MVSC at the Tama Bluegrass Cafe

Seven people showed up to listen, but we'll get to that.

The Morgan Valley Social Club hit the Bluegrass Cafe in Tama, IA last Saturday night. The Bluegrass Cafe is this great place in Tama where you can have a good meal, and apparently listen to great bluegrass on the weekends. One of the neatest things about it, is that it seems to cater to senior citizens very well - which is exactly up our alley - so that was cool.

I went and checked the place out about a month ago while in Toledo for the Old Time Gospel Show. There were about fifty or so seniors listening to a great bluegrass band, and the owner Lisa asked if we'd like to do a show there. I instantly agreed.

When we got there, it turned out Memorial Day weekend was not the best time to have a show.

I took good friend and fellow improv-er Tim Schoenfeld with me, as Kyle couldn't make the show. Tim is a great guitar player / singer, and can play a ton of great songs, including some really, really fun ones that he wrote himself.

We were supposed to play a two hour show 7pm - 9pm, and at around 6:55pm we realized there was only one man in audience so far. Apparently there were two big weddings in Tama that night, and, of course, it was Memorial day weekend.

But we played on anyway! Before it was over, another six people showed up, plus we had the staff of the cafe, so we still had a good time.

Since we were playing a little loose and free, I forgot the poetry for a bit and took the opportunity to pull the banjo out and play my own favorite Willie Nelson songs. Earlier in the week when I wasn't sure if I could find a replacement for Kyle, I began practicing a few songs for the show. Upon hearing me butcher a classic Willie tune, Andrea advised me not to play or sing. Well, the crowd was small, and Tim's tunes were so inspiring, I decided to have a go, and it was a blast.

We also debuted a new song I wrote for Kyle's new son called, "The Ballad of Isaac Clayton Young" which went over like hotcakes!

June 9th, Kyle and I head to Iowa Falls for a show at a church, and then my summer of Christian speaking really kicks off, so I'll be busy:

June 16-23-Sioux Falls SERVE with Jonah's Wale
July 14-18 - Cadets Camp out with Jonah's Wale
July 20-24 - Youth Unlimted Convention in Salt Lake City, Utah
July 27-29 - Power Connection with Jonah's Wale in Minneapolis, MN
August 1st - MVSC at 3rd Reformed in Pella
August 18th - MVSC in Toledo
Sept 8th - Men's Retreat with Jonah's Wale somewhere way up north.

And guess what? We get to back to the great state of Canada, not once - but twice! Once in September and once in October. How did we get so lucky????

Till next time,
Jason

Another Old Time Gospel Show

Headed up to Toledo, IA for another Old Time Gospel Show with John Finical's bunch. Had a great time. Heard Interfaith and a great yodeler! Read some poems, including a couple new ones that went over okay. I got a 50 / 50 reaction. One went great, the other one went rough.

I also went to visit the Bluegrass Cafe in Tama, which is just a fantastic place. It's kind of like a bluegrass nightclub for senior citizens, and it was fun just to hang out there for just a few minutes as I talked to the owner - Lisa Blomme. Turns out she's interested in having The Morgan Valley Social Club come and play a show on May 26th, so I'm pretty pumped about that! It was a great crowd, and a great atmosphere, so I'm sure the show will be lots of fun.

I heard bits and pieces of two very interesting conversations while I was traveling to the show on Saturday night. While eating some buffalo wings in the Tama Hardee's while working on a poem I overheard a conversation from a couple senior citizen couples that went like this:

Guy 1: So Joe and I pull up to the bar and we were already three sheets to the wind.

Guy 2: Oh no!

Guy 2's wife: Oh no!

Guy 1: There was a crowd outside talking and I couldn't get my door open.

Guy 2: Oh, no! What'd you do?

Guy 2's wife: What'd you do?

Guy 1: I kicked the windshield out and crawled out over the hood.

Guy 2: Oh no!

Guy 2's wife: Oh no!

(Guy 1's wife sits and looks incredulous as she sips her drink.)

Guy 1: It was the best 50 bucks I've ever spent!

Guy 2: 50 bucks! That's pretty cheap!

Guy 1: Well this was years ago, Don!

(Guy 1's wife gets up to go refill her drink, but I don't think it was empty)

Pretty classic stuff. Then when I stopped to buy gas at the Casey's on the way out of town I walked in to hear the cashier talking to the pizza maker:

Teenage girl cashier (kind of under her breath as if I'm not supposed to hear it): Oh, hold on. Somebody's coming in! I better tell you the rest later. (Loudly adding) But that is THE DRUNKEST I have ever been! (laughter from both)

So yeah, two drinking stories in one night. Those people in Tama really know how to live it up I guess.

Till next time,
Jason