Ramey, Jack, Skoota, Jorma, Barry and Myron

Our team… minus Phil who was working the merch table with my son Zach. Good men and true!

Well, we all showed up at the Theater At Westbury for our show yesterday… and yes, I made an factual error on yesterday’s blog. Barry pointed it out and I[m sure someone else will too. Last night was not the last electric show on this tour. The last show will be at the Mt. Baker Rhythm And Blues Festival in Bellingham, Washington on the fourth of August. I stand corrected.

So Jack blew an amp, or the trailer damaged it or something but his friends at Aguilar came through and the show went on without a hitch. Here is our set list:

Hot Tuna 28, 2012
The Electric Quartet
Jorma Kaukonen, Jack Casady
Barry Mitterhoff & Skoota Warner
Theater At Westbury
Westbury, Long Island
New York
Friday, June 29, 2012

1. I See the Light
2. Corners Without Exits
3. A Little Faster
4. Ode To Billy Dean
5. Children of Zion
6. Hesitation Blues
7. Mourning Interrupted
8. Bowlegged Woman
9. Second Chances
10. 99 Year Blues
11. If This Is Love, I Want My Money Back
12. Hit Single # 1
13. Funky #7 with Steve Kimock
14. Baby What You Want Me To Do with Steve Kimock

Now at home as this day in Long Island was unfolding the girls were under a tornado watch. Well, not exactly a tornado... we have straight line winds which is sort of the unidirectional version of a tornado. Winds in excess of eighty miles per hour came through Hillside Farm but by the grace of G_d even though there was a lot of damage, all living things survived. There is debris everywhere and a somewhat ancient pine came down on our driveway but missed my pole barn, the house and the power lines. Power is still out, our generator is humming. Data and internet are intermittent but life goes on. The storm came in right before the show so I was pretty worried about this all evening.

This is half of a 150 foot pine tree... on my driveway!

Moments like this make you really appreciate the important things! Me and mine are indeed blessed!

Now it’s off to Katonah and the Venetian Theater at Caramoor.

The scene of hte crime

Well, we just finished rocking the Sherman here in Stroudsburg and what a time we had. Here is our set list:

Hot Tuna 27, 2012
The Electric Quartet
Jorma Kaukonen, Jack Casady
Barry Mitterhoff & Skoota Warner
The Sherman Theater
Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania
Thursday, June 28, 2012

1. Been So Long
2. Children Of Zion
3. Ode To Billy Dean
4. A Little Faster
5. Corners Without Exits
6. Hesitation Blues
7. Bowlegged Woman
8. Rock Me Baby
9. Second Chances
10. Goodbye To The Blues
11. 99 Year Blues
12. If This Is Love I Want My Money Back
13. Hit Single # 1
14. Funky # 7 with Steve Kimock
15. Encore: Come Back Baby with Steve Kimock

Cool houses

Tomorrow we’re off to Westbury for the last Electric gig on this tour at the Theater At Westbury. Coolness…

A last note on the music vs fart machine nonsense. Those who know me know I love yakking about stuff and stirring things up. Truth be told, the music business is not for the faint of heart. Things come and things go and we all count our blessings and do the best we can. We are so fortunate that we have friends who have supported us for years and continue to support us. Nothing can buy these blessings… so a heartfelt thanks to you out there who come along with us for the ride.

It really doesn’t get much better than that!

The ride continues…

Real old school...

I just got up about an hour and a half ago and as I was checking my email… I got the following from a friend with the image and comments from Vince Gill. Now I’m a huge fan of Vince’s and this little picture just kind of said it all. I have to admit that I have the fart app too… I think I’ll delete it now no matter how funny I think it is. Given some of the discussions that surround my line of work about free music vs. paying for downloads blah blah blah and the general value of art and creativity in our new virtual society this just sort of put it into perspective.

Enjoy…

Tonight the Sherman in Stroudsburg.

On the way to Perly's for breakfast

We thundered down I-95 to Richmond on the the day of the National show, Phil and I walked around looking for Perly’s… a breakfast joint. We found it after getting lost a couple of times and it was great. Later that day we all convened at the National Theater the set list of which follows:

Hot Tuna 25, 2012
The Electric Quartet
Jorma Kaukonen, Jack Casady
Barry Mitterhoff & Skoota Warner
The National
Richmond, Virginia
Monday, June 25, 2012

1. Been So Long
2. Hesitation Blues
3. Ode To Billy Dean
4. Can’t Get Satisfied
5. Children of Zion
6. Corners Without Exits
7. Mourning Interrupted
8. Rock Me Baby
9. Goodbye To The Blues
10. Second Chances
11. Vicksburg Stomp
12. Hit Single # 1(correction… did not get played)
13. If This Is Love I Want My Money Back
14. Funky # 7 with Steve Kimock
15. Come Back Baby with Steve Kimock

Then back up I-95… a stop south of Baltimore to replace a damaged right front tire on the bus and off to the Grand Opera House in Wilmington, Delaware where we hooked up with Bob Steeler who was subbing for Skoota Warner who had a prior commitment.

We love the Grand, plus David Bromberg was in town and we got him to drop by.

Here is our set list:

Hot Tuna 26, 2012
The Electric Quartet
Jorma Kaukonen, Jack Casady
Barry Mitterhoff & Bob Steeler
The Grand Opera House
Wilmington, Delaware
Tuesday, June 26, 2012

1. I See The Light
2. Hesitation Blues
3. Can’t Get Satisfied
4. Ode To Billy Dean
5. Goodbye To the Blues
6. Second Chances
7. Bowlegged Woman
8. Helpless Blues with David Bromberg
9. Children Of Zion
10. 99 Year Blues
11. Mourning Interrupted
12. Hit Single #1 (whoops… didn’t play this one last night… my bad)
13. Funky #7 with Steve Kimock
14. Encore: Baby What You Want Me To Do? With Steve Kimock

Thanks Bob… great playing with ou again after all these years… thanks David, your friendship and musical companionship is always welcome and of course… Steve… thanks for hangin’ and twangin.’

Good times… and now it’s off to Stroudsburg and the Sherman Theater

On down the road folks… on down the road!

The First Night In Ithaca

Yeah… It’s been hectic, but the Electric part of this tour is going great… Here’s our set list from Ithaca:

Hot Tuna 22, 2012
The Electric Quartet
Jorma Kaukonen, Jack Casady
Barry Mitterhoff & Skoota Warner
State Theater
Ithaca, New York
Thursday, June 21, 12

1. Been So Long
2. Children Of Zion
3. Can’t Get Satisfied
4. Ode To Billy Dean
5. Hesitation Blues
6. Mama Let Me Lay It On You
7. A Little Faster
8. Rock Me Baby
9. Second Chances
10. Goodbye To The Blues
11. Mourning Interrupted
12. Bowlegged Woman
13. Hit Single #1
14. Funky #7
15. Come Back Baby with Steve Kimock

Good times back stage

Yikes… the entrance into the backstage area. looks like someone had some fun.

The interior of the State:

No air conditioning up here… 97 degrees… old school but beautiful.

Next night at the Count Basie Theater in Red Bank… air conditioning ruled and the staff was great. Another great gig for us.

Hot Tuna 23, 2012
The Electric Quartet
Jorma Kaukonen, Jack Casady
Barry Mitterhoff & Skoota Warner
The Count Basie Theater
Red Bank, New Jersey
Friday, June 22, 2012

1. I See The Light
2. Hesitation Blues
3. Ode To Billy Dean
4. A Little Faster
5. Second Chances
6. Children Of Zion
7. Can’t Get Satisfied
8. Rock Me Baby
9. 99 Year Blues
10. Vicksburg Stomp
11. Bowlegged Woman
12. Hit Single #1
13. Funky #7 with Steve Kimock
14. Encore: Come Back Baby with Steve Kimock

gig detritus

Yeah… we love the Count Basie.

nice ceiling

Last night at the Wellmont Theater in Montclair, we were joined by our old friend Bob Steeler who doubled up on drums with the amazing Skoota Warner. Here is last night’s set:

Hot Tuna 24, 2012
The Electric Quartet
Jorma Kaukonen, Jack Casady
Barry Mitterhoff & Skoota Warner
With Special Guest Bob Steeler
The Wellmont Theatre
Montclair, New Jersey
Saturday, June 23, 2012

1. Serpent Of Dreams
2. Hesitation Blues
3. Can’t Get Satisfied
4. Ode To Billy Dean
5. Goodbye To The Blues
6. 99 Year Blues
7. Mourning Interrupted
8. Bowlegged Woman
9. Second Chances
10. Children Of Zion
11. Hit Single # 1
12. If This Is Love, I Want My Money Back
13. Funky # 7 with Steve Kimock
14. Encore: Baby What You Want Me To Do with Steve Kimock

Now we’re off to Richmond, VA and the National Theater.

Good times down the road!

I was just talking to Vanessa and getting a little misty… normally I take sort of a laissez faire attitude towards holidays… just another day, right? For some reason, this Father’s Day really feels special to me. To have my son Zachary and my daughter Izze in my life fills my cup to overflowing! So on this day I take a moment to send my thanks out to my kids… they’re the ones who have made me a father and it really doesn’t get any better than this.

Happy Father’s Day to all you dad’s out there from Jorma in here!

Last weekend some of my buds in recovery and I motored up to Akron for the 77 anniversary of the founding of AA. I’ve been to every Founders Day but two in the last fifteen years. I really look forward to this as an introduction to summer and a charging of my spiritual batteries.

Me and my pals at the Gatehouse... scene of the first meeting

The bike ride up through multiple counties was stunning and there’s nothing like a putt with like minded spirits. Up in Akron, we paid our respects at Dr. Bob’s grave

This is my first stop every year on the Akron run!

The four absolutes of the Oxford Group

Yeah… good stuff, climaxed by the big meeting Saturday nights and the run to Dr. Bob’s grave on Sunday.

Make a joyful noise...

Alcoholism… taking many prisoners… destroying all in its path…

Moving right along… on June 12, had my Mom been alive, she would have celebrated her one hundred and first birthday… Happy birthday Mom. She’s been gone since 1998 and I still miss her. Her at Hillside Farm, its mowing, bush hogging and pressure washing… country living at its best…

Izze’s been riding motorcycles with me and my son comes tomorrow… we are all healthy. indeed, it could not get much better!

Drive on…

In a hidden corner of the airport...

I had almost forgotten that I took this picture as I was walking from baggage claim to the garage to get my Jeep coming home from Italy. With Memorial Day just past and all, I took notice and here we are in the Land Of The Free, Because Of The Brave.

The beauty just keeps coming for me and the next thing I knew was that one of my Amish neighbors was teaching our daughter the right way to plant a garden.

The way of good neighbors...

As if this wasn’t good enough… Even though I wasn’t working at the Fur Peace Ranch last weekend… Tommy Emanuel was… I got to share some space with that most remarkable of men. I even got to play a couple of numbers with him in his Saturday night concert. Sunday, I was baby sitting Izze so I only caught part of the show but that’s always a blessing and I got this shot of the moon on the way home.

Big as iife...

Monday, after Tommy headed up to Pittsburgh, i got on my four wheeler and examined some of the nether regions of the FPR property.

It's like having our own state park, I tell you

In any case, I’ve been having a great time at home and the girls have furloughed me to ride my bike up to Akron to Founders Day this weekend. I’ll be weighing in from up there…

Good times!

The Mild Ones... shiny side up!