70 Degree weather, St Paddy's Day, March Madness, and lots of Tunes - what's not to like?!
Hey everyone! I know it's been awhile since I've written - gonna catch you up on the latest - will be a busy week for this girl.
Wednesday, 3/14 - McCooks Grill - La keside Ave, Richmond, VA. It's Open Mic Night! Allow me to be your hostess with the mostess on Wednesday nights. We had a great turnout last week - let's keep 'em comin! You can friend McCooks on Facebook if ya do that sorta thing:
http://www.facebook.com/messages/1406362056#!/McCooksGrill
Show starts at 8pm and runs until 11:00pm - though we had so much fun last week we went much longer.
Thursday, 3/15 - Kybecca Wine Bar - 400 Williams Street Fredericksburg, VA - http://kybeccawinebar.com/. I'll be playing from 8pm-10pm. Now, I love playing at this place. It's very cool. However, I realized that my VCU RAMS are playing in the NCAA Basketball Tourney THAT NIGHT and I will be not in a sports bar, but in a wine bar. I don't recall there being a TV there, even. eek! Reckon I'll watch it on my phone during breaks..Oh well! I promise not to be distracted:)
Saturday, 3/17 - Ah! One of my favorite days of the year - St Paddy's Day. For those of you curious as to why we wear Green and tend to imbibe excessively on this day, please see the following history lesson:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Patrick's_Day
So - last minute, but I'll be playing at Sedona Taphouse in Midlothian, VA Saturday from 1 -4pm http://www.sedonataphouse.com/home
If the weather is nice and we are outside, I may be playing with Charles Arthur on the drums - he rocks! Come out and enjoy a nice early spring Saturday.
And finally, Sunday 3/18 - 4pm - I am honored to be performing with the Richmond Womens Chorus in their performance of songs from the 60s girl groups.
We'll be at the VCU Singleton Center for Performing Arts. I'll be performing 2 songs - gee, what should I wear? Should I go as nice Sandra D from Grease or bad Sandra D?! Decisions, decisions!
For more information and tickets please go to http://www.facebook.com/events/329744333743379/
MORE NEWS: - I have created a new REVERB NATION page - check it out: http://www.reverbnation.com/amyhenderson
I am trying to keep this current (hard!)- I do a blog after everyshow now, though. I'll be posting pictures etc. here. Also, I am in the process of redoing my website - which is stretching my IT skills (and patience, really), but it should look great when finished. So - Have a great week - May your Brackets rise up to meet you!
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Amy Henderson / Blog
McCooks on Wednesday 4/4/12
What an interesting evening....:) I was excited because my friend, Rene Russell, is playing a special set. Rene hails from Charleston, SC - Isle of Palms, specifically, and I met her years ago as she is an old friend of fellow Dirty Blonde, Suzi Weaver. There was some talk last wek concerning moving my open mic, but after talking to the owner, I was insured that Wednesday this week would be fine. So I get there and I have been double booked with Karaoke! Dang it! After a bit of confusion and hot tempers insued, Gene (nice Karaoke guy) and I came to an agreement that Rene and I would play first and he would start at 10:30. So it all worked out. Great neighborhood crowd - followed by Random Karaoke attacks. You put in a friend's name and pick a song, but you don't tell them what it is. So Suzi ended up singing "Black Betty, " - hysterical. Me - well, I got surprised by having to sing "You shook me all night long." We ambushed some other friends who said, "oh no..I could never get up there and do that..." Next thing you know they are rocking out to "Love Shack." (In another life I WILL be a B-52. Funnest.Band.Ever. Bee hive and everything. I swanni). Craziness ensued as Rene ended up, by herself, having a $108 bar tab. Impressive. I am a complete novice in comparison - a mere toddler. Funniest comment of the night came from guy outside talking to a friend. The friend was complaining of seeing 3 of his best friends' ex-girlfriends. He was feeling wierd about it. The other guy says, "You should just do them all - it would be a Trifecta of Douche-baggery." Heh! So, sad to say that will be the last Open mic at McCooks for awhile. They want to switch things up - so maybe I'll be playing on an acoustic Thursday there. I'll keep ya'll posted. Happy Easter to all!
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Will Young
It’s Wednesday night at McCooks. I get done loading my equipment and there is a huge thunderstorm rolling in. Now, I don’t know about you, but I love a thunderstorm – So I sit outside on the patio to watch it roll in. Along comes a gentleman and asks to sit down to smoke a cigarette. Oh sure – I say. “Mmmm mmm,” he says shaking his head as he sits down. “What a day…..” He is a handsome African American dude. Very well built – tastefully ghetto – hat turn sideways (no gold in his mowf). Arms covered in black tattoos. Taking a chance, I say, “Bad Day? (having had my share of them) How come? – what’s up?” Little did I know that I just opened the best door I have opened in a long time. He proceeds to tell me some of the funniest shit I have ever heard. I will do my best to recap:
“Man, I just came from my best friends house. He cryin like a baby cuz he just spent $300 dollars on booze and partyin. Now He wanna kill hisself. I said go ahead Ill read about you in the paper tomorrow. He upset cuz he paid his momma light bill. He’s thirty years old and he still live with his momma. I say well at least you did somthin good for your momma. He say now he need that money. Cryin over $300. Like it was $3000. Shoo, $300 dollar don’t mean nothin no more. That’ll buy groceries, 4 packs of Newports, some bud and then *poof!* yo $300 is gone. He cryin on my shoulder and we walk down to Bryan Park. “Imma jump off this bridge and kill myself on the rocks” he says. I said “here - I’ll give you a boast – come on. Jump on my hands – I’ll push ya.” Man, he stupid. He cry like this for hours…until a drop top Cadillac come by and he get all excited. He wanna go for a ride. He done forgot about all the money he just spent – he probably gonna spend some more.”
At this point, I am in tears I am laughing so hard. I know I should go back inside to hostess the open mic, but I can’t stop. I find out that he works laying asphalt – works really hard. He’s from Hampton but he’s here because of his wife. He has his own kids in Hampton, but helps raise his wife’s kids here. He lights another cigarette.
“Man, my wife’s birthday is next week and she want some $350 purse. $350 for a purse! (I share in his dismay – proudly sporting the manbag I bought at Target for $11.99). She wanna purse and I come home I can’t even get a hot meal. Damn. Can’t even cook her man a hot meal. So she talkin and I am in the corner eatin another damn bologna sandwich. Damn!”
Again – I am wiping my eyes. I ask him about all of his tattoos. I mean, he is covered. Skeletons here, flames there, all intertwined with a brick wall as a background. Really cool looking, actually. “How did you get all those?” I ask.
“I used to live with this white dude – cool dude – receding hairline – he a tattoo artist and he had his machine in the house. We sit around smoke some weed and he would just say “hey wait – I got an idea – don’t move” and he just start tattooin shit on me.” He shows me a very inspired skull smoking a stogy on his muscular inner arm. Then he shows me a menacing and spindly dragon on the other arm. “Hey, check this out!” he says:
He raises his t-shirt sleeve up to his shoulder to reveal, snuggled in amongst these gnarly and grotesque images, – and I cannot make this stuff up - a tattoo of a smiling Pillsbury Doughboy. I crack up. He looks so cute and you just want to poke him in the belly to make him make that noise he makes. Yet, he is surrounded by these smoky visions of Armageddon. The doughboy doesn’t seem to much care that all hell is breaking loose around him. He’s just smiling away. “F you, Armageddon,” he seems to say, “Wanna cookie?”
The thunderstorm is now starting to really roll and I need to go back inside and get to work. I tell Will it was beyond a pleasure meeting him. Funny how laughter can find you sometimes just when you need it.
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Busy Week In Virginia!
70 Degree weather, St Paddy's Day, March Madness, and lots of Tunes - what's not to like?!
Hey everyone! I know it's been awhile since I've written - gonna catch you up on the latest - will be a busy week for this girl.
Wednesday, 3/14 - McCooks Grill - La keside Ave, Richmond, VA. It's Open Mic Night! Allow me to be your hostess with the mostess on Wednesday nights. We had a great turnout last week - let's keep 'em comin! You can friend McCooks on Facebook if ya do that sorta thing:
http://www.facebook.com/messages/1406362056#!/McCooksGrill
Show starts at 8pm and runs until 11:00pm - though we had so much fun last week we went much longer.
Thursday, 3/15 - Kybecca Wine Bar - 400 Williams Street Fredericksburg, VA - http://kybeccawinebar.com/. I'll be playing from 8pm-10pm. Now, I love playing at this place. It's very cool. However, I realized that my VCU RAMS are playing in the NCAA Basketball Tourney THAT NIGHT and I will be not in a sports bar, but in a wine bar. I don't recall there being a TV there, even. eek! Reckon I'll watch it on my phone during breaks..Oh well! I promise not to be distracted:)
Saturday, 3/17 - Ah! One of my favorite days of the year - St Paddy's Day. For those of you curious as to why we wear Green and tend to imbibe excessively on this day, please see the following history lesson:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Patrick's_Day
So - last minute, but I'll be playing at Sedona Taphouse in Midlothian, VA Saturday from 1 -4pm http://www.sedonataphouse.com/home
If the weather is nice and we are outside, I may be playing with Charles Arthur on the drums - he rocks! Come out and enjoy a nice early spring Saturday.
And finally, Sunday 3/18 - 4pm - I am honored to be performing with the Richmond Womens Chorus in their performance of songs from the 60s girl groups.
We'll be at the VCU Singleton Center for Performing Arts. I'll be performing 2 songs - gee, what should I wear? Should I go as nice Sandra D from Grease or bad Sandra D?! Decisions, decisions!
For more information and tickets please go to http://www.facebook.com/events/329744333743379/
MORE NEWS: - I have created a new REVERB NATION page - check it out: http://www.reverbnation.com/amyhenderson
I am trying to keep this current (hard!)- I do a blog after everyshow now, though. I'll be posting pictures etc. here. Also, I am in the process of redoing my website - which is stretching my IT skills (and patience, really), but it should look great when finished. So - Have a great week - May your Brackets rise up to meet you!
Reply
McCooks on Wednesday 3/7
I think this was the first Wednesday I've hosted open mic and it was a) POURING down rain b) the day after Mardi Gras c)sharing evening with karioke man. So - I had a great crowd. And great talent to boot. Charles Arthur (Arguably one of the best musicians in RVA and a darn nice guy) sat in on drums. Parker Arnold played my favorite 70s acoustic songs. Tommy Bishop wowed the crowd with his amazing Leo kottke-ish guitar work - amazing. Finall, I had the pleasure to meet Jean LaBelle - well versed in classic rock - but Ive never seen it done so well on an acouatic guitar. "More that a Feeling, " "Here comes the Sun - (played perfectly -unbelievable) Hard days night, "Hey hey what can I do" etc. fun ending with me, charles and Jean teaming up. Great show - and great time had by all!
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Open Mic Last Night
Fun time was had the the McCooks last night - leap year day. Just added a video of a Scott Haskins (richmond local fave) original with me blowin some harp and the fantastic Cy Taggart on Lead Guitar. Big thank you all who came out to play last night!
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Welcome to the Reverb!
So I am trying Reverb Nation on for size - should be a great way to communicate with evryone on upcoming shows, funny musings and music in general. I'll try to give a post gig wrap up as often as I can - usually some funny stories that need to be documented for posterity. Stay tuned!
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