There is nothing quite as imposing as performing in front of people from your own hometown for the first time. Two weeks ago, while on tour in NY, I had the chance to do so. The Reformed Church of Schoharie, founded in like 1689 or something like that hosted me for a show. It was a lovely evening and as chance would have it, the night before was my 30th high school reunion so a group of old classmates showed up along with some fraternity brothers from college (Theta Delta Chi, Union College). I'm not sure if I should have chosen a Bruce Springsteen song to end the first set, but I don't think it was a mistake from anyone's perspective when we slammed out a killer version of "The Glass Bar".
Attending the performance that night was my old (as in "senior") choir director from high school, Frances B. Tripp, now 84 years of age. The reason I remember her middle initial is that for some reason she always spoke of her husband in the same quirky manner. He was never "Fred". He was always "H. Fred". Now I could spend a couple chapters talking about Frances, but I'll impart just a few snapshots. She was a delightful, cranky, taskmaster of the old school which believed if you're gonna do something "dammit, do it right." To that end she worked our choir mercilessly on everything from Handel's "Messiah" to the Carpenter's "We've Only Just Begun" and everything in between. She rarely lost her temper. She just maintained a steady stream of directives (or should I say invectives) and small pearls of wisdom (and an occasional caustic criticism of the soprano's) to keep us in line. Nothing was left to chance with her. Before every concert as the ladies strode up onto the risers she'd bark; "Lord, ladies don't bang up there like you're trompin' the back forty. For God's sake!) Then she'd mimic what "trompin' the back forty" meant and she'd vigorously swing her arms and pound across the stage, banging her feet down with each step like a cow flicking flies from her tits. (You must realize, this was a country school so this kind of colloquial talk we all understood. BTW, "trompin' the back forty" means the last 40 acres of your property for those of you "dimwits" who were raised in the city. Another politically incorrect Frances B. term.) God I love this woman!
As soon as she saw me she asked, "Now tell me, Joe, were you the Uveges' boy I threw my shoe at in the tenor section all those years ago? I only threw my shoes once in 50 years and it was at a Uveges and a Sokol I believe." I laughed and told her that it was my brother John and his best friend (and long time partner of mine here in Colorado Springs) Jim Sokol that she'd tried to decapitate. The two of them were famous cut ups and deserved every shoe thrown in their direction but that's another story. In any case, Frances came to the show that night and I acknowledged her from stage. I also got to tell her that I'd carried around a bit of baggage all these years from her. She looked quizzical. I explained thusly: "When you chose me as one of the male leads for "Brigadoon" in my junior year I was extremely proud until I realized that it wasn't a singing part. The part of "Jeff" is meant to be a cynical, hard drinking, and very funny part . . . without a single line that is sung, not even the choral parts. I took to the part immediately, hysterical "Librarian" guy that I am, but I always carried the idea that she'd chosen me, not because I was funny, but because she didn't like my voice. For years and years I fussed about that ridiculous idea. It just goes to show you that for all of us, we find it so much easier to project our negative interpretations of ourselves onto others, as if they must believe these things of us. It would be so much more lovely if we could see ourselves in all our radiant beauty. I still struggle with this now, crazy as it might sound.
Enough of Schoharie, NY. Thanks to all the new members of my mailing list. Welcome, and buy some CD's for Christmas. $15 each, checks to Joe Uveges 222 LaClede Ave. CS CO 80905. (new zip).
Peace Out. . .j
Friday. Oct 24th. Black Rose Acoustic Music Society Black Forest Community Center. "The R-U-B" in concert for our last show of the year. 7PM Tickets are $5 for non members, less for members. There are 2 opening acts. We'll go on about 7:45pm or so. This is my second engagement here this year, the first was absolutely packed. I've never done the show with Susan and KJ though so I'm really looking forward to putting a country/bluegrass twist on the trio.
!!Lafayette, CO!! Sunday Nov. 9th 9:30AM Am service AND 11Am -12AM concert at New Horizons CSL (Science of Mind Community) 200 East Baseline Road in the Rocky Mountain School of Music Building
Tickets are $12.00 This is my second visit to New Horizons. It is a small but vibrant community just east of Boulder. We've decided to have a concert directly after the service. I hope anyone on the north end of Denver will consider joining us for service and/or the concert.
Fri. Nov. 24th Palmer Lake, CO. "The Speed Trap". Contact Pete at speedtrap@peterspad.com for more information. I believe the show is free and I'm considering inviting my friend Jenn Griffis to join me for it. Any votes?
The below is an unpaid advertisement. The RUB had a song chosen for the COPPER CD which features original music from Colorado Springs based musicians. KJ's tune "It Just Takes a Minute" was our contribution. All the artists are being featured in the next 6 months. See this link for details. Our night is Thurs. Nov. 20th at Studio Bee of the Pikes Peak Center. . .
www.pikespeakcenter.com/showcaseatstudiobee
Love on all. . . BTW, plan your Christmas shows now! I'd love to do a few band gigs at some giant Christmas parties again this year. KJ, Susan and the boys would as well. Blessings. . . J
Uveges News Archives:
November, 2008 Uveges News
"The R-U-B with John Wise, Stories from Hometown"
September, 2008 Uveges News
"Joe, with the RUB, Albany(NY) Portland (OR) and Lafayette,CO"
August, 2008 Uveges News
"On House painting, poor color choices.... Spokane, Missoula, etc."
July, 2008 Uveges News
"Swimmer's Ear, The RUB, etc. "
June, 2008 Uveges News
"THE RUB, plus the updated summer Schedule,
N.Mexico, Spokane, Missoula Penrose"
May, 2008 Uveges News
"Summer Schedule, Touring and 'Driving' Now Available"
March/April, 2008 Uveges News
"Karl Marx Lesson, Colorado Springs
and Denver shows, N.East tour"
January, 2008 Uveges News
"Portland OR, HPUUC, Soul Link, and NASCAR"
October, 2007 Uveges News
"When Freedom Calls CD Release Concert "
September, 2007 Uveges News
"The End of Summer . . .Portland,
Black Forest, Monarch"
August, 2007 Uveges News
"Working Boys (Cont),
Aug./ Sept shows, Olive Branch Returns every Thurs"
July, 2007 Uveges News
"On summer projects, boys, and schedule"
June, 2007 Uveges News
"Ducks in trees, the Philharmonic, and schedule for june, july"
(click here)
April/May, 2007 Uveges News
Late April, Early May shows
and the story of the "Stinking Ant Eater"
(click here)
March, 2007 Uveges News
This weekend in C.Springs, and New Hampshire end of March
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February, 2007 Uveges News
Soul Link with S. Rissman, N. Hampshire etc.
(click here)
November, 2006
Pre-marital Sex, Tours and End of Year Shows
(click here)
September, 2006
CABOOM!!!
(click here)
August, 2006
August 06 Co.Springs, Creede, Trinidad
(Click here)
July, 2006
On Maggot Farming and the summertime schedule
(Click here)
June, 2006
Summer Musings and Schedule Through Late August
(Click here)
April, 2006
Music and Rafting on Bighorn Sheep Canyon
(Click here)
March, 2006
March shows and Monarch Ski resort
(Click here)
January, 2006
Soul Link
(Click here)
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