Mon-Nov26-2010
10. The Venue's. Yeah, I know Plum Krazy's is closed now and Frank the owner says he's looking for a new location to reopen, but whether he does or doesn't I'm still thankful for the place because it was where I first got to hear many of the local live bands for the first time. And I'm thankful for Boomr'z in Winston-Salem, my first advertisers and a great venue to listen and see a band perform and especially because they stock Cruzan Dark Rum just for me!
9. TriadLiveMusic.com. This website has been my salvation on several levels. In the months after I lost my job last year I had plenty of time on my hands in-between looking for a new job each day. I figured I was already doing the research each week trying to figure out what groups were playing at which venues. The information was out there but nothing seemed to be comprehensive enough. The alternative rags either didn't cover east of Greensboro or they and their websites weren't updated often enough, so I figured I could do a better job. And I feel I have.
8. Friends. I've always been rather introverted. Being a "wall flower" was more my reparte when I'd go out to hear live music. While I'm still pretty much a wallflower, just sitting back watching and listening to the music, having TLM has given me reason to meet people - many who are now very close friends I have come to depend on greatly.
7. The Performers. Of course I'm thankful for the people who are the reason for TLM but I'm especially thankful for several performers who regularly give me a "shout out" for TLM when I walk into a venue. Chris Rimmer of Down N Dirty and Staci McBeth of Kitty Hawk are two that come to mind readily and there are others as well.
6. Clay Howard. Before I met Clay my dear friend Cathi told me about him and described him perfectly when she stated that he was "one of the good guys." I am thankful to Clay not only for the encouragement he has given me but also because his voice is one of the few I've heard that does justice to the Beatle's songs. But whether he's performing his acoustic show or with his originals rock band Stratocruiser, Clay's music just brightens my life.
5. Cathi Wellmon. Cathi isn't a musician even though she does sing but I am thankful for her because of her infectious and critical love of music. When I watch the film "Almost Famous" I think of Cathi because of a line Sapphire says to Russell: "They don't even know what it is to be a fan. Y'know? To truly love some silly little piece of music, or some band, so much that it hurts." That's Cathi, and I'm thankful for her love of music.
4. Harlot's Web. This is an all-female group (Staci McBeth, Suzi Nelson, Lydia Sue Pierce, Lauren Myers, Sal Burnette, Jill Goodson and Shari Strader) I am putting together to do a handful of shows next year for breast cancer awareness and research. I am thankful for the ladies who have agreed to be a part of this project and the enthusiasm they are showing, but the sense of accomplishment and purpose I have derived from putting this together is something that I shall forever be thankful for.
3. Live Music. It is after all what this site is about. From local cover bands like Sok Monkee and Koozie or original bands like Dreamkiller, Jody Lee Petty or Stratocruiser to concerts like Nickelback, Carolina Liar or Unknown Hinson - live music is alive and well in the Triad and I am thankful for each show I get to see and hear.
2. Staci McBeth. Probably more than anyone else Staci's encouragement when I first got TLM off the ground validated the efforts I put into the website. Blessed with an incredible voice I am thankful every single day to have heard her sing. Her voice can lift my spirit to lofty heights and one day, lord willing, she'll record an album so I won't have to wait for a show to hear her.
1. Ginger Bullins-Phillips. I've always had a love of music of all kinds but for years I had allowed myself to be vanquished to a place of musical stagnation in order to apease my ex-wife. But then I met Ginger and she introduced me to music I didn't even know existed. I hadn't even realized it but the music beast within me had been starving for years and once Ginger fed me a cornucopia of music from T.I. (rap) to Buckcherry, Nickelback, Incubus and Audioslave and even country, my appetite became insatiable and still is. It is a thirst for music that grabs me on the inside and drives my emotions to an almost spiritual frenzy that gives me my greatest joy and for that I have Ginger to thank.
Merry Thanxgiving!
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