Pics from the Apple Gig in December

Well here we are having entered a new year. We're so glad that the nail has been placed into the coffin for 2009. It was the quietest year and the year where the band played so very little. Ususally, our Decembers are booked solid. Well, this was not the case for the year 2009. However, lest you think we are down on the year 2009, many great things happened this year and for that we are grateful and we're looking forward to a wonderful playful year where you all get a chance to experience the 40 Somethin Band Sound!

Happy New Year to all of you!

We say Farewell and Welcome!!!!!

Since 2005 our Bass player Tony Perez has been a part of the 40 Somethin Band in one way or another. Either he's been our biggest fan, roadie, promoter Bass player, guitarist..etc. The reality is he dropped right into the spot of bass player when our friend John Ferguson departed the band. He was a newbie yet he was seasoned in that he was the bass player for the VooDoo Monkeys here in town back in 1998 and 99. He learned to rumble with that little ol' band and he learned to fall into the groove playing with them.
When he came on board with us, we gave him a 3 set cd with the songs he needed to learn in two weeks for a particular gig we had scheduled. Please keep in mind that Tony is half our age and these old rock songs were songs he literally had to learn and become familiar with. Fortunately a few of the songs have been remade by newer artists which helped. Julie, Tony's wife said that he listened day and night and played along with the cd every waking moment as it was his dream to play in a band with his dad, Ralph. He stepped up to the plate swinging hard and he learned how to play "In The Groove" with the help of the deep percussion background of the Brian and Ken rhythm machine! He came in rather green and left this year having become a solid, deep thumping, in the groove bass player. In fact, his touch is so much a part of the 40 somethin Band sound that he will be missed terribly. Not only because he's such a good bass player but because he is such a genuinely nice person. His dad Ralph will miss him terribly but we know that his needs are huge at the present time and we understand and we bid him farewell from being the fulltime bass player for the 40 Somethin Band. You can catch Tony playing with his new band "Desonance" (Tony Perez, Eric Liester, Josh Parmer, Scott Hobbs, and Zach Simpson)

We take the time now to present to you our newest member of the band Paul Blaskovich!!!! We know him as "The Italian Stallion", "Pablo" and he like Tony, is a genuinely nice, clean cut, polite and in the groove player. He doubles and also plays bass for the band Code 7 as well as now playing the bottom end of the 40 Somethin Band.

Paul says:

I started playing bass guitar when I was in high school from an idea a buddy of mine had to start a band. It lasted a little over a year. Then eight years ago I started back up again. There is nothing like the feeling you get when the crowd is interacting with the songs you are playing. Rock On!

Welcome Paul and we welcome any feedback. We hope to see you all at our next gig.

Mike and Terrie's Wedding- 40 Somethin Plays It Up with Guests

On Saturday the 14th of November our beloved brother at arms was married to the former Terrie Miller now Mrs. Toombs. Of course, it was only natural that the Band play at this gig. The only difference is that it was an open stage for all to participate that wanted too. Mike's cousin Paul came up and sang "From a Jack to a King". We stepped into country mode and did it up right. Thanks Paul.

The stage was set and with one less set of drums and just the percussion was set up for Brian. It was a tight Stage but still we used lots of equipment and also we used the smaller amps for this gig so that we wouldn't blast them out of dodge! ha ha

We also had a guest appearance from a '70's porn star dancing up to "Play That Funky Music White Boy" (thanks Quinn). While we did this tune we had Kevin Hess playing the bass for us. Tony Perez made an encore performance with the band and played several tunes with us. Finally Paul Blaskovich, the newest member of the 40 Somethin Band finished it out all night on the bass.

We also want to thank other guests that played, Steve Reed, Mike Doggett, and John Holst.

Thanks for letting us play Mike and many thanks to the beautiful children who were dancing all night. That was worth everything to us. All in all it was a very fun performance and there was no pressure but only to have fun.

Pics from the Eagle rock Sidewalk Gig 7-25-09

So, the kind folks at the Eagle Rock Art Guild have an annual sidewalk art show. This is our second year to play for them and to provide entertainment for all the families that come through the Greenbelt to view the fine art displays that many of our local artists have created. It is a fun family event and we really enjoy playing our acoustic set of stuff. We could go on forever but, the heat, and lack of shade made it very difficult to stay much longer than we did. We hope you all enjoyed the show and we'll see you there on Tuesday the 28th for Snake River Concerts.

King Wedding and Party with the Ponies 5-23-09

Another absolutely unpredictable gig. We played inside of the King Equestrian Center. I mean right in the arena itself. The horses could be heard rockin' out and kicking the sides of their stalls. I figured they were having a good time just like the entire crowd seemed to be having while we played. The Kings are ever so kind and they are excellent hosts.

The wedding was beautiful even in the Arena. It was a bit dark and we couldn't open the center doors for the ever present Idaho wind kept blowing all of the napkins at the tables, away! None the less, we quickly pulled the vehicles in and shut the doors and unloaded.

There was a stage that was about 3 feet off of the ground and which was shaped well enough to fit us all in there nicely. it was a bit dusty but considering it was an all hard packed dirt floor that the wedding was on, a person could understand why it was as dusty as stated.

Interestingly enough, the bride had been one of the coconut girls from the party we had there a few years ago and when we played outside. That was back in the day when we were just a 4 piece band. Now with 7 members (6 musicians and a sound person), we come just a bit bigger and a bit more polished.

It was fun to watch folks dance all night long to the old tunes we do. We never did get to some of the ones we practiced like the Alan Parsons song. But, we gave them the show and stuck really close to the set list.

Our thanks to the mighty Kevin Hess for filling in for Tony. Tony was enroute to Florida for a vacation. He did a great job and worked hard! Way to go Lemmy! Also, thanks to Kim for running the sound, and to Scott for being the roadie. It was a good thing to have them along.

Now we tune up for the shows in July. Come see us!

Roadhouse Blues Recording (for Marissa)

So last night we gathered a few of us up for a recording session. Larraine on the keys, Tony on the bass, Kenny on the drums, Mike and Ralph on the guitars and also Mike on the mouth harp! Holy hanna was it a rockin. We laid down the music and Mike sang one scratch vocal for Roadhouse Blues.

It came about because Marissa, Ralphs daughter is coming in this weekend and wants to record her vocals on Roadhouse Blues. So, we were the backup band and we laid the back end in for her. Our beloved Brian wasn't there and is out for the next little while. He tried to put his eye out last week and it is having trouble with his vision and with the pain.

All we know is that we want him to get better so he can come a rockin with us.

We swapped around instruments last night as we noodled around getting ready. Larraine grabbed Mikes Guitar, Ken grabbed the keys, Mike grabbed the drums and we noodled around a bit with this arrangement. It was just something to break up the tension of recording.

We're pretty quiet right now as we prepare for the season that is coming up.

Jammin' with the Jazz Boys @ Vino Rosso

So, last night we had a very nice and sincere invite to play with some of the finest Jazz talent in this town of Idaho Falls. To say we are even remotely jazz is a huge stretch of the imagination. We are are pure unadulterated rock and rollers from the word go. We even played some of our mellowest and smoothest pieces that we do like Moondance, Ain't no Sunshine, Crystal Blue Persuasion, along with our own favorites like Midnight Rider, End of the Line, and Cover of the Rolling Stone. We rocked them acoustically and they in turn jammed the jazz all night long. We heard them attempt to do Route 66 ala jazz and I'm sorry, that tune needs some overdriven (slightly) guitar and one heck of a back beaten blues timing to make it work. Brian and Ralph ran up there and helped them "Git'er done!" Then They broke into a version of Mustang Sally and then we showed them how it's supposed to be played with Kenny on the skins and the rest of the band just making great music with all the Jazzies in town.

We'll probably never get invited back but it was fun. We really did feel a bit out of place. Maybe like the Beatles at the Cavern back in the day. Brian says that they were in the middle of an Elvis song back in the day and some one told them to turn it down because it was a "Jazz" club. Well, we felt the same way at Vino Rosso as the Beatles did at the Cavern .

We wnt to thank Kevin Young for the invite and if he wants, we'll come again but we'll need to show the boys there how to rock it up a little. Wait! I think they call rockin' jazz Fusion? Right?Hmmmm. Are we on to something here? ha ah ha ...