THE TIM AND BOB SHOW: Blog

This was an up-and-down weekend for The Tim and Bob Show. On November 14, we had a rare Friday night gig at Fralo’s Art of Pizza in Leon Springs. It’s always fun playing this outdoor venue. Patrons are seated in the patio sheltered by beautiful Live Oak trees. We were pleased that the cold weather wasn’t going to arrive until later that evening after the cold front had blown through. What we WEREN’T prepared for was the effect of that front arriving.

Even before the gig had begun we had some concerns about the wind. After we had completed our sound check and before our first song, a huge gust blew over my music and mike stands. We were playing our 2nd or 3rd song when one of our speakers blew over. Luckily, the speaker fell against a plastic chair. Also luckily, Matt and Bethany, and Sandy and his family were there to rush to help put the speaker upright. Most lucky was the fact that nobody was in its path. We lowered the height of both speakers and soldiered on. And, at time, it did seem like war. Every time a vehicle drove into or out of the dirt parking lot, we were pelted by dust and grit. But the patrons were enjoying the pizza and the music, so we kept playing.

Midway through the second set came the light show. The buffeting winds must have dislodged a power-line on the other side of the freeway and, when that line collided with another “live-wire,” we were all treated to a huge blast of thunder and light. There was only a momentary interruption in our playing, though, and we carried on. This happened two more times over the course of about 30 minutes until the management came out an informed us that a dish-washer had just received an electric shock. We were advised to shut down and we did.

Not so many dancing children as we would have liked, but still plenty of attention from the very generous patrons that Fralo’s attracts. In addition to Tim and Bobber’s Matt and Bethany, Sandy, Bobbie, and Katie weathered [literally] the storm. Our new friend, Dick, also dropped by. As we loaded up our dirt-encrusted gear, Steve and I were able to console ourselves that we had finally experienced a pyrotechnic lightshow similar to those enjoyed in the 1970s by many of the bands we cover.

On Sunday, we returned to Patty Lou’s to play at our other “good luck” establishment. We played there on New Years Day 2007 and 2008, and both years were filled with good fortune for the band. I was a little stunned to realize that we hadn’t played there since January, but everyone there was glad to see us. Patty Lou is a special friend to the band, and a friend to live music in San Antonio. We couldn’t wait to get going.

We’d cut out a lot of our raucous stuff – since it was Sunday brunch and indoors – but Steve and I managed to do some jamming and improvising in the key of E on 3 separate occasions. Very self-indulgent, that’s true, but very enjoyable none-the-less.

Casey showed up, as well as Wendy and her friend, and we made a new friend in Mabel. We also had a fantastic brunch, and were treated to some “home made” cake courtesy of the good Patty Lou herself. Why? Because it was somebody’s birthday. Okay, so it was MY birthday. I’m now 62, and still playing rock ‘n roll. We can’t wait to get back to Patty Lou’s. What a wonderful place to spend a Sunday.

Finally, there’s some somber news related to this past weekend. On Saturday evening, we learned that Sam Emerson had passed away at Methodist Hospital here in San Antonio. Sam packed a tremendous amount of love and living into his 24 years. He’s been special to all of us as part of the Young Adult Group that Steve and I facilitate in church, and his mom, Karen, authored and played the beautiful flute solo on our song “It Ends, It Begins.” Sam’s presence and his amazingly therapeutic hugs have been a source of strength, comfort, and love to each of us in the band. He’ll be missed, but he’ll be inside of us forever.

What is it about Orderup? I mean, we know they have great food. We know they have great wait-staff. But why does it almost always seem like a party when we play there? We don’t know, but we’re not complaining.

Friday, November 7 marked our return to San Antonio’s favorite taco/hamburger/pizza place. We’re regulars there now, and we have many fans who wait for our arrival to come out and see us. This was certainly the case on Friday when Tim and Bob Nationals Pam, June, and Bill returned to their favorite Tim and Bob venue. Once again, we had a good mixture of ages, from small children to my age (!). The common bond throughout was a desire to have good food and good fun. We think we delivered. Thanks to our new friends, Diana, Heather, and Steve for making it a night to remember for us.

We couldn’t stop talking about how much fun we had as the four of us retired to our house for some wine, cheese, and conversation. It really IS good to be in a rock ‘n roll band!

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The Tim and Bob Show celebrated Halloween by hanging out under the sheltering oak trees at Beto’s Comida Latina. It was our second gig there during the month of October. We had just found out that we were selected the Texas Music Coalition’s Artist of the Year for 2008, so we were all pretty upbeat. At Kathy’s suggestion, we went in costume – each of us was an “m” – and we showed how “in character” we were by playing sweet music all evening.

Veteran Tim and Bob Nationals Beth, Matt, Patricia, Joe, and Ellen were there to help us celebrate, and we responded with three hours of frighteningly good music, including an extra-scary version of “Monster Mash.” Before we knew it the evening had slipped by, as has the busiest month ever in the 3+ year history of The Tim and Bob Show. In 2008 we were voted San Antonio’s best cover band by the readers of the San Antonio Current, we recorded and released our new CD Take It Outside, and now this recognition from the Texas Music Coalition. We are thrilled and more than a bit stunned by these events – and there’s still two more months until 2009!

What could possibly happen next?

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So, how do The Tim and Bob Show follow our CD release party? How does the week that follows NOT be an emotional or professional letdown? I don't know, but somehow, the week after the debut of Take It Outside was even more eventful than the week of. How is this possible? Don't ask us; we're just hanging on.

On Thursday we got a call from Patrice at The Texas Music Coalition letting us know that we had been selected as the Coalition's "Artist of the Year" for 2008. To say we were stunned was putting it mildly. We're proud members of the organization, and even put their logo on our new CD, but we certainly didn't expect this. Having said that, we're NOT demanding a recount. We weren't able to collect the award in person, though, and we'll get to why in a bit.

On Friday we returned to Orderup at the Colonnade for our monthly gig there. It was a fun night, and it was great to play without the pressure of getting ready for CD release day. Casey and Roberta were the representatives of Tim and Bob Nation attending, and we made some new friends as well.

Saturday? Well, we couldn't attend the TMC awards function Saturday night because we were having our first gig at WineStyles at Stone Oak. The owners, Jerry and Jean, like to provide live music on the patio outside their beautiful wine emporium. We played from 7:45 until 10:15 there for their customers, as well as for customers of the nearby Italian restaurant and assorted passers-by. The evening was lovely and the audience was great. Tim and Bob Nationals Beth and Matt showed up, as well as the Offutt's who we hadn't seen in quite a long time. They hung out until the bitter end and bought our new CD before they left. At the finish, Steve and I were so hyped, that we jammed for a few minutes just for our own satisfaction. At some point, Steve invited Matt to borrow his guitar and take a few choruses. Great stuff, and I bet we have some pictures (click here) of the event to prove it.

We're looking forward to returning to both these establishments next month, and for many months to come. We're also looking forward to collecting our award. Once we do, we'll have some pictures of that as well.

After the events of the last two weeks, what could possibly be next for The Tim and Bob Show? I don't know, but when it happens, you'll be able to read about it here.

Well, after months of planning, we introduced our CD to the world on Saturday, October 18, at Casbeers at the Church in San Antonio's historic King William District. It was our first time to play at this venue, although Mary Lou, Kathy, and I are very familiar with the location, having performed there many times when it was the Alamo Street Restaurant and Theater.

We were on the patio, and the weather was magnificent. It was clear and the temperatures were moderate, although the sun was full in our eyes for most of the first set and we could only see shapes in front of us. We designed the gig list to intersperse all 14 songs on the CD with our favorite covers. There was a good crowd to start with, and it stayed pretty much full for the duration.

The list of Tim and Bob Nationals who attended is long and distinguished, and we're going to name them all. Before we do, though, we want to thank "The Blue Team" who helped wrangle the CDs and manage their sale. Bethany, Matt, Casey, and Marcelo did the honors. They hung in from start to finish and even helped us break down. They all got a free CD and a free meal in thanks.

In addition to new friends, David and wife, Marcelo's friend Presley, some great folks from Pet Pals of Texas, and some folks who dropped by after reading Jim Beal's recommendation, here's the Tim and Bob Nationals who attended: Rich; Rodney; Roberta; Nikki & Lee from PrimaDonna Productions; Peggy; Carole and Glen; Meg, Karl, Liam, & Lindsay; Gary; Joe; Ron [The Sweet Music Man] and Rhonda ; Michaele; Keith & family; Marcie & John; Chris & Teresa; John-Michael & Katy; "Doctor Dave" and Linda; Kacey and Krissie; Vicki and Linda [YAY PET PALS!]; Jerry and Mary Ellen, and Teresa and her Little Sister. Wow! That was a bunch.

A special shout out for Mark and Barb who were also there for the duration. Mark took some great pictures of the event, and we'll be posting them very soon.

Well, we sold some CDs and we made some music, and we didn't run out of either. You'll be able to get a bunch of live and recorded music from us at lots of venues all over town for the remainder of the year and beyond.

Watch the newspapers and your email in-basket for details.

Click here to buy our CD

While the band is in steady countdown mode towards our CD release party [Saturday, 10/18, 5-8, Casbeers at the Church], we’re still playing gigs at our favorite venues. Columbus Day weekend featured our return to two great outdoor establishments. On Friday night we played at Beto’s Comida Latina for our first of two visits there this month. The weather was noticeably cooler than recently, and it’s late enough in the year for Steve not to have to begin playing with the sun in his eyes. We were under attack by some swaying fronds, but that was a minimal nuisance.

We got fantastic audience response at Beto’s, and not only in terms of applause and generous tips. After we started our second set with “South Texas Saturday Night,” someone shouted out, “Who does that song?” When we replied that it was our song, and that we had written it, he replied, “That’s a GREAT song.” Thanks! [again]. With us on the night were Tim and Bob Nationals Beth and Matt, Katie and Jackson [AKA Chris], Marcelo,Cathie, Marguerite and Peter, and Joe and Patricia. The latter couple introduced us to a new friend, Earnest.

On Sunday we returned to Fralo’s Art of Pizza, where it all began for us more than three years ago. Our last gig there was cancelled due to rain, so it had been a good three or four months since we’d traveled out to Leon Springs for the best pizza in Bexar County. Once again we played to a patio filled with people enjoying eating and drinking shaded by the live oak trees that inspired the lyrics to “South Texas Saturday Night.” Like the audience at Beto’s two nights previous, there were some folks out to have a seriously good time. Our special thanks go out to Birthday Girl Maggie and her fellow medical students “studying for a test” as well as Page and his date for refusing to let us quit on time. In addition to singing the Beatles’ “Birthday” for Maggie, we also wound up doing EIGHT extra songs just to keep them happy [and justify their generous tips].

Once again we were graced by Beth and Matt, Katie and Chris [AKA Jackson], and Cathie. Elizabeth also dropped by with her friend, and we made new friends with Liz and Bob who’ve just moved from Mexico City.

It was a tiring weekend, but man is it fun playing for people who enjoy what you’re giving them. And now it’s on to Casbeers and selling some CDs!

Tell us what YOU think!

The first weekend of October was a busy one, as all weeks will be this month. The first two of eight October gigs were on October 4 and 5, as The Tim and Bob Show played Saturday night at a very comfortable and familiar indoor venue – Water Street Oyster Bar – and then set up on Sunday morning to play at a gig at a new outdoor venue at noon.

Water Street was fun as usual. We had great food – Mary Lou and I favored the Oyster PoBoys, Kathy had the shrimp enchiladas, and Steve had a roasted chicken breast sandwich. We had lots of folks up in the loft with us, including dancing children [Landon and Ashlyn]. We enjoyed their company and their appreciation of our music. We also enjoyed the applause from our unseen listeners downstairs. And we got to sing The Beatles’ “Birthday” for Danielle who was celebrating with her parents. It was a great night for us, and more was to come.

On Sunday we all drove downtown to San Antonio’s world famous El Mercado. We were to be part of Taste of San Antonio, a music and food festival honoring the diversity of San Antonio’s heritage and the food that goes along with it. The festival ran the entire weekend, with four stages operating, and food stands spread out along the wide walkways. We were to open the festivities on the Museo de San Antonio steps. The crowds were smaller than they would be later on in the day, but there were plenty of people to listen to us. We decided to feature the womenfolk as much as possible, so all but two of the songs we played had them either singing or playing percussion. After almost a full hour of playing, we relinquished the stage to the next group, broke down our equipment, walked a good three blocks to our cars, and then returned to sample the great food available. After tacos, and marinated mushrooms, and shrimp cocktail, and other seriously tasty treats, Mary Lou and I topped it off with a huge lemon-flavored agua fresca. What fun.

With a special shout out to Casey who took photographs, handed out business cards, and helped us tote, and to Oscar, who was our “sound guy for the day,” here’s hoping that we’re invited back again next year.

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It has been a long time since I last blogged about the recording of The Tim and Bob Show’s new CD Take It Outside. There’s a reason for this. Once principle recording, mixing, and mastering had been accomplished at Mandala Music, there wasn’t much for we band members to do, other than make plans for the CD’s release, try to drum up some advanced sales, finalize the cover design and art, and – most importantly – get some extra gigs to help pay the bills!

On Tuesday afternoon [what a great name for a song!], Kathy, Steve, and I met at Core Media to take delivery of our baby – precisely 960 copies of our offspring, that is. And it’s beautiful. The cover art is quirky and colorful and representative of the CD, its contents, and the band that produced it. All the important people have been thanked and attributed, and everything is spelled correctly. All the times are where they should be, and – after I cracked open a copy and played it on my stereo – I can attest to the fact that it sounds very good.

The CD is what we all had hoped it would be from the start:
1. It sounds like us [only richer and smoother].
2. It reflects the variety of the music we perform.
3. It takes advantage of the vocal and instrumental strengths of each member.
4. It gives no evidence of anything close to a “typical Feinstein/Hymel song.”
5. It shows that we can write songs as well as we can sing them.

And so we picked up the CDs. We’re developing a list of folks who get a free copy – for either contributing to the creation of the CD, being one of our regular performing venues, or for promotional purposes. The list is fairly long, but I expect that, once the Christmas buying season has ended, we’ll still have a CD or two boxed up and waiting in our spare bedroom.

There will be a CD release party, of course. It’ll be at Casbeers at the Church – the new location for one of San Antonio’s signature music venues. We’ll be on the patio from 5 until 8 on Saturday, October 18. On the day, we’ll be selling the CD for $2 off the usual $15 price. Additionally, for each CD we sell, we’ll be contributing money to Pet Pals of Texas, a charity that has become sort of our personal favorite. Just like we promote each of our gigs, we’re promoting this one. We’ve already done a lot of flier passing-out here in town, and there’ll be advance gig alerts as well as the weekly regular one. All of this is fine if you’re local, but we’re well aware that we’ve got friends all over the country and, in my case, in several countries as well [thanks to my soccer addiction]. So we’ve developed a way to order the CD in advance of the release date for the same reduced price [and the same contribution to Pet Pals].

In addition to the CD release party, we’ll be appearing on local radio and television programs. If there are any video or audio links, we’ll connect our fans to them. We’ll also be linking the CD to various national and international radio sites. We don’t know how to do this, of course. That’s why we have PrimaDonna Productions to assist us. Finally, we’re developing a PayPal link, as well as CD sales through the CD-baby web site. The CD [and individual songs from it] will also be available through iTunes. It’s a strange new world out there for your humble correspondent!

So, how can you get in on buying a copy of our brilliant child? Watch your email in-box for details. Can’t wait? Contact Don HERE and I’ll give you specific information. I’ll also be writing an article for fulhamusa.com with all the necessary links once the CD release party is history. And every person any of the four of us has ever known or ever chatted with on line or on the telephone will be given every opportunity to buy this gem. Trust me; it’s one of the benefits of being part of Tim and Bob Nation!

The last weekend of September was one of those rare occasions in which The Tim and Bob Show were NOT performing in San Antonio. This was not because we weren't wanted. It was because where we were MOST wanted was in Lampasas, Texas, two hours north of San Antonio and right, smack in the middle of Central Texas wine country.

Late Saturday morning, we loaded up our rented mini-van with all our music equipment, snacks, and our cross-word puzzle book for the trip up US281 to Lampasas. It was a great day for a drive. The weather was warm, but not overly humid. The skies were clear, and we never tired of the trees and fields. Although all of us had crossed the Pedernales River over the big bridge at Marble Falls many times before, we still were struck with what a beautiful introduction to a city this vista is.

We were headed a few miles north of that river to play at Pillar Bluff Vineyards, a place we'd discovered on a rare weekend off last fall. This would be our second gig there, and we were looking forward to reconnecting with Gill and Peggy, and seeing some of the fine folks that we'd met in the Spring. This time Gill had turned over the premises to the Girl Scouts of America -- at least the Central Texas branch of them.

This was a fundraiser replete with silent auctions and announcements and testimonials and tributes. Of special interest to us was an organization associated with GSA that consisted of women who were successful in business and professional careers acting as mentors for young girls. And because the fundraiser was at Pillar Bluff, there was the usual great food and amazing wine to go along with it. We enjoyed both.

We also did some performing. It was nice to actually see people dancing out there -- "Crazy" was a particular favorite -- and we saw a lot of seated folks bopping along to our upbeat numbers like "Mustang Sally," "Rocking Pneumonia," and "Locomotion." We debuted three new songs for the event, America's "Daisy Jane" with Steve and Kathy doing the vocals, as well as four-part versions of America's "Don't Cross the River" and The Beatles' "Let it Be." We can't wait to perform these for our San Antonio Tim and Bob Nationals as well.

By eight o'clock we were all finished and breaking down our equipment for the drive home. We left with full tummies from the good food laid on for the occasion, the thanks of the Central Texas Girl Scout leadership, and the warm good wishes of our hosts at Pillar Bluff. Oh, and we also left with some seriously tasty Girl Scout cookies!

What's next? Well, October is going to be the busiest month ever for The Tim and Bob Show. Between October 4 and 31, we'll be performing EIGHT times at seven different venues -- three of them brand new to us. There'll be our usual gig alerts for each of them, but we want to give you a heads up for Saturday, October 18. Our new CD, Take It Outside, will be released that date, and we'll be playing at Casbeers at the Church in the King William District. This will be the first time anyone will be able to buy the CD, and we'll celebrate that by (a) selling each CD at a$2.00 discount and (b) donating a portion of each sale to our friends at Pet Pals of Texas.

So, start mapping out your October calendar of events. Check out our upcoming gigs page for the dates, times, and places of all our October doings.

Tell us what YOU think!

I don't know what it is about the Colonnade location of this great venue, but once again it felt less like we were background music for food and drink, and more like we were in the middle of a extremely fun party.

When we started the ages of our audience members were parents in their late 20s with their children as young as six or seven. By the time we finished, our fans -- and by this time they all seemed to be our fans -- ranged from those in their early 20s to those ALMOST as old as me! And everyone seemed to enjoy the music.

Once again, we began the evening with our original song, "South Texas Saturday Night," and finished it with "Bye-bye Love." In between there were lots of good songs, including the debuts of two Beatles songs -- "We Can Work It Out," and a four-part version of "Let It Be" with Kathy singing lead. Both songs turned out great, and the new four-parters led to requests for even more. As it turned out, we sang 8 of these -- including two we hadn't planned on. Seems the folks liked our sound so much they wouldn't let us go without "Monday, Monday" and "California Dreamin'."

How much fun did our audience have? Well, they even applauded our original tune designed to remind people that they should tip their wait staff. Not bad. Two hours flew by, and we celebrated by chatting with some of the customers while noshing down on Orderup's fantastic hand-crafted ice cream. Yum.

Veteran Tim and Bob Nationals Bethany and Matt dropped by as did John-Michael with his friend Katy. Larry, Sam(antha) and Frank were there, and we made new friends in June and Bill, Louie, and Jorge. June told us that she'd had a bad day at work and that our music made her feel much better. I can't think of a better payment for two hours of work than hearing that from a very happy lady.

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Well, San Antonio appears to have been spared the considerable wrath of Hurricane Ike. While our neighbors to the east are feeling the full brunt, we here in the Alamo City have bright sunshine and a heavier than usual breeze. The hurricane did cost The Tim and Bob Show a convention gig on the Riverwalk on Saturday, the 13th, but our Friday night gig at Beto's was still on. With only half the playing time we had anticipated this weekend, we were determined to give it everything we had.

We changed our usual routine and gave the "girls" more of the spotlight. Instead of our usual two four-parters per set, we scheduled three of them for a total of nine. They seemed to really go over with our crowd. And, speaking of our crowd, we were pleased to see Anna -- briefly in town on a break from her nursing duties in Seattle -- and her sisters Julia and Christina. Julia's friend Cameron also came along. It was great to see the sisters again, and Anna is one of our favorite people in the world.

While it had been a while since we'd seen Anna, the reverse was true for John and Dejah. They had only been enlisted into Tim and Bob Nation a week ago at Rio de Vino, but they came back for more and brought their friends Brian and Jackie. Another returning pair from last weekend -- this time from our Saturday gig at Water Street Oyster Bar -- were Sandy and Steve, who brought their friend Dave along to listen. Finally, Kathy's co-worker Roberta showed up to spend some time with us. All-in-all, our new friends and old significantly swelled the crowd.

Almost before we knew it, it was 10 o'clock, time to break down, get home, and wait in our individual homes for the effects of the hurricane that decided to spend the weekend somewhere else.

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No, this isn’t the beginning of a math problem, it’s a very brief recap of our first weekend in September. But, since I’m not really into BRIEF recaps … .

On Friday, September 5, we played our first ever gig at Rio de Vino. We’ve been patrons of this establishment since they opened late last year as a small wine shop at the corner of Babcock and Wurzbach. Since then, they’ve expanded their operations to include a restaurant and wine bar, and – thankfully for us – they are one of San Antonio’s most recent live music venues. It was difficult finding an open date for both us and them, but we “had a match” for this first Friday.

We came ready to play for four hours on their covered patio. The humidity had dropped considerably, and there was a nice breeze blowing, so weather was not a negative factor. It’s been a while since that’s been the case for an outdoor gig. Veteran Tim and Bob Nationals Bethany and Matt dropped in, as did John and Mary and their friends, Ben and Cassie. Jerry and Mary Ellen showed up for more than one song this time, and over the course of the evening we recruited new friends Carol, Alex & Doug, Ryan & Angela, and Dejah & John. We’d like to thank Dejah and John for dancing to “Lady In Red” and to Carol and Alex for dancing to everything!

By the end of the evening, we all felt quite at home and thanked those who hung out for most of the four hours. We told Tom and Lori how much fun we had at their place; we’re hoping to find some more mutual openings again real soon. Whether we’re there or not, however, we encourage all of Tim and Bob Nation to try out Rio de Vino. It’s a great place to go for incredible food and an outstanding selection of wine.

The next evening we visited Water Street Oyster Bar on Broadway and Basse. It was the first Saturday of the month, and that seems to have turned into our regular opportunity to set up and play in their cozy night-club like loft. We had plenty of diners throughout the evening, as well as some folks who came upstairs after dining to have a drink or dessert and to listen to the music. Among the folks who came to listen and enjoy were our friend Chris and HIS friend Teresa, Rod, and Jim and Neesie.

As usual, the folks at Water Street made us feel welcome and served up fantastic sea food. We like playing here because it gives us an opportunity to do our more “mellow” stuff, especially Kathy’s show tunes.

Well, one two-gig weekend down, and we’ve got another one this coming weekend. Ah, the price of fame!

Tell us what YOU think!

The Tim and Bob Show performed at Beto's Comida Latina on August 29th for the second time in a calendar month. It is NOT our usual practice to play any one location more than one time a month, but hey, there were five Fridays in August and ... who ya gonna call?

We knew it was going to be a good night when we were unloading our gear and one of Beto's outstanding wait staff said, "You guys are a sight for sore eyes." Any night that begins with that comment and ends with the manager telling us "people love you" has to be a great night. And so it was.

Sure we had some drizzle now and again in the evening, but the net covering over Beto's patio kept us mostly dry, and the occasional raindrop on the back of the neck helped cool things off. What was important is that we helped the people in attendance enjoy their evening. That's what we always want to do.

Tim and Bob Nationals Bethany, Matt, and Rodney showed up, and we were glad to see them. I know we made some new friends, and the ones we appreciated the most were the children. Kathy ran up a "special Beto's edition" of The Tim and Bob Show Coloring Book for the occasion, and I know that this made a lot of kids very happy. Occasionally, they abandoned their artwork to get up in front of the band and dance, and I know that this made US very happy.

We debuted one song. Mary Lou sang "This Wheel's On Fire," a bluesy UK hit from the early 70s by Julie Driscoll and the Brian Auger Trinity, and we played a few songs from our soon-to-be-released CD Take It Outside. By the end of the evening, we were all exhausted, but very happy. Off we went to Steve and Kathy's house for wine, cheese, and conversation.

The Beto's gig was the first gig of what is now our fourth year as a performing entity. August 28, 2005 was the date of our very first gig. We're pleased to still be rocking, and we're pleased that people still come out to hear us and are generous with their appreciation for the work we do.

Tell us what YOU think!

Well, that's certainly how it seemed Friday night at Orderup. We always enjoy playing the Colonnade venue, and we're always content with our role as diversion or distraction. After all, their good food is what gets folks in the door there. We're not sure what made Friday so unusual, but almost from the beginning, we got fantastic audience reaction. By the time we had finished our last number, Orderup felt like the site of a private party -- thrown in our honor. Thank goodness we sounded great on the night!

We did have some Tim and Bob Nationals in the house, of course: Muriel and Irv, Bethany, Matt, Hillary, Casey, Pam, The Other Don, Dave, and John-Michael. But we also made a lot of new friends - Jill, Ora, Pat, and Jim and Charlene. We were especially happy to see Jessica and John who came to Orderup after discovering us at a different venue earlier in the month. Finally, we wound up playing one more number than we had planned when friend and fellow musician Jerry Bailey and his wife Mary Ellen came in the door just as we finished our last song. What a ride! All four of us had a wonderful time performing for this great bunch of people. That's what it's all about for us.

Note: Sunday's gig at Fralo's became our first gig in a very long time to be canceled for weather. We had everything all set up and were munching away on their amazing pizza when the rains came down. It eased up for a short while as we packed everything away, but just as the clock hit 6:30 -- our start time -- it started raining harder again. Well, at least some children were entertained by our Tim and Bob Show/Fralo's Art of Pizza coloring books. Thanks especially to Katlyn and Audrey (and their parents, of course) for donating their artwork to us. Finally, as if anyone needed any more proof just how small the world is, just as we were getting ready to drive home in the rain, Steve and Kathy were stopped by an attractive young woman named Molly. As it turned out, Molly was Steve and Kathy's twin girls first babysitter. Molly's family had moved to Denver and everyone gradually lost track of each other. Now she and her husband are back in San Antonio. See, good things happen to you when you go to Fralo's Art of Pizza!

Well, we have a rare weekend off in our future as Steve and Hillary drive back to Oakland CA one more time, and then we'll be playing pretty much non-stop until Thanksgiving. Exactly where? Exactly when? Check out our Next Gigs feature. Oh, and TELL US WHAT YOU THINK!

Numerologists pointed towards last Friday as the luckiest day in years. Why? Because it was the 8th day of the 8th month of the 8th year in the new millennium. It was why people chose to marry on that date in record numbers. It was also why the Chinese chose that date as the start of the 2008 Olympics. Well, none of us got married on Friday, nor did we do any running or heavy lifting, but we got to play a good "rocky" set at Beto's Comida Latina in front of old friends and new.

I know what your first question is, and "yes" it was hot -- seriously hot and humid -- and we all suffered through it. But, right from the start there were Tim and Bob Nationals in the house. They were ready to hear some rock 'n roll and some ballads, and we were more than ready to provide for them. All four of us were in good voice, and even the guitars cooperated, going out of tune a little less often than in our recent outdoor gigs.

Old friends Peter and Marguerite and family showed up. So did Dana, who was a joy for us because she's a fellow musician as well as a good friend. Seeing Patty, who brought her daughter Rachel, and son-in-law Larry with her was a great surprise for us. This was the second gig of ours Patty had attended, but the previous one was at least 2 1/2 years ago! This just shows the value of putting out those gig alerts.

New friends included Jim, Peter and Marguerite's friends, the Mantegnas, and the lively and fun group celebrating both Kathryn's and Susan's birthday. This last bunch included some dancers, and you know how much we love it when people dance at our gigs.

By the time the evening was over, we were all exhausted, but MAN, did we have us some fun! Until next time, TELL US WHAT YOU THINK!

The Tim and Bob Show celebrated the first Saturday of August by performing on Broadway. Well, to be more specific, we played at Water Street Oyster Bar in Lincoln Heights on Broadway at Basse. We love the intimacy and night club-like feeling of Water Street's loft, and we're pleased to see that, in addition to tables for eating, the management had placed some overstuffed couches in the space for folks to linger, libate, and listen later into the evening.

We like Water Street because they pay us twice. The second time is after the gig, of course, but the first time is when we get an opportunity to sample their fantastic food. I swear, it gets better every time we eat there. On Saturday, Kathy had a Cobb salad that featured "the best chicken I've tasted in a long time." Mary Lou and Steve each had a po'boy, and I opted for the shrimp enchiladas. Wow, no wonder the place is so crowded on Saturday nights!

The party began while we were still setting up. Scott and Anita, who had heard us perform at Beto's, brought their friends Jerry and Linda to hear us. It was Linda's birthday, and she was ready to celebrate. So were we. For our third song of the evening, we performed the Beatles "Birthday." Later, we played the song again -- this time for Broderick, who was seated downstairs. I'm not sure if we ever met him, but he might have been one of several people who came up from downstairs to listen to us throughout the night.

One gentleman, and we never got his name, first brought his toddler son up to watch and listen, tipped us and left, only to return with his 5-something daughter. The three of them sat on chairs no more than 4 feet from us. Suitably supplied by Kathy and Mary Lou, they then played some percussion for us -- well, father and daughter did. The son mostly played slam-dunk with his piece of "musical fruit." The father told us that his daughter liked us almost as much as The Backyardigans. Evidently some members of the band knew who they were, and informed me that we should be flattered. I am; we all are.

By the time the evening was over, we had played a healthy slice of the "mellow" portion of our repertoire. We had time between sets to chat with new friends. There's something about the music we play that makes people think, remember, smile, and want to share. We hope to see many of these folks again the next time we're at Water Street. This was a seriously fun night for us. It's good to be in a rock 'n roll band.

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Sunday evening proved to be a hot ending to a hot weekend in South Texas. It also proved to be a good time for the hearty souls who ventured out to Fralo's Art of Pizza in Leon Springs to prepare themselves for the work week to come by enjoying food and music.

And, since the music was us -- The Tim and Bob Show -- we were there to witness and participate in the festivities. As usual, we had lots of fun with Fralo's patrons. We really enjoy spending our break time talking with people who we can tell are connecting with the music we play. And so it was that we met new friends Jef and Lori and we talked with several other patrons who were obviously enjoying the music.

Once again The Tim and Bob Show/Fralo's Art of Pizza coloring books -- created by our friend Bruce and prepared and wrangled by Kathy -- were a big hit. I was happy to highlight one finished product to the applause of the crowd. A nice surprise for us was the dancing towards the end of the evening. We often have children come down front and dance to the music. If you've looked at our photos page, you'll see that we love it when this happens. So imagine our joy when we looked out and once again saw dancers on Fralo's patio -- this time not children, but their parents and grandparents.

By the time the evening was over and we had broken down and packed away our gear, we were exhausted and soaked through. The temperatures were still hovering in the high 80s as we arrived home. But it was a fun night for us, and a fun night for the people who came out to eat and drink and listen ... and dance!

Oh, and a special thank you to Jim Beal who featured us in his "Night After Night" column in Friday's San Antonio Express-News. We know there were people who showed up because they heard about us from you.

But not in Philly or Baltimore. Nope, The Tim and Bob Show were right at home in San Antonio. And since it was the 3rd Friday of the month, we were playing at Orderup.

Ambitious as ever, we debuted two more songs. This makes about 8 or 9 songs that we've sung in July for the first time. This is indeed ambitious as we're also devoting lot of time to recording. Both of the songs were Mary Lou's to sing: Melissa Manchester's torchy "Midnight Blue" and Janis Joplin's raucous "Mercedes Benz." Each was well received. And that's only natural, because Orderup is conducive to having fun, and that's what were all about.

We had a great crowd at Orderup and they all seemed to have a good time. Tim and Bob veterans Pam and Peggy, Karen and Sam, Richard and Justa and Justa's sister Graciela, and John-Michael were there, and we made some new friends as well. Andy [Coach] and Sylvia. Everyone seemed to be having a great night enjoying the great Orderup food and service, and I know the music helped make the evening complete.

It was good to entertain these nice folks. We're looking forward to our next visit.

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The good was that the rain stopped just in time for our July gig at Beto's Comida Latina. Yay! The bad was that when the rain went away, the heat came back. There was no ugly, of course; instead, there was music, and food, and dancing children and visits with friends old and new.

It was in the high 90s when we set up on Beto's patio. Steve had steeled himself for a first set with the sun in his eyes, and we were debuting FOUR news songs -- two of them four-parters -- an ambitious self-imposed task for certain. But, as it turned out the sun remained mostly behind clouds early on, and there was a good, strong breeze. And all four new tunes went off without any injuries.

Steve and I both had "our moments" -- something we now chuckle about and move on. Early in the first set, Steve began the guitar intro for "Everything I Own." He played it well, as usual. The problem is that the song we were singing was "Everything I Do." Later, when we played "Everything I Own" as a request, I suddenly forgot how to play two or three chords right in the middle of the song.

The four new songs went down well. The Eagles' "Heartache Tonight" featured Steve and Mary Lou sharing the leads, with Kathy and me putting in harmonies here and there. Steve has some nice guitar licks on this one. "Hotel California" is a song we've had requested from time to time, and we've taken our time getting it into the mix. Neither of us is Joe Walsh, so there's no guitar pyrotechnics with this version. Instead, we rely on the mix of voices to make the song work. There's a running bass line throughout the song that always fascinated me, and Steve uses that line to end the song using vocal harmony for four voices instead of three guitars.

We also debuted another Tim and Bob original, the last of our compositions to get a live audience before it goes onto our CD. The song is "Sweet Music Man," a tune Steve and I wrote for Mary Lou. There's still some rough edges there, but it sounded good, and we hope to get it recorded in a few days. The last song was CCR's "Who'll Stop the Rain." We now have two CCR songs in the repertoire -- both about rain.

Although there wasn't a soul on the patio when we got there, plenty of folks showed up to enjoy the evening. The crowd was very generous with their attention and appreciation. Veteran Tim and Bob Nationals Hillary, Marcelo, Bethany, Matt, and John-Michael were there, and we made many new friends as well including Caroline, George, Elizabeth, Serena, Buck and Paul. Our favorite new friend of the night was the youngster Curtis, who made several trips to the bandstand to make requests. We were actually able to deliver on two of those requests. Curtis is almost five years old, and very charming. We're already talking about incorporating two of his requests-in-vain to our repertoire.

By the time the gig was over, we were happy and tired. We've got 12 hours of recording to do between Saturday morning and Monday night. It wears us down a bit, but hey, it's music! Life is good!

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This upside down summer continues to flummox us. Roasting in May, broiling in June, and not a drop of meaningful rain into the bargain, and then here comes July. Temperatures are no longer flirting with the century mark every day. Instead they’re in the low 90s and upper 80s. The reason? The rain has returned. This is good, right? Well, there are reasons to go against my native Texan nature and curse the rain, but that’s a matter for another blog. This entry is about our second foray into the wine country, Saturday, July 5, 2008.

Fifth of July is not just the name of an excellent play by Lanford Wilson, at our house it’s the day after the big BBQ/pool party marking mid-summer and our national birthday. It means moving slowly and groaning about our lack of restraint with a knife and fork [even the plastic kind], and how perhaps we should have reapplied that sun screen. We collectively waddle in front of our collective television sets and watch commercials exhorting us to “come on down for our 4th of July mattress event!” Mattress event? The mind races.

But there we were on the 5th, loading up Steve’s Mazda3 with portable chairs and softball gloves as well as Kathy’s picnic hauler loaded with fruit, hummus, prosciutto, cheese, and crackers of all sorts. We also took a map with the locations of three Hill Country Wineries. Why? Well, for one thing we needed a bottle of good wine to wash down all that picnic food. And, while it wasn’t like we didn’t have 50 or 60 bottles at both our houses, wine is always a healthy part of a Tim and Bob Show road trip.

We got a little later start than I thought we would. Although Steve and Kathy stayed the night in Casa de Smoked Ribs, Steve had a few errands to run before we left. But it was still the right side of noon when we set off. We took advantage of the lack of holiday traffic to connect to US281 and head north towards Lake Buchanan. There, near a little village called Tow, we found Fall Creek Wineries. It’s within sight of Lake Buchanan and, as a matter of fact, we could have taken our freshly purchased Viognier to a picnic table overlooking the lake had we preferred. However, there was a band playing the blues, and we just can’t resist live music. So we found ourselves an empty table, destroyed some tasty groceries – and all of the wine – while tapping our toes to the band, at least two members of which (as Steve delighted in telling me) were even older than me. This being a holiday weekend, all the Hill Country wineries had some sort of event going, and the tasting rooms were very busy. While we had a great lunch and tasted some swell wines, we didn’t get a chance to talk to the owner or manager or person who books the music. We left our promo-pak with Wanda and retraced our steps to Johnson City.

Being well-fed and with the taste of good Texas grape on our lips, we piled back into the Mazda and did a little re-tracing of steps. The second leg was easier on us. This could be because we weren’t torturing ourselves with the NY Times Crossword Puzzle Book, or it could be because we were enjoying the tunes on KITY as we drove, or it could be because it was a shorter trip. In any event, it didn’t take long to locate Texas Hill Country Vineyards in Johnson City. Texas Hill Country’s tasting room was being run by two hard-working and cheerful young ladies. Not only did they hook us up with some good tasting material, but one of them even left her post for a minute to locate Gary, the co-owner. As we were paying the tab for some Due Blanco and Kick Butt Cab, we chatted with Gary about the possibility of entertaining his clientele sometime in the future. Gary is a convivial sort and showed us most of the property including the performance space. He said he’d check us out on our website and we said we’d love to hear from him. Leaving another promo-pak behind, we drove off estimating the amount of time it would take some of the more adventurous Tim and Bob Nationals to get to Johnson City for a gig. We’re looking forward to hearing from Gary.

The last stop was Dry Comal Creek in New Braunfels. We continued on down US281 until we turned east on Texas 46. Once there, all we needed to do was look for Herbelin Rd, and there it was. Once again, the tasting room was hopping. It was after 4:30 by this time, and there were mini-buses bringing folks from the surrounding big cities. I managed to taste two wines, but I’m afraid that the rigor of the 4th and the wine of the 5th got the better of my old carcass, and I left the rest of the tasting/purchasing to “the younger members of the band.” As they tasted and sounded out the management about the possibility of gigs, I found myself a comfortable chair on their expansive porch. It was partly cloudy, and this made the blue of the South Texas sky stand out even more brilliantly. There was a nice cooling breeze, and my eyes might have even closed from time to time.

And then it was back into the car to talk about the adventures of the day, and to speculate about the possibility of new venues and new audiences. We also took the time to think about the birthday of the nation, and about how we’re luckier than most – playing music, meeting new people, eating good food, drinking good wine, and hanging out with our friends. Life is good.