Music This Week

Friday February 24th Acoustic Tapestry brings John Wichman and Sean McFeely with their guitar duo and original compositions. Their instrumental creations blend soft rock, folk and a multitude of guitar harmonies ... you will truly have an incredible evening of beautiful sound ... they are a dynamic duo with dynamite songs and we LOVE to hear them! Their acoustic guitars blend into the sweetest sounds!  If you haven't heard these two yet, make it a point to get in for a fabulous Friday night of music ... they are awesome ... and their acoustic guitars CD's are two of our favorites. I guarantee you will love them, so don't miss this!

Saturday February 25th Chris Smith visits us again ... Last month's performance was the subject of a separate blog just about it because of the power and grace in his music ... he had everyone spellbound ... and he rocked my DNA!  He is absolutely one of my favorite musicians .... his voice and his songs are just incredibly powerful and moving ... He creates one of my favorite music nights with his original songs and cover tunes ... the whole night is a showcase of his talent. His solo performance of original songs and cover tunes is simply an astonishing example of how much we love to hear familiar music LIVE when played by an experienced and polished musician ... His music is enthusiastic, powerful, rich and absorbing ... please join us for a great night ... and listen to a man who has incredible talent ... you will be so glad you did ... he is FABULOUS and we love his music! And I am personally SO thankful for Chris Smith MUSIC!!  He will warm your music mind and heart … and vibrate your musical DNA ... AWESOME!

Music starts Wednesday!

Genoa music starts Wednesday with Marq Fraker of Windsor, CO ... this is Marq's debut for Genoa ... Marq writes and performs his own music, but adds cover songs and other contemporary music ... songs about life and experiences ... sometimes edgy and tough, other times just letting loose on feelings and emotion ... and it is going to be a GREAT debut!  Please come out for a wonderful local musician ... acoustic guitar and his singing right up front in the Genoa close and personal venue.  All this, and on a WEDNESDAY ... awesome!

Friday we have the fabulous return of The Key of Joy!   The Key of Joy is a dynamic lyrical rock duo from Fort Collins consisting of singer/songwriter Lauren Joy on guitar, and husband Mason Bassuk on the drums. OK, that is the technical part, and now the intangibles ... Lauren's voice is INSANELY GREAT!  It powered Genoa and you know what I mean if you were there ... She has written over 75 original songs while Mason blends his unique rhythm on the drums and color in his voice to complete this energetic sound. You just have to stop in for a listen ... I am sure you will agree that Lauren's voice is one of the best you've ever heard, and that Mason's is a perfect complement to her!  Come on in, share the JOY and a super night of music!

DHB3 Music This Saturday

Only one night of music this week, but it is one of my absolute favorites!  Saturday is the one-and-only trio of Classic Rockers, the fabulous DHB3 Doyle Hargraves Band of Jerry, Kent & Sam ... they have awesome attitudes and are so much fun to be around.  Plus, they play music I love ... they are a rockin' guitar duo linked up with a suave, debonaire, heartthrob-for-the-ladies bass player who will rock you with their energetic sounds and Rock 'n' Roll! Willie Nelson, Elvis and more with familiar vocals and a dynamic application of happiness at playing music. This is such a great night for us ... you just have to come out and hear them ... it will be a Saturday night of great tunes from a great group. We love Love LOVE these guys and I am sure you will, too. 

Music IS my Religion

My DNA got vibrated again last night … Chris Smith played at Genoa, and it was a performance that resonated through every strand of my genetic code.  I have had that happen through music many times, and it gives me chills remembering those amazing times. 

There have been so many others at Genoa over the last three years!  So many!  I could never begin to pay back those musicians for what they have already given me with their music.  It is such a one-sided debt to them … and I am happy every time I think of how it got that way.

I try to express how it feels when the music is all there is … especially I try to let other people know what it feels like to experience a live performance when that ‘something’ happens and everyone transcends their lives and we all are only in the moment of that fabulous music … how it feels to know you are being pulled into a few moments of extreme joy, peace, love and happiness that completely engulfs you. 

It happened again last night with Chris Smith in a way that shows the power and unifying force of music when it is perfect and sweet, strong and clear and everyone takes note and the whole place goes quiet as everyone is in awe and amazement … everyone just listening, physically moving closer to the music.  When the song ends, everyone quiet still for that extra moment as the last note fades … then the eruption of applause and cheers and everyone standing … trying to show the appreciation they feel for having just been overwhelmed and displaced in time and space by a musician who just blew them away with something so ‘common’ as a song.

If I could get that across to people, Genoa and every other music venue would be filled every music night with people also hoping to experience what I feel through music.  I love it and I sincerely wish I was able to convey the way it absolutely wrecks me in such a happily joyful way.  My words fail at trying to tell anyone about it … it is feelings and emotions and I fall short in how to make sense of it all with words.  How do you tell people about a few moments that affect you so deeply and in such an ongoing way afterward?  I love it that I have music in my head all the time … I wake up with a song ‘playing’ in my brain.

Some people say religion (in any one of its many forms) does that for them.  Having never personally felt it from traditional religion even after many years, I can’t speak to that.  But I can say that music does it for me as nothing else even comes close to … so I have made music my religion.  I guess it is just how I am wired or something, because music speaks to my heart and every cell in my body.  I am so grateful for music!  To all the musicians I have had the pleasure to hear … my sincerest, and deepest, thank you; I owe you so much!

Music this week is one night only … Wednesday David Michael Boyd debuts at Genoa with his guitar performance.  His music will consist of original and cover material in a wide range of styles from classical guitar renditions of Bach to original steel string guitar compositions and songs - a little jazz, a little country, and a lot of fun.  Check out his website for his music, then come in to hear him live … it is going to be fantastic!  We are so fortunate to have him play, and so excited about his Genoa debut … I know we are all going to love it!  I mean, didn’t I just write about that??

Music The Week of January 22nd

Wednesday we are so HAPPY to have Kalli VanderTop from her own StudioK Music. Kalli will have keyboard and vocals and maybe guitar, and her guest Kris Ibis ... part of the fun is how the performance unfolds! Soft rock, classic rock, originals, you never know ... but it will be wonderful and fun and happy and we always look forward to Kalli's music ... she is a bright spot in our music with her creative and youthful energy ... make a point of stopping by to see her and Kris ... you'll have a sweet night of music!

Friday we have the Genoa debut of Drew Bankston ... Drew brings country and folk music covers and originals to us.  He describes it as soothing sounds from his time performing in California, Oregon, Washington State, Idaho, Colorado, Maryland, Virginia and Texas.  Please help us welcome Drew and his music to our warm and friendly front room in Genoa ...

Saturday Chris Smith visits us again ... You need to hear him play ... seriously.  He is one of my absolute favorite musicians .... his voice and some of his songs are just incredibly powerful and moving ... He creates one of my favorite music nights with his original songs and cover tunes ... the whole night is a showcase of his talent. His  solo performance of original songs and cover tunes reminds you how much you love to hear familiar music LIVE when played by an experienced and polished musician ... His music is enthusiastic, powerful, rich and absorbing ... please join us for a great night ... and listen to a man who has incredible talent ... you will be so glad you did ... he is FABULOUS and we love his music! I am so thankful for Chris Smith MUSIC!!  He will warm your music mind and heart …

Music This Week!

The blog is delayed ... but I have a really good reason! ... Have I mentioned how lazy I am?

Friday Tim Macomber and Meadowlark return after TOO LONG of a stay away, with the combination of violin/fiddle, cello, hammer dulcimer and mandolin/bouzouki. Tim, Holly and Richard are an Acoustic Celtic group that plays an eclectic blend of traditional Irish, Scottish fiddle tunes, sea chanties, & elegant dance tunes; all with a driving Celtic style. This is such a fun night of music ... it makes me smile just to think about it. Take the time to stop by even for a half hour ... it will lift your spirits for a week! Acoustic Celtic music at its finest!

Saturday is the one-and-only Classic Rockers Thrilling Three, our favorite fabulous DHB3 Doyle Hargraves Band of Jerry, Kent & Sam ... a guitar duo and a bass player who will rock you with their energetic sounds and Rock 'n' Roll! Willie Nelson, Elvis and more with familiar vocals and a dynamic application of happiness at playing music. Seriously ... we LOVE this band and their music and their great attitudes ... YOU WILL TOO! Get out here, and enjoy a Saturday night of great tunes from a great group. We love Love LOVE these guys!

Always The Same, Forever …

The Mayan calendar end date of December 21, 2012 may be interesting, but it isn’t a cause for concern: time will continue as it has been even after that deadline.  Human Nature is, and always has been, the vehicle and mechanism by which the human race will self-destruct; not some timeframe made by ancient astronomers who were incredible at calculating alignments in the universe. 

The only thing to be determined is how humorous and interesting the end will be, as Human Nature causes and manifests it.  I would like it to be a very long time from now, but I have my doubts about that; we just seem so determined to get there sooner than later.

I defend my view as not being cynical, actually, but simply realistic in light of studying what has happened in the world up to this point.  The path is set and the end is clear … again, the only variables left are related to when and how it actually turns out.  It reminds me of what 8-time champion Donny Gay always said about riding bulls … It isn’t a matter of IF you’re going to get hurt, it’s just a matter of when, and how bad.

Will it be that we created some pandemic via experiments to create a more human transmissible form of some deadly virus?  Such research has already been completed; the only question now is whether the results were going to be published or not.

Will it be that we blow each other to dust with nuclear weapons?  Anyone old enough to remember the Cold War knows that even after the treaties there are still enough of them left to wipe out earth’s population many times over.  For the younger crowd, you just have to look at all the old farts still in charge to be certain of that fact … NOTHING was ever done by the older generations unless it was to excess.  They even gave it the quaint name of Mutually Assured Destruction.

Will we destroy the atmosphere, the water, the soil … with chemicals or toxins?  Will we just use up all the natural resources as the population continues to exponentially increase before we decide to do something different? 

I have no idea, but I don’t have to look far to find a perfect example of the Human Nature attitude required to ‘stay the course’ of destruction.  In the United States we seem to be interested in being at war with everyone, foreign and domestic, with the possible exception of Canada.  I suspect we will even find a way to do that, given enough time.  They are, after all, Canadians.

Human Nature creates dynasties in localized ways, even though their reach could be far.  It is cyclical.  The Pharaohs in Egypt, the Roman Empire, the Spanish Empire, the British Empire, Chinese dynasties, etc. all had their rise and fall, yet basically the collapses were in the country of origin; the rest of the world felt some impact, but things kept going.   The debt problems of today are widespread, with greater impact in more areas, but the result will be similar … collapse … but basically things will keep going.  Oh, it’s going to hurt BIG TIME, but knowing that won’t stop it.

The only certainty of Human Nature is that people repeat the mistakes of the past, because they don’t learn from them.  Most don’t even try to analyze the past; history is just so boring you know.  They always think they are smarter this time; that this time it’s different.  But, it never is different.  I agree with the comedian George Carlin … You should sit back and watch it while eating popcorn if you can, even though you know how it turns out. 

Why is it that way?  Why do greed and selfishness and all that other Human Nature stuff always make it end up like that?  I think Albert Einstein may have said it best … “Only two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the universe.”

Like it or not, agree or not, believe it or not … there are always enough people who will push and strive and fight and scheme and manipulate everyone and everything else in order to get what they want.  Unfortunately, they NEVER get what they want, because they ALWAYS find a way to want more than they have.  And so it is, that the HUMAN NATURE die is cast … a few will always screw it up for the rest of us, and the end ALWAYS justifies the means, so we end up in a horrible mess that could have been avoided, but NEVER is, because we ALWAYS let them do it to us. 

I bring all this up because it is interesting to me.  Even so, I don’t really care enough to do anything about it except point it out.  You know me well enough to realize I am way too lazy to take any more action than that.  Also, I believe none of it really matters anyway.  We fly through the universe on this ball of earth, air and water until we no longer do.  Do you really think anything we do makes a difference in the vast expanse of the unfathomable universe?  Only our ego tells us that it does.

On a geological scale, we have been dealing with our earthly problems for only the tiniest of a fraction of the perceived elapsed time.  Our planet is small compared to the universe on a scale we cannot even grasp as human beings; it is beyond our comprehension as it always is with REALLY BIG and REALLY SMALL numbers.  Yet we live in the illusion of everything being centered on us … we Human Beings are what really matters! 

I get fascinated with how we can’t get along with each other.  We find every possible way to determine how we are different rather than how we are the same … how we have common interests, such as being tiny, insignificant beings on a planet that is basically the tiniest lost dot in a phenomenally large universe.  Human Nature fascinates me beyond all else; it makes us all like actors – we give fabulous performances, and agree on nothing.

It has always been the same, forever … However long we get to participate in whatever ‘forever’ means is all that is left to determine.  Unless we become truly awake, and aware, of what it takes to alter the path we are on as a species.  On that, I am cynical … I don’t think we will learn, so it isn’t going to happen.  Jerry Garcia of the Grateful Dead summed it up … “Somebody has to do something, and it's just incredibly pathetic that it has to be us.”

So … get out there, and DO SOMETHING to help with this.  I’ll be home, watching, with a bowl of popcorn … even though I know how it turns out, because in this case I’d love to be wrong.

Music this week is Friday night with The Key of Joy!   The Key of Joy is a dynamic lyrical rock duo from Fort Collins consisting of singer/songwriter Lauren Joy on guitar, and husband Mason Bassuk on the drums. Lauren's voice is INSANELY GREAT!  It powered Genoa and you know what I mean if you were there ... She has written over 75 original songs while Mason blends his unique rhythm on the drums and color in his voice to complete this energetic sound. You must stop by and hear them!  If you don't agree that Lauren's voice is one of the best you've ever heard, and that Mason's is a perfect complement to her, you get a free Cadillac.  Yup, I'm THAT sure.  (Well, no ... I don't REALLY have any Cadillacs to give away, but you get the point ... get IN HERE for their music!)