Exciting One Year Birthday

Hahahaha! I not only forgot about this draft, I lost the whole website for a while, so please forgive the distance between the date above, and the date of publication.

So it's been longer than a year since I started on this website/blog-building adventure and I can honestly say, it's been exciting, though obscenity-filled-frustrating at times. So much has been going on, I didn't realize how long it had been since I last posted.

The excitement exploded in 2016. Just days after returning from the four-day ultimate new-rock cruise, ShipRocked, (www.shiprocked.com) where we partied till the wee hours with friends and entertainers alike, we saw Billy Gibbons and his band The BFG's at the Charleston Music Hall. Although a few ZZ Top songs were sprinkled throughout the show, the solo project is infused with Latin rhythms and it's just plain fun. We have the chance to see ZZ Top later this year, which will be a totally different show.

February found us at the new Gaillard Center in downtown Charleston. Fashioned after the Lincoln Center in Washington, DC, I was glad we had seats on the floor for the 2016 version of the Experience Hendrix Tour. (www.experiencehendrixtour.com) Lots of the regulars were on hand to make the night special, including one of our favorites, Eric Johnson. Dweezil Zappa was back and fortunately, all equipment was a go and we got to hear him play this time. I say "fortunately" because Dude can play, y'all! A new member of the group this year was Zakk Wylde, best known for his stint with Ozzy Osborne and his own band, Black Label Society where he drives a full-on attack of sound. We had seen him, and BLS on ShipRocked in 2015, and hubs even had coffee with him a couple of mornings. But on this night, he wowed us with clear, succinct notation and phrasing, and a foray into the audience which would have made Jimi proud.

In March, I partnered with LivinOak Publishing to finally get my debut novel, The Guitarist, prepared to meet the world. I've been working with the publisher to get the text formatted and a cover designed. Stay tuned for more news on The Guitarist.

April was exciting locally as radio station, 98Rock prepared for their annual 98Rockfest by hosting a Battle of the Bands, the winner of which would open RockFest 2016. I heard many great local bands, but also bands I wouldn't have heard otherwise. While two bands from Myrtle Beach, ColorWorld, and The Izm really impressed me, a band from Columbia, Osara, won my heart. Osara and my boys in Unit 8 were in the finals. Evidently the scoring was so close between the two that it came down to only a couple of votes to see Unit 8 on the same stage as Breaking Benjamin, Halestorm, and Lita Ford! So proud of those guys.

May and June kept me editing and staying inside away from the rising heat. It continues to be a scorcher in Charleston, but July promised to shake up the doldrums from the start. We drove to Orlando on the 5th to meet a bunch of crazies, many of whom we met during ShipRocked, for a "private" listening party of the not-yet-released new album by Alter Bridge. Man, oh man, what a great time! Dinner at a place called Hamburger Mary's was a scream. After driving nine hours that day, hubs and I couldn't hang for the party featuring Tanner Keegan following dinner, but reports and pictures proved it to be a great time. We hung at the hotel pool the next day and prepared for the main event at The Beacham in downtown Orlando, which included a meet and greet with Alter Bridge, pictures with the band, the album title release, and other swag. We had a super time and can't wait to see these guys on ShipRocked 2017! The new album, The Last Hero, will be released on October 7th. Check it out!