WickedSmartBlog

Rain Delay(s)??

2008-06-28T11:19:00.004-04:00

Over the years, the WSHB has great outdoor events.

Blessed or Busted? Seems I remember more busts than blessings. Do we curse the weather or is it just the average weather crap-shoot that eventually evens out.

Some of them have been royal - the worst weather of the summer - RAIN BUSTS!!

40 degrees 4th of July last year @ Brettonwoods,
John Cafferty out doors that was HEAVY rain all day,
Mt Cranmore - almost cancellation of heavy rain ALL day until 10 minutes before playing.

Some blessed, beautiful!

Last Weekend in Franconia - the ONLY decent evening of the week
The Lunenburg "Old Home Days"

We're outside a lot this summer. It's gotta be dry, or we-all gotta be lucky. Either way, I'm bringing no rain gear.

Pray for Good Weather

2007-08-12T16:11:00.000-04:00

We take the Main Stage at the Lancaster Fair Friday, Aug 31! The feature is "Local Bands" and we are the last up between 9PM & 11PM. We look forward to seeing you all there. It will be an interesting venu with the grandstand across the track from our stage. We're used to mixing it up IN the crowd - We'll just have to toss our luv across the road to y'all.....

HORNETTS - Our Best Half

2007-07-16T20:22:00.000-04:00

*Sigh* One Can't Help But Love'em

Sanity! Summer!

2007-07-16T18:09:00.000-04:00

Back to the laid back summer days and:

Outdoor parties. Hot dogs. Cheeseburgers. Baked beans (for 'da music!). Good sound, cutoffs, swimming, barefoot on the grass, outdoor toilets, campers, sleeping bags, motorcycles, open sunroofs, going without the top up, sweet summer sweat.

July 4th Tour

2007-07-08T12:14:00.000-04:00

Just finished this thing - 5 gigs in 8 days including 3 outdoor gigs and 2 weddings. WHATTA TRIP. We were treated like royalty to plebes or worse.

AGONY: Though not said, one host implied through their actions - "Eat out back in the mud - you scum bag!" One gig called off because of rain and at last minute restarted - 7000 people expected and we played for 300 or so. on a tiny stage.

ECSTASY: Fortunately these were towards the end of our tour: A gig where the clouds cleared and 1000 or so good folks crowd on the grass for a Wicked Smart evening of entertainment. What a BLAST! Wonderful responsive people at ALL gigs.

Meeting Yo Yo Ma was a highlight! Whatta great person.

ON TOP OF THAT we all have "day jobs" and worked much of the week!

It was quite the ride. I'm layin' low today 'cause I'm tired! Then I'll start practicing again.

Can't wait to practice at the NEW Mojo Studio

2007-02-18T11:46:00.000-05:00

hey!

Practicing Music with Wicked Smart Horn Band won't get better'n this!! We go to the NEW mojo studios. Don't tell anybody when though, because the throngs will be beating down the door.

NH Food Bank Galla - A Night to Remember

2007-02-12T20:34:00.000-05:00

What a spectacular evening! To have so many high school students present, and seeing what kind of event they were able to put together - one word - WOW!

A pile of hard work and fun culminated in one big event that nobody will soon forget who was there. A state rep standing next to me kept saying, "I keep having to pinch my self - to remind me that this is a high school jazz band!"

I must say the the White Mountains Regional High School Jazz Band, directed by our own WSHB trombonist, Mike Martins, was a tough act to follow. We (the WSHB) had to do our best - just not to be embarassed by these young musicians.

Well enough gushing - but its always nice to play hot music after taking on some giant shrimp (and their tails!), oysters on the half shell, and a sip of champaign before picking up my sax. How sweet it is.

The NH Governers Ball Pix are UP!

2007-01-28T19:47:00.000-05:00

How'd it go? Check it all out here - Just a teaser - here's Slim (our keyboard man) with Governor Lynch and his wife, Susan. Click here to see more.

Cinderella, His pumkin, and the Governors Ball

2007-01-23T20:00:00.000-05:00

Isn't the Governor, his wife and family genuine! How nice they were to us with the public introductions, the Thankyou's & "We love you guys" to the pictures the took with us. None of this they had to do. He a popular Governor, but better'n that, he's a great guy with a great family.

If Congressman Houdes is as good in Congress as he is with his guitar, we're in grreat shape! The crowd loved his guitar work, and the vibe in the room was electric. A night to remember

And Then ......

I go out to load my Toyota Highlander and it doesn't start...Geeez..It's always started, but tonight after the ball my Chariot turns into a tomato - er - pumpkin. Me in my tux and a pile of instruments and a SUV that won't start and it's ZERO degrees Farenheit.

Thank God for Bruce. We loaded all our saxaphones (bari, tenor, 2 altos, suprano) my clarinet, horn stands and clothes into his Subaru and Bruce took me home.

It was tough thinking about being stranded at the Mt. Washington Hotel. The Toyota sure chose the perfect spot to become a pumpkin.

PIX from Halloween 2006 Link

2007-01-23T19:48:00.000-05:00

Check out Pix from last fall's Halloween gig! Wow! a cool set!

Perfect Pre-Perfomance Meal!

2007-01-21T18:46:00.000-05:00

The planners did us a favor. The Governor's Inauguration Ball was superb! There was no room in the ballroom for us to eat, so they made accommodations for us with Mt. Washington Hotel's dinner buffet. So here's the meal I had before the performance - It gave me high octane energy for 5 hours!

FIRST, ‘ya eat with the Hornetts – ‘er Jeannie and Rose & Rose’s friend Sierra (How d’ya spell Scierha?)

THEN LOAD UP 2 heaping plates.

THE SALAD PLATE heaped up pretty big.
o Romaine leaves topped with green bean salad, grated cheese and 10 black olives. Takes up about ½ the plate. No dressing needed, cause the beans are “dressed”
o 6 GIANT shrimp with sauce.
o A table spoon of cabbage/pork
o Veggie part of a meat stew (rich chunks of turnips & carrots, & unidentifiable cubes of gravy soaked and cooked until you taste mainly the gravy and not the veggies.
o A small ½ of a baked stuffed potato.
THE PROTIEN PLATE – politely full but not looking like a pig like the salad plate.
o 1 GIANT shrimp with sauce.
o 1 slice of prim rib (so it filles ½ the plate with the juice.)
o Meat stew 2 table spoons with veggies.
o BBQ drawn turkey
o Optional fill-ins to your own taste – but keep the plate looking politely full
TO DRINK
o 1 Glass of water
o 1 glass of Coke

YUM – I had great energy all night long. Hopefully you read this first thing in the morning with a Bloody Mary and 2 eggs over easy with Ketchup!
Your little Friend,
-Roy

Guitar Player's Dirty Woman

2007-01-13T17:14:00.000-05:00

Auto Lust - the more muddd the better for Jer! And I quote, "My old Mustang that I just found. Its a 1970 Mach1 Mustang on a 74 Bronco frame, with a 351 Windsor engine."

Some guys have all the luck....

Dang! The Paparazzi got us again!

2006-12-20T20:51:00.000-05:00

Bruce, Me, Joe, Anthony - Halloween '06 - How sneaky can 'ya get? We weren't even smilin'!

New Years @ Grand Summit, Bartlett, NH

2006-12-17T19:00:00.000-05:00

This is a great room - it could be frightful weather and great skiing - but it'll be HOT inside the ball room New Years Eve (NYE)! Last night's Christmas Party was a great warm up for what is a superb venue for NYE: You can GET RESERVATIONS AT THE GRAND SUMMIT HOTEL (just click here!). So if you get typsy you don't have to drive home. Stay, recover, and ski! They even have a massage therapist in house! Click the above link and check it out.

Now Just to get through Christmas - What d'you want?? I know what I want....

Practice folks!

2006-12-06T20:12:00.000-05:00

'Da WSHB starts updating its look and music through the winter starting this Sunday, Dec. 10, at Mojo's - any ideas?

NEW DATES IN PIPELINE for 2007

2006-12-01T21:49:00.000-05:00

I talked to Joe today and he's working on about 5 more weddings in 2007. Our 2007 Schedule is at the WSHB web site schedule page. Check there for the confirmed gigs.

The CD's are moving well, but we still have plenty in stock to sell. Get'em while they last. Tell you buddies the best deal is right here on this blog.

Witch of Waterville, My Space, and Good to See Y'all

2006-11-26T01:17:00.000-05:00

I'm on MySpace now check it out! Make your own MySpace - its easy...

The Waterville Valley Show went great.

That gal was over the top who shouted at us while we were changing. Nobody was around to help us find a spot that should have been provided, thus we had to use our own descression. I don't object to her making a request just her rude delivery and attitude. If I were her boss and overheard her comments, she'd be in my office in the morning where she'd receive a pink slip, some schooling, or a warning. Humph!

Well we overcame that little tirade and had a great time! Everyone was very gracious other than that and loved the music I thought. The band sounded great after a 3-4 week lay-off. Well earned, I might add. It felt good to be together again - I missed everyone.

Notes on a Family Wedding

2006-11-23T20:21:00.000-05:00

I just returned from a family wedding in Virginia where my wife, Donna & I supplied the ceremony music as we often do with the WSHB. Family's just different than doing a WSHB wedding. Everything's the same but different. The music's the same, and how we did it is the same. I fear anything I mess up will have longer staying power, and anything I do really well as well. Being family there's no $$ involved but more work - setting up - practicing and on.

Preparing for the wedding was different - heart felt and do it yourself - so along with music, we were setting tables, helping the caterer, and wrapping presents. There is no grand hotel staff or wedding planner to coordinate. It was a bit wild figuring who was wearing what hat and when so everything would go smoothly! The actual preparation for the music had to be done well before with some last minute scrambling. Same result: It worked, they tied the knot, and it was beautiful.

Even the band was good after dinner - and I actually got to dance to the music. Though the band was solid , this 4 piece group wasn't quite the same as the Wicked Smart Horn Band. I missed the sound.

Halloween 2006 hearty party

2006-10-29T02:57:00.000-05:00

Wow....Costumes in all forms of dress and undress. Skeleton puppets floating above the crowd. Girls lookin' like girls, men lookin like girls. Mrs. Claus was there, a couple of rabbits and a rabi.

Franconia has a tradition of Halloween parties, the WSHB has a following, and the Cannon Mt. View was opening a new room. Those three factors combined to make the perfect storm for Halloween. We rocked into the wee hours of the morning.

This might have been the best, wildest, craziest crowd of the year.

2006-10-23T16:03:00.000-04:00

I make a really ugly Girl... But I could really SCARE some people that way.

2006-10-23T10:56:00.000-04:00

We just did the last wedding @ Mt. Wash. Grand Hotel in Brettonwoods, NH. What a great way to end the WSHB Wedding Season! Members of the band supplied Music for the Ceremony, Cocktail Hour, and Evening Entertainment with the FIRST (surprise!) SNOW of the Winter.

Donna (my wife) & I supplied the music for the ceremony that had 7 - Yep, SEVEN - bridesmaids. (We did the l-o-n-g form of Pachelbel's Canon in D.) The bride came in to Ave Maria, and before vows we did One Hand One Heart from "West Side Story". Kleenex was passed, the knot tied - and we moved on to...

COCKTAIL HOUR: Our "Jazz Club Trio" offered our subtle with an edge form of background music to encourage everyone to get aquainted for dinner and what we'd do to them next with the WSHB.

AFTER DINNER -- That Kathleen (the bride) could REALLY dance. Everyone knew how to party! All the bridesmaids were first on the floor and could move...oh, could they move. The crowd followed and when we were done with them...they went down to The Cave (in house bar) and partied more!

It never ends...and I'm glad :)

2006-10-20T20:53:00.000-04:00

What do you think the band should wear for the Halloween gig on the 28th? We're kinda in costume anyhow from looking at the above photo...Whaddaya's think??

Wicked Smart Wedding Season '06

2006-10-07T10:50:00.000-04:00

Who is the Wicked Smart Horn Band? Check the web site link above for all the details.

We've committed many to the institution this summer and fall. Marriage is the institution and weddings are one of the prime features of our schedule. From 30 stories up viewing Boston Harbor, to operating with no power after a blowout storm in Maine, we've made it work. I must say I've never seen an ugly bride or a wedding that didn't "pull it off". So congrats to those 30 or so couples we helped commit!