October Part 4 - Tim and Bob's Pet Pals Weekend

October is so chock full of performances, that we're not going to report on each gig individually. Rather, I'm going to put them in several small groups throughout the month. And here is the last of them:

Back in September, The Tim and Bob Show dedicated an entire weekend to fundraising for Pet Pals of Texas. We designated a Friday night and a Saturday night to promote this wonderful organization. We planned to give half our tips to Pet Pals as well as a cut from any CDs or tote bags we sold at the gigs. Well, as it turned out, the only largesse that weekend was provided from above. We had been suffering a prolonged drought, and only around 9 inches of rain had fallen in the first 8 months of the year. It was looking like stage three water restrictions were inevitable. In the six weeks beginning just before our Pet Pals weekend, however, almost SEVENTEEN inches of rain fell. Everyone was happy about that, of course, except for The Tim and Bob Show and Pet Pals, since both our planned gigs were outdoors. Further frustrating us was that the "designated Saturday" on that weekend was to be our debut at Mi Casa Tamales in Boerne.

Well, we were able to re-schedule Mi Casa and, as luck would have it, it was again going to be the second gig in a weekend. Presto: Pet Pals Weekend Redux! Would the weather have an impact? Yes it would. Something even rarer than rain visited South Texas for what was also Halloween weekend -- AUTUMN. Yes, highs in the mid-70s, lows in the mid-40s, crisp cool breezes, and lovely blue skies. The Great San Antonio Thirst had been slaked, now it was time for some rock n' roll!

One concern, however, was whether Pet Pals of Texas's president -- and Tim and Bob's biggest fan -- Vicki would be able to join us. She did make it out with Linda for a few minutes after we had set up on Friday, but she was seriously under the weather, and missed both performances. Kelly and her family represented the organization and gave us some Pet Pals tee-shirts to sell and some brochures to distribute before they left.

Our Friday gig was at Orderup's Colonnade location -- a long-time favorite of ours. We had a nice turnout of veteran Tim and Bob Nationals -- Casey, Karen, and Matt -- and initiated two more members into the cult ... er ... club: Karen and Mary. Mary had performed with Mary Lou and Kathy on stage, but this was the first time she'd seen us perform. There were also a lot of folks new to our music, and they were as generous as our friends. It was a good night and we got good responses from everyone.

On Saturday, we were able to make our delayed debut at Mi Casa Tamales. Sandy called us and asked us to start a little early, as she was unsure of how cool it would be out in their patio later in the evening. And so we started at 6:30 instead of 7:00. In addition to competing with trick or treaters for attention, we also had to fight the allure of University of Texas football, Oklahoma football, PLUS Notre Dame in the Alamodome -- all while we were playing. For good measure, the San Antonio Spurs were also on television. Despite this, and despite the slightly chilly evening, the crowd size surprised and pleased the folks there. Tim and Bob Nationals Martha, Dave, Casey [AGAIN!], Mara, Hillary, Brian, Jeanna, Sarah, Sheri, and Roy showed up just to hear us, and to support Pet Pals. They were very generous with their applause and their contributions. The hits of the evening were Kathy's bass playing, Steve's scorchers on the Beck, ML's wailing, and the final 2009 performances of "Monster Mash."

We were very pleased at our debut, as was Sandy. We're coming back in November, and we hope to feature there for a long time.The food is wonderful and, so I'm told, the Margaritas are fantastic. I wouldn't know. Since they have Shiner Bock on draft, I'm unlikely to give anything else a try for a while.

After the gig was over, Steve and Kathy followed us home so that we could stow all the band equipment at our house. They have family coming in for their daughter Bethany's wedding on the 7th, and they needed to clear the space. As long as they were over anyhow, we broke out some wine and snacks and sat around our dinette for a good hour or so chatting and laughing about the band and our adventures. What with work and theater and wedding and the odd illness, we'd gotten out of the habit of ending our gigs this way, and it was nice to do it again.

As for Pet Pals, well we'll be doing more fundraising for them in the future. That's a certainty. It's a worthy organization and we all love Vicki as much as she loves us. As of this writing, I'm not sure what the total income for them will be, but it was increased on Sunday morning when Tim and Bob National Larry, who was unable to attend either gig, gave me a contribution at church. Good times.

October, part 3 -- Wearing Pink at the Quarry; Singin' on the Radio; Crowning New Royalty -- all for free!

October is so chock full of performances, that we're not going to report on each gig individually. Rather, I'm going to put them in several small groups throughout the month.

The second half of our October marathon featured us playing in new locations three times in a row. October 16 was a very rare Friday afternoon gig. Steve and Kathy's friend [and Tim and Bob National] Joe helped us land this one. The band was happy to donate our time and talent to help support The Susan B. Komen Breast Cancer "Drive for the Cure" fundraiser at the Quarry Golf Course club house. We set up outside on their party patio with the course behind us. We were there to entertain those individuals and groups who contributed to a check for over $40,000 that the event raised. Since it was the most beautiful day of the year thus far [except for a somewhat strong breeze], we had a great time. This gig is also noteworthy because we finally got fed up with the "adventures" that our mix of Fender and Mackie monitors provide to us. As soon as this gig was over, Steve went out and bought us some new JBL monitors. We've donated the two Fenders to Brooks Academy of Science and Engineering here in town to help then with their brand new music program. The Tim and Bob Show is always happy to support arts education in the schools.

On Thursday, October 22, the band met at KSYM radio on the San Antonio College campus. With the Texas Music Coalition's (TMC) annual fundraiser approaching, The Tim and Bob Show were going to help TMC's publicity guru, Carol Sowa, publicize the event. We were going to appear on Jim Beal's Third Coast Radio program, be interviewed, and maybe sing a couple of songs, while Carol talked about the event. We were asked because we were -- at the time -- Texas Music Coalition's reigning Artist of the Year. Jim's a friend of the band and, when wearing his hat as music editor for the San Antonio Express-News has given us several mentions and a couple of features. One of those gave us one or our favorite nicknames: "San Antonio's Peter, Paul, and Mary -- AND Mary." We sang four songs and talked about the band and about Texas Music Coalition. We emphasized the benefits of the organization for networking. When we put together our CD -- Take It Outside -- the recording, mastering, pressing, design, and promotion were all handled by TMC members and organizations. We had a great time and, as we left, promised Carol that we'd see her on Saturday.

Saturday, October 24 was the Texas Music Coalition annual fundraiser at Sam's Burger Joint. This is one of SA's legendary music venues, and we were looking forward to playing there and showing off our rocky side. We were one of six musical acts appearing, and we had the double duty of crowning the next TMC "Artist of the Year." Mary Lou and I got there very early to help Carol and Patrice set up the decorations, the silent auction space, and the door prize list. Tim and Bob Nationals Steven O., Betsy, Rod, Larry, and Scott and new friends Christina and her husband, were there to listen to us. We took the stage around 8 for a 10-song set, and really let it all hang out. Steven O and Larry had only heard us at our more subdued locations and were surprised [pleasantly, we hope] at our more raucous songs. I know all four of us enjoyed it. As the set came to an end, we chose Mary Lou to present the award for 2009 TMC Artist of the Year to The Lavens. We love this family group and could not be happier to help recognize them. It was a very close ballot this year, with Katherine Dawn and Laura Marie just getting "pipped at the post." TMC presented them with awards recognizing their making the runoff.

So, three more gigs are history,and the band continues to keep on chooglin'. Next up is our "Pet Pals Weekend," and we can't wait. Keep your eyes peeled for announcements. Oh, and stop over to the main part of our website and TELL US WHAT YOU THINK!

October, part 2 -- A Chilly Night at Beto's; A Gem of a Gig at The Menger Hotel

October is so chock full of performances, that we're not going to report on each gig individually. Rather, I'm going to put them in several small groups throughout the month..

The Tim and Bob Show's mind-numbingly busy October continued with two more gigs the weekend of October 9 and 10. On Friday, the band -- minus Kathy who was rehearsing for a theater production and had to miss the gig -- returned to Beto's Comida Latina. We've been kind of snake-bit there recently, with scheduling confusion and weather keeping us away recently. It almost looked like weather would intrude again, as we had a huge downpour beginning late Thursday night and persisting most of Friday morning. Luckily, for us and for Beto's, the skies stopped weeping in time for our performance. But, it was CHILLY. Beto's is one of our "tee-shirt gigs," a venue where we purposely dress down -- wearing jeans and one of our Tim and Bob Show tee-shirts. We were wearing them on Friday as well, but all of us had an additional article of clothing on top of it. Usually at our outdoor gigs, Steve and I are constantly retuning due to the heat and humidity, but on Friday as the temperatures and humidity dropped, we had to retune even more often. Finally, perhaps in shock of being outside in weather under 90 degrees, my B-string committed suicide just before the end of the last set!

Our new friend Oscar [who joined Tim and Bob Nation late last month] showed up along with his wife Ann. They live nearby and hope to make all our Beto's gigs. They really enjoyed the music. We also met some new friends Wendy, Jim and Nadine, Dino, Shannon and kids, and Ellie and Conner who had a great time and stayed with us through the end. Steve's new guitar got a good workout, and my favorite portion of the night was when he played "Blackbird." I never thought the song could sound so good on an electric guitar, but Steve's new JR Beck has a variety of "voices," and all of them are pleasing to our ears.

On Saturday, the 10th, the full band reunited to play our first ever gig at San Antonio's historic Menger Hotel. The Texas Jewelers Association was having their annual bash there, and we were asked back by their event coordinator -- and our good friend -- Joe. Although we've gotten a ton of rain in the last few weeks, this event didn't suffer the fate it did last year, when it was cancelled because of Hurricane Ike. We set up in a ballroom complex to provide some music for people while they were eating and drinking and perusing the beautiful merchandise available. With Kathy back we concentrated on our strong-suit -- four-part harmonies. By the end of the evening we had attracted a relatively small, but very enthusiastic and generous, crowd. We got a lot of encouraging comments, and exchanged some friendly banter with the group.

One of the jewelers, also named Steve, turned out to be quite a musician himself. Although we had already packed away our guitars, both Steve and I pulled out our axes to do a little unscheduled jamming. It was a fun end to a fun night.

Well, that's four gigs down, and only five more to go before November rolls around. We're ready. How about you?

October, part 1 -- Happy Birthday Louie; National Night Out, Adams Hill

October is so chock full of performances, that we're not going to report on each gig individually. Rather, I'm going to put them in several small groups throughout the month..

October began with a significant amount of rainfall, so it was good fortune that our very first gig this month was indoors. On Saturday the 3rd, we played our regular "first Saturday" gig at HEB Central Market's Cafe. We like this gig for a lot of reasons:

1. It is indoors and climate controlled
2. It has no mobility access problems
3. We can be heard by people who are shopping nearby, and many of those stop by to listen.
4. It ends with plenty of Saturday night still to come.
5. It's NOT on a Friday.

Number 5 is most important recently, since enthusiastic Tim and Bob Nationals Louie & Kathie have been having Friday evening conflicts that keep them from dropping in on us. We love it when we can play for them, since they enjoy our music so much, and they always bring lots of friends. As happened the last time we played at Central Market Cafe, their friend Sandra [who is now, of course, OUR friend] showed up for the very first song of the evening. By the time the gig was over, there was a huge table full of Louie's family and friends who all gathered to help him celebrate his birthday. We did our Beatles birthday song for him, and each of us stopped by to shake his hand and congratulate him. What a wonderful family!

Other Tim and Bob Nationals were there, including Linda, Vicki, Mara, and Steven O. We also made new friends in __________, and we had a great time playing for everyone who showed up.* We're not sure when we're playing there next since we're all going to be pretty busy the first Saturday in November, but we'll be sure to let you know when that will be.

On October 6, The Tim and Bob Show played our first ever Tuesday night gig in San Antonio's Adams Hill neighborhood. We set up and played in front of Adams Hill Elementary School in support of the National Night Out program. Now some readers may be confused at this point since most of the nation observes this event in August, but trust me, you DON'T want to sponsor an outdoor bash in early August down this way. Our LOWS were in the mid 80s a couple of months ago. We were invited to the event by Shirley, the VP of the Adams Hill Homeowners Association, who had seen us play many months ago at Oasis. We were enthusiastically greeted by Billie and Ken [who had also heard us play our "unplugged" concert for our recently departed friend, Bruce], who volunteered their services for the event. The main organizer of the was Johanna, who was dressed in prison stripes and was wearing a sheriff's badge!

There were lots of people from the neighboring community there, along with some representatives of San Antonio's fire and police departments. We were also visited by Elmo -- who, surprisingly, is close to 6 feet tall. We played for about an hour to very good response and a lot of positive feedback from the organizers. We hope to be asked back.

Well, with two gigs coming up in a couple of days, part two of October blogs will be coming before you know it. Enjoy what you're reading? Stop by our guestbook and tell us what you think!

Three Gigs in Less than 20 Hours?

What are we, nuts? What are we, in our twenties? The answer to at least one of those questions is a resounding NO, but The Tim and Bob Show marked the end of September by playing three gigs -- between 7 p.m. on Friday and 2:45 on Saturday afternoon.

We began the weekend with an indoor gig at Orderup's Stone Ridge location. This was the third time we played there, and we had a good night. Tim and Bob National Rod showed up, and we made new friends in Debbie, Karen, Athena, and Oscar. The crowd was friendly and attentive, and we all had fun. We were also glad that the gig finished at 9, since we had a busy Saturday looming.

When we last played at Becker Winery, we made contact with Deb, who is part of Asia in the Curriculum [AIC], an organization that is dedicated to teaching students more about the world's largest continent. Deb said that her organization might like to hear us play. We made contact with HER contact, Franke, and set up a short set during AIC's reception, beginning at noon on Saturday. The venue was San Antonio's legendary St. Anthony Hotel, and we were all excited to have a chance to play there. All the staff and management were friendly and very helpful in getting us parked, set up, and broken down, and the AIC participants were enthusiastic about our music. We took advantage of the room dynamics to build a set heavy on acoustic-guitar sounds, and MOST heavy on four-part harmonies. At the end of the gig, we had to rush off, but not before several members of AIC thanked us, as did Deb and Franke. What a great bunch of people!

Speaking of rushing off ... four block away from the St. Anthony was our venue location for the [unfortunately] LAST Houston Street Fair. This very popular convergence of commercial and artistic San Antonio in a public downtown celebration has lost its funding. While there was brave talk on the day of bringing the event back with commercial -- rather than civic -- sponsorship, the HSF is now a very fond memory. We were pleased to be able to play, but sad that future events have been canceled.

We took the opportunity of the outdoor venue to debut Steve's new electric guitar. Steve is really very happy with this instrument, and so are we all. Just as we went "mellow" at AIC, we went "rocky" at Houston Street. Kathy got a good workout on her bass, and Steve got off several scorching solos. Many of our Facebook friends showed up in the heat and sunshine to listen and show their appreciation. Swelling the crowd of celebrants were Tim and Bob Nationals Casey, Mara, Susan, Linda, Vicki, Elizabeth, and Bubba. Although there were a series of glitches throughout the short performance, it was good to have the whole band working together and rocking an appreciative crowd.

And in between Saturday gigs and after the last one came cardio! Since the venues were only blocks apart, and since the wonderful folks at the St. Anthony were so kind as to let us park and stow some gear for free, we trekked on foot to and from the Houston Street Stage with each of us carrying several objects and with Steve pushing our cart. The trip back was made easier with Casey's assistance. It was getting close to 3:30 when we pulled out of St. Anthony's parking area and drove to our homes. Mary Lou and I were exhausted and moved as little as possible for the rest of the day. We heard later that Steve and Kathy were equally wiped out and took afternoon naps. It was a lot of work, but even more fun.

This very busy last September weekend leads to an October which features the band performing no fewer than NINE times. Where will we play? You'll just have to wait for our email gig alerts, or check out our "upcoming gigs" on our main website. And while you're on our website, go to the guestbook and TELL US WHAT YOU THINK!.

Mary Lou's Relatives Invade Orderup!!!!!

Our regular "third Friday" gig at Orderup @ The Colonnade turned into family night on September 18. Mary Lou's mother, Eileen, is visiting from California, so Eileen's brother Pat and spouse Ginny drove down from Rockwall, TX to visit. Pat and Ginny's daughter Elaine lives very close to Orderup and came to the gig along with HER daughter Danielle. The family commandeered a long table and made themselves at home, enjoying the great food and good music. Pat, Ginny, and Eileen are long-time Tim and Bob-ites [although from a distance], but the rest of the crew definitely fits into the "new friends" category.

Not to be outdone, Steve and Kathy's family also was there in force. Tim and Bob Nationals Bethany, Matt, and Hillary were there, along with Hillary's new boyfriend Brian. The girls were pleased to listen to the band play "their songs:" "Brown-eyed Girl" for Hilly, and "Pretty Woman" for Beth.

While it may have seemed like it, the place wasn't filled only with relatives. It was, however, pretty much chock full of Tim and Bob Nationals. Peggy, Pam, and Karen were there, happily sitting with Larry and enjoying themselves. Legendary Fulham FC supporter Matt was there and brought along his sister Debbie, and her son Seth. The music was good, but it was Seth who stole the show, simulating guitar playing, doing some sort of three-year-old's version of Pilates on Orderup's furniture, and flirting shamelessly with Hillary and Bethany -- well, what red-blooded young man wouldn't.

There were only a couple of somber moments in the midst of the evenings festivities, as the group recognized the passing this week of Mary Travers. As a group that depends on the pleasant blending of voices, we have a lot of affection and respect for the work of Peter, Paul, and Mary, so we dedicated our versions of "Leavin' on a Jet Plane" and "Puff, the Magic Dragon," to the memory of her life and her body of work.

Finally, yet another party-atmosphere evening at Orderup was over, and we packed up and drove home.

Where will we be next? Click here to see the locations of our "upcoming gigs".
Doing a little early Christmas shopping? Click here to purchase our CD, "Take It Outside".
Dying to tell us how much you love us? Click here to leave the band a message.

Good-bye to Bruce

Yesterday, at Ft. Sam Houston [San Antonio, TX], there was a full military funeral service for Bruce H. Limpus. All four of us were there, because Bruce touched each of us over the course of his life. Bruce had one career in the USAF, followed by another as a high-school English teacher in San Antonio’s poorest school district. During all this time, Bruce was also an artist – a painter, sculptor, poet, playwright, director, actor.

In his life, Bruce inspired hundreds of young artists, writers, actors, and directors. He also influenced the lives of literally thousands of young students, many of whom left San Antonio’s Edgewood and Memorial High Schools to go on to an Ivy League education. As for the four of us, well … .

Steve and Kathy’s daughters both are involved in careers in the arts, and Bruce found the time to nurture their ambitions and talents. Kathy, Mary Lou, and I had the great honor of performing in his “murder mystery/comedies” in roles written specifically for us. The fact that Mary Lou sings in a band is directly down to Bruce, who cast her in several singing roles in his British-style holiday pantomimes.

As for me, Bruce was my very first stage director [in 1967] and directed me in my last role nearly 40 years later. Almost as soon as we met, Bruce and his wife Sheila began to teach me about art, music, theater, philosophy, and psychology. In the span of a 42-year close friendship, Bruce and Sheila stood up for me at both my weddings, welcomed Mary Lou into their family, and spent hours with us going to theater, having dinners, and talking, talking, talking. Some time in 1976, Bruce handed me a piece of paper with 23 words written on it. I took those words and, with Steve’s help, finished a song that is on our CD and is very popular at our gigs.

Bruce and Sheila used to love to come to our performances and, when his health began to fail him, welcomed us into his home for an “unplugged” concert. He loved us all and we loved him right back.

While most of the service consisted of an impressive display by a USAF ceremonial team – complete with a rifle salute and taps – the culmination of the service was Kathy singing to Steve’s accompaniment. The family requested this of Kathy, one of Bruce’s most favorite chanteuses and dancing girls, and she was happy to comply. Bruce’s favorite film was Casablanca, so Kathy sang a very touching rendition of “As Time Goes By,” to Steve’s guitar.

And that was that, after 81 years on this earth, Bruce was gone. It’s a terribly trite cliché, but in this case, there’s no denying that he lives on in the hearts and souls of all of us in the band, and many, many others. Good-bye, our friend.