Well, we went...decided at about 11:00am to just do it. I left work a short time later an got some last minute items out of the way and then
Nancy arrived shortly before 5:00pm. As she pulled up, the line of thunderstorms and lightening that was bearing down on us hit.
We waited it out and left to a light rain. About a half hour out we were in a pretty good downpour that lasted about 45 minutes. Then some drizzles here and there...BUT...ahead in the distance, you could see where the clouds ended and a clear sky appeared.
Now, I have sen this before, but rarely gotten to that spot - it is so much further away than it appears. But this time we actually succeeded in coming out of the clouds and had some clear skies until the sun went down.
we arrived in Lexington around 1:00am (six hour drive - we go over the time zone line and lose an hour) and went right to the motel.
The next morning we were over at
'Bliss Manor' and Nancy and I spent a few hours acting as sous chefs for our incredible host and hostess.
We went back to the motel, freshened up and headed back and assisted with last minute preparations of food. The guest were flowing in...the alcohol was flowing and once all the food was on the table we had a fantastic time.
Most of the bloggers who were there are not on my blog roll. I did know of some from seeing them around. In the beginning I was just introducing myself as Vinny, and then began to add
'Yoursbond / Bond from Big Leather Couch..ya know the little three year old in the baseball uniform", and that jogged recognition.
It was a real fun time and the food was freakin incredible and the favors were real nice and I will have some pictures in a day or so.
I have been told there is a flickr site with pictures, and when I go over there, I will borrow a few for here.
THANKS
TURNBABY from"And As The World Turns" and
BRAD from "Pointless Drivel" for a wonderful weekend.
We were over Sunday morning for a bit and then headed out and got back to Memphis around 5:00pm.
Today, we are featuring a band we originally heard over at
JOHN H's "Vioces To Hear" site and shortly thereafter they came up on my recommended list from the PR firm who sends me these artists.
Brother Joscephus and the Love Revival Revolution Orchestra are an 11-piece explosion of love and righteousness specializing in Groovy New Orleans-inspired Roots Rock/Soul with a Gospel feel.
This is real upbeat, positive-message music based in the soulful sounds of N'awlins in the spirit of Dr. John and the Neville's...
From their bio we learn:
BroJo blends together the perfect gumbo of New Orleans party music, Soul in the style of Ray Charles and Al Green, a good helping of jam-bandy Roots Rock and a righteous splash of good, upbeat (non-religious) Gospel.Brother Joscephus and the Love Revival Revolution Orchestra is a family-friendly act with an incredibly broad range of appeal. The music legitimately hits home with all age groups from 5 to 105. BroJo fits in perfectly at outdoor festivals, sit-down theaters or the most raucous of roadhouses.Each BroJo tune has been meticulously arranged for the Love Revival Revolution Orchestra: The three-piece horn section (the Shepherds of the Wind), the gospel choir (the Voices of Reason), and the most righteous rhythm section (the Guardians of the Groove) lay it down for Brother Joscephus to sing about the pain, joy and wisdom that is in his heart.The core group is eleven pieces, but the Revolution been known to expand to over sixteen (adding additional members to the gospel choir, mandolin, percussion, etc.) and can also play a stripped-down version with as little as four brothers and sisters of the Revolution.But a Brother Joscephus show is more than just the music - there is also an emphasis on spectacle and pageantry. The band is decked out in their finest whites (accented with the appropriate gold, purple and green of Mardi Gras). They break out parasols, march through the audience and throw out hundred of mardi gras beads over the course of a show.When the band starts vibing with the audience you can't help but have a good time - it's undeniable!Brother Joscephus' message is one of righteousness: spread as much love as possible around, regardless of your individual beliefs, race, age, sex, sexual orientation or whatever it is you're into. Long as you're not hurting anyone, BroJo has much love for you and encourages you to fill the space with whatever love you got. That's what the Love Revival Revolution is all about.We sent Brother Joscephus some questions via email and he was kind enough to respond:
Who is in your ultimate super group?Good question! Electric Guitar – David Gilmore & Mark Knofler, Bass – Paul McCartney, Keyboard – Professor Longhair, Drums – Johnny Vidacovich. Then give me Ribirth Brass Band for a horn section and the Harlem Gospel Choir and we should be all set.
What's the song you're most proud of writing?The song that really galvanized the entire Brother Joscephus concept for me was the first song on our debut CD, “A Child Shall Lead” – I think it really sums up a lot of the philosophy and political ideology of the entire Love Revival Revolution movement. Plus it’s a total upbeat gospel-style rocker. And it was inspired by the birth of my niece, Parker who was born 2 days before I wrote the song. So all tolled, yeah – that’s a good one.
What was the first album you ever bought?Elton John’s Greatest Hits. The Beatles, Elton John and Billy Joel gave me my first lesson in music at a very early age.
Do you support any specific charities and how do you give back as an artist?Yes! The Love Revival Revolution is all about the support. We recently played a benefit show during Mardi Gras that raised money for the
Tipitina’s Foundation and
Sweet Home New Orleans – both New Orleans charities that provide support for the rebuilding of New Orleans, families affected by Katrina and local New Orleans musicians.
Do you like to cook?Love to cook. Serious cook, although I don’t have much time for it anymore. Before BroJo took off I was very close to opening a restaurant and Executive Chef-ing the place. The concept was small plate global dining. I designed the whole menu and was working on honing the recipes for several months before I realized running a 12-piece Orchestra and executive chef-ing a new restaurant were probably mutually exclusive endeavors!
Do you follow any sports, if so, which ones?Big sports fan. I am actually commissioner of 3 fantasy leagues (football, baseball and golf). I’m an avid follower of those sports. Fantasy sports is a passion I’ve been involved with for a very long time. I started one of the first fantasy baseball leagues ever in 1986, believe it or not. Fantasy sports is great, but I find it does diminish devotion to any one particular team as you tend to root for whichever players are on your fantasy team. That being said, I’m a big New York Yankee fan, and for some reason I also do greatly dig the Cleveland Browns.
Thank you Brother Joscephus...and after learning you are a Yankee Fan, let me say you music is the best ever created by anyone anywhere!But seriously, this is some real fun, enjoyable get out of your seat and shake what the good lord gave ya music.
Because this group is such a visual as much as a aural experience, we break format and will include a video from youtube and also a normal audio cut.
Check out their website
HERE; myspace page HERE; facebook page
HERE and album sales
HERE.
The video cut is for
"A Child Shall Leave" and the audio cut is entitled
"Bon Temps Roulez"Then remember to leave a comment and vote in the poll - THANKS!
ENJOY....
