BruceM

Yes, I like a nice amberburst, too. Sorry, Jaye, but this guitar is too nice to part with, and you know you had your chances a few years back!

Dammit, I was seriously considering hopping into the car by myself and driving down, but then Dave Berg called and wanted to go sailing on Lake Nokomis on a hot, humid, windy Oct. day in MN (great fun was had by all) and now it's time for shrimp on the barbie... next time Doody, for sure next time!

I'm gonna try to make this one. However, I need a rider, or a driver. Anyone?

Thanks everyone! I don't have my birthday listed on the board because, well, I'm shy and I don't like to be fussed over. Here's to you all!!! Stay tuned for more party action at the 4-3-2-1. There will most definitely be something happening in October...not sure what yet, and I've caught wind of a November celebrity guest. Good times!

I Hate My Job - Dave Freden's Lesser Humans - this one works as a solo acoustic, electric jam, or country stomp. It's a singalong, and it's a staple at every jam I've ever played in the last 10 years...easily taught, easily learned.

Is this some sorta manhood test or something? I'm just sayin', if ANY showtunes or more than 25% chick tunes show up in your list.... I don't have an ipod, but I have been rocking my itunes today. Let me hit random and see what I come up with... Magic Johnson - Red Hot Chili Peppers I Found Love - Lone Justice Do Your Thing - Isaac Hayes Cosmic Dancer - T. Rex Can't Put A Price On Love - The Knack No Holdin' Back - Tina & The B-Sides I Can't Decide - Scissor Sisters I Come Apart - Lesser Humans Annie-Dog - Smashing Pumpkins Flapping Your Broken Wings - The Handsome Family (I can still see you there, in your plastic underwear!)

Hey, Pam left her camera, and here's a few of her photos! Pam jams the pink cruisebass. Sid, ebullient as ever. Here's one of the elusive Jimmy Johnson, tearing it up on steel. Robb. I was definitely having a good time!

YEAH! YEAH! YEAH! I half expected you to show up, Dave. We missed you!

I'm sure you'll find this hard to believe, but I bought myself a Parker Fly for my 40th birthday, just before I discovered the HFC and rediscovered the joys of Hamer guitars. I sold the Parker about a year ago. And for some odd reason, I miss it.

Here's some more... Did I mention the quality of the vocals? Carmie & Joe tear it up again! Dave Berg and Joe rip it up. Ted, becoming hot! Robb, in a pensive moment, and Pete, yet another 6 hour marathon for this guy on drums. Amazing. Put a camera in front of a girl, and see what happens? And of course, it wouldn't be a proper 4-3-2-1 Hoedown without a pose or two. And this might appear to be gratuitous mugging, but no, it's legitimate guitar face as I *gasp* actually bend a string!

For whatever reason, the faux country was the order of the evening last night. We even had Jimmy Johnson sit in on pedal steel for a set, although I got no pics of Jimmy. Perhaps someone else did. Great fun was had by all, and the music was fast and furious from 7:30 until 2:00 AM. That's right, this was a late-night hoedown. Here's some photos: Madame Pamita, checking out the camera. The singing was enthusiastic and robust all night long! Go Pam, Carmie and Joe! La Chouffe breaks out his new hat and a variety of Belgian beers for the happy revelers. As usual, girls just wanna have fun! And fun it was!

Johnny is 40??? DAYUM..... he doesn't even look 30 yet!! I should be able to make it Watch out for that projectile vomit! And you never know when a Hamer jam might break out!

Two of my bands, Famous Volcanoes and the Play Prettys, will be playing at Johnny Wilson's 40th birthday party at Grumpy's on Washington (near the metrodome) on Friday night. Music starts at 8:30, and these two bands are first on the bill. Johnny plays in the Play Prettys (he's the one with the awesome voice), and many of you who have attended 4-3-2-1 Club HFC jams have met him. He wanted me to invite y'all to his birthday bash. Hope to see you.

Happy Birthday, Jeff! I'm going to happy hour at the lesbian bar tonight. I'll definitely have the girls hoist one or two of these in your honor tonight!

Happy Birthday, Ted! Hope to see you on Friday.

Dammit Bruce! You know when people say, "I just spit coffee on my monitor!"? Well, I REALLY just spit coffee on my monitor! LOL!! Excellent. My work here is done. One final parting shot:

And your name must be either Steve or Chris. Or Bruce. Does this guitar make me look gay?

This guitar has already taken it's place in the vast sea of Hamer folklore. I first laid eyes on it during the REEshard jam at the 4-3-2-1 Club last August. Here's one of the first known photos of the guitar, as modeled by Jeff: The guitar was used, and ever-so-slightly abused, that evening during the ensuing jam. Here's a few of the abusers: BadgerDave can't help but strike a haughty pose in the presence of white EMG's. The Glimmer Twins got the most use out of this guitar, which also elicited the most unusual facial contortions and posing techniques ever witnessed at the 4-3-2-1 Club. Here's Jeff & Bill, LIVE, in action: As you can see, this guitar is special.

I do. You guys are all bitches.

My friend Marlee MacLeod has written some of my favorite opening lines to songs: Water is for walking, except when it's for wine. You've done the talking and I have done the time. And every night you go and you lay your hand on the radio And you say, "I feel it, I feel it, I do." I feel it, too But not with you. Or: She swung at his heart like it was a pinata 'til she got what she wanted And the blindfold made her aim that much truer Or: I woke up with survivor's guilt Cryin' over milk I'd spilt Are these the hands that time slipped through? Or: You are my sunshine, my only sunshine But I've had it up to here

Forgot this one: I was working for a couple of weeks in Albany, NY in 1988. Robert Plant was touring there, and he had finally started to play a few Zep songs in his set, so I decided to go. I didn't know who the opening act was, but just before they came out, they played the Who's "Won't Get Fooled Again" at full concert volume. I'm thinking, "Who has the balls to come out after THIS?" You guessed it: Joan Jett!!!!

Montrose opened for Brownsville Station and Mountain at the gymnasium at Eastern IL University in 74 or 75. All the bands were very good, but I thought Montrose guitar tone (and songs) blew everyone else off the stage. The place was so full of smoke that during Mountain's set, the fire alarms went off. You couldn't hear the alarm, but the flashing "FIRE" signs were very unsettling, to say the least. A few years later I saw Nazareth open for Ted Nugent at the same venue. Ted was so effin' loud that I sat through his whole set with my fingers in my ears, and my ears were still ringing the next day. OUCH!

California Guitar Trio opened for King Crimson in the mid-nineties. I had never heard of CGT before, but they blew me away. Three guys dressed in black playing black Ovations. Amazing stuff. I liked them better than KC, with Fripp & Eno. I still listen to the CGT stuff on occasion.

Vanity 6 and The Time opening for Prince on St. Patrick's Day in 1983 was a fun one! I was one of the few dressed in green...90% of the fans were black and dressed to the nines. They were also very reserved, which surprised me a lot. I was partyin' with my friends, for sure. Utopia opening for The Tubes was another great one. That must have been 84 or 85, right after Amadeus won some Acadamy Awards. Fee did the White Punks on Dope chorus with a big wig and Amadeus garb, with all the hot women dressed the same, with poofy mini-skirts, if you can imagine that. Cheap Trick opening for Heart at Alpine Valley, 1979 or so. Both bands were on top of their game. Midnight Oil opened for Heart and John Cougar (hadn't changed his name yet) at Poplar Creek in the Chicago 'burbs around 1985 or so. I wasn't a John Cougar fan yet, and Midnight Oil definitely blew him away, IMHO.

Here's a couple Famous Volcanoes shots, all Hamers, all the time: Terminal Bar, Sept. 2005 Hexagon Bar, Nov. 2006 And yours truly at the Hexagon Bar gig: