Old School

27 March 2009

FREMONT

NEBRASKA

Categories: Nebraska

CHORUS: Pathfinders

We got to Fremont Friday afternoon for a 3 show weekend with the Pathfinders chorus. Upon arriving our lead Joe was missing his bag. We filed the claim and they said that they would rush it to the high school in Fremont when it came in at 7:30pm. We had our doubts since we flew into Omaha and it was at least a 45 minute drive to the show site from the airport. But we headed to Fremont with high hopes.

Our host Greg Jones picked us up and off we went. We decided to grab some dinner before the 6pm mic check. We went to a steak place called Whiskey Creek. We had a very nice dinner there with some awesome steaks! We headed to the high school for the mic check. Met some of the chorus guys there. It was nice because Kipp had been in the Central States district for years and actually traveled to Russia with the Pathfinders chorus and Gas House Gang in 2000.

(Cassie Jones our host Greg's daughter. We have a picture of us and Greg but Cassie is a LOT cuter!)

The show started at 7:30pm and we were to open the 2nd half of the show at around 9pm stage time. At 8:50pm Joe's bag was still not at the school. It did however get there right at 9pm. The MC stalled a bit and we went on a bit late but all dressed and ready to go! After the show we went to the Wooden Windmill restaurant for an after show taco night with the chorus. OS sang Last Night Was The End Of The World there for the chorus as well as Ma She's Making Eyes At Me, one of our new songs. We had some fun and headed out for a needed good nights sleep.

We slept in on Saturday morning. Kipp asked Beast how his shower was due to the fact that KIPP (being the shortest in OS) had to bend over to wash his hair with such a LOW shower head. Poor Beast almost had to shower on his knees (sorry for the visual!). Then we headed back to Whiskey Creek for lunch since it was close and we all really enjoyed the food from the day before. We were not disappointed. After a great lunch we headed out to do the afternoon show. The show went well and we headed for dinner back to the Wooden Windmill. Our host Greg has a tradition of bringing about 30-40 members of his church to the show and the guest quartet joins them for dinner there and sings a few. We had a nice dinner and sang Darkness on the Delta and Last Night again. Then we headed out for a little rest before the evening show.

After the Saturday night show we went to the glow. It was a good time and by now we were a bit tired but we did pretty well. There was a party after the glow (everglow if you will). We went and sang a few again and had a great time singing tags and enjoying a few adult beverages! Jack and Joe had to leave the party at 3:30am to get their 5:40am flight home! Beast and Kipp left after going out for breakfast and headed for a 7am flight home. Basically, none of us slept at all until we got home.

We had a great time and met some neat people.....thanks Pathfinders for some great memories!

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21 March 2009

Minneapolis

MINNESOTA

Categories: Minnesota

CHORUS: The Commodores

(see pictures page for photos from MN)

You know you're in the big leagues when your host is a gold medalists! Jim Foy bass of The Happiness Emporium (1975 champs) picked us up for the shows in Minneapolis. We grabbed a very nice lunch with Jim and headed out for the mic check. The auditorium was very nice indeed. The sound check went well and we were set for the show. Backstage we got to visit with Bob Dowma and Rick Anderson of the Happiness Emporium as well. Also, Bob Spong (the original baritone) was there. It was nice to catch up with our good friends.

The show went well and we had a dinner there at the school with the chorus guys. After dinner we hung around and waited for the evening performance. Just before the evening show started we had a visit from a good friend and quartet guy Greg Dolphin. Greg has been in many quartets. The most recent being Excalibur who placed in the top ten in international competitions several times. Greg was there with some of his family including his beautiful wife and very cute little daughter. We visited and sang a few for them in the dressing room. It was great to see Greg again. Due to family commitments, he has been out of barbershop for awhile now.

The Commodores are a class act indeed. They sent gorgeous flowers to our ladies thanking them for sharing their husbands with them for the weekend. Amazing!

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14 March 2009

SALISBURY

MARYLAND

Categories: Maryland

CHAPTER: Penninsulaires

This was the first show with Kipp on tenor. The show was a tribute to Nancy Sterling. Nancy is the spouse of good friend Tom Sterling who is the director of the chorus and sang in many quartets over the years. Tom is probably most remembered for his quartet Broadway. Nancy has Lou Gehrig's disease. She came to the show and we were able to sing her a song in the lobby. She requested Last Night Was The End Of The World. With Nancy sitting there listening, it was a very inspired performance and actually the first time it was sung with Kipp.

On the show was another great friend of ours, Joe Polio. We joined Joe and his wife for dinner at a very nice steak and seafood place between shows. Great food, great friends and a good barbershop show! The makings of a perfect Saturday night.

The afterglow was at a very nice little bar/restaurant type place. It was informal and we just got up and sang a few. All in all considering it was the first performance with our new tenor, it all went very well!

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