Ukulele Magic

Some of you know that my husband is a musician.  He plays bass guitar but lately (over the past couple of years) has been playing ukulele.  He and some friends formed a band, Ukesperience (www.ukesperience.com).  (Oh yeah…there’s a whole blog post about their trip to Hawaii! duh!)  Anyway, he also has started MAKING ukuleles.  He’s made a couple of bass ukuleles, and lap/slide ukulele and he recently finished the one he made for Kiddlebiddle (BalletDaughter).  Tonight he gave it to her and began her ukulele lessons.

First, she learned to tune it!

Then she learned a few chords:

Then they played a bit! 

She’s a very happy young lady!    Also pretty lucky.  It’s a very cool uke.  ‘Course, the others in the family weren’t too impressed:

 

Uke Fest

Well, Ukesperience has been in Hawaii two full days now and the Great Waikaloa Ukulele Festival was yesterday!  According to sources (OK…my husband, the bass player) they were quite a hit at the festival.  They had two shows at different venues in the festival and the audiences loved them (as demonstrated by the applause and selling of Ukesperience merchandise!).  At the first show, one of Hawaii’s musical legends, Uncle Danny (Danny Kaleikini) came up in the middle of their set and told them (and the audience) how much he enjoyed there music and said “THIS is what it’s all about!”  Comments were made by others that they here lots of traditional ukulele music but that it was great to hear the music that our guys produce…from the heart.  Yeah Ukesperience!  Last I heard they were having dinner with Roy Sakuma, the founder of the festival and a major Hawaiian music promoter, last night.  Can’t wait to hear how that went.

 And today, or tomorrow, the guys are relaxing and off to visit the volcano.  They’ve got a gig on Tuesday and another on Thursday, then Jason and Dave have a gig with their other band, Kulica, on Saturday before the guys head home early next week. 

It sooooo sounds like they’re having fun.  It took a lot to get there – Tim had to mail some of his equipment to himself.  But he had fun building a portable stand up bass.  Here’s a shot.

 

 I’ll let you know what more I hear!  Aloha!

 

Aloha! Ukesperience World Tour

OK…so it’s not a world tour.  But it’s the farthest the group has gone on a gig!  And it’s a real honor to be invited!  Ukesperience has been invited to play at the “Great Waikoloa Ukelele Festival” on the Big Island this March!  They’ve actually got two performances scheduled and think they’ll also be playing at other places around the island, including the Hard Rock Cafe!  Undoubtedly, I’ll have more information for you in the future, but in the meantime, you can check out the basics at: http://www.gohawaii.com/event?id=9788

We’re very excited about this, even though Kiddlebiddle and I won’t be going with them this time!  It’s quite likely they’ll head that way again as their music is a bit “different” than what you usually associate with ukuleles and the big names in that field are quite impressed with them! 

Be sure to check out the band: http://www.ukesperience.com  Here are a couple of photos I took at one of their gigs this fall: 

 

Relay for Life

Last Friday Eureka held it’s annual “Relay for Life.”  (http://www.relayforlife.org/relay/)

 I understand that it’s the 9th largest in the country!  Pretty good for a little community in the Pacific Northwest!

   

Anyway, I wasn’t a walker/runner but I did participate in the American Cancer Society’s CPS3 study.  According to our local paper (Times-Standard) “The nationwide study, the first of its magnitude in 25 years, will look at cancer causing and prevention factors. Of the 500,000 volunteers the ACS is hoping will sign up across the country, 500 will be from Humboldt County. ”  I think they probably got the number they were looking for because the tent was packed when I went it.  I just completed a multi-page survey; they drew some blood, and I was done.  (Well, I did get a See’s candy afterward!  🙂 )

Though this shot is blurry in the foreground you can see the beauty of where the event was held.  It’s so gorgeous up here!   

 The event was quite a site to see (see?)  And my hubby’s band (Ukesperience) played a nice set right after the opening ceremonies. 

 

 You know, it’s  a little sobering to attend something like that and see friends wearing the RFL t-shirts and running and perhaps you didn’t even know they had been touched by cancer.    I’ve never been comfortable asking for money but I donate regularly and I think next year I’ll try to participate.

 

Blues by the Bay

Boy oh boy are we lucky!  I live in an absolutely gorgeous town in Northern California, the redwoods, the ocean…and every summer: Blues by the Bay.  We go with a group of friends; arriving a couple of hours early to secure our spots and prepare for two days of glorious music and relaxation.  And I guess global warming is really doing it’s thing because the pacific northwest is SUPPOSED to be foggy and cool in the summer but this year it was hot and muggy.  (Not a good thing….)

 The lineup was fantastic as always.  Every year there are some acts that I’ve never heard of and it never fails that we’re blown away by one or more.  And this year they were celebrating the 40th anniversary of the “Summer of Love” and had some old favorites that took me right back to junior high school: Big Brother and the Holding Company, Canned Heat, Elvin Bishop, Charlie Musselwhite…  Wow!  You would have thunk that Big Brother couldn’t be “the same” without Janis…but they got a female singer that, while she does have her own sound, does a fantastic rendition of Janis.  Close your eyes and drift back 40 years….  And I’ve got to tell you — this is the second time I’ve seen Elvin Bishop at this festival and does he ever put on one heck of a show! 

The audience is all ages, babies to grandparents.  Everyone groovin’ and having a wonderful time in a wonderful location.  Take a look at some of the fun:

Elvin Bishop brought down the house!

And here’s part of “our gang”

 

Big Brother took me back….(waaaay back)

While the music rocked…I knitted. 

 

Told ya it was sunny!  (My man…)

The festival went on for two days and the final day we had some overcast but still, a lovely sunset.  This shot was taken right at the festival. 

  I can’t wait ’til next year!  Gotta arrangae it so Kiddlebiddle is here too.  I know she’d love it!  (you might have noticed…I got a haircut!  Love it!  Makes me feel young!)