As was noted during our pre-show prep last evening, it had been exactly 3 months since our last strum session. 3 months! We just can't let can't let that kind of time go by in between gatherings. That being said, after a Sunday Valentines Day filled with family, Omaha steaks on the grill and an all girl sleepover with Madison and her cousins, this strummer had a sudden and urgent need to let the girls have their fun whilst getting out of Dodge for a wee bit of playing. So, I texted Foz and pretty much invited myself down to the Plymouth Studios for a rare Sunday evening of tunes. The self-invite was received with open arms and I headed down Route 3 South with guitar in hand.
I arrived in the midst of some drama; Jeff and Justin had been embattled in a wrestling match and an errant elbow had caught Justin right in the kisser. In the eyes of this bystander, no intent on Jeff's part but it could have easily been deemed a flagrant indiscretion. However, the old sandlot rule abides; no blood, no foul. Game on.
Nothing like a little pre-bed ice cream to heal all wounds and that's just what the good Doctor ordered.
As Justin was licking both his bowl and wounds, Amanda came home with boyfriend Tom from her first official Valentines dinner. Sounded like the happy couple enjoyed a whole lotta deep-fried for dinner. Yum.
They immediately proceeded downstairs, overtaking the studio for an evening of young couples only movie-watching; only to be periodically interrupted throughout the night every 7 minutes by concerned but well intended mom, Crystal.
The first-first for the night was yours truly leading off the night at the mic when we had a nice rendition of Accompany Me. Major vocal gaffe aside, it sounded pretty good. We continued with Seger with Foz leading us in the always fun, Hollywood Nights. Foz continued with CCR's Looking Out My Backdoor which led right into a terrific version of Neil Young's Powderfinger-a song that Jeff just nails and is quickly becoming a CD's favorite. We continued with Neil by performing a solid version of Long May You Run.
The 3 month lapse reared it's rust with Bad Company's Shooting Star- where due to a near complete loss of vocal recall, it almost became our first completely acoustic song in our repertoire. We then revived our selves with a first for the Dwellers, Beautiful Wreck by Shawn Mullins. A tune that once you hear just remains implanted in your head for days-good stuff.
Springsteen's Highway Patrolman was next followed by a requested Take it Easy. Once the requests started flowing, the unthinkable happened. Amanda broke the silence from the darkened basement with a pleading cry for Dead Flowers. Jeff and I stood dumbfounded; Dead Flowers? Now? Can we do that? What would we close with? We almost had to call an emergency meeting of the CD board of directors (whoever that is) to decide if this was completely against established CD protocol. But we chose to give into the fans and we rocked it as usual.
Well, a mid-set version of Dead Flowers prompted a slew of firsts:
Jeff, introduced us to a tune he hadn't played in 10 years; Jethro Tull's Locomotive Breath. I didn't see that one coming but it was great-fun tune to play. We then turned to Mr Cash for Ring of Fire and a newbie-Folsom Prison Blues. Soul Asylum's Runaway Train was next followed by (get this):
Science Fiction Double Feature (the intro song to Rocky Horror Picture Show), In Your Eyes by Peter Gabriel and Sister Golden Hair by America.
Wow! Did NOT see those coming! Good stuff.
I jumped back in front of the mic for Marshall Tucker's Can't You See and Foz closed the night out by taking lead vocals on Jonathan Edwards' The Shanty and Dylan's All Along The Watchtower.
All in all twenty songs were belted out (also a first for the Dwellers) and an excellent way to spend a Sunday evening with friends.
2/14/2010 Set List:
- Accompany Me Seger
- Hollywood Nights Seger
- Looking Out My Backdoor CCR
- Powderfinger Neil Young
- Long May You Run Neil Young
- Shooting Star Bad Compamy
- Beautiful Wreck Shawn Mullins
- Highway Patrolman Springsteen
- Take it Easy Eagles
- Dead Flowers Rolling Stone
- Locomotive Breath Jethro Tull
- Ring of Fire Johnny Cash
- Folsom Prison Blues Johnny Cash
- Runaway Train Soul Asylum
- Sci Fic Double Feature Richard O'Brien
- In Your Eyes Peter Gabriel
- Sister Golden Hair America
- Can't You See Marshall Tucker Band
- Shanty Jonathan Edwards
- All Along the Watchtower Dylan
