Beatnik Bonanza!

Chelsea Adams brought her real-deal-Daddy-Os out to the Coffee Mill for some beat poetry and jazz.
This town needs more like them. Every town does. The Coffee Mill is ramping up their music schedule, too. So get out and see some music in Radford!

JBs* Work the Room

I like to think we're ready for anything, and we are! We proved it tonight.

The JBs, minus Grand Master of Ceremonies, Mistah Ralph, and the pick hand of Mistah Casey, played for the folks out at Custom Catering.  We did our duty, and got 'em dancin' and of that, I am proud.

He sees you when you're sleeping...

He knows when you're awake...
J.D. Crowe is comin'...toooooo towwwwwnnn!!!!!


March 8th, Christiansburg High School--Don't you dare miss it!!!

Monday Jam

The Monday Jam was on fire tonight. There were just too many pickers. I guess it's a good problem to have. Slash noted favorably that Ralph was back in the saddle. Things get a little frayed without the leader. Got a visit from Fiddler Jim, who's been practicin'! PJ brought some pals from Salem, and hopefully they'll be back. All the usual faces.

No Sloane, but just about everybody else was in the house--like I said, it was so packed you couldn't get a seat in the store, let alone in the jam.

Scott Patrick played me a recording he made with Sammy Shelor and I am GREEN with envy. I'd say he was lucky skunk, but it's just his hard work paying off. Way to go Scott!

My last thought relates to my last post, entitled "Unqualified Success." I'd like to think I'll be honest with y'all when the Side Door eventually bombs, and it's bound to happen. But the last one was really good. I think there was only one guy who had a bad time, and that was a guy who didn't realize it was BYOB and got mad and left when Wayne wouldn't let him in the beer fridge.
Sorry guy! Hope he gives us another chance, but if he don't, oh well...

Check you'z latah!

Don't forget JD Crowe March 8th!

Unqualified Success

Radford was rockin' last night, and swingin' and pickin' and harmonizin' too! The coffee never ran out, the brownies were dynamite, the sound was great, the jammin' went on and on.

First I'll thank the musicians, Scott Fore and Tom and Slash of the Hillbilly Hot Club -- they really added some credibility to this shindig with their great, great set. I have been hooked into gypsy jazz pickin' for a while, and I got my fill last night. I have to say though, that Scott probably got the most raves for his Jerry Reed fingerstyle tune. Blazing fast. Sickeningly clean. And Tom is the Wyatt Rice of the band - a great player who shouldn't be overlooked cause he's sitting next to the fireworks machine.

Wilson and the Wilsonettes gave the crowd some lovely harmony singing, and we hope they'll return soon. Wilson has got a good thing with Liz and Dana--hopefully they'll let us know if the crowd provided them with an official band name.

Wildcard Doug Conner proved to be a really wonderful surprise. Many of us hadn't heard (or heard of) Doug before last night, but he hopped up and fulfilled one of the primary goals of the Side Door Sessions, that is, to have one person armed only with a guitar, get out there and play a couple great songs, to an attentive audience. That's just what he did. We'll see him again.

Dale and the Daletones (aka Due South guys) played a good set, and must be doubly saluted for having the cohones to get up there and follow the Hot Club set.

The JB's and Doublenaught Jethro threw in some surprises, too, to fill out the night, but the X factor that make the whole thing sing was the crowd. The crowd was maybe the best we've had yet. Attentive, lively, and into the music - the Side Door audience is what makes the whole thing go. And it went a long way last night. I know we had a few first timers out last night, and I think they were won over. I know the regulars who were there had a great time.
The Side Door Sessions is community event, so once again, thanks to the community for participating and making the show an unqualified success. The Side Door is about local music so if you've got a set you want to put on, let me know. There's always another show lineup to fill!

Next Side Door Session is April 5th - put it on the calendar with a big red Sharpie.

Silver Threads and Golden Needles

Here's what I think is the original.

And here's another version with Dolly, Loretta, and Tammy Wynette while she was still alive.

Side Door! Side Door! Side Door!

Sounds like...Cubs win! Cubs win! Cubs win!

Friends and neighbors, we hope hope hope that you'll come out to the Side Door at 3rd and Grove in Radford City on Saturday night!

We'll be rockin' and relaxin' and havin' a good time. What more sales pitch do you need?

This time we have:
Songster Doug Conner
Wilson and his Lady Friends
Doublenaught Jethro
Dale Cash and Co
and at the top of the heap...
Winfield champion, Merlefest winner, Galax winner, Wayne Henderson champ...
Scott Fore with his Hillbilly Hot Club.

It's gonna be righteous. (And possibly riotous...)