September 23, 2004

• Oh, my! It has been a long time! Well, let's start out with what has happened in the ensuing months. I guess the most exciting news is that the Starfires have so far played three gigs! Now, that might not seem like much to the every-night, all-night crowd, but for buncha old guys who don't live next to each other, that's really pretty good!.Let me share some of the photos from our gig on September 18 at the Dallas Harvestfest in Dallas, PA,  which we performed in front of about 350 enthusiastic fans, flood waters notwithstanding. Thanks to Dottie, Charlie McCuen's fiancee, for a fine job with the camera. 
  

     A long shot of me, Roger, R.J., and Charlie.
  

  
  

  
  

  Charlie McCuen, vocalist,  and R.J. Gumbravich with his red Fedora. Very...um..classy! Charlie is an original in a lot of ways and a very talented guy. He joined the band before I did. The first time I met him I was scared to death of him. Charlie is the ...um...least tall of the band, but he LOOKED tough as nails. The man is a pussycat, a great performer and a dear friend. I'm so glad to be playing with him again!

  
  

  
  

  Yours truly, rockin' out! That's a "G Major" chord." I'd know it anywhere, so we must be doing "Johnny B. Goode" with Charlie on vocals.  I'm playing my Tele, which means this was the first set, but you can see my DiPintos there to my right, and my '64 Fender Vibroverb behind me. That is an amazing amplifier. After all these years, it still sounds superb!

  
  

  
  

  Our resident pastor, Rev. Roger Griffith, doing "Wooly Booly." After 38 years, he still says "Uno, Duo," instead of "Uno, Dos," but, hey, isn't that Latin?
  

  
  

  
  

  Dr. Robert "Bob" Gardner, educator extraordinaire. Man, was HE hot! I didn't know you could get so many different notes out of an alto sax, but he sure did! He really wowed them with his vocalisations on "Roll Over, Beethoven" and " Reelin' and Rockin."
  

  
  

  
  

  R.J. Gumbravich, big-band drummer and vintner ( he makes wine, folks!), can still rock with the best of them. I would rather have him behind me on drums than anybody else.

  
  

  
  

  Another shot of the Rev in his glory, and his wig. This man is one of the most genuinely enthusiastic musicians I know. He is always ready to give 110%, , which he did, then he had to preach the next day! And, yes, his congregation has seen him like this!!
  

  
  

  Me again, with the DiPinto Galaxie, Custom, a great guitar. I took three guitars and I used all three during the night!
  

  
  

  The irrepressible Eddie Day, Polish heritage's gift to popular music. This man can sing up a storm ( voice major in college, music teacher by profession), do a great job on keyboards, and then somebody handed him a tambourine! Once he realized you don't gotta tune it, he cut loose. It is a real honor and pleasure to play with this man. Not only does he do an amazing job as a frontman, but he knows when to hang back and let another person take the spotlight. Many thanks, Eddie, for sharing your talent with the world.
  

  
  

  
  

  Dr. Bob again, probably wailing on "Harlem Nocturne.". It really wasn't that dark on stage, but I guess the angle makes it look darker than it really was. Truth be told, I could have gotten a nice tan had I been on stage much longer.
  

  There was also a seventh musician on stage with us that night, but somehow he got blocked out of all the shots. Shows you what happens when you stand behind a group of guys who have gained a few avoirdupois. And I don't think he weighs 125 soaking wet. Adam Sorber was playing background keyboards and singing background vocals and did a great job. I am told he can play every instrument in the band. Well, I don't know, all I've seen/heard him play so far is drums, guitar, bass and keyboards, very well, I might add.. I haven't heard him play sax, but very few saxophonists will lend you their instruments; kind of like sharing a tongue depressor. However, to paraphrase Bill Shakespeare, Brutus says he can play sax, and Brutus is an honorable man! Thanks Adam, not only for your musical expertise, but for the great job you and your crew did on sound. It sounded great onstage, and I understand it was awesome offstage.
  

  • 12:06 pm
  • 1 Comment