Welcome to the online home of guitarist/bassist/song writer/producer Nick Bisanz.

NEWS
11/16/08- Within the next couple of months I will be re-vamping the site, amongst other things.Re-formatting so to speak. Same address, but different server and lay out. Check back for updates. Time to freshen things up for 2009!

I brought this page back from the redundant and will be including little blogs/rants and in detail news of my mildly amusing yet amazingly pedestrian exisistence.

10/11/08-Went to open mic with Geo a couple days ago. patty Irish was in attendance and the aroma of sweet nadir was replaced by the stench of spoiled Fluff....But it felt so good to play after the near disaster of almost losing my finger tip. Got my finger caught on the strings a couple of times but the bandage protected from any damage. A few social mutants(rednecks) gave us some shit but that is to be expected from the great unwashed. Maurizio faced the hostile cross bred gene pool with great aplomb and also paid me a nice compliment. You should check him out if you get a chance. A nice guy and solid performer.Tomorrow is the benefit for BJ Dessingue at Positively 4th. St. in Troy. We go on at 2pm. and this one should be fun. Thank goodness I have monday off!!!

10/08/08-medical update..been a week since I damn near lost part of my ring finger on my right hand. my stitches should come out today,at least I hope..gonna try to play bass later today for the first time in a week. started getting depressed yesterday,my whole playing routine has been shot, and I really miss the consistency. as my old man said once to me,"the guitar has been a blessing and a curse to you.while it has given you great joy and opprotunity,it is also a crutch to withdraw to and hide away from difficulties". Dale is a smart man!

10/05/08-A minimalist update, in no particular order. Finger tip sliced in half by malfunctioning window at day job....A wedding gig more like a wake...Mets(enough said)..E-mail from old bassist and roommate Mark Hawksley... Mark introduced me to a lot of crazy stuff, and I appreciate that,especially turning me on to the band LOVE and just different ways of exisisting outside the 'norm" in this world.
Gotta love Mysterio!...Lot's of lessons....Football!!!...Terrified by the thought of a McCain-Palin administration...Still trying to figure out Facebook....

08/31/08-Summer,we hardly knew ye..This one blew by fast, but I guess when you are working all the time that can happen. Outside of the day job,gigs and lessons kept things busy,and for that I am thankful. For the summer school gig, I got to do a weekly music class, which was great,the kids were really into it and I had a blast! My sub genres of rock n roll lecture was a big hit-lol. They were stoic as they waited for me to start musical chairs. Between Georgie,Doc,and some fill-ins the gigs were pretty steady. Lot's of party's and last minute things, but work is work. A couple of Saratoga shots,one a wedding, were fun. The Clarkstock affair marked kenny's "last" official gig with G and the K's. Lord of the Quads!!! did some open mic's with Geo.Pat Irish was also in attendance at some of these and we got to play a bunch this summer. Doc kept things active with the blues band,finishing up yesterday with a very cool gig at the Vermont Garilc fest. The band sounded really good and I am getting the hang of the 'front man" thing. It's good to step out of the sidemouse comfort zone . Had some fill ins with CJ Vibes, thanks to Chris and Jeff for those. Geo was in tow and we had a good time.Also had some fun laying down some tracks for a studio project being done by my old buddy Mike Dunlop. I will post one of them soon.So big thanks to Geo,Pat,Doc & The blues guys,Gary 7,DJB, My Kenezuela,Chris,Rob,Mike,my guitar students(and their parents),and anyone else I may have forgot. Let's go Mets!!

08/27/08-For any of you who read this section--on Sept.21st there will be a benefit for B.J. Dessingue at Pos.4th st. in Troy. B.J. is a local musician and friend who has been stricken by some very serious and threatening health issues. And as we all can imagine, the medical treatments and care are astronomical. There wil be a slew of local musicians and bands there to play some music and raise some money and have some good ol' fashion debauched fun(as B.J. would want it). Me and Geo will be doing some tunes as well as Rant n Rave and a host of others. I will update the lineup as I get more details. This is a good cause and it should be a really good event--not stuffy at all, so keep the sunday free and help out B.J. and have a good time to boot.

7/19/08-Pretty busy with gigs,giving lessons, and the summer school day job...Did Saratoga last thursday. Originally a fill in for myself, one thing lead to another and I got Geo to do the gig as well to help out Chris so he would not lose a good Saratoga gig. Plus, it was a good chance to get up there and poke around. Anyway, it was 'dog friendly" night at this place. A back deck bar filled with dog's. They were all up on the stage and I was on leg lifting patrol. Geo puts his water down ,then yells a minute later as 3 dogs are drinking it!! We got through the show and Chris took good care of us. I love doing Saratoga. Best place to gig around here. g and the K's head to Yanni's this friday, rumor has it that it may be "white jean night". We shall see. Up with the blues band in Hoosic on saturday...

6/7/08-A few bullets to bite on......The Blues band gig on my birthday was a bit of work ,but fun was had by the crowd(which is all that really matter).We made a killing in the tip jar!!Never knew a horn section could be rock stars. ........Went to open mic with Geo. Pat I rish attended as we took in the sweet nadir of a young lady's birthday party. Geo and I, Pat and I, and then all three of us played until Simple theory showed up at 10:40 to play. It was a rip to play with Pat and Geo and it was pretty good.Man did I play a lot.We did not get eaten alive...Did the last Elbo happy hour gig of the season to a way sparse crowd.DJB was on the kit and no problems at all. Me and Georgie's new guitars really helped the sound of the band. Got a duo with Geo at the Garden Grill on friday night and some block party with the komrades this weeknd as well. Thanks to all who made my Birthday week a real special one. You guys and gals rule!!!

5/26/08-Headed down to Athens with Geo to do a Yanni's gig. Small crowd,dinner hour gig. We started out real mellow, and we were still too loud--lol. though we were gonna have to mime the gig.Anyway,my old friend Bob Labarge threatend to come to the gig with Dave Rutherford. I go back over 20 years with these guys, even longer with Bob. Bob was one of my first "band" buddys and we have been tight since high school. Dave and Bob were also in Alternate Route with me from back in the college days. Anyway, they came to the gig. And I gotta tell ya, I don't think those guys have seen me play in about 13 years. Since the Dante and the Dream lovers days, with me, dave , and Russ before I moved up here. Anyway, it was a little trippy and nostalgic to see those guys at the gig, specially since I am on bass. We had some good yuks, Bob regaled Georgie with tales of Mick Rock's younger days---thanks Bob, I would be 45 pounds without you!! DJB was on the gig and it was good to see him. Dave sat in on "Surrender" with me and Geo, and a good time was had by all.
Saturday-Did a golf dinner/country club thing with the blues badn up in Vermont. Typical banquet function. Long story short, after much confusion regarding start time and what we were going to play--we are not a dinner band. It's a big band r&b,blues,rock show.They asked for dinner music and I almost got sent out there to do a solo on guitar, which I was real reluctant to do but would have took it for the team. The problem being, I know all those dinner ,mellow songs on bass and guitar, but since I don't sing them, I don't know the words.Anyway--we did the gig, and the band sounded great. The best yet. Just smooth and in control. Well, little did we know that these people played 36 holes of golf and other festivities and by the end of dinner, they were in no mood to dance. We ended up playing a set and a half. I sure the hell would not go dancing and be into a band after 10 hours of drinking and golf.The ride back was a nightmare. I got stuck in the middle of the truck between Bill and Jim,riding through the back roads of border towns of NY/Vt.,freezing my ass off while those two smoked the nastiest cigars. I HATE CIGARS!!! It smelled like a changing room out side the troture cell at Guantanamo Bay in there. Good god, Fidel's Castro's sock smelled better.Live and learn. Next week, I ride on my own..

5/20/08 The happy recap......Got a call from Geo, wanted to know if I could do the new Scotland Ave. spring fling/civic event raindate with him. A nice morning and the Mayor and other local politicos were there as well as the neighborhood committe. Not a cash deal, but, did get some nice schwag including gift cards from mobil,dunkin donuts,the liquor store and flower shop. Goods for services. Did a high school reunion for the class of 1958 at a local private school. A very cush gig. Wandered into a remarkably clean locker room to change for the gig.The aroma was amazing. I was giddy. Realized that it was the ladies locker room. No one was around so no harm, but that was the cleanest facility ever!!!!The band sounded really slick and pro, and the geddy jazz bass sounded great. kenezuela also confessed to being a dollar store pantyhose guy...Oh my kenezuela also got in a very hushed quad during the gig. Geo endured our Mets deluge like a true fan of a last place team..But ups to geo, he hooked me up this last week, thanks bro..this update brought to you buy Stieneken, the official beer of summer.

Double dipping this weekend.Friday at Yanni's 3 with Geo and DJB on the kit. Supposed to be outside so I hope it warms up. On the water with this chill would be most uncomfortable.Saturday,i head up to Bennington Vt.( a new state to add to the gig list) to do a private function at the Bennignton Country club with the Netherwood Blues Band.Doc has been working us hard..That is one driven guy. I admire that.

5/11/08-In a nutshell..The Elbo room gig was blah. A light but enthusiastic turn out. Much laughter in the air which set the table for the Bas mitzvah we played. That was a nice event. Nice crowd, good food, done by 6. Excellent. Kenny and I tortured Geo with are doom and gloom Mets obsession. Had to take the series fromf the Reds or the season is over. Played are real cool version of Hava Nagila and Fly me to the moon. Had a lot of good ideas on saturday.Shared a lot of them with Geo which kept him laughing. And Kenny...Oh my Kenezuela the "Lord of the Quads"!!! He gave me a lesson on Bernard Purdy..Who knew? All in all, a very good time with the boys and lots of laughs and tunes. And, to cap it off, went up to PArkway today and traded in the hybrid bass for a Fender Jazz Bass Geddy Lee model. Commence laughter. Even though I am not a big Rush fan, I read up on this bass and the neck is slim as per Geddy's specs, thus making it dealable on my guitar hands. After the Mustang for the last year-I could not make a huge jump on a regular scale bass. Anyway, played the bass, and it was perfect. The action, everything. The neck is forgiving so it won't take too long to get back into full scale shape. And it just sounds ferocious. this thing is really versatile. MAde my crappy 15' rehearsal speaker sound really good with minimal tweaking. The blues guys raved about it. Said it changed the whole sound of the band--for the better. Thanks guys.

4/27/08-Here is a quick update of goings on..Last night,Geo hosted the talent show at his school.Also on the bill was the debut of his son's James band. I happen to be James guitar instructor as well. geo asked if I could help backstage and I also wanted to see Jimbo's debut. I wish my first gig at age 17 was as good as those kids last night--and they are barely 13!! the kids were great! James rocked the place with his guitar work on "Paranoid"(which I don't want hear again for a while as we have been working on it for months in the lessons). Gotta admit I got a little choked up watchin Jimbo. I was very proud.He is a great student and a good kid! I was also impressed with how gracious he was after their slot with the accolades they recieved. Thursday,Geo did the Black Bear again and myself and Patty Irish were in tow. Geo and I did a short set that was actually pretty good.We debuted "who'll be the next in line" and it was great. I took the lead vocal and it looks like this will be yet another addition from the Kinks to our setlist. I honestly believe Geo and I play more Kinks songs than any other cover band around.Which is fine by me.Then Pat joined me and the I-man was on fire. taking bass solos,calling out songs,and just really entertaining.He got the house rocking when we did US Blues. Big fun with Pat and he was really on it last thursday. A steady stream of gigs, and rehearsals with the blues band for some future shows will be keeping me busy for a while.Looking forward to a bunch of gigs with Kenezulea at the throne and all the upcoming gigs are on bass for me so that will be a nice switch from the stretch of acoustic gigs we have been doing.

4/10/08-A brief update. March was busy..Muscled through the St.Pats and March rushof gigs and lessons with various illnesses. Damn cold and flu season. Geo and I did a bunch of duo's and manged to eek in a couple of trio's gig with DJB and Kenny respectively. Had a great gig with the Netherwood Blues Band up in Hoosick. Nice place, big crowd, and we are going back there on my birthday for another gig.Also managed to get a Mavens jam in with Pat and Mike a week ago .Pat and I gave the upstanding patrons of the Black Bear a little dose of our original's. A ol' fashioned western gun fight featuring the I-man and Dante vs. the bandido's of Waterviliet. Tall Mary forfeited.......Looking forward to returning to The Kilcar. It's been a while that we drove anywhere for a gig and a nice spring night at the Kilcar is always good for comedy....

3/14/08-What a great time to get an abcessed wisdom tooth. No fear--The show goes on. Thank god for anti-biotics and loritab. Today we are at The Elbow Room for happy hour. Sunday Georgie and I hit the grill for a noon time St. Pats deal and then on St. Pats day we are at the tap room. Next saturday the Netherwood Blues Band hits Carmodys west for a evening show. It will mark the debut of the horn section and the band is sounding big!LAsst night was open mic at the Black Bear in Waterviliet. Patty Irish joined us at the wild west show. Got to witness some real skank dancing in front of us while we played. Not sexy at all. And why are people so fixated on hearing Lynyrd Skynrd? I was never a big fan of them, plus you can here that shit ad naueseum on the radio. If I never get a request for Sweet home Alabama and Simple Man again I would be very happy. Lowest common denominator fluff.Geo and I tore down in a record 6 minutes. Pat joined us for If you could read my Mind--and he was great. Also, PAt and I turned in a good rendition of the O'Jays Love train.

1/20/08-The Return of Kenezulea,My anniversary,and a great gig......We (G & the K's) did the Elbow room happy hour last friday. This marked Kenny's return to the fold and my 3 year anny with the Komrades. Kenny asked me right off the bat why I was not blogging and if i would blog this gig. I told him the blogs will be few and far but for him I would do it. And I am glad he asked. The place was packed. A bunch of my co-workers were there and the Clarkstock crew and Tommy Wiley and Jodie,Kimmy, and kenny's pal Mel(very cool dude) had some people, oh, and BillH. and Jenn showed up and Kevy and Jerry..Anyway,we were all pumped by just being able toplay together again and the full room. I knew from the first song this was gonna be special. Kenny roared out of the gate..And he was ferocious. It was like having your most comfy blanket. Geo picked a really good,upbeat,rocking set.We opened with Revolution and I knew were onto good stuff. The crowd was really digging it and the 3 of us were sweating up good mid-set. A sure sign of a good show. We were loud yet under control and super tight and focused. At one point at looked at My Kenezuela and thought he might of had a tear in his eye. He confirmed he did. I love Kenny..He just has the the thunder soul. We breaked and a bunch of co-workers really swelled my head with some nice compliments. Lot's of good vibes in the room. Original Komrade Tommy Wiley joined us in the second set for a couple of numbers and Jeff Clark blew some trumpet as well. Really good stuff and a pleasure to have Tommy and Jeff with us. Geo propped me on my Anny and that was really nice. I thanked him for the opprotunity. We played so much and so hard that I don't remember the musical highlights. It all felt good. Oh we still know how to bring the rock! At one point during the show, I got to thinking that life is really good.Made me laugh at all the bull shit one go's through and how that feeling on stage made all of that worth it. It was re-affirming.Also made me realize I got some great people in my life. Many thanks to many people. I would like to thank Kenny and Geo for a real good night and a totally righteous gig. My ears rang for the first time in a while and the adrenaline rush was the best!!! Lot's of other curriculars that I won't go into either---wink...We do it again with My Kenezueal in February. "Melt the Valentine".
A quick note.. Pat and I did our last shot at the brew pub in Troy. As Pat is off to St. MArtin's in a couple of weeks and Browns is discontinuing open mic. We got our farewell in on Thursday. We did 5 numbers and a good showing was had. A lot of old faces were there and it was nice to see the folks. I have enjoyed the duo thing with Pat at the pub and it has really been good for both of us. We are planning on a couple of Bull/Dante duo shows in a month or two, as soon as I get settled form my move at the end of this month. Be well. Check back some time...ya never know when the next blog will be. Neither do I.

11/21/07-Had a great time a the Elbo Gig. A very nice turn out and the crowd seemed into having a good time. A lot of my co-workers showed up. the Doody's turned up some people and DJB even brought some folks out. My Kenezuela and Bila were there and came up and jammed with me and Geo, and I also got to do the old T-Rex nugget 20th century boy,in which I got to sing and we swung it trio style. That was a fucking riot. It just plain rocked. Kenny stayed up and drummed while Bill H. and Mike Grundy(Doverboys) came up and joined me on Going to Brazil,Wango Tango,and Dante Dream Lover. That was the first time me, Bill and Mike played together since 1998. I got misty looking over and seeing those two on stage with me.Also,Grundy brought up his P-bass for me to use and man that thing is as sweet as I remember.Very excited about bringing that axe out again.we should have another happy hour/Elbo Room date to post soon. Happy Thanksgiving.

11/13/07-Ok,I am getting excited about this Elbow room gig. Beside a rumored big turn out due to the time and locale, we also have some special guests showing up.First,Komrade extraordinaire My Kenezuela is rumored to be in the house. Not on the gig, but I am sure we can get him up for a couple. A friend of Geo's, Dan, a guitarist, may show up and jam. Now the big news..Doverboys/Lie Cheat Steal(my 3 piece from back in the Po-town days)bassist Mike Grundy is coming up and Doverboy Bill Hunter will be there as well. And I just heard from LCS drummer Shawn Lahey and he said he is going to make every effort to make it up-so we could possibly be looking at a Lie Cheat Steal reunion and Bill joining us for a couple of Doverboys songs as well. I have'nt been this excited in months. Geo asked if we could play for 2 hours so he could go to the bar. A couple of LCS numbers would do my heart and soul some good. I love those guys. They got me, which is scary.

11/04/07-This fall back/clock change thing has got me all off already. Last thursday Geo did Brown's.NOt a big turn out til late so Pat and I played a bunch. Geo was still nursing one from the night before so he was glad to let us go. After the Fire and U.S. Blues were my faves. I also ran into my old guitar player from the Green is Good days Dave Schachne. Have not seen him in a while. Dave got up and played at the end and was awesome as usual. Very good player.Pat and I got to talking about our old band Sleet from back in the day. Well the next day, I get a message from old pal Steve Gordon. Guess they have a project which consists of John Devries(Sleet),Steve and Raissa St.Pierre called The Mermaid Killers.Anyway, their bass player can't do a gig and wanted to know if me or Pat Irish could do it, but Steve saw I was booked when he went to contact me, so John called Pat and I e-mailed Steve and lo and behold, Pat Irish will be playing The Basement in Kingston this Friday night with the Mermaid Killers. I urge you all to attend this gig and I wish I could be there to see it. Talk about time being the great healer, wow. Saratoga is this friday and looks like Geo is back for more cheer and glad tidings for the audience at Browns on thursday.

10/28/07- Le accroche pogne...That was a rough one. We get to Yanni's last night and there are 4 people there. Uh oh. To get to the point, we got cut early and took a cut in the wage. It happen's. A dead night and Yanni's is good to us, so what ever. We were due. The good thing though is we had some fun. DJB was in full ass busting mode and had us laughing all night. We did Ferrry across the Mersey twice. And we did some electric versions of stuff in the acoustic set including Lonely People and Bad Days.Geo riffed on me good after Margaritavile,saying that I played it like Chris Squire from YES,without the high harmony part, and then sang the part I should sing, you had to be there.Geo is hosting open mic in Troy this week. Patty Irish and I will be in tow once more. Talk of a full Mavens jam in the works as well.

10/24/07-Going back to last friday, Geo and I did the duo in Saratoga. A light crowd. The weather was nasty. We availed ourselves well. We introduced some new tunes, including, Ferry Across the Mersey,Lonely People,Gravity, and Bad Days. bad Days marked my lead vocal moment as Geo learned the Adrian Belew tune and I handled the lead vocal. It went over really well and is now a part of the set. I must say, humbly of course, that I was real proud of my vocal. I hate my voice, but for some reason this song works for me and lyrically means a lot. So I guess a little conviction is the ticket. We will be back at it's confidential on the 9th. On Sunday, I did a fill in with Spare Parts. This was at Casey's banquet hall, not the restaurant. Which I found out the hard way by sitting at Casey's with no one there. Anyway, 5 minutes before the start of the gig, Brian H. asks if I know Girl from Ipanema. I know the song but never played. The guys comped me the chords and after the worlds longest blessing, we tore into it. And it was good. We did a lot of standards, including New York New York, which I loathe for so many reasons. Anyway, it was a good gig and the spare parts guys are really cool and excellent players. We even got paid extra! Big thanks to Brian,Brian,Jim,and Mike. I enjoyed the gig and learned a lot. And congrats to my good friend Bill H. and his girlfriend Jen. They got engaged over the weekend and are shooting for a 2009 date. I am very happy for them, they are great people and Bill is a close friend and I am glad he is happy. He deserves it. Let's go Red Sox!!!

10/17/07-Trying to get out of my head so I figured I would make things worse and blog. Have a practice tonight with Geo-a rarity, and tomorrow with Spare Parts,and had one with the blues band last sunday(with Geo, and the horn guys along, man that was big). I am not a huge fan of band practice. I wish I had a dollar for every one of these I did but sometimes ya gotta do the do. Actually, it should be fun. Geo and I will end up getting silly and learn some new tunes so that's good. The Spare Parts gig is basically the same show with a few different ingredients as the G and the K show. This gig is an 80th birthday party.Can't say I have ever done a 8oth b-day party gig. Fucking 80 years old. God bless. I know that my own 40 have taken forever.

10/14/06-So Geo calls with a gig at noon yesterday at Yanni's. Cool, a 7-10 dinner thing. We set up in a corner and realize that this is going to have to be mellow yellow and we will be doing the "soft set".Fine. What we did'nt plan on was a rowdy table of boat people who were ready for some f-u-n. And then some folks at the bar were in a happy mood as well. Long story short, we ended up doing a rock and roll 2nd set because the folks were moving the tables to make a dance floor. So Geo,DJB,and myself actually were sweating like Jimmy Page at the MSG by the end of the night. We also did a cool version of the old Peggy Lee standard "Fever" with the hostess who is a nice young girl going to music school. That was fun. Talk of this gig becoming a regular thing. Works for me.

10/13/07-Found out the private function next sunday with Spare Parts is at Casey's Restaurant in Rensselear. I have been there many times to eat and it is on my list of places I like to go. Very nice. And we get comped the buffet! Oh the irony...Also,"Rueben Kinkade" booked G and the K's at the Elbow room in a few weeks. I hope Mrs. Partridge is proud. She better keep that Danny under a tight leash.This one is for Georgie.."You guys know any Ish Kabibble"?

10/09/07-Been thinking about the "you get laid a lot" question from saturday. I should have responded that guys in polka bands get more action than me-lmao.Anyway,just got done with my lesson and my 5 o'clock no showed. I still am charging them...Anyway, I have 4 students. Ages range from 8 to 27. It's fun to see these kids practice and be excited about playing. All I can say is don't do it for a career....Next step is rock school-lol. Also seems tha JJ Maddens has closed. This was a semi-regular stop for G and the K's and we had some good times there. Except the shrimp po-boy night. That was rough on all of us. The Jeffers and crew were always good to us and I thank them.

10/07/07-Man, the B-Joe's gig was a trip. what a blast from the past. Some shit I just won't get into, but here are the highlights. While loading in, I spot crossing the street my old band mate from the Sleet/Postcard days, John Devries. I have not seen or spoken to John in about 13 years. But man did we run together for a stretch. Any way, we exchange greetings and he was with Raissa from Wormwood and her friend Pete. After some chit chat-they were goingto see Bob and Elvis, I tell them I am at the bar and they said they would pop in after the gig. Sure enough they did stop in for a few and checked it out. It was good to see John (and raissa). Very trippy to see some one you spent a lot of time with and who had an impact in your life(John is older than me and taught me a lot of shit,I must admit it). Especially musically and here I am playing bass in a cover band at a bar in Albany. What we did 15 years ago was the utmost opppsite of what I am doing now. So, the bawdy stuff. Two waitresses (sisters) asked me after the first set,"Do you get laid a lot at gigs"? I laughed. Never heard that one before.Big props to Janine and Liz and Vinne and Maryann and the crew at B-Joe's .Also ups to Rose for getting out of bed to see us.They were really good to us. The band played well and we did an upbeat set. I got to call the tunes since it was "my gig". I even had the boys do "squeeze box" and I took the vocals. That was fun. Thanks to Rod,Dan and BJ for backing my ass up. Good guys.And of course, a little love to my little jorge for hooking us up. A very weird night. And Bob did'nt do Disease of conceit. The reviews I got were that Elvis was great and Bob was ok. Lot's of new songs and he played piano all night. I will wait to see Sarge's review.

10/6/07-To quip a quote from my pal Shanny,who quipped it from somewhere.."Are you ok? No Man, I am far from fucking ok..." Good Stuff. Browns was packed. About 20 people played, a new record. Geo actually had to work, and boy was he unsettled about that-lol. Pat and I went on real late, which just meant I had too much time to drink too much. Anywho, me and Patty did an instrumental 'When we was fab" and "Neanderthal Tool", a tune as Geo figured out was about horse racing.Tonight is the B Joe's gig with the Rant guys. This should be fun, good crowd, downtown,Dan is picking me up,and I actually have to do the business/point man stuff. No pouty,handsome,wise ass sideman stuff tonight. Tomorrow is Doc practice in Greenwich and I guess a horn section is showing up. That should be quite interesting.

10/3/07-Really can't believe who reads this thing. Everyone must love a car crash...I do appreciate it though, in all honesty. We did "The Des" last saturday. Typical Des gig. The oldies, the dancing,etc. Not as crowded as summer time but still a nice gig. The Clarkstock crew were there and enthusiastic. I also learned that the gig I am doing with Spare Parts is Brian Fitzpatrick's regular gig. Brian is the guitarist for the "big" Komrade shows and a real nice guy and a real good player as well. Geo does Brown's open mic tomorrow. Patty Irish will be there with us and Pat and I are NOT doing any of the love lorn shctick this week. Did'nt say that I won't be doing it solo though-lol. Saturday is B Joes at the arena with the Rant n Rave guys. Right after Elvis and Bob! Hopefully I can catch some of that show.

9/29/07-Bad days..Followed by awful nights.. Adrian Belew knows it. Any way-Open mic was pretty cool. Geo and I continue to get the duo thing tighter. Pat Irish and myself played a real strong set. It was our love lorn set as we did It's too Late but the Corneoius bros. and sister Rose, "Every breath you take byt he Police, and Blue by the Jayhawks. google the lyrics if you really want to know where our heads are at. we also did cripple creek. We are at the desmond in about 19 hours. Rumour has it there is a clarkstock reunion going down at the gig. Oh boy! Seriously, it is nice that Jeff and the crew think that highly of us. Big props to Jeff. Oh and the Mets... that smug yankee bastard Willie Randolph and Omar Minaya need to be shit canned as soon as this abortion is over. The bullpen and Jose Reyes are just gutless. No fucking heart at all...that's what you get for having a Yankee manage the team...

9/27/06-I get close to Bob again. As some of you know-I had the pleasure of opening up for Bob Dylan a couple of times about 15 years agao. As a matter of fact, Patty Irish reminded me that 15 years ago at this time we were on the road with Joe Henry opening for Glenn Frey. Man, seems like yesterday.Anyway, Geo got a call about doing this gig after the Bob show next weekend. Geo has to go out of town but my man hooked me up by getting the Rant-n-Rave guys to do the gig with me. So I am taking over the reigns for Geo and me and the Rant guys(BJ,Rod,Dan Blumpkin) are doing the gig. I know their show and they know some of ours so it will be kosher. Plus I get to be near Bob again. I love Bob Dylan. Big fan. So this is kind of a treat to be somewhat related to this gig. Thanks Jorge! Speaking of Geo and Patty, we are all heading to Browns tonight for open mic. Pat and I have some new stuff, and it won't be as epic as Slit Skirts. Geo will be bummed that we are not doing Tormato by Yes. Fair warning, I am in a mood(not a good one)so god only knows what will happen.Stay tuned for some possible big news.

9/24/07-Geo and I trucked up to Saratoga last friday for a duo gig at IT Confidential. A really nice little place on Caroline st. I like Saratoga. Never know whats going to happen. It was a small crowd but nice .Paul the manager was a real nice guy and treated us well, and Amber the bartender was a real pro behind the bar. Got a good feeling we will be back there.Geo and I played really well. I just hunkered down and really got into my guitar. As my Mom would say,and god knows it is not a compliment,"whenever things get bad and you get stressed, you just hide in that guitar and detach any connection to reality". Well, it paid off on friday-lol.We did a nice acoustic take of the Cars tune "Drive" and lot's of acoustic solos for me. Geo and I and the full band hit the Desmond this coming Saturday for a night of "sweatin' to the oldies".

9/19/07-With a hammer in my heart, I survived the hill town gig. No one really cared about the band being there so it was like a paid practice. Screw it, I got paid and had some yuks with the fella's.And no one called us queer, at least to our face.I mean, who the hell in their right mind would think I am gay by looking at me. Not that there is anything wrong with it. I like to think I wreak of hetero. Oh well, I would rather hang out at a gay club than a hilltown red neck joint any day any way.Just picked up a gig with a guy I met at a Gary 7 party this summer. They need a bassist for a gig and I am available. Kismet.Still waiting on word for this weekends gig/s. Geo is doing the next three weeks at Browns so more than likely I will be in tow. Patty Irish will be there next week with us. And yes, I will actually leave my apartment this weekend.

9/15/07-I have made a full commitment to NOT leave my house until the gig tonight. The neighborhood is deluged with gawkers for Larkfest. It's best I stay out of that scene.Speaking of tonights gig, Geo and I are with Dan and BJ from rant n rave doing a pllace out on I88 near Duanesburg or something. I am going to be optimistic, but whenever Geo and I go out to the hill towns to play some woodchuck always calls us gay. Guess we are a little too sophisticated for that lot. But we shall see, I will be positive. Last night was the Wize Wordz gig. The guys are really nice and Bless takes care of me. But it is a lot of standing and very little playing. Oh well, got me out of the house. Thursday at the open mic, Pat and I went old school. For years it's been all about playing the song, total pro style. Pat and I went back to our roots and did a free form art/punk take on everything. As Geo said, there were some home runs, some line drive hits, a few foul balls and a couple of bad swings. Geo gave us about 40 minutes so we went for it. The big perch was on Pete Townshends "Slit Skirts". A very difficult song to recreate. A few more run throughs and the I man and I will have a good one, but man that was tough. I had to do it because lyrically it is fitting my mood. We also did Who are You,Can't Explain,Psycho Killer,Tomorrow never knows,Helpless,On the hudson,a new tune that Pat wrote, Mary Carol and the legendary "Beyond Baghdad". Geo hosts next week as well.

9/11/07-Got word today that Geo is hosting Brown's open mic again this week. Also got confirmation that Pat Irish will be on board this week. And Geo and I may have a very special guest.

9/10/07-This blog thing is cathartic. Had a great talk with Patty Irish today. He read yesterday's blog. For the uninitiated, Pat and I were room mates and band mates in Sleet/Postcard/the mavens and we do a acoustic duo thing currently. We both went through a lot of the same shit with a lot of the same people, a very intertwined exsistence. We have witnessed each others success, failures, heartbreak,joy,and have consistently played music together for the last 15 years. the point is, I want to thank Pat for being a great friend, I love him dearly. With that, we also have a couple of songs we are going to do the next time Geo hosts open mic that will, as Mike Watt says, will be a "mindblow". Speaking of Mike Watt-google it if you don't know- I am hugely influenced by the playing and 'spieling" of Mike Watt. I admit to copping his vibe and some terminology in my blogs and my bass playing and attitude towards a lot of shit. this would freak Watt out, but it's not an idol thing, just a learning tree. Thanks Watt! And thanks to the folks who turned me on to him, they know who they are.

9/9/07-Ok this is a long one. Coming back from the Carrot festival gig with Geo, we get a call that My Kenezuela and Pam are at Geo's house. we tell them that we are a half hour away and to wait. Excellent, we get to see Kenny!! So we all sit down to have dinner and Kenny asks me why I have not blogged or updated recently. It is then I announce that I ham discontinuing the blog. I explain I have not been feeling good and in a bad head space and that I am done with it. Geo then says"c'mon man, you can't do that." Kenny then says how he reads it every monday and looks forward to it, Pam and Kathy give me a look of utter sadness that only women can muster,and then I think of Patty Irish and his unending support. I felt bad "cause Keny has been on hiatus and under the weather, but would still check. So with that all being said, I decided to continue the blog. This one is for them. I also owe big thanks to the Chief and my friend Marisa over the last few days...We will get to the Mayor shortly.
Ok-The Carrot Festival. we do this afternoon shot at some temple for Carrot festival in Niskayuna. A lot of good press. I meet Geo, and he is not feeling very chipper. I am in the midst of a two week haze so I am just rolling with it, also we are both freaked becaus eof the weather. I tell geo and Kathy that I envisioned I was going to die plugging in my bass,playing a gig headlining the puppett show, my last dying breaths a noxious blend of gevelte fish and cotton candy.I tell them that I figured it was an utterly appropriate way to go,and that I was ready.I think I bummed out Kathy-lol. Long story short, the carrot fest. turned out to be a really cool gig. The hosts were very nice. We were under a tent and protected. Never played to a totally empty tent, which was nice. There was an old lady with white socks, and I will post the pics. So we start, and my firend Marisa(aka the mayor) shows up with her daughters Katie and Gianna and Katie's boyfriend. Well, this dear old old lady starts dancing. But she is alos interpreting the lyrics with her dance gestures. truly sweet and bizarre, but also really funny. I had to turn my back during "I started a joke". the Mayor is howling and her kids are taking pics. Dan is cracking up as well. So the gig goes well and Geo took the surly and churlish lecture well from Kathy and I. I love George. We can just be brutally honest with each other.Hhe introduced me as Nick "Jaco" bisanz due to my embellishing of bass riffs during Margaretaville.We are packing up and they ask me to announce the raffle and pull the numbers. I put on my Bob Barker hat and do the spiel. I tell Dan that I am doing this. He says he bought a ticket for the grand prize of a plasma tv. I say if I pick your ticket everyone will think it is rigged. Anyway. I pull the grand prize ticket, all up and up. And read the name and laugh so hard I can't read it. Geo thought I was gonna say D. Sanchez and I was cracking myself up. Lo and behold, the winner is Dan De filips, drummer for Geo and the Komrades!!!!Well the groans started!!! I explain that was not planned . the raffle people back me up. But they were just shocked. Holy shit that was a riot!!! Fucking Dan. Gets paid, eats, and gets a 42' plasma tv for ten bucks!!! Rhythym section gotta stay together!! Doing a Wize Wordz gig again this friday, then a gig in Delanson with Geo, Dan and BJ in which Dan says this will be a gauranteed good time. I better have fun saturday for a 10 to 2 there blumpkin boy!!

9/01/07-Where do I start. Last night was Doc's rhythym and blues review gig up in Saratoga.It was a tight squeeze with all the gear but we made it work. A decent crowd in a small bar at the hotel. So it was decided that I would front the band for the night.It was a good idea. I shocked myself. Usually I don't say much on stage,but then I am always doing sidemouse duty. Tom cattin' the band is a different gig. Cracked some jokes,introduced the songs, and I think it went really well. Never knew I could be so social.The band availed itself well and I think those old coots had a good time. I took lead vocals for most of the 2nd and third sets. At one point,a women comes up to me with a handful of cash and asks where is the tip jar. I laughed, and held out my hand and said"I am the tip jar". She told me to share it with the guys. Looks like I owe them some money.Righteous,a tip!!People were really into the band and the whole vibe in "toga" was just different then anywhere else I gig during the summer. It is very cool.After the gig,since I was sober I decided to head downtown a bit. Holy shit is it hopping! Bands everywhere,tons of drunks stumbling and acting a fool,especially women in heels doing the drunk ballerina. Ran into some folks from the hotel(the ones that tipped me)who were in the area, ran into some drunk guy who kept saying I was a rock star but would'nt admit it. He got pissed when I declined his offer to buy me a beer and play his party in Florida in November, where he assured me I would become a star. Ran into Marcus Benoit who was finishing a gig,and made it home safe and sober by 2:15 a.m.

8/30/07-Feeling real good after a night of insomnia. 4 hrs is not enough at my advanced age. Geo and I go to Browns tonight for the open mic tonight. Tomorrow is Saratoga with Doc's band. This should be fun. Bob Cohen, the keyboard player in the band, put me on the installment for a righteous 1960's vintage bass. It is a Marlin and looks like a spider bass or a Bc Rich warlock type thing, but way retro. As soon as I get a picture I will post it as this thing is so cool it really does'nt matter how it sounds. Now how Bob gets his Leslie speaker in the Sartoga Inn remains to be seen.

8/26/07-Here is a nice testimonial from Jeff Clark regarding Geo and the Komrades:Hat’s off to the greatest most professional cats around…Geo and the Komrades. What a show! You know why Clarkstock is such a success? Simple…A live band. DJ’s suck and should be made to bus tables at events while letting their IPOD do all the work. I’m tired of that same old bullshit line “Yeah, but DJ’s can play anything”. So can Geo and the Komrades. The party atmosphere is totally different with live music as you all witnessed. During Geo’s breaks, when the canned music began to play, I defy anyone to tell me things were not different until the band started playing again. Well, that’s what having a DJ is like for your entire event….a break. Let your friends, and relatives in on this piece of party wisdom….The only thing a DJ is good for is to shove that Chicken Dance song up their ass.

8/26/07-Summer is almost done, and after last weekend so am I!! Athen's Town Park was a sweater in a lot of ways, but we pulled through. Geo says my joy was very evident at certain points o fthe gig. Saturday at the marina,Colin Kelly and Young Victor joined us on drums and fiddle respectively. Although it was really hot outside, the band sounded great and Victor is just awesome on the fiddle. That kid can play anything,anytime. One more prac with the Doc before the friday gig. I am actually singing a bunch on this gig, no golden throat quips......Big ups to Patty Irish. I asked him to learn Pete Townshend's "A Little Is Enough",and sure as shit,I man comes in 3 days later and nails it. Geo gave us props for having the "grapefruits" to do that number. He should know-lol.

8/23/07-Tonight-Geo hosts Brown's open mic in Troy. Patty Irish is ready to go and the selections are really good. I am trying to fight off some "sick bugs". Too much to do to be getting sick . Last night, the Dr. Foot Blues band had an old school throw down practice like back in the day. I remember practicing like that almost everyday back when I was a young whipper snapper. 3 1/2 hours of nothing but playing, aka "running the show". I think after sunday we will be all set and should put on a good show. I am excited for this, especially for Dr. Bill. For those of you who don't know, the doc is my Mom's husband and quite a successful podiatrist.In his younger days, he played drums professionally. He even did a stint in a touring band with Dion from Dion and the Belmonts in the early 70's and he auditioned for Carlos Santana. He picked up the sticks again about a year ago and has really worked hard to put the band together and keep it going. Doc is a blues nut. We got him to throw some 60's rock songs in the mix just to break things up. If you like the Blues Bros.,Cream,The Animals,Beatles,and blues you should check out this gig.I have been trekking almost an hour each way every week for rehearsals. D on't feel bad for me as Mom always makes a big dinner!!Plus,Doc got us into the Saratoga scene with this gig so it has been well worth it. Lot's of Athens gigs this weekend, check the home page.

8/20/07-Last weekend was a lot like work. Fun, but work. I like the Desmond gigs. It's a late night and you got to be on best behavior and put on "the show". I don't mind dressing up for a gig. Actually, I like it. On thursday, Geo(bb) will be hosting open mic at Brown's in Troy. Patty Irish,aka "The I-Man" is scheduled to appear as well.Last week,this kid named "Johnny O" shows up and just blew us away. This guy has a great voice and good songs. But he also has that "thing" that makes him special. Really talented. All the player guys/regulars were really into it. I hope he shows up again. Big weekend in Athens.The park gig on the big stage and some private function thing and a possible TBA down there as well.

8/15/07-On a very sad note,I would like to offer my condolences to the Balodis family in Erie,Pa. on the passing of Suzanne. Suzanne was 35 years old and finally succumbed to cancer after a long and hard 3 1/2 year battle. Suzanne was one of the most gentle,genuine,beautiful souls I have had the good fortune of knowing. We should all be so forutnate. Suzanne leaves behind her husband Eric, and two young children,Caitlyn,age 6,and James,age 9. A scholarship fund has been established and I will be posting the address on the home page when I recieve all the details. If any of you have the opprotunity to contribute anything, it would be appreciated and would go to a truly noble cause.

And on a far more frivoulous note,I will be out and about the next few days. Tomorrow, I will join Geo at Brown's open mic. Since Patty Irish can't make it, I am going to do a little solo spiel. Friday, Geo and I do a acoustic duo thing at Maddens around the happy hour time.Blumpkin boy Geo still has it listed as a solo on his site,so for that over sight, I have to do more solo's during MargaretavilleCan you say octaves?.Saturday, I will be at the Desmond Hotel with the Komrades doing the four piece oldies/dance show. Nowick and Brian Fitzpatrick come on board for a night of "sophistication" from g and the K's. Shit, I have to remember Desperado and Unchained Melody for this.

8/13/07-Clarkstock is in the books and all I can say is WOO!!!!Holy shit that was a great party! Just a ton of booze and food and a very nice crowd. Not to flout,but I thought the band just kicked ass. Jeff Clark and the Pierece brothers jammed with us, and some dude named Stacy sat in as well. And a big surprise was the appearance of Mr. and Mrs.Tommy Wiley at the function. Geo asked Tommy to sit in for a tune. It reminded me of the look David St. Hubbbins gave Nigel Tufnel when he asked him to come onstage after delivering the news about Sex farm hitting the charts in Japan. I really want to thank Geo and Dan for playing a hell of a show and making me bring the A-game. You two Blumpkins rock!!Oh-all night we WOO'd .And the whole place went nuts and would Woo! in response to us. The Woo! is the trade mark call of 16 time world champion Ric Flair. It was a damn woo fest. Go to youtube and type in Woofest to get a dose.

8/10/07-WOO!! 3 weeks off from the day job. Good Stuff. Last night at Browns was a hoot. Geo did a great solo version of I am One from Quadrophenia. I joined geo for rollicking renditions of American Band,Kind of a Hush,our Moody Blues double shot,In My Life,And I Love Her,and Wonderwall. Patty Irish and I followed. We opened with the Ballad of John and Yoko.Some guy handed me cash and requested/challenge that we do something original. Well, little did he know the I man and myself have a catalog of originals. I pocketed the cash and we gave him the Blue Spruce and Molly.We followed up with a tasty set that included Keep on Working,My Flash on You,On the Hudson,Shambala,and This close to you. The I man was in fine form and it was a spirited set. there are pics on the geo website. Check the links. Tomorrow is Clarkstock, the annual party in Rensselear. Geo and myself, along with guesting Komrade Dan dePhillips will be holding court. A few jam sessions will occur and it is open to the public. I hear the food is all kosher..

8/5/07-Interesting wedding/party.The gig was at a town park in E. Greenbush. A big pavillion on the hill housed the reception. We pulled in and there is a ton of beer and food, but no place for us to set up. We find out we are playing in a smaller pavillion 200 yards away from the festivities. That after the food portion people will move down there for dessert and music. we panic-we are seperated form the food and beer!!!! Dan to the rescue!!! He shows up with beer and water!!!!! For all of us!! He is a good man!!Long story short,things worked out well. We did get to eat eventually, and it was SOUL FOOD!!!!!!! We all ate so much we got groggy in the second set and I had to lay down in the van for a few before the third set!! A jam session occured and the highlight for me of the night was GFR's "American Band". Love that song.....

8/1/07-Love the heat. Private function gig with Geo this weekend. It is some wedding/party at some park in E.Greenbush. Ya never know what you are getting into at these gigs. But, a gig is a gig at this point. Been hitting the les Paul a bunch lately. Feeling itchy to do some electric guitar stuff. So if any body out there who is working and needs a bassist or a guitarist, let me know

7/28/07-The G and the K gig at the summer series was a success. Lot's of nice reaction and a cool spot on a perfect,hot,summer day. Hopefully we drummed up some future business. Theanks to the city of Albany and the downtown BID for sponsoring the show. Also thanks to Gary 7 for making a set list. Even though Geo called of a few of the called pitches,it went really smooth. Next weekend we do a wedding/party at some park in e.Greenbush. Rod and Dan from Rant nRave will be joinnig Geo and Myself for the gig. Should be a lot of laughs.

7/25/07-Gotta hand it to Patty irish. I was spieling about how I think only 3 or 4 people look at my site. Typical Nick woe is me....then the I man put me in my place. Told me there are more, to trust him. And it it isn't about volume. Love the I Man.
Madden's was quite an interesting gig. Nice crowd due to some birthday party. We were on the deck. Geo was bedazzling with his new blond coiff and his shirt knotted like a pirate around his waist. We "started out easy" and had some nice grooves. But man did we hit some clunkers as the night went on. All of us were guilty, but outside of that it was a good show. Seriously. I did my best Spampinato/Keith Richards deal and was quite happy with myself. Must have been my Motorhead shirt. I learned that Blue Moon is not a beer to have if you are going to have more than one. I had two and was really full and loagy. And of course we had to do "sweet home alabama". I can honestly say that is the song I loathe most. Geo and I had a "wooo" fest during one song. then we got people in the crowd to Woo. Then they asked what is a "woo". Of course it is the trademark cry of 16 time world Champion Ric Flair. Heady days in blumpkinville indeed.
Tomorrow we are downtown for the summer concert series. 11:30 to 1:30. We are doing a two hour straight shot. Gotta bring Gatorade.

7/21/07-I caught some slack from some quarters about my lack of updates recently. I aim to please...First off, I will be at Madden's tonight with Geo and Gary N. filling the the other Komrade role.8 p.m. start. Always a fun night at Maddens. I like Maddens because i always get goood head sweat there. A ttuesday ago I joined Patty Irish for his running of the colonie Mile. No, I sure the hell did'nt run but Pat is a running machine. This is the third year I have been to the Colonie Mile and Pat keeps getting better. Hardcore dedication from the I man. The following Thursday i joined Geo at the open mic. Well, it turned into a Geo/Nick 2 1/2 hr. gig. One comedian signed up. But hell did we play a lot. The improved subterranean Homesick/Maggies Farm medley was killer. Last saturday saw us at Yanni's 3 on the river in Athens. Suffice to say, this was a geat gig. Fireworks ont he river while we were playing,courtesy of the town of Athens, was a real treat. Dan from rant n Rave continues to get real solid with our set and he was in great form last saturday. Even throwing in some Tommy Ardolino type stuff.Great crowd and hospitality. On Sunday, Geo and I did a duo for a graduation party for the Yanni's. Very nice crowd and much appreciation for the warm hospitality. This thursday we do the lunch time thing downtown. it is gonna be hot. Outside that is.

7/08/07-Just a quickie before I head up to the blues jam with Doc. This coming thursday the 12th Geo is hosting open mic at Browns in Troy. I may do the tag along and would like to do a little solo act stintl. Gonna call Patty Irish as well. This coming saturda the 14th G & The K willactually do a band gig at Yanni's III in Athens. This is the old Hagars Harbor Joint and from what I hear the new owners cleaned it up well. On the 21st,G & The K will be at Maddens in Slingerlands and this looks like it will be the closest "in town" gig we do until the Desmond later in August. Gary Nowick hits the chair for us. Oh-speaking of in town, we will be downtown on the 26th as part of the Summer series. Gig starts at 11:30. Yikes, an 11:30 mid day outside gig. I will try to pull it together-lol. Got a new i pod and if you check the recommendations link, I also got some new tunes.

7/04/07-Ahh the fourth of July. Whatever. Did the Rant n Rave gig last saturday. My last gig with them for a while as their bassist,Nicky Vegas, was returning from his injury. I played the first and third set and Nicky did the second set. Nicky was very gracious towards me and we had a few good bass raps. Thanks to BJ for my Dirty sanchez t-shirt. I enjoyed the gigs with those guys and they are all a good bunch of fella's. Always a laugh to be had. I like to call this summer "my gig elba". Digit's practice starts soon.I will get to make some good tunes with the boys from Catskill, which I am really looking forward to.

6/30/07-First off, a huge shout out to "the old man" who hits 64 today. Happy B-day Chief,you ol' polecat!! The music "business' never gets old. Last night we are scheduled to do a happy hour gig ath the downtown. On the way over to get me,Geo says the gig may not happen as the owner said it was dead in there. We go and suss it out and sure enough, dead as a door nail. No gig. Geo then remembers that Bill from O'Briens Garden Grill called him earlier as he had a cancellation last night and wanted a fill in. Long story short, Geo hooks us up at the Grill for a 9 pm start. My Kenezuela was on the gig, and he volunteered to stick it out and do the gig. Righteous!! We played well and made some dough and turned a bad into a good. Went deep into the Beatles repetoire last night. Fixing a hole,She Said,I'm a loser,Revolution,Something,Norwegian Wood,Hide your love away,Instant Karma,and I am probably missing a couple. Thanks to Bill O'Brien and the Garden Grill, you saved at least one guy a lot mental anguish. Tonight I am Dee Dee's in latham with Rant and Rave. 9 pm start.

6/26/07- Big fun as of late. Last thursday, I hosted the open mic in Troy solo and then co-host with Geo for the remainder og the session. I started the gig out solo. But earlier int he day, I went to get the gear from Geo. JImmy Kelly lives next door to Geo, and he comes running out of his house when I pull up and goes,"Hey you, no best of BTO and Black flag B-sides, ya gotta play something everyone knows!" I laughed as the fella's know me well and my tenedency to want to 'educate' the masses on what is really good-lol. So, I started out with Squeeze Box, my acoustic version of :Helter Skelter", and Tuesday Afternoon. Then it was Pat Irish to the resuce.As usual, Pat and I hit a good mix of tunes which included Psycho Killer, Peaceful Easy Feeling, Let Me Roll It,Let My Love open the door,My Flash On You, Maggie's Farm,and the Agitpop tune On The Hudson. I/We were well recieved and it was a good time. Only 2 people signed up all night, a slow night, and Geo and myself ended up playing the remainder of the night.
Last night was the annual St. Theresa's benefit gig at the Normanside golf club. Jimmy was on drum's and Young Victor joined us on violin. This pick up foursome sounded really good. You would have thought we actually practiced as a band. The food was abundant and good as well as the drink. Oh and there was much ball busting. We had a lot of laughs and the fact that the band sounded really good was just a bonus. But beware the pink sock........

6/17/07-It goes to 11. 11 days since the last update. Friday I did the Geo gig at the Grill. It was a dual birthday party event so there was a decent sized crowd in a festive mood. Dan from Rant n Rave filled the drum chair and acquitted himself quite well. Geo was running all day and he was ready for a pop and to let his hair down a bit. the band sounded well and we did a more upbeat show. And once again I was wrong.Geo gave us a John Mayer tune "Gravity" to learn for the gig. When I first heard it,I thought that the song was so slow that it was definitley gonna make a run of asses and elbows for the door. Well, We caught a nice groove right of the top and the couples came out dancing. What do I know, I would have played Jethro Tull's" Living in the past". Last night, I did a fill in with Rant n Rave at the Last Resort in Schenectady. 1 person showed up. Oh there were 2 or 3 regulars, but that was it. Too bad, as it was a great sounding room and the band seemed