We just got an invitation to perform on Friday, July 3 at the Bridge Street Market on Bradenton Beach. Looks like we'll start at around 6 p.m. and play for a couple of hours, so if you're looking for a way to get your July 4th weekend started with a bang, come on out and have some fun with us. My only hope is that I can remember the gig this time around. We played the Bridge Street Festival back in 2007 on Labor Day - I think it was - and it was 150 degrees in the shade! By the time we hopped off the stage to make way for Koko Ray, I couldn't remember my name, where I'd parked my car, what day it was . . . you get the picture. Whew, was it HOT!

DG

Hi... this is drummer Dave... We took a few days off after the Friday Fest... We get back at it tomorrow night though... We are going to take a look at a bunch of songs we started but never finished and some new stuff... if anyone has suggestions as to songs they'd like to hear just pass them on to us... We are also starting to work harder on bookings, so if there's a club you'd like us to play pass it on to us and we'll talk to them and don't forget to put in a good word while you're there.... Guitar Dave, Danielle and I are on Facebook now too, so look us up and become friends.. that way you can follow all of our exciting day to day activities (Why just the other day I had fat free chili for dinner)... It would be really cool if we can make our website hugely interactive... the whole reason we do this is for the fans (believe me there is NO money in it)... we all play for the love of music and perform for the love of the fans....  

It'll be especially memorable for me because it was really our first time playing a public event with Danielle since she joined the band earlier this year. The outings with her at Ralph's were fun and so was the wedding, but Friday Fest on the island was our first show in front of an unknown audience. I guess I have sort of mixed feelings about the result. We had a great response from the folks in attendance and the feedback we received after our set was fantastic, but the sound setup …

The band had a fantastic time playing Micki and Tom's wedding last night in Nokomis - and we had such great feeback from everyone that I think it was a fun night for all. What a treat! Good food, nice people and a beautiful atmosphere. You certainly can't beat that when you're out playing on a Saturday night. One of the attendees was kind enough to shoot a few photos for us and I've uploaded them to the MEDIA section of the site. Danielle, of course, was a huge hit with the crowd. People are always …

The details are in on our time slot for the Island Chamber of Commerce's monthly Friday Fest on June 12. The event runs from 5-10 p.m. on the corner of Pine Street and Bay Boulevard on Anna Maria Island. We'll be opening the event and have a two-hour time slot from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Keep your fingers crossed that the summer weather pattern gives us a break that day and it's nothing but sunshine! Plan to come out for food, fun and . . . oh yeah, music!  Interesting rehearsal …

So there we sit, under a beautiful shade tree just steps from Coquina Beach . . . a perfect afternoon at the Relay for Life fund raiser. Jeff, Drummer Dave and I got there early to check out the other bands. Enjoyed a "Green Dayesque" set of originals from Later Days and some down-home, old-time blues from Blues Pig as day stretched into early evening. Our turn on stage was coming and we were ready to put a BIG TIME capper on the event. But Mother Nature had other …

Hey, Drummer Dave here... tonight we're playing at the Relay for Life in Coquina Beach to help raise money for Cancer research... I just want to say that this is a pretty cool deal... the feeling of giving back to the community is really nice especially a cause like this (I lost my dad to cancer 5 years ago).. at the same time you meet some cool people and you get some exposure.. and the way you donate at this is by purchasing things from the different teams... that's also really cool, it's nice when you get something for your donation other than a receipt for tax purposes (has anyone ever handed one of those in???)... anyway just wanted to express my feelings on the benefits deal and thank those of you that come out tonight... BTW we will have HWY 41 T-shirts for sale tonight... and rest assured that ANY time we play a portion of the proceeds goes towards Mike's Glaucoma Medication....

I've kept this in email form for a long time and figured it was time to wheel it out as we debut the Roadkill blog. For all of us band geeks, some words to live by (except for No. 8, of course) . . . 1. Unless you are in a concert situation, most of the people are not there to hear you. Your music is incidental. People go to restaurants and bars to eat, to drink, to socialize, do business, or maybe to be alone in a crowd. So if you reach some of them and entertain them, you've done a hell of a job. 2. …

Last night we did our final rehearsal to prepare for Saturday's Relay for Life show at Coquina Beach and we had a surprise visitor in the house. "Nick" Nichols, our one-time frontman, was in town and dropped by to show his support. It was great to see Nick again. He hung with us for about a half hour. Nick's living in Alabama and singing with Ballistic Fix in Birmingham. More on his band at www.ballisticfix.com or www.myspace.com/ballisticfix. Danielle was off to another karaoke competition at …