Hi, y’all.  I vowed to myself that I wouldn’t skip more than one week chatting with you so here I am.  As most of you know, I’m not getting out to as many performances as I use to because of this daggone hip pain; but I manage two or three times a week.  How about you?  Wednesday a week ago I went to Coconuts Beach Bar & Grill to hear Heather Vidal who played at noon.  Being a night owl, I rarely get out that early but this amazing artist is more than worth the effort.  I joined my friend Lauren who, being a singer/songwriter herself, really appreciates the talent of this amazing performer.  Not only does she have a voice that spans several octaves, but she’s an accomplished guitarist as well.  And, she has an extensive catalogue of original material.  We loved her song called “Coconut Rum;” so clever and upbeat.  We stayed for the second act to hear our friend Sarah Robins perform with Neil as Endless Ember.  Sarah is a rare jewel as she is able to partner with several different guitarists which broadens her sphere of song options; and she plays flute as well.  Be sure to check out a show near you.

I’m planning to hit Coconuts again on Saturday to hear the Lime Green Band.  Talk about vocals - Angeline Leech is another rarity having one of the best voices on the shore with a phenomenal range - and she plays guitar as well.  She is joined by Terry Wilson on lead guitar, John Murrell on bass and Billy Heiser on drums.  I’m always amazed at the eclectic repertoire this band can boast.  Everything from Fleetwood Mac to Jethro Tull to Lady Gaga and so much more.  Come out and join the fun.  Sunday is gonna be a big big party with music by Margot & Valerie at noon and 33 RPM at 4p.  Loves these guys.  The energy with which they perform is off the charts.  Mike Beavan is one of the most flamboyant drummers you’ll ever see.  He does most of the singing with bassist Rock covering a few of the hard rock tunes.  Talk about flamboyant: Rock is still a proponent of head banging as he really gets into the music.  Larry Biegel on guitar is amazing.  I often call him the guitar wizard (a title previously only used to describe Chris Button).  Larry has earned it in my book.  Not only is he incredibly proficient, but he also has complete command of his special effects pedals with which he can conjure up an array of alternate musical sounds; such as an organ or horns.  Bottom line is these guys put on one heck of a show, always leaving the crowd begging for more.  You’ll notice by looking at the Who’s Where When listing that Coconuts has entered their fall phase of entertainment by being closed Monday-Wednesday.  I’m hoping to get back there on Thursday to hear the Chest Pains.  I keep missing them for one reason or another and I really like this band.  In case you didn’t read a previous Coco Nights, I’ll say again that the closing party is Sunday, October 27 with Monkee Paw.  You read that right ... almost ‘til Halloween.  Fun!!!

What else have I been up to?  I heard Lauren Glick last Saturday at The Angler with Dane Williams (The Klassix) on guitar.  It’s rare that Lauren does not bring her keyboard that she always plays for her solo gigs (tonight at Papi’s Taco Joint).  For this performance she rocked on her bass guitar bringing great energy to each and every song; including many of her incredible original compositions.  I love this talented lady.  I also heard The Mercury Agenda last Saturday at Harborside to get my dose of rock from Doug, Nalen, Austin and David.  Great show as always.  And ... I finally made it to M.R. Ducks to hear the incomparable Tranzfusion.  I don’t think there’s anyone out there who hasn’t heard this amazing group ‘cause they’ve been around for so many years.  Bobby Malaby on drums/vocals, Hank Koenig on guitar/vocals, Al Cook on bass/vocals and Bob Davis on keyboard/vocals/bass.  Oh, and by the way, both Hank and Bob play a mean harp, too.  I can never say enough about the quality of this band.  They broke out a lot of their very old repertoire for the first set that was just awesome.  Who still plays “96 Tears” or songs by The Animals, just to name two.  These guys have been together for so long that they often retire certain songs for a time and bring them back another day.  Bob told me that they enjoy keeping their set lists different from show to show.  In fact, there is no list; he calls the songs as he feels them and/or as the audience is receiving.  You can hear them tonight at Bourbon St. on the Beach.

That’s gonna be all for now.  I really had more to say than I thought I would but that’s what happens once I get going.  Now it’s up to you to get going and go hear some fabulous music offered in so many of our venues around town.  Be kind to one another and always party safe. «Go back to the previous page.