THE TIM AND BOB SHOW: Blog

On Thursday, we left the resort after breakfast and drove the van into Tulsa. We enjoyed ourselves touring the downtown area and looking at the deco buildings and following Tulsa’s downtown guided walk. After a great lunch at a downtown diner. We then spent most of the afternoon touring the Gilcrease Museum – a must see for those who enjoy Native American artifacts and history, as well as paintings of events and people important to the history of Oklahoma and the American West. The traveling exhibition documented the first diplomatic  contact between the British government and the Cherokee Indians – then still residing in Virginia, Carolina, and Georgia. Since much of the activity centered around  Williamsburg, VA and London, two areas Mary Lou and I have lived near, we found it especially interesting. Kathy was so taken by the collection of artifacts on the lower level, she brought the rest of us down there to share the trove with us. It was an impressive collection, impressively stored.

Once we had returned to Rainbow Hills, we began preparations for the Thursday night gig. While we were setting up, four members of the Hogwarts group greeted us VERY enthusiastically. It appeared that all of Kathy’s hard work had paid off. Several of the group had, indeed, become Tim and Bob fans. I asked them if any of them had made the Monday concert, and one 12 or 13-year old girl responded, “I was about to come in, but then I saw my grandparents dancing, and I turned around and left.” They weren’t going to leave on this night, however, as they quickly made “seats reserved” signs for themselves, and then spent the hour or so before we performed making suggestions on how we could better promote ourselves and sell more CDs.

As expected, there were not quite as many folks on the Thursday concert. Since this one wasn’t being filmed, however, more of the house lights were up and we could see how much they were enjoying themselves. The evening had two highlights. The first one came when I told the audience about an earlier concert where we had several people “snake dancing” to “Locomotion” – which was the song we were about to perform. The audience took that as a challenge and at least 30 of them joined up in a multi-generational conga line that lasted the entire song. The only drawback to this is that since all four of us were playing, none of us could take a picture of it!

The second highlight occurred, believe it or not, right after I broke a string on my guitar. As Mary Lou and I left the stage to replace the string, Steve broke into “Rocky Raccoon” and Kathy grabbed her bass and started playing along. I was a little stunned to discover later that she didn’t have the tabs for this song with her, and played it all from memory. Kathy definitely deserved the cool bass-player hat that Steve bought for her to perform in. As was true with Monday’s effort, we scheduled as many four-parters, bass-playing songs, and Epiphone songs as we could. Everyone who was there approved.

We ended the concert amid cheers and handshakes and “thank you’s.” We exhorted everyone to come over and buy a CD and a “Take It Outside” bag. And many of them did. All four of us were invited to a party in one of the larger cabins, but Mary Lou and I were wiped out by the time we finished breaking down, and left Steve and Kathy on their own. I don’t know how much they enjoyed the party, but Kathy’s toes were painted a bright color and Steve had a tattoo! Relax, folks, it was a temporary one.

Once Friday morning came around, we were ready to leave for home. We attended the lakeside farewell service, loaded up the van with luggage, musical gear, snacks … and Hillary who would be traveling with us. It was around 9 on Friday evening when we got to Steve and Kathy’s house, and past 10 by the time Mary Lou and I got home.

It had been a remarkable week. The band functioned very professionally while working and had plenty of fun during whatever down time was available to us. Everyone in attendance seemed to approve of what we were doing, and it was certainly nice being able to meet and talk to the folks we had entertained earlier in the week. I don’t know if there’s any group of people anywhere so dedicated to enjoying themselves and sharing the joy with others than are UUs. They were great to us. We hope we did them some good.

Now that we’re back home, we’re maintaining contact with a lot of the folks that we met up there – primarily through Facebook. We’ve heard some nice things from them, and we’ve received a lot of photographs of our concerts. The moment we heard we had been selected for this position, we were excited and sure that we’d have fun. As it turned out, we weren’t wrong. To slightly paraphrase the Hoyt Axton song recorded so many years ago by Three Dog Night, “We’ve never been to heaven, but we’ve been to Oklahoma.”

On Tuesday, Steve and I completed our song-writing course, while Mary Lou and Kathy visited as much of the nearby wildlife that could be found. They especially enjoyed photographing a wide variety of butterflies, and watching the falcons, hawks, eagles, and owls being fed and exercised. In the afternoon, we splashed around in the pool. Steve and Kathy’s daughter Hillary was there with quite a few Young Adults, one of which could be heard saying, “I didn’t realize it was ‘bring your parents to the pool day’, Hillary.” I hope we didn’t embarrass her too much. That evening, we let the YA’s feed us at their BBQ. They were also sponsoring a dance on the tennis courts, but we decided to give that a miss, as the weather had turned as hot and humid as … as … as San Antonio!

Wednesday was Kathy’s day. Kathy’s a former teacher and took the afternoon Hogwarts mini-concert as her own special chore. We had even added seven new songs to our repertoire specifically for this concert. The Hogwarts group was facilitated by our friend Shari, and they received our hour-long performance well, but somewhat quietly. As a matter of fact, we weren’t sure that we had any effect on them at all. We were about to find out differently – in spades. Wednesday evening was supposed to be divided between watching the camps talent shows [one for adults one for children and youths], and dropping in on the Young Adults “bunkhouse” for some chat and guitar picking. All four of us watched the youth talent show, but only Steve and Kathy watched the adults. I wasn’t feeling all that well and passed on the YA get-together. Unfortunately for Steve and Kathy, the YA’s were so exhausted from the community project that they’d worked on all day, nobody had the energy left for a jam. So Steve and Kathy went to the adult talent show. I’m very sorry I missed it since it included some of the people from our song-writing class performing a song they wrote as their assignment.

On Monday, after we’d familiarized ourselves with the camp and met as many folks as we could, Steve and I conducted the first day of our class, while the ladies toured the resort, cameras in hand. We had about 8 or 9 participants with various levels of experience in writing and performing music. We put together a decent overview of the craft and of the wide range of themes, modes, and styles of song. We sent everyone away with what we hoped were helpful hints and new ideas, and exhorted them to return the next day with at least a partially written song. As our group disbanded, Steve and I were delighted to discover that Kathy and Mary Lou had brought with them four Sonic Rt. 44 Diet Cherry Limeades!

That evening we performed the first of our two concerts. We had the main hall and had plenty of time for us to set up with our “sound guy,” <u>Chris</u>. We were able to hang the “The Tim and Bob Show are proud to support Pet Pals of Texas" banner in a very visible spot [where it stayed for the remainder of the camp], as well as tune our various instruments. On this trip there was an additional instrument because Kathy chose SWUUSI to debut her skills as a bass player. Mary Lou and I had no idea that she had gotten an instrument and had been working on several songs until about 10 days before we left for Oklahoma. We had decided that each concert would feature songs that allowed her to do her stuff.

The concert went well. The Young Adults came en masse to listen to Steve. In his many years as a youth counselor, Steve had known and had the privilege of being advisor to many of these young people, and they all seemed to love him. They congregated off to the side of the band, and provided us with a lot of energy. As a matter of fact, there was plenty of energy on all sides from folks under 5 years of age to a couple who had to have been past 80. There was a lot of cheering and a lot of dancing. We often get a few children to dance at our gigs; they haven’t yet learned that it can be embarrassing to enjoy yourself so publicly, you see. But we had people of all ages dancing, and it was a wonderful thing for all of us to experience. Mary Lou got a chance to demonstrate that she’d completely recovered from her thyroid surgery by using her full vocal range, and Steve got plenty of use from his Epiphone electric guitar. And, of course, Kathy played her bass. We had a wonderful time and played about 15 minutes longer than we had expected.

More to come.

Early in the morning of August 2, The Tim and Bob Show began our biggest road trip to date, both in terms of mileage and importance. We set off from Steve and Kathy’s house before breakfast to drive to Western Hill Guest Ranch on the shores of Fort Gibson Lake in northeastern Oklahoma. We were going there to take our posts as “Artists in Residence” for the Southwest Unitarian Universalist Summer Institute, popularly known as SWUUSI. For an entire week, each of us would be acting primarily as members of a band. Our day jobs, our volunteer work, and even my increasing addiction to Fulham Football Club were all taking a very long and very distant back seat to acting as artists. Amazing. As our trip would take 10 hours to complete, however, we’d have plenty of time to acclimatize ourselves to the concept, as well as to do crossword puzzles, snack, search for radio stations playing “our kind of music,” snack, and generally chatter and snack.

It was a hot morning on its way to another all-too-typical South Texas triple digit day when we stopped for breakfast on the north side of Austin. We weren’t really all that hungry by the time we got to West, but our ancient rented minivan [alright, only 3 years old, but with 50,000+ miles] was, so we stopped for gas and, of course, for coffee and kolaches. West is famous for these Central European treats, and justly so. My first kolache was eaten by the time we reached freeway speed! Thankfully, the other three had more restraint than me, so we were able to enjoy these throughout the week. Good stuff.

Once we crossed the Red River, our trip took us through most of Eastern Oklahoma. The farther north we drove, the less the landscape looked like the flat, bleached out, parched oven that we left behind. There were plenty of hills along the way, lots of lakes and rivers, and several shades of green fields, hills, and trees. Steve and I traded off the driving duties, only stopping for gasoline and food along the way. Kathy and Mary Lou kept us hydrated, loaded with snacks [grapes and cherries, yum], and entertained as we drove. We got to our destination with plenty of sunlight remaining in the day.

Western Hills is near Wagoner, OK. The “ranch” facility where we stayed is on a narrow peninsula surrounded on three sides by Fort Gibson Lake. There were lots of tall trees, egrets, and deer. While SWUUSI has been held annually for years, this was the first year for this location, so Mary Lou and I were as much in-the-dark as were Steve and Kathy about the resort’s amenities. We didn’t know whether the accommodations would be spartan, and we weren’t taking any chances. We were pleasantly surprised, then, when we discovered that our adjoining cabins each had a flat-screen TV[!] along with a comfortable queen-sized bed and a nice bathroom. Steve and Kathy’s room had a small refrigerator, a hot plate, and a microwave, so it only seemed fair that we eat and drink in their room and use ours as the repository for everyone’s guitars, music stands, luggage, and miscellaneous band paraphernalia. Had Mary Lou and I experienced a sudden emergency in the night, it would have been easier for us to escape through our partners’ room than through our own front door only a foot or two away!

We knew that the Artist-in-Residence responsibility included two evening concerts, as well as a small private performance for the middle-school aged group called “Hogwarts.” In addition, Steve and I volunteered to teach a two-day course in song-writing. In between there were to be opportunities to swim in the pool – and maybe in the lake? – as well as perusing the nature trails, looking at the horses in the nearby stable, watching the daily feeding of the predatory birds that have found a sanctuary there, and attending other classes. Additionally, we had planned a day “off campus” to visit Tulsa’s historic Deco District, as well was examine the artworks and historical objects in the Gilcrease Museum. We planned for each evening to end with the four of us polishing off a bottle of wine and noshing on cheese, fruit, crackers, and the like. And some time during the week, darn it, Steve and I were determined to find a stretch of grass where we could play catch.

More to come, stay tuned.

Really? Well, it had to happen some time. There we were, on the very first day of August, playing our music at Central Market’s fantastic in-store café, when Kathy’s cousin Bob came in with a couple of other folks. At the end of the first set, I went up to their table. Kathy introduced me to Bob, and I turned to the other gentleman at the table and asked, “And your name is Tim, right?” I was stunned when he nodded his head. Tim then introduced me to his wife, Cindy. Finally, after four years of performing all over South Texas, there was someone named Tim and Bob at the Tim and Bob Show!

It was already a great night, with Tim and Bob Nationals Vicki, Linda, and Steven O. in attendance, along with our “constant companions” Louie and Cathy. Marsha, and Tim and Cindy’s daughter Lisa showed up as well. We made some other new friends as well with our songs and laid back performance style.

We were all pretty excited to be able to do a full load of four-parters with Mary Lou’s voice having fully recovered from her surgery. What with Mary Lou’s trip to California, Kathy’s theatrical adventures, and then the surgery, it had been a long time since we’ve been able to provide our audiences with the full Tim and Bob experience. Three hours of music zipped by, and then we all sat down and availed ourselves of Central Market’s deli. Delicious! There’s such a variety of food to be had there, along with one-person sized portions of beer and wine. We can’t wait to get back there next month.

Finally, we broke down in a leisurely fashion, and drove back to Steve and Kathy’s house. Mary Lou and I spent the night there, because The Tim and Bob Road Trip to End All Road Trips was about to begin the very next morning.

Stay tuned!

On Friday, July 24, The Tim and Bob Show played our first ever gig at the new Orderup in Stone Ridge. It was memorable for this reason, and it was memorable for Mary Lou's expanded return to the group. If we had any doubts that she was ready to sing her full load again, this gig removed them all. We are back to a full-time four person vocal band.

We were also pleased to see some Tim and Bob Nationals "in the house." In addition to Bethany, Hillary, Matt, and Evan, our good friends John and Tina also showed up. It was a hot, very hot, exceedingly hot evening, and we were happy to be playing inside, and happy to meet even more Orderup staff and management. Oh, and we had some wonderful dancing children. They look great, don't they?

July was a very busy month, and August looks even busier. Where will we be playing? Check out our upcoming gigs by clicking here. While you're on the site, drop by the guestbook and TELL US WHAT YOU THINK!.

Yes, the weekend of July 17-19 marked Mary Lou's return to the band. She had missed several performances since recovering from her surgery in late June, and has been doing vocal exercises and singing along [gently] to KONO 101! We were taking it very easy with her, since the first week of August is going to be pretty much non-stop singing for all four of us.

But I'm getting ahead of myself.

On Friday, July 17, we returned to Orderup at The Colonnade for our usual 3rd Friday performance. We drove over in a cooling rain storm. How cooling? Well, it was 103 in my garage, but by the time we had driven about a mile in the rain, the outside temperature had dropped to 74! Boy was it nice to have rain, even if I just had my car washed for the first time in months.

As usual, Orderup was a party. "The Other Don" was there, along with Casey, Karen [and her new car, woo hoo!] and Martha and Dave. Our very good friends Louie and Cathy were there as part of a group of 11! I've lost count of the number of people they've introduced to us over the months, but we're always glad to see them. Louie's daughter Angelina helped us start the second set. Our new friend Gavin helped us end the first set, encouraged by the Orderup crowd. You can see our latest "band members" here. Other new friends included Kyle, Ron and Carolyn, and newlyweds John and Lacey. As always, it was serious fun for us. Mary Lou joined us for two songs, but only for percussion. Singing was still two days away.

On Sunday, we returned to Patty Lou's for a Sunday brunch gig. We hadn't played there since New Years Day, although we've eaten there several times in the interim.

Tim and Bob Nationals Casey, Katy, and Matt were there, along with Angela and Ryan, and our friend Wendy and her brother. We also made new friends in Gilbert and Maria and their two sons.

On either side of eating very tasty Patty Lou specials, we played a lot of our "indoor" music to an appreciative audience. A very treasured member of that audience was our good friend Mrs. Miller, a lovely lady who always chats with us when we stop by to visit Patty Lou. While I was taking a brief break from the bandstand, Mrs. Miller asked me if we knew anything from the 1940s. I told her that we had some songs in our repertoire written as far back as 1921! I said I'd see what we could do for her.

Shortly thereafter, I returned to the bandstand and played Johnny Mercer's 1941 hit "I Remember You" just for her. At intermission, she told me that the song had special meaning for her since it was one she and her then fiancée had danced to. They had to wait for him to return from Europe at the end of World War II to marry. They did and had a brilliant life together. She thanked me for helping her have a good memory of their time together. None of us in the band plays music because we're after fame or money; we do it to help people enjoy themselves. Sunday was a very successful day for us, thanks to Mrs. Miller.

And yes, Mary Lou did get up and sing with us, taking part in four of our four-part songs. Always her own toughest critic, she was only a bit pleased with her performance, but there were no ill effects, and she [and all of us] are looking forward to her taking an even larger part in our next gig. When will that be? Well check out our website for details of our upcoming gigs and, if you're so inclined, check out our guest book and TELL US WHAT YOU THINK!

The second weekend of July found The Tim and Bob Show performing at a "regular" venue as well as in a location we'd never played. Each performance was memorable, and each was very well attended by folks friendly to the band.

On Friday, we returned to Beto's Comida Latina for our regular 2nd Friday gig. We were buoyed by the news that Tim and Bob National Katie had decided to have the San Antonio celebration of her birthday with us [Katie lives and works in Austin]. We knew she would bring some friends, but we weren't sure just how many. What we DIDN'T know is that a regular visitor to our Orderup gigs would decide not only to visit us at Beto's but also to bring some out-of-town visitors. Between those two parties, a party of folks that included a gent that used to work with Steve, and a few other unexpected Tim and Bobbers, we had lots of friendly faces to entertain on the evening. While the wait staff informed us that, indoors outside of the raging heat, there wasn't much business, outside in the 100+ degree temperatures, the joint was jumpin'.

In addition to Katie, the Tim and Bob Nationals who attended were Hillary, Frank and Elizabeth, Cathy, Elizabeth, Cristina, Ryan, Aaron, Peter, Marguerite, Dylan, Brianna, Justin, Sandra, Kelly, Erin, and Louie. In addition, we inducted these new Nationals: Susan, Ron, Stephen, Jennifer, Seth, Bodoin, Jim [and five of his friends], Tara, and Mary. During our last visit to Beto's -- also in screaming heat, there was a period of time there when Tara and Mary were our ONLY audience. A big change this time.

Also attending was Mary Lou. Still unable to sing after her recent surgery, she kept herself busy by taking pictures, chatting with patrons, and helping us sell some CDs and band merchandise. Band merchandise? What band merchandise, I hear you cry? Well, this gig was the debut of The Tim and Bob Show Take It Outside tote bags. Yes, our first foray into brand merchandising is a wonderfully handy and versatile [and environment friendly] tote bag that's available in four colors. How much do they cost? I'm so glad you inquired. Come to a future gig and find out.

Three hours of music and lots of handshakes and hugs later, we trooped home and got ready to do it all again the next day.

On Saturday, the band was booked as entertainment for a joint birthday party for two of our most favorite Tim and Bobbers. Both Mara and Loyce were celebrating, and the party was held at Mara's business, Jewell's Gymnastics, in Schertz. We played for two hours, intermingled with the attendees -- most of whom we knew very well -- and even sampled some of the food, beer, and wine they had on hand. Once again, Mary Lou didn't sing, but she did take pictures and socialize, and like the rest of us, watched whenever a party-goer got up to dance or decided to try his or her hand at the trampoline or balance beam. I resisted the temptation to try the gymnastics, but I did sneak in a dance with Mary Lou.

Listing the Tim and Bob Nationals who attended would be silly, since just about everyone there was a long-time friend of the band. Just leave it at the fact that we enjoyed playing indoors, we loved the company, and the audience might just have had as much fun as we did! Thanks Mara and Loyce!

Well, that's it for the weekend of July 10-12. Next weekend we're working on Friday and Sunday, and we're hoping that Mary Lou can sing with us a bit on Sunday. Once again, we invite you to check out our website, especially our upcoming gigs, CD sales, and photographs sections. And, as always, thank you for supporting live music, and try to keep cool!

And please, TELL US WHAT YOU THINK!

On Saturday, July 4, The Tim and Bob Show helped celebrate our nation's 233rd birthday by playing "some old time rock 'n roll" at HEB Central Market in Alamo Heights. We usually play there the first Saturday of the month, but we usually play indoors in their nicely appointed cafe. But because the first Saturday in July was "the 4th," we moved our performance time forward 5 hours and played an outdoor afternoon gig in their patio dining area. For those of you reading this in the San Antonio area, you know what it was like on the 4th. Our drought continued and the previous record high temperature for the day was smashed as the mercury hit 103 at the airport. And, yes, we were outside in it.

The FIRST person to come to our rescue was our contact at Central Market, Emily, who provided us with a fan about the size of a child's wading pool. We set it up behind us and it ran for more than 5 hours keeping our equipment cooled and ourselves reasonably dry. The SECOND person to come to our rescue remains anonymous to us. It could have been the woman that I chatted with and gave a card to when she stopped at our sign to listen to us play. She went inside to shop and could have bought us lunch. It also could have been the couple that Steve talked to who were concerned about our lack of sustenance. Or it could have been any one of our other fans; we'll never know. Whomever it was, he, she, or they treated us all to lunch -- lunch that we could smell cooking on the outdoor grill.

The THIRD persons to come to our rescue were Elizabeth, Emma, and their father, Rodney, who came to listen to a few tunes and left us with an ice chest loaded with popsicles. They figured we'd be hot and in need of something sweet, and they were right. Finally, the FOURTH person to come to our rescue was our friend Chris, who drove back home just to get us insulated gloves. Why were these necessary? Well, our speakers and speaker stands were standing out in the sunshine for more than five hours, and they were seriously hot. As the song goes, "you've got to have friends," and The Tim and Bob Show are blessed with many.

Speaking of friends, in addition to the four we just mentioned, a huge crowd of Tim and Bob Nationals came out to enjoy the music. Vicki and Linda were there, along with Mara, Larry, David, Stephanie, Marcie, Rich, Patrick, Flo, Holly and Gary, and Richard and Justa. By my count, that's EIGHTEEN Tim and Bobbers out in triple digits to hear their favorite band. That may be a record for us, and I know that Central Market was pleased that they all showed up. We also made new friends Tillie, Eloise, and Jeff.

With four hours to fill and with Mary Lou still at home recovering from her recent surgery, the three of us had a little more singing to do. We replaced our signature 4-parters with eight songs that Kathy, Steve, and I do together. The best of these, in my opinion, was Steve's arrangement of Greenday's "Wake Me Up When September Ends." Kathy also had another eight songs that featured only Steve and her, and I sang eight by myself to give Steve a chance to sit and rehydrate. I introduced a new number, "Nobody Knows You When You're Down and Out." It's new to our repertoire, but it's hardly new to anyone else, since it was first recorded in 1923!

We finished the day with as much performance energy as we began with, broke down the equipment, loaded up our cars, dropped off the equipment, and then the three of us drove back to my house to splash in the pool. Four hours in 100+ temperatures? Not bad for a bunch of oldies like us.

Further special applause has to go out to Steve and Kathy. We were about 5 minutes into our setup when I was hit by extremely painful back spasms. Already missing Mary Lou's assistance, Steve and Kathy had to take on most of my lifting and carrying as well. I didn't hear a single complaint.

So, thanks to Central Market's fan, and thanks to all the fans of The Tim and Bob Show -- veterans and first-timers -- who made this gig very special!

And please, TELL US WHAT YOU THINK!

And if you don't believe it, check out the photos section of our home page! The last weekend of Spring continued to feel like mid-August. We hit triple digits all three days, but we weren't all that concerned. Our one Friday evening gig was indoors, and our group outdoor activity on Saturday afternoon was a joy for all of us regardless of the heat. On Friday, June 19, we played our usual "third Friday" gig at Orderup in the Colonnade. Once again we loved playing at the location and enjoyed the company of their wonderful staff. It's a kick when even the cooks stick their heads out of the kitchen to say hello. We were celebrating the fact that the entire band was together, and so we featured a lot of four-part songs. Mary Lou debuted two new songs: Don McLean's "Vincent," and Jonathan Edwards' "Sunshine." Steve and I played our latest composition, "Thirteen Miles From Comfort" for the first time. We now have added three new songs since our CD came out in October. At this rate we'll be making another trip to the studio in ... well, let's not rush back, shall we? The highlight of the night for me, and for the audience I'm sure, was the inclusion of Dan Fogelberg's "Leader of the Band." Steve thought it appropriate to play with Father's Day just around the corner, and I heartily agreed. Tim and Bob Nationals Richard and Justa, Peggy, Pam, Karen, and Casey were there, and Steve's colleague Patricia showed up with her family. Once again, playing at Orderup was like playing at a party. A great night. Saturday afternoon, the band reunited at a local Target store to buy 18.6 lbs. of cat food. No, this wasn't in support of some radical health-food kick that had captured us. This was us following up on our promise to our friends at Pet Pals of Texas. The previous Saturday, we'd donated our services as the featured performers at a Pet Pals fundraiser. We also promised to buy a bag of cat or dog food for each CD we sold. We met up with Vicki and Linda at the Pet Pals office/store room and made our deliveries. We're hoping that the work we do and have done for these folks can help the animals that are so vital to the elderly and disabled people they serve. We'd do anything for Pet Pals, and why not? Vicki is one of our biggest fans. Next weekend will provide us with a bit of rest. We'll be performing next on July 4, and there'll only be three of us, as Mary Lou takes a few weeks off after some surgery. Where do we PLAY NEXT? What does the rest of the year's schedule look like? Are we really as good looking as the gossip columns say? Check out our WEB PAGE to answer all these questions. And while you're there, TELL US WHAT YOU THINK!

According to my calendar, it's still spring. However, down here in South Texas this late spring weekend featured triple-digit temperatures in abundance, just what a band whose youngest members are in their 50s needs!

On Friday, we returned to Beto's Comida Latina for our monthly gig on their inviting covered patio. We were grateful for the breeze we got throughout, since we were setting up our gear outside in 101-degree temperatures. Tim and Bob Nationals Matt and Beth were there, along with Brett and Lisa. We made some new friends also, and Steve enjoyed his forays into electric guitar land. But the star of the evening was, without a doubt, Steve's new hat!

On Saturday, we had our much-anticipated fundraiser for PetPals of Texas. This organization is devoted to helping the pets who help their disabled and elderly owners. We've done several fundraisers over the years -- including a couple for PetPals -- but this one was one we had great hopes for. Vicki, who is in charge of the group, is amazing at coordinating these events, as well as publicity. She also LOVES The Tim and Bob Show.

The place was so filled with Tim and Bob Nationals that it seems almost excessive to mention any, never mind all. We were pleased, however, to meet a good friend of Vicki's, KONO disc jockey Steven O. Sellars. KONO features the 60s and 70s music we specialize in, and Steve and Kathy chat with Steven on Facebook all the time, but this was the first time he'd actually met the band and listened to us play.

And play we did. We decided to spice up our usual covers with several of our originals. Why? Because we had pledged to purchase 3 lbs. of pet food for each CD sold at the event. Well, that's one reason. The other is that we like to do the songs that Steve and I wrote.

We had a ball, and the music sounded good. We raised a lot of money for Pet Pals, and we will be delivering 18 pounds of food to them very shortly. It was wonderful to watch all of PetPal's volunteers get the venue and food ready. It was great to play "concert-style." It was wonderful to watch Vicki dancing to our music again. It was fantastic to meet El Perro Loco [as selected by the San Antonio Fiesta Committee] and his owner Ozzie, one of three people whose lives this little Fox Terrier has saved. It was great to have Steven tell his Facebook friends "You have GOT to hear this band." It was wonderful to be part of the occasion. But, best of all, it was great to share the stage with Steve's new hat!

Well, May is finally over. The month started out with an extended [and unplanned] down time, but it ended with six gigs over the last three weekends, and some of the "older" members of the group are a bit tired. Well, okay, ONE member. Okay, me. And with a free weekend in front of us, it's time to celebrate the last two gigs of the month.

Saturday night found us in a familiar location on a very unfamiliar night. We play at Orderup in the Colonnade on a regular basis, but always on a Friday. Kathy's play had ended, but she was leaving on business the next morning, so we loaded up on our recently-neglected four-part specialties. We also invited our friend Karen along -- she of the breathtaking flute work on "It Ends, It Begins" on our CD. We'd jammed a little with her at our Memorial Day BBQ, and so she showed up prepared to play on three consecutive numbers -- on three different instruments. We had fun running through them, and hope that Karen picked up the performing bug again. it would be great to be able to go and watch her perform soon.

Tim and Bob Nationals Matt and Casey were there, and we made some new friends, one of whom made a quick stop by our tip jar and dropped in $20. Whoever you are, we love you too.

Sunday was perhaps the highlight of the year for Steve. In addition to being a guitar god, Steve devotes a lot of his time to church work. For several years, Steve was a youth advisor. On Sunday morning, four of his former youth group members -- now all grown up -- showed up for services and announced their plans to come to our show. Katie and Elizabeth had heard us play before, but Shira and Bryn had only heard Steve play at youth gatherings.

Our Sunday night gig was our final one at Fralo's Art of Pizza -- the very first place The Tim and Bob Show ever performed. We had played there regularly for almost four years, but it was becoming difficult for us to resolve our calendar with theirs. The presence of Steve's young friends -- and new friends to Mary Lou and me -- merged with the knowledge that we were playing Fralo's for the last time, made for an interesting mix of emotions.

Since former youth group members were there, we had to do "Rocky Raccoon," and I can guarantee that they really enjoyed watching their former youth group facilitator sing Ringo Starr's "The No-No Song."

Long time Tim and Bob friend Deedy was also there, along with a pretty full table that included Tim and Bob Nationals Steve and Jackie and friends. We made new friends in Chris and Cara, who promised to come back and hear us in the company of her father, who taught her and her brother the songs we sing when they were both very young. All in all, there was a great crowd for our last gig, and we think we gave them a good performance. Steve especially ripped into his solos on the Epiphone with zest.

So, hail to new friends, hail to old friends from whom we've been separated, and farewell to the place where it all began.

Here's to a weekend's rest for the band. And You'll find a list of our upcoming gigs HERE . And, while you're perusing our web site, stop HERE and tell us what you think!

Memorial Day weekend began with two Tim and Bob performances. Since both featured an unusual sight in these parts -- RAIN -- we needed a bit of luck in getting everything going.

On Friday we performed at Orderup at the Colonnade. it looked threatening when we got there, but we had completely unloaded our equipment and brought it indoors before the rain started. Indoors is the key word in that last sentence, by the way, since it rained on and off throughout the entire evening, but the musicians and their audience stayed dry.

Steve and I gave two songs their San Antonio Tim and Bob Show debut -- the Traveling Wilbury's hit "Handle With Care" and the Ringo Starr classic tale of aging rockers "The No-No Song." Both were well received. Tim and Bob Nationals Casey and Karen showed up, and we made new friends Patricia, Gabriel, and Betty and Mike. Mary Lou was back singing with us, and rocked the house with "This Wheel's on Fire."

On Saturday, we traveled over to Steve and Kathy's house in mid-afternoon to help them load up for our 6 o'clock gig at Beto's Comida Latina. This is usually a Friday fixture for us, but that wasn't what was concerning us. We had been experiencing heavy downpours for a couple of hours before the trip, and Beto's performance space is on their patio! Although we drove through a drizzle to get there, by the time we arrived at Beto's the rain had passed. It stayed dry throughout the evening, and it wasn't until we were driving to Steve and Kathy's for unloading [and a sip of wine] that the rain began again.

Tim and Bob Nationals Gary and Holly were there along with three tables worth of friends including Melissa, Mark, Luke, Danny, Lisa, Forest, Noel and few others. Hillary, Bethany, and Matt were also there, as well as Peggy and her "date" Arlis. Also there were Kathy's fellow cast members Caron and Desi. The early start meant that Kathy could spend the first 40 minutes or so with us before departing for her final performance of Angel Street, and her buds wanted to hear her and us, of course.

We had a great time playing to a crowd that -- for the largest part -- came there specifically to hear us. Steve got his electric out and got off more than a few scorching solos. His three choruses of "Raccoon Rumble-seat" got roars of applause from some listeners about 1/3 of my age! Coolness.

All in all, another fine weekend. We have more gigs in the weeks ahead, of course, but it's great to have the whole band back together again. You'll find a list of our upcoming gigs HERE . And, while you're perusing our web site, stop HERE and tell us what you think!

The third weekend of May was one the entire band had been looking forward to. With Mary Lou out of town recently and Kathy in her play, it had been a long time since we could exploit all the voices available to us. And here we were -- all four of us -- on the road to the Hill Country to play at Becker Vineyards for BOTH Saturday and Sunday. What could possibly go wrong?

Well, when we left San Antonio on Saturday, May was already half gone and no measurable rain had fallen in our area. We were already under severe drought restrictions and the temperatures were at July/August levels. So when we set off under overcast skies and somewhat cool [73 degrees] temperatures, at 0930, we had hopes for a cooler and less strenuous day. Ha!

We were on IH10 approaching Comfort when the skies opened up. The parched landscape must have thought it was dreaming as wave after wave of rain fell out of blackened skies. We were following Steve and Kathy, and we really wanted to exit the freeway when they did, but the car preferred to go straight, it seemed. Hydroplaning along on a Saturday morning is not what I wanted to do, especially with a back seat and trunk full of musical equipment. After a second or two, one of our wheels found the road surface and we were able to make the exit -- a special shout out to Subaru's all-wheel drive.

When we got to the vineyard, there was already a huge crowd. It was a well advertised weekend, Becker's annual Lavender Festival, and the grounds were full of vendors and the wine was already flowing by the time we got there. Even after crawling along at 45 mph for the better part of an hour, we were still early. We noticed immediately that our previous performance space was claimed, so we drove around back to park our cars and find out where we were to set up. Steve and I dropped off the ladies to get more information, and pressed on to pull up in the loading spaces in the rear. There was a tractor blocking our way, so Steve made a turn into the vendor parking lot and immediately sank into the mud. It seems that the sandy soil that is so perfect for growing quality grapes turns to impassible mud under the slightest provocation.

And so it was that 3 50-somethings and one 60-something, emptied two cars of a ton of musical equipment in a driving rain while walking through ankle-deep mud. After a few failed attempts to get Steve's Mazda unstuck, we set off to find our performance space. Nichole had the perfect place in mind, but it was soaking and, after some improvisation, we set up in the tasting room -- the worst possible place for an amplified band. We persevered, though, and we seemed to please the patrons who most definitely did not want to go outside and sample the weather. Once we were finished, it was time to stow our gear in the cask room, have a look at Steve's now rescued car, and head back to San Antonio for the evening.

Kathy had a performance that night at Harlequin Dinner Theater in Angel Street, and the rest of the band were in the audience, along with Tim and Bob National Rich. Mary Lou said that the play was the best she had ever seen at that venue. Considering she watched me perform in a half dozen plays there and performed in a few there herself, this was quite a compliment. Kathy's performance was sublime.

After a night's rest, back we went for the second day at Becker Vineyards. As eventful as Saturday's performance was, that's just how eventful Sunday's was -- but this time for very good reasons. It was cloudy and cool -- the ladies borrowed jackets from a nearby vendor -- but there was no rain. For this reason, the customers were out on the grounds and so were we. After a nourishing lunch that included some amazingly tasty cherries Kathy picked up for the trip, we began our two-hour set. We made sure it was as chock-full of 4-parters as possible. And we sounded GOOD. Of special note is Mary Lou, who smiled and ripped into "Midnight Blue" with gusto, even though I played it in the wrong key!

We got lots of compliments, sold a couple of CDs and were thrilled to be visited by Tim and Bob Nationals Vicki, Linda, and Loyce. Vicki really enjoyed our music. It was a thrill to watch her sing along and dance in her own special style.

After breaking down and loading up our cars, we took the time to visit some of the vendors. Being as it was a lavender festival, the plant was infused in almost everything on offer. We sampled some lavender vanilla ice cream, lavender peach tea, and even lavender sangria. My favorite was the lavender lemonade. Tasty.

It had certainly been a tale of two days, but we left Becker with good feelings for the wonderful location, the friendly people, and the excellent wine. We hope to play there again soon.

We're back in San Antonio for the next several weekends; You'll find a list of our upcoming gigs HERE . And, while you're perusing our web site, stop HERE and tell us what you think!

On the morning of Saturday, May 9, Steve and I loaded up his Mazda with four guitars, a dozen or so music books, a few snacks, some unbreakable [evidently] picks, capos, music stands, guitar cords, implements of percussion, bottled water, and a couple of bottles of The Elixir of Life [also known as Diet Dr. Pepper]. Once suitably packed, we were off to IH10 to travel east to Houston – or, more specifically, to a Marina on Lake Houston on the outskirts of Humble, Texas.

What could possibly cause two reasonably sane and reasonably mature gentleman to give up much of their weekend to drive 450 miles round trip? Well, there was food, there was drink, there was music, but most of all there was the fellowship of some of the Texas membership of the Acoustic Guitar Forum. Once again Joe [The Guitarman] and his wife Vickie were the hosts of the annual Lake Houston AGF jam. These jams feature fantastic BBQ chicken, spicy crawfish, corn-on-the-cob, and baked potatoes – all supplied by the hosts. Participants bring soft drinks, desserts, help out with the cooking, or – in the case of Steve and me – by providing song books for jamming. And, of course, the reason for our being there was the reason for the very existence of the AGF: the love of looking at, admiring, handling, and playing some wonderful acoustic guitars – and one electric [Steve can’t leave his Epiphone at home, after all].

At The Guitarman’s request, Steve and I started the music off by plugging in to the “open mic” and singing a few songs. After Stetson and Tania followed us up there to sing and play, it was time for food and yakking, for meeting new friends, and greeting old ones. And then came the circle jam. Using books that contained about 25 of the songs that are Tim and Bob Show staples, about a dozen of us grabbed guitars and traded licks. Stetson's wife and Aggie 182 took care of the percussion beautifully. A highlight for Steve and me was franchelB’s arrival. Francis knows more songs than we do, and he can play any instrument we can think of better than either of us ever hope to. Most fun.

The highlight for me was hanging with Chris and Mo [Antonio Salieri & Mo’sArt], and borrowing her Alvarez 12-string. Steve got to play a lot of strange guitars, and I got to do an old country song with yet another Steve [Stetson]. Wildbill962 stopped helping Joe with the cooking long enough to grab a guitar and play with us, JNowlin provided some tasty leads, Tania helped immeasurably with the vocals, and Aggie182 contributed a weird but highly useful box that was the key to the gates of percussion heaven.

It was well after 6 when we left, and it was 11:30 in the evening by the time I got back to my house. I’d racked my voice up singing [shouting] so badly I had to sit out choir the next morning, but it was well worth it.

Thanks to Joe and Vickie for hosting, and for everyone who was there to make it a grand day out. Next year, we hope to get the whole band to attend. Here’s the final list of AGF members and players:

The Guitarman [wife Vickie, son Shawn, and Uncle Floyd], Mo’sArt, Antonio Salieri, franchelB [and family], JNowlin, Larry H. in Texas, Stetson [and wife and daughter], Aggie182 [and his wife], Tania, wildbill1962 & [and wife], and Phuufme [Steve], DonBob [Don]

Yes, Spring must officially be here for The Tim and Bob Show, because our pollen-postponed return to Beto's finally occurred on Friday, April 10. And we were more than ready for it.

We love Beto's staff, their patio, the customers, and -- especially their food. I had the taco al pastor with borracho beans, rice and salad. Yum. But I digress.

With Kathy's play opening soon, the lineup was one short. Mary Lou was there to help Steve and me with the singing and the audience mingling. We broke out our towels for the first time this year and, in true South Texas fashion, soon realized that we needed them less than we could have used long sleeves. Yep, after a week that featured one day with a high of 99 [!], there we were lightly chilled in our Tim and Bob Show 2008 World Tour of South Texas tee-shirts while our towels sat abandoned like the nerdy guy at the Senior Prom.

This being an outdoor gig, Steve got a lot of use out of his Epiphone as well as his beloved Taylor acoustic. As a matter of fact, Steve wound up with quite a little fan club. Two young guys -- each in tee-shirts with guitar motifs -- positioned themselves within inches of his Taylor and stood stock still while he played and sang "Fire and Rain." The older of the two might have been 11 or so. Steve was more spooked than delighted by his new position of fascinator of pre-teens. Anyhow, once he'd finished, they made a song request. And what sort of song does an 11-year-old South Texan want to hear? Why, "something by Bob Dylan" of course. Since Dylan is my territory, I complied with "Don't Think Twice" -- aka "Flatpicker's Delight."

There were some Tim and Bob-ites there. Hillary and Matt, Bethany and Matt, and Preslee and Marcelo [with whom I spent a little time chortling over the recent Bolivia-Argentina soccer result]. Joining this crew were Rusty and Paula, who drove down from the Dallas area to visit Hillary -- and the rest of us. Mary Lou and I had heard a lot of good things about these people, and we were surprised that they were even more wonderful than advertised. They are new friends of the band, and good friends of each of its members.

How did we sound? Fantastic, of course. If you'd care to check out just how fantastic that sound is, come to one of our upcoming gigs. You'll find a list of them HERE . And, while you're perusing our web site, stop HERE and tell us what you think!

The weekend of April 4 and 5 is one The Tim and Bob Show will remember for a very long time. Both days featured new venues for the band to play, although we were very familiar with each of them.

On Saturday, we caravanned up I10 towards Fredericksburg to play for two hours at Becker Winery in Stonewall. We had been up there many times before, primarily to taste the wine, and also to turn our feet purple. Our last visit had been a few months earlier to listen to Steve and Kathy sing Christmas music with the Merrie Court Singers. But this was the first time for the band to play there. Nichole was there to welcome us, and we set up on their spacious porch with their magnificent lavender fields just over our shoulders. It was a wine-tasting frenzy, and every 30 minutes or so new folks showed up. Tim and Bobber's Steve and Jackie [who saw us on our most recent winery gig in Lampasas] showed up again for more music -- or was it for more wine? In any event, we were well received and had a lot of good comments and applause. The highlight for us was when a very cultured lady appeared and told us how much she felt our music was appropriate for the occasion. This meant a lot, because the lady was Mrs. Becker herself. What a way to spend an absolutely glorious South Texas Saturday afternoon. Only one thing stopped it from being perfect: the lines were so long, we never got a chance to buy any Becker wine for ourselves!

After church on Sunday, the band reunited at a local burger joint for a quick lunch before going over to play a short 10-song gig for my oldest and dearest friend Bruce and his lovely lady Sheila. I've known them both since 1967, Mary Lou met them in 1976, and Steve and Kathy met them in 2000. This is only part of it, though. It was Bruce who first interested me in writing, taught me about art and "serious" music, was my first stage director, and who -- one afternoon in 1975 -- handed me a slip of paper with 15 words on it. Those 15 words turned out to be the beginning of The Tim and Bob Show original tune "Raccoon Rumble-seat." Bruce also directed Mary Lou and Kathy in several of his self-authored murder mysteries [some of which I also appeared in] and, in Mary Lou's case, some of his original Christmas "Pantos." It was in one of the latter productions that he convinced Mary Lou to sing. The fact that she's contributing her alto vocals to the group today is down to Bruce. Steve also has a history with Bruce, having performed in two of the Valentines Day special shows at the old Alamo Street Theater with Kathy that were organized by Bruce and Sheila. Finally, it was at Bruce and Sheila's house that Mary Lou and I married nearly 32 years ago.

Bruce has been availing himself of more than his share of the region's medical expertise in recent months, and doesn't get about much. It was for this reason that we set this private performance up with them, and why we kept it relatively short. They invited their friends Wally [who I also first met in 1967], their neighbors Ken and Billie, and Tim and Bob National Marcie. We set up in one of Bruce's several artistic workspaces and played "unplugged." We started with our a'capella version of Johnny Mercer's "Dream" -- a huge favorite of Bruce's -- and ended with "Raccoon Rumble-seat". Sheila assured us that we had made The Maestro happier than he'd been in ages. We were pretty happy also. We had given a little bit back to a man who has given us all so much over the years.

Where will we go next? Where will we play? Check out our next gigs HERE. And if you have some spare time, go take a look at our collection of photographs HERE. And, if you have some spare money, go crazy! buy our CD HERE!

And, as always, tell us what YOU THINK!.

The weekend of March 28 and 29 is well into South Texas springtime, and that should mean certain things. Will it be cold? Yes. Will it be warm? Yes. Will the dreaded Mountain Cedar pollen be under control? Yes. Will the dreaded Oak pollen be raging? Yes. But will there be wine and pizza and music? Oh, most definitely yes. And so it was that The Tim and Bob Show had yet another two-gig weekend. And since the weather was cooperating, both gigs were held outdoors.

Our first appearance was Saturday night at WineStyles, Stone Oak. Our last two performances there found us inside sheltering from the cold and, as a result of the constricted space, doing without the musical stylings of the women. Steve and I did our best, but it can't be the band's best without Kathy and Mary Lou. This time, all four of us were there, and we capitalized on it in a big way. Our set list was chock full of four-parters and everyone did his or her part to rock the premises. We set up under the shelter of a huge Live Oak tree in WineStyle's patio and offered our music up into the stars.

Tim and Bob nationals Hillary and Matt were there, and so was "the other Matt" also known as FulhamAg, who dropped by after the USA Soccer match to order a beer from San Antonio's finest wine shop. It was a great night, made even better by the presence of both Kathy and Mary Lou. The former will be in a play shortly, while the latter will be visiting relatives also in a short time. It was good to have them with us.

The same was true the very next night at Fralo's Art of Pizza, the site of our very first gig going on four years ago. The weather was cooperative -- it was a bit warmer than the previous evening -- and the skies were clear and the Oak trees sheltered the band. We did our usual mixture of covers from the 60s and 70s and original tunes. Steve wailed out on the electric when the material called for it, and allowed us to enjoy some deft finger-picking on his Taylor on quieter selections. Once again we rocked the joint. The favorite for me for BOTH gigs was our original "South Texas Saturday Night" -- a song inspired by Fralo's and included on our CD.

Tim and Bob National Casey showed up along with Leo and Belen and their daughter Laura. It was great to see Leo and Belen, who last saw us at Fralo's two years ago. They said they drove down from Austin just to see us, but I think they really came down to see Laura. We also made new friends in Steve, Eileen, and Ian, and James and Steffy. When the night was over, Fralo's presented us with "a pizza to go." What a night.

And what a weekend. What next? Well, you know you want to find out. Check out our website's "next gigs"! page [while you're there, look at the photographs!]. and watch your inbox for gig alerts.

It's time for outdoor live music, folks! Support your local rock 'n rollers.

The weekend of March 20 and 21 was a wonderful time for The Tim and Bob Show. On Friday, we got to return to Orderup for our regular monthly gig. We really missed this funky little Taqueria, Pizzeria, Burgeria, since we had to cancel our February gig due to the unparalleled horrors of South Texas Cedar Fever. We were all better – at least physically – and were ready to rock and roll for our close friends. We were short Kathy, however, who had once again yielded to the muse of live theater. She was rehearsing her new play – Angel Street – the play on which the classic movie Gaslight was based. So, in other words, she gave up singing with the group for a couple of months in order to be Ingrid Bergman. Go figure!

We did our best without her, and had a great time. Our loyal friends Louie and Cathy [and their daughter Olivia] were there – they hardly ever miss us – and they brought their friend Stephen, who was visiting from Colorado Springs. Casey and Pam, who never miss an Orderup gig, were also there, and new Tim and Bob Nationals [but old friends] David and Chara finally made the grueling 5-block trip to come and listen.

As usual, Orderup meant a party with even the glorious wait staff getting in on the fun. All too soon it was over, and we were packing up and resting up for Saturday.

On Saturday, we drove over to Friedrich Park to set up for an afternoon gig. The Friends of Friedrich Park were honoring the hard-working volunteers who educate and guide visitors to this lovely public space, as well as helping to maintain the aesthetic purity of the environment. Like all volunteers, they do their work from love, and like all volunteers, they’re not paid. We were there to entertain them while they received thanks from the group’s organizers and while they tasted the fantastic food that was prepared. Kudos to the miniature quiches in phyllo dough laced heavily with roasted garlic. A major, serious yum!

I had already had an incomparable Saturday morning, and was looking forward to a great afternoon. I was definitely not disappointed. Because we had missed Kathy’s contributions the night before, Steve and I decided to list as many four-parters as we could manage. Included in the list was our debut of “Afternoon Delight.” Now, I had demurred at adding this to our repertoire, but people kept saying that it was perfect for a guitar-based four-person mixed group who relied on harmonies and acoustic sounds. Wow, That’s us! So, we relented and have been working on it for a long time. We were a little nervous, but – what can I say – we nailed it.

The audience was very appreciative, but we couldn’t say good-bye without saluting them and the good work that they do preserving nature’s beauty and helping people enjoy the wonders of South Texas ecology. We were referred to this worthy group by old friends [and education and theater colleagues] Karl and Melva. While we met a lot of new friends, we reserve special mention for Diane, Peggy, Patsy, and Jayne. What great fun to play surrounded by nature.

Once we broke down, we followed Steve and Kathy back to their Green Spring Valley home for a quick change of clothes. Once that was accomplished, it was off to the San Antonio School of the Performing Arts. They were having an open house, and The Merrie Court Singers were performing selections from their Renaissance repertoire. Steve and Kathy have been members of this a’capella choral group for over 20 years. Along with Tim and Bob Nationals Gary, Karl, Meg, and Lindsay, they dress in period costumes – Steve says his makes him look 700 years younger – and knock out audiences with their incredible vocal styles and audience rapport. Mary Lou and I have been their biggest fans and unabashed groupies for seven or eight years. They do most of their work during the Christmas season, but this was one of their wonderful Spring/Summer performances – including works written by composers as famous as a young student of the clergy who later grew up to be Henry VIII of England.

While Kathy is the acknowledged theater performer of the group, Steve wound up stealing the show with his antics during “Now is the Month of Maying.” Mary Lou and I sat with Matt, Hillary, and a group of others smiling, applauding, and completely blown away by their talent. A quick change and the four of us were off for Thai food and a toast [with water] for an enjoyable, if tiring, weekend spent in the service of music as healing for the soul.

Life is good – especially when music and friends are a part of it.

Back to the world of work and then we’re off for more adventures next weekend. In the meantime, TELL US WHAT YOU THINK!.

Early Saturday morning -- well, early for musicians anyhow -- The Tim and Bob Show retraced the route of our favorite road trip: up US281 for the two-hour jaunt to Pillar Bluff Winery in the bustling metropolis of Lampasas, Texas. Bustling, did I say?

Anyhow, we experienced a few sprinkles as Steve and I picked up our rental van from the SA Airport. We're in a strange position down this way. We get so little rain, we hate to complain about it when we do, but the previous evening's gig had been canceled by what we fervently hoped was the last of a three-day downpour that amounted to more than two inches in the immediate San Antonio area, and nearly four inches in some places over the Edwards Aquifer Recharge Zone -- just as our prolonged drought was threatening us with water-use restrictions. There were about 15 more drops of water as we loaded up the van with our musical equipment, folding chairs, and road trip necessities like cheese, grapes, crackers, water, a well-thumbed crossword puzzle book, and a bottle of the elixir of life for both Steve and me. For the uninitiated, that elixir is commercially known as Diet Dr. Pepper.

As usual, Steve was at the wheel as we motored up. Eventually the raindrops disappeared, but there was still heavy overcast, dark skies, a bit of north wind, and temperatures in the low 40s. And ... we were heading north. When we arrived at Pillar Bluff, we noticed that Gill's covered event area was devoid of the tell-tale earmarks of impending partying. When we stuck our noses inside, we discovered that the wind, damp, and cold had convinced Gill to move the performance space inside -- that is in the cask room and in the patio out back where cases of wine are stored. We figured to have more space to play in the latter area, but were unsure how it would be an improvement over the wide open covered ring-shaped space we have grown used to in the past year. Well, we hadn't seen what Gill could do with opaque plastic sheeting, a rickety step ladder, and alligator clips. [Note the picture above!] Once he was finished, we had a good windbreak behind us, and a propane pedestal heater to warm the cockles of ... I guess, everything. By 2 o'clock we were ready to play.

The crowds remained small throughout the day, but they really paid attention to what we did and were appreciative of our efforts. With Kathy being cast in a show, and with Mary Lou just a month or so away from a visit to her family in California, we knew that we wouldn't be able to play a whole lot more gigs with a full four-person compliment, so we pretty much threw everything we had into performing. About midway through our second set, we established a firm connection with the folks who were seated near us and in the next room. From then on, it was party time at the winery. Sure-fire crowd pleasers like "Locomotion," "Mustang Sally," and "Pretty Woman" got people rocking, but I believe it was the performance of our original four-parter "It Ends; It Begins" that excited people the most. Mary Lou and I left the stage to Steve and Kathy after that one for a bit of rest. We didn't get any, though, because once folks realized that this was an original tune and was available on our CD, the two of us spent most of the short break selling CDs and saying "thanks" to the folks that dropped money into our tip jar.

The good party atmosphere continued right through to our traditional last song "Bye-bye Love." We had to interrupt our break-down of equipment to shake hands with the remaining Pillar Bluff customers, and pose for some snapshots. Wow, what a day. All of us sounded good in solo vocals, duos, and in our four-parters, but if there was a "star of the day," it had to be Steve's new baby -- his Epiphone electric. All our rockers sounded harder and edgier whenever he wailed away. Great day.

What made it an even nicer day was the fact that Joyce and her friend Tom drove down from North Texas to see us. We had met Joyce on our first visit to Pillar Bluff last year, and it was the first time we'd seen her since. She told us she'd planned her whole weekend around our performance. That was very nice to hear. We also discovered that we weren't the only people to drive up from San Antonio. Steve and Sandy drove up from Schertz and brought their friends Trish and Angie. We also made some new friends in Amy, Rick, Vi and Stephanie.

What could possibly top off a day like this? Well, Gill invited us out to dinner in what appeared to be "Historic Downtown Lampasas'" ONLY restaurant. Along with Gill's wife Peggy, his brother Bill, and his sister-in-law Susie, we enjoyed a great meal in Eve's Cafe -- a funky little place with friendly wait staff and wonderful German-themed food. Bill, who is also a Vintner, brought along a sample of his most popular wine (Petite Syrah, yum), and we each had a glass. Wow. Texas wines are wonderful.

Finally, we were off, retracing our steps through the Hill Country and back into San Antonio. Although we were all exhausted, nobody came close to closing their eyes. Since Steve had left his night driving glasses at home, I was chosen to pilot our rental van back home in the dark. Believe me when I tell you that EVERYBODY stayed wide awake at that frightening prospect.

Where next for the unstoppable Tim and Bob Machine? Check out the "upcoming gigs" section of our home page. And while you're there, go to our guest page and Tell us what YOU think!.