Hail and Farewell

Well, May is finally over. The month started out with an extended [and unplanned] down time, but it ended with six gigs over the last three weekends, and some of the "older" members of the group are a bit tired. Well, okay, ONE member. Okay, me. And with a free weekend in front of us, it's time to celebrate the last two gigs of the month.

Saturday night found us in a familiar location on a very unfamiliar night. We play at Orderup in the Colonnade on a regular basis, but always on a Friday. Kathy's play had ended, but she was leaving on business the next morning, so we loaded up on our recently-neglected four-part specialties. We also invited our friend Karen along -- she of the breathtaking flute work on "It Ends, It Begins" on our CD. We'd jammed a little with her at our Memorial Day BBQ, and so she showed up prepared to play on three consecutive numbers -- on three different instruments. We had fun running through them, and hope that Karen picked up the performing bug again. it would be great to be able to go and watch her perform soon.

Tim and Bob Nationals Matt and Casey were there, and we made some new friends, one of whom made a quick stop by our tip jar and dropped in $20. Whoever you are, we love you too.

Sunday was perhaps the highlight of the year for Steve. In addition to being a guitar god, Steve devotes a lot of his time to church work. For several years, Steve was a youth advisor. On Sunday morning, four of his former youth group members -- now all grown up -- showed up for services and announced their plans to come to our show. Katie and Elizabeth had heard us play before, but Shira and Bryn had only heard Steve play at youth gatherings.

Our Sunday night gig was our final one at Fralo's Art of Pizza -- the very first place The Tim and Bob Show ever performed. We had played there regularly for almost four years, but it was becoming difficult for us to resolve our calendar with theirs. The presence of Steve's young friends -- and new friends to Mary Lou and me -- merged with the knowledge that we were playing Fralo's for the last time, made for an interesting mix of emotions.

Since former youth group members were there, we had to do "Rocky Raccoon," and I can guarantee that they really enjoyed watching their former youth group facilitator sing Ringo Starr's "The No-No Song."

Long time Tim and Bob friend Deedy was also there, along with a pretty full table that included Tim and Bob Nationals Steve and Jackie and friends. We made new friends in Chris and Cara, who promised to come back and hear us in the company of her father, who taught her and her brother the songs we sing when they were both very young. All in all, there was a great crowd for our last gig, and we think we gave them a good performance. Steve especially ripped into his solos on the Epiphone with zest.

So, hail to new friends, hail to old friends from whom we've been separated, and farewell to the place where it all began.

Here's to a weekend's rest for the band. And You'll find a list of our upcoming gigs HERE . And, while you're perusing our web site, stop HERE and tell us what you think!

A Rainy Weekend in San Antonio -- REALLY!

Memorial Day weekend began with two Tim and Bob performances. Since both featured an unusual sight in these parts -- RAIN -- we needed a bit of luck in getting everything going.

On Friday we performed at Orderup at the Colonnade. it looked threatening when we got there, but we had completely unloaded our equipment and brought it indoors before the rain started. Indoors is the key word in that last sentence, by the way, since it rained on and off throughout the entire evening, but the musicians and their audience stayed dry.

Steve and I gave two songs their San Antonio Tim and Bob Show debut -- the Traveling Wilbury's hit "Handle With Care" and the Ringo Starr classic tale of aging rockers "The No-No Song." Both were well received. Tim and Bob Nationals Casey and Karen showed up, and we made new friends Patricia, Gabriel, and Betty and Mike. Mary Lou was back singing with us, and rocked the house with "This Wheel's on Fire."

On Saturday, we traveled over to Steve and Kathy's house in mid-afternoon to help them load up for our 6 o'clock gig at Beto's Comida Latina. This is usually a Friday fixture for us, but that wasn't what was concerning us. We had been experiencing heavy downpours for a couple of hours before the trip, and Beto's performance space is on their patio! Although we drove through a drizzle to get there, by the time we arrived at Beto's the rain had passed. It stayed dry throughout the evening, and it wasn't until we were driving to Steve and Kathy's for unloading [and a sip of wine] that the rain began again.

Tim and Bob Nationals Gary and Holly were there along with three tables worth of friends including Melissa, Mark, Luke, Danny, Lisa, Forest, Noel and few others. Hillary, Bethany, and Matt were also there, as well as Peggy and her "date" Arlis. Also there were Kathy's fellow cast members Caron and Desi. The early start meant that Kathy could spend the first 40 minutes or so with us before departing for her final performance of Angel Street, and her buds wanted to hear her and us, of course.

We had a great time playing to a crowd that -- for the largest part -- came there specifically to hear us. Steve got his electric out and got off more than a few scorching solos. His three choruses of "Raccoon Rumble-seat" got roars of applause from some listeners about 1/3 of my age! Coolness.

All in all, another fine weekend. We have more gigs in the weeks ahead, of course, but it's great to have the whole band back together again. You'll find a list of our upcoming gigs HERE . And, while you're perusing our web site, stop HERE and tell us what you think!

Of Mud, Cherries, and Lavender Lemonade

The third weekend of May was one the entire band had been looking forward to. With Mary Lou out of town recently and Kathy in her play, it had been a long time since we could exploit all the voices available to us. And here we were -- all four of us -- on the road to the Hill Country to play at Becker Vineyards for BOTH Saturday and Sunday. What could possibly go wrong?

Well, when we left San Antonio on Saturday, May was already half gone and no measurable rain had fallen in our area. We were already under severe drought restrictions and the temperatures were at July/August levels. So when we set off under overcast skies and somewhat cool [73 degrees] temperatures, at 0930, we had hopes for a cooler and less strenuous day. Ha!

We were on IH10 approaching Comfort when the skies opened up. The parched landscape must have thought it was dreaming as wave after wave of rain fell out of blackened skies. We were following Steve and Kathy, and we really wanted to exit the freeway when they did, but the car preferred to go straight, it seemed. Hydroplaning along on a Saturday morning is not what I wanted to do, especially with a back seat and trunk full of musical equipment. After a second or two, one of our wheels found the road surface and we were able to make the exit -- a special shout out to Subaru's all-wheel drive.

When we got to the vineyard, there was already a huge crowd. It was a well advertised weekend, Becker's annual Lavender Festival, and the grounds were full of vendors and the wine was already flowing by the time we got there. Even after crawling along at 45 mph for the better part of an hour, we were still early. We noticed immediately that our previous performance space was claimed, so we drove around back to park our cars and find out where we were to set up. Steve and I dropped off the ladies to get more information, and pressed on to pull up in the loading spaces in the rear. There was a tractor blocking our way, so Steve made a turn into the vendor parking lot and immediately sank into the mud. It seems that the sandy soil that is so perfect for growing quality grapes turns to impassible mud under the slightest provocation.

And so it was that 3 50-somethings and one 60-something, emptied two cars of a ton of musical equipment in a driving rain while walking through ankle-deep mud. After a few failed attempts to get Steve's Mazda unstuck, we set off to find our performance space. Nichole had the perfect place in mind, but it was soaking and, after some improvisation, we set up in the tasting room -- the worst possible place for an amplified band. We persevered, though, and we seemed to please the patrons who most definitely did not want to go outside and sample the weather. Once we were finished, it was time to stow our gear in the cask room, have a look at Steve's now rescued car, and head back to San Antonio for the evening.

Kathy had a performance that night at Harlequin Dinner Theater in Angel Street, and the rest of the band were in the audience, along with Tim and Bob National Rich. Mary Lou said that the play was the best she had ever seen at that venue. Considering she watched me perform in a half dozen plays there and performed in a few there herself, this was quite a compliment. Kathy's performance was sublime.

After a night's rest, back we went for the second day at Becker Vineyards. As eventful as Saturday's performance was, that's just how eventful Sunday's was -- but this time for very good reasons. It was cloudy and cool -- the ladies borrowed jackets from a nearby vendor -- but there was no rain. For this reason, the customers were out on the grounds and so were we. After a nourishing lunch that included some amazingly tasty cherries Kathy picked up for the trip, we began our two-hour set. We made sure it was as chock-full of 4-parters as possible. And we sounded GOOD. Of special note is Mary Lou, who smiled and ripped into "Midnight Blue" with gusto, even though I played it in the wrong key!

We got lots of compliments, sold a couple of CDs and were thrilled to be visited by Tim and Bob Nationals Vicki, Linda, and Loyce. Vicki really enjoyed our music. It was a thrill to watch her sing along and dance in her own special style.

After breaking down and loading up our cars, we took the time to visit some of the vendors. Being as it was a lavender festival, the plant was infused in almost everything on offer. We sampled some lavender vanilla ice cream, lavender peach tea, and even lavender sangria. My favorite was the lavender lemonade. Tasty.

It had certainly been a tale of two days, but we left Becker with good feelings for the wonderful location, the friendly people, and the excellent wine. We hope to play there again soon.

We're back in San Antonio for the next several weekends; You'll find a list of our upcoming gigs HERE . And, while you're perusing our web site, stop HERE and tell us what you think!

Tim and Bob at Lake Houston AGF Gig

On the morning of Saturday, May 9, Steve and I loaded up his Mazda with four guitars, a dozen or so music books, a few snacks, some unbreakable [evidently] picks, capos, music stands, guitar cords, implements of percussion, bottled water, and a couple of bottles of The Elixir of Life [also known as Diet Dr. Pepper]. Once suitably packed, we were off to IH10 to travel east to Houston – or, more specifically, to a Marina on Lake Houston on the outskirts of Humble, Texas.

What could possibly cause two reasonably sane and reasonably mature gentleman to give up much of their weekend to drive 450 miles round trip? Well, there was food, there was drink, there was music, but most of all there was the fellowship of some of the Texas membership of the Acoustic Guitar Forum. Once again Joe [The Guitarman] and his wife Vickie were the hosts of the annual Lake Houston AGF jam. These jams feature fantastic BBQ chicken, spicy crawfish, corn-on-the-cob, and baked potatoes – all supplied by the hosts. Participants bring soft drinks, desserts, help out with the cooking, or – in the case of Steve and me – by providing song books for jamming. And, of course, the reason for our being there was the reason for the very existence of the AGF: the love of looking at, admiring, handling, and playing some wonderful acoustic guitars – and one electric [Steve can’t leave his Epiphone at home, after all].

At The Guitarman’s request, Steve and I started the music off by plugging in to the “open mic” and singing a few songs. After Stetson and Tania followed us up there to sing and play, it was time for food and yakking, for meeting new friends, and greeting old ones. And then came the circle jam. Using books that contained about 25 of the songs that are Tim and Bob Show staples, about a dozen of us grabbed guitars and traded licks. Stetson's wife and Aggie 182 took care of the percussion beautifully. A highlight for Steve and me was franchelB’s arrival. Francis knows more songs than we do, and he can play any instrument we can think of better than either of us ever hope to. Most fun.

The highlight for me was hanging with Chris and Mo [Antonio Salieri & Mo’sArt], and borrowing her Alvarez 12-string. Steve got to play a lot of strange guitars, and I got to do an old country song with yet another Steve [Stetson]. Wildbill962 stopped helping Joe with the cooking long enough to grab a guitar and play with us, JNowlin provided some tasty leads, Tania helped immeasurably with the vocals, and Aggie182 contributed a weird but highly useful box that was the key to the gates of percussion heaven.

It was well after 6 when we left, and it was 11:30 in the evening by the time I got back to my house. I’d racked my voice up singing [shouting] so badly I had to sit out choir the next morning, but it was well worth it.

Thanks to Joe and Vickie for hosting, and for everyone who was there to make it a grand day out. Next year, we hope to get the whole band to attend. Here’s the final list of AGF members and players:

The Guitarman [wife Vickie, son Shawn, and Uncle Floyd], Mo’sArt, Antonio Salieri, franchelB [and family], JNowlin, Larry H. in Texas, Stetson [and wife and daughter], Aggie182 [and his wife], Tania, wildbill1962 & [and wife], and Phuufme [Steve], DonBob [Don]

Back at Beto's!

Yes, Spring must officially be here for The Tim and Bob Show, because our pollen-postponed return to Beto's finally occurred on Friday, April 10. And we were more than ready for it.

We love Beto's staff, their patio, the customers, and -- especially their food. I had the taco al pastor with borracho beans, rice and salad. Yum. But I digress.

With Kathy's play opening soon, the lineup was one short. Mary Lou was there to help Steve and me with the singing and the audience mingling. We broke out our towels for the first time this year and, in true South Texas fashion, soon realized that we needed them less than we could have used long sleeves. Yep, after a week that featured one day with a high of 99 [!], there we were lightly chilled in our Tim and Bob Show 2008 World Tour of South Texas tee-shirts while our towels sat abandoned like the nerdy guy at the Senior Prom.

This being an outdoor gig, Steve got a lot of use out of his Epiphone as well as his beloved Taylor acoustic. As a matter of fact, Steve wound up with quite a little fan club. Two young guys -- each in tee-shirts with guitar motifs -- positioned themselves within inches of his Taylor and stood stock still while he played and sang "Fire and Rain." The older of the two might have been 11 or so. Steve was more spooked than delighted by his new position of fascinator of pre-teens. Anyhow, once he'd finished, they made a song request. And what sort of song does an 11-year-old South Texan want to hear? Why, "something by Bob Dylan" of course. Since Dylan is my territory, I complied with "Don't Think Twice" -- aka "Flatpicker's Delight."

There were some Tim and Bob-ites there. Hillary and Matt, Bethany and Matt, and Preslee and Marcelo [with whom I spent a little time chortling over the recent Bolivia-Argentina soccer result]. Joining this crew were Rusty and Paula, who drove down from the Dallas area to visit Hillary -- and the rest of us. Mary Lou and I had heard a lot of good things about these people, and we were surprised that they were even more wonderful than advertised. They are new friends of the band, and good friends of each of its members.

How did we sound? Fantastic, of course. If you'd care to check out just how fantastic that sound is, come to one of our upcoming gigs. You'll find a list of them HERE . And, while you're perusing our web site, stop HERE and tell us what you think!

Two Very Special Weekend Gigs

The weekend of April 4 and 5 is one The Tim and Bob Show will remember for a very long time. Both days featured new venues for the band to play, although we were very familiar with each of them.

On Saturday, we caravanned up I10 towards Fredericksburg to play for two hours at Becker Winery in Stonewall. We had been up there many times before, primarily to taste the wine, and also to turn our feet purple. Our last visit had been a few months earlier to listen to Steve and Kathy sing Christmas music with the Merrie Court Singers. But this was the first time for the band to play there. Nichole was there to welcome us, and we set up on their spacious porch with their magnificent lavender fields just over our shoulders. It was a wine-tasting frenzy, and every 30 minutes or so new folks showed up. Tim and Bobber's Steve and Jackie [who saw us on our most recent winery gig in Lampasas] showed up again for more music -- or was it for more wine? In any event, we were well received and had a lot of good comments and applause. The highlight for us was when a very cultured lady appeared and told us how much she felt our music was appropriate for the occasion. This meant a lot, because the lady was Mrs. Becker herself. What a way to spend an absolutely glorious South Texas Saturday afternoon. Only one thing stopped it from being perfect: the lines were so long, we never got a chance to buy any Becker wine for ourselves!

After church on Sunday, the band reunited at a local burger joint for a quick lunch before going over to play a short 10-song gig for my oldest and dearest friend Bruce and his lovely lady Sheila. I've known them both since 1967, Mary Lou met them in 1976, and Steve and Kathy met them in 2000. This is only part of it, though. It was Bruce who first interested me in writing, taught me about art and "serious" music, was my first stage director, and who -- one afternoon in 1975 -- handed me a slip of paper with 15 words on it. Those 15 words turned out to be the beginning of The Tim and Bob Show original tune "Raccoon Rumble-seat." Bruce also directed Mary Lou and Kathy in several of his self-authored murder mysteries [some of which I also appeared in] and, in Mary Lou's case, some of his original Christmas "Pantos." It was in one of the latter productions that he convinced Mary Lou to sing. The fact that she's contributing her alto vocals to the group today is down to Bruce. Steve also has a history with Bruce, having performed in two of the Valentines Day special shows at the old Alamo Street Theater with Kathy that were organized by Bruce and Sheila. Finally, it was at Bruce and Sheila's house that Mary Lou and I married nearly 32 years ago.

Bruce has been availing himself of more than his share of the region's medical expertise in recent months, and doesn't get about much. It was for this reason that we set this private performance up with them, and why we kept it relatively short. They invited their friends Wally [who I also first met in 1967], their neighbors Ken and Billie, and Tim and Bob National Marcie. We set up in one of Bruce's several artistic workspaces and played "unplugged." We started with our a'capella version of Johnny Mercer's "Dream" -- a huge favorite of Bruce's -- and ended with "Raccoon Rumble-seat". Sheila assured us that we had made The Maestro happier than he'd been in ages. We were pretty happy also. We had given a little bit back to a man who has given us all so much over the years.

Where will we go next? Where will we play? Check out our next gigs HERE. And if you have some spare time, go take a look at our collection of photographs HERE. And, if you have some spare money, go crazy! buy our CD HERE!

And, as always, tell us what YOU THINK!.

Springtime Music Under the Live Oaks

The weekend of March 28 and 29 is well into South Texas springtime, and that should mean certain things. Will it be cold? Yes. Will it be warm? Yes. Will the dreaded Mountain Cedar pollen be under control? Yes. Will the dreaded Oak pollen be raging? Yes. But will there be wine and pizza and music? Oh, most definitely yes. And so it was that The Tim and Bob Show had yet another two-gig weekend. And since the weather was cooperating, both gigs were held outdoors.

Our first appearance was Saturday night at WineStyles, Stone Oak. Our last two performances there found us inside sheltering from the cold and, as a result of the constricted space, doing without the musical stylings of the women. Steve and I did our best, but it can't be the band's best without Kathy and Mary Lou. This time, all four of us were there, and we capitalized on it in a big way. Our set list was chock full of four-parters and everyone did his or her part to rock the premises. We set up under the shelter of a huge Live Oak tree in WineStyle's patio and offered our music up into the stars.

Tim and Bob nationals Hillary and Matt were there, and so was "the other Matt" also known as FulhamAg, who dropped by after the USA Soccer match to order a beer from San Antonio's finest wine shop. It was a great night, made even better by the presence of both Kathy and Mary Lou. The former will be in a play shortly, while the latter will be visiting relatives also in a short time. It was good to have them with us.

The same was true the very next night at Fralo's Art of Pizza, the site of our very first gig going on four years ago. The weather was cooperative -- it was a bit warmer than the previous evening -- and the skies were clear and the Oak trees sheltered the band. We did our usual mixture of covers from the 60s and 70s and original tunes. Steve wailed out on the electric when the material called for it, and allowed us to enjoy some deft finger-picking on his Taylor on quieter selections. Once again we rocked the joint. The favorite for me for BOTH gigs was our original "South Texas Saturday Night" -- a song inspired by Fralo's and included on our CD.

Tim and Bob National Casey showed up along with Leo and Belen and their daughter Laura. It was great to see Leo and Belen, who last saw us at Fralo's two years ago. They said they drove down from Austin just to see us, but I think they really came down to see Laura. We also made new friends in Steve, Eileen, and Ian, and James and Steffy. When the night was over, Fralo's presented us with "a pizza to go." What a night.

And what a weekend. What next? Well, you know you want to find out. Check out our website's "next gigs"! page [while you're there, look at the photographs!]. and watch your inbox for gig alerts.

It's time for outdoor live music, folks! Support your local rock 'n rollers.