Not So Trivial

Much fun at St. Peter's trivia night. Our team, led by Theresa Oakley, finished with a respectable top 20 showing. Missing Marianne Barnard hurt, as did missing the kids (illness). More fun afterwards with 1/3 of the Funions hooting and hollering ....

The ice has been magnificent at The Family Farm Pond and we had a great game today. 

Yes, they are twice as young, yes, I'm having trouble walking up the steps, yes, I wish it was 1983 again. Not really.

Looks like the cold weather will stick around so we'll have ice for a while. 

And ... the snow this morning sure beat the heck out of rain.

And .... to the little girl who blew threw the 10th and Adams intersection this morning, nearly careening into a parked car while skidding on the snow — TAKE YOU STUPID CELL PHONE OUT OF YOUR EAR before it gets stuck up in there and pay attention. It might save your life.

Wire ... Less (update)

A very gracious soul set me up with wireless Internet a while back and it's awesome. I can sit anywhere in the place unhooked and hooked up, a beautiful thing.

The other day something called "Angelove" popped up on my wireless network, booted me off and screwed everything up. Now I can't reconnect, despite expert efforts.

If you are Angelove and living in Calftown, thanks for nothing, and thanks for using a non-secure wireless network and wrecking my little parade.

UPDATE: We called Comcast, which said the router was fine. They switched us to Belkin, the router maker.

"Oh," said the Belkin tech person. "If you have an iBook, you have to type in a $ sign before your password when you log back in."

Geesh. Glad we called, our we'd be using the router for a hockey puck right now ....

Ready tonight for the Trivia Contest at St. Peter. Since half our team are Funions, expect a big after-party jam session somewhere ....

Warm Air = No Ice

So what if mid-50s makes everybody feel better .... all I know is that's the end of our Farm Pond Arena ice.

I think.

Back into the teens tomorrow, maybe it will still be around this weekend ....

Flu and missing history

So Monday I spent a miserable day dealing with the flu. Blechh, double blechh.

Got up this morning and felt like I'd been hit by a truck, but at least the thought of eating something didn't repulse me. Got to the office and by about 11 I was dragging, so I went home.

I turned on the presidential inauguration, hoping to catch history. President George H. Bush looked really old. Jimmy Carter looked great. All the other politicians looked like ... politicians.

Obama came out and there was a huge roar and it was quite a grand scene.

Then I fell asleep.

Then I woke up to hear Aretha Franklin absolutely warbling and screaming, and I turned the TV off.

Rats. Flu has a way of interfering with history, I guess.

Well, I assume Obama had lots of good lines and everybody was impressed. Now they are talking about a luncheon and china used by Lincoln and HOLY CRAP is Ted Kennedy still alive?

Hey Rocky .... MAROON!

Rocky .... The problem with reading Tookie's blog is that some people actually think his nonsensical dribble means something and is accurate.

Don't be one of the three.

These aren't sweats, they are maroon snow pants. MAROON. As in, the color of America's university, Central Michigan. As in, the former Montreal Maroons hockey team.

Might be wearing them shortly just down the street from your abode ....

Sunday Morning Quiet

Sometimes it's nice just to wake up, get some coffee, sift through the paper (or, like more and more people these days, browse online) and just take it easy.

More fun at The Farm yesterday. My mid-40s muscles are barking this morning. Hurts so good!

Watched "The Bucket List" last night. Morgan Freeman is amazing. I kept thinking about how autobiographical much of the material might have been from Jack Nicholson. 

So, you have a sleeping 17-year-old on a Sunday morning. What do you do?

1. Wake her up and make pancakes.

2. Threaten to ground her if she doesn't wake up, then realize all she'd do is sleep if she was grounded.

3. Try the old Calvinistic guilt trip thing about missing church.

4. Let her sleep.

Correct Answer: C'mon, too easy ....

Hectic Friday

It started with a noon skate at The Farm. Kevin Murphy of The Whig copy desk was introduced to pond hockey Quincy style and it was SO much fun zipping around the ice with Corey and crew.

Then it was back to work where Judge Mark Drummond didn't mince words when telling a Chicago drug dealer what he thought, click here.

Then it was off to The Elks for a Funions show. I thought we played pretty well, just something off with the energy, might have been the cold January night. The people that did stick around had a great time and I'm always grateful people will come out to hear us.

When we were done all I wanted to do was go home and crash, but Rock A Bye, Pat, Steph and Shey Fey were insistent we go to Port's Place to see Kevin Allen. Port's Place? Are you kidding?

There weren't. And it was a blast. And now I'm embarrassed to pick up a guitar after watching Kevin jam with his buddies. HOLY CRAP. 

Back on the ice today with any luck, gotta do it now because it's warming up!

Ice Again!

Went down to South Park's Curtis Creek today and the ice was perfect.

It was all good except for Lucy getting too close to the dam and falling in, but she couldn't have cared less chasing me around the ice. Mom finally took her home when the icicles started forming on her chest ....

Tomorrow I introduce Kevin Murphy to real pond hockey in Quincy!

Brrrrrrrr

Buh buh buh bundle up, baby ....

The weather is a big topic right now. What do you do to keep warm? 

In the immortal word of a cook I used to work with many years ago who gave me a tip about making nachos - "Layers, dude. Layers." You don't need a big heavy coat, just a few shirts, jackets and sweatshirts.

And if you don't have to go outside, DON'T. Pretty simple, Hoser.

Went to St. Charles this morning for work and drove into the sunrise. Even on a bleak January morning it was pretty cool. 

QHS girls gave it a good go last night in Keokuk. In a month the season and No. 44's career will be over, and it's just hard to believe.

Two more nights and it's Elks rock and roll time, we can't wait!

Well Deserved

A really good story about a really good guy, click here.

A local blogger who is different and interesting at times ....

Ice by Friday? It's possible!

Dreary January Mondays ....

.... Make me long for scenes like this.

We'll try to warm things up Friday night at the Elks, 7:30 p.m., members and guests. FOF (friends of Funions) welcome as well.

Also getting ready for the annual Music Trivia night coming up, Rock A. Bye has recruited quite the Funion-influenced team. My goal is to beat teams with Alan Lawless and Sam Middendorf.

Going to give guitar lessons in a few minutes .... nothing restores faith and sanity like music and young people!

Fieldon

HAVE YOU SEEN THIS MAN?

He is accused of allowing a Funion to jam with his band, Fielder, thus making the Funion a Fieldion.

Both are greasy, from what I've heard.

Let's quote the greatest philosopher of all time by saying HOLY CRAP and congratulating the QHS girls on a huge win in Galesburg last night. Some nice pics of No. 44, too!

The Funions practiced last night and learned a boatload of songs. Ain't No Sunshine in Q-town in January.

We also discussed summer World Parking Lot Tour plans, south and north sides of Mendon, how much gear we've had lost/stolen/misplaced/borrowed and never returned, watched Florida win the national championship and lined up the soldiers when we were done.

Looking forward to hanging out at the Aces tournament tomorrow and watching more NFL playoff games ....

Beach On The Brain

This post is dedicated to Mike Provine and beaches. He is right. This time of year really makes you think of warm sand.

The only way you survive the January bleakness is by pretending you are sitting on a beach with nothing but a beverage and the sun in your face.

Well ... you'd also have to deal with the waves crashing into the sound, stars so close they seem to be dropping on top of your head, no cell phone reception ..... glorious.

The good news? Six more months 'till vacation. The bad news? Six more months 'till vacation.

Gas Prices

We all knew this $1.60 a gallon gas was waaaayyyyy too good to be true.

Proof? Right here.

I just went to West Quincy and paid $1.58. At the local gas station in Q-town gas is $1.85. The difference, of course, is competition and state taxes.

Many times I go to West Quincy just to spite Illinois and its higher gas taxes. Sometimes I give in and buy gas here. But when it's 27 cents a gallon cheaper .... c'mon. You are dumb not to do it if you aren't that far from the bridges.

Now lawmakers say they may need to jack the federal tax on gas because Americans are driving fewer miles.

Let me get this straight — we, John Q. Public, are using less gas and being more responsible in tight economic times, presumably with less wear and tear on our roads, and the answer is to SMACK US IN THE FACE WITH MORE FREAKING TAXES?

Let's trade Washington D.C. to another country and just call it even.

Stuffed Animal Abuse

In some states, ripping the head off a stuffed animal is a Class 3 felony.

In Calftown, it's par for the course ....

Parties

The world's loudest band ever for the Sandwich Maker of Doom's Birthday Bash ....

So we figured out the more people drink, the better we sound.

And ...

- I hate "Sweet Home Alabama." But it works. We did draw the line with "Gimme Three Steps."

- Drums fall apart. Thankfully drummers still work.

- We'll work out a few kinks for the Jan. 16 show at The Elks.

- Gotta play a few more originals.

- These people know how to have fun!

Birthday Party

Looking forward to playing tonight at the Sandwich Maker of Doom's birthday party — the house is sure to be a rockin' ....

How about those QHS girls ...!

Watching Nick Saban run off the field last night looking like he swallowed sour milk was worth the price of admission. Take that, BCS. Take that, you arrogant Bama fans who dismissed Utah.

Plus it got me huge points in the Hart Family Bowl Challenge. I'm currently in first, with my brother's dog, Ella, in second. Ella made her picks by barking or growling when the team name was mentioned. She might be the dumbest dog in the world, but she knows her bowl games.

Back tomorrow with a report from the birthday bash ...

Also, Funions dates confirmed for Friday, Jan. 16 at the Elks (members and guests) and Saturday, March 7 for the Children's Action Network party at the old Holiday Inn, now called the Clarion.

New Year's Day

Lots of fun at the Elks Lodge last night. The Classics are awesome, a band that understands it's not about being loud, it's all about being heard.

New Year's Day has been quiet, lots of football and hanging out in the newly-dubbed "Mark's Sports Bar" in the Ridge. 

The hockey game today at Wrigley Field was the best. Whoever came up with this idea needs to be knighted .... you'll see it every year now.

Hope 2009 is good to you!

Sun and Bowls

I'm watching the Sun Bowl on CBS and it's a beautiful thing.

First of all, the sun is always out during game. Always. El Paso must be a great place to live.

Secondly, it's knocking some really lousy mid-day shows off CBS airwaves. Millions of disgruntled housewives will not be getting their Oprah fix today and the rest of us mere mortals rejoice.

Many years ago I used to rest up for a night of New Year's celebrating by taking a big nap and watching this bowl game (men can do both at the same time).

Gotta love the college bowl season ....

Be safe tonight!

Digital Photos

This Digital camera ROCKS! 

Easy to use, small, easy to download pics ....

Just gotta get used to bringing it along - you never know when you might want to take a picture!

Downtown Smoke

Sad day for downtown Quincy .... click here and here.

The building is still standing, but it might not be for long.

No More Ice

There goes the ice as we climb into the 50s.

Oh well. Fun while it lasted. Above are the boys at the Niemann farm earlier this week.

Thanks for the photo, Lexi!

Maybe it will get cold again next month.

Best Christmas

Don't know about you, but I had one of the best Christmas day ever!

Among the gifts - a new digital camera, tremendous T-shirts from Grannie Annie and the Who DVD Live at Kilburn (more on this in later blogs after I watch it a few times). 

But the best part was spending Christmas with friends and family. Had a great time with the Collins brood and skating at Eastate Drive Lake!

At the Mays family gathering (I am Anne's "sixth son") Bob Mays talked about his brother Dick, a World War II pilot who perished 65 years ago in the English Channel. We walk past his grave site in Woodland all the time and I always say a silent prayer for Bob.

Without Dick and the many brave men and women who currently serve in our Armed Forces, we wouldn't be here.

Thank you.

Peace to all on Christmas night.

Tis The Season . . .

— For pond hockey. In Quincy. It's true!

— For bowl games. Good one last night. To you know what with Fat Charlie and the Biting Irish tonight.

— To say sorry. That wasn't very Christmas spirit like, was it? Notre Dumb does that to me.

— To get gifts. I got a Larry The Cable Guy Christmas CD today. I will listen to it tonight while watching others wrap.

— To pause, even if it's just for a minute.

— To remember family.

— To try and not break your neck walking two blocks in Calftown.

— To try and remember your friend while you walk across an icy parking lot.

— To try something new. The Funions will be doing it very soon.

— To be glad you don't live in Michigan.

— For being grateful for good health and friends.

— To wish everybody a very Merry Christmas, and good wishes for 2009. Be safe!

Hooch

I was out earlier today and now it's starting to rain .... be careful out there!

One of my favorite blogs is written by WGEM's Josh Houchins. Every Monday he updates WGEM's Stew, which isn't enough.

In his latest blog he bemoans a terrible cover version by one of this favorite bands.

Josh has a point. There are a lot of really bad cover songs out there. You have to balance the fine line between remaining faithful to the idea of the original but putting your own spin on it.

One of my favorite CDs is a U2 cover compilation. About half of them miss. The other half rock.

Just heard a version of The Pretender's 2,000 Miles, a classic Christmas song, by a female artist I didn't recognize. It actually sounded really good.

Then I heard this version and almost threw up, which is sad because the band in question has some good songs.

So be it. It's their take, and it either works for you or it doesn't.

Rockin Cold Night

So we figured we'd do a show around Christmas just to get out and play . . . .

— Fielder is the best band in Quincy. Maybe the world. They just freaking rock. If you decided to stay home because it was too cold to venture out (and I don't blame you a bit) you missed perhaps one of their best shows ever.

— There were maybe 80 to 100 people at Turner Hall, about what we expected. By the end of the night there were about 25 left all standing in front of the stage going crazy. That's what a great band does, it delivers in front of a million people or 20 people. Logan and the boys played their hearts out as if it was the last night of a sold out tour.

— I know one young lass from Lake Orion, Mich., who is totally smitten with Fielder and is now their No. 1 fan. Funny how a lot of people say that after seeing them for the first time!

— The Funions played OK but we really missed Jack and Rock A. Bye. They make us unique among Quincy bands. The energy, however, was there.

— Been a long time since we've sung "Psycho With A Capital S" to Ginny and Co. ....

— Thanks to Chris and Mark at Turner Hall. Those guys deserve credit for keeping it a viable local music venue.

— Next up for The Funions is a birthday party at The Elks Jan. 3 and another show at the Elks Jan. 16. Got some stuff in the works for the spring World Parking Lot Tour, as well.

Too Night

Getting ready for our big show tonight at Turner Hall. We had practice last night and ran into our old drummer and guitar player, David Stegeman. He wound up pounding on Pat's kit and it was just like old times, a blast!

Hopefully the snow stays away tonight.

Jack and Rock A. Bye are unavailable so we may have a guest or two make an appearance. It will be a fun night!

Turner Hall, 936 Hampshire
7 p.m.
SevenD2
The Funions
Fielder
$3 person, $5 a couple

Ice Ice Baby

Why anybody would be out tonight is beyond me ....

It's actually starting to warm up a hair. Streetlights and ice make strange shapes and shadows.

Watched The Dark Knight on video tonight and it was bizarre. It's rare such a long movie can entertain. And it was dark.

Don't forget - Funions at Turner Hall Saturday. For a complete list of Christmas shows, click here.

Stay safe!

Snow Day

Never ceases to amaze me when we get a little bit of snow here. Front page stories, panic in the streets, stores selling out of shovels and salt, bare milk counters ....

Geesh. It's just snow! This is just a good day in June where I come from.

We'll have much more on this story as it develops.

Just Thinking ....

— Happiness is going to ref Little Devils games and coming home to find your place scrubbed from head to toe by Shey Fey and Brown Eyed Girl. Already battling a nasty cold, it got even better getting high off of Pine Sol fumes.

— Happiness is doing three games wondering if the back will hold up and feeling really good when it's done. That's cause Westy carried me. Bet his back is sore today.

— Unhappiness is waking up the next morning. That's just being RFO, I guess.

— Much as love Blogvine, this site gives him a run for his money. We'll have more on this battle of local blogging giants as things develop.

— ESPN's "The Greatest Game Ever Played" was fascinating. The best part was when current players sat with the guys who played in that game 50 years ago and watched it together. Even in the spit-em-out world of pro sports, athletes today have much to be thankful for.

— Once in a while I think about putting something up here about Funions rules for comments. Instead, UMR took care of it for me.

— If you listen to a soaring oboe being played in a church, don't close your eyes because you might think you are in another place.

— Are you going to get anything done today? Good. Neither am I ...

— Actually that's not true because I'm taking the 6-1 senior post player to the Good News of Christmas HQ this afternoon to wrap presents. Do something for somebody else. It's the best gift you can give.

The Greatest Game

Saturday night on ESPN, the NFL title game from 1958 between the Baltimore Colts and New York Giants will be shown.

This is considered THE game that got the NFL off and running into national prominence. ESPN has restored the video and even will show it in color.

Here's an awesome story about a key player who rarely gets mentioned when talking about the game.

Good Practice

The Funions had a really good practice tonight. We'll debut some new songs (for us) at the Dec. 20 show.

After practice much of the discussion was about why we play, the whole "pay for play" thing (sorry Illinois) and what songs to play, how much original stuff will go over, etc.

The bottom line is that we are still having a blast and this is the best bunch of guys yet to play in the band.

Really looking forward to seeing our friends in SevenD2 play with us ... rumor has it they have a one-time drummer helping them out.

We might have a minor lineup change or two as well .... we'll have more as this story develops.

Snow, College Football

Tough day to be from Illinois, don't you think?

Like I say about my job at The Whig - "You Can't Make It Up."

The older I get the more I don't like the cold weather. I wish it would just snow like crazy and we can get on with winter.

For all things college football, click here.

Some big shows coming up in the area over the holidays, we'll get you updated shortly and you can always check out Jessica's blog here for the latest.

Christmas Show Lineup

Saturday, Dec. 20
Turner Hall, 936 Hampshire,
Quincy IL
7 p.m.
Featuring:
SevenD2
St. Amy's
The Funions
Fielder
All ages, tickets $5 at the door, bar open for 21 & over

Christmas Show!

We've just booked Turner Hall for a big Christmas show.

Saturday, Dec. 20
7 p.m.
The Funions and others TBA.


By the way, Mike Provine continues to have the best blog in Quincy, but I'm thinking this one is getting to be a close second. More on this as it develops .... pfffffft.

No Blues Here

Had a blast at the Blues game Friday night.

We took I-70 into downtown since the other route is closed. No major traffic issues, got to Union Station around 5, had a leisurely dinner and stroll, did some people watching.

Walked two blocks to ScottTrade Center and caught the warmups, which always fascinate me. The teams come out and it's sort of organized chaos, a continuing skating circle with pucks flying all over the place.

The arena was about 1/4th full just before game time, then maybe 3/5ths full for the game. We sat behind the Calgary goal in section 124, really good seats.

Watching hockey on TV does not give the game justice. When you have a view of the whole ice surface you can see the various strategies for dumping the puck in or trying to get it out of the defensive zone. If you've ever been on skates you'll really appreciate what tremendous athletes hockey players are, and they look so smooth and effortless gliding across the ice.

St. Louis played Calgary and watching Calgary's great player Jarome Iginla was a treat. Calgary likes to fling the puck back and forth across the rink, something you really can't appreciate with television. St. Louis played pretty well but they don't seem to have the creative offensive players, and the Flames scored three straight goals and won in overtime.

Note to Provine: Dion Phaneuf was in the penalty box twice .... go ahead and insert your own jokes here.

The good thing about going to a game is the live atmosphere, but that's the bad part too. Some drunk college kids were sitting behind us and were just loud and profane enough to be annoying but not really out of control.

It took us about 15 minutes of battling traffic to hit I-70 and we were home by 1 a.m.

I won't pay big bucks to see a professional sporting event, but if I get free or cheap tickets, I won't hesitate to go back to another game.

Blues

Going to St. Louis tonight to see the Blues with comp tickets. It's been a while since I've been to a game at ScottTrade.

Apparently because of construction the easiest way is to take 70 downtown.

Full report to follow ...

Practice makes .... noise

Being in a band is like playing on a sports team - you have to practice to be any good.

Actually, that's not true. Fielder never practices. Never. They just get up there and jam and it sounds great. That's a rare gift.

Warren and Jason from SevenD2 tell me they never practice either, but they play every weekend, and nothing beats actually playing in front of people.

But The Funions can't get away with that. And fortunately the band likes to practice, which hasn't always been true with previous incarnations.

What I've found is that if you are prepared and have stuff to work on, practice is more fun and you get more out of it. With this particular group of guys, the challenge is to find songs that work for us and that feel right.

I've brought great songs to practice but when the band plays them, they just fall flat. Then I've taken half-baked ideas and they've flourished, for whatever reason.

We are working on getting ready for a big birthday party show at The Elks Jan. 3, so tonight we learned four songs and polished up a few others. Practice is hard work but it's fun, and that's the way it should be with a band.

Then Mark, Pat and I went to the Paradise Bar at 10th and Hampshire to hoot and holler at Warren's open mic night and it was a blast ... until we broke poor Warren's PA. I just left and Pat was crawling around back of the mixing board trying to figure out what went wrong.

Maybe it was our playing ....

What's Your Name?

Snow + ice + cold = slippery roads. BE CAREFUL!

An elderly gent was invited to an old friend's home for dinner one evening. He was impressed by the way his buddy preceded every request to his wife with endearing terms such as: Honey, My Love, Darling, Sweetheart, Pumpkin, etc. The couple had been married almost 70 years and, clearly, they were still very much in love.

While the wife was in the kitchen, the man leaned over to his host and said, "I think it's wonderful that, after all these years, you still call your wife those loving pet names."

The old man hung his head.

"I have to tell you the truth," he said. "Her name slipped my mind about 10 years ago and I'm scared to death to ask her what it is!"

Black Friday

To everybody who went out yesterday to shop on Black Friday .... ARE YOU FREAKING NUTS?

Very proud of the QHS girls this morning, who battled a very good Morton team into overtime. No more getting crushed by 30, and the future of Blue Devils girls basketball really looks good.

More ghost hunting tonight at a downtown location.

One of these days I'll get a Saturday to watch college football. What? The regular season is almost over?

It's OK, bowl season is coming up.

Random Thanksgiving thoughts

— Really enjoying the U2 box sets, especially the B-sides and various remixes. Some of the live songs on the October bonus disc are amazing .... as are the bizarre dance mixes off the War disc.

— Have a safe and happy Thanksgiving. Don't take for granted health, family and friendship.

— Speaking of friendship, UMR, we might have somebody in common here. Or maybe not.

— Being ignored is a terrible thing, n'est pas? Not being able to figure out why is even worse.

— Somebody asked why I took All The News That Fits off my links. Very simple - he (or she) doesn't blog enough. This person, a former employee of a major Quincy media outlet, has insightful and often searingly accurate criticism of local media. However, for every on target blog he (or she) does, there are a bunch of strange and seemingly pointless entries. This person doesn't live in Quincy, though still lives in the area, and has gone to great lengths to keep his (or her) identity secret. Good reason for that, I'm sure. The IP address out of the Macomb area is very interesting, however. I think I know who it is, but really, it doesn't matter and I won't spill the beans. Besides, it is his (or her) blog , and he (or she) can do whatever he (or she) wants.

— I am happy for Ball State, even though they got lucky against my Chippewas last week. It's a great story, from the depths of a mid-major conference to being unbeaten and possibly screwing up the BCS.

— Too many of you reading this are already preparing for Friday morning's cattle call, also known as Black Friday shopping. I had to write a story about this nine years ago and I am still in regular therapy to try and recover.

Drummer on the web

Craig Sparks, drummer for Trinity's praise band and U2.1, has a new Web site up here.

No practice this week for The Funions, as life itself with Thanksgiving gets in the way.

With Shey Fey's help (well actually she's doing all the work) I'm building a little floor rack for my Digitech, tuner and wireless receiver. Mark now has less wood cluttering up his basement and I'll keep stuff organized.

Got my eyes on a Crate half stack system. So ....

For sale: Really nice Crate 212 amp, $250 or best offer ....

All U2

Shey Fey gave me the box set of the first three U2 CDs. This is what happens when you officially Turn Old.

Also got the Red Rocks DVD, "Under A Blood Red Sky." All I'm gonna say about watching this in its entirety for the first time in 25 years is HOLY CRAP .... Uncle David Youngsma took me to Red Rocks last year, which gives me a greater appreciation.

I'm listening to the Boy album right now and going back in time to my college years, where I'd crank my battered boom box with a warped casette tape and get lost without doing homework.

Music has a way of stamping time, and taking you back.

Even on the liner notes the album "October" tends to get bashed but I think it's my favorite ... no particular reason. "Stranger In A Strange Land" still gives me goose bumps.

All three CDs come with bonus discs full of live recordings and strange B sides, awesome stuff, plus commentary from guitar player The Edge.

Many thanks to my surrogate mother and father, Bob and Anne Mays, who took us out to dinner last night. I am now able to open wine bottles with Bill Clinton. Don't ask .... or try to figure out how I crack nuts with Hillary.

Bloggers And Trust

“For bloggers, it’s all about trust too: except weblogs are starting from zero, building their reputations from the ground up. Blog responsibly, and you’ll build a reputation for being a trusted news source. Don’t, and you won’t have a reputation to worry about.”
John Hiler
Microtent News

More fascinating analysis of everything blogging here.

No Shows

The Funions have nothing planned until early January. We'd like to play once or twice over Christmas so we'll see if anything pops up. We do have some shows lined up in March and April already.

In the meantime, we will practice at Club Vegas and perhaps think about reviving the CD project.

Enjoyed the Sammy Fund gathering last night to thank volunteers and celebrate another amazing fundraising effort. Big thanks to Knap and Anne Knapheide, two genuine people who care.

Did not enjoy my Chippewas getting beat at home by Ball State. Ugh. They played in the snow, not the fog. Wonder if Gus has thawed out yet today ....

Lid Lifter

The QHS girls basketball team starts the season tonight with a home game against Jacksonville. Click here for the official online site.

All home games this season are being played in the much smaller QHS Gym, as opposed to Blue Devil Gym at Baldwin.

I have mixed feelings about this. On the one hand, the girls deserve to play in a facility every bit as nice as the boys. It shouldn't matter what crowds you get or how the team is doing, it's about equal access. Three years ago I had a big QHS boys basketball booster tell me Quincy Public Schools was wasting electricity and resources by having the girls play at Baldwin (he also told me a certain center would never play on the girls varsity as a freshman, and he was wrong as always).

However, playing at the high school does have its advantages. Our team is not built on quickness, so the smaller court will help. We are lucky to get 100 people to a game and they'll make a lot more noise in the smaller gym.

The Whig sports guys say the volleyball team played at the high school gym and the atmosphere was tremendous.

My impression is that the girls don't really care that much about it - they just want to play. So I'm good with it and I really hope we have a better season.

Good luck Devils!

J'ville

Fun times in Jacksonville Sunday night. Hit a deer on I-72 near Pittsfield, but we had Jack Inghram in the car with us so we were spared. Left a nasty streak on the side of the passenger door and dented the front right panel, but otherwise we escaped unscathed. Man, that sucker hit hard.

Good energy for the U2.1 event. Big thanks to Josh Carlson for running sound and to drummer Craig Sparks for keeping us together, we were a little ragged. The spirt and energy were there, however, and that's all that counts. We'll have some appearances announced early in 2009.

Very Funny

I don't read many of the local blogs but this one caught my eye and I laughed out loud ....

MacMurray

We are taking our U2.1 worship service on the road this Sunday, read more about it here.

It will be very interesting to see what kind of crowd and reaction we get. We've been carried by audience participation so far .... so let's go, Jacksonville!

Road Trip

Went up to DeKalb last night to watch YOUR Central Michigan University Chippewas nearly blow a three-touchdown lead before beating Northern Illinois in overtime.

Met up with Scott McNeal AKA Gus Macker and we had a blast hooting and hollering. I liked the old stadium, pretty simple layout but it has some atmosphere. There was this strange fog rolling in and I got texts saying it was hard to watch on TV. We sat on the 20 yard line in the front row right behind the CMU bench and at times we had trouble seeing through the mist too.

After the game the players sang the fight song for the several hundred Chippewa fans, and Gus and I ran around on the field like little kids ... more fun that you should be allowed to have!

I like going on solo road trips. It's good to sit in the car and think about life, sing along to the radio or iPod, all the while paying attention to the road. I took the new 336 around Macomb to get up there, and I hate I-88 — classic "let's block the left lane for seven miles while fixing two inches of road" construction, mad drivers, toll booths .... yechh. Took more than five hours. Took I-39 home to Bloomington and 1-72 around Springfield to get home, much better, 4 1/2 hours.

Getting home at 3:30 spiked on caffeine is surreal.

P.S. - apparently sheyfey.blogspot.com is back!

Respect for Vets

Please remember our veterans. Today is their day, but every day should be their day.

Here's an idea on how to honor them.

Angry Monks

Holy encounters, Batman!

Nothing says Christianity like a bunch of angry monks ....

Smoke Gets In Your Eyes

Fun times in LaBelle last night. Best wishes to Lisa Wolter and her family as she battles ALS. The people were great and treated us well and it was a good experience. We were honored to be asked to play.

The best part came when Lisa's husband offered to auction off his mustache he'd wore since he was a teen. A bunch of people threw $210 into a pot and they shaved it off while we played "Play That Funky Music" with improvised lyrics.

One thing we all noticed right off the top was the smoke. Illinois law prohibits smoking in public places, and everybody in the band noticed it had been a long time since we've had to deal with it.

I don't care if people smoke, in fact I feel sorry for them for being gripped by such a nasty addiction. And I like to have a cigar once in a while too. But a room full of people smoking is the worst. And the funk settles into everything — my guitars, gig bag, stands, everything.

Smoke 'em if you get 'em, I guess.

Ghost Hunting

Went looking for ghosts last night with Brother Ed, Travis Yates, Jim Lawrence and several Quincy University students at Woodland Cemetery's big mausoleum.

It was uneventful until near the end of our visit, when something strange took place. I'm thinking about writing a Whig column about it so I'll hold off for now, but I can say it was a very cool experience.

Woodland ghosts rock!

LaBelle Benefit

The Funions are playing Saturday night in LaBelle, Mo., for a benefit. Lisa Wolter of LaBelle was recently diagnosed with ALS and we want to wish her and her family all the best. Her brother is Tom Miller of Quincy.

We'll start shaking, rattling and rolling around 7 at Almost There, the bar on the north side of the road as you go through town just past the nursing home.

Also ... Prednisolone is wonderful! Had some diagnostics done on the back this week and we'll see what happens, still can't stand for very long, but there appears to be hope.

And .... happy birthday Shey Fey!

And ... ghost hunting tonight in Calftown.

And ... Veterans Day is Tuesday.

The Who 1977

The Who is releasing a DVD of the famous 1977 Kliburn show.

Some of the footage is used in The Kids Are Alright, the best rock and roll documentary ever made. Now the whole concert is available and I'd be intrigued, to say the least.

The Who is on the road again this fall and of course is nowhere near St. Louis or our area, so I'm passing.

Post Election

I don't do posts about politics for many reasons. But this is different, the day after a historic election.

First of all, do NOT make assumptions about how I voted. Voting is a personal thing. If you are a D or R and want the world to know about what you stand for, good for you. I consider voting a right and privilege not to be taken for granted. I am not a Republican or Democrat, and I never vote for a straight party ticket.

The good thing about politics is the passion involved. The bad thing about politics is the passion involved.

I resented the comment in today's Whig from the woman who said "I can't believe people are this gullible" and blamed Obama winning on the media. Equally resented a number of Democrats who complained about an aspiring young R and a county board seat.

I listened to the candidates. I determined if there was media spin. I made informed decisions, and I consider myself blessed to live in the greatest country on earth.

And, to the imbecile who suggested we should all move to Canada after this presidential election .... I still have dual citizenship.

So go ahead and move. I'll warn my brethren to the north, eh?

Get Out And Vote

Pretty hectic at the voting establishments this morning.

Ah, Michigan Republicans at their finest right here.

Get out and vote, dang it!

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!