FRIDAY NIGHT will be our last "Frideaway" at the Hideaway and it helps me to think about all the amazing music made and amazing musicians I've been SO extremely lucky to play with. As a fella who's been writing songs obsessively since 15 (or so), to have an opportunity to have a steady weekly gig at a perfect venue for nearly a decade - playing my own tunes - has literally been a dream come true.
When I first started working at the Hideaway Cafe, I was trying to get out of the performance side of music. I wasn't enjoying it too much but didn't know what else I could do. Sharing that with the proprietor John Kelly over a few beers, he suggested I host the open mic on Tuesdays along with the super talented Jayne Kelli behind the bar. Before you know it, he had me doing my own shows there with a great band doing my tunes and really revitalizing my desire to play and perform, giving me a chance to hone an original show.
With a rotating cast of musicians, through the years, it's been a fascinating, fun and phenomenal run. Starting back with Tommy Bell and Steve Vitale, Patrick Bettison, John Holt III, Sean Fote and later Joseph Interrante, Ashley Galbraith (Taylor too!) and Harry Ong as the bandmates, we had the best of the best join us every week as our guests: LaRue Nickelson, Matt Walker, Stephen Paul Connelly, Rob Pastore, Mark Cunningham, George Harris, Jimmy Griswold, David Cotten, Vinnie Seplesky, Gale Trippsmith chiming in from the Ghost Mic and even Ed Woltil joined us for a show. Jeremy Douglass did a couple with us and was instrumental (pun intended) in my first playing a couple Kirk Tunes one silly evening on the Hideaway stage. I know I'm missing one or three.
This Friday will be our last Friday at 1756. Saturday we'll play for the big shebang in some form but Frideaway is special. And NOT just because of the musicians. If you came out to the shows, you know I'm not blowing smoke up your skirt when I say the folks that came down were every bit as important - encouraging the artistry, embracing the material, equally and intimately involved in the casting of the Great Spell we all got to fall under. It has been nothing short of an honor and an extreme privilege to be part of the moments we made together. Sheltering from life's storms in our own musical cocoon.
We're not planning anything particularly special. We're gonna play our songs, share a drink and a cheer, "Life is good!" while enjoying a special night in a special place.
Come on down.