Tom and Jeff did a Nashville weekend including a visit to the Grand Ole Opry (Vince Gill) and a concert by Herman’s Hermits, featuring Peter Noone. Peter and the band graciously met us backstage before the show, and we had a great visit. He’s a very warm and humble guy, despite an incredibly successful history […]

Everybody has a favorite concert they attended – especially musicians. Musicians look at things differently from ordinary music lovers. We notice when a performer has a particular problem and overcomes it smoothly. We get it when the sound engineer is not doing his best for a show, and think about the reasons and the motives. […]

New Orleans. N’awlins. Nola. When you think about the music centers of the USA, you might think of Nashville, Memphis, Detroit, LA, NYC. But unless you include New Orleans you are missing maybe the best music town in our great nation. We just returned from a week-long music cruise, the Big Easy Cruise. Music-theme cruises […]

It was so much fun playing for the fireworks show at Indian Land this year. Families. Fireworks. Food. Fahrenheit! Seemed like 100 degrees while we were setting up! It just doesn’t get better than Rockin’ in the USA on Independence Day. We are thankful that we were born in America and that brave men and […]

When I listen to every kind of music on my satellite radio stations (a necessary luxury for musicians) the fly-catcher for me is drums and bass. Think “I Wish” by Stevie Wonder. Drums and bass. Or “Fame” by David Bowie. Drums and bass. Or “Shining Star” by Earth, Wind and Fire. Drums and bass. Drums […]

In 1981 Lou Gramm and Mike Jones of Foreigner wrote a million-seller called “Jukebox Hero”. It’s the story about a kid who couldn’t get into a sold-out concert, but after hearing a great guitar solo from out in the alley, he went out the next day and bought his first guitar with dreams of being […]

Note to live music fans and our wonderful live music venues: The pay that we “working class” musicians earn is NOT for the three or four hours we spend performing for you. We love doing that, especially if guests are engaged and dancing, singing along, sharing the show with us. We would do that for […]

I love my Peavey T60 guitar. It was one of the first 50 of its kind made – I bought it new in 1978 in Missoula, MT – and I have been playing it ever since. Honestly, I have never seen anybody else play one, although many guitar players have asked me about it and […]

Day before the gig, Accuweather said zero chance of rain. Zero. Venue manager texted “looks like a great day for music!” 10:00 am, day of the gig, Accuweather still said no chance of rain. 2:00 pm, they allowed for a possibility of rain, but long after our gig was supposed to be over. 4:00 pm, […]

I enjoy learning rock/pop music history. Here’s a recent tidbit I picked up. Surely you have heard the Van Morrison song “Domino”. I had heard the song a zillion times before I questioned “what’s this song about?” The lyrics are strange: Don’t wanna discuss itThink it’s time for a changeYou may get disgustedStart thinkin’ that […]