September! It’s always an amazing month. The weather in PA is always awesome, still some warm days, but also evenings to snuggle into a hoodie. But not only is it amazing because of the weather, it’s also my birthday month! And my son’s birthday month! So it’s always an extra special month in our family.
August kept me super busy doing my day job, but I managed to squeeze out a couple fun nights of music, and even a way too quick trip to the beach! It all started a long, long time ago with Derek Avalon at Sturges Speakeasy. I was zooming home from a house, and realized I could swing in and catch the last few minutes of Derek Avalon, especially since h always plays a few extra minutes anyhow! I’m so glad I did since he was proudly wearing my merch, which always makes me happy! I also got to hear a couple songs by the amazing Steve Mazur too. Derek is quite the seasoned pro these days, I always love his unique voice and all of his energy too! Always a great night at any of his shows!
On Friday night I headed to the Lebanon County Fair for DMC Duo. I was never at the Lebanon County Fair before, but I couldn’t believe how many people were there! I have my own personal DMC Duo Station on Pandora, but it’s always awesome to hear them live and in person. DMC Duo keep popping out more and more amazing originals. Two of those, “I Know You Know” and “Unconditional Love” have been nominated for a Josie Award for Songwriter Achievement Award. It’s cool listening to their originals on Pandora, but it’s it takes it to a whole new level live and in person!
Saturday was a long one! It started by delivering my magazines, and then I finally, on the 11th Year of its existence, made it to Rutzfest! Rutzfest is an all-day music festival in Mechanicsburg, PA, put on by Rob Rutz and his family at their home. RutzFest benefits two charities: Four Diamonds Fund and Making Strides Against Breast Cancer. They literally had non-stop music all day with 2 stages, one for the acoustic acts in between the big acts on the main stage. I only had time to stick around for What About Bob – WAB, which is Bob Richardson playing solo, switching between keys and guitar. The day was just getting started, the yard was starting to fill up with spectators and food. Next year I really hope I can stick around longer, and fully support this amazing day!! I’ve heard about RutzFest for so many years, I’m glad I at least got to pop in and check it out. Music is definitely the bond, and it was so awesome to see so many people out supporting two great causes.
Saturday night I scooped up Matt Jameson and headed up to Mifflintown for another private party at the Dressler’s Disgustingly Delicious Café. It’s a cool little spot in the basement of their home. They invite a group of people that just love to sit, hang out and listen to good music. It’s a refreshing place when you see how engaged the whole crowd is. Everyone is just listening, and then discussing the origins of music in between. All while being completely surrounded by all kinds of amazing music memorabilia. It’s always an experience when I get a chance to go to these house parties with Matt. So glad to be part of the Music Makes Me Do It Club!
Sunday Funday kicked off with our weekly trip to Abundant Harvest Church. After church my son Mason and I were going out to lunch, and I decided it would be cool to go to Wolf Brewing, so I could also catch my awesome friend and musician Crash Acoustic. Crash is cranking out the originals! At this show he was just releasing “Margarita Villian”, but since then he has also released “Tequilla Sunrise”. Do yourself a favor and stream his music, add him to your favorite playlists, you won’t be disappointed. Crash also plays in a duo with Dave Garry, Crash & Cross, check out their ad in this issue and get out there to support those guys! After Crasher, we headed over to Flinchy’s trainwreck deck, for Derek Henry Acoustic. Mason and Derek had an instant BFF connection! Mason totally loved all of Derek’s song choices, and was totally digging his set, they got to talking and have so much in common with the gym, art, etc. It was sad to pull them apart, but alas we had one more stop on our tour, we ended the day with a trip to Sworn Brewing Company for Stephen Robert and Slade Heller, aka S.S. Buffalo! Haha! Mason and I had a great day zooming around together and giving him a dose of what going Out & About truly feels like. Hopefully I will get to hang out with him more in the future.
The first Tuesday of every month, Megan and Dave host Open Mic at Copper Pub. It was again another amazing night of music with friends! I pulled out the Fluke once again and even had the accompaniment. With my super amazing friends, Cindy and Megan! Our first trio performance! Haha! We had a newbie show up, Austin Ziltz. He was just visiting, but has an amazing foundation called the Downbeat Foundation for kids who can’t afford Drum lessons and Musical Instruments right here in Harrisburg. You can check it out at, thedownbeatfoundation.org. Open Mics are all about the networking, jamming, and just having a good time!
Wednesday was a double Open Mic night! I started off at Harrisburg Beach Club where Hank the Buffalo was hosting a beautiful open mic along the river. I pulled out the Fluke and joined in the fun again! Thanks Megan for jamming with me! Then I finished the night at The Blue Sky Tavern at Matt Jameson’s open mic. 14 year old Easton lee was there. I missed his set, but I did get to see him lead the jam at the end! Such a cool open mic to see so many musicians jamming together. It was truly a great night of music in the midstate!
Thursday was another super fun night at the Sturges Speakeasy with Matt Jameson. Matt got to play his brand new Gibson that he just picked up from getting it all set up at Woodshed Guitar Works. I really didn’t understand what people meant by the different tones of a guitar, but this things sure does have an amazing tone! It’s crazy how much of a difference it has from his Takamine. Rachel was creating her crafty cocktails again! This time they were printing pictures of Matt right on the top of your foamy beverage! That technology baffles me!
The following weekend I headed to Pinchot State Park for a church family camping trip. We had an amazing weekend having fun, playing games, and eating way too much food. When I got home Sunday I couldn’t resist running out to Snitz Creek in Annville for Roger Bowyer and see my friends. Snitz has live music in the garage on Sunday evenings. I ran out for the last half of Roger’s show. I couldn’t go a whole weekend without some live music with friends!
Matt Jameson rocked Falls Crab Shack twice this month. The first time was his normal Tuesday night, and the 2nd time, Matt and Crash helped plan a special benefit for 2 of Falls Crab Shack’s employees, Jenica and Tammy, who are both currently battling cancer. It was an all day event with Stephen Robert Music, Bob Patterson, Matt Jameson, and Crash Acoustic. HUGE Kudos to everyone that donated their time, talents, and money! Over $7k was raised for these amazing ladies! I love seeing people come together to help wherever it’s needed!
Wednesday night once again meant another trip to the Blue Sky Tavern for open mic with Matt Jameson, and it was once again jammed full of musicians! It was also cool to see so many families out supporting their loved ones! After Lola, Matt and I rocked the stage, our friend Bill decided he could play too. He got on stage for the first time in his life and played an original that he wrote for his wife Christine! It was truly beautiful, and he ROCKED it! I saw my good friend Stephen Musti just enjoying dinner with his new band mate, and we yanked him and his new lead singer for Vivid Vinyl on the stage too! They are a new full band that are rockin’ the area stages! I also can’t forget about Jacob and Ruth, an amazing jazz duo that brought a bassoon to the stage! What?!? Then of course all the regulars, you are all absolutely amazing and I’m so glad you keep showing up with your talented selves, so we can all enjoy the show!
Matt’s 4th weekend of the Summer at Kiwi’s Kove in Rehoboth Beach was a success! It was awesome to see how wxcited the staff is when Matt walks in the door! He’s becoming quite the regular with 4 full weekends of the Summer this year! The first night stayed busy with random travelers stopping by to enjoy the show. The 2nd night he had at least 20 people from the Harrisburg area stop by to enjoy the show at the beach! It was so awesome to see so many people take a break from their vacations to stop by and enjoy the show. Matt is really hoping to get even more venues at the beach next year so he can spend even more time down there! Sounds like fun to me!! If you know of any places Matt would be a good fit, please let us know!
The following Friday was a hop around kind of night! The fun started at Sworn Brewing Company’s 3 Year Anniversary Party kick-off with Matt Jameson. It was his first night playing there, and they loved him, so I’m sure he will be back. Then it was off to Liquid Noise for Hank the Buffalo. I rocked out to their last few songs, and then I gathered up the herd and headed to Made Moose Tavern for the Colin Alvarez Band. Nothing quite like some good old rockin’ blues to end the night with good friends!
I guess it was just a hoppy kind of weekend because Saturday I started hopping around eary with Cindy! We kicked off the fun at Flinchy’s for Crash & Cross on the train wreck deck! Then, back to Sworn Brewing for some more Hank the Buffalo, helping them continue their anniversary celebration. Then, I dropped off Cindy and scooped up Holly and went up to Stoney Creek Inn for Matt Jameson. Luckily the storm held off til his show was over, and he amazingly enough, got a chance to play on the deck! I was going to continue hopping, but instead I decided to go home and beat all the crazy storms!
Tuesday night Hank the Buffalo offered me a ticket to come see them kick-off the Senators Game on City Island. I made it for the last half of their show. It’s cool going somewhere and watching people hear any band I like for the first time. People would literally come in the gate smiling because you could hear them all the way out to the parking lot! We even stayed and enjoyed the game. It was an absolutely gorgeous night, and I even caught a ball, right from the sky!! Just ask Derek..
On a Wednesday night I kicked things off with my very first ukulele lesson with the ever so talented Chris Auxt. He has a studio in Lemoyne where he can give so many different kinds of lessons! If you’ve ever wanted music lessons, give Chris Auxt a call, and get started now, it’s never too late! I can’t believe how much I learned in just a 30 min lesson! I got a practice sheet and everything. It’s amazing how the general concept of how to create decent music has connected in my brain from one lesson! So much fun, I can’t wait til my next one!
After my lesson where else am I gonna go except of course open mic! Stephen Robert was guest hosting for Matt, and he did an amazing job. He agreed to help Matt out even though it was even his birthday!! I got the ukulele on stage and sang him Happy Birthday! Blue Sky was again packed and the list was very long! We had newbies, oldies and everything in between. To me, the most amazing part was seeing Jy up there, (she’s become quite the regular), she sings mainly originals, with a cover here or there, but the best part was hearing her say in the microphone about how much she loves coming to the open mic, she feels like she has her soul back! How cool is that! Music is soo healing!
My last show of the month was the big YeagerFest in Hummelstown, organized by Joey Dalto for his good friend and neighbor Steve Yeager. Steve recently got diagnosed with ALS, and could use a little financial bump to get him the home health care he desperately needs! As I’m typing this Joey just gave an update that between cash donations and the GoFundMe, they are currently over $17k raised! SOO COOL! Joey had an idea, threw it out to the music community, and the community stepped up and made it all possible. It’s like a “Build it, and they will come”.. haha! Multiple Bands played for free, stage, sound, people, raffles, beer trucks, food trucks, etc.. this was crazy, but yet not crazy. So much love and chilled out people. There was literally a line of people all day just waiting to talk to Steve. Turns out he was a teached at Lower Dauphin for many years, and very loved and respected in the community. I’m sure Steve loved seeing everyone step up to help lift some of the burden off his shoulders. Great job to Joey and everyone who donated their time and their talents! Such an awesome day! It was such a beautiful month seeing our music community come together for those in need.
Happy Birthday to my super special Army Soldier, Zachary Lee Boob, on September 11th. There’s a tiny chance he might be home for his birthday, I’m crossing my fingers I can HUG him on his birthday this year!! Also, a huge super congratulations to my lifelong friend, Holly Bookwalter, on her retirement from the US Air Force. She’s been serving our country for over 21 years!!! It’s crazy having my son just entering, and my best friend retiring. She gets to officially retire September 12th!! No More Drill Weekends!!! WhooHOO! Lots to celebrate this month, but I’m sure you will still see me out there supporting music wherever I possibly can!! If you see me Out & About, please stop me and say Hi! Have a great month listening to music!! SUPPORT LIVE MUSIC!
