1967. Summer of love. Gasoline was pennies to the gallon. Four junior high kids from Pine Grove School in Rowley, Mass formed a band and covered tunes by the Monkees, Paul Revere and the Raiders and the McCoys. We mostly rehearsed in my living room, since the Hammond organ wasn't easy to move around. ("Bernie, how in hell can you stand to have them kids and that racket in your house?" My Dad just shrugged and answered, "Well at least I know right where they are..") The band was made up of Kevin McElroy on vocals, Bobby Keyes on guitar, Andy Ewell on drums and, for a time, me on the organ. (Andy, where are you?)
This adolescent band produced two renowned professional musicians, Kevin McElroy and Bobby Keyes. Kev's been at it all these years and is well known and respected in New England as a multi-instrumentalist and traditional artist. He's having a CD release party at One Longfellow Square, Portland, Maine on June 1st. One Longfellow is a beautiful venue. Go back, mute the sound on the capt kev home page, then check him out at http://www.kevinmcelroy.net/ He's the real deal. Bobby? http://www.bobbykeyes.net/ Yep, that Bobby Keyes.
The band name? The Skywalkers. See, The Prudential Center had recently opened in Boston. If you toured the 50th floor observatory, you got a button that said, "I'm a skywalker."
Seemed like a good idea to us. After all, we already had the buttons. It was '67, you know...
Monday, April 28, 2008
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Stay tuned for more spring/summer concert dates!
Be sure to check back periodically to see where Leeward Rail will be playing next!
Leeward Rail and special guests played 4/20
Leeward Rail with special guests, Jim Somers and Ed Saccoccia, played to a packed house at the Parker River Wildlife Refuge Visitor's Center on Sunday, April 20th. That was the fastest hour and a half of my life, and one of the most enjoyable musical outings yet. Our thanks go to the 'Friends of the Refuge', and all the friends who made the show such a success. Thanks Jim, Keith and Ed.
Ed is an old college buddy who is a chemical engineer as well as a brilliant musician. It was a great thrill to play with him again. (The last time was 33 years ago, at URI). Ed plays in the Buffalo, NY area, and can se seen and heard backing up Christian artists Glen Miller, (no, not that one, this guy is alive, well, and one peerless vocalist), and Angela Auten, (think Allison Crouse), among others. Glen and Angela both have CD's out, with Ed's playing and writing all over them!
Jim is the genius behind Sonora Marketing in Amesbury. He does website design, marketing, well, suffice it to say, he does anything that a business would need to look good and be profitable.
Keith Allen, a computer genius in his own right, will be playing this Saturday, 4/26, at 7:30 at the Actor's Studio, The Tannery, Water St., in Newburyport. He'll be backing Mike Fourney and some other musicians who will be telling Mike's musical life story from his roots in the south. Check it out!
Ed is an old college buddy who is a chemical engineer as well as a brilliant musician. It was a great thrill to play with him again. (The last time was 33 years ago, at URI). Ed plays in the Buffalo, NY area, and can se seen and heard backing up Christian artists Glen Miller, (no, not that one, this guy is alive, well, and one peerless vocalist), and Angela Auten, (think Allison Crouse), among others. Glen and Angela both have CD's out, with Ed's playing and writing all over them!
Jim is the genius behind Sonora Marketing in Amesbury. He does website design, marketing, well, suffice it to say, he does anything that a business would need to look good and be profitable.
Keith Allen, a computer genius in his own right, will be playing this Saturday, 4/26, at 7:30 at the Actor's Studio, The Tannery, Water St., in Newburyport. He'll be backing Mike Fourney and some other musicians who will be telling Mike's musical life story from his roots in the south. Check it out!
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