Endorphins + Music = no pain

Amazing night once again at Union United. We didn't have quite as many people as our April U2charist service, but there was a large youth contingent and the energy level was sky-high, right from the first song.

A big thanks to Pat Cornwell who did sound for us, it was much better this time. We goofed up once or twice and I had a Spinal Tap moment when my wireless guitar rig quit working (dead battery) but the band was pretty tight - I'll give drummer Craig Sparks deserved credit for keeping us going, he's one of the best.

I felt great Thursday night setting up for Funions Elks show, didn't move anything heavy, careful when bending, etc. But Friday afternoon it was bad and I was wondering how it would go Friday night.

I sat for much of the show and discovered once we started playing, I either forgot about my back or something seemed to happen to make the stiffness go away.

The official Wikipedia explanation: Endorphins are endogenous opioid polypeptide compounds produced by the pituitary gland and the hypothalamus in vertebrates during strenuous exercise. They resemble the opiates in their abilities to produce analgesia and a sense of well-being. Endorphins work as "natural fever relievers" whose effects may be enhanced by other medications.

So Friday I behaved for the most part. Sitting makes me play the guitar better and the crowd was ready to dance and party so it worked out great.

Saturday was horrible, one of the worst days ever for my stupid back. Couldn't go on the Woodland Cemetery walking tour, couldn't make it up to Macomb to see Emily play in the district music competition, couldn't do anything. This was one of those golden late Indian Summer weekends and it killed me to not take advantage of it.

Sunday morning was better, plus we had some good music at Trinity UCC and a good service and that always helps.

Felt good setting up Sunday afternoon, and once we started playing Sunday night .... well, as I've often said, "I am not responsible and that was my stunt double."

So it's Monday morning and .... I can't move.

I'm taking the next medical steps this week and things will work out. They always do.

In the meantime ... Funions road trip this weekend, and we are taking U2charist on the road as well! More details coming ...

Getting Ready

The amazing BB King, still cranking it out and sounding better than ever ....

Geesh. If this doesn't get us ready for tonight, nothing will!

Dance The Night Away

Last night was one of our best shows, and it's all because of you.

Fantastic crowd! Man, they were ready to party and have a good time. From the first song to the extended "third set," the dance floor was full and people seemed to really be enjoying themselves.

The Elks crowd tends to be a little more experienced, so we play a ton of groove songs people know — Mustang Sally, Doctor Doctor, Twist and Shout, etc. But when we bust into "Play That Funky Music" they really go nuts and it's a blast to watch from the stage.

People were actually showing up to see us play, as opposed to fleeing the premises (which is what happened in previous Elks shows). Bill Durst and the Elks folks were pleasantly surprised with the great Friday night crowd and we'll make plans to come back.

A big thanks to Warren Riley who filled in on guitar while Chris played his big show at Turner Hall with Fielder.

Elvis was HUGE ... you had to be there.

A word about endorphins ... it's amazing how you can crawl into a building and not even be able to stand up, but when the music starts, they kick in and it feels - so - good - unbelievably good.

Gonna need em tomorrow night at the U2charist service.

Woodland Ghosts?

Check this out, really cool spooky stuff from Woodland Cemetery ....

Funions had a tree-mendous practice last night. Warren Riley from the band SevenD2 will be playing guitar with us Friday at the Elks since Chris has a big show with Fielder at Turner Hall the same night.

Warren says, "You guys have a fun band." 

Shout out for Keith Franx of the band Blue Healers. Keith broke his left wrist in a work accident earlier this week. Keith isn't the patient type so hopefully he'll hang in there and get better.

What are you going to be for Halloween? The band will hopefully be in costume if I can get Dr. Lou to help out.

Coming up ... ghost hunting!

Big Music Weekend

So life itself has been getting in the way of all things music and blog related ... let's get caught up!

The Funions play Friday, Oct. 31, 7:30 to 10 p.m. at The Elks in Quincy. It's for members and guests and we encourage everybody to dress up for Halloween.

We are also playing Saturday, Nov. 8 in LaBelle, Mo., for a benefit, more details to come.

Sunday, Nov. 2, Union United Methodist Church in Quincy, 11th and State, 7 p.m., U2charist service. We are playing all kinds of awesome songs for this music-driven worship service. There is no charge. An offering will be taken for the church's mission trip to Liberia.

Playing with me in the band are Craig Sparks, drums; Jack Inghram, sax; Devin White, bass; Rev. Wally Carlson, guitar, and Megen Guthrie, percussion and keyboards. Sherry Renner may be joining us as well on vocals. Our first U2charist service was a huge success ... get there early if you want a good seat!

 

Female Troubles ....

Talk about getting into trouble with the wife ... or wives, in this case ....

Havermale Benefit

Greg Havermale of Quincy has Hodgkin's Lymphoma, cancer of the Lymphatic system. Here's info about a big benefit next Sunday ....

Backwaters, Sunday, Nov. 2, 3 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Activities, live music, $1000 money machine raffle, silent auction, food, T-Shirt sales, door prizes.

Donations: Greg Havermale Benefit, C/O State Street Bank, 801 State, Quincy IL 62301

Sad Saturday

This was a tough one to wake up to this morning .....

Alice Cornwell funeral info here ....

Keith Franx is playing up at the Spirit Knob Winery this afternoon, hopefully it warms up.

Prayers for Pat

Pat's mom died Wednesday. We'll update this post when we get visitation and funeral information.

World What?

So it's 9:30 p.m. and I'm worn out from the day and I'm gazing blankly at the TV as the Rays are playing the Phillies in the World Series. 

I'm thinking, maybe this is the year I actually give a crap about the World Series. Especially since the Red Sox finally got beat.

But it's 9:30 and I can barely keep my eyes open and the game is only in the fifth inning.

Why should I keep watching?

This might be the lowest-rated World Series ever (quick, Cardinal fans, can you pick the worst one? I knew you could). Only true Philly and Rays fans and baseball purists care.

Then again, it's kind of cool to wake up and find out who won, like you are 7 years old again.

Where are you, Joe Carter? Miss you, Steve Rogers ....

Back Better

Thanks to Shawn Irvine, the back is much better.

I needed to hear from somebody who knows what he's talking about. No more hoops for a while, maybe for good, and I'm afraid my days with the H-W Demons softball team are done.

But ... it's OK. A week ago I hobbled into his office afraid I'd have to get a shot or MRI or something needlessly medical. We've worked on traction and stretching and it feels a ton better.

It's good, because we are nine days away from the big Halloween show and 11 days from the U2charist service. 

Prayers for Pat Cornwell and family. His mom is near the end and it's never easy, getting ready to say farewell.

Cover Charges

Heard there were a couple of really good bands at Turner Hall last Friday.

Also heard the cover charge was $10, and the crowd was really small.

I salute the young man who promoted the show for all his hard work and effort, and I hope he doesn't get discouraged.

The painful lesson, as always, is this - $10 is too much for a rock show in Quincy, unless you are bringing in a huge name band.

I have this argument with people all the time but I've seen it first-hand at our shows and other shows. The less the cover charge, the more people will come to see you play. A young person doesn't mind forking over a couple of bucks to get into Turner Hall to see Fielder or Predawn Hour. A young person may or may not even have $10, but that's not the point - they simply won't spend it.

This isn't St. Louis. This isn't Chicago. This isn't Columbia or Springfield, either. It's Quincy, a unique and quirky place where national trends hit the bubble and bounce back. 

It's easy for me to say this because The Funions have never been about playing for the money anyway, and never will be. For younger bands, finances are crucial and go hand-in-hand with marketing and promotion, and I understand how tough it is.

By the way, our Elks show Halloween night is for Elks members and guests only .... and there's no cover charge. All Funions fans are invited! Just let me know you are coming.

Black Book

Watched the Paul Verhoeven movie "Black Book" which won the 2007 Academy Award for best foreign film. It's about the Dutch Resistance during World War II and very well done.

Verhoeven is never afraid of going over the top and he does it here — sometimes his gritty realism backfires. But I love the story of flawed heroes and villains you can't hate. Right and wrong means nothing when it comes to survival.

It also gives me more understanding about what my grandfather, Opa Hart, may have gone through as a Resistance leader in the Netherlands. 

How could you speak of such terrible things?

Sammy, marching, yoga?

This is Sammy Fund weekend. The walk is tomorrow starting at Madison Park at 9, with the golf tournament and dinner Sunday. Easily the best charity event in Quincy. It's also Octoberfest with the big marching band parade at 2 p.m. and the competition at Flinn Stadium Saturday night. No rain please!

Somebody will be carrying my Crate amp around the next few weeks as we've added a Funions show in November (more details soon) and continue to get ready for the U2charist event.

I hate back braces, but they work. A ton of feedback from the last post .... yoga, anyone?

Back Out

Today I was told my days of playing basketball are very likely done.

I have a bulging disc in my back and I think I probably screwed it up for good in August when I played golf one day and in Gus Macker's Hall of Fame basketball deal the next day. 

I'm used to back pain when I'm a dumbass and overdo it, but this is different — it seizes up when I stand for 10 or 15 minutes at a time. Yesterday I had to be on my feet for a couple of hours and I almost passed out the pain was so bad. At church last Sunday even when I was sitting down, it seized up near the end of the service and I was wondering if I was going to walk out of there unassisted.

So ... my chiropracter Shawn Irvine sat me down today and gave me the grim reality. 

No more hoops. Golf? Nope. Walking? Not a good idea right now.

Funny - I'm very good at laying around the doing nothing. But I'm not good when told that's all I should be doing.

I'm going through the anger and denial thing right now. Really ticking me off is the fact we've got some musical stuff happening and just picking up my equipment is also a no-no.

Getting old sucks.

I'm thinking about getting an MRI, but I don't have the big bucks to shell out (don't even get me started on health insurance because I might write something stupid and regret later).

There are some options and I believe my back will get better. In fact I had some traction therapy this morning with Dr. Irvine and it does feel better. I was on my feet for a while this afternoon and whether I'm just stubbornly refusing to feel pain or maybe it's healing, I didn't feel so bad.

Back off, bad back. I simply don't want to deal with you and reality right now.

More Practice

Got together tonight with Devon White and Craig Sparks to work on U2charist songs.

Practices are funny things. Last week The Funions really struggled while working on songs for our Oct. 31 Elks show. The energy didn't seem to be there and it was tough sledding, though ultimately we did get a lot done, and there's no such thing as a bad practice.

Tonight with Devon and Craig we were right on the from the start. Craig is one of the best drummers I've played with and Devon brings a lot of youth and enthusiasm to the bass, and it was so much fun cranking out these great songs.

This U2 thing should be great. The first one earlier this year was kind of an experiment and we were stunned and how amazing it turned out to be. Now the expectations are higher and God grants us favor and a Union United Methodist crowd eager for a great worship experience, it will be even better.

So don't forget, Sunday Nov. 2, 7 p.m., Union United Methodist at 11th and State.

Prayers for ....

— Mike McGrath and family. Mike lost his wife, Stacy, to cancer and the funeral is today. I coached YMCA basketball with Mike and he's one of the good guys.

— Mike and Abby Warneke, who are leaving First Union Congregational at the end of the year for Mike's new job with a church in Evansville, Ind. Huge loss at 12th and Maine, but good for Mike and Abby, new challenges await.

Get Out There!

Beautiful weather in the Q-Town .... tons of stuff to do.

The Lincoln-Douglas celebration is underway, check here for the schedule.

High school football tonight. Will probably endure QHS at Flinn Stadium for a half, probably be better to stay in the hood for QND's big game.

Blue Healers at Sawyers Creek in Hannibal tomorrow afternoon. Cory Wilkey tribute at Winter's West Wing at night. Good luck to the Flood guys tonight as they play a reunion show at Twilight Zone.

And ... massive college football overdose tomorrow.

Don't let the weekend get away!

Guitar Speak

Great stuff from BBC's "The Story of the Guitar" with The Edge of U2 on the role of a guitar player, technology, finding the right sound, many guitars ("Don't even look at that one"). Click here and here.

Basketball

Had a lot of fun participating in the Harlem Ambassadors charity basketball game at John Wood Community College Monday night.

There was a decent crowd for a weekday event, and the Toyota Tundras team, consisting of former area basketball standouts and local media, hammed it up big-time. Highlights included WGEM's Ben Marth making a 3-pointer and Don O'Brien of The Whig doing The Worm.

I commend the Kiwanis Club of Quincy for putting on the event and all their hard work.

The "game" lasted a little long, two hours and 15 minutes, and I think the crowd got a little worn out towards the end, but all in all it was a fun time. I've played in 10-plus of these and basketball isn't really the point - it's an entertainment event.

Again, thanks to the Kiwanis Club, which always does good things for Quincy.

Busy Weekend

Had to work this past weekend. The Monroe City Airport dedication Saturday morning was like Norman Rockwell painting and very interesting. After work Saturday night I caught a bit of The Blue Healers at The Club - Quincy's best band keeps getting better.

Enjoyed the Quincy University "Communiversity" band Sunday at North Campus. Many times these concerts kind of drag and have boring music, but not this one. It was well paced and you could tell the band enjoyed playing some interesting songs.

Then Devin White and I went to Craig Sparks' place and practiced for the U2charist service Nov. 2. Just like the first time, we clicked and this is going to another awesome service. We learned two U2 songs, Where The Streets Have No Name and The Saints Are Coming (an awesome song), it's good to have the guts of the band together on one page. The rest of the band will gather in two weeks to continue fleshing out the songs.

For this service we are doing three non-U2 songs and you'll be surprised when you hear them, let's just put it that way. Rev. Bob Morwell is going to Africa in January and the songs fit his theme. Get there early Nov. 2! Service starts at 7 p.m. at Union United Methodist, 11th and State.

Shaking Off Rust

The Funions had their first practice in a month Thursday night, and it showed.

It took a while to shake off the rust, but four or five songs into it we started clicking.

As Jay Driscoll, the former QU basketball player and coach, used to say: "It's just like falling off a bike."

You haven't lived until you've seen and heard Mark Brei sing "La Grange."

We'll be working on our Oct. 31 set list, introducing a few new songs.

Prayers for Pat Cornwell and family. His mom is near the end and it's not an easy time.

CD project, therefore, will probably be bumped back a little bit, but we're in no hurry and we'll get it started soon.

Halloween

Mark and I put together a set list for our Elks show Halloween night. This is an older crowd but they definitely like to have a good time.

Chris will be doing double duty, playing guitar for us, then zipping over to Turner Hall to play drums for Fielder.

Blue Healers Saturday night at The Club.

CD project will be discussed shortly. We are in no hurry and I suspect we'll take our time. It would be nice to get it going ... but life itself happens, you know.

Lafayette

Happiness is ...

- Having a day off after working for Gus in another state.

- Driving a brand new Saturn rental care with XM Radio ... the comedy channels were really good and it made the drive to Lafayette go by faster. Also, I accidently pressed the OnStar button but the operator was cool when I told him it was by accident.

- Doing Dream Court games with Gus, more fun than should be allowed.

- Being a Cubs fan right now, if you are one.

- Watching Michigan somehow get a huge win in The Big House while sitting with ticked off Purdue fans in a Lafayette steakhouse.

- Hearing about YOUR Central Michigan University Chippewas somehow surviving another wacky MAC finish.

- A rainy Monday to get laundry done.

- A Calftown garage to turn the amp up. Preferably to 11.

- Not being a Rams fan, or a St. Louis Cardinals fan.

- A balky back finally starting to loosen up. FINALLY. There is nothing worse than tying to blow the whistle on a Macker youth court from Testosterone Hell and not being able to stand up.

- Trying to decipher a message from Tookie and finally just giving up without wondering just what he is babbling about again.

- A guitar student getting it.

- A Border Collie hiding in the bathroom during a thunderstorm. Well, it's not happy for her, just funny to me.

- Not being in the hospital.

- Watching the rain from the porch with a hot cup of coffee.

- Getting calls about the band and wondering if we're playing soon (we are, stay tuned).

Get Better Dangit

A big shout out to Shey Fey, who is battling The Bug. Get better dangit!

A long walk in Woodland last night with Brown Eyed Girl and it was beautiful. Maybe it was the tilt of the sun or something.

Predawn Hour plays a show tonight at Turner Hall. A long lost friend recently turned up for the singer and guitar player .... more in tomorrow's paper.

Kelly Wilson of The Whig is writing an awesome blog about living this week on just $25 for food. Our podmate, who is bigger than Charlie Weiss, spends $25 on lunch tips during the week. It's a good read so check it out.

Heading to Lafayette today for the last Gus Macker of the year. This is usually a good tournament, just wish it wasn't so far away.

Thinking about the national championship in California in two weeks too, but as usual there's too much going on around here.

Now this, friends, is assault with a deadly weapon. I'm thinking the gas chamber would be suitable punishment. This story really stinks and lends itself to a lot of bad jokes in passing.

Clay Who?

Somebody said something about Clay Aikens being gay and having a child.

Clay Who? Is he a painter or something?

Oh, wait .... wasn't he a cornerback for Notre Dame during the Gerry Faust dynasty era?

For some real dating advice from a real football guy, Texas Tech coach Mike Leach, click here.

And Detroit Lions fans rejoice ....

Quiet Month

Not much new with the band lately, we've missed the past few practices due to Life Itself, which gets in the way all the time ...

So, hope to start back up this week. Next Funions show is Oct. 31 at The Elks, guests and friends invited.

CD project hopefully starts early October.

Too Much Fun, Go MSU, Bad PA

Tons of people having waaaaaayyyyyy too much fun in Marcelline last night. Waaaaaayyyyy too much fun ....

Normally I sympathize with people who are having a tough time getting around .... and I am NOT a Michigan State fan, but yesterday was the exception.

The Chippewas lost for the third time in a year to Purdue. Ironically, I'm heading to Lafayette, Ind., this weekend for the final regular Gus Macker of 2008.

The marching band did a great job at the QHS football game Friday night. I did not stay for the second half because the PA guy drove me nuts.

Announce the ball carrier, the tackler, the down and the distance. DON'T give a gibberish play by play the whole game. DON'T "count down" the clock. DON'T make a fan bus announcement sound like the final seconds of a Super Bowl going into overtime.

There. I feel better ...

Saturday Night Party

Hope to see up in lovely Marcelline tomorrow night as Carl Thomas and the folks put on a rock and roll bash.

Beautiful night again for another Calftown garage sale, football games, grilling, etc.

Get out and enjoy it, there aren't that many left!

Car rock

The world's cutest niece, and the last of the Hart grandchildren, Erin Youngsma, in all her Labor Day Phoenix glory ...

In a few days Erin's cousin turns 17. I'm driving back from Macomb with her tonight listening to her iPod plugged into the car stereo and there was the strangest music playing .... a lot of it sounds like bands that want to be like Coldplay or Smashing Pumpkins.

Then "Baba O'Reilly" by The Who comes on, and a little later a live version of "Under Pressure" by Queen, with the last song before hitting home "Super Freak" by Rick James.

Your cousin rocks, Erin.

Jamming with Logan

Enjoyed doing the PA at the Quincy High football game yesterday. Gotta give credit to the teams and officials, the game was played in the pouring rain and twice delayed because of lightning. There was some grumbling from fans when the game was delayed but the officials were only doing their jobs, and severe weather is nothing to mess around with.

Last night I'm home hanging with Em when I get a call from Logan Kammerer of Fielder. He's down at the North Side Boat Club and supposed to play with the band at the Callie Frese benefit .... but the band had issues and couldn't make it. So Shey Fey and I loaded up and headed down to Front Street.

It was a blast. Logan is an amazing acoustic guitar player and singer and has great songs. Geesh, more fun that you should be allowed to have!

Fielder plays tonight at the Jed's Brewhouse (18th and Chestnut) benefit, with Cheeks McGee and The Blue Healers.

Mud, ND-Michigan

There's a massive garage sale going on right now in the alley south of 11th and Monroe. Between airport gawking and garage sale observations, I have enough material for at least a month's worth of H-W columns.

Went to the QND game last night, stood in the mood by the end zones and sidelines, should have worn my West Quincy Levee galoshes.

Great game, tremendous win for the Raiders.

I'll be at the QHS game this afternoon. Not a big fan of Saturday high school football, but when you are playing at team from another time zone .... gotta do what you gotta do. You might not see me there, but you will definitely hear me!

Michigan vs. Notre Dame is at the same time, and the game is kind of flying under the radar because both teams are struggling. That makes it all the more of a crucial contest. Michigan turned its season around after an emphatic win last year.

I hate Notre Dame. To you-know-where with you, Charlie.

And, tonight, USC will dismantle Ohio State.

New Time

The U2charist service is now scheduled for Sunday, Nov. 2. See previous post for more details.

More U2charist

The next U2charist service is Sunday, Nov. 2, at First Union United Methodist Church in Quincy, 7 p.m.

We'll be playing a few more songs and streamlining the service a little bit. Some local residents are heading to Liberia for a mission trip in January, and the theme will be missions no matter where you live or where you choose to serve.

We'll learn a few more U2 songs but we do have some really cool surprises lined up, some songs you'd never expect us to play in a church service, that's for sure!

Can't wait ....

Old (Young) Drummers

Got a call yesterday from former Funions drummer Justin Busen, doing well and going to school in Florida now.

Justin is living with his mother, Funions Hall of Famer Julie Lane, and playing drums with a buddy. They are hoping to recruit a bass player and singer and start playing.

It's hard to believe it's been four years since Mark and I hooked up with Justin and guitarist extraordinaire David Stegeman. Many of the songs eventually recorded two years later were started during Vermont Street basement jam sessions. We only played a few shows, sadly, including several incredible shows at The Hawks Nest, Turner Hall and the cafe inside The Crossing, now closed.

The young guys were a great influence on old farts like Mark and me. Well, me, maybe.

Continued success to Justin and his mother.

Healing In The Rain

The Blue Healers again rocked it out Saturday at Smoke On The River.

First of all, a big thanks to the Quincy Exchange Club for putting on the BBQ and utilizing our riverfront. It takes a ton of work and effort and the Exchange Club guys always pull it off, just like for Gus Macker.

The Cheeseburgers sounded really good at the Dock's outdoor stage in the afternoon. The Healerstook the stage and it started raining which kept the crowd down, but they guys still had fun and everybody who was there, wet or under the tents and porch roofs, did too.

Didn't stick around for Scott Boy Daniels .... if anybody saw them let me know how it was.

With the rain coming down, we bailed on the idea of going to The Grove to see Slick Woody, hope they had fun, inside or out.

Check out UMR's take on Oprah, the most dangerous woman in the world.

College football Saturdays ROCK. Now comes the Michigan-Notre Dame game, two struggling teams looking to make a statement.

And ... my Chips fell flat on their faces in Athens, but that's OK. Other MAC teams like Ohio and Miami did the conference proud.

Carl's Still Rocking

Carl Thomas called today and said his new band will be playing in Marceline Sept. 20.

Carl was the bass player for the Slink Rand Band, but apparently they had some issues and have called it quits.

Always thought Slink and the boys should have played classic blues and rock and roll, not the harder stuff they started doing, but to each his own. There's no denying Slink, Randy, Carl and the singers they went through could rock it out.

Anyway, Carl is now playing guitar in this band. Can't think of the name but we'll have more details soon.

Big music day Saturday, with Cheeseburgers and Blue Healers at the Smoke On The River event. They play at The Dock, Cheeseburgers at 3 and Healers at 6.

Slick Woody plays tomorrow night outdoors at The Grove Inn, another good time for sure, so get out there this weekend and enjoy!

Practice, Smells

Funions practice again was a blast tonight. We have seven or eight songs I think we can pull off right now for the CD project, plus a couple more we hope to learn.

Good to see Jason and Warren from SevenD2 or however they spell the name now ... the alphabet police arrested them recently I believe. They have a show at the Kix Club Sept. 20.

Late during practice we were starting a song when Pat stopped it and started gagging before sticking his head out an open window. The practice space at Vegas Music is fairly tight and it's never a good thing when gas is passed, especially the insidious SBD (silent but deadly) type.

Nobody is sure who passed the gas but it accusations were made it had something to do with the singer and guitar player who ate at the 18-Wheeler this evening after coming back from St. Louis. All lies! Unfortunately Jack Inghram was not at practice, but he'll be hired first thing tomorrow morning to defend the singer's honor.

Being falsely accused .... stinks!

Dirty Harry

A big welcome home tomorrow for Shey Fey, who had her Labor Day Weekend extended a few days, not by choice. Home Sweet Home tomorrow ....

I'm watching the Dirty Harry movies on AMC this week. The Enforcer is on right now and it's an amazing movie, they just don't make em like they used to. The soundtrack, the photography, the great Eastwood one-liners .... fun to watch!

Fall Ahead

Back from AZ, where it wasn't 115 in the shade but just plain glorious.

Fall is here and I'm wondering where the summer went.

Time to get on the wagon again, more later.

Michigan might win five games this year. Might.

But low and behold, look who YOUR Central Michigan University Chippewas play Saturday - the No. 1 team in the country! They better not overlook LeFevour and Co. ... and unfortunately, they won't, because the 'Dawgs have one of the best coaches and staffs in the country.

Glad you are as fired up about going back to the office as I am ....

Off to PHX

Like Blogvine, I'm off for the next few days ....

I love packing for Phoenix. Five minutes and a small Gus Macker duffel bag later, I'm ready to roll.

The price of fame, or infamy, goes up all the time.

Jessica Martin's blog about how to arrange shows is a must-read for young bands. I put a comment on the post about sound systems.

Speaking of sound systems, The Funions worked hard on original material last night and it's starting to come together. We are planning on recording at Jack's Pillar Productions Studio beginning in about a month.

We finished the Quincy Park District softball season last night as well by, believe it or not, getting rained out. At least we got in 2 1/2 innings. I felt like the Bishop in Caddyshack, all the lightning and rain coming down and Carl Spackler saying "I don't think the heavy stuff is going to come down for another hour. I'd play."

Utah is in the Big House tomorrow. Repeat of the fiasco a year ago? Let's hope not.

But really, it's all good, especially because Michigan's real football team won its opener Thursday night. Dan Lefevour for Heismann!

Oh. By the way .... they beat Don O'Brien's Eastern Illinois Panthers. Just thought I'd mention that.

Have a safe and great Labor Day Weekend!

Big Ten Memories

So I just got home to grab some lunch and I flip on the tube and the 2000 Orange Bowl is on the Big Ten Network.

I love the Big Ten Network.

I remember this game well because Michigan beat Alabama in overtime. Wish I could have been there to see Tookie turn blue in the face.

The night before I worked at The Whig doing turn of the decade stories. That day I remember going to church at Trinity and a great standing room only crowd at the service.

Then that night the Orange Bowl was on and it was a fantastic game. The family was up in Michigan for New Year's and I had the basement to myself and it was glorious.

I think I hid behind the couch during the overtimes ....

Useless Olympic Events

While catching bits and pieces of the Olympics it's been fun viewing different sports.

But they lost me today with something called rhythmic gymnastics and the preening synchronized swimming.

Wonder if anybody will stay up to watch the U.S. play for the gold medal in men's basketball ... game starts at 1:30 a.m.

Sure sign fall is near - QND football practice and Frank Cash on the PA during last night's Blue-Gold scrimmage.

And ... hearing the Heidelberg German Band all the way from South Park into Calftown.

Thinking about going to see the Jimmy Buffet thing tonight downtown ....

Music Scene

A music scene? In Quincy?

You bet.

Lots of good stuff this weekend, including Blues In The District Friday night (Reverend Raven) and the Jimmy Buffet tribute band Fins downtown Saturday. Don't forget about Germanfest Friday and Saturday at South Park with the Heidelberg German Band, a good time outfit if there ever was one.

Kudos also to Jessica Martin of The Herald-Whig and her new blog on the local music scene.

Demos

I put together an eight-song demo last night for The Funions. They've been recorded over the past few years on my home studio system.

It will be interesting to see what they think. I am hoping for maybe four or five to really shine when we tackle the band CD project.

They'll turn out much differently when the band does them. I remember I did a few demos for "Just Pretending" and they weren't very good, fortunately Chris and Mark rescued some songs and made them a ton better. But one song, "Gone," was better on the demo than the recorded Funions version, in my often wrong opinion.

We've played a few of these new songs during shows, like "Stay Strong" (about Frank Calkins) and "Who Hears You Tonight" (the band liked it and JB and Jack were really into the solos).

I'd like to get Pat to do more lead singing, and work on harmony vocals.

Chris is getting better and better in filling the guitar role. With Jack and JB, it will be very interesting to see what ideas we come up with how lead-heavy it will be. I am an average rhythm guitar player, it lets the other guys step up and shine.

I do the demos on my Boss home recording system. I think they are fine for what they are, demos and ideas, not necessarily finished or polished products. Wish I had the tenacity and knowledge to work the system better, especially with drum tracks and "squeezing" the sound, compressing it to make each instrument come out.

A great adventure awaits!

Guitar Lessons

I'm starting guitar lessons with a new student and it's very interesting to hear motivation and inspiration for learning.

Most of my students have been younger. They pick it up in a hurry and quickly move on.

Right now I'm working with two students. One is a girl in junior high who is playing the bass and really rocks, she's at the point where we just basically play a few songs and she experiments.

My new student is a mom in her early 30s who has always wanted to play. She says she's always been frustrated when siblings try to teach her.

I taught myself and I'm living proof you don't need to be a musician to play an instrument. Certainly you want to play well, use good technique, learn your craft. The Funions have really good musicians, but our band is about energy and the vibe, not how well or perfectly we recreate a song.

So I'm looking forward to a new challenge with this gal and I think it will be fun. She wants to learn. She's already shown she can do it. It's up to her to see how far she can go — I'll get her started, and she can zoom from there.

Iron Eagle

Nothing is better than mindlessly watching the Olympics and Iron Eagle, one of the worst 80s movies ever, playing on AMC.

Catching my breath now because this is another busy weekend in the Q-town. Working the weekend shift for The Whig, Fielder tonight and Blue Healers tomorrow night at Turner Hall, the K of C BBQ, and Gus is in Macomb for a one-day tournament Saturday.

Wring me out Sunday morning ....

Good luck to Brown Eyed Girl on the big move today!

Also, more Macker staff bad dancing here.

Goony Beach Race

To see the Lake Michigan Goony Beach Race of Doom, click here.

I can still feel the water, taste the suds, the sun on my face and not a thing to worry about.

Not a thing.

Back From The Beach

Thank me very much for bringing the beautiful Michigan summer weather back to Q-Town.

Made it back at about 2:30 this morning. An amazing four days in Belding working for Gus - it's all about family and making friends. I am now the proud owner of a Miss Elizabeth's Fan Club jersey and a Flying Knueppel Brothers T-shirt. HUGE ...

Did the PA in Belding and had a blast on the Front Porch, just beside the main stage, where I interviewed people and teams. Tom Cole and Bill Gorman, Macker legends, busted out into a "Forever" dance with Jennifer Elvis Pressley and it was so bad it was good.

We work hard but we have some "serious fun" as Shey Fey likes to put it.

Time to suck out all the Lake Michigan sand from the car, pay the bills and get back to life itself. Sigghhhhhh .....

Staff games

This morning we had the Gus Macker "Hall of Fame Classic" pickup games onsite in Belding. I actually got to play with one of the famous Kneuppel brothers, Klint. What an honor! I am terrible at basketball, what they call an all-airport player - looks good walking down the runway, can't take off.

At least my back hurts and I can't walk.

Tonight is the Hall of Fame induction ceremony. It's great to get back here and see old friends and strike up new friendships.

Tournament starts tomorrow, on the downward side of vacation ....

Working For Gus

Scott and Mitch McNeal, the two brothers who started Gus Macker 35 years ago, are having a blow-out bash this weekend at the Belding, Mich., tournament.

At today's golf tournament at the gorgeous Candlestone in Belding, blasts from the past showed up and the laugher rolled through the course. They don't call this thing the "Macker Hacker" tournament because Tiger Woods is here ....

Never leaving the beach ...

It's 105 in Quincy?

Bwahahahahhahahahahaha ....

Except for sunshine, waves crashing into the beach, cool nights and my aunt Helen's awesome coffee, nothing to write home about from Lake Michigan.

So the big decision this morning has been made - a run into civilization to re-stock the cooler.

You'll find me in nowhere ... on a beach that time forgot.

No More Dirk Harts In GR

My father announced Saturday he is selling his Grand Rapids condo and moving to Louisville.

We moved to Grand Rapids in the summer of 1980. My old friend David Wilkins reminded me last night of how my father and I came a few weeks before the actual big move from London, Ont., and cleaned up the house on Rosewood.

My father sold that house in the late 1980s and eventually bought the condo off of Breton just south of 44th. It was a good move for him and the condo retained value.

Now he's leaving, moving to the city where my sister Kathy lives.

Much has changed in 28 years. Five of the seven of us are left and are scattered around the country - Phoenix, Denver, Quincy, Louisville.

I now have no official attachment to GR, save my mother's grave site. Still have good friends, especially the Wilkins in Hudsonville, and my father's brother, Peter, who lives on Lake Michigan and whose beach I'm about to claim for a few days.

Here's to being home, wherever home is.

Bee You Ta Full

Simply gorgeous in West Michigan ... the beach awaits tomorrow with family and good company on the way.

Golf with Rev. Dirk Friday, more golf with Hooterville Hoser today .... life is good.

Geesh do I LOVE vacation ...

Beach Time!

Counting down the last few hours.

I'll update once in a while but not that much.

Don't try to find me. If it's really necessary, go to Holland and take a left and go about 10 miles down the beach.

Also doing the GR thing and working for Gus in Belding next weekend.

Great meeting last night at the R&L Center. Let's see if the ball keeps rolling.

http://www.whig.com/story/neighborhood-meeting-7-29

New Funions Videos

A big thanks to Shey Fey for this video, "Just Pretending," from a recent Turner Hall show.

Three More Days

Bit of a dark and stormy night in the Q-town ....

Great feedback from the Friday night show.

Did not attend the Hannibal flood thing. I do know there was misommunication about the sound stuff from the beginning.

Gotta get through Wednesday ... gotta get through Wednesday .... gotta get through Wednesday ....

Slow Sunday

Thanks goodness for slow Sundays. Mental health is important too you know.

Huge fun hanging out at the 24th and Harrison hood last night. If the weather holds might have to see if the King will be in the pool this afternoon.

Yesterday I woke up twice to take naps and it was a beautiful thing.

Congrats to Wayne and Sherry! Wayne proposed at Sheridan last night at a cookout on the deck. Sherry is the MVP employee at the 18th and Broadway Sandwich Shop of Doom, she rocks! Maybe The Funions will play at the reception.

Four days until Dirk Junior's Most Excellent Michigan Beach/Belding Macker vacation begins. Vacation Brain is a terrible thing. Can't fight it much longer ....

What a blast

Just when you think you can't possibly have any more fun, just when you think you can't play any better, just when you think you've played the perfect gig .... you play again.

Crazy good times last night in the Oakley-Lindsay Center parking lot to celebrate the flood relief effort. All the bands were on - St. Amy's, Raised on Radio, Fielder - and The Funions were ON FIRE.

Burt Shackelton blew everybody away with sax solos from the heavens and the depths, great keyboards too. Pat and Mark were right there with the timing and Chris keeps getting more and more confident on guitar.

We unleashed some new songs and got a huge response. My favorite was Walking On The Moon by the Police, that caught a lot of people by surprise.

There were 400 to 500 people there I think. Hard to see from the stage .... Jeff Stroot jumped up and sang La Grange with us, making up for some guitar problems (stupid wireless).

Pat Cornwell, our fearless drummer and owner of Vegas Music, did sound and this was one of the few shows where I think it wasn't too loud and we could all hear from the stage. Pat is working all day today in Hannibal so he's a trooper .... gotta give him some love.

Big thanks to Chicken Man and Rob Ebbing from the OLC.

Now it's time for a little R&R, some stuff coming up perhaps later in August and September.

Copy, Storms, etc.

Utterly fascinating story here about the trickle down effect from newspaper demise ....

Spectacular storms last night. I have a beleaguered potted plant on the landing which appreciated the rain, that's for sure.

Hope you can make it out Friday night to the Oakley Lindsay Center for the free flood beach bash. It starts at 8 with St. Amy's, The Funions, Raised On Radio and Fielder. Slide on down from Blues In The Park and check it out!

Steamy in C-Paign

Heard Bluesfest was good and the after-party at The Club was amazing. Dave Chastain was in town and blew people away during a jam session ... no surprise there, Dave is one of all-time great guitar players, a true Illinois and Midwest legend.

Working for Gus in Champaign was .... hot. Sticky. Sweaty. A lot of fun. Gus and I did Dream Court games Saturday and mostly just laughed at ourselves. Sunday I was on my own and the teams, parents, officials, organizers, Champaign Park District, everybody was great.

The CPD organizes the event around West End Park and it ranks up there with one of the most beautiful settings for a Macker.

Only one case of idiots getting out of control, and later I might post on the distinctly urban feel of the tournament, much like Springfield, which I think is a great thing.

Nine more days and then it's vacation time .... these are the toughest days of all, I think, except for the day after you get back.

And ... big bash at the OLC Friday night!

Hot hot hot

Steamy here in the Q-town ... I'm heading to Champaign to work for Gus. Have fun at Bluesfest, good luck especially to The Healers and Fielder. Albert Cummings, Saturday night's headliner, is amazing, so if you are in town make sure you catch him at Washington Park.

Catch The Blue Healers here from a recent Turner Hall performance

Excellent practice last night for the Funions. Lately the practices have turned into parties and there's nothing wrong with that. Last night we were more about working on songs and arrangements and we'll have five or six tunes to unleash at our July 25 flood party.

Be safe!

St. Amy's

St. Amy's has been added to the July 25 show at the OLC parking lot to honor flood relief workers. Here's your chance to see three very talented young men.

I bought a new cell phone for my daughter and we've added texting. How do you punctuate using these dumb things?

Lots of good work going on near the back of Woodland Cemetery, in case you were wondering.

Lots of work going on at the Notre Dame High School baseball field. Looks like they've gone ahead and are planning to turn the field around so it faces north.

Downtown is ... dusty.

Albert Cummings returns to Quincy this weekend for Bluesfest. He was fantastic when he was here in 2004.

Unfortunately I have to work for Gus in Champaign. Well, not unfortunately ... Champaign will be cool because it's the first time for me and I've heard great things about it. But it's a bummer to miss the Bluesfest.

Ever get about two weeks away from going on vacation and just hit the wall?

Good. I'm not alone.

Dream Court Love

An interesting couple of days in Springfield working for Gus. We got hammered with a storm Saturday about 3:30 and halted play. The tournament organizers were worried but we weren't, not the first time Mother Nature has interfered, and we managed to get caught up today, games were done by 6:15 and we were on the road by 7.

Dream Court was a blast as usual. We had the Special Olympics guys and gals Saturday morning with Troy Boyer running the show and my favorite Gus Buster of all time, former professional wrestler Dave Conrad.

Today we brought a girls court over and finished up their bracket, then did the same for a boys bracket. It's amazing how well the parents behave when you stay positive and have Busters who blow the whistle. The Enforcer and The Duece did a great job, as did my scorekeeper extraordinaire, Panic.

Not to blow my own horn, but for Springfield Journal-Register coverage, click here and here.

Beach Flood Bash

We are playing Friday, July 25 at the Oakley-Lindsay Center parking lot in a free four-band show to celebrate flood relief efforts.

No sand, thank goodness.

Click here for more info.

Raised On Radio and Fielder are the other confirmed bands, with one more TBA.

We'll have more info on the order and other stuff.

Heading to Springfield tonight for Gus, be back Sunday night with a report.

Hope the weather holds for the Blue Healers tonight at Washington Park. Be safe!

Springfield, Gus, etc.

I'll never judge anybody just by appearance again.

Getting ready for Gus in Springfield this weekend. You can always count on it being 120 in the shade around the Horace Mann building.

We have the Special Olympics guys on Dream Court Saturday morning and it's a blast. The Greenville (Mich.) crew will be in the house and it's always fun working with those guys.

It does mean I have to bolt Friday afternoon so I'll only be able to catch a bit of the Blue Healers, which bums me out.

Getting closer to making an announcement about a huge show near the end of the month.

Funions practice tonight at Vegas Party Central. Ooops. I mean Vegas Music ....

Pool

Tell me there's anything better than getting blasted by the sun while sitting in the pool with a lemonade. Or two.

Well. Maybe if it was on a Lake Michigan beach.

Therapy on Kingsridge is a beautiful thing.

Thank goodness the Julie furnace got cranked up. What would summer be like around here without it?

Funions practice Thursday. Blue Healers in the park Friday night, and the first of a busy Macker stretch starts this weekend in Springfield.

80s Pool

Massive fun at Rocky Pool Ooza Saturday night. Keith and I looked at my watch and said, "It's after midnight?" Loved the 80s theme and we even played a few of the songs Rocky burned on a CD and gave out.

This was a total social gathering and we were the background music, and that's OK. It's just good to play. A new Dobro got a workout and we didn't scare anybody away. Even had some nice backup vocals too! Very, very, very nice backup vocals .....

Tookie and bride used their heads so I give them credit for making smart choices. Thank you Brown Eyed Girl for taking care of them!

Yesterday afternoon I found myself with nothing to do for the first time in .... in .... I don't even remember. So I woke up to take three naps, watched golf on TV and just generally enjoyed being a slug. This is the last weekend until September that will happen.

So ... keep being safe!

Rocky Pool Ozza

Getting ready tonight for Rocky Cola's big bash in the 24th and Payson Hood.

Great time last night with the Mays clan at Spring Lake. If you are playing No. 15 today and cut the corner too far left, you might want to ask about getting relief from ground under repair .... that is, burned ground under repair. Fireworks are too fun!

Please continue to have a safe and happy holiday weekend.

Upcoming Stuff

Tremendous practice again last night at Vegas Music. We learned seven, count 'em, SEVEN, new songs.

We have also formed a new dance troupe to perform during songs called The Funion Rings. You can't make it up ....

Big plans for a show later this month, stay tuned.

Even bigger plans for a potential Funions recording project with Jack's Pillar Productions studio. Gotta get writing ....

Whatta Mess

I was in LaGrange, Mo., today. What a mess. It's going to take a long time but the one thing I've learned about those folks over there, they are a resilient bunch.

Funions practice tonight. Could have a major announcement concerning a show toward the end of July.

It will be nice to have a few days off for the July 4 holiday. Please be safe out there!

Back To Normal?

Things are looking better on the Mississippi River.

Maybe.

Give it a couple of more days to be sure, and stay tuned because this could be a very long and hot couple of months.

Tookie went dry on the levee. Mush, goes his brain ...

Burton Gaar was really good during Blues In The District last night. Had to work and only caught a little bit, but they were smoking.

Two weeks and The Blue Healers play in the park.

Rocky Cola and his bride are preparing for Rockypolooza, featuring the Blue Funions. It will be a blast!

Once again there's information out there that The Funions are playing after a Gems game this week, but that's not going to happen. Still seeing if we can get in there after a game this summer.

Three cheers for Emily Powers. And a tip of the hat to Josh Rabe. Maybe we'll see him at the Pepsi Arena this winter during QU games at the table.

Thinking about a trip to Quincy Raceways, always fun to go at least once a summer.

My daughter's cell phone went dead. Congrats, dad — the one-year warranty just expired and it's only a couple of bills to replace. Bills with two zeros behind them. Yeesh.

Dodging The Drops

So the past few days every time I looked at the Internet weather map all I saw was green and orange blasting its way toward us.

After Tuesday/Wednesday a.m. showers, it became apparent the Fabius River and other areas were in no shape to take more rain.

So this stuff comes at us and it makes you wonder how long these battered levees will hold and how much these people can take.

Somehow it missed us. We have a cell coming right at us right now and it's getting dark, but it's not that big and hopefully will blow through.

We played softball last night despite the nasty green mass heading right at us. Felt one or two drops of rain on the West Quincy levee at 3 a.m. despite the nasty green mass heading right at us. Thought I'd get wet crossing the bridge home at 5 a.m.

Fat raindrops are pelting the windows now. Rain here in Quincy is OK, but not good for the folks downstream.

Seems we are dodging the raindrops, the bullets.

Meanwhile, the latest You Can't Make It Up saga hits the front pages ....

New Blogger, Same Old Weather

Let's welcome Keith Franx to the wonderful world of blogging!

http://keithfranxuniverse.blogspot.com/

Yesterday got better as it went along. Tons more rain looms. The guys were completely wiped out coming off the levy yesterday from the humidity, and it's back today. Tons more flood news at www.whig.com.

Soaked

No sleep overnight, too much rain and nasty weather. This can't be good for our levees.

I am afraid of what we'll find when dawn finally comes. It rained all freaking night.

I am pretty sure the north section of the West Quincy levee will be fine. Just how much rain dumped into the Fabius River and Durgen's Creek remains to be scene.

Fingers crossed ....

Levee Adventures

For Monday's adventures in flood fighting, click here.

It's hammering down rain in Q-town at noon today. Pray, and I mean pray hard, the Fabius levee holds. Pray all the work done the past two weeks doesn't wash away.

Fighting The Flood

This is how I spent my day today, and yes, that's me by the tractor. And those are my boots on the right.

Much more in The Whig tomorrow and on the Whig blog.

Healed by the blues

The Blue Healers have quickly become Quincy's best band.

Argue that point if you want. You can't argue they are The Funions favorite band.

Friday night at Turner Hall, before a small crowd, The Healers tore it up, down sideways and everywhere-ways. Nobody plays guitar like Ryan McSpadden. NOBODY. He is the best guitar player in Quincy and it's not even close. Everybody else is tied for last.

Well ... Keith Franx is a close second.

Helps to have a great bass player and singer in Bill Collins and Stan Jansen pounding the skins back there, too. Amazing musicians, great songs.

"Tied To The Whipping Post" and "Sweet Melissa" about made me cry ....

Do not miss these guys playing at Blues In The District July 11 and at the Bluesfest the week after.

I could say some things about the small crowd but that would be bitching and counterproductive. Many times there are good shows in Quincy and I don't go because of other commitments or stuff going on, so I understand.

But the next time a person comes up to me and complains about the local music scene, I'll ask where they were on Friday night, June 20, 2008, when The Blue Healers put on one of the best shows I have ever - EVER - seen.

They didn't care there were only 25 people left by the end of the night. They didn't care they got paid $10 a piece. They didn't care about anything except pouring their hearts out and leaving it all on the stage. And I do mean every last ounce.

I would like to thank everybody for coming out. It means a lot to us that you spent your Friday night at Turner Hall watching local music. Midnight Legend was really good in its debut as a band, and St. Amy's rocked it out in its unique and fun way.

I liked the energy The Funions had. If we did this every weekend we'd start getting there and I'd put my guys up against anybody.

Well. Except the Healers. After hearing Ryan tear through "Texas Flood" I'm embarrassed to even hold a guitar.

This is it for a while for The Funions, we'll be back in August or September. With six guys in the band and summer here, it's hard to find dates, but we'll crank it up again.

Also - Tookie dragged his tired and bug-bitten butt to Turner Hall after being on the levees all week and I don't forget people who make an effort to support local music.

Also - a huge thanks to Mark and Chris from Turner Hall, great guys who have a passion for keeping local music alive and well.

Real Help

Yes, Tookie was on the West Quincy levee with "Coach Guns" and his crew. Yes, Tookie left a comment on yesterday's blog that, as usual, couldn't be deciphered by the CIA's finest intelligence agents.

But he was there, and he has been there, working his butt off.

By the way, I was eating pasta but I was only doing my job, if you read today's paper you'll see what I mean. And you can't say no to Ann Knapheide.

God bless everybody who is fighting this thing. I'm wearing my new sandbagging T shirt I bought at the OLC yesterday. Things have pretty much wrapped up over there.

Keith Franx and I had a lot of fun playing for a benefit last night. Then it was off to Upper Moorman Park where YOUR Quincy Herald-Whig Demons came back from a 12-run deficit to go 12-0.

Some guy tried to run me over at second base but everything was good.

Big show tonight, this will be the last time The Funions play for a while. Midnight Legend starts at 7 p.m., followed by St. Amy's, us and The Blue Healers.

National Love

NBC News began it's national coverage last night with a story from Quincy. The Today Show did another live shot. Tons of national media in town.

I was in West Quincy today, more coming up on my Whig Blog and, of course, at www.whig.com.

Two Deadly Weapons playing tonight at a benefit, with the big show tomorrow night ready to go ....

The View

Wow.

http://qni.typepad.com/rodney_harts_blog/

And, as always ... www.whig.com for more.

Flood Flood Flood

Drove to Hannibal today and the flooding around Marblehead is just horrific. Somebody put up a sign which said — "Welcome to Lake Marblehead 2008 — No swimming or fishing."

The site of water covering hundreds and thousands of acres is ... is .... just hard to comprehend.

The levy seems to be holding on the Illinois side of the river crossing the bridge into Hannibal. Seems to be, anyway.

Bags continued to get filled in Quincy. Here's the very latest from West Quincy. Check out www.whig.com of course for more.

Good final practice last night at Vegas Music for the big Friday night show.

Dirty Water

Why on earth would anybody want to wade into the Mississippi River floodwaters?

Blech.

Life goes on as the waters rise. Latest reports are talking about Friday as the crest.

After talking to several national media outlets in recent weeks, I think the thing people who aren't from Quincy don't realize is how much we invest in protecting ourselves, and how much human emotion becomes a part of the story.

I got to see it for myself Saturday and Sunday at the OLC. Stop down there to see it for yourself, and bring a shovel, too.

Heard a rumor McCain is coming to Quincy to fill 21 sandbags. But it's a just a rumor. Still, being the good Web Warrior that I am, I'm spreading it around.

Floods, More Free Music

Keep your fingers crossed, Quincy. The next three days will tell the tale.

Some guy running for President was in town Saturday.

This is one thing you really need to be concerned about when it comes to the flooding.

Shey Fey and I will be at the O-L early this afternoon before watching the final round of the U.S. Open. We desperately need help with sandbags. If you can spare an hour or two ... please come down.

More great free music Saturday. I was a judge in the Colgate Country Showdown at Upper Moorman Park and it attracted a big crowd. Jack Inghram and Jim Phillips judged with me. Carrie Joy was the winner and clearly deserved it, this gal could make some noise in the bidness. I loved Nelsonville, two guys from NE Missouri who have a blast playing original songs. Charissa Mrowka took third but I thought both Brooke Rochelle and Caitlyn Stoeckley were better.

Each act did two songs. Madd Hoss Jackson was the backing band and Jim Jenning's guys did a fantastic job - many of the 10 acts did original songs and the band was right there all night.

Then it was off the Quincy Gems games to watch The Classics play after the final out. Check out the weekend games at QU Stadium because Rob Ebbing has booked bands for most of them - The Funions are still working on that - and it's awesome.

Ted Tappe, Kevin Vandament and Gary DeClue lead an amazing band. I love Gary's bass playing and voice, even if he does look like Buster Brown ... Ted is a great guitar player and Kevin amazing behind the drums.

Grab your shovel and we'll see you this afternoon!

Blues or blues? Who cares?

Rumors abound about Barack Obama coming to Quincy today. There have been preparations made, but no official word. Stay tuned ....

Beautiful night in Washington Park Friday. Majors Junction was awesome as the first band for Blues In The District.

I heard some people bitching about the band, saying they weren't a true blues band.

Good grief. First of all, you got in free. Secondly, what is blues anyway? You are being a snob with that kind of attitude. The band was awesome, an eclectic mix of country, bluegrass, rock and blues.

Finally ... it's a beautiful night in the park. Many people just want the music as background for a great social event. Having provided entertainment for exactly that purpose many times, I say .... so be it.

I'm supposed to judge a country music showcase tonight at Upper Morman Park, depending on presidential candidates coming to town. This flood and politics stuff is messing with my pool time ....

Too Much Fun

Happy Friday the 13th ya'll. Hope the weather is OK for Blues in the District tonight.

If we have any more fun at practice with St. Amy's, we might have heart attacks. Rumor has it some of the groupies are still sleeping it off. But that's just a rumor.

So here's the big show lineup for June 20, Turner Hall, $3 at the door or $5 per couple: 7 p.m. - Midnight Legend; 8 p.m. - St. Amy's; 8:30 — The Funions; 9:45 - St. Amy's, 10:15 — Blue Healers.

The Guv comes to town this afternoon to look at floods. Always like the guys with dark suits and things stuck in the ears giving everybody blank stares.

Good lord did it storm last night. I work up at 12:50 a.m. with the TV on and thunder crashing, it shook the house it was so loud. Lucy the Border Collie cowered in her owner's tub, from what I've heard.

Another NFL Baby

So Plaxico Burress is upset with his contract.

Well. He did go to Michigan State.

Hey Plax - you caught the winning touchdown in the Super Bowl. You are rich and famous. I'm having trouble paying my rent and affording a tank of gas.

What a big baby.

Speaking of overpaid babies, the NBA Finals are in full swing. Nobody covers the NBA like ESPN's Bill Simmons, who hates Kobe Bryant and torches the L.A. fans with style and class.

So I've been going home for lunch (saving my pennies by eating hot dogs and corned beef sandwiches). I've been watching the Euro Cup soccer with the two English or Scottish or whatever they are guys doing the announcing, and it's been tremendous.

They say things like "Portugual is cherishing the ball" and "What a deft touch by the Dutch midfielder" and "That was creative genius in the midfield with the one-touch flick."

It's made my noon naps easier to take. Nothing is more soothing than an English soccer announcer.

Weekend Wishes

You know the song ....

Everybody's working for the weekend ....

Get it started off right in the Q-Town this Friday night, click here for more.

Friday might a tough day after a Funions practice and Herald-Whig Demons game the night before.

To find out my plans for Father's Day, click here.

Not Guilty

Tookie was found not guilty. I have it on good authority the jury was rigged and his rabble-rousing attorney may have paid off the judge.

Just what I've heard.

Hey. Web Warriors only report the rumors, they don't verify them.

Wet

Gus was cut short in Morris today by wet weather. It actually cleared up later in the afternoon, but I'm not complaining about leaving the steaming Chicagoland area a little early.

Much fun on the Dream Court, as always. People in Morris and the surrounding communities really get into it.

Thomas Streety is a Macker legend who has won more dunk contests and top men's championships than I flunked math tests in grade school. Thomas' son, Derek, played on the Dream Court and has his old man's mad handles. It was so much fun to see the future right in front of us!

Back to the real world tomorrow .... we'll have Funions news as our June 20 show nears. Blues in the District is this Friday night too!

Fast Summer

I hate to say this, but the first week of June is already slipping away ....

Heading north for domestic and Gus Macker duty, so the blog will be quiet for a few days, your patience is appreciated.

I have two words for Kris Bentley — Hockey and Town!

Actually the Wings losing in three overtimes Monday was a blessing. It provided another gripping finals game and proved they were the superior team. No shame from the Pens and Sid The Kid, they played their hearts out.

Easily the best blog in Quincy is this one. I don't think I've ever laughed so hard at video of a hamster in my life.

Then again, I've never seen much video of a hamster ....

Trains, roads, weather

I'm out of town overnight and come back and geesh, trains are crashing and so are rumors about planes.

Apparently it hammered down rain here too. This is my favorite Web site to track local weather.

Heartbreak for your Detroit Red Wings. At least I'll get to watch Game 6 Wednesday. Last night's first overtime was riveting hockey and fun to watch. A game like that is good for hockey in general, as ESPN's Scott Burnside so accurately reflects.

Finally broke down and turned on the air, too. How long will you hold out?

Lotsa music

Now THAT was a Friday music night.

Fun times at Turner Hall, especially with Napalm doing lights and the temps reaching 100-plus on stage. Hey ... needed to burn off a few pounds anyway, right?

The Funions played very well and I appreciated the young people who gave us a chance and listened.

Great crowd, great bands ... St. Amy's had everybody going, First of November was really cool (you just don't see two girls playing guitar in a band), Predawn Hour looks good with their new bass player and Fielder .... Geesh. What can you say about those guys? I've run out of words .... simply awesome.

Thanks Tookie, for showing up AFTER we played. He blamed the women. Oh well.

Also slid down to the Elks and caught some of Mad Hoss Jackson. Drummer Jim Jennings is always fun to hang out with.

Now we get ready for the June 20 show. It will be nice today to do nothing but recover and watch YOUR Detroit Red Wings play in the Stanley Cup finals tonight.

Sports Guys

Some interesting talk by Web Warriors this week about sports writers.

I was a sports writer for 10 years. I enjoyed a lot of it. I hated other parts of it.

People assume you have the dream cake job, watching sports for a living. You get into the games free! You watch sports and write about it. How hard can it be?

If you like working strange hours, enjoy debating mad soccer moms, get a charge out of meeting impossible deadlines and like dealing with the strangest and most passionate of people, this is your job.

Sports writers make good reporters in general because they cover fast moving live events. They pay attention to detail. Good sports writers look for different angles all the time — writing about a blowout hoops game gets old after a while unless you keep it fresh.

Sports writers learn to develop sources and figure out in a hurry who the good guys and not so good guys are. Good guys are coaches, men and women, who are accessible and know what you are after. Bad guys blow their own horns and don't return phone calls.

Sports writers can make the jump to news. But it doesn't work the other way. Covering sports makes you a good reporter, in time.

Very rarely I miss it, like on a Friday night when I'm going to a football game. Years ago in Michigan I used to bomb down rural roads and see the lights in the distance from the field and if it was a big game, I'd get that knot in my stomach.

I also miss the rush of finishing a story or meeting deadline, though that happens a lot on news side.

Our Whig sports guys do a great job.

If you are a sports writer, it's a way of life, not just a job, and those that do it should be commended.

Fins

Excellent times at Vegas Music last night. We learned the Jimmy Buffet song "Fins" but no guarantees it will be flawless Friday night. Also have a brand new Funions song to debut.

As Pat says, "We need to practice here every time." As my neighbor down the street said during a phone conversation, "No no, it's Vegas Music, it's NOT a bar!"

St. Amy's practiced after us and I was blown away by Nathan Cornwell, David Brink and Eric Strubinger. Three young guys, acoustic guitars, great songs from Garth Brooks to Meredith Brooks. They seemed to be having a good time. Hope we didn't get in the way, bad Police renditions included .... they play between bands Friday night.

And yes ... Tookie was there. He's not the first person to have a man-crush on our sax player. Ask the Macker guy from last week.

Vegas Practice

Funions practice tonight in preparation for the Friday night show at Turner Hall. We'll be making a racket again at Vegas Music. Broadway has been warned ....

Fielder, Predawn Hour, First of November, St. Amy’s, The Funions
Turner Hall, 926 Hampshire
Doors open at 6:30, music starts at 7
All ages, $4 cover

St. Amy's is three young guys who just formed, they are playing acoustic music between sets.

Shopping Done Right

So I go to Springfield Monday for a father-daughter shopping expedition.

I was sort of dreading it but it actually turned out very well. We instituted the Fleetwood Mac rule, you know, "Go Your Own Way," when getting to the mall.

On the way back, I nearly cried when she plugged in her iPod and we blasted Boston, U2, Kansas, Toto, Asia and other classic rock over the Old Fogey Car stereo.

Geesh. Might not be so bad to get her another $50 for iTunes ....

By the way — YOUR Detroit Red Wings are up 2-0. Just thought you should know.

Goodbye Gus, July 5 update

Always sad when Gus heads home Sunday night. All in all, Gus was good again in Q-town, one or two knuckleheads as usual. The Dream Court was huge, highlighted by DOB and Tyler T from WGEM doing the final game today. They watched the Rocky Cola-coached team dominate, as usual!

I jumped the gun on the July 5 Gems announcement, a couple of the Funions have other commitments that day so we'll try to figure out another Gems show.

Have a good Memorial Day and remember our men and women in the Armed Forces who gave and still give so much for us.

Rain Again?

It seems the Herald-Whig Demons softball team, YOUR defending Quincy Park District Division V champions, may be rained out again tonight. In the first four weeks of the season, we've had two rainouts and a bye. Teams and Mother Nature fear us.

Another massive jam at Vegas Music last night as The Funions get ready for the May 30 show. We play at 7 p.m. There will be a huge crowd at Turner Hall as the night goes on, hopefully we'll get a few people out to see us.

Don't forget, Friday, June 20, Turner Hall with the Blue Healers and Midnight Legend. Also working on another major show, info coming soon.

Rich Meyers is here from Belding, Mich., and Gus Macker headquarters. He endured a Funions practice last night with the usual groupies and is taking everybody to see the Demons play tonight, if it doesn't rain. Gus himself will be here tonight too. Rich is still getting therapy from rooming with me in Macomb last year but that's another story for a more adult blog.

If it does rain, hopefully that clears it out for the weekend ....