Just heard TKennedy & Co.

[billhammond]

Greetings from Cannon Falls, Minn., just a wee bit north of Zumbrota, where Cassie and the Bobs rocked a theater show for an almost sold out and very enthusiastic crowd.

This is a Patsy Cline tribute band, and they were sticklers for doing not even one tune that had not been performed by Patsy. And there was a very nice "educational" component where at a few times in the show, the keyboard player offered up historical facts about Patsy's upbringing, development of her vocal style, building of her career and citing the songs that really moved her up the charts.

Cassie is a force of nature, just has a huge voice (if she were wine, for sure a cabernet sauvignon), and has terrific stage presence -- jocular and lighthearted between songs, but totally committed to the performance when singing. She emotes off the back wall.

Terry plays rhythm on a Kennedy (go figure) archtop and is joined by his neighbor Randy on pedal steel, lead guitar player Steve, drummer (snare only!) Tony, bass player XXXXX Nelson (cannot recall his first name), and keyboardist Annie.

It was a great show, fast-paced and Cassie absolutely nailed every song. The sound system was right on, too, not a single moment of feedback or dead mikes or anyone too loud or soft.

I took off work early and headed south 2-ish to dodge rush hour, motored to Hastings via back roads, eventually stopping for broiled walleye at a real-deal supper club, Wiederholt's in Miesville. It was just a perfect day and I took nothing but county highways in meandering to Cannon Falls and checking into Fawlty Arms before motoring down to Zumbrota, hard by the lovely Zumbro River.

I love these small Midwest towns that band together and save the old movie theater by freshening it up and using it for live music, plays, poetry readings, etc.

My motel room is clean but smells a little like cigar smoke. Oh, well, almost time for beddie bye anyhoo.

Thanks, Terry, for a wonderful evening of music, it was quite magical.

[Deleted]

Apr 17, 2015 23:11:54 GMT -5 billhammond said:

Greetings from Cannon Falls, Minn., just a wee bit north of Zumbrota, where Cassie and the Bobs rocked a theater show for an almost sold out and very enthusiastic crowd.

This is a Patsy Cline tribute band, and they were sticklers for doing not even one tune that had not been performed by Patsy. And there was a very nice "educational" component where at a few times in the show, the keyboard player offered up historical facts about Patsy's upbringing, development of her vocal style, building of her career and citing the songs that really moved her up the charts.

Cassie is a force of nature, just has a huge voice (if she were wine, for sure a cabernet sauvignon), and has terrific stage presence -- jocular and lighthearted between songs, but totally committed to the performance when singing. She emotes off the back wall.

Terry plays rhythm on a Kennedy (go figure) archtop and is joined by his neighbor Randy on pedal steel, lead guitar player Steve, drummer (snare only!) Tony, bass player XXXXX Nelson (cannot recall his first name), and keyboardist Annie.

It was a great show, fast-paced and Cassie absolutely nailed every song. The sound system was right on, too, not a single moment of feedback or dead mikes or anyone too loud or soft.

I took off work early and headed south 2-ish to dodge rush hour, motored to Hastings via back roads, eventually stopping for broiled walleye at a real-deal supper club, Wiederholt's in Miesville. It was just a perfect day and I took nothing but county highways in meandering to Cannon Falls and checking into Fawlty Arms before motoring down to Zumbrota, hard by the lovely Zumbro River.

I love these small Midwest towns that band together and save the old movie theater by freshening it up and using it for live music, plays, poetry readings, etc.

This one, the State Theater, is gonna have freaking MIDORI playing there this year. That I gotta see.

My motel room is clean but smells a little like cigar smoke. Oh, well, almost time for beddie bye anyhoo.

Thanks, Terry, for a wonderful evening of music, it was quite magical.

Now you know where Manuel takes his breaks and hides from Mr. Faulty. Qué

[billhammond]

(Pssst, Marty, I saw a guy who looked like a food inspector in the dining room!)

[dickt]

Bill, you must remember Pat and Sully Stephens from Swannie. She is mainly a grasser but has her own Patsy's Honky Tonk Torch and Twang show for the last several years. DC's Hall Brothers on bass and guitar and Mike Auldridge's older brother on steel.
m.youtube.com/watch?v=dVVUCjm4-zo

[Village Idiot]

I'd love to see them. I'm imagining a relaxed atmosphere with a bit of banter between songs.

[TKennedy]

Thanks a million for coming Bill! That was a total surprise and a real big deal for me to see you there.

About seven years ago Bruce Kelly and I were hired to put together a band for the play "Always Patsy Cline". We had done dumbed down versions of a couple of Patsy songs in other bands and thought it would be easy stuff to play.

The score for the play had all the original changes as played for her sessions in the original keys. Mostly Ab, Eb, Bb, and B with half step modulations in most of the songs.
Almost all closed position jazz chords and progressions. It was a ton of work but one of the best things that ever happened to all of us musically. It forced us out of our comfort zone.
She sang some very sophisticated arrangements. Almost more pop/show tune stuff than what I thought of as three chord country.

The play was a huge success mainly because of Cassie and we added a few more songs and just kept it going as a show. Bruce Kelly the original bass player who was a delightful human being and amazing musician died almost a year ago. He was married to Annie the keyboard player. He was a big force in the band but Todd has done a great job filling in. The first job we did without Bruce was pretty emotional but it worked and we kept it going. It's still really tough for Annie.

Cassie is the most amazing singer I've ever worked with. It just flows out of her. She has pretty much nailed Patsy's phrasing and I really have to tune her out to try to keep the groove.

It's a fun band and it's good that Todd Nelson the bass player is an EMT, I'm a doctor, and Cassie is getting her RN. The average age of our audience is about 85 and it's amazing someone does not die at every show!

Here's a link to a show 6 or 7 years ago that has a couple of my favorite songs that Cassie does. We had our old fiddle player Sami then. She is now playing with a band in Denver "Coal Town Reunion". They are good.

www.facebook.com/353282806433/videos/vb.353282806433/1694198716227/?type=2&theater


An audience member just posted a cell phone video of the show. It's not great but here's one you'll recognize.

www.facebook.com/justine.jacobson/videos/10206335979659576/

[Cosmic Wonder]

Bill, what is a supper club?

Mike

[Deleted]

Apr 17, 2015 23:30:49 GMT -5 billhammond said:

(Pssst, Marty, I saw a guy who looked like a food inspector in the dining room!)

Any big laundry baskets laying around?

[billhammond]

Apr 18, 2015 8:27:47 GMT -5 Cosmic Wonder said:

Bill, what is a supper club?

Mike

They are nightclub/restaurants that are typically not open for lunch or breakfast. The prototypical ones are heavy on meat and potatoes, Manhattans, relish trays, fresh rolls and maybe a little live music for dancing with Da Wife later in the evening.

Wiederholt's checks off all the boxes:

www.wiederholtssupperclub.com/

[billhammond]

Apr 18, 2015 2:54:36 GMT -5 dickt said:

Bill, you must remember Pat and Sully Stephens from Swannie. She is mainly a grasser but has her own Patsy's Honky Tonk Torch and Twang show for the last several years. DC's Hall Brothers on bass and guitar and Mike Auldridge's older brother on steel.
m.youtube.com/watch?v=dVVUCjm4-zo

You bet I remember them and how cool that Pat is doing this. I also did not know until last night that Patsy grew up in AquaductLand.

[aquaduct]

Apr 18, 2015 9:15:52 GMT -5 billhammond said:

Apr 18, 2015 2:54:36 GMT -5 dickt said:

Bill, you must remember Pat and Sully Stephens from Swannie. She is mainly a grasser but has her own Patsy's Honky Tonk Torch and Twang show for the last several years. DC's Hall Brothers on bass and guitar and Mike Auldridge's older brother on steel.
m.youtube.com/watch?v=dVVUCjm4-zo

You bet I remember them and how cool that Pat is doing this. I also did not know until last night that Patsy grew up in AquaductLand.

Yeah, I'm FB friends with both Pat and Sully (never met them in person but such is the nature of this business) and I get notifications for her shows. Have to make it out there one of these days.

[billhammond]

To be clear, Peter, I was talking at the end of that post about Patsy Cline growing up not far from Winchester -- or did I hear that wrong last night?

BTW, here is a sad/compelling account of the plane crash.

members.boardhost.com/patsyclinemusic/msg/1362527954.html

[dickt]

Apr 18, 2015 9:22:39 GMT -5 aquaduct said:

Apr 18, 2015 9:15:52 GMT -5 billhammond said:

You bet I remember them and how cool that Pat is doing this. I also did not know until last night that Patsy grew up in AquaductLand.

Yeah, I'm FB friends with both Pat and Sully (never met them in person but such is the nature of this business) and I get notifications for her shows. Have to make it out there one of these days.

We will all be down at Westmoreland State Park next Thursday through Sunday swapping songs, stories and drinking copious adult beverages. Come on down any time

[dickt]

Apr 18, 2015 9:37:16 GMT -5 billhammond said:

To be clear, Peter, I was talking at the end of that post about Patsy Cline growing up not far from Winchester -- or did I hear that wrong last night?

BTW, here is a sad/compelling account of the plane crash.

members.boardhost.com/patsyclinemusic/msg/1362527954.html

Pat's group played there last year invited by the local Patsy museum or whatever

[aquaduct]

Apr 18, 2015 9:37:16 GMT -5 billhammond said:

To be clear, Peter, I was talking at the end of that post about Patsy Cline growing up not far from Winchester -- or did I hear that wrong last night?

BTW, here is a sad/compelling account of the plane crash.

members.boardhost.com/patsyclinemusic/msg/1362527954.html

Of course. Duh. Must be the jet lag.

Yeah, this is Patsy's hometown. Her childhood house is down on Kent Street. The drugstore she worked at as a teenager just closed last Fall. And she's buried in a cemetery over on 522, although you have to know her real name to find where she's buried. There are still some old timers around that lived and worked with her.

And we do Patsy impersonators like Vegas does Elvis.

[Doug]

Time has finally saved us from drunk girls doing terrible covers of Patsy songs.  For every 50 drunk Patsys one maybe could at least sing.  Today's drunk girls don't know who Patsy Cline was.  It's hard to be offended by bad copies of Brittany. 

Terry when are y'all playing Vegas?  I'd drive up there in a minute (well 2hr) to see y'all.

[RickW]

Sounds like a great trip, and a great show.