we're at the Junction from 7:00 to 11:00 PM. Weather forecasts are not the best, but balmy weather is the norm at fair time in Port Angeles. The music, food, rides....sounds like summer!

Guitar lesson tip #11: Record yourself and listen critically. There's no excuse because cassette recorders (presuming you won't spring for digital software or hard disk recorders) are very cheap these days.

Summer Vacation at the Junction in Port Angeles

So, we sat around after the jam/open mike and played more songs, drank a little more beer, and told some stories. Once again a good mix of regulars, local musicians and people on vacation filled the Junction in Port Angeles, and everyone seemed to have lots of fun. Rudy, a relative newcomer and transplant from Oakland, California, played terrific bass, and Bill Harper, longtime Port Angeles musician, found his way to the jam for the first time and promised to return. Many thanks to Bill Tiderman for helping host again and to Cindy who appropriately wore her "police" baseball cap.
With all the recent good weather and wealth of music and musicians and audiences, one is reminded why people like to visit our Olympic Peninsula. Well, at least those are some of the reasons!
Guitar Instruction Tip #10: When you're having trouble playing a familiar melody, try singing it first. Sometimes that will help make sense of the phrasing and rhythm.

August

There's something about changing strings on my guitar that is almost inspirational, smoothing the way to learn new songs, try out new licks and play in front of people again. It's been a while since the last post, but Rollin' Waters carries on with another open mike/jam this Sunday at the Junction in Port Angeles, and it's acoustic so bring acoustic guitars, for crying out loud. Cindy's back and she can still make the best gin and tonics. Many thanks to our loyal jammers, Junction patrons, and new talents who make the jam the best on the Peninsula. Hope to see you there.
Guitar Instruction Tip #9: Change your guitar strings often depending on how much you play. Once a year is not enough for anyone!

Back in Sequim

Rollin' Waters is back in Sequim this evening for the the "Concert in the Park." The music starts at 6:00 PM, and continues until 8:00 PM, and we'll be joined by superb bassist, Todd Fisher from Port Townsend. It's our first time "in the park," so join us for the event, and maybe the weather will cooperate. Cindy's birthday at the Junction provided a good reason for a party celebration, and Phyllis and Melanie did a great job decorating the place - in pink! Lots of jammers have been joining us on Sundays and it's been lots of fun playing well beyond our official ending time of 11:00 PM. Last weekend we had one busy Saturday with performances at the Sequim Open Air Market and then at the Port Townsend Brewing Company for their tenth anniversary party. Many thanks to Tim and the guys in "Lucious Clay" for letting us use their fine PA equipment. I'm envious!

Guitar Instruction Tip #8: Use your wrist when playing chords as well as single notes and you'll get a better tone (except when you want to be unusually loud). Watch Eric Clapton in the "Rolling Stones Circus" and you'll see what I mean.

School's Out

School's out! Now there's time to work on new songs and arrangements--yeah. The Junction in Port Angeles fires up every Sunday starting at 7:00 PM, the weather gets better, and Rollin' Waters gets busy this weekend. On Saturday we're at the Sequim Open Air Market starting at 11:00 AM. Later that same day we play at the Port Townsend Brewing Company starting at 5:00 PM. Weather permitting it should be a fun and lively outdoor show. That's Joe, Johnny and Stephanie playing one of the standards at the Junction jam/open mike.

Guitar Lesson Tip #7: Learn to sight read the basic notes in standard notation on all six strings. It will help you develop discipline for practice and give you an advantage for learning unfamiliar songs. Tab won't always do the job.

Rollin' Waters Plays Port Townsend and the Junction

Another busy weekend saw us in Port Townsend at the Port Townsend Brewing Company Friday night and at the Junction for our weekly open mike/jam on Sunday night. Playing with Tom and Todd on drums and bass is always a thrill for me, and we had a particularly lively jam on "For What It's Worth" complete with drum and bass solos! Those guys are good--no wonder they are in demand and perform so often. Although it was a little windy and cool(this time we played outside), the crowd stuck with us and we're looking forward to the next show at the PT Brewing Co. on June 30th, for their anniversary celebration. We need more of our regular jammers and any new musicians/spectators to join us on Sunday nights at the Junction in Port Angeles. You can perform solo our with us or another group and have a lot of fun. Lately, people have begun dancing again! It must be the approach of summer with its smells of barbecue and new flowers that's making the crowd frisky enough to start dancing again.

"Take Me to the River" is arranged, practiced and ready to perform, and Stephanie sounds great singing it. You'll want hear our version so get out there.

Guitar Lesson Tip #6: Hunch over the guitar when practicing and don't rest your left arm on your leg.

Sequim Open Air Market

So Rollin' Waters was supposed to play the Sequim Open Air Market on Saturday, but it's going to be Luck of the Draw with me, Barry, instead. Yes, we will play some new songs, some familiar RW and LD songs and certainly some jokes by Dave. And, on Sunday, Bill and I hold down the fort at the Junction in Port Angeles with promises by many local musicians of their participation. Sounds promising! Oh yeah, the Juan de Fuca Festival is this weekend but we're not playing there.

Guitar instruction tip #5: Cut the nails short on your fretting hand...Girls and women, this means you!

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!

Musicians Like a Busy Schedule...Oh Yes!

Wow! The sun is shining on the Olympic Peninsula with new leaves and flowers lining the streets of Port Angeles. What a great weekend for Rollin' Waters! We were so busy the time disappeared so that it didn't seem like the weekend even happened. Friday a large crowd greeted us in Port Townsend at the Port Townsend Brewing Company, and after adjusting the sound a few times we were able to sing and play for three sets, standing most of the time. We took pictures of the audience which is something not done before, at least by us, and we'll put some on the blog soon. We're looking forward to our next show there on June 1st.

Then on Saturday, we were at the Ajax Cafe in Port Hadlock where the food is outstanding and the atmosphere is loud and raucous, complete with birthday parties and other celebrations. It has a particularly nice location, too, right on the water with boats, docks and old buildings that compliment the view.

As usual, on Sunday we were back at the Junction where a lively crowd of regulars players and listeners joined us for the jam/open mike. Bill and Rick did a fine job on several Beatles songs including "Nowhere Man." I joined them for "Norwegian Wood," one of my favorites, and there was harmony! Cool. Sure, my fingers are a little sore, but that's not a bad thing by a long shot.

Guitar lesson tip #4: Keep the fingernails on your left hand (or whichever hand you use to fret) short so you can use the tips of your fingers and get the note or chord to shine.

Guitars or Cars

There was a rule, and it was broken: Spend less money on cars and use the savings for more guitars, amps, etc. Sure enough, as soon as the more expensive car is purchased Marty at Strait Music presents a new Martin 00018 style guitar with the most beautiful custom hardshell case imaginable. There must be a solution to this latest dilemma. Too late? Maybe. But when it comes to desirable guitars, there's always hope.

Guitar lesson tip #3: Support your guitar with your right leg (if you're right-handed). You'll look silly using your left leg and your playing will suffer.