ROAD TRIP REVIEW!

Have a little time for a road trip review? As I sit in this hotel room in the early morning hours, I am reflecting on the great times Siobhan and I had over the past few days with some old friends. It started off on Thursday in Saugerties, NY, my home town. Siobhan and I visited with Tom and Jeanne Murphy. Tom and I lived on the same street, and we walked to school together nearly every day. Although we went our separate ways After high school and were apart from each other for great gaps of time, whenever we met up, it was just like it was yesterday. This past Thursday and Friday were no different. Jeanne, Siobhan, Tom, and I picked up right where we left off just about nine months ago, discussing our life’s wins and losses. Although we alluded to the past at times, we stayed in the present, talking about our current issues and new chapters we were planning to start. The great time spent with these two terrific people was only enhanced by some tasty libations and Jeanne’s unbelievably delicious food. A big thanks to Tom and Jeanne for being who they are! If you have a friendship like the one I just described, cherish it. It’s one of the most valuable things you can cultivate.
After spending the night in Greenfield, MA, on Friday, Saturday, we headed over to Shelburne Falls, MA, to play at Baked, a bakery and restaurant owned by Gretchen Gerstner, one of my many all-time favorite students. Siobhan and I became close to Gretchen when we played our music at Rose Corner Bakery and Restaurant, a place she owned in Canandaigua, NY. It was a beautiful afternoon in Shelburne Falls, and we got to play our music on the patio. Customers came and went from the eatery leaving us with nods of affirmation, thumbs up signs, compliments, and applause. To sum it up, we had a blast! After the show, we sat on the patio with Gretchen and caught up on the news while enjoying a dish of her famous Mac and cheese, one of my favorites from the Rose Corner days. Gretchen filled us with great stories about her life in Shelburne Falls and Ashfield, where she works as a part time police officer. Her energy, honesty, and sense of humor are still going strong, and we just loved listening to her. She, like so many of my former students are doing great things with their lives, and I love hearing about them or reading about them on FB. After a nice long chat, Gretchen went back to baking, and we headed down the road to Greenfield for the evening.
A little later today, Siobhan and I will be headed back to Canandaigua. We love road trips because they are relaxing and refreshing, but we love the excitement that occurs for us when we are headed back to Canandaigua. We traditionally end each road trip by unwinding with a walk to a local eatery. Like most small towns and cities, the streets of Canandaigua are very quiet at night, especially on Sundays. When I walk in this silence with Siobhan by my side, I am at total peace and feel eternally grateful. Really looking forward to tonight!

Still reading? If so, thanks for being in our lives and have a great week!

WEEKLY UPDATE FOR OUR MUSIC FANS!

Today, as Siobhan and I celebrate our thirty six years of being together, we are savoring the last Four days spent with many great people! Here’s the scoop.
Last Thursday, we got in another splendid evening on the deck for our monthly happy hour at The Timber Creek. Thanks to all who were there to enjoy the night with us. As always, thanks to Susie for letting us play our songs at her place. We missed Jill because she had to take her dog to the vet, but thanks to Susie and Torrance for filling in for her. Already, we’re looking forward to our show on October 11!
We hosted the open mic at Brew and Brats on Friday, and oh what a blast it was! Thanks to the following players who contributed to a really fun evening: Jim Holden, Nate Holden, Oakley Holden, Hank Ranney, Jack Jones, Kendall Wilt, Bob Dugan, Ed Loesch, John French, and even the ubiquitous Pam Lazio. Yes, I said Pam Lazio. This is not fake news. Pam added some great backup harmony in our traditional end of the evening finale. As always, thanks to John and Katie Brahm and John and Sherry French and their staff for creating such a great venue and making us feel like we are part of the Brew and Brats Family. Finally, thanks to all the patrons who came out to listen to the players and share the evening with us. Looking forward to our concert at Brew and Brats on October 13!
Saturday we started a two-day stint at Rio Tomatlan with our monthly dinner show. Perry Cleaveland was free to join us, and as always, he dressed up our show with some great sounds from his mandolins and fiddle and some beautiful backup harmony. Sunday was even a bigger music day at Rio. Heat Wave, a great bluegrass band with players Max Flansburg, Richie Colf, and Brandon Masure, kicked off the day with some great tunes on the deck for Rio’s Sunday brunch. They’ll be playing several brunch events at Rio; so keep an eye out for them! At 3 PM, the music at Rio moved to Quiote (upstairs) for our concert series for songwriters. Tom Whitmore of Watkins and the Rapiers was our guest, and once again, he delivered a great show as he has for the past several years. In addition to his humorous songs, Tom has an uncanny way of injecting humor into some very serious topics, and he brought a chuckle or smile to my face throughout his entire show. Based on the enthusiastic response from the audience, he must have done the same for them, too. Thanks to Scott Regan for promoting Tom’s show on WRUR’s “Open tunings.”Thanks to Perry, Max, Richie, Brandon, and Tom for making it a great two days of music for Siobhan and me. Thanks to Raf, Chris, Erin, Teresa, Brittany, Julie, Amy, Trevor, Sadie, Darrel, and the rest of the staff at Rio for just making us feel like we are part of the Rio Family. Looking forward to our next time at Rio when we host another songwriter’s concert featuring Jack Jones on October 7!
Still reading? If so, have a great week and thanks for being in our lives!

M & M SONGWRITERS SERIES PRESENTS TOM WHITMORE OF WATKINS AND THE RAPIERS

Hey Folks,

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 mySongwriter Notes.

On Sunday, 9/16, Tom Whitmore of Watkins and the Rapiers will be our guest in Quiote at Rio Tomatlan in Canandaigua from 3 to 5 PM. If you have never seen Tom, you are in for some great original music. Take a look at the videos listed below, and see for yourself!
"Lesbian Son”
"Cadillac”
”Baby, It’s a Long Walk Home”
”The Truth”
”Temporary Baby”
”Vacation from God”
”Texting While Driving”

Want to know more about Tom and Watkins and the Rapiers? Check them out right here.
”Watkins and the Rapiers”

The concert is free, but we do ask for donations to support our performers. Siobhan has created six CDs, one for each of our six seasons that were held in The Side Room of Buffalo Bill’s. Each CD contains songs of the performers who appeared during that season. The requested donation for each CD is $10, and the proceeds go to the performers who are playing on the day of the donation. Since the performers who played in Buffalo Bill’s Side Room will now be playing in Quiote at Rio Tomatlan, the CDs will give you a good feel for what to expect in the upcoming shows.

Here is a link to videos of performers playing in the Side Room. The videos will give you a feel of how much fun we have had at each show., and I hope the fun will continue at Rio Tomatlan. Check them out!

Hope you can join us!
All the best,

Siobhan and Frank

Upcoming Shows:

Jack Jones (with Kendall Paul Wilt and Fran Cary), October 7
The Michael Yacci Trio (Michael Yacci, Bryan Maslin, and Paul Yacci), October 21
John Dady (with guest Jed Curren), November 4
BenJoe (Ben Haravitch and Joe Dady), November 18
Kerry Regan (of Watkins and the Rapiers), December 2
Michael George Gonzalez (with guest Perry Cleaveland and Doug Henrie), December 16
Warren Paul, January 6
Ben and Rita Proctor (of Crooked North), January 20
The Cadleys (with Perry Cleaveland and John Danks), January 27
Maria Gillard Trio (Maria Gillard, Perry Cleaveland and Doug Henrie), February 17
Brian Ayers, March 3
Connie Deming, March 10
Paul Swiatek and Perry Cleaveland, April 7
Scott Regan, April 14
The Brothers Blue, April 28
Jeff Riales, May 19
Steve Piper, June 2
Da Vines (Alex and Fred Vine), June 16

WEEKLY UPDATE FOR OUR MUSIC FANS!

Although it’s a dreary Monday morning, and I am sitting in a hotel room in Verona, NY, I am smiling because Last night, Siobhan and I attended a terrific Alison Krauss concert, the culminating event of a great weekend of music. Here’s the scoop.
It started on Friday night at Billsboro Winery in Geneva, NY. Siobhan, Perry Cleaveland, and I played for “Pizza on the Patio,” a great weekly summer event created by owners Kim and Vinnie Aliperti. Sometimes it all comes together, and sometimes it does not. on this night, it did. We played to a sold out patio on a beautiful summer evening, and we had a blast with each other on stage. Siobhan and I supplied the rhythm and lyrics, and Perry dressed them up exquisitely with his mandolins and fiddle. As I passed him leads, All night long, Perry kept catching them and picking up first downs and touchdowns with ease, and we savored every moment of it. Thanks to Perry for always being right on the money with his humor and musical ability, and thanks to Kim and Vinnie for always inviting us to play at this event. Finally, thanks to all of you who were there to enjoy the evening with us. You have no idea how much we really appreciate your support.
Saturday morning, we traveled over to debut at the New Hall Diner, a fantastic breakfast/lunch place owned by the ebullient Tamarie Converse – Cataldo. The New Hall Diner is Garrison Keillor’s Chatter Box Café, Fanny Flag’s Whistle Stop Café, and Tom Bodett’s Clara’s Coffee Cup all rolled into one. Tamarie, who once worked for Gretchen Gerstner at Rose Corner Restaurant and Bakery, has taken the baton from Gretchen and run with it, and she is cranking out some awesome food and great baked goods. While we were playing our tunes, Perry and Caren Cleaveland stopped for lunch, and we got Perry to sit in with us for the second set. With Perry with us, the fun only increased, and we had a blast with the patrons. Thanks to Perry for stopping by and sitting in with us, and thanks to Tamarie, Amy, Tia, and the rest of the staff at New Hall Diner for being so welcoming and accommodating. Thanks to all who showed up to the diner to share in the fun with us. Diners, like this one, are rare these days, and they need to be cultivated and cherished. So, stop by to enjoy some of Tamarie’s delicious food when you get a chance, and we’ll let you know the next time we’ll be passing through there with our music.
Wait, wait, I’m not done yet! On Sunday, Siobhan and I decided to take a little over night road trip to the Turning Stone Casino in Verona, NY, to see an Alison Krauss concert. On our way there, we stopped off at the public library in Liverpool, NY, to see a concert by our good friends, The Cadleys. John and Cathy Cadley, along with Perry Cleaveland (mandolin) and John Danks (upright bass), put on an absolutely terrific show of bluegrass, country, and folk music. John Cadley is one of the finest songwriters in the region, and his group appears annually in our concert series for songwriters at Rio Tomatlan in Canandaigua. So, stay tuned for their upcoming show on January 27 in 2019. After getting pumped by the show given by the Cadleys, we hopped in the car and continued down the road to the Turning Stone for the Alison Krauss concert. Because we are not gamblers, Siobhan and I had never been to the Turning Stone. Well, after discovering the Turning Stone’s excellent concert hall, we will surely be back, because Alison Krauss and her band verified the beauty of this music hall with Alison’s outstanding voice and the band’s unbelievable musicianship.
There you have it! Three great days of music! It doesn’t get any better! Still reading? If so, have a great week, and thanks for being in our lives!

WEEKLY UPDATE FOR OUR MUSIC FANS!

A great unofficial ending to summer with music! It started on Friday night at Brew and Brats and ended on Sunday at Rio Tomatlan.
When we are not playing our music, Siobhan and I like to get out to the venues that support us, and when possible, we also like to get out and support the songwriters who help us with our concert series. This past Friday, the stars were aligned for us to do both of these things in one spot. Creek’s Edge, a duo of Chad Ayers and Trevor Whiting, was hosting the open mic at Brew and Brats, and oh what a magic evening it was! Chad, who sometimes plays lead guitar for his brother, Brian, one of the songwriters in our series, was lighting it up with his partner Trevor. Brother Brian was there with his daughter, Jenna, and father and daughter joined Chad and brought the house down with Jenna’s unbelievably beautiful voice. Several other guests took the stage with some great music, and Siobhan and I got to jam with Chad and Brian, an absolute pleasure for us. Much thanks to Chad and Trevor for hosting a terrific open mic, and thanks to Brew and Brats for always delivering a good time to its customers and including us in its list of performers!
Saturday, we hooked up with the ubiquitous Perry Cleaveland for a high energy jam on the patio of the Canandaigua Yacht Club for its “Ring of Fire Party.” Perry, who always takes us to a higher level with our music, was right in the pocket once again. Playing our music and bantering with each other and members of the audience, we enjoyed a warm summer breeze and a beautiful vista of the lake from the hill of the club’s location. I’ve been in this situation in many spots around the lake, and it just never gets old. A big thanks to Perry for always delivering and a big thanks to the members of the club for having us so many, many times throughout the years!
Jeff Riales and Mike Wittek were our guests for our concert series for songwriters in Quiote at Rio Tomatlan on Sunday. Jeff is the quintessential songwriter of country music in our area, and he and his backup player Mike Wittek delivered another beauty for us. Although Jeff has lived in Rochester for a number of years, his song lyrics always take me back to his roots in Mississippi and other areas of the south. When I listen to Jeff’s music, I find myself meandering along a dusty country road, riding a train along the Mississippi, speeding down Highway 61 in a convertible, or listening to a sad love song by Elvis Presley. I took this journey once again, and Mike Wittek enhanced the trip with some beautiful licks on his guitar and mandolin. The audience must have been traveling with me because they responded enthusiastically after nearly every song. A big thanks to Jeff and Mike for another awesome show, Raf, Erin, Teresa, Brittany, Julie, Amy, Trevor, Chris, and the rest of the staff at Rio for helping us with our songwriters series, Scott Regan for promoting our concerts on WRUR’s “Open Tunings,” and you, the audience, for being there to support the venue!
Still reading? If so, have a great week and thanks for being in our lives!