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Motor City Sidestrokers



Last Updated: 11/18/2009

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Status: Single
City: ROYAL OAK
State: Michigan
Country: US
Signup Date: 6/13/2006

Blog Archive
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Monday, August 18, 2008 

...never begin a weekend by asking, "What could possibly go wrong?"


..it may be 90 degrees during the day, but it can plummet to 38 by the time you climb into your tent.


...the erection (and I use that term loosely) of a tarp can be a thing of beauty, a source of shade, an unexpected camp activity that involves the whole band, a weekend's worth of amusement for surrounding campers, a lesson in patience, humility, endurance and sanity, a strain on "Dollar Store" tool-like objects, a useless waste of valueable packing space, autographed memorabillia, and possible landfill fodder. (See Farmfest 08 photo album)


...you can get by with cheap wine, but not cheap corkscrews!  However, "you can have just as much fun with an open bottle of cheap wine"!


...porta-potties work best when the toilet seat lid is open!  Hand sanitizer only goes so far!


...dancing is better done to a Dan Hazlett sultry tune under the stars with a full moon on high!


...Annie and Rod Capps make a mean breakfast burrito, which is surprising for people who think Spaghetti-Os by lamplight is fine dining!


...Annie and Rod Capps saved us, not once, but twice...from being stranded with a dead battery...making them, not only, great friends, but good samaritans (with well-charged batteries).


...by Sunday at Farmfest...you REALLY need to bathe! "Cleanliness is next to impossible while camping".


...grass, gnats, bug spray, and dirt are food additives.  Good, though!


...it's a longer walk UP the hill than it is DOWN!


...you can tie-dye damn near everything given enough time, dye and creativity!


...the neck of a bass makes a tolerable headrest!


...the shiny side of a blow-up bed should be placed on the tent floor to keep the slippery sleeping bag from sliding off constantly!


...the audience is always more enthusiastic after dark (and a beer or six).


...a land yacht is commonplace at a music festival..."hang ten, dude!"


...solar showers can be heart-stoppingly refreshing!


...backstage at Farmfest is nearly as fun as playin' out front


...deep fried apples with caramel sauce are not as great as they sound!


...travel games are best left to young children...old bass players just want to be left alone.


...who knew our new favorite musical group would be guys named, "Mutual Kumquat?"


...alliteration games are draining.


...it's fun, but it makes my hand hurt!


...Farmfest is always a blast and you can't go there without making new friends and reuniting with some good old ones!


HEADLINE:  Frantic, Fenzied Farmfest Fans Flagrantly Forfiet Fantastic Fortunes For Future Frolic, Friendly Fun, Fabulous Food, Fame, Freedom!


Tuesday, July 15, 2008 
We can't overstate the warmth and wonderfulness of this amazing venue.  John Williams who owns this fine establishment is not only an ethusiastic music-lover, he is a first-rate lovely guy!!!!  If you have never seen your favorite group rock the Speakeasy...you need to run...don't walk...to the next show!  We'll keep you posted on shows at Johnny's.
Tuesday, August 14, 2007 
Until you've experienced a five-hour thunder/lightning/torrential rainstorm from inside a flimsy tent...you haven't lived! Farmfest attendees will attest to the most amazing weather weekend. Saturday night brought breathtaking meteor showers...witnessed when we stepped outside of various jam tents. Slipping into our tents around 4:00am, we could hear the rumbling of a distant storm. I've never seen a thunder storm that lasted more than about 40 minutes...this one brought down our shade tarp...soaked the driver's seat...(who left that that window open?) and rattled the fillings of hundreds of die hard campers for five drenching, flashing, booming hours.

Oh, yah...there was lots of music, as well. The Ragbirds, Dick Siegel, Salt Miners, Greensky Bluegrass and SOOOO many others. But long after the lights went out...the music continued.  That is, until Mother Nature conducted her own version of Kickass, which literally "rocked the farm".   Driving home in wet clothes....and a carload of wet camping equipment proved to be a helluva lot more fun than one might think...thanks to great band mates. No dampened spirits here...can't wait 'til next year!
Thursday, May 24, 2007 

In the "Best of" issue of Hour Detroit magazine...we found a surprising honor.  For all of you who put our name down on a voting ballot...THANKS!  The Motor City Sidestrokers tied with three other local bands in the category:

                                       NEXT BIG LOCAL BAND

We are proud as punch and thrilled to be included in such a prestigious local publication...our fans are the best!  We love ya!

Friday, January 19, 2007 

Saturday the13th (missed bad luck by one) of January was the date of a memorable birthday party for Dennis Kingsbury, thrown by the man himself.  Much music and good fellowship helped him celebrate the big six-oh.  We all know Dennis from his many musical endeavors and as the co-host (with Maggie Ferguson) of the Live from the Living Room venue in Pontiac's Blue Note Café.  And many of the Living Room regulars showed up to pay tribute and play some tunes.

 

On hand were Foxfire (Denise Marie Stein and Maggie Ferguson), Wanderin' Wheel (Joel Palmer, Jeff Royer, and Dennis himself sitting in), the Sidestrokers (if you're reading this, you know who's who), and the legendary Floyd King leading the Bushwhackers (Dennis Kingsbury, Jim Bizer, Maggie Ferguson, Denise Marie Stein).  The outstanding sound system put together by Dennis showed everyone off at their best. And Tom Mansell did a pro job as MC (with some of his own songs).

Now if we can all just get out of our heads the multiple photos of Dennis taken through the years in various bands stretching back to the 60s ... almost all with his shirt off.  Maybe it was a political statement.

Monday, October 09, 2006 

To any and all who get a chance to play at the White Crow Conservatory in Saginaw -- do it!  Our recent gig there was a blast.  Zig and Susan are fantastic hosts, and the venue they have created is unique.  The Conservatory is a de-sanctified church (if that's the term, we completed the process, fer sure) that has been turned into a great listening room -- pews and all -- with a recording studio, plus numerous side rooms for Zig's music students.  They also display and sell various custom-crafted instruments, the like of which you'll find nowhere else.  There's also coffee, refreshments, and snacks available.  The whole vibe of the place is welcoming and warm -- a great place to hang out and play or just talk about music.

Our newest member, Banjo Jen Bagwell, showed everybody how much she brings to the sound and to the show.  We inflicted a few new numbers on the public for the first time, and they didn't protest too much ... even got called for an encore!  We'll be back, and hope to see a lot of our friends there, too.

Support the White Crow!  We need this place in Michigan.

Wednesday, August 23, 2006 

Monday the 21st saw the MCS deep in the heart of their namesake and what a fine place it was (see some pics).  We played a noon slot at one of the daily Summertime Concert Series.  We had passed through the new Campus Martius area numerous times, but never paid attention, so we didn't really know what to expect other than probably things wouldn't go smoothly:  like, they wouldnt be ready for us, nobody would know how to set up -- a fiasco, logistics-wise, right?

 

Wrong, wrong, wrong.

 

This was the best venue we have hit so far.  The sound guys --superior. The sound system -- outstanding.  If you like the sound of your own playing (and who doesn't), here you'll hear it broadcast all over the downtown area. Organization, set-up, prep, and performance -- smooth.  And that stage that rises up out of the ground!  All that was missing were pyro-geysers on all sides.  (You know, like Kiss or something ... well, okay, maybe we also didn't have as much makeup.)

 

In short, anyone reading this who gets a chance to play Campus Martius -- grab it.  You'll dig it.