MUMBO JUMBO – July 2012
GOOD MORNING FROM BEAUTIFUL NEWPORT, RHODE ISLAND!!
After taking a month off from performing I combined some work with pleasure by playing solo yesterday at Hanson’s Pub in Wakefield, and was pleased that my fingers still worked and I remembered most of the words! I even garnered the courage to play a new tune for the first time in public, which is always frightening! “Any Old Town in New England” is something I wrote earlier this month and it was pretty well received. Of course, I didn’t have the guts to debut it anywhere but here in the region I wrote it about! It’s kind of the New England version of Randy Newman’s,”I Love LA.”
I met my friend Tom Weaver here in Newport to take in the America’s cup races. Eight teams sailing super high tech 45 ft. catamarans with fixed wing sails, on a tight course in the harbor, where about 10,000 spectators could actually watch the action! Perfect weather and a great weekend.
I can’t let this issue go by without mentioning The Beach Boys’ 50th anniversary reunion concert I saw in Boston last week. As a child of the 60’s and 70’s living through long winters, I grew up with this amazing band of summer and have seen them a dozen times over the past 35 years, but maybe only once when genius composer Brian Wilson was with the band. For decades he and the rest of the group have been mired in court battles and have not performed together, but this year they put their differences aside to do a world tour.
Knowing they are all around 70 years of age and seeing their brutal tour schedule online, I was expecting a fairly short show and didn’t know what the energy level might be. However, I was pleasantly shocked when they came out and absolutely rocked the place for 2 1/2 hours!!! Rockers, ballads, old songs, new songs, the band was fantastic and the complex vocal harmonies were impeccable! My friend Kara, who grew up in the music business and had also seen them dozens of times, was also completely blown away!
I was thinking the next day while listening to their new CD, “That’s Why God Made the Radio,” had my enthusiasm gotten the best of me or was this show really that great? I went online to read the review in the Boston Globe and it was glowing!
I walked out feeling 20 years younger, and a week later I still feel 19 years younger!
BACK TO WORK, MARTHA’S VINEYARD TO MADISON!!!
On July 5, guitarist extraordinaire, Dave Edmisten, rejoins me to play two shows on Martha’s Vineyard, at Flatbread (formerly the legendary Hot Tin Roof) and then places west. I realize some of you may be saying, “Oh you poor thing, you have to go play on one of most beautiful islands in the world!” GUILTY as CHARGED!! I love it out there!
From there we head to western New York, Ohio, Illinois, Iowa, Wisconsin and Minnesota. A highlight of the tour will be playing at the Key West Fest in Madison, Wisconsin, with drummer Matt Thompson and Madison fiddle player Kenny Eiser!!
JULY SCHEDULE
July 5 – Flatbread; Martha’s Vineyard, MA
July 6 – Flatbread; Martha’s Vineyard, MA
July 12 – Gin Mill; Ellicottville, NY
July 14 – Gordy’s; Westerville, OH
July 15 – Key West Fest; Madison, WI
July 16 – Gus’ Food & Spirits; Coralville, IA
July 17 – House Concert; New Hope, MN
July 18 – Private Event; MN
July 19 – Cabana Charley’s; Woodridge, IL
July 20 – Diamond Jo Casino; Dubuque, IA
July 21 – Giovanni’s; Rockford, IL
July 22 – Skyview Lodge; Presque Isle, WI
PETER MAYER/SCOTT KIRBY TOUR SLATED FOR SEPTEMBER 21-29!
I’m really excited to announce that Pete and I have cleared our schedules to do a tour together, beginning September 21 in New Hampshire, and finishing September 29 in Manassas, Virginia. Details will emerge in the next few weeks so stay tuned!
THE SMOKIN’ TUNA MAKES THIS MONTH’S WHISKEY ADVOCATE MAGAZINE!!!
Thanks to my friend John Hansell for turning me on to some great whiskeys and getting us in his fabulous magazine !!!
See you on the road, see you at The Tuna and thanks for listening!!
Scott
Copyright Scott Kirby 2012. All rights reserved. www.scottkirby.com
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