Hello, my friends. It’s Thursday and we’re getting some much needed rain. Hope you’re all doing great. I’ve had a good time at my night outings this week - too hot during the day. I started out at Coconuts Beach Bar & Grill where John LaMere was playing. He only has a few weeks left before he returns to Key West for the winter. He tells me he’s found so many friends there over the past few years that it also feels like home now. I hope you’ll start your weekend out at Coconuts, too, and come a little earlier to hear Darin Engh at noon. Darin has a wonderful repertoire of music, both classic and new. He loves to keep up with the latest music coming out from such writers as Jason Mraz. Darin is a fantastic guitarist as well; in fact he plays several instruments. With Bob Wilkinson in Opposite Directions he plays both guitar and mandolin and in the Salt Water String Band he plays mandolin and banjo. You can hear both these bands at Harborside Bar & Grill.
    It was great to have Linda Sears back with Old School last Saturday at Coconuts, although I must say Missy Cassell did a great job of filling in. Again, we all want to send our condolences to Linda on the passing of her father up on his mountain in West Virginia where she grew up. No matter their age or circumstance, it’s heart-wrenching to lose a parent. We just learned last night that Randy Lee Ashcraft’s father, Art, is in the hospital in Florida. Randy sang a touching song that he wrote for his father years ago called “Easier Done Than Said.” Talk about a tear jerker ... but it illustrated how important it is to have a father’s love, and that sometimes love shown in many ways can be better than saying I love you often. All you guys out there, I hope you know how important you are to your children and how important it is that you show them love and how to grow up to be a good person. Well, I’m off on a soapbox, aren’t I? I guess we all worry about the thousands of lost children who don’t have a happy home. Ok, let’s move on.
    Lauren Glick & Mike Armstrong in The Mood Swingers are sounding stronger than ever and the crowd just loves them at Coconuts. Their next date will be Sunday, September 27, for the Tipsy Turtle end-of-season party. Meanwhile, this weekend get your groove on with the Zion Reggae Band on Saturday and Old School returns on Sunday. Be sure to check the Who’s Where When or Coconuts ad for the continuing weekday entertainment. Thank you Coconuts Beach Bar & Grill.
    Over Time was terrific last week at BJ’s. You can count on them to play great music for dancing and that they did. Old School opened up the first Wednesday Deckless Deck Party with all the usual suspects returning to enjoy the party. It was a great time. And welcome to new drummer Ernie Chavis, in case I haven’t said it yet. Ernie used to play drums with bassist Erve Cassell in Spontaneous Combustion ... remember them? With those two guys, amazing Taylor Knox on guitar and pitch-perfect, energetic Linda Sears on vocals, you have the winning combination for one of Ocean City’s most popular bands. This week at BJ’s, two more popular bands, Ginger on Friday and Chest Pains on Saturday will be playing; plus next Wednesday will be Monkee Paw.
    Hey, somethin’ big is goin’ down at Longboard Cafe next Thursday, September 17th - Grammy winning keyboardist/composer Gregg Karukas is making a stopover to play for us, featuring music from his award-winning CD Soul Secrets: two Billboard #1 songs. His appearance here follows a rare East Coast appearance the night before with his full band, Natural Bridge, at the Rams Head Stage in Annapolis. You may have been among the guests who enjoyed Gregg’s performance a few years ago for the Home for the Holidays show, a fundraiser for the OC-PAC, with legendary singer/songwriter Shelby Flint at Seacrets. I was there and it was magical! To read the entire press release for this Longboard Cafe event, go to Special Features in this issue. I hope you’ll join me for a special night of music as Gregg Karukas performs solo, at Longboard Cafe next Thursday, Sept. 17. And before closing on Longboard, I’d like to say that the music from Paul Cullen with Joe Mama last Sunday was absolutely beautiful. Over the last few years, Paul has grown into a very fine acoustic guitarist; and I must say that Joe Mama’s interpretation for percussion on Paul’s repertoire, not your typical classic rock, etc., songs, was inspired. Owner Rick Vach is working on a musical lineup for the second season - I’m thinking Gregg Karukas is a phenomenal starting point.
    The Purple Moose was fun all weekend starting with Thursday and the performance of Bottoms Up playing all Van Halen music. I mentioned them in last week’s column. The next, and maybe last, tribute band will play Wednesday instead of Thursday - High Voltage paying tribute to AC/DC. This was a very entertaining show last year so I know you’ll enjoy it. Friday and Saturday will see the return of a new favorite at the Moose, The Lava Game. And Sunday come rock with Fuzzbox Piranha, local rock trio who always keeps the crowd dancing all night long. Bike Week is just around the corner when the Purple Moose will bring back Surreal for their last performance of the season. Looking forward to that one.
    If you get a chance, check out our friend Michael Smith playing with Joe Smooth, John Remy and Jay Stinemire as Too Much Stuff at the Ocean Pines Yacht Club. Here’s another band I know you’ll love.
    That’s it for now, folks. Gonna get myself together and go hear Billie Carlins & her group at Adolfo’s. I hear I missed a special night of music last week. Only a few dates left for the season, so check it out - starts at 8pm. Take care and party safe!