The 2009 RSJ took place in Middletown Ohio last weekend, with most of the action happening at Hook Field Municipal Airport. Helena Bouchez was this years host, and we had a couple of airplane hangars to hang out and practice in. As usual, there was plenty of good food, drink, and a weekend of good friends and music. The roster for this year is as follows:
Helena Bouchez
Anne Oneil
David Hodge
Karen Berger
Laura Lasley
Dan Lasley
Jacqui Lasley
Greg Nease
Kyle Roth
Jeff Brownstein
John Mazzio
Mike Roberto
Derek Kolecki
David Yates
Kathy Reichert
and our go to guy Chuck"big daddy" Yoder, and photographic duties by John "camera boy" Reichert.
We followed tradition with some of us gathering Thursday to set up practice space, following with dinner at a local Mexican restaurant. Some of the participants then went off in search of local entertainment, while the rest of us turned in early to rest up for Friday's full day of practice.
Friday saw us breaking into practice groups, trying to tweak set lists, and trying out various combinations of players/singers/ drummers, etc. Our hosts at the airport, Rich and Lisa Bevis,( Helena's sister and brother-in-law), treated us to outstanding BBQ ribs for dinner Friday night. After dinner, and various amounts of alcohol consumption, we played late into the night for our own amusement.
Saturday were the final run throughs, more set tweaking, and packing up PA and gear to take over to Big Shots Bar, our venue for the evening.
Those of us that stayed on Sunday were a bit laid back to say the least, but we got to see some cool planes and hot air balloons come through.
I'll leave it to someone else to go ever what was played, and by who. I do want to thank all the jammers for helping me out this year. I had surgery on my elbow on July 7th, and wasn't sure if I'd be able to play at all, but everyone pitched in to make sure my tunes got in.
Here is the photobucket link for those that would like to look at all 180 pictures from the weekend.
http://s87.photobucket.com/albums/k128/katreich/St%20Rita%20Fest/Riverside%20Jam%202009/
and thanks to Kyle, some video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L8oFekTcJZw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sw2u1blrO0E
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7fqbLxPov78
Falling in love is like learning to play the guitar; first you learn to follow the rules, then you learn to play with your heart.
that looks like a fantastic weekend - i really wish i could have been there.
great videos - and is that a banjo i see david playingt in one of them?
i like your original song too.
im sure you all had a great time!!!
"I like to play that guitar. I have to stare at it while I'm playing it because I'm not very good at playing it."
Noel Gallagher (who took the words right out of my mouth)
Yes, that is a banjo in the video for Truck Drivin' Man. I played banjo pretty much the whole second set and probably mortified bluegrass players across the entire country. :wink:
Don't remember everthing, but I can tell you it went kind of like this:
Set 1 (captained by Dan Lasley and myself):
Sweet Jane
My City was Gone (Kathy Reichert doing the excellent job on vocals)
Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard
Evil Ways
They Call It Stormy Monday
Take Me to the River
Use Me
Waiting for Nancy
Wild Night
Secret Agent Man
Set 2 (Kyle Roth captain)
Get Up and Go
I Try to Understand (an original from one of Kyle's friends)
Comes A Time
Love Please Come Home
Glendale Train
City of New Orleans
On the Road Again
Truck Drivin' Man
The Twist
Alberta
Ophelia
Werewolves of London
Set 3 (Helena Bouchez and Tony Nuccio - co-captains)
Orange and Cinnamon (one of mine)
Sultans of Swing
Before You Accuse Me
T-Bone Blues
Fire on the Bayou
Behind the Wall of Sleep
Set 4 (Greg Nease - captain)
Brass in Pocket
Ode to Billy Joe (McAllister, not Armstrong :wink: )
Melissa
Venus
Beast of Burden
Local Girls
Jump Jive and Wail
Eurotrash Girl
Life During Wartime
Come Together
Lawyers Guns and Money
Set 5 (Kathy Reichert - captain)
Second Chances (one of Kathy's)
Give Me One Reason
It's Alright
In the Sun
(Don't Go Back To) Rockville
Pancho and Lefty
Black Velvet
Monday Morning (another of Kathy's)
Up Around the Bend
And we ended with a group finale of Suspicious Minds, if for no other reason than to show how much we missed not having Nick there!
I know I missed some songs and the order's probably not right, but folks will come around and make corrections.
As always, highlights were many. Personally, Stormy Monday (with Laura Lasley hitting it spot on and incredible solos from Mike Roberto, John Mazzio and Karen Berger), Brass in Pocket (total groove!) and Tony's incredible Fire on the Bayou made the whole night for me. And the huge free-for-all Friday after practice was more fun than people should be allowed to have!
Cannot thank Helena and her sister and brother-in-law enough for everything they did to put things together and very special kudos should go to both Jeff and Laura Lasley behind the scenes. And it goes without saying to anyone who's been to a Riverside Jam that Chuck Yoder still gets the annual MVP award despite not playing a single note!
Rumor has it we're in Pennsylvania next summer...
Peace
what a great set list - sultans of swing is one of my personal favourites.
so how do these jams work - what does the "captain" do - is it their job to decide who plays which part for each song?
"I like to play that guitar. I have to stare at it while I'm playing it because I'm not very good at playing it."
Noel Gallagher (who took the words right out of my mouth)
Pretty much, although it's more deciding on what songs to play as well. Each captain picks 10-13 songs. Once we have a list, it gets whittled down once we get together and see what works and what doesn't.
Falling in love is like learning to play the guitar; first you learn to follow the rules, then you learn to play with your heart.
And once it's apparent who has actually arrived for the jam. Many decisions are have to be made on the basis of who shows up or can't make it. Every effort is made to get everyone up onstage and playing at some point so it's important to work in musicians and have room to shuffle people around. In the case of someone not showing up, then wholesale changes might be made (scrapping a song or substituting a new one) or just changing a single part.
Set captains also (of late anyway) have done a good job of our not playing the same songs for ten years in a row! :wink: It does help to maintain an interesting variety of music.
Peace
I am sure you all had a good time there.
Well, lets hope someday I do join you as well with my punk rock set. 8)
Yes, that is a banjo in the video for Truck Drivin' Man. I played banjo pretty much the whole second set
I don't think I've ever seen a left handed banjo.
Where ever did you find one?
I have a friend at work who plays a bit of guitar, but laments that as a southpaw, she can't find a banjo. A proper 5 string open back banjo, like her mother used to play.
Apparently her mother's banjo playing was a requirement at all the best kitchen parties in the small town where they lived 30 some years ago.
I wrapped a newspaper ’round my head
So I looked like I was deep
Note that this was the 10th annual event, and next year is the 10th anniversary. :shock:
Sure the pix and vids make it look easy, but consider that there were 16 of us, with anywhere from 3 to 10 on stage at a time. You want your set to flow, but you want to play with different musicians. The most common approach has been that each captain works with one drummer and one bassist, and the groups the songs so that the guitarists change the fewest number of times. Vocalists are actually considered last, as they can hop on and off stage very easily.
And of course, the host has the pressure of 10 years of history - how do I make it unique and fun? Every Jam has a different flavor. Helena did a fantastic job of getting us practice spaces and a nice place to perform. And the food was generous and delicious.
As David noted, the absence of two key vocalists changed a few things this year, but also gave opportunities for others to step in and step up (eg Anne singing Jump Jive and Wail).
Here is a link to all the vids and a "best of" set of the pix.
http://www.cyberlaz.com/RSJ09/JamPixVids.htm
I don't think I've ever seen a left handed banjo.
Where ever did you find one?
It is available here - http://www.adirondackguitar.com/lefty/goldtone/menu.htm
Looks like a great time as usual.
Wish I could have been there.
Set captains also (of late anyway) have done a good job of our not playing the same songs for ten years in a row! :wink: It does help to maintain an interesting variety of music.
I noticed that reading the set list. Some very interesting selections and still some old favorites
thrown in.
After just seeing The Neville Brothers Thursday I had to check out their opener Fire On The Bayou.
GREAT JOB GUYS!!!!!!!!!
:note1: :note1: :note1:
John
Updated to include portraits. John takes some great photos!
Can't you put descriptions in the photobucket thing, I wanna know who everyone is :D.
I wanna be that guy that you wish you were ! ( i wish I were that guy)
You gotta set your sights high to get high!
Everyone is a teacher when you are looking to learn.
( wise stuff man! )
Its Kirby....
Awesome looking (and sounding!) day guys! And great pix Laz. Mayn....I'm getting so stoked to play just reading this thread!
Can't you put descriptions in the photobucket thing, I wanna know who everyone is :D.
Sorry, I just don't have the patience to tag all those pics!
Falling in love is like learning to play the guitar; first you learn to follow the rules, then you learn to play with your heart.
