Sunday, June 03, 2012

New Talent

Hello friends! After reading the title, you might think I'm going to tell you about a talent I've discovered I have.

Au contraire!!

I'm speaking of a fantastic bluegrass group that Patrick and I had the pleasure of seeing this weekend. The Gateway Ramblers.

A coffee shop run by some friends, PBC Photography and Creative Cafe, had their first Friday Night Spotlight on Friday. It's an intimate music program made specifically for local talent. My husband's band, Flat Earth Society, is actually playing there at the end of this month! To say I am excited is an understatement!

So we went to check it out and it was fabulous! Our friends weren't kidding - we should've gotten there earlier to snag a comfy chair! It was a great turn-out for the first night. (Please excuse the blurry pictures to follow...iPhones are okay for close-up shots, but horrific for anything further away).

The Gateway Ramblers

The band consists of 3 guys around Patrick and my ages. They claimed it was their first gig as a trio, but I'm not sure I believe that. Not only was their music magnificent, but their voices melted together like buttah.

Meet Will Miskall. He is (uhh, obviously) the stand-up bass player. He also sings {sigh} high tenor. And to prove my previous point about their voices: it took me maybe 3 songs to actually figure out which of the guys was singing which part. Amazing! On a sidenote, Will's wife (and I apologize, I can't remember her name for the life of me) was there with their newborn baby. His wife is sweet as can be and their baby girl is just a doll!

Second (in no particular order) is Ben Smith. He is definitely in my top five best amateur gutarists. He also sang, and although I didn't get to talk to him during the break, he seemed to be the crack-up of the group :) Great with the crowd, and a really local guy, living in the same town as they were performing.

Last but definitely not least, Mr. Troy Brenningmeyer playing the "weird slide Dobro guitar" (thank you John Denver). He sang some as well, mostly harmony. Patrick and I also got to speak with him during the break, first to warn him that we might have to kidnap him until he plays for some of Patrick's songs, and second to have a gander at their sound system. Troy was such a champ for humoring us by sharing how they had things hooked up. He's also a really local boy.

These guys were just so down to earth and a great start for Friday Night Spotlight. The entire thing was a great success, and I'm looking forward to going again! If you're in the area, come check it out. It's a great evening out (or a great way to start your evening out, if you're younger and less tired than me). ;) Also visit PBC's website to view more upcoming events, find their hours, rent out their event room on the upper level, or schedule them for a photo shoot!

No comments: