Just a few weeks ago I received a call from a previous customer, Jenia Myers, asking if I was available to play at a wedding on January 2nd. I said sure, I’d love to, thinking it was going to be a wedding for one of her 5 sons. Turns out it was her wedding to Joe. Since playing at her son’s wedding 4 years ago we’ve stayed in touch and it was great to be part of her very special wedding and reception. Lynn was able to travel with us so Nate, Lynn and I packed up around 1:00 to head to Gibsonville for the wedding. We had a little trouble finding the venue (Garmin Nuvi doesn’t always know addresses as most of you probably know). But using driving directions from the North East Meeting and Event Center website I was able to drive up just as the manager arrived to let us in.. .great timing. We rolled the wagons in and setup the Bose, my guitar setup and Nathan’s acoustic drums in no time… sure helps when there are three of us setting up.

Around 4:30 I started providing acoustic guitar music as guests arrived. Then at 5:00 the wedding began. The bridesmaids entered to Cannon in D and then it was time for Jenia to come down the isle. It seems even though I’ve done this so much there are often times that I can say, wow, that’s a first. That happened for them. Her sons walked her down the isle, one at a time. They were spaced out about 10 yards apart and each took turns escorting their mom for their portion of the walk. It was precious.

With the ceremony complete it was time for a little background music while guests said hello to the bride and groom. Then pictures were taken and it was time to eat. Nathan and I played our most current wedding event set list (mentioned below) and all the songs went over very well. The bride/groom first dance was to Bless the Broken Road. Then mom danced with each of her 5 sons to the song Anglels by Randy Travis. Having 5 sons dance with bride was a first too for me… I sang through the song 3 times to make it last long enough. J Then Joe and his daughter danced to I Loved Her First by Heartland.

It was great seeing Jenia’s family again. It doesn’t seem like it’s been 4 years since I last played for them but seeing her 2-yr-old granddaughter Carrie there proves it… Man time flies doesn’t it. Nathan, Lynn and I had a great time being part of this very,very precious event and were honored that Joe and Jenia chose us to provide their music.

Nathan and I were very honored to provide the music for the wedding and reception of Erin Denkler and Jeff Marley. Just last year I provided the music for her sister’s wedding at the beach and in the months since then their entire family has become very loyal fans. So around 11:30 on Monday Nathan and I loaded up the trailer and headed towards Asheville, NC for the wedding and reception at one of the area’s coolest wedding venues, Homewood Event and Conference Center. We arrived without any problems even though the night before much of Asheville was without power due to ice storms. This was my second time playing at Homewood so I knew what to expect… that is a great staff, a really cool big main room with awesome acoustics and most importantly to anyone lugging in equipment, an elevator. We arrived around 2:45 and began setting up. Heidi was there to meet us and was as friendly and helpful as last time and within minutes we had tables cleared and a place for Nate and I to set things up. We finished the sound check around 4:15, just as the first guests started arriving. Nate took the “wagons” to the storage area and I began playing and singing for the prelude portion of the wedding.

Since this was my second time providing music for a wedding for this family most of them already knew me and I noticed that as soon as I started playing the crowd noise just stopped… I mean stopped… so quiet in there with folks listening and craning the necks to look back at where I was (in the very back of the room for the wedding, which became the front of the room for the reception… more later about that). The couple had requested a set list of mostly Christmas music to be sung and played as their guests arrived and I was really happy to do that. I started out with Christmas In Dixie, which was very appropriate with all the snow on the ground. I sang other standards including Silver and Gold, White Christmas, Silent Night, O Holy Night and Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas. Then it was time for the grandmothers and mothers to enter to the song Mary Did You Know. The bridesmaids entered to Canon In D and the bride entered to the Bridal March. The ceremony was short but very special… maybe because I’ve become very close to Erin and Jeff and their families over the last 18 months but it just seemed so perfect. Jeff is very proud of his Cherokee heritage (as he should be) so it was so cool that a special part of the ceremony was a Cherokee blessing on the wedding and family. I pronounce you as Mr. and Mrs., permission to kiss and then they exited to Joy to the World. Nathan and I then played a few jazz/blues instrumental renditions as the guests exited the main hall into the cocktail area.

Heidi, Monroe and the Homewood crew then magically and quickly transformed the room into a formal round table setup for the reception dinner and party. Nathan and I continued playing for the cocktail hour… they could hear us but we couldn’t see them… which was a little weird, but the Homewood crew was rocking out and singing along to the song selections as they rushed to set everything up though, which was cool to watch. We started this time out by playing John Mayer’s version of I’ve Got a Woman, complete with blues harp solos and really cool drum licks and grooves. Pretty soon guests returned to the main room for the beginning of the dinner/party portion. I announced Mr. and Mrs. Marley as they entered the room and the crowd went crazy because they were in the room and… food could then be immediately served. I’ll not list every song we played but there were many that I remember as being just right. We started out with a couple of Patsy Cline songs (Walking After Midnight and Crazy). Other songs I remember playing include “How Come” and “You Are The Best Thing” by Ray LaMontagne, “Desporados Waiting On a Train” and” I’ll Take a Little Of Both” by Guy Clark, “Magnolia” by JJ Cale, “Cripple Creek” by the Band, “Drift Away” by Uncle Kracker, “You Got What It Takes” by Michael Buble, “Man of Constant Sorrow”, “I’ll Fly Away” and “Will The Circle Be Unbroken” by Foggy Bottom Boys, “Crash” by Dave Mathews, “Come Together” by the Beatles, “Leather and Lace” and “Landslide” by Fleetwood Mac, “Fly Me To the Moon” by Frank Sinatra, “Wagon Wheel” by “Old Crow Medicine Show”, “Amy” by Pure Prarie League, “Crazy Love” by Poco.

So that got us to the special songs, beginning with the first dance. Erin and Jeff chose “All I Want Is You” by U2. After learning it last week I had grown to really love the version we were going to do and it turned out to be very special. The bride and groom literally sang the song to each other as they danced/hugged on the dance floor. The father/daughter dance was to my version of Louis Armstrong’s “Wonderful World” and then the mother and son danced to Nat King Cole’s “Smile” which I also learned for the occasion. What a great song for a Mother/Son dance. So with that part of the night complete it was “let the dancing begin” time. When Nate and I started into “My Girl” by the Temptations the dance floor overflowed with couples. We stayed on the beach music theme and went right into “I Love Beach Music” by The Embers. Next up was “Play That Funky Music White Boy” by Wild Cherry. Then a little slow dancing to Etta James’ “At Last”. We then DJ’d a couple of songs for folks to line dance to including The Electric Slide (by request), The Cha Cha Slide and the Chicken Dance song for the kids (and kids at heart).

Nathan and I took the stage again and played out the night until the couple danced their last song of the evening to Norah Jones’ “Come Away With Me”. Then off they went to their honeymoon and the room emptied as it always does and Nathan and I proceeded to pack up the “stuff”, which is what we really get paid to do anyway… we’d play for free if it were not for that most nights. So stuff into the trailer and off we went to drive the 2 ½ hours back to home. Arrived safely. It’s so cool to be able to make music with your son like I do with Nathan. For one thing it gives me lots of captive time to talk with him about life and “stuff”. Our conversations going home always include a “how do you think it went” discussion. If you’ve never known a musician then this is always a constant theme for the driving home conversations among the band. I imagine everyone does this because we play to please and we always want to get better and better. So, Nathan said he thought it was the best we’d ever sounded together and I have to agree. For this show Nate took his acoustic “real” drums instead of the electronic Rolands we usually use. They sounded so much better… purer… more natural… woodsy, kinda raw feeling that we don’t get otherwise. I played the Godin Multiac all night in pure acoustic mode and the match between that and the drums was magical. I’d be so proud to play with Nathan even if he were not my son but knowing that he is makes it even more special. He’s so talented and uses his skills wisely… doesn’t just play to play… he plays with feeling and always at the just right volume for the event and song. As many of you know when I travel alone I play drums with my feet. But let me tell you I can’t hold a candle to Nate and what he adds to the music. Thanks bud. I love you and I love what you do for my music.

So there you have it… Another successful wedding event… full of memories and fun and most importantly… great music. Oh yeah, while tearing down I met one of the guests, Hoss Howard, a Nashville recording artist that was in attendance. He came up lots of praise for the amount of and quality of music that came from just two guys. He was also curious about my guitar so I told him about my very special Canadian-made creation of Robert Godin.  He asked if he could play it... I usually don’t do that but made an exception for him. He sang his next hit song, “Dirt Road”, to Nate and I as we tore down the equipment. Very good to meet you my fellow musician pal and I look forward to coming to see you in Cherokee soon.

Congratulations Erin and Jeff!  I look forward to seeing you again soon.  And, thanks again Betty for being such a dear friend and such a joy to work with.  I only wish you had more daughters to be married soon. :-)

This October I was honored to be one of the entertainers on the Americana Stage at our local Apple Festival, which was attended by 160,000+ folks.  I was also very honored to have my son, Nathan, playing percussion with me for the first time in a very, very long time.  He's gotten to be so very good at this and I had such a great time that he's begun touring with me now.  Here are a few videos from that day:

Opening song, "Say" by John Mayer

I Don't Live In a Dream by Jackie Greene

One of my song, "It's Just Another Day"