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John Hynes

OK, a sort-of RD1 reunion will be taking place on Saturday evening, November 12. Chaplin’s is a great venue for intimate shows. Dave Weber, John Hynes and Gary McCarren will be doing a singer/songwriter “in the round”. We will be taking turns playing our songs and, hopefully, backing one another up a little bit. The Legendary Ted The Fiddler will be opening up the show. Ted has been a regular fixture around the  RD1 guys since the band’s demise in the early ’80s. Ted is a great performer and storyteller and he also will probably be accompanying us on a few songs. Not only that, but Andy Vernon, RD1′s illustrious drummer has consented to help us all out with some percussion for the show. This is THE show to see this Fall as it looks like there will not be a full-band RD1 reunion in 2011. To top it all off, Dave’s new CD, Together, is now released and there will definitely be some give-aways at the Chaplin’s show. Chaplin’s is located in Spring City, PA. The show starts at 8:00.

http://www.chaplinsmusiccafe.com/111211artistsinthe.htm

Although the audition was anything but stellar, the owners saw something in the trio and they got the gig. That summer was the first year for RD1, which was named by Joe Grassi, and the boys did six nights a week, alternating 45 minute sets with Gary McCarren. It was a trial by fire, and it wasn’t long before all that playing got them tight and professional.

Bob was born in Red Bank, NJ, close to where the phenomenon known as Bruce Springsteen would emerge. In the Fall of 1970, he met Dave Weber and John Hynes while they all were living in the dormitory at Seton Hall University. There was a rich musical scene at Seton Hall and all the players quickly got to know one another. Living in close proximity, there was music being played fairly constantly, and the campus Coffee House and Pub were great outlets for all the musicians.

When Dave and John graduated in ’74, they stayed close to the area and, along with Bob, formed a band called Sequoia, a band which had had many incarnations. It didn’t last long, but it did demonstrate the musical chemistry that Bob, Dave & John could create. After that, Bob got aquainted with Wildwood, NJ where the germ of the future RD1 would take shape.

Make no mistake, Bob is the founder of RD1. Although Dave was with him from the very beginning and stayed with the band for almost it’s entire existence, Bob gets all the credit for making it into what it became during it’s heyday. Although he left RD1 sometime around ’80 for various reasons, he remained the heart and soul of the band, which continued to perform his songs even after he left.

Bob moved to Florida to “be where people are vacationing all the time”. Along with his long-time friend, Jim Marino, they established themselves as a musical force in the Fort Lauderdale area and beyond. Bob stayed in Florida and remains there today, living in Boynton Beach with his wife, Nancy, and their little dog, Baxter. Bob plays mostly solo gigs at the innumerable venues that are all over that area of Florida and also has “The Bob Macdonald Band” which has been playing every Thursday for many years in one of the local haunts.

Bob has great stories and is a very funny guy. A few years ago he won an online contest and was flown by private jet with about 10 friends to Arizona to attend a football game and be treated like royalty for a few days. Bob was also instrumental in planting the idea of working on a cruise ship in Dave’s head at a time when Dave really needed a change of scenery. That worked out great for Dave, and when the ship was docked in Fort Lauderdale, he and Bob occasionally got together. Bob’s house in Florida was also the scene of the ’09 reunion of RD1 where Dave, John, Gary & Andy invaded his gigs for a few days and they had such a good time that a few subsequent performances were given, culminating in the Nov 14, 2010 show at The Carlisle Ribbon Mill that included seven of the primary members of RD1.

Bob writes songs and has produced at least one CD. He has pursued publishing with his songs and has had a modicum of success in that area. His songs are remarkable, to say the least. He’s a witty and skilled songwriter and is a natural in a studio setting. He shows no sign of slowing down with regards to playing gigs, so if you’re in the Boynton Beach area of Florida, look him up. He is as entertaining as ever.

Bob, doing his thing

Andy turned 60 in March of this year (2011). While it seems unfathomable to all of us that we’ve survived to reach this age, it won’t be long before all of RD1 reaches this milestone. Andy currently lives in Phoenixville, PA, in a nice house within walking distance of the revitalized downtown Phoenixville area, which features a number of well-known performance venues, especially Steel City, a room that highlights original talent from both near and far.

Andy has kept his hands, and feet, in the music business since his departure from RD1. His tenure with the blues band, Bluebone, has been immortalized with extraordinary recordings and memorable performances. While he still plays the classic drum set expertly, he has embraced a variety of percussion instruments and studied for years under a variety of world-class percussionists and is now one of the area’s most sought after percussionists as evidenced by the demand for his skills.

Andy plays regularly with several bands and original acts. Ray Atkins, from the band The Manatees, features Andy regularly both at The Kennet Flash and on the 10 Show. However, the band that is perhaps the most exciting for Andy and all those who love him, is the big band, Philly Bloco. This band features around twelve percussionists, plus guitar, bass, horns, and a few other instruments as well as a dancer. While they are visually striking, the music they make is infective. You simply can’t sit still when you go to a Philly Bloco show. They do a Brazilian style of music, often taking classic songs and rearranging them in that style. Philly Bloco has recently released their first CD and you can expect to hear them, and the huge buzz that’s going on about them, very soon.

Andy is also a highly skilled worker in wood. His home workshop is not large, but it has everything he needs to turn out drums, beautiful wooden bowls, and just about anything else you can make out of a hunk of wood, and he generously gives most of it away to friends and musical aquaintances. Andy’s heart is as big as his talent.

I’ve known Andy for some 33 years now and have always enjoyed our musical collaboration. Currently I have been working with Andy in my home studio, working on a CD that will be released probably in the Spring of this year (2011). He is a joy to work with and his talent both as a percussionist and a recording artist are huge contributions to this project for which I am enormously grateful. We also have a great time working together.

Andy was key in the reunion of RD1 that was held at Bob Macdonald’s home in Boynton Beach, Florida, in Spring of ’09.  That reunion sparked several reunion shows, most notably the recent show at the Carlisle Ribbon Mill in November of 2010.

Andy is currently single, although his relationship status changes regularly, and spends a lot of time with his two sons, the apples of his eye. Turning 60 will not slow Andy down. He works a day job doing something with selling giant amounts of construction supplies, but somehow manages to find time for all the various musical projects and woodworking projects that produce such remarkable results.

Andy is on Facebook and will certainly be informed of any comments that follow this humble testimonial.

Andy Vernon – 60 and getting better all the time.

Andy with Philly Bloco

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aMjyJV4VIDI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y20aJHD2wD8

Jonathan with bird

It was necessary for everyone to rally for the big show on Sunday evening. After the rehearsal, we all got a little bit of rest, cleaned up and slowly started to gather at the Ribbon Mill in plenty of time to iron out any bugs that might still be lurking in the setup. The sound guy was very cooperative and let me plug a DAT (digital audio tape) machine into the mixing board. That way I was able to just turn it on before each set and let the tape run. The sound guy was cool about checking the recording level and making sure the signal was good. The first few songs of the show had some glitches, but I got pretty much the entire show on digital audio. Very nice.

As we mingled around the venue before the show, the most inspiring cast of characters started filing in. People we’ve known now for 30 years, the ones who used to come see us play at several venues in that area, smiled and hugged one another like it was a High School reunion. And indeed that’s what it felt like. I kind of wish everybody had been wearing name tags, but it all worked out. There was a large contingent of people from Wildwood that included the Crippens. Mike and Karen owned Henry’s, the Wildwood bar where RD1 started back in the Summer of ’76. The Wildwoodians were a big group and we are very grateful to them for coming out on a Sunday night from so far.

There were lots of familiar Carlisle folks there. There were a whole lot of McCarrens, as always, including Gary’s awesome mom who was always so generous “back in the day” with accomodations and food and always sat right in front whenever they could make it to a show. Gary’s brother, Steve, who we’ve all known practically as long as we’ve known Gary, owns the Carlisle Ribbon Mill and really made it possible for the event to take place on the scale that it did. We are hugely grateful to him.

There were also a lot of Fergusons in attendance. Gary & Judy Ferguson got married last August and the reception was held right there where we were doing the show. That’s actually where the idea for the RD1 show started. Several of us played at Gary & Judy’s reception and so now the Ferguson & McCarren clans, both sizable, pretty much guarantee us at least a respectable crowd. We didn’t seem to need that, though. Gary said that around a third to half of the attendees were people who had never seen RD1 before. They were there because of the hype and stories they’d heard from others. That was a good sign.

Of course this was indeed a rare and remarkable occasion. When Jonathan and Phil signed on for the show, it’s significance grew considerably. We were all enjoying the hell out of being together again. The rehearsals were fun. We found that we remembered far more than we thought we did, and forgot some things that we’d done thousands of times. All in all, though, it was highly significant for all of us who had the priviledge to share the stage once again and perform for the people who have made it possible and enjoyable to keep the memory alive from time to time.

We’d come up with a set list that looked pretty good, two long sets that covered most of what people remember us for, and a few things that were simply great songs that we could shine on. We started out with Glendale Train, the New Riders classic that always brings a response from our audience. Right away that unique RD1 sound pounded off the stage and set the bar for the rest of the night. The first set didn’t let up, either. We hit it hard drom the beginning and kept the energy up for as long as we could. Some of our classic slower numbers like “Willin’” and “I Shall Be Released” gave us a bit of a break , and even gave some people a chance to grab one another for a slow dance.

Speaking of the dance floor, it got crowded early on. Everyone was totally psyched for the event and smiling from ear to ear whether they were dancing, singing along, catching up with friends or just sitting and taking it all in. All the members of the band were in fine form. We all still play regularly and it showed in the musicianship and professionalism that made it so enjoyable for us. The chronic volume discrepancies that we suffered continually back in the ’80s were nowhere to be found that night. Once again, the sound guys were great. We could hear ourselves and one another just fine.

After a long set, over an hour, we took a break. The food that had been prepared was wonderful and it was going fast. There was plenty, though, and since it was a BYOB event, there were bottles of wine and beer and some harder beverages scattered over most of the tables. It was a very well-behaved group, though. I suppose we’ve all mellowed with age. People were taking pictures and saying hello to as many old friends as they could get around to. It was all going by so fast.

Before the second set started with the full band, a few of us got up and did some mellower tunes. Gary & Judy wowwed the crowd with one of their numbers and Hynes did The Writer with Jonathan playing beautifully on violin and Arlene singing beautifully on harmony vocals. After that we all jumped into it again and we were off and running for around an hour and a half. We didn’t always stick to the set list. Bob, in particular, launched into a few easy standards that ended up sounding like we’d rehearsed them that afternon which we hadn’t……ever.

As for myself, it was amazing to me that we’d all survived and had the desire, will, and means to come together once again after all these years to do what we used to do every night in a reality long gone. I consider myself infinitely fortunate to have been a part of RD1 and I have great affection for all it’s members and those who have been a part of our portrait all this time. I write this stuff because that’s just something I’m driven to do. I do not set myself up as THE chronicler of RD1. That’s too big a job for me, but at least I can try to convey what it’s like from my singular perspective.

The show ended at a civilized hour, around 9:30 I think. It left a lot of time for small groups to gather wherever and keep the warmth and fuzziness going, as well as the decades long drama. There were a few somewhat noisy rooms at the Comfort Suites, but not enough noise to draw comlaints. Several people convened at The Gingerbread Man, but they were allowed to smoke in there and us non-smokers couldn’t deal with that. Slowly the end of yet another remarkable RD1 weekend sent everyone off to their respective beds as exhaustion set in.

The next morning found a lot of the cast down in the hotel’s breakfast area. My sister, Peg, and her son, Jack, had driven up and stayed over for the show and I was glad we got to share a little time together, especially that morning after. Jack is an amazing musician already at age 15 and it thrills me to see him pursuing his music and appreciating all kinds of music so much. Many of the Wildwood characters were in the breakfast room also and we had a lot of fun and laughs even that early about just about everything. I love those people.

Donna and I finished up our stay having coffee with Andy and his partner Sheryl (sp?). The drive back to Chester SPrings isn’t too bad and we got back in plenty of time to relax and recover from a long, depleting weekend. It actually took me a long time to recover fully from the illness, but eventually I did, in time for Christmas.

I can’t thank everyone enough, especially Bob and Nancy for flying up from Florida, and Jonathan and Phil for driving all the way from Nashville. Thanks to Nacy Berk who flew all the way from Seatlle for the show. She gets the greatest distance award. Thanks to Steve McCarren for the venue and to Gary and Judy for really doing all the work prepping for the whole thing. Thanks again to Judy and her crew for getting all the food together. They did a fabulous job. Thanks to the sound guys and everyone else who lent a hand putting it all together.

Most of all, thanks to all of you who attended, wanted to attend and couldn’t, and perhaps are following along here on this blog to get a bit of a taste of what it might have been like that weekend. Thanks to you for keeping RD1 alive. We could not do it without you. Really. We’ve all become something far greater than the sum of our parts. Let’s keep it going for as long as we can.

I had a little more gear than the rest of the guys, except for Andy, of course. He has the heaviest and bulkiest of the setups with his drums, and he brought a full set. It took another long while for the back room to clear and I started bringing in equipment. There were differences of opinion between the band and the venue personnel about where we were going to set up, so I had to move my stuff around a bit before we finalized the setup location in the room, and I didn’t think we made the right decision, but was determined to just go along with whatever happened.

It was hard to hide my worsening condition and considering the rareness of the occasion and the love and joy that was flying around, I felt bad about that too. We really didn’t have enough equipment to do a proper job of performing that night. We only had two microphones plugged into my Bose system and we didn’t have a spot at all to plug in Bob’s guitar. There were only a handful of people, most of whom we knew and had known for many years. That made it a lot easier on us, taking off the pressure of having to actually perform, so we could get some rehearsal done. However, we did approach it as a performance and after playing for a few hours we weren’t much closer to being ready for the big show the next day. And I just kept feeling worse and worse.

By midnight, we started breaking it up and I lost no time in breaking down my equipment and loading the car. I was still trying to put on a brave face and have fun with everybody, but I really couldn’t wait to get out of there and get to bed back at the hotel. Donna was also having a great time. She’s known most of those people as long as I have. We did leave soon, though, and got back to the hotel before 1:00 AM. I don’t think we were there more than ten minutes before I was sitting on the floor of the bathroom heaving my guts up into the toilet. Mind you now, I haven’t thrown up in at least 25 years and to the best of my recollection I’ve never had a stomache virus. I sure had something going on that night though and I went through a cycle of throwing up, going back to bed feeling better until my fever went sky high again and I had to return to the bathroom an hour later to throw up again.

This went on for about four hours and I truly wondered where it was all coming from. I couldn’t imagine having anything left in my stomache and the fever was so high that at 4:00 in the morning after not sleeping a wink, I truly doubted that I would be able to function the next day. I did finally stop throwing up, Thank God, and managed to get some sleep but felt like a complete train wreck. It was early in the morning that poor Donna, who had had to endure this appauling spectacle, went out and got me saltine crackers, ginger ale and Maalox.

I was actually able to get on my feet by noon after that treatment. My fever was going down but I was still very tired and weak. There was a rehearsal scheduled at the Ribbon Mill at 1:00 that afternoon and I didn’t think I could make it, but you know the old saying – The Show must go on. I knew I was kind of necessary for the rehearsal and so I rallied and Donna and I did actually get there by 1:00. Things didn’t get going right away and Bob, not having a working cell phone, was not even aware of the rehearsal. We did get a lot done that afternoon, though, and by 4:00 or so we felt a lot more prepared for the evening. I’m sure they all felt bad that I’d had such a difficult night, but there was just too much going on for anyone but me, and Donna of course, to worry about it.

So we had a few hours to rest before the show which was scheduled to start around 6:00 PM. I continued to survive on Maalox, crackers and ginger ale while the rest of the band tuned themselves up for the show.

I can’t seem to find any of the pics from the show, but I do have this link to a video of RD1 doing John Hynes’ RIPLA at the Ribbon Mill. It was shot by Bob’s wife, Nancy, and it turned out pretty well. Enjoy.

Dave & Bob

The days preceding the RD1 show in Carlisle were hectic ones for me. On Wednesday I thought I was just a bit run down from lack of sleep and general running around. By Friday my energy was way down, but I knew I had too much to do and had to rally for the next several days. On Friday night I attended my 40^th High School reunion in Maple Shade, NJ. I’ve been to most of mine and I’m genuinely fond of the people I graduated with and always find the reunions enjoyable and different. Donna attended with me and was a great sport about the whole thing and a charming and gracious partner.

We stayed at Johnny Honolulu’s Automatic House that night and arose before 9:00 on Saturday morning. Now we had to say our goodbyes and head back to Donna’s house in PA to exchange cars, equipment and clothing for the next few days. WE actually managed to sneak in a little nap before we left for Carlisle, and that helped, but I was already very run down.

Bob Macdonald and his wife, Nancy, had flown up from Florida and were already checked in at the Comfort Suites in downtown Carlisle on Friday night. Jonathan and Phil had also arrived on Friday and were staying at a Days Inn or something not far away. I called Gary to find out what the evening’s arrangements were and found out they had all gone out to the Rustic Tavern on Friday night and had a festive time. It also turned out that it was the Rustic Tavern that would host our rehearsal/show on Saturday night. I’d played there with Gary several times and thought that was a good idea. Unfortunately the earliest we could start would be 9:00 PM.

Donna and I pulled into the Comfort Suites around 2:30 on Saturday afternoon after a fun drive through the beautiful autumn countryside of Central Pennsylvania. When we got to the lobby to check in, John Hynes and Nancy Macdonald were already there just sitting around. Some of our other long-time friends, like Bob Cardone, also showed up about that time. Donna and I checked in, dropped our stuff in the room and went back out to the lobby where Bob Macdonald had joined the group. “Let’s go get a beer” were the first words out of my mouth and after universal agreement, we went right around the corner to the Gingerbread Man, a worthy local watering hole.

Before too long Jonathan and Phil joined us and the drinks and reverie grew in volume and laughter. Hugs all around and catching up were followed by stories, jokes, a few shots and a little something to eat. We broke at around 4:00 or so so we could regroup. The plan was to meet at 6:00 at The Rustic Tavern before the rehearsal. I was getting more and more tired as time passed.

I’ll split these posts up so I can include more photos. I’ll also try to figure out how to include other people’s photo albums on the blog. Shouldn’t be too hard. Check back regularly for more of the story of the RD1 weekend, Carlisle 2010.