CHORDIESTOCK II - Feb 22, 2014 (Page 6 of 7)

Had this banner made - my thought is to have all participants sign it year after year - it will be fun to look back on all who have attended. Paul will have to come back again so he can sign as an inaugural attendee!

Oops... Scott and I just asked about that on fb.  I tagged you tho Zurf.  I don't knkw how much time I can find between now and then to help with it, but let me know if you do need a hand. I will do what I can!

ONE DAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That's all I have to say right now. 

As a typical girl, I have overpacked... but not too bad.  Two carry ons though I think I might check the one bag just so I don't have to drag it on and off the plane.  Besides, I love seeing my tiny suitcase next to the giant ones on the carousel.  I've got extra strings as well, and looking forward to checking out Jeff's guitars!

Stoked is a good description Zurf.  I'm with ya there.  I can't wait to fly off into the sun and away from the snow, have all day long to do nothing but play guitar (although, my fingers will be hurting... I haven't had enough time lately), AND MEET WAYNE and LIZ and BEAMER in person!!!!  Of course Topdawgz is a newcomer, but I'll bet he'll be a blast!  Seeing Jeff and Zurf again is going to be awesome too.  It seems we make pretty decent drinking buddies (although, I refuse to let my fingers get tooooo drunk!).    Switching from snow blinders to sunglasses in about 10 hours!

Have fun all!!!!!

Don't forget the evidence, I mean pictures.

FRIDAY NIGHT 2 AM.

Me too,only wish I could be there too join in the fun. Have a great time all of you!

Hehehe....looks and sounds like ya'll are having one heck of a time.

Great picture!  May the awesomeness continue unabated...
Cheers!

Suffice it to say this was a 4 day weekend that I will never forget. So many talented musicians, So much beer, vodka & rum, So many old friends, new friends, and good friends. The only thing lacking was sleep.

Can't wait for next year.......

Thanks Wayne - but the atta boys go to you and the rest that take the time and expense to travel. All I do is spread the word, book a room and buy a few wings and adult beverages. It's the talented and friendly folks like you and Liz that make this happen!

So, yeah, great weekend.  Jeff is a gracious and generous host.  There was a comfortable place to play, music stands, guitars, food, drink, and good people to share it all with.  I'm not sure how a host does a better job than that! 

A quick run-down: Amy and I both were flying in on Southwest on Friday.  Both of our flights were delayed and we arrived at the pickup area within minutes of one another.  Jeff and his friend Robert picked us up and took us back to Jeff's apartment, where we partook of a bite to eat and something to drink.  Then the music started and kept going and going and going.  We broke for dinner, where Dirty Ed surprised me.  At 2AM we quit, but I was so jazzed up to be there and had so much fun playing guitars from 5:30PM to 2AM, that I didn't get to sleep until about 4AM. 

I woke a little after 6 on Saturday.  Our host was still audibly asleep, so after a quick washup went for a walk in search of coffee.  I found a 7-11 where I was able to get a good cup of coffee, a donut, a very large Gatorade, and as Jimmy Buffett suggested some Juicy Fruit to wash away the night.  I then walked to the beach where I enjoyed all of these items.  There was a heavy mist obscuring the view, which made for an absolutely stunning break of day as the mist slowly thinned and rose.  When I returned, Jeff was preparing queso for the Saturday jam but said he needed no help.  So I played all of his guitars (especially his new Gibson, which despite all of our sympathy over the theft of his Martin, is in extreme danger of being stolen by ME).  After we set up the clubhouse for Saturday's jam, Amy and I went back to Jeff's condo and napped.  Robert stayed at the clubhouse and warmed up. 

The Saturday jam was epic.  11 pickers.  When it turned into a random jam rather than a circle jam, I couldn't hang in.  My theory and playing over a chord progression wasn't up to snuff.  I went out to the patio and Dirty Ed was out there.  He got to talking about song-writing and running rivers with friends and more song-writing.  He's got a great perspective, and a good method it seems.  "Tools, not rules" is his song-writing motto.  He's put a great deal of work into learning the song-writing process, and was in a sharing mood.  I was in a learning mood and greatly enjoyed that special time with him.  About 11:30, I was done in and went back to Jeff's condo to crash.

Sunday was a little souvenir shopping, and a bunch more playing of all of Jeff's guitars, then the London Bus Pub jam.  To me, the London Bus Pub jam was like a really good dessert after a first class meal.  Just the Saturday jam would have made the trip worthwhile.  However, the London Bus Pub jam was equally, if not more, satisfying.  I have always thought that my voice was my weak part, but I had three different people I didn't know telling me that they enjoyed my singing.  That really meant a lot.  Then, because he liked my style of finger-picking, Jeff's infamous friend Roscoe Jones invited me to join him on a song he wrote with Bill Monroe (and I actually kind of knew from hearing it at bluegrass concerts).  The rest of the talent that was in that circle was...outstanding.  Yet, here are these folks that any of us would gladly pay good money to hear in concert tossing breaks and verses over to no-names to keep us all included in what was going on, all around a picnic table back by the dumpster of a hole-in-the-wall bar kind of near the beach.  Flat out crazy fun.  I think some of the most fun came late when Robert and Beamer and I were finding songs where we could duet.  It was great fun singing with them, and added a whole new dimension of challenge to songs I had been practicing alone for so long.  Like the Big, Bad Wolf's huffing and puffing, Beamer and I about knocked over the walls of the London Bus Pub when the "Oh my my, Oh hell yes, you've got to put on that party dress" lines in Last Dance with Mary Jane came around.  Singing with Robert on Seven Bridges Road was a blast.  He followed my lead on speed - which I purposefully change three times during the song, and he didn't complain when I messed up the guitar solo break.