What a long strange trip it's been! This past weekend was packed with crispy goodness.
First, the monthly weekend at Doc's with Larry Griffith Band was even more hootin' hollerin' fun than ever. Friday was Veteran's Day, and some of America's Finest were celebrating there, flags & all. My buddy Clint, a 23-year veteran, always calls Doc's to find out when we're there and make a 30 mile drive to come see us.
Semi-interesting note here: Veteran's Day used to be Armistice Day, to mark the anniversary of the ending of WW1 (the "war to end all wars"... too bad that isn't working out). During the tense cold war years, it was changed to Veteran's Day, points out Steven Colbert, because celebrating peace wasn't exactly a high priority at the time. The end of the war was chosen to be the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month, for symbolic reasons. The very last casualty of the war, mere minutes before peace, was killed by a sniper bullet. His name was George Price. True fact, use Google to look it up.
Anyway, Saturday night got much hotter. To start with, it was Doc's 24th Anniversary party. Then the full court of Fried Flamingo Queens (a local chapter of the Sweet Potato Queens) appeared in wigs, tiaras, and feather boas with some serious party attitude. Many of you know Shakin' Sherri and her loyal follower Robert, who has played bass with us at many jams. 
All that was going well enough until we played "Leave Your Hat On". One of the queens (codename Lulu) started doing an appropriate dance that would normally cost good money to watch. The dance floor cleared off as people watched, amazed. This was great stuff, clearly Lulu has a brass pole in her basement to practice with. Then a spiky-haired young woman from elsewhere in the crowd jumped in and joined the dance, and the two of them moved with such talent and gusto it'd make your hairs stand up. At least. So of course, the party is now officially jumpstarted and went straight up from there, until...
About 1:30 AM, a concerned-looking police officer walks swiftly in the door and straight towards the bar. Moments later, we're all advised that there's a bomb threat and we all must peacefully but quickly move outside while they investigate. This isn't my first bomb scare so I take my jacket and car keys out with me, but didn't take time to unplug my instruments. The crowd mills about for a while, and sure enough after maybe 45 minutes we're told they won't be reopening tonight, if you have a tab please come back later in the week and settle it. We had our big International Blues Challenge competition the next day, and all our gear's inside. Oh well, we'll just have to make another trip. The next day, nothing had exploded - it was all a hoax of course, real bombers don't call. The threat had been phoned in from a payphone in Gwinett County someplace where there aren't cameras watching everyone.
So, on to the IBC. We (Larry Griffith Band) played our set, and it felt good, but since I heard great music before and after us my hopes weren't too high. Sometimes I'm glad to be mistaken. After a great set from The Breeze Kings, the results were announced and WE WON the People's Choice ballot! The judges reached a slightly different conclusion, and by a few tenths of a point we were narrowly defeated by Big Robert T and his band. Congrats to guitarist Rick Ware - by coincidence we both teach guitar at Do-Re-Mi in Norcross - have a good time at the international finals in Memphis.
So, on to the current week. Tuesday will be a great night for music, as usual, at The North End Pub. Wednesday, come out to Tavern On The Bridge for a rockin' good time with Andrew Black & The Believers. Thursday and Friday, I'm not playing for some reason. But Saturday, it's gonna be a party at Chip's in Winder with the fabulous Heaven Davis. C'mon out and enjoy the show, buy a CD, have a good ol' roadhouse experience.
Saturday, Nov. 19
Chip's Bar & Grill
w/ Heaven Davis & The Aggrivatin' Papas
655 Patrick Mill RD SW
Winder GA 30680 770-307-2840
web: http://www.chipsbarandgrill.com/main.php4
map: http://www.chipsbarandgrill.com/directions.php4
Tuesdays:
The North End Pub & Grill
5970 Atlanta Hwy (Hwy 9 at McFarland Rd.)
Alpharetta, GA 30004 678-867-6750
8:30-1:00 (but sometimes jams on until closing)
GOOD food, kitchen open until 2AM!
web: http://www.thenorthendga.com
map: http://tinyurl.com/555vg
Super Easy Directions: From the south, come up 400 to McFarland Rd (exit 12B). Loop left across 400 and go until the road Ts into Highway 9 (Atlanta Hwy). You're there. From Gwinnett, come in on Hwy 20, turn south on 400, and go two exits to McFarland and turn right. From other directions, adapt what I just said.
Wednesdays:
Tavern On The Bridge
9775 Medlock Bridge Rd., Suite A.
Duluth, 30097 770-232-1210
Nice room, big floor & stage, pro sound, good food.
Southeast corner of State Bridge Rd. and Medlock Bridge (Hwy 141)
One door south of Stony River.
web: http://www.tavernonthebridge.com
map: http://tinyurl.com/8lp8g
No comments:
Post a Comment