Hey, this is cool!! Chris DiPinto restyled his website, and the Starfires are now on there!! You go to www.dipintoguitars.com, click on Arists Quick find, click on Starfires ( near the bottom) and there we are! You can enlarge the photo by clicking on it!
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I was going through my photos and found this one of my son and his PRS Tremonti(or maybe it's spelled differently. I don't know this stuff.) It's obviously a self-portrait. Anyhow, guitarists under 30 are forbidden to smilebut he is getting darn good on guitar. What I like is that not everything requires distortion, and he is getting some really good sounds out of the guitar and his Peavey amplifier.
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Hey, this is very cool! I have ordered my tickets and got my room reservation for Rockfest in Green Bay, Wisconsin next April. Some fifties rock giants will be there, such as Jerry Lee Lewis, Link Wray, Joe Bennett and the Sparkletones ( we plan to get together!!), as well as some modern performers whom I know, like Los Straitjackets. Plus lots of performers of whom I have no knowledge, but who have come from all over the world ( Can you say " Japanese rockabilly?") to play at this gathering. This ought to be quite an experience! I can hardly wait!!
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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.
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Well, tonight is the debut of one of my favorite entertainers in his new band. Actually, they have played out a couple of times at an open mic night, but this is the "biggie," and my wife and I will be there to see/hear it happen. Yes, it's Jonathan and his band, Harlequin Sage. I know that they have been rehearsing every night ( EVERY NIGHT) lately, and I guess they are as ready as a band could be. Jon feels that this is one of the most talented groups of musicians he has performed with, so I know he has confidence in them. He has said that he feels this is a new direction for him musically, and I know there is some concern how this all will be received. In sum, it really doesn't matter how good or dedicated you are, it's how good your audience thinks you are, if you are to achieve success in the marketplace. The late, great Ringling clown, Lou Jacobs, was heard to say, " If dey laugh, it's funny. If dey don't, it's not." I have played in bands where the band member who couldn't carry a tune in a pail was, by far, the most popular member of the group, and received the loudest applause. and, no, I'm not talking about a "young chick" or a "cute kid." They were just bad, but the audience loved them and called for more, time and again. There is no accounting for taste.
Okay, also, MY band site is ready. Check out www.starfiresforever.com. It probably could still use some tweaking, but it's 99.9 percent there.
Wish us all luck. -
A boy and his Uncle Jonathan. Evan had had a nap; Jonathan had not. this was taken at Evan's second birthday party on Sunday. Both of them were actually happier than the photo would indicate.
This is proof positive that you can have your cake and eat it too.
When was the last time you saw anybody get such a kick out of two lighted candles? Aren't kids cool?
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Rehearsal went well on Saturday, but with our commitment in the evening, it made for a long day. However, I have the greatest photo which was taken about a month ago, and I feel it should be our 8x10. It is excellent. I'd love to post it on here, but I don't want to jump the gun. So, you're just gonna have to wait! The site should be up in about another three weeks.
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Disorder | Rating
Paranoid: Low
Schizoid: Low
Schizotypal: Moderate
Antisocial: Low
Borderline: Low
Histrionic: Moderate
Narcissistic: Moderate
Avoidant: Low
Dependent: Low
Obsessive-Compulsive: Low
URL of the test: http://www.4degreez.com/misc/personality_disorder_test.mv
URL for more info: http://www.4degreez.com/misc/disorder_information2.html
This disorder finder seems to be a very popular pastime, so I though I'd try it. *Sigh* I guess I am unspeakably dull. I just gottas get some kind of disorder, so people will point stare, and whisper on cue.. -
Somebody asked to see the Wishbass again.Okay, here it is. Check out www.wishbass.com for the guy who made it.
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