Saturday, March 29, 2008

Trip Report -- Road Trip, That Is!

Well, after taking a rare weekend off to heal the guys' voices, The Tim and Bob Show drove about 100 miles north of the city on US281 to the Texas Hill Country to provide some entertainment for the patrons of Pillar Bluff Winery, in Lampasas.

After watching local weather forecasts all week, we were prepared for rain, but there was none! What there ALSO was none of, however, was springtime temperatures. By the time we started playing at 3 o'clock, it was in the mid 50s, and the sun was only a rumor in the skies. By the time we finished at 7, It never got a whole lot warmer, but there were patches of blue skies here and there. But BETWEEN 3 and 7 ... wow!

Pillar Bluff's patrons are as classy as their wine, and everyone was fully committed to having a good time. And that's exactly what we did. The guys' voices held up, and the girls seriously cooked. As a matter of fact, just about everything we tried worked well. At the owner's request, we put in our version of UB40's Red, Red Wine, as well as almost every John Denver song we know -- and we even debuted Sunshine On My Shoulders. By the end of the gig, we'd made a lot of new friends -- many of whom you can see if you click HERE.

Anyhow, after breaking down, and packing away yet another two bottles of Pillar Bluff's fantastic "Boar Doe," we piled into our rented minivan and drove back to San Antonio, a very happy and contented crew.

Thanks to Gill, Peggy, and Rachel of Pillar Bluff for being such good hosts as well as enthusiastic listeners. We know we'll see them again -- hopefully this fall -- and we encourage each of our San Antonio Tim and Bob Nationals to make a day trip up to Lampasas, meet these folks, and buy some excellent wine. Here's a link to their website. Oh, and tell them we sent you!

As for us? It's back to normal with four April gigs in and around San Antonio. We're looking forward to playing for you again.

Until then, TELL US WHAT YOU THINK!

Wednesday, March 19, 2008

The Tim and Bob Show -- SA's BEST!

Well, thanks to the loyalty and persistence of our fans in South Texas and across the country, The Tim and Bob Show has been selected as SAN ANTONIO's BEST COVER BAND in the 2008 Readers Poll of the San Antonio Current. Pick up a copy -- on the newsstands this afternoon -- and check it out!

For those of you who can't wait, or don't live in the immediate area, click on this website and scroll down until you see our smiling faces!

Thanks again to everyone for their support -- not just in this poll, but over the more than 2 and 1/2 years that we've been performing. We'll keep on playing as long as you keep on coming out to hear us. That's a promise.

Thanks again Tim and Bob Nationals and the San Antonio Current!

Tell us what YOU think!

Sunday, March 16, 2008

A Difficult, Rewarding, and Courageous Weekend

What should have been two fun gigs on an unusually warm mid-March weekend, turned out to be a trial for the members of the band, but one that left us stronger and more committed to continuing to grow as a group.

Friday Night's gig was at Wine Styles on Huebner Road. We were playing at a fundraiser for PetPals. The fundraiser, named Yappy Hour, was designed to help PetPals continue to provide help for elderly and disabled residents of South Texas to care for their pets. We started playing at 6, and it became obvious almost immediately that Steve's cold or allergy was going to play havoc with our gig list. Steve was a good soldier, but the weakness that comes with nausea, throbbing headaches, and lack of appetite added to a raw and scratchy throat was more than he could bear. On the fly the four of us began to revise our plans. Kathy's two-song mini-set grew; Mary Lou sang lead on The Beatle's Birthday for the first time ever -- in front of a live audience. Don increased the number of songs he was to sing lead on. Steve hung in there with his guitar, but by the time the night was over, he could barely talk. We trust that our audience didn't notice any drop off in quality. At the end of the evening, we'd helped PetPals increase awareness of their mission, as well as helping them out financially. The event was well attended, and a good time was had by all. We were a little concerned about the fact that we had another gig the next night, but we were hoping that Steve would bounce back. It was not to be.

By the time we got to Water Street Oyster Bar, Steve felt confident that he could play guitar, but he knew there was no way that he could sing lead, nor could he sing harmony for more than a line or two per song. After working our way through a hastily revised first set, the girls set to work to find every song that Don could sing lead on, that Don could sing with Mary Lou, and that Kathy could sing without Steve's voice. Somehow we managed. Don even provided the harmony to a song of Kathy's that Steve usually helps out with and Kathy sang Steve's harmony on Crazy Love -- like Mary Lou the night before -- winging it for the first time before an audience. There to listen to us on the night of our long-awaited return to Water Street was Katie, Cathie, Kyle, and Kyle's parents. We think we made some new friends as well, including one of our youngest "dancers" Cameron -- who literally boogied before he could walk.

So, unlike most nights, we were pleased that our audience didn't know anything special was going on. We were pleased that our repertoire has grown enough and that our confidence in each other has grown enough that we're capable of putting on a professional performance with little or no planning. The only casualty of the weekend of illness was our next gig. Convinced that the only thing that could get Steve's voice back was rest, the group reluctantly agreed to cancel this Friday's gig at OrderUp. Thanks to David for being so understanding of our plight. We're looking forward to getting back there real soon; and we're looking forward to having four strong voices in the band again. Until then, forgive us if we're just a little bit pleased with how we coped with the weekend and perhaps more than a little bit proud of ourselves.

Tell us what YOU think!

Saturday, March 8, 2008

March Comes In With a Shiver!

Our first gig of a very busy March was on a chilly Saturday night at Fralo's Art of Pizza. We figured that the cooling temperatures -- it was in the 30s the night before -- might keep the crowds down, and that's how it turned out to be.

We also figured that it was our job to warm things up, and we did our best to do just that. Although we did our usual mix of originals and familiar rock standards, it was our coloring books (thanks Bruce that got the best response. Check out THIS LINK this link to see the artwork from a very young Tim and Bob Show fan named Maya.

With a quick shout out for Tim and Bob Nationals Sandy, Bobbie, and family who braved the elements and brightened our night, we'd like once again to salute the great servers at Fralo's for keeping everyone -- including us -- supplied with great food.

Tell us what YOU think!