Wednesday, February 26, 2014

Meyer and McGuire: News and Music Schedule

Hi,

Well, hang in there! Winter should be gone in a couple of weeks! If it’s not, it will be time for some serious groundhog hunting! Hope you enjoy this post!

This blog started out giving you posts of the songwriter’s notes, lyrics, and music for my original songs. As with many things, it has gone in new directions. So, if you just started reading my post and are interested in my original material, here is a link to my songwriter’s notes, lyrics, and music.
Frank’s Songwriter’s Notes, Lyrics, and Music

Our second open mic on February 8 at Brew and Brats at Arbor Hill, an eatery and entertainment center behind the Arbor Hill Winery & Grapery was better than the first one! We are going to do it again this month, and The date, time, and address for this event can be found on our music schedule listed at the end of this message. Last month we had some great performances given by Jack, Harry, Keith, Dana, Duncan, Rick, Joe Preston, and Jimmy Gleason. All the performers were great, but it was a special treat for Siobhan and me to hook up and play with Jimmy Gleason again. Jimmy has played banjo and guitar for Siobhan and me on several occasions, and with the emergence of his new family, we haven’t seen him for awhile. I taught with Jimmy’s wife, Katie, and she got many of my colleagues from Canandaigua Academy to come to the open mic. It was great catching up with all of them! On March 22, Siobhan and I will be there again to run the sound. Of course, we will fill in the down-time with our music, but we hope to see many of you show up with your guitars, banjos, mandolins, fiddles, harmonicas, etc. You can perform as a solo, and if you want some backup, we’ll find it for you. If you are not a player, come out and enjoy the food, beverages, and entertainment! Hope to see you there!

As always, thanks for supporting original music! Maria Gillard, Perry Cleaveland, and Elaine Verstraete put on a great show at the “Singer/Songwriters in the Side Room” concert in February. Siobhan will have a video of one of their songs from that show ready for my next update in a couple of weeks. In the meantime, I just want to give you a little introduction to Jim Clare, the songwriter who will be performing at the next concert at Buffalo Bill’s. Siobhan and I first met Jim a few years ago at “Tunes By The Tracks,” a concert series Jim runs with Cathy McGrath and Allen Hopkins in the meeting room at the Clifton Springs Library in Clifton Springs, NY. Jim, Cathy, and Allen have been a great help to Siobhan and me in developing our own concert series at Buffalo Bill’s. Jim’s sense of humor is second to none, and it, along with his self-deprecating manner, really draws his audience to him. Jim, a native of Waterloo, NY, only returned to the Finger Lakes Region in recent years after a long and interesting journey around the globe. After graduating from St Lawrence University where he learned to play guitar, Jim joined the Navy and became a fighter pilot. In between flying missions, Jim managed to get in a few gigs in with some navy buddies who were also into folk music. After his stint in the Navy, Jim was headed to Denver to fly for United Airlines, but music kidnapped him and took him to Aspen where he wound up playing bass in Swamproot, one of the hottest bands in Aspen for several years. Two members of Swamproot, John Sommers and Bobby Mason, went on to bigger platforms in the music world. John, the author of “Thank God I’m a Country Boy,” went on to play with John Denver for several years, and Bobby became a member of Starwood, another great band that came out of Aspen during those years. From the late 1970s until the early 1990s, Jim’s involvement with music was somewhat minimal. Then, Jim met Mark Teachey at a jam in Wilmington, NC. The two connected and formed a business of composing and recording personalized children’s songs. Their company, StarCatcher, grew, and they eventually sold it to KidMusic, a very successful firm who markets their songs. Jim eventually made his way back to the Finger Lakes Region, and he currently lives in Canandaigua. His passion for writing songs has not diminished a bit, and you will see this if you attend his show. For this show, Jim will have Perry Cleaveland (mandolin, fiddle, and vocals) joining him. Perry, like Jim, is a down-to-earth guy who really knows how to have fun with an audience. I am sure the two will have you doubled over at times. I’ll have more details about Jim as we get closer to the show, but if you have the time, check out these videos of Jim doing some of his original material.

"Old Faded Picture” (a little commercial before the song appears)

”Jumpin’ Sam Patch”
Now, if you want to know more about Jim and his interesting, creative endeavors, here is a link to his web site. Hope you can join us for the show!

Well, have to go for now. Below is a list of our dates for March. Hope to catch you at a show! Take care!

All the best,
Siobhan and Frank

Meyer and McGuire Web Site


Sat., Mar. 1:

Sheridan’s Pub, 1551 Mt. Hope Ave. Rochester, NY, 7 PM to 10 PM, (585) 271-7777


Mon., Mar. 3:

Heather Heights, 160 West Jefferson Road, Pittsford, NY, 6:45 PM to 7:45 PM,(585) 264-1600


Fri., Mar. 7:

Rylie J’s, 38 Seneca Street, Geneva, NY, 6 PM to 9 PM, (315) 759-6050


Sat., Mar. 8:

Rio Tomatlán, 5 Beeman Street, Cdga., NY, 6:30 PM to 9:30 PM (585) 394-9380


Sun., Mar. 9:

Wintersquabbee Festival, Stonecat Café, 5315 State Route 414, Hector, NY, Noon to 1 PM, (607) 546-5000 (With Guest Rick Hoyt on Mandolin and Guitar)


Sun., Mar. 16:

Buffalo Bill's, 19 Main Street, Shortsville, NY, 4 PM to …, (585) 289-4104 (with guest Perry Cleaveland on mandolin and fiddle) (St Patrick’s Day Party)


Thu., Mar. 20:

Singer/Songwriters in the Side Room (a concert series), Presents Jim Clare and Perry Cleaveland in the side room of Buffalo Bill’s Family Restaurant and Taproom, 19 Main Street, Shortsville, NY, 7 PM to 9 PM, (585) 289-4104 (no cover charge, but donations for performer gratefully accepted) (event produced by Meyer and McGuire, 585-394-8929)


Sat., Mar. 22:

Brew and Brats at Arbor Hill, 6461 Route 64, Naples, NY, 6 PM to 9 PM, (585) 374-2870 (Meyer and McGuire host the open mic, bring your guitar, mandolin, fiddle, banjo, harmonica, voice, etc.)


Thu., Mar. 27:

Tap and Stone, Winged Pheasant Golf Course, 1475 Sand Hill Road, Farmington, Ny, 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM (585) 289-8846

Thursday, February 13, 2014

Meyer and McGuire Present Maria Gillard, Perry Cleaveland, and Elaine Verstraete in the Side room at Buffalo Bill's

Hi,

This blog started out giving you posts of the songwriter’s notes, lyrics, and music for my original songs. As with many things, it has gone in new directions. So, if you just started reading my post and are interested in my original material, here is a link to my songwriter’s notes, lyrics, and music.
Frank’s Songwriter’s Notes, Lyrics, and Music

On Thursday, 2/20, Maria Gillard will open Season Three of the “Singer/Songwriters in the Side Room” concert series. Siobhan and I first met Maria in 1981, and the three of us just connected immediately. We often go through long stretches of time without seeing Maria, but when we see her, we pick up like it was yesterday. She is a natural on stage, and her genuine, sincere nature draws you to her. Her terrific personality is only enhanced when she picks up her guitar, and with her awesome voice, she delivers songs that head straight for the heart. For this show, Maria will have her trio with her, Perry Cleaveland (mandolin, fiddle, and vocals) and Elaine Verstraete (bass and vocals). Perry and Elaine, like Maria, are down-to-earth people who really know how to have fun with an audience. If you have the time, check out these videos of Maria doing some of her original material.

"It Used to Be Darker"
"Steady Woman"
"Must Be I’m in Love"
"Imagine My Surprise"

Now, if you want to know more about Maria and her interesting, creative endeavors, here is a link to her web site. Hope you can join us for the show!

To celebrate the beginning of Season Three of this concert series, Siobhan will have a commemorative CD available of the songwriters who performed in the side room during Season Two. The requested donation for the CD is $10, and the proceeds go to the performers who are playing on the night of the donation. The songwriters on the Season Two CD are as follows: Maria Gillard, Connie Deming, Steve Piper, John Dady, Joe LaMay and Sherri Reece, Jeff Riales, Sean Middlebrook, Pat Maloney, Lisa Bigwood, Eva and the Dog Boys, Leslie Lee and Steve Gretz, Ian, Ron, and Lyle Boni, and Perry Cleaveland and Paul Swiatek. So, keep this in mind. A $10 donation gets you this great CD, and a $20 donation gets you CDs from Season One and Two. (We are still burning CDs from Season One, and we’ll keep burning them as long as you keep buying them!)

The concert takes place on the third Thursday of every month in the side room of Buffalo Bill’s Family Restaurant and Taproom, 19 Main Street, Shortsville, NY. The show runs from 7 to 9 PM. The concert is free; however, we compensate the performers with whatever donations we can gather from the audience. To learn more about Buffalo Bill’s, check out their site right here:
Buffalo Bill’s Family Restaurant and Taproom

Perry Cleaveland and Paul Swiatek were our guests in January. To give you a feel of the setting of these concerts, here is a video of the duo doing one of Paul’s instrumental songs, “Sell the Banjo Dad.”
"Sell the Banjo Dad"

If you would like to see videos of the other performers who have taken the stage at “Singer/Songwriters in the Side Room” concerts, check out this link:
Videos of Performers in the Side Room

Hope you can join us on February 20!
All the best,

Siobhan and Frank

Upcoming Shows:

2014:
Jim Clare and Perry Cleaveland, Mar. 20
Scott Regan, Apr. 17
John Dady, May 15
Bonnie Abrams and Allen Hopkins, Jun. 19
Jed Curran, Jul. 17
Steve Piper, Aug. 21
Marc Black, Sept. 18
Rick Hoyt and Cool Club, Oct. 16
Connie Deming, Nov. 20
Eva and the Dog Boys, Dec. 18
2015
Jeff Riales, Jan. 15