Really not sure how many gigs I will play this year, since I'm not really committed to any band, currently... but there may be a few things that come up worth mentioning. I have agreed to fill-in with Harwell-Grice Band as needed. I have kind of an emeritus status with the Wayfaring Whistlepigs, so I am asked to join in with them sometimes. Solid State is a traditional bluegrass group with some guys I played in shortly after high school. (late 80's, early 90's) They are talking about making a comeback, so we'll see how that goes.
I have been woodshedding my guitar hands all Winter, and happy to report some progress. Mostly spending time with my collection of acoustics, but I still plug up an electric and play loud now and then too. I just seem to communicate better with the acoustics. It all goes faster now that I can feel all my fingers again, and not have to hit the mental pause button every 6-8 weeks and wait for another one of those godawful steroid injections to work... or not.
On the other hand [sic] the day job is a literal sprint-to-the-finish. I am training two very new guys right now, basically on my way out, and putting the daily stream of conscious thought into a useful training language for them is leaving very little brainpower for playing music in the evening. I try to play a little every day though. I'm planning on taking a lot of paid leave this Summer. Going to a few music festivals. Like I used to in Summer. And get my shop ready to be up and running imminently after the return of WQ-413 to the motor pool, handing over a worn out ring of keys to the Treatment Plant, and some raggedy old uniforms. It's shocking how fast the days are going by now.
First time onstage this year, the Luv Buzzards played a Wild Game Dinner at the local Moose Lodge, last night. We got booked for it because someone thought the band name was perfect for the event. It's amazing how that silly thing I thought of one night long ago has worked out. Who in the world books a band called the Luv Buzzards for a wedding reception?! You'd be surprised... we've played them for political royalty, as it were. They thought it was hilarious. We have never advertised beyond business cards, the thing just builds on itself. There are guys (and sometimes girls) in the band now, who weren't yet born when Ted and me started taking side gigs, so I guess technically we're into a second generation. Trivia; originally, I played guitar and Ted played mandolin. Here we were last night in Salem, Virginia.
