Mike Starcher – Drivin' It!

Hi gang!

What a blast at the Cleveland Music Club Jam Night last Tuesday! Thanks to Katyana Speckman, Jimmy Deamiches, Jason Neitenbach, Jay Smith, Hayden Frosti, Rob Hill, John Kerver, Dale Hartmann, Jay Guerrerro, Blake Kniola, Bob Laeng, Carol Dieball, Charlitta, Derek Berger, Rick Bulea, Charlie Vanek, Bill Crowley, Marc Alu, Ira Schwarz, Greg Kern, Dan Elliott, Dave Koler, Dave Deitke, Coda Krose, Jarrett Schneider, Dave Lewicki, Luke Pernici, Louis Johnson, John Powell, Dave Holmberg, TJ Plechaty, Henry Stadler, Aaron Tahssler, Bob Rosborro, Bob Devries for stopping by to jam with us and also your patience as you waited your respective turns. Thanks also to Don L., Bill T., Joe D., Steven F., Lisa S., Lenna P., Eric B., Cheryl R., Cathy A., Donna D., Tom B., Rick H., (and children!) Dezi D., Dan R., Rich S., Cindy, Dylan, the Dancing Marilyns, Uncle Peanuts and the rest of Doc’s music loving patrons, to Guitar Center of North Olmsted for sponsoring the Jam tonight. Congrats to prize winners Jimmy Deamiches, Jarrett Schneider and Mark Alu. More thanks to Guitar Center for gifting each participant with a 10% off coupon! Keep them in mind for your next gear purchase. Thank you to Tracy for all of her hard work. Hopefully, we didn’t run her too ragged! As always, thanks go to Doc for providing such a great venue each week. He’s even been a great sport with all of the recent Mustang Sally renditions!

Shady Drive got a late booking to play Zeppe’s Tavern’s Bike Night on Wednesday. We really enjoyed playing for the Zeppe’s crowd. We’re back there on August 22 at 7pm. After that, we headed south to play a private event in Columbus on Saturday night, then back to Chagrin Falls for another private event on Sunday.

Coming up this week, I’ll hit the stage tonight with Dwayne Dickman and Tony Camerato to host the Cleveland Music Club Jam Night at Doc and Louie’s (24280 Lorain Rd., North Olmsted, 7pm – 11pm). Our sponsor is Sonor Drums and they’ve provided some nice prizes to give away. Doc’s delicious burgers are 2 for 1 and margaritas are $3 until 9pm. The food is great and so is the music and there’s never a shortage of fun and friends, so come on out and get your jam on with us!

Next up, this Friday, Shady Drive will appear at Harpo’s Sports Cafe (5777 Smith Rd., Brookpark, 9pm – 1am) joined by the incredible Chris Hanna on keys and the fabulous North Coast Horns!! This is a rare event not to be missed!! With Chris and the horns aboard, this should be a very special night. :c)

On Saturday, Shady Drive cruises back to Frascati’s in the Valley (5143 Canal Rd., Valley View, 9pm – 1am). Weather permitting, we’ll be rockin’ the patio all night. The food is delicious and the wine selection can’t be beat! Great food, great music and good friends…always a winning combination! Come join us!

That’s all for this week! We’ll talk soon…
Mike :c)

Hi gang!

To recap another fantastic week, the Cleveland Music Club Jam Night started things off on Tuesday at Doc and Louie’s with co-hosts Drew Doman and Uncle Steve Smith. Stopping by to jam with us were Dale Hartmann, Hayden Frosti, Jay Smith, Dan Elliott, Bob Laeng, John Kerver, Jason Neitenbach, Jeff Sherman, Greg Kern, Dave Poirier, Joe Zarucha, Luke Pernici, Louis Johnson, Paul Lewis, David Lewicki, Rob Hill, Kevin Fancher, Dave Koler, Don Lydon, John Powell, Derek Berger and New Attitude (Charlie Vanek, Bill Crowley and Justin Melcarek). Thanks to all of the fine folks who came out to support the players and enjoy some good food, drinks, music and fun: The Dancing Marilyns, Lisa S., Cathy A., Katyana S., John B., Jimmy D.(and all your pals!), Amanda B., Dawn, David, Steven F., Pete, Sherry, Roger B., and all of Doc’s music loving patrons. Thanks to Sonor Drums for sponsoring the evening and congrats to prize winners Dan Elliott (Sonor bass pedal), Paul Lewis (Sonor coffee mug), and Rob Hill, Don Lydon and Jeff Sherman (Sonor T-shirts) Thanks also to Guitar Center of North Olmsted who gave all participants a 10% coupon toward their next gear purchase. A big CMC thank you to Tracy who worked very hard to keep everyone fed and watered. As always, our thanks to Doc for giving us a fantastic place to eat, drink, and jam each week.

On Friday, Shady Drive debuted at Sassy’s Bar and Grill in Twinsburg. The staff was amazing and the room really sounds great. Everyone was super and we had a great time! We’re back there again on September 28 and can’t wait!

On Saturday, we traveled to the Black River Landing in Lorain to appear with the Soul Men. It’s always a fun gig onstage with them and Saturday night was no exception. They had the entire crowd rockin’ with us all night long! Word is that we’ll be back there next year and possibly again before this season is over. Stay tuned!

Coming up this week, I’ll be with co-hosts George Hartwig and Sammy Free on Tuesday at Doc and Louie’s (24280 Lorain Rd., North Olmsted, 7pm – 11pm) for another edition of the Cleveland Music Club Jam Night. Our sponsor this week is Guitar Center of North Olmsted. Doc’s delicious burgers are 2 for 1 and margaritas are $3 until 9pm. Come on out and get your jam on!

Shady Drive has no scheduled public appearances this week. We are appearing at a private function in Columbus on Saturday night.

That’s all for this week! We’ll talk soon…

Mike :c)

Hi gang!

This past week kicked off on Monday evening with Shady Drive hosting the Lube Jam at Sheffield Quaker Steak and Lube. We had a really fun night and the weather was perfect! We’ll host there again on July 2.

Tuesday brought the Cleveland Music Club Jam at Doc & Louie’s where there were lots of fantastic musicians gracing the stage, including Carol Dieball, The Cottom Catz (Mike Cottom, Mike Cottom Jr., and Chloe Cottom), Jay Smith, Bob Laeng, Dan Elliott, John Kerver, Grant Elliott, Dennis David Bielinski, Don Lydon, Charlie Vanek, Bill Crowley, Marc Alu, Blake Kniola, Mike Reed, Derek Berger, TJ Plechaty, Luke Pernici, Louis Johnson, and Tony Shultz. Thanks for keeping us entertained all evening!
Thanks also to Shelly, Gene, Jimmy D., Jason N., Amanda B., Marty W., Mari W., JoAnne, Tom, Steve F., J.D., Katy S., Lisa S., Jim B., Scott., John B., Nancy Y., and the rest of our enthusiastic audience, our sponsor, Dirty Town Guitar and Amps and co-host G.S. Harper and Kevin Fancher. Thank you all for supporting our players! Congrats to prize winners Carol Dieball, Louis Johnson, Marc Alu and Blake Kniola! Thank you Kristen for working so hard week after work and putting up with us. And finally, thank you Doc. Without you we’d be “The Cleveland Music Club Jam in the middle of Lorain Rd.”, which would probably kinda suck! :c)

On Wednesday evening, the Cleveland Music Club – Unplugged show at the Fairview Tavern went electric in more ways than one. We decided to plug in at the last minute, and the Tavern crowd loved it! This was planned to be our last Wednesday show until fall but the response was so positive, we were asked to continue on through the summer months, so we’ll see you back there in July!

Friday found Shady Drive at the Fairview Tavern, playing to that awesome Tavern crowd, which was a bit light, but enthusiastic none the less. Special thanks to Ken and Sandy for coming out!

On Saturday, Shady Drive was back at the Peppermill in Brecksville. We had a blast and can’t wait to return there on July 21! Thanks Gus for your hospitality!

Coming up this week, I’ll host the Cleveland Music Club Jam night at Doc and Louie’s (24280 Lorain Rd., North Olmsted, 7pm – 11pm) along with co-hosts Drew Doman and Uncle Steve Smith. Sonor Drums will sponsor the night with some nice prizes to give away. The burgers are delicious and 2 for the price of 1. Margaritas are $3 until 9pm and the fun goes on and on! Come join us for great food, music, drinks, good friends and fun! :c)

On Friday, Shady Drive will debut at Sassy’s Bar and Grill (10755 Ravenna Road, Twinsburg, 9pm – 1am). I was out there this past week to see the venue. It’s really gorgeous and we’re very excited about playing there. Come join us! :c)

On Saturday, Shady Drive will join The Soul Men for a show at Lorain Port Authority’s Black River Landing (421 Black River Lane, Lorain, 8pm – 11pm) as part of the Labatt Blue Black River Concert Series.

On a very sad note, this past Monday, my very dear friend and fellow musician, Randy Chestnutt passed away from a sudden heart attack. Randy and I have been playing together in bands off and on since our high school days, most recently in The Swingtown Rebels. He was a talented photographer as well as an amazing bass player and always had a kind word for everyone. Please remember Randy and his family in your thoughts and prayers. Rest in peace Randy, I’ll miss you.

That’s all for this week. We’ll talk soon…

Mike

Hi gang!

It’s been a great week. It started on Tuesday with the Cleveland Music Club jam night as we celebrated Doc and Louie’s 17th anniversary with free burgers, hot dogs and an awesome jam night. Thanks go out to jam participants Bob Laeng, Hayden Frosti, Michael Bay, John Kerver, David Koler, Luke Pernici, Henry Stadler, Drew Oxley, Ken Porter, Charlie Vanek, Skip, Jon Darling, Don Lydon, Dan Elliott, Marc Alu, Bill Sanders, Elaine Reisdorf, Darrin Meecha, Louis Johnson, Larry Ketola, Jaime Flores and Norm Tischler! Thanks also to all of the folks watching, listening, dancing and applauding: Jen A., Lenna P., Bob L., Jimmy D., Jason N., Amanda B., Rob H., Pam., Martha., Breeayn., Ro D., Susan G., Laura R., Jim, Scott, Cathy A., Ami H., Derrick, John, The Danicing Marilyns, Uncle Peanuts and the rest of Doc’s music loving patrons. Thank you for your continued support of local live music!!

Thanks to our guest hosts Rob Hill and G.S. Harper; our sponsors Guitar Center of North Olmsted, Dirty Town Guitar and Amps, Sonor Drums and Forcefield Entertainment; to the great staff at Doc and Louie’s especially our Amazing Kristen who gives 200% week after week. We love ya! Finally, thank you Doc for the great venue, and happy anniversary.

Fast forward to Friday evening and the debut of Cactus Jack at Doc and Louie’s. The night was a smash hit! Thanks SO much to Kevin, Diane, Tyler, Diane, Jen, Charles, Pat, Kristen, Gary, Laura and gang, Bill, Adelle, Tommy, Ami, Judy, Bridget, Dick, Chris, Daryl, Jennifer, Dawn, Emily, Pam, Jeanette and Jason and everyone else for coming out and making our maiden voyage a success! Cactus jack will be at 42Eighty Food and Drink on July 6 and back at Doc and Louie’s on August 10. Thanks also from me to G.S. Harper, Dirk Garman, Chris Hanna and Kevin Fancher for all of your hard work in putting this band together. You guys are kick ass band mates! :c)

Coming up this week, a full schedule of events, starting with Shady Drive hosting the Lube Jam on Monday June 4 at Quaker Steak and Lube (4900 Transportation Dr., Sheffield Village, 7:30pm – 11pm). Wings and beer! ‘Nuff said!

On Tuesday, I’m hosting the Cleveland Music Club Jam night at Doc and Louie’s (24280 Lorain Rd., North Olmsted, 7pm – 11pm) with co-hosts G.S. Harper and Kevin Fancher. It’ll be a blast as always with 2 for 1 burgers, $3 margaritas, great music, good friends and our secret ingredient…YOU! Come join the fun!

Wednesday finds me again with G.S. Harper and Kevin Fancher appearing at the Fairview Tavern (21867 Lorain Rd., Fairview Park, 8pm – 11pm) as Cleveland Music Club – Unplugged plays your favorite rocks, blues and country hits in an unplugged setting. Come enjoy dinner from the Tavern’s amazing menu and then kick back and spend your evening singing along with us. :c)

On Friday, Shady Drive heads out to the Fairview Tavern (21867 Lorain Rd., Fairview Park, 9:30pm – 1:30 pm) Come join us and enjoy the Tavern’s great food, drinks and service in a friendly family atmosphere as we play your favorite blues and rock tunes!

This Saturday, Shady Drive returns to the Peppermill Pub and Grill (7011 Mill Rd., Brecksville, 9pm – Midnight) Come join the party as we rock the house with the fun folks at the Peppermill! Things get rolling at 9pm. Come early for dinner and enjoy one of Gus’ many remarkable dishes (the pasta ROCKS) and a great wine selection. Afterwards, kick back with a cold beer and listen to your favorite blues and rock tunes played the Shady Drive way!

That’s it for this week! We’ll talk soon…

Mike :c)

Hi gang!

Wow! We kicked off this past week at Doc and Louie’s with Cleveland Music Club Jam’s “Horn Jam”, and what a fantastic night! A HUGE CMC thanks to the North Coast Horns (Darrin Clark, Dave Frank and Al Widmer) for not only joining the host band and the other performers on stage but also for providing equipment and charts. You guys were awesome, thanks for making it a night to remember. Also thanks to all of Tuesday’s jam participants, Don Day, Jaime Flores, Ray Varga, Honeycomb, Dan Elliott, Brent Lane, Family Tradition (Rich Gross, Darrin Meecha, Aron Call), Jimmy Deamiches, Jason Neitenbach, Troy, Luke Pernici, Louis Johnson, Kevin Fancher, Dave Holmberg, Dave Koler, Barrelhouse Band (Carol Dieball, John Kerver, Elaine Riesdorf, Charlita), Don Lydon, Jay Smith, Bob Laeng, Marc Alu, John Powell, Blake Kniola, Greg Kern, Rob Hill, and Dave Poirier.
Thank you to everyone else who came out to support all of our players, including: Jen A., Jon D., Cindy, Richard, Steve, Debbie C., JoAnne, Tom, Mari W., Marty W., Lenna P., Amanda B., Nancy Y., Ami H., Larry K., The Dancing Marilyns and the rest of Doc’s music loving patrons, Doc and his staff, especially The Amazing Kristen worked their butts off right up until the end. Big thanks to my guest hosts: Sammy Free and Rob “Shady” Hayes. I don’t think Rob even really got a break that night and nobody promotes like Sammy Free. Thank you both for your hard work! Last but not least, thank you to our sponsors, Guitar Center of North Olmsted, Dirty Town Guitar and Amps, Sonor Drums and Forcefield Entertainment.

On to Friday night and Shady Drive’s appearance at Doc and Louie’s! The house was definitely rockin’ when we took the stage at 9pm, and the party lasted until after 1am. Thanks to The Dancing Marilyns, Gene, Shelly, Dave, John and everyone else who stopped out! We had fun! :c)

Saturday night was a special treat for Shady Drive, as we shared the stage with Erin Rossi at the Parkview Nite Club. We kicked it off at 9:30pm to a full house including Pat, Wally, Chris, Daryl, Julia, Phil and Kathy. Thanks to everyone who came out to see us!

Coming up this week, we’ll kick things off at the Cleveland Music Club Jam Night at Doc and Louie’s (24280 Lorain Rd., North Olmsted, 7pm – 11pm). This is a special jam night in celebration of Doc and Louie’s 17th anniversary. So, while G.S. Harper, Rob Hill and I are playing your favorite tunes, The Amazing Kristen will be serving up free burgers and dogs as fast as Doc can grill ’em. And it’s still a jam night, so at 8pm we’ll turn the stage over to YOU! Don’t miss this one! :c)

On Friday, I’ll be back at Doc and Louie’s (24280 Lorain Rd., North Olmsted, 8:30pm – 12:30pm) unveiling a new country band, Cactus Jack. The band is led by G.S. Harper (vocals/guitar) and includes Dirk Garman (lead guitar), Chris Hanna (keys), Kevin Fancher (bass/vocals) and me. It’s been a blast putting this together and we can’t wait to get it onstage! We’ll be playing your favorite country tunes by George Strait, Vince Gill, Hal Ketchum, Waylon, Willie, Merle, Foster and Lloyd, Dwight Yoakam, Alan Jackson, Travis Tritt, Brooks and Dunn, The Tractors and many more, so come out and get yer country on with us! :c)

I’m with Shady Drive playing a private function on Saturday. The band has no public shows this week.

That’s all for this week! We’ll talk soon…

Mike :c)

Hi gang!

Another awesome week has gone by. If we didn’t see you this past week, here’s what you missed…

Tuesday’s Cleveland Music Club jam night at Doc and Louie’s was a blast! Dwayne Dickman and Eroc Sosinski co-hosted and our sponsors were Sonor Drums, Guitar Center of North Olmsted and Dirty Town Guitar and Amps. Coming out to jam with us throughout the evening were John Powell, Dan Elliott, Don Lydon, A.J. Henke, Marc Alu, Greg Kern, Jay Smith, Blake “Erie” Kniola, Kevin “Hollywood” Fancher, Rob Hill, Louis Johnson, John “Sizzle” Kerver, Chase Ockuly, T.J. Plechaty, Hayden Frosti, Dave Koler, Luke Pernici, Tony Shultz, Dan Hearns and Adelle Borchetta! The band Family Tradition (Charlie Vanek, Darrin Meecha and Rich Gross) closed out the jam and they were fantastic. Go check them out, too! Big thanks to Nancy Y., Amanda B., Jimmy D., Jason N., Jim B., Scott, Mike H., Breeayn S., Pam, Uncle Peanuts, The Dancing Marilyns and the rest of Doc’s music loving patrons for coming out and supporting live music!

Fast forward to Friday night, when Shady Drive appeared for the first time at 42Eighty Food and Drink. The venue really rocks with a great stage, lights and dance floor. Thanks to Gary, Laura, Coreen, Bob, Jen, Danielle, Khal, Chris, Daryl, Jess and the 42Eighty regulars who came out to party with us. We had a remarkable evening!

Coming up, we’ll start the week on Tuesday with the Cleveland Music Club Musicians’ Jam Night at Doc and Louie’s (24280 Lorain Rd., North Olmsted, 7pm – 11pm). This week’s co-hosts are Rob Hayes (Shady Drive) and Sammy Free (Ace Molar, Dave’s Planet). The fabulous North Coast Horns (Dave Frank, Darrin Clark and Al Widmer) will join the host band this week and we’ll have over 25 horn charts available for horn players to jam along with the band! This looks to be an outstanding jam night, so don’t miss it! :c)

On Friday, Shady Drive will return to the stage at Doc and Louie’s (24280 Lorain Rd., North Olmsted, 9pm – 1am) to rock out with Doc’s gang and party the night away. Our last time there was off the hook as we played until almost 2am, so come join the fun and bring your dancin’ shoes!

Then on Saturday, Shady Drive and featured guest vocalist Erin Rossi appear at the Parkview Nite Club (1261 W. 58th St., Cleveland). Playing at the Parkview is always a blast, so make plans now to join us for a night of hot blues, cold beer and great food! :c)

That’s all for this week! We’ll talk soon…
Mike ;c)

Hi gang!

It has been an interesting week, to say the least. We kicked it off on Tuesday with the Cleveland Music Club Jam at Doc & Louie’s. Stopping by to play some tunes were Kevin Fancher, Rob Hill, Louis Johnson, Family Tradition (Darrin Meecha, Rich Gross and Charlie Vanek), Hayden Frosti, Vic Connard, John Kerver, Bob Laeng, Up N Runnin’ (Jill Joreski, Gary Ames, Jay Smith, Dan Elliott) Dave Deitke, Dave Poirier, Luke Pernici, T. J. Plechaty, John Powell, Don Lydon, Greg Kern, Jason Giaco, Marc Alu, Bob DeVries, Jeff C., and Frances Dennis. Also in attendance were all of Doc’s music loving patrons as well as Joe D., Steven F., Jim B., Scott, Sue Ann, Amanda B., Jason N., Gene F., and The Dancing Marilyns! A fun time was had by all! :c)

On Friday, Shady Drive appeared at Durty Nellie’s. We were very disappointed in the behavior displayed by the club’s owner and as a result, we will no longer appear there. We’d like to express our thanks to Lanita and her crew, as well as Jen, Diane, Pat and Wally for coming out to see us and hope we’ll see you at another venue soon! :c)

Saturday night found Shady Drive at the Fairview Tavern playing to a packed house. It was great to see Gary and Laura and their crew, Jeff, Marty, Mari, Wally, Don, Brad and Denny! We had an amazing time!

Coming up this week, Dwayne Dickman and Eroc Sosinski will join me onstage this Tuesday at Doc and Louie’s (24280 Lorain Rd., North Olmsted, 7pm – 11pm) to co-host the Cleveland Music Club jam night. Our sponsors are Dirty Town Guitar and Amps, Sonor Drums and Guitar Center. Our own Amazing Kristen will be serving up 2 for 1 burgers and $3 margaritas at the speed of light. So grab your favorite axe or just your party attitude and join us at Doc and Louie’s! It’s THE place to be on Tuesday night! :c)

On Friday, Shady Drive will debut at 42eighty Food and Drink (4280 Shenandoah Dr., Brunswick, 9:30pm to 1:30am). The club just opened on May 1 and is really decked out with a great stage, lights and dance floor. It’s located just off Pearl Road between Route 303 and Grafton Road. There’s plenty of parking, the food is great and so is the service, so come check us out!

Due to the club’s remodeling, Shady Drive will not be appearing at the Purple Shamrock on May 19th as previously scheduled, but look for us there in the fall!

That’s all for this week! We’ll talk soon…

Mike :c)

Hi gang!

My apologies that this is a day or two late. It’s been quite a week, but more on that later! Tuesday’s Cleveland Music Club jam night started it off with co-hosts G.S. Harper and Kevin Fancher joining me onstage for the host band set. Stopping out to jam with us were Bob DeVries, Raymond Varga, Dominic Cataldo, Jaime Flores, Luke Pernici, Drew Oxley, Dave Koler, Dennis Bielinski, John Kerver, Bob Laeng, Jay Smith, Louis Johnson, Rob Hill, Greg Kern, Charlie Simms, Don Lydon, Dan Elliott, John Powell, and Marc Alu! Prizes were provided by our sponsors, Dirty Town Guitar and Amps, Guitar Center of North Olmsted and Sonor Drums. Congratulations to drawing winners Jay Smith, Dan Elliott, Luke Pernici and Raymond Varga! Joining us to have a little fun and just enjoy the show were Dave, Steve, Marty, Mari, Jimmy D., Amanda (We missed you Jason!), Cathy, Jim, Scott, Derek, Sue Ann, Rich, Uncle Peanuts, The “Dancing Marilyns” and all of Doc’s music loving patrons. Our thanks for continuing to come out (many of you every week!) and being such a great audience for all of our players. Big thanks to Doc for continuing to give us a fantastic place to get together each Tuesday night and to The Amazing Kristen for working so hard keeping everyone fed and hydrated. You rock!

Next, G.S. Harper, Kevin Fancher and I were off to the Fairview Tavern for Cleveland Music Club’s monthly unplugged show on Wednesday night. We had a great time and hope you did too! :c) Thanks to everyone who came out including Mark, Teresa and Erin. :c)

The rest of our week was focused on a very special event. On Saturday, our daughter Amanda was married and that kept us pretty busy. Erika and I want to send along special thanks to Shady Drive members Rob Hayes, Kevin Fancher, Erin Rossi, Bob Hayes and Dave Frank for doing such a wonderful job providing the music and fun at the reception. Huge thanks to Mr. Jon Darling who filled the drum chair in Shady Drive that night so I could concentrate on my ‘father of the bride’ duties. Your being there made it a very special evening. :c)

Coming up this week, we kick off the music on Tuesday as Drew Doman and Uncle Steve join me in hosting the Cleveland Music Club jam night at Doc and Louie’s (24280 Lorain Rd., North Olmsted, 7pm-11pm). Come on out and enjoy Doc’s 2 for 1 burgers and $3 margaritas while we play your favorite tunes until 8pm, when we turn the stage over to YOU! Bring your favorite axe, sticks or other musical implement and come jam with us, or just hang out and enjoy the fun, food, drinks and music. Either way, it’s always a good time and THE place to be on Tuesday night. :c)

On Friday, Shady Drive returns to Durty Nellie’s (1151 West Pleasant Valley Road, Parma, 9pm – 1am) to rock out with the gang. It’s a great sounding venue with lots of seating, fast friendly service and great beverages, so come early to get a good spot! On Saturday Shady Drive is back for our monthly appearance at the fabulous Fairview Tavern (21867 Lorain Rd., Fairview Park, 9:30pm – 1:30am). Great service, amazing food and lots of drink specials are features of the Tavern. Make plans now to join us this weekend!

That’s all for this week! We’ll talk soon…

Mike :c)

Hi gang!

Another week gone by, and definitely one to remember. We kicked it off with the Cleveland Music Club jam night at Doc and Louie’s, with co-hosts Dwayne Dickman and Tony Camerato. The place was jumpin’ with jammers “Family Tradition” (Darrin Meecha, Charlie Vanek, Rich Gross and Linda Ourvan with some help from Adelle Borchetta and Dale Hartmann) and “Fossil Rock” (Dale Hartmann, Jerry Colossimo, Dan Bortik, Roger Fosser and Marc Alu), drummers Dan Elliott, John Powell, Carol Dieball, and Greg Kern; guitarists Jeff Sherman, John Kerver, Bob Laeng, Jay Smith, G.S. Harper, Dave Koler, and Dave Poirier; bassists Blake Kniola and Rob Hill. We were also treated to performances by Adelle on vocals, Ray Varga on sax, Bob DeVries on harp, Linda Ourvan on percussion and Dale Hartmann on keys. Supplying the hoots and hollers were: Jim B., Jimmy D., Jason, Amanda, Steve, Marty, Mari, JoAnn, Tom, Scott, Pam, Sharon, Derrek ,Uncle Peanuts and the rest of Doc’s music loving patrons. Congrats to John Kerver, Jay Smith, Charlie Vanek and Adelle who all scored some Sonor t-shirts. Thanks to everyone who came out, to Sonor Drums for sponsoring, to Doc for providing a great venue and to the Amazing Kristen for keeping us fed and watered! :c)

Fast forward to Friday night when Shady Drive appeared at the newly renovated Rock West Music and Grub Pub in Westlake. The club and dance floor were both full way past 1am. We hope everyone there had as much fun as we did! Thanks to the management and staff for having us and for their hospitality. On Saturday morning, Shady Drive was up early and rockin the GreenFest at North Ridgeville’s South Central Park! Thanks to all who braved the cold and rain to come out!

Coming up this week, I’ll be at Doc and Louie’s (24280 Lorain Rd. North Olmsted, 7pm-11pm) on Tuesday hosting the Cleveland Music Club jam night with G.S. Harper and Kevin Fancher. Doc will be at the grill flipping 2 for 1 burgers while our own Amazing Kristen serves them up along with $3 margaritas. Prizes are provided by sponsors Sonor Drums, Guitar Center and Dirty Town Guitar and Amps. Grab your favorite axe and get on down to Doc and Louie’s and rock out with us! Also, horn players mark May 22 on your calendar. On that Tuesday evening, the Cleveland Music Club host band of Rob Hayes, Sammy Free and I will join up with the fabulous North Coast Horns for a very special jam night. We’ll have 25 tunes charted for sax, trombone and trumpet and feature a horn section jam! More details as we get closer!

On Wednesday, it’s time for the monthly Cleveland Music Club Unplugged show at the Fairview Tavern. Come join us for dinner and drinks while G.S. Harper, Kevin Fancher and I play your favorite classic rock, blues and country tunes in a relaxed acoustic setting. It’s always a bunch of fun, so come get your share! :c)

Shady Drive is off this week to play a private event, but we’re back in full swing next week, so plan to join us then.

If you like country music and dancing, then mark June 1 on your calendar for the debut of Cactus Jack! More info as the date approaches!

That’s all for this week. We’ll talk soon…

Mike :c)

Hi gang!

Another week is in the books. The Cleveland Music Club jam night was totally off the hook last week. In addition to co-hosts Rob “Shady” Hayes and Sammy Free, joining us onstage were Jeff Sherman, Mike Binder, Drew Oxley, Luke Pernici, John Kerver, Eroc Sosinski, Blake Kniola, Rob Hill, Louis Johnson, Jon Darling, John Powell, Greg Kern, Dan Elliott, Marc Alu, Raymond Varga, Leah, Dominic Cataldo, Jaime Flores, David Holmberg, Dan Hearns, Priscilla Aldridge Zietlow, Adelle Borchetta, Daryl Svitak, Jay Smith, Hayden Frosti, Bob Laeng, and two full bands: “The Erie Cats” (Jen Glick, Dick Devries, Jack Shaarda, Scott Striffler, Rex Emmons) and “Lauren’s Boys” (Lauren Smith, Kirk Morgenstern, David Mast, Rick Chilem, Heston Biziak). Joining us to hang out were Jen, Maria Jimmy, Jason, Amanda, Eric, Cheryl, Lenna, Steven, Jim, Rich, Dale, Carol, Peanuts and the rest of Doc’s music loving patrons! Thanks to our sponsor, Guitar Center of N. Olmsted and congrats to our drawing winners: Heston Biziak, Dan Elliott and Bob Laeng, to Doc for giving us a great place to hang out week after week and to Kristen for working so hard every Tuesday.

On Friday, Shady Drive played for a packed house at The Mad Cactus and rocked the joint until well after our 1am quitting time. We had a blast partying with Teddy, Tischa and the Cactus crowd including Gary, Laura, Jen, Gordy, Jeff, Chris, Daryl, Rich, Joanne and Robin. Thanks for coming out! :c)

Saturday found Shady Drive debuting at the Riverside Pub with friends Ami, Bob, George, Eric, Cheryl, Dana and Rob. Fun times!

Coming up this week, Tuesday’s Cleveland Music Club jam night at Doc and Louie’s (24280 Lorain Rd., North Olmsted, 7-11pm) features co-hosts Dwayne Dickman and Tony Camerato and this week’s sponsor, Sonor Drums. Doc will be cookin’ up the 2 for 1 burgers while Kristen mixes the $3 margaritas! Always a good time at Doc’s on Tuesday, so grab your axe and get on down to jam with us!

On Friday, Shady Drive, joined by featured vocalist Erin Rossi, appears at the newly renovated Rock West Music and Grub Pub (30676 Detroit Rd., Westlake, 9pm – 1am). We’ll be playing all of your rock favorites by Tom Petty, Led Zeppelin, Pretenders, Adele and many more, so come join us!

Not much time to rest though, because on Saturday, Shady Drive will be up early and performing at the North Ridgeville Green Fest at South Central Park from 10am to 2pm. This will be our first outdoor gig of the year, so don’t miss it! :c)

That’s all for this week! We’ll talk soon…

Mike :c)