After driving 663 miles, or about 9 hours and 23 minutes, I needed a drink. So as I drive into Deadwood, I was totally blown away by the secnery. In South Dakota, the scenery is so majestic, it pretty much gave me a whole new outlook on this country. Specifically, the Black Hills were absolutley amazing. So anyway, I have never gambled in a casino before, but the signs for Cadillac Jacks looked too cool to pass up.
Needless to say, beginners luck was in the air. 7 jack and cokes later, along with $800, and a few more friends (Jeff the dealer), and I was off to bed. Tonight is Missoula Montana, and I can already smell the casinos. (like I need another vice…) check my flickr account for more photos!
till that day…
We decided to take a break from our usual Thirsty Thursday routine and head across the water to check out what was going on over in Carrollton and headed to Smokin’ Joe’s and meetup with Ed G. I had met guitarist/singer Nathan Firth over at Mugsy’s a few weeks ago and had promised him that I would make my way down there to see him. After a series of technical problems with the PA I was finally able to get up and play a few songs. I must say that the sound in that space is really nice and sounds great the way they had it run. No worries about not being able to hear vocals over the guitar there.
After a short set I finally got the chance to hear Nathan play with someone that everyone’s been buzzing about to me, Joey Marade. I can tell you now this kid is the real deal. His ear is tight, his chops are honed and his harmonizing is on point. This is one talented guy! Nick and Joe play really well together. I can’t wait for Nathan to get his copyrights in order so we can hear some of those originals!
After leaving Smokin’ Joe’s I made my way back across the bridge to meetup with Todd P at the Katt for a quick brew. He got a message about a hot band over at Cozzy’s so we rushed over there to check it out. I knew something was up when the doorman made us wait outside cause the place was over capacity, 200 people! We got in there and were able to witness the awesomeness of local roots reggae group The Prisoners. Let me tell you, it has been a long time since I’ve seen this kind of energy from a band and the crowd like I saw last night. These guys are the real deal. The entire place was on their feet dancing. It was great. You will be hard pressed to find a better bunch of musicians around here, definitely not a better blue-eyed reggae band!
Here’s a couple of video clips from the show to give you an idea how they sound. Their mySpace has a couple MP3s up that are worth a listen as well.
While their website doesn’t do them justice (Call me guys, I can help!) it does have an up-to-date calendar extending into August. Notable upcoming local shows are:
- Sunday April 19 @ Yorktown Pub
- Thursday April 23 @ Jewish Mother (VAB) opening for Dubconscious
- Friday April 24 @ Marker 20 (HAM)
- Saturday April 25 @ Schooner’s Grill (NPN)
- Thursday May 21 @ Cozzy’s (NPN)
Expect to hear more about these guys from us in the future. They are going to be HUGE.
Another HRV music fixture is in need of assistance to help pay mounting medical bills. Soundman RD Sisk suffered a stroke last month and has been left unable to work and with no income. Fender Music has donated a limited edition Fender Stratocaster and Alpha Music is running a raffle to benefit Sisk. A benefit is planned in the coming months. Sisk is undergoing physical therapy to regain his mobility. Doctors expect him to make a full recovery in the next 6 months.
Like Eric Insley, most self-imployed musicans have no health insurance, and an illness like this is financially devastating. Perhaps even more important to realize is that during the past few years, half of all bankruptcies in the United States were the result of medical bills. Even sadder is the fact that most of these were by people who had health insurance. Those without it are much worse off.
