Our friend Kevin Thomas is presently undergoing rehabilitation following a nasty stroke. Kevin's many friends in the music scene are getting together to play a benefit concert on his behalf at the Ringside Cafe in St. Petersburg. The Blue Island Beer Club will be on stage at 3:30pm on Sunday, March 8 to perform a 30 minute set. There will be lots of good music throughout the day and we hope you will come and see us and the others and help out Kevin. Here is the full schedule:
BENEFIT FOR KEVIN THOMAS
RINGSIDE SUNDAY MARCH 8TH
12 noon to 9 pm
$10 donation
Kevin has been hospitalized for more then three weeks . Bills are piling up. We can all help!! We need everybody to get as many people to this event and contribute.
12:00 PM Introduction jam with Jay Kiernan, Meyer Baron, Jerry Jakala, Scotty Rexroat and Steve Arvey perform New songs "Friends", Guns of Navarone and Pole Dancer.
12:30 PM Mike Jurgenson
1:00 PM John Kelly
1:30 Key of Life
2:00 PM Kevin Holloway, Dennis Wallace, Steve Hagood and John Richard
2:30 Jak Kelly
3:00 PM The Richard Mastry Band
3:30 PM Blue Island Beer Club
4:00 PM Gail Trippsmith
4:30 PM Jim Mason and Al Alvarez
5:00 PM Ronny Elliot
5:30 PM Gladys and Mitch
6:00 PM Leigh and Steve Humes
6:30 Shannon Lolligirl (Kevins Daughter)
7:00 PM Pete Gallager & Pat Barmore & Raiford Starke
7:30 PM The Chicken Chasers
8:00 PM Kirk Adams and Friends
8:30 PM Damon Fowler, Sarasota Slim, Steve Arvey, Jay Kiernan
Blues Blowout
Ringside is located at 2742 4th St N Saint Petersburg, FL 33704
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Saturday, February 7, 2009
Showcase on Sunday, Feb 8
The Blue Island Beer Club is off to the JPF Showcase on Sunday afternoon. We will be playing at the Whistlestop in Safety Harbor with a number of other songwriters who participate in the Just Plain Folks songwriter's forum on the internet (Google for the site).
The fun starts at 1pm and continues until about 4. You will hear mostly original songs from a wide range of JPF members. You just never know who might drop by!
Here we are!
The fun starts at 1pm and continues until about 4. You will hear mostly original songs from a wide range of JPF members. You just never know who might drop by!
Here we are!
Friday, February 6, 2009
BB King & Buddy Guy - Legends in Town
The Blue Island Beer Club braved the Florida cold and played at Beaks on Wednesday night. The shutters around the open area were closed and the radiant heaters were on so it was acceptably warm.
But last night we went to Ruth Eckerd Hall where it is nice and warm to see two smoking hot blues legends, BB and Buddy. Buddy took the stage first with his hot band from Chicago. He is about 72 now but can still sing and play with the best of them. He had no trouble climbing off the stage while playing and walking up the aisle, playing for the people sitting by the aisle, walking out one exit and back in another, all while playing a hot lead with the band. Pretty cool! Buddy played several songs from his catalog as well as some blues classics from his peers. His new song Skin Deep is excellent.
I expected BB to come out and join Buddy's band for a short show but boy was I wrong. During intermission, the set was changed and BBs own blues band took the stage complete with horn section and tuxedos. BB joined them after a warm up song and played and sang for almost two hours. BB is a trifle overweight and sits on a folding chair to perform these days (at 83 who can blame him), but perform he did. He still sounds like BB with his terrific voice and guitar licks that are his alone. He told a lot of stories (perhaps too many), but it was very enjoyable to listen to his humble perspective. It was almost midnight when he closed with The Thrill Is Gone. BB sat on stage and signed guitars and other items for the fans who were near the front of the hall.
A memorable evening. Buddy and BB are off to play at the Grammies this weekend.
But last night we went to Ruth Eckerd Hall where it is nice and warm to see two smoking hot blues legends, BB and Buddy. Buddy took the stage first with his hot band from Chicago. He is about 72 now but can still sing and play with the best of them. He had no trouble climbing off the stage while playing and walking up the aisle, playing for the people sitting by the aisle, walking out one exit and back in another, all while playing a hot lead with the band. Pretty cool! Buddy played several songs from his catalog as well as some blues classics from his peers. His new song Skin Deep is excellent.
I expected BB to come out and join Buddy's band for a short show but boy was I wrong. During intermission, the set was changed and BBs own blues band took the stage complete with horn section and tuxedos. BB joined them after a warm up song and played and sang for almost two hours. BB is a trifle overweight and sits on a folding chair to perform these days (at 83 who can blame him), but perform he did. He still sounds like BB with his terrific voice and guitar licks that are his alone. He told a lot of stories (perhaps too many), but it was very enjoyable to listen to his humble perspective. It was almost midnight when he closed with The Thrill Is Gone. BB sat on stage and signed guitars and other items for the fans who were near the front of the hall.
A memorable evening. Buddy and BB are off to play at the Grammies this weekend.
Monday, February 2, 2009
The Colorado Wave
What's a Colorado Wave, you may ask? It is an internet radio station that features independent music radio shows weekly. The Blue Island Beer Club is Waving this week so check us and a fleet of other indies here:
Colorado Wave
Colorado Wave
Saturday, January 31, 2009
How To Get Inspiration To Write Songs
Songwriters often suffer from writer's block, or just don't feel like writing, or think they have no reason to write anything at the moment! So how do you get past those barriers? Well, one smart songwriter has created a challenge known as FAWM which is intended to do just that.
FAWM stands for February Album Writing Month and if you accept the challenge, you will write 14 songs in February. You can post the songs to the website but there is no prize or pressure. You will just focus on your 14 songs - one every two days or several at a time. You can use notes you have made, hooks you have written down, or other ideas, but no old songs.
Most of us cannot write 14 songs and record them properly in 28 days, but a quickie recording is a good idea so you don't forget the chords and melody. You can go back later and develop and complete each song.
So who's in? Go to the website and sign up. Donations are voluntary and there is no penalty for failure, and maybe you will wind up with an album of new songs by March 1. I am going to try!
FAWM
FAWM stands for February Album Writing Month and if you accept the challenge, you will write 14 songs in February. You can post the songs to the website but there is no prize or pressure. You will just focus on your 14 songs - one every two days or several at a time. You can use notes you have made, hooks you have written down, or other ideas, but no old songs.
Most of us cannot write 14 songs and record them properly in 28 days, but a quickie recording is a good idea so you don't forget the chords and melody. You can go back later and develop and complete each song.
So who's in? Go to the website and sign up. Donations are voluntary and there is no penalty for failure, and maybe you will wind up with an album of new songs by March 1. I am going to try!
FAWM
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Beaks Old Florida Report
Last night we played at Beaks Old Florida along with several other musicians. The hosts were Liz and Jay, known as the Singing Monkeyz. Both Liz and Jay are blessed with great singing voices as well as the talent required to use them. Liz is also a very good guitarist and Jay, who can play the drums, accompanies the duo with a cajon (which is Spanish for box) drum.
Also on the bill were Jerry Jakala, the JPF coordinator for our region, Steve Murr a local semi-professional guitarist/singer songwriter, and Regina Aamacha, a transplant to the area from Delaware. Regina is a new friend of ours discovered by us on MySpace. She is a very good songwriter and performer and keeps everyone entertained with her amusing viewpoints.
There were several other artists present and I will touch on them in a later blog.
The Blue Island Beer Club introduced my new original called Bluesman and played Bruce's original Sailed So Well. We also performed Someday the Sun Won't Shine For You (a Jethro Tull song), Here Comes the Sun, and Man of Constant Sorrow (by the Bluegrass Island Beer Club?).
The Blue Island Beer Club
Also on the bill were Jerry Jakala, the JPF coordinator for our region, Steve Murr a local semi-professional guitarist/singer songwriter, and Regina Aamacha, a transplant to the area from Delaware. Regina is a new friend of ours discovered by us on MySpace. She is a very good songwriter and performer and keeps everyone entertained with her amusing viewpoints.
There were several other artists present and I will touch on them in a later blog.
The Blue Island Beer Club introduced my new original called Bluesman and played Bruce's original Sailed So Well. We also performed Someday the Sun Won't Shine For You (a Jethro Tull song), Here Comes the Sun, and Man of Constant Sorrow (by the Bluegrass Island Beer Club?).
The Blue Island Beer Club
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Cold Weather Wimp.........
Last night's outdoor appearance was great, except it was the coldest day of the year here in Florida and the Eternal Florida Folk and Medicine Show is outdoors! Temperatures dropped close to freezing overnight and were well on the way down when we played from 8 - 9:30 or so. Fortunately, the musicians and the audience were all moved under a solid canopy out of the wind where there were several strategically placed propane heaters. Our set went well and we enjoyed hearing the other musicians. I walked out into the parking lot to tune up and it was Really Cold.
We have missed out on a couple of other gigs recently when it rained. Rain is worse than cold since it will ruin the equipment for sure and the audience is just not going to sit in the rain! (not the smart people who come to see us anyway).
A couple of years ago, I played in another group and we had a 6:30 am gig on a Saturday and Sunday morning to entertain the runners in a marathon race. A cold front passed through and the rain was blowing sideways at about 4 am. I was tempted to roll over and stay in bed, but we ended up going anyway. The rain stopped, but it was cold and windy. We were playing under a small canopy and we tied tarps around the "tent" to keep the wind off. A small propane heater kept our hands warm between songs. Roughly twelve thousand runners heard us each day although they only heard about one song each (except for the stragglers who were within earshot for a longer time).
Weather in Florida is warmer than much of the country but it still presents its challenges!
http://cdbaby.com/cd/blueislandbeerclub
We have missed out on a couple of other gigs recently when it rained. Rain is worse than cold since it will ruin the equipment for sure and the audience is just not going to sit in the rain! (not the smart people who come to see us anyway).
A couple of years ago, I played in another group and we had a 6:30 am gig on a Saturday and Sunday morning to entertain the runners in a marathon race. A cold front passed through and the rain was blowing sideways at about 4 am. I was tempted to roll over and stay in bed, but we ended up going anyway. The rain stopped, but it was cold and windy. We were playing under a small canopy and we tied tarps around the "tent" to keep the wind off. A small propane heater kept our hands warm between songs. Roughly twelve thousand runners heard us each day although they only heard about one song each (except for the stragglers who were within earshot for a longer time).
Weather in Florida is warmer than much of the country but it still presents its challenges!
http://cdbaby.com/cd/blueislandbeerclub
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