Danger Brothers Tour

Saying Goodbye To An Old Family Home And The Land Around It

489 Mcnaughten Rd. February 2005



The Last Winter, 2004.



As the rocks tumbled down the staircase bathed in flames, the ranking firefighters laughed and cheered each other on. The young cadets sat sprawled in their awkward uniforms across the yard watching the old frame house burn to the ground. Their exercise was over, no longer were they putting the fire out room by room. The flames were free to climb the walls and the beams, and turn the house into a billow of smoke that headed into the cold winter sky.

A small crowd had gathered to watch the old house burn, it was after all, a landmark for many. A beautiful small white farm house and a large board & batten white barn. The house, located on Mcnaughten Rd, 1 Mile between Main St. & Broad St. on the east side of Columbus, was a two up two down center staircase house built around 1850, and had been added on too in the late 1950's with a nice modern addition designed by architect Ted Van Fossen, who studied with Frank Lloyd Wright. (Van Fossen would become famous for his Rush Creek Village in Worthington Ohio.) This was one of four family homes we had on Mcnaughten Road where my grandparents had settled in 1909.


489 Mcnaughten Rd, the road is on the right, highlighted by a white picket fence.



While the house burned I drifted in and out of my own memories of the house, through the flames I could see my aunt, with her ever present smile, wearing an apron, bringing me delicious warm cookies out of the oven, for which the 5 year old me, would promptly and discreetly remove the walnut on top, sticking it in my pocket so that she would think I ate it! or, Christmas day 1964, racing slot cars on my cousin's new Strombecker race track, the coolest toy one could have! The countless days spent after school, playing Pool, Risk, Monopoly, Kick The Can, or Pretending we were in the Beach Boys singing and playing tennis racquet guitars, to their album's Surfing USA & Shut Down.
Within those walls, chapters of our lives were written.

My dad shot a pigeon in this barn in 1932, and took across the street to my grandmother, who cooked it up for dinner. This barn is going to be reconstructed in Gahanna Ohio as part of an Arts Complex.




Smith & Postlewaite Cousins, 1948.











The house was charming, and beautiful, the land it sat upon, was rich in wildlife and history. There were remnants of a path that headed west behind the barn and house. As you walked back through a small, gently rolling hills , you passed a pond, with its cattails, frogs, and dragonflies. Zig - zaging along the southern property line south of the pond were the remains of an old split rail fence from the 1800's. Up a short hill from the pond, the trail led to a gate, upon opening the gate you were suddenly in another world, Huge tall trees, all reaching for the sun, with thick narly vines hanging down. Birds singing loudly, dashing from branch to branch, laying claim to their forest territory. For them there was no other concern. There was little sun in woods. Only tiny rays of sunlight could beam through the tall trees. Wherever the sun was touched the ground, little plants and wild flowers grew, answering the suns call to take root and grow. One summer afternoon, when I was a boy of 10, I took a walk through these woods with my aunt. An avid gardiner, she proceeded to name seemingly every bird, tree and flower we came upon. I was in awe of her knowledge.

As the old path descended and curved into a small soggy valley, where a creek had once flowed from the melting glacier 10.000 years ago, you became completely surrounded by the forrest and it animals, immersed in nature you were in a timeless place. Ascending up the hill from the old creek bed, you entered a stand of ancient Oak trees, probably 150 to 200 years old. These tall trees stood proudly for their age, their thick old branches towering over the land, partially enclosing an old pond bullet by my cousins. Here we would go out in small boats, or have camp outs and picnics.

Along the banks of the pond thick green mosses grew. Daffodils planted by my aunt, grew out of the moss. As a boy I would put my bare feet on the moss and let them sink into the soft moss which was so full of life.

When this land was sold, I went back and revisited the old path. I realized that this was actually a remnant of a road from the 1800's or perhaps earlier, that probably went from Big Walnut Creek to Blacklick Creek where their was a salt lick that the indians used.

For one last time, I took my shoes off, and set my feet on the the thick moss, surounded by the same daffodils that had been there some 60 years, my feet sank into the soft moss. There is no carpet finer than nature's. I walked around the land, took some photos, knowing I would never see any of this land again. I also took photos of the house and barn, knowing someday it might be torn down.

That last winter that the old house and barn were still standing, I walked through them, took photos, knocked the plaster off the walls of the house so I could see the original tree trunk beams held together by wooden pins. I Made a "cold call" to some descendants of the family that built the house, they came out and took photos and talked of names from another time, which echoed through the house and barn, where they once lived.

On that cold sunny February day that the firefighters burned the house. I watched every inch of it wisp away into the sky. As the flames consumed the very last walls of the house, a firefighter, threw another rock up the staircase, as he stepped back, he stopped and read the poem that I had tacked to the house:

I have no voice
My voice is what you see.

However, look through my wavy windows,
Let yourself go
and imagine,
Somehwere around 1854
The carpenters, the families, the wagons, gathered around to build me.

Th family's that lived here: The lamp's, Hanson's, Enlow's, Noe's. Mcnaughten's, Dysart's, Pine's, Raine's, Ware's, Smith's, Postlewaites, and many more.

The countless sunrises over the beautiful gentle valley acrss the street.
Snowy cold winter's, beautiful spring showers, which made my garden's sing with colors and smells.

Hot summers, rich fall colors, the seasons seemed to go on forever.

Birth, death, happiness, sadness, and all that is in between.

I have seen all that is life.

Now my time has come.

When you drive by and see no trace of me,

Remember me for a moment.

For I loved being here on Mcnaughten Rd for the last 150 some years.


**************************************
See what's new at http://www.aol.com

Rocking A Flooded Ohio

The trees leaves that would be green were brown, as far as you could see in the valley, the water was lower than it had been, as evidenced by the brown leaves half way up many of the trees. The valley along Tymochtee creek on St. Rt. 53 was still flooded. This being almost a week after the northern half of Ohio was hit with the biggest floods some areas had ever witnessed. Twenty six years of driving all over Ohio to play Rock & Roll, we have seen heat waves, droughts, & huge thunderstorms. Sometimes we are the only car on the road for miles, driving through snow storms & freezing cold, but not flooding like this. The Tymochtee valley, looked like a lake. Corn fields were buried in brown water, and roads were closed.

Traveling around to the shows has has been nothing but an adventure from the start of the ignition, the first crack of my snare drum, to the last beer poured into the trombone. I wouldn't trade these moments for any others.

This years tour has been no exception, so many people and places, so many stories. The huge crowd at the first ever United Way Dance at the Car Tunes on Main in Findlay, Bill & me singing the National Anthem for 5000 people at the Greene County Fair to open the "Calf Scramble", or Dave, standing at the top of the grandstand at the Coschocton County Fairgrounds, doing guitar windmills for a large crowd of predominantly senior citizens, all with big smiles. In that crowd, an elderly man, stretching his three pronged cane out, to reach the play money that had been tossed out,sliding some of it to his wife, who then leaned over an picked it up, or the 12 or 13 year old Jacob Wasserman, from Atlanta, who joined us for 3 songs at the Maumee River Yacht Club and rocked the tent!!
At Bremenfest, bringing up Terry Wyngart to my drumset accomapined by his seeing eye dog, and hearing him play a great version of Johnny B Goode!!

The National Tractor Pulling Championship at Bowling Green was truly awesome. Walking around looking at 9000 horsepower "tractors" and talking with the participants was lots of fun. The setting for the show had all the looks of a dud, one end of the oval track at the Wood County Fairgrounds, not a soul in sight. Probably 300 racing haulers with huge tractors sitting next to them, but not a lot of people. About 5 minutes before show time, like out of a science fiction movie, golf carts came from every direction across the infield, members of the Pulling teams, hanging all over them: instant crowd!

Over the years, we have spent a lot of time in Toledo and this year was no exception. The Cinco Di Maya party thrown by Clear Channel was huge. That was extra fun for me, because Bill could not make the event, my keyboard playing brother Sterling came in from Los Angles and rocked with us. My brother stayed in Columbus for three days and our progressive rock trio,The Load, recorded some tracks for our new CD. We put in about three 12 hour days. The Ribs on the River Rib Festival is always fun, quite hot on the open stage, and cool in the shade of the trees where the crowd sprawls across the natural amphitheater. Thanks to all the participants who brought their ribs up to the stage, they were delicious!! The next night was the Maumee River Yacht Club, perhaps the most rocking event we play every year, and there is a reason. Set up on the banks of the Maumee River, the crowd is at an angle to the stage and right up against it, they either have to participate or leave!!

The Dangers have an unspoken motto, the less people that are at a show, the crazier we get. The Greene County Fair at Xenia, lived up to that. Our first time there, we had a fairly small crowd of people mostly sitting under a tent as it was very hot. As Dave was playing his guitar out in the crowd, he spied a golf cart with a man getting off of it to take a phone call. Dave promptly commandeered the cart with the man's wife in tow, and drove all over the place guitar in hand. A while later, I was being driven around while singing Johnny B Goode, and Dave and Tom were on the back of the cart, on their backs with kicking their legs in the air! So much fun, which is what life should be about!

For the last couple of years we have been playing the church festival circuit, We had a large crowd at the St. Michael's Church festival in Findlay, and in Columbus St. Margaret's Church festival had the largest crowd they ever had, as reported in the Columbus Dispatch. Up to michigan for the St. Joseph's church festival, The day after their stunning loss to Appalachian State. However, these are not the first church events. We are very proud of the fund raisers we played at St. Mary's church here i german Village. We played for several years for them, to help raise money to restore the steeple on their historic church. German Village is the largest Historic District in America!!!

Above: Poultry Days Versailles Ohio



**************************************
Get a sneak peek of the all-new AOL at http://discover.aol.com/memed/aolcom30tour

Duke Ellington, Charlie Watts & Me

Chicago's. Second City Improv Theater,
decked out for St. Patrick's Day.

Paid a visit to the Windy City of Chicago over St. Patrick's Day weekend, and what a wonderful place it is! Took in the Chicago Art Institute which after 4 hours, your senses are overloaded by the beauty and history you are taking in.
To stand and gaze at Seurats huge painting "Afternoon In The Park" with it's thousands and thousands of what are up close, little tiny brushstrokes, and then step back in see then reform into people, parasol's, & dogs all in the park along the river.


It is truly awe inspiring. Then to walk into the next room and look at paintings from the 1400's. and to stare into them and wonder, where has this painting been, where was it in 1586? Time travel beyond words.

The Chicago Field Museum has an incredible new exhibit about Native Americans. I was so proud to see a whole section on Ohio's own Hopewell Culture, with many items from historic Chillicothe, the center of their civilization 2000 years ago.

The highlight of my visit was going to be a visit to Steve Maxwell's Vintage Drum Shop on Michigan Ave. Here they have vintage drumsets, some of which belonged to: Buddy Rich, Speedy Jones, Cozy Cole, and other greats.

The one I really wanted to see was Sonny Greers 1930's Drumset. Sonny Greer was Duke Ellington's drummer from 1924 - 1951. This kit is highly customized with hand painted initials on it. It is quite a beauty. I wanted to sit behind it close my eyes, and dream of what it has seen. The countless hours it traveled on the bus, night after night: " Ladies and gentleman The Duke Ellington Orchestra". To think of Songs Like: "Take The A Train," or "It Don't Mean A Thing If It Ain't Got That Swing", being played on those drums, and the millions of people they entertained.

Upon entering the store I realized the Sonny Greer kit was not there. I mentioned this to the man behind the desk, he replied "Charlie Watts bought that. He has a large collection of vintage drums. He spent the whole afternoon here when the Stones played here last time and gave us all backstage passes. In fact he bought a Steve Maxwell kit for the Stones rehearsals they have before every show". I knew Charlie was a jazz fan all the way back in 1977, when my roommate Alex Vertikoff was hired to be the Stones second Engineer for what became the "Some Girls" album. Alex had told me that Charlie, Ian Stewart and Bobby Keys were always breaking into Dave Brubecks "Take Five". I saw Charlie in London 2 years ago with his 10 piece Jazz band, they were excellent!

I went on to share some untold jazz history about one of the first drummers in all of popular music who was from Columbus and toured all over the country with Jim Europe and his Orchestra, and the very famous English dance tea: Vernon & Irene Castle, back in 1916. His name was Carl "battle-axe" Kenny. I will share his story here soon.
Above is Buddy Rich's drum set which he played in the 1970's, the only drummer I have ever seen play a press roll with one hand!! The set is now at Steve Maxwell's fine drum shop.


My disappointment was soon turned to laughs at the Second City Improv Theater, where many of Saturday Night Lives stars have come from, and also Steve Carrell of The Office. As an added treat, two Hineygaters made themselves known after the show!!
Great time there, some totally improvised humor. 5 Stars.




**************************************
See what's free at http://www.aol.com.

Nebulas, Wheels of Danger & Dancing Girls

The Star of the Bowling Green show: Eric Nicely


Theses nice ladies ended up dancing on the table at Camden Falls






Well, Danger World has been quite busy depite my lack of writing on here. Three nice shows performed, Some sort of party at Bowling Green, The lake Erie Elks Annual Party at Upper Sandusky and the Madis Gras at Camden Falls.
This is the second year for the Camden Falls Madi Gras Party, which is at a party house south of Tiffin. What a beautiful night it was, very cold, snow covered Ohio farm land dotted with beautiful old houses, smoke pouring out of there chimneys.


There is nothing like leaving our van, to walk into the show, a warm room full of friends, all snug in the party house, ready to dance, laugh, and forget everything for a while. That's what we had at Camden Falls, the place was packed, they danced and laughed all night long.



A special thank you to the two ladies that danced all over me behind my drum kit, you made my winter WONDERFUL!!!







The Lake Erie Elks Annual Party at Upper Sandusky, is a show we have played for a long time, and of course it was great fun. We had many Hiney Gaters and Put In Bay fans at these shows, so we had to Play Hang On Sloopy, our own song about Put In Bay: Island Party, and Pat Dailey's great Put In Bay song, which he aptly titled: Put In Bay. (The guy is a genius!)


From time to time, someone begs us to let them sit in with us for a song or two. Such was the case at Bowling Green, where Eric Nicely had nicely asked if he could sit in with us stating he sounded nicely on the guitar and our band was nicely suited to his nice playing. So we obliged nicely. Eric did sound nicely, so nice we kept him on stage for a couple of numbers. Several weeks later Eric sent us some photographs he took of the usual topic, outer space, nebulas in fact! These photos are beautiful. For you photographers out there, were talking 60 minute exposures with FUJI Hyper sensitized film. Amazing. Eric, send me a JPEG, I'll put one on. By the way Eric, hello..since I have not met you!





Outside of these shows, we have meeting, mixing our next CD, Live At The Michigan Hiney Gate, which is kick ass, putting together some new bits, and even a whole new danger prop: The Wheel Of Danger. We have been working vevery hard within the confines of danger humor, cheap humor, or you might just call it: CRAP, for the show!! Should be some funny stuff, hey most of you wont remember it anyway!! We have also been working on some originals and covers, "as they call them" for the show. If there is a song you would like us to play, send me the title, and we will check it out. Afterall, it all about you!!!




**************************************
AOL now offers free email to everyone. Find out more about what's free from AOL at http://www.aol.com.

Phil Dirt & The Dozers

As Phil Dirt and The Dozers were walking to their bus just minutes after their standing ovation performance in Williamsburg Virginia, drummer Rick Frye collapsed in front ot them. On January 5th, 2007, Rick Frye, 53, passed away from a heart attack. The band lost a friend, a brother, and a great rock and roll drummer and singer.

I met Rick years ago, through our head crew member John Mccoy and former sound engineer, Gary Nahs. John had known Rick since elementary school. Rick invited me to a jam session in a studio somewhere in the middle of a corn field. Boy did we have fun, Goofing around, rocking. Rick's brother mark kept putting Gershwin's Rhapsody In Blue over every song we played. Rick's then wife, Christen, a great singer in her own right, laid down a blistering version of RESPECT, that I will never forget. We had a couple of jam sessions on off nights, he invited my family up to his victorian house in Ashley Ohio, for a huge Christmas jam session. We jammed on Christmas carols and old rock and roll 'til the wee hours of the morning. In 1989, Myself, Rick, John McCoy, his brother Mike, piled into a car and drove up to Cleveland for the Stones concert. What fun! Hours in the car talking music, telling band stories. Rick was always a smiling, fun guy.

For me it was a sad loss. There are many bands out their playing. There are very few that last. With Rick, I had a common bond: I too played and still play, music with my brother. That in itself is a rarity. There is simply put, an inborn telepathy that takes place when you play music with a sibling. Rick and his brother mark have played music together all their lives. My heart goes out to his brother Mark who is also a Dozer.

Rick was the only other drummer I knew, that was still out rocking, with largely the same group of musicians that he started with 25 years ago. Going out, with what I call, "The Bubble". Your little group of band mates and crew, sharing crazy hours, 3AM in the carry out in the middle of nowhere, rocking the house weather it is a huge street fair or a wedding, and all the other crazy things that go on while you are out playing. This "common bond" made hanging out with him Rick special.

Rick like myself, played a white drum kit, which is a color you don't see any drummers use.



The Calling Hours and Funeral

As early roots rock and roll played, long lines of friends, fans and fellow musicians slowly moved through the church, lined with flowers photos of Rick throughout his life. A pair of saddle shoes that he wore with the band, were displayed, with a worn drum stick in each one.

On stage sat his gleaming white drumset. It looked sad and lonely. A roadie, with tears streaming down his cheeks made his way to the drumset with a a pair of drumsticks. How many times had he set up this kit...countless..and now, never again. Bless the roadies, they are the show as much as the band, and no one sees them.



The Chapel, quiet as people strolled in. The swinging Oscar Peterson Trio's West Side Story played in the background. During the service, after a nice Eulogy by the pastor, a stirring video "Dreams Of Ricky", and some wonderful reminisces, the Dozers went up on stage. With guitars strumming in precise unison, Steve Cabot sang a very moving "In Dreams" By Roy Orbison, complete with the rich Dozer harmonies. I doubt there was a dry eye in the house.

Then a warm "Here Comes The Sun" was performed.

As the casket was rolled out of the quiet sad chapel, a lone guitar played, While My Guitar Gently Weeps.

Please visit http://www.phildirt.com/

Germain Racing Team NASCAR Truck Series Awards Banquet 12/17/06

When received a call from Rick Germain asking us to play the post awards banquet for the NASCAR Truck Series, we were pretty excited. But for me, it was perhaps even more exciting. I have been an auto racing fan since I was kid, attending every Indianapolis 500 from 1965 to 1995, (Until the Indianapolis Motor Speedway changed the rules), and love any type or racing. For many Football is the #1 sport, but for me auto racing is it: the smell of the fuel, the hot rubber on the pavement, the sound of the engines in the paddock being revved up and down, the race car haulers, the cars, the crews, not to mention the women...it is all very beautiful, exotic, sexy, and exciting.

As the Germain Racing Team had just won the NASCAR Truck Series with driver Todd Bodine, they were told it was their responsibility to entertain all of the teams after the awards banquet. On our end plans and budgets were laid out, and arrangements were made for our crew John Mccoy & Eric Wallace to drive one truck down, and our sound man, Kevin Maenad to fly down with the band. The event was scheduled to take place in Disney World at one of their convention centers.

We all arrived at Port Columbus, the morning of our show, at 5:45AM, half awake..piled on to the plane and began our day which turned into much, standing in line, cab rides, bus rides, signing in to the hotel, and then resigning in when they put us all in different parts of the hotel complex. Finally, settling in at 1:30 in the afternoon, we had a nice long lunch outside next to a "Disney Lake". As usual, when the five of us are together, the old stories just fly...laughter, laughter, and more laughter. Many of them were exploits our former band mate Mike Meyer executed. He is one of the funniest people I know, certainly the craziest. I promise I will share some of those stories in the future. As our show was to start at 11P and end at 2A, we all adjourned to our rooms for some rest.

We arrived at the convention center several hours prior to the show, and after getting by several security personnel, we found the huge ball room where the banquet was taking place. It was a fairly stiff affair, as all 570 people were trying to relax while the SPEED Channel was taping the banquets for broadcast. I love looking at all the TV Cameras and sound equipment, just love it. We were told it was about 1 Million dollars of equipment in that room.

We then walked into the banquet room where we were to play, and just like old home week, there was our crew with all the gear set up, ready to rock. And rock we did!! Three hours straight, from 11P -2A. They banquet room was packed, and they were dancing like mad. Afterwards the head of the banquet facility said he had never seen a band keep the crowd for the whole show like we did. Later we heard that it was the best post NASCAR banquet party ever. This made us smile, as none of the people in the room had ever heard of us or seen us perform.

Congrats to the Germain Racing Team & Todd Bodine, NASCAR Trucke Series Champions 2007!

-------------

The Final Flight

(Flight home from Germain / NASCAR Show in Orlando 12/18/06)

As our flight home beautiful and quite emotional. Prior to take off, the pilots announced their years of service in the military as pilots, which was a collective high number.

It was a particularly beautiful view out of the plane as we approached the Ohio River near Marietta, the sun's big bright orange ball was setting on the horizon, the winding Ohio River was sparkling in places, surrounded by green trees and fields. Just above the river a layer of clouds, colored in bright orange cotton flames, from the sunset.

What a beautiful planet we live on, how lucky we are to be here.

A pilot came on the PA system and stated he had a special announcement. "On board today we are flying with the body of Captain Shawn English, who gave his life fighting in the war in Iraq". He leave's behind a wife and three children" Accompanying Captain English home today is (A name I can't remember, bu now numb with sadness), Upon landing please let him depart the plane first. Thank you."

A silence fell over the plane for a while.

Flying over the, rivers, streams and twinkling lights below, conversation remained quiet for the rest of the flight.

No one on board will ever forget the final flight of Captain Shawn English.

The Game Of The Century, The Hiney Gate Of The Century

The night air was cool around the Lane Ave/O.S.U. Stadium/ Hineygate area at 11:30PM Friday night November 17th 2006. There was a quiet murmur of anticipation amongst small groups of people walking around that night. Most people who new better were having a quiet evening at home, saving their spirits for what was billed as: "The game of the century" Undefeated #1 OSU vs. Undefeated #2 Michigan! What could be more exciting?

The shoe had a beautiful glow in the night air, with it's scoreboard flashing all kinds of crazy electric designs, flashing their shadows and light over the one hundred thousand empty seats and a handful of OSU Police Officers. The Holiday Inn On The Lane was quietly buzzing with activity inside. Outside, the beer trucks, the ticket tables and the big stage were all silently in place, for what would be the biggest Hiney Gate in 24 years. In a short time, this peaceful looking area would be jammed with people from all over the country and world, talking laughing, nervously anticipating this all important game.

The excitement for us started several weeks earlier, when Home Box Office Sports and Sports Illustrated contacted us about doing stories on the Hiney Gate. There I was, on the phone, trying to find words to describe to a party that has grown so large, means so much to so many that it has a life of its own, which is all largely based on spontaneous moments inspired by the culmination energy from the band an audience. Did I leave out a beverage?? What is Hiney Gate they asked? I replied, tradition, Hard driving rock and roll, dancing, on stage marriage proposals, having everyone in the crowd give the #1 sign to anyone that comes up on stage! The always inspiring pep talks from former Buckeye Coach Earle Bruce, Giving "good hate" to 610 WTVN's Bob Connors, Munch broadcasting on stage, the shows in the windows, opposing teams predictions, laughter, flirting women, flirting men, and hey, how about the many stories that stay at the Hiney Gate??

The hours leading up to Friday had been all about music, and partying. Thursday night we played at BW3's on Bethel Road for 610 WTVN's Bucks line. We only played during the commercials, but it sure was fun. Thanks for the rounds you nice fans. I wasn't driving, so I cut loose!

The next morning we were in the studio with Bob Connors at 630AM. This tradition goes back many years, but I have never seen Bob so pumped as he was on this very special Friday morning. We played Bill's song Let's Get Up, and a little while later, Archie Griffin was on the air, and asked us to play the song again!! That made us smile!

Later that day, I talked with Alec Morrison and Photographer Carlton both from Sports Illustrated. They were here to report for the Tailgate Nation edition of Sports Illustrated, which will come out next September. We arranged to meet Saturday morning. Then my phone rang, the Farnsworth brothers were here from New York City and places east. Time to party, as was tradition, so party did! Normally they would come out to WTVN's Beat Michigan Dance at the Aladdin Shrine, but this event had been cancelled after more that 25 years of tradition. WHY??? So we began our hang at Wendell's, right next to the Holiday inn On The Lane. Thanks again to all you fans that would not let me get from one table to the next without a Danger Brothers Go Bucks high five!! Playing music in itself is a "nice cake" having so many fans tell you they have "followed you for so many years", is "icing on that cake" THANKS!!! We moved on to the Varsity Club for more wonderful beverages and laughter. I met these Farnsworth’s about 5 years ago, when they came backstage and introduced themselves. Paul is a producer for the Outdoor Channel, David is a real estate magnate, (Just traded Ventor & Marvin Gardens for Mediterranean & Baltic) Joe is a top-drawer drummer in the world of Jazz (Diana krall, Wynton Marsalis etc.)

After my hang with these three musketeers, I headed up our DB room at the Holiday Inn On The Lane. I wanted to see who from the crew might be there, and sure enough there was Farmer John, from Marion, time to party some more!! Who cared about sleep tonight, no one was going to get any anyway!!

Game day I pulled into to the Hiney Gate at 830. Parked my car and met up with Alec and Carlton of Sports Illustrated, (HBO was a no show, there loss. These two had never been to Columbus, and had no idea how big this party was going to be. They would soon see…

By the time we hit the stage at 11AM, the place was packed, and we were starting an hour earlier than usual, playing an extra set. As far as I could tell, we were rocking the house. We were recording the whole show for a new CD, and, from a drummers standpoint, I kind of closed off the world a bit to make sure I laid down some solid rocking drums for the band, the HUGE crowd, and the CD. Most live albums or CD's that are out, have at least some guitars or singing re-recorded later in a recording studio. Drummers do not have that luxury. If we don’t get the tempo right, or make some huge flub, the track will be scrapped.

My biggest "buzz" of the day, was when Coach Earle Bruce came up on our stage, escorted by 610 WTVN's Munch, and gave the crowd a "GO Bucks Pep Talk". He is the real deal, a class act, and also a very nice man.

My other big buzz was playing Bill’s new tune, "Lets Get Up" (for the Buckeyes). The song simply rocks nicely, and to see the crowd respond the lyrics by raising their cups for the buckeyes as the lyrics requests is touching, considering they have only heard it live at HG. The Lyrics are on Bills rock Attack link.

The CBS affiliate from Toledo came up and did some live broadcasting for their noon news. (I have to laugh. No news media from Columbus ever comes up and shoots anything, but other cities do!)

We gave a nice toast to all of the Hiney Gaters who are no longer with us, a toast to Bo Schembechler, and then we asked for a loud cheer, for Woody & Bo, which we got.

During the game, a large crowd filled our stage to watch. Our crew clears the stage of anything that matters for this occasion.

When the game drew to a close, I stood behind me Ludwig drums and hit my tom toms in unison, Boom! BoomBoomBoomBoom, Boom! BoomBoomBoomBoom, Haaanng On Sloopy…. The crowd was singing SO LOUD, a choir of sheer joy!!!!!!!! I will never forget Tom our bass guitarist, turning around and looking at me with big eyes like, WOW, that is unreal. It was. I video clip of this moment will soon be on our new HineyGate page!

At the end of the day we were so happy and exhausted. Five and one half-hours of hard rock & Roll, a Buckeye victory… what more could you ask for?? Our new friend’s from Sports Illustrated were blown away by the whole event. They loved it!!

What a very special day it was: the "game of the century", and the "Hiney Gate of the Century"

Three different groups of people swore to us this fall that they would get us to whatever bowl game the Buckeyes were in.

We are awaiting your calls.

Happy 13Th

Happy Birthday Nick Lane. Nick is a HineyGater like his Mom & Dad, and he is a drummer! Last year, Nick saved his money up from his allowance and paper route and bought himself a drumset. Now how cool is that!! Happy Birthday Nick!!Nick Lane sitting in with the Danger Brothers at HineyGate!

Hineygate's Mom's House, Hamburgers & Weddings

To say we were excited about playing with The O.S.U Marching Band at the Penn Sate half time show would be an understatement. To say we were disappointed when we were called and told we were not approved by the Athletic Committee to play the Penn Sate Half time show would be an understatement. ( We had not been told there might be any question in us performing) For one week we were higher than a kite, for the next week we were 6ft under. Bill is a former marching band member and OSU Alumni, Mike retired from OSU after 30 years, being a supervisor over some 350 buildings for their heating 7 cooling. I am an OSU Alumni, and also attended 1st through 6th grades at one of the first alternative schools in America, University School. And while I am at it, my second cousin, the Late DR. Jim Mcreary, was a drum major back in the 1930's and one of the team physicians in later years.

Well anyway, we were bummed. When we were asked, we were given a rehearsal schedule and all systems were: GO.

As we had a show to play in Toledo, we looked for a car and driver to rent, as we did not want to arrive at game day with no sleep. So a limo was commandeered. Although the show was cancelled, the limo was not. The deposit had already been paid. So we took off on that rainy Friday for our limo ride to Toledo, to the Inverness Country Club. Driving into Wendy's was quite a sight for the little old ladies sewing club that stared at us!!! The funny part was, the limo driver was using the GPS system. So the literal shortest distance to Toledo had us on a lot of back roads and even a county road!! What an age we live in!!

Ironically, we were playing the 50th birthday party of Jim Harmon, at the Inverness country Club in Toledo. Jim one of the number one Hineygaters, having been to probably the first one we played back in 1983. The ironic part is, he was being honored Saturday in the shoe at the Penn State game for his contributions to the Athletic Department.

The Wooster fest was certainly a disappointment as lightning and intense rain started in about 40 minutes before show time. However, we were all invited over to a nice bar/restaurant called the Old Jail. While the others headed home, our lovely host, Brenda Coursin took Bill, myself, and my drummer son David over to the Old Jail Sports Bar, where we had a very nice time with all sorts of people. Thank you Woosterites, and the table of fans from Medina, for the endless flow of food, drink and conversation, making our evening warm and wonderful.

The next day we headed up RT23 to Toledo, to play for the Mom's House Benefit Ride. Some 300-motorcyclist rode to raise money for this organization that assists unwed mothers in getting an education then leading them into a career. The event was a success. This was no surprise after meeting the lovely woman that organized the event, Stephanie Koehler, a true professional. It was fun for us, as we got to rock a house full of leather!!

The Hiney gates blur together like different colors of paint being poured from the top of a canvas. An endless stream of sounds, white noise, and faces. The traditional beer flying in the air during Saturday Nights All Right For Fighting, the stage full of wild women, and of course the 'ladies to the shoulders' How can you beat that??



Congratulations to Kellie Jakubowski & Brandon McGilvray. Brandon brought Kellie on stage at the Hiney Gate and proposed to her in front of the thousands assembled at the Illinois game. She said YES!!! These two are hardcore fans; they showed up the next day at out show in St. Joseph's Michigan!!

It is not uncommon to have marriage proposals take place on our stage. Particularly at the Hiney Gate. There have probably been a dozen or more that have taken place. However, this year at Fredericktown we had a first. Shortly after our show ended. A wedding ceremony took place on our stage. Complete with a cake and a very amusing minister, this young couple choose to get married right on the street of their nice town. Congratulations to newlyweds Lynn & Nancy Thayer. If you want to get your tractor or lawnmower fixed, stop in at their shop on Rt. 95!!

When I arrived at the Bowling Green Game I could not help but notice the license plate on a vehicle (Cop talk) in the parking lot: BURGERS.

Later on while passing through the lot, I met the owners of the car, so I had to ask. Turns out they own a legendary restaurant in Michigan that specializes in hamburgers: Redamaks. The family was in town for their daughters Buckeye volleyball game. They were quite nice and their restaurant looks really nice. Hey readers, check it out, & write me about it!!

www.redamaks.com/site/aboutus.htm