Rock ’N Roll is No Match for Mother Earth
Our musical journey takes us through some crazy times. Sometimes it’s the people, the places … or then there’s mother nature.
On our way to Glenville, the band was anxious to play a club we had never performed at before. We love playing live, so any fun place is great, but the new room factor is always interesting.
Rural areas of West Virginia make for a beautiful, scenic ride. Sure, playing in big cities is lots of fun, but you can really learn to love the view of backwoods roads, and this state has got many others beat in terms of rural beauty.
We arrive at our destination in Glenville, after about a 90-minute drive from Parkersburg. Tonight’s show is at Goodtimes Pub and Restaurant on Main Street. I notice lots of people eating, and it makes me hungry.
It starts raining, just as we get ready to unload band equipment. We can’t wait for the hope that it will stop, because we must be ready to play at 9 p.m. We should have bought those hats with the built in umbrellas, but alas, we are getting soaked. We hurry as much as we can to unload. Should I admit that I get out under my seat a raincoat, with hood, when they said on TV that wearing coats was not in fashion this year? I risk being uncool, and put on my raincoat (a cheap dollar store pull on with hood), and get helping to unload.
The club is very nice inside, with a late 60s/early 70s vibe and the owner, Mike, is very friendly. After setting up the gear for tonight’s party, a noisy bunch shows up for the fun.
They dance all night to the band, and make lots of noise. Some of the dancers were pretty wild, and seemed to be having great fun. Mike Fortino on drums, and George Di Giovanni on bass, lay down a good dance groove. I get to be the lead singer/guitarist, and this is very cool for me.
The band has so much good fun, we will definitely look forward to coming back. We sell lots of T-shirts, and CDs, which is a good sign of tonight’s success. We eat the good food at Goodtimes and played some good music, so everyone tells us. We set up some return dates and get back in the van, to head for home.
Now that it has rained all night, the temperature has dropped down around freezing. The road seams a lot less enjoyable, than when it was light out. In some spots we have to slow down to 35 in 55 zones, to keep from sliding. It takes longer to get back, but we are still alive, if not a bit shaken, from the icy roads. We sure are glad Spring is here.
?
Contact Jim at jgustafson@graffitiwv.com