Gig Report for the Weekend...

After a period of relative inactivity as far as public performance goes we were back this weekend with a couple of events. We have had some good family jams at parties and such but we have some new songs and more in development so the itch to get out there is back and you might see us scratching it a bit. 

Saturday night our little duo of me and Cathy, billed as Goat Rodeo played the Stonewall Rockers Fall Jamfest in Groveton, Tx. It's an MD Anderson Cancer Center Benefit sponsored and hosted by Travis Kitchens at Stonewall Studios  with numerous bands and solo acts performing. I did not get any photos of Goat Rodeo but here's the all star band the Stonewall Rockers. 

Old Nacogdoches friend of ours Jongy on sax. 

Mike on guitar. Mike often plays with us at the State Supported Living Center dances. 

I played harp and the turtle shaker with the Rockers. Someone told me it looked like I was playing a bong. If you don't know the story of the turtle shaker it is a percussion instrument I made years ago. It's one of the earliest instruments I created way back when I was just building stuff to entertain the kids. Over the years I occasionally get invited to play harp on the Rockers gigs and since every song is not a harp song I said to self "you will look like a big dummy just standing up there" so I brought the shaker and added a little percussion texture to those songs. It was a hit and now I always get invited to shake it with the Rockers. You know how it is with writing a hit song. You better be prepared to play it every night for the rest of your life. Same way with inventing an iconic instrument. 

That's Eric on keyboards behind me. 

Sunday the Catholic Churches in Lufkin combined fir a United in Jesus Mass at the Pitser Garrison Convention Center. Very well attended with almost a full house. This was the combined choir we put together with Cathy as leader. It was a bilingual service in English and Spanish. If you recall the pervious bilingual service we had played for almost 20 years was eliminated earlier this year but it looks like we will get the opportunity to put together combined groups for larger specials musics like this. 

I think the group sounded good and though I was not out there to listen it seemed like the center was an easy place to mic up a group like this. 

There's at least three mandolin players in this photo. Very strong group of young people singing and playing multiple instruments. I called them the St. Patrick's Catholic Church Mandolin Army. You might be used to the bluegrass mandolin style with the mandolin carrying a rhythmic "chop." In the Hispanic style like these girls play it carries the melody. They seem to read music or pick it out by ear either way.  

All in all a fun weekend of picking and grinning.