Back To Church

I DID SOMETHING Sunday night I haven't done in a few years.

I went to church.

Chuck Hetzler is the new pastor at First Union Congregational Church at 12th and Maine. I have a lot of history at First Union, most of it good. I got put on the executive board and spent eight years as either secretary or board president, and it was too much. That and a clash of ideas how to approach music in the church, along with some drastic life decisions, led to me leaving about six or seven years ago.

I honestly did not miss it, though I did miss some of the people. It had absolutely nothing to do with the pastor, or any kind of theological beef.

When Chuck got the job, I was intrigued. His mother, Clarice, is one of the good people around here. And Chuck struck me as a non-preachy kind of guy.

I am tired of being bashed over the head by religion. I struggle with proclaiming the Gospel vs. respecting other people's rights and beliefs. I can spot phony a mile away, and too much of religion today is phony.

So. I am starting over. I played guitar last night at Chuck's new contemporary service. It was a blast playing with the legendary Bruce Rice and the band. All I had to do was strum the guitar and enjoy a completely unstructured service. No offering, no designated prayer time, no sermon, just praise and worship.

Baby steps, Holmes.

I'll be back next week.

Compassion, not bullets

THIS IS WORTH your time, I promise.

Check out Bono's statements around the 9:00 mark. We can spend trillions on bullets, but comparative pennies on compassion.

And it makes all the difference in the world, and at home.

P.S. - I'm using U2 songs in guitar lessons, and they rock!

A great time playing with Steve Rees

I HAD A blast playing last night at One Restaurant with Steve Rees. It was a last-second gig, since the scheduled act bailed. We didn't advertise much and it was pretty low-key, but it was a great experience.

Steve is a real musician. He has an incredible voice and he plays a mellow acoustic guitar without a pick. We alternated songs and it was a study in contrast - I more or last bash straight ahead, while he actually plays the guitar and has beautiful melodies and structure.

One of my guitar students, Bella Sonethongkam, played a few songs as well, and all I have to say is that a young gal who can sing and play like that is destined for great things.

I love playing in the band element, with the energy and the rush, but playing acoustic guitar with a guy like Steve is really what it's all about.

Let's do it again!

Also, don't forget that Steve runs the Open Mic Night at One every Thursday night, so get out and support local musicians. The first few weeks have gone very well and I hope it continues.

Criticize? Really?

THERE IS A big flap right now in country music because Zac Brown dissed another singer. I haven't heard the song, won't listen to the song, and I can listen to Zac Brown without throwing up, so it's all good.

I stupidly clicked on a website to read about it, and off to the side were two other links. One was about "Country stars photographed without makeup." The other was about somebody cheating on somebody else.

Maybe the problem isn't the songs. It's like blaming the media for everything - only after you read or watch.

Anyway, it is not a good idea to be critical of other people's music, or other artists. An opinion is like your nose - everybody has one, it often smells, and most of the time it's a good idea to be quiet about it.

Off the soap box. For now.

Hangers-on vs. Customers - What To Do?

THERE IS NO right or wrong or easy answer to this question, but, what do you do with people who are just killing time in your store and playing expensive instruments?

I'm tolerant. I like people to consider Second String Music as a hangout, to try our stuff, to feel at home and comfortable.

But we deal with a small number of folks who come in, have nowhere to be during the day, and are a bit, well, obnoxious. They are looking for a place to kill time.

We had this situation yesterday, and it didn't end well. I felt a bit bad until I realized that this is a business, not a social services, recreational, counseling, and/or I'm here to impress my girlfriend hangout.

As I type this, a polite young man is in the store. He is buying guitar strings. He is playing some nice guitars at a low volume, and I suspect he's dreaming of the day he can afford a nice guitar.

I like it. He can stay as long as he wants.

And he's making me feel better about life in general.

Spontaneous Strumming

GREAT FUN SATURDAY night at a friend's house. They have a "Green Hour Lounge" where you can perform, with no rules. Poetry, skits, newscasts, music .... anything!

Guitar player weeps while Mike and Nadine sing.

The awesome Nadine Mitchell wanted to sing, so we came up with a couple of songs, and I strummed really lightly on a borrowed guitar to stay out of the way. Man .... tell me there is anything better than a gal who can sing, and I don't mean breathy pop-star auto-tune crooning. Her version of "Rainbow Connection" with husband Michael was classic, and Kermit The Frog sounded great, too.

Sunday afternoon The Cheeseburgers played at the Hannibal Country Club. It was an older crowd and they wanted "oldies" they knew. Well, when you hire us, you know what you are getting, and we do play more than a few 60s and 70s songs, but we do what we do.

At the end of the night, somebody demanded we play "Proud Mary." Tim Lawless knew it, we followed, Burt made up some words, and we pulled it off. And the already happy people were even happier.

Gotta love the unpredictable nature of playing music. Keeps you on your toes and keeps you young. Even if you are older.