| Jambo
Ramble... |
| 5/6/08 |
Getting
geared up for the summer shows! Lots of patio gigs again this
summer, including Harbor
Bar in Hager City WI, PD
Pappy's in Stillwater MN, Floyd's
in Victoria MN, Cabana
Jo's in Prescott WI and so on. I look forward to chillin'
outdoors with you this summer. :-)
I was
recently asked by my friend and fellow musician, Mark Stary,
if I would sing a guest vocal on one of his new songs... and
I'm thrilled to announce that I made the cut and am one of
several guest vocalists on "Burnin' Down the Bar",
a new song featured on his latest release "Raunchy Tonk."
Big thanks to Mark for asking me to join him on this recording.
It was such a fun time and it's such a kick-ass song! You
can get more info on Mark and where to purchase his music
by visiting his MySpace page at: http://www.myspace.com/markstary
|
|
| 2/2/08 |
Happy
2008! Sure had a fun 07. Thanks to all of you who came to
the shows, called and emailed your support... YOU are the
reason I do this!
Played
a couple new venues so far in January... Old
Chicago in Roseville MN (thank you Mark Stary!),
the Eagle
Street Grille in St. Paul, Cabana
Jo's in Prescott WI, and Cheeseburger
In Paradise in Madison WI. Always fun to hit new places!
I'm working
(yes, still) on wrapping up a bunch of original songs to get
recorded and get a CD out... so I better get back to work!
See ya out and about. :-) |
|
| 11/21/07 |
Just
been pluggin' along... giggin' and working on some original
songs, as well as learning some new covers for the shows. I
have a string of gigs coming up at Kokomo's
Island Cafe in the Mall of America, Bloomington MN.
Every Friday starting Dec. 7 through Jan. 4th, which should
be a great time. So if you're doing your Holiday shopping on
a Friday night, swing up to the 3rd Floor and take a little
break with Jambo. :-) |
|
| 8/6/07 |
I
recently uploaded some promo photos, a gig flyer, a press
bio and some reviews to a page called Press
Kit. Venues needing this info can now download it
directly.Of course, I'm still happy to mail out this info
if needed.
Thanks
to Rob Winters of the St.
MinneSomePlace Parrothead Club for snapping the promo
photos, and Melissa for the use of her boat. We had a good
time taking these out on the St. Croix! ;-)
I played
my final gig of the summer at P.D.
Pappy's in Stillwater last Friday (how could the summer
have gone so fast already??). The weather looked a little
daunting, and the patio was rained out, but we played the
gig indoors, and it was one of the funnest of the summer.
I guess there's something about being "cozy" inside
when it's raining out that brings out the wild side of us.
Ha ha.
Looking
forward to playing a couple new venues this month, a couple
private parties, and of course the gigs at my regular haunts.
Then we're off to Montana in a couple weeks for a little R
& R. Hope to see ya out and about! |
|
| 7/5/07 |
I
hope you're enjoying your summer so far! I've had some fun shows
at a lot of great outdoor venues these past two months... hope
you can come out and join me on a patio somewhere soon! |
|
| 3/21/07 |
Hey
Friends. There's been some fun gigs happening lately... did
a "Buffett Night" show at Northwoods Brewpub in
Eau Claire recently, and the Chippewa Valley Parrotheads were
in attendance to help me sing the night away! St. Patty's
at Dick's Bar in Hudson was a scream... quite possibly the
best "sing-a-long" gig to date. I've played a couple
new venues in the last month or two, and am looking forward
to more coming up. One of them is Jake's
on Tainter Lake, north of Menomonie WI, where I've been
booked for every other Thursday this entire summer, and I
am very jazzed about that. They have a great Tiki Bar set-up
outside, so I'm looking forward to jammin' outside by the
water. :-)
I've been
working on finishing up a bunch of original stuff, and hope
(hope) to have the songs wrapped up soon and get my first
CD of original music out. Wish me luck... I'll need it. Ha
ha. See you all out and about! |
|
| 2/4/07 |
Happy
New Year! I wish you all the best in 2007. My year has started
off pretty good. I finished recording a demo CD in late December,
which includes 6 cover songs and 1 of my originals. I'm looking
to expand my gig radius a bit, so I hope having the demo CD
in my arsenal will help. There are a few new potential venues
on the horizon, but the search has just begun. If you know of
any places that might dig the kind of stuff I play, by all means
let me know! See you out and about, and thanks for your support
in 2006! |
|
| 11/8/06 |
Like
the song by Stars
on the Water says, "What Happens in Key West... Never
Happened!"
I just
got back from a trip to Key West for the annual "Meeting
of the Minds" Parrothead Convention. It's a deal where
all the Parrothead Clubs from around the country descend on
Key West for a long weekend of music and fun. "Trop Rock"
bands and singer/songwriters from all over the country are
playing their music, all day, every day, somewhere on the
island at all times!
So in
addition to getting to see well-known (at least in the Parrothead
circle) performers like Jerry Jeff Walker, Mac McAnally, Michael
Utley and Robert Greenidge (plus many others) play up-close
and personal, we also got to see these many wonderful up-and-coming
"trop rock" bands and performers play their music.
Yes, I am inspired...
The highlight
of my trip came on our last night there. My friend Jerry Gontang
from Stars on the Water invited me to get up and sing several
songs with them in front of a VERY fun and enthusiastic crowd
at the Conch
Republic Seafood Company. I had to pinch myself.
Other
highlights included:
- Seeing my friend (and former Eau Claire native) Matt
Wahl play his songs at the Kelly McGuire Songwriters Jam,
held at the Lighthouse Inn...
- Carousing
the island with my friends from the Mpls/St. Paul and Chippewa
Valley Parrothead Clubs...
- Meeting
Capt. Tony at his saloon (yes, Capt.
Tony's Saloon)...
- Getting
away with my wife for our FIRST trip away alone since children
entered our lives. :-)
Ok. Sorry
for all the rambling, but this was a big deal for me. LOL.
I've put pics from the trip up, so have a look if you'd like:
Photos from Meeting of
the Minds, Key West. |
|
| 10/3/06 |
The
website "Tropical
Dreams" was kind enough to interview and highlight
me as their Featured Artist of the Month for October, 2006.
See the text of that interview here! |
|
| 9/29/06 |
Last
Wednesday night was a real treat for me. I got to open for Texas
singer-songwriter Larry
Joe Taylor when he played at the Willow River Saloon in
Burkhardt. Folks from both the St. MinneSomePlace Parrothead
Club and the Chippewa Valley Parrothead Club were in attendance,
and we had a great time. Thanks to CK at the Willow, and Larry
Joe for letting me get the evening warmed up! Here are some
pics from that
night. Last Sunday, Sept 24, marked the last gig at Selma's
Run-a-Muk in Afton for the summer, and pretty much sealed the
deal on all outdoor gigs for this season. So I guess Fall is
officially upon us. Although I'll miss those fun and crazy outdoor
gigs, I look forward to getting back to some of the Winter hangouts
like the Willow and Dick's Bar. Thanks to you all for such a
fun summer and we'll see you again soon, along with the falling
temps! |
|
| 8/22/06 |
Hey
everyone! The past month has been a fun mix of gigs for me...
some new venues, a couple of crazy fun private parties and a
few gigs for the St. MinneSomePlace Parrotheads. I recently
played a private party on a stage that was... well... a pirate
ship! Check out the photos
to see for yourself. :-) Some gigs coming up include a "So-long
to Summer" party at the Hammond Hotel, and a party on a
dock at the marina in Red Wing. Looking forward to seeing you
all. Thanks for your support! |
|
7/10/06 |
Hi
friends... Happy Summer! Can't believe the 4th has come and
gone already. I'm writing this the day after a fun gig at Selma's
Run-a-Muk in Afton, MN, where immediately following, I trekked
back up to my hometown of Hudson and caught Stars
on the Water who made a special appearance at Dick's
Bar. Needless to say, "my head hurts, my feet stink"
and you probably know the rest. ;-) A hangover song is definitely
in order, my friends, but all in the spirit of great music and
great times. See you soon! |
|
6/5/06 |
Wow...
after a Memorial Weekend with near-record highs, and steamy
weather ever since, it's definitely summer in my mind! I played
a great new venue a week ago... the Harbor
Bar in Hager City. Now *that* is Jambo's kind of place!
:-) Strummin' my six string on a patio right on the mighty
Mississippi! I look forward to playing several more times
there this summer, and hope to see you there. I met some great
"boat people" there last time around... Mark (and
Cowboy), Capt. Crunch, Will, Missy, Mike, The Brown Eyed Girl
Dancers, and many others. Thanks to Brad and the staff at
the Harbor for their hospitality. See you again soon!
Yesterday
I played at an event at Povlitzki's in Spring Lake
Park, MN. This was a benefit for a guy named Sammy
(pdf, 350 KB), who was recently diagnosed with esophageal
cancer at the age of 41. Some friends of Sammy's, who are
members of the Minneapolis/St. Paul Parrothead Club (St.
MinneSomePlace), invited me to join the lineup of music
for the day. I had never met Sammy prior to this event, but
heard a lot about him from his friends... and they are right,
Sammy is a great guy. I had a lot of fun playing music and
got to meet some great folks. Thanks, Don, for the invite.
God bless you, Sammy.
Two recent
additions for Jambo's "summer of music" include
a slot at the River
Rock Music Fest in Hudson on Saturday, June 17, at the
Lakefront Park Bandshell. This event benefits the Cystic Fibrosis
Foundation. Thank you, Mini, for the invite. I look forward
to it! Also, I'll be playing my first of several gigs this
summer at Selma's
Run-a-Muk in Afton, MN on Saturday, June 17, at 6 p.m.
(right after River Rock). Folks, let me tell you, if you haven't
been to Selma's yet, do yourself a favor and make the beautiful
drive down to Afton. This place is wonderful... it's an outdoor
tiki bar setting with great food and drinks, a fun staff,
and a totally relaxed atmosphere. You might even end up playing
cribbage with Miss Laine... or dancing with a pirate. Or both.
;-) Hope to see you all soon! |
|
5/17/06 |
Hey
everyone. It was a wonderful experience to be part of the Chippewa
Valley Parrothead Club event last Sunday, May 14. This was
a charity fundraiser for Operation Backpack, a program that
provides clothing and other belongings to meth-endangered
children in Chippewa County. The plan was to play outdoors on
the patio at Anderson's Grill & Bar in Chippewa Falls,
and we did... for awhile... until Mother Nature decided we needed
more moisture about 4 songs into Matt
Wahl's performance. So inside we went. Rand Zimmerman (of
Tropical
Soul) finished out the event indoors and we all had a lot
of fun. I'd like to thank Jeff and Kathy for inviting me to
play, Jeff Anderson and staff for their hospitality, and Matt
Wahl and Rand Zimmerman for their kindness and encouragement
to the "new guy" on the gig scene. Thanks guys. |
|
5/1/06 |
Happy
May Day, everyone! This brings us that much closer to SUMMER.
Last week was so much fun... The Waterfront in Menomonie
was a great place and I hope to be back there soon. Some Parrotheads
from the Chippewa Valley Parrothead Club showed up and helped
me feel right at home. Thanks guys! Friday was the Annual Beach
Party at Dick's Bar in Hudson and a beach party it was!
A great crew from the Twin Cities Parrothead Club (St. MinneSomePlace)
attended and helped me sing all kinds of party tunes late into
the evening. I'm still kickin' the sand out of my boots. ;-)
Thanks to everyone who was there. Look forward to seeing you
all again soon! |
|
4/25/06 |
We
had a fun jam at Shooter's Pub in River Falls last Wednesday
as well as a great time on the patio for the grand opening of
Pier 500 in Hudson on Friday afternoon! Jesse Lang played
in the evening and sounded great. Nice to see you all down at
the Pier. I hope to play there more this summer... keep your
fingers crossed for me. ;-) Sunday evening meant a gig at the
Willow River Saloon, and I think I played for almost
6 hours by the time we were all done with our fun and games.
Wow... what a hilarious night. I'm looking forward to playing
The Waterfront in Menomonie this Thursday night, and
then comes the Beach Party at Dick's
Bar in Hudson on Friday. Don't miss that one. It'll
be a riot! :-) |
|
4/16/06 |
Last
week's gigs were a ball. Thanks to all who were there! I can't
remember when I've laughed more (while trying to sing) than
I did at the Hammond Hotel for their annual "Screw
the Taxman + Duct Tape Party." See the photos
and you'll know what I mean. What a fun group of folks out on
a Wednesday night. :-) As always, the Willow
was also a great time. Looking forward to playing at Pier
500 (formerly Riversides) in Hudson this Friday... on the
patio! It's their Grand Opening and I'm told Jesse
Lang will be playing after me. It's gonna be a blast! |
|
4/2/06 |
It
was another fun night of singing and carrying on at the Willow
River Saloon in Burkhardt last Friday night. My friends
Kelly and Ruben, who I haven't seen for 2 years, made a surprise
appearance all the way from Cottage Grove. Even though they
claimed Mapquest sent them to River Falls (yeah right), they
eventually made it to Burkhardt. It was great to see them, along
with Rich and Sandy, Liz, Jenny (my new Buffett buddy), Stan
and Linda, my cousin Dan and his lovely girl Sarah, Big D (Donovan),
Mr. "Benny" Bojangles, CK, Laura the Explorer, and
Jambo Security, aka The Butcher. My manager (and photographer)
had a prior commitment, so apologies for the lack of photos.
Trust me... we had a great time misbehaving. Hope to see you
next Sunday, April 9, 6 - 9 p.m. for Palm Tree... uh, I mean,
Palm Sunday at the Willow. It'll be a religious experience. |
|
3/27/06 |
Wow.
I had such a great time playing music last week. Starting Wednesday
at Shooter's Pub in River Falls through Saturday night's
surprise 40th Hawaiian-themed birthday party for our friend
Susan. In between those days were gigs at the Artevino Fundraiser
at Twisted
Grille in Hudson on Thursday, General Sam's in
Somerset on Friday, and the Bridge Bowlorama event in Hudson
for Bridge for Youth With Disabilities. Thanks to all of you
who participated in the fun. I'm looking forward to playing
again at the Willow this Friday. Hope to see you there! |
|
3/19/06 |
Well,
we celebrated St. Patty's
to the hilt at Dick's Bar last Friday. Thanks to those
who sang along with me and the "Brown Eyed Girl" dancers
for bustin' a move! What a great time. My thanks to Paul and
the great staff at Dick's for taking good care of us all. See
you at the next gig! |
|
3/9/06 |
Jambo
still has jungle fever... had to cancel the March 10 Willow
gig, too. Sorry folks. Keeping my fingers crossed for full health
for the St. Patty's gig
at Dick's Bar. |
|
3/4/06 |
Hey
everybody... I've been under the weather for about a week and
actually had to cancel the Willow gig on Sunday, March 5th.
Sorry about that... Hopefully see you on Friday the 10th at
the Willow when I'm back to 100% (or close anyway). :-) |
|
2/23/06 |
I
played a gig last night at a fun new place in River Falls called
Shooter's Pub.They're hosting music several nights a
week — long overdue for River Falls... they have a "build
your own" Bloody Mary bar and great beers on tap. Go check
'em out sometime and tell them Jambo sent you. :-) Thanks to
Dan and Ross at Shooter's and my friend Jill for making it happen!
|
|
2/19/06 |
We
had a wonderful evening at the Nova Wine Bar in Hudson
on Saturday. The mellow and cozy (but very fun) mood was contagious!
I played a lot of songs I hadn't done in a very long time, which
was a great treat for me. Thanks to Jana and Pat of The Nova,
as well as the great staff who took very good care of us all.
Thanks also to my friends who were there... you guys are the
best! |
|
2/12/06 |
Added
a new page with video clips!! Check 'em out here. |
|
2/11/06 |
Another
great time at the Willow
River Saloon in Burkhardt. My elementary school teacher
made a surprise appearance, and I think she only had to plug
her ears during one song. Later in the evening Willow River's
proprietor, Chris Kath, joined me on vocals and serenaded the
bar with his favorite song, The Chair. See the photos
for proof. I also uploaded some video
sample clips of a couple favorite songs. Thanks to Chris and
the WRS staff and guests for another wild Friday night! Can't
wait to do it again. |
|
2/5/06 |
We
had a great time and a good sing-along at the Willow
River Saloon on Friday, Feb. 3. The Happy Hour patrons were
in a dancin' mood and we caught all the fun on camera. Check
out the photos!
Thanks to Dan and crew, Don and crew, the Jambo Jammers and
all who helped us have a great time on Friday. Hope to see you
again next Friday! |
|
1/21/06 |
It
was Rachel's birthday on Friday, January 20th and we had a fun
time partying at the Willow
River Saloon in Burkhardt. Thanks to all who came out and
sang along with me and helped Rachel celebrate her day! |
|
1/15/06 |
Wow...
what a great time at the Sidetrack Saloon in Roberts.
A huge thanks to Barb Haas and Jill Boston for inviting me to
play with them. You guys rocked!! Thanks to the fun crowd at
the Sidetrack for dancing and singing... check out the photographic
evidence. :-) |
|
12/24/05 |
We
had a great night of fun at Dick's Bar for "Christmas
in the Caribbean" and the "grand re-opening"
of Dick's. The bar was closed for the week for some construction
work... and I think everyone missed being there. Thanks to Paul
for having me play, and to the great crowd for helping me belt
out some fun tunes. Happy Holidays to everyone. See you next
year! |
|
12/17/05 |
Thanks
to John and Rose Knutson for inviting me to play the RPG
Christmas Party at Camp
St. Croix. What a great place! I had a fun time and hope
you all did too. Thanks to the RPG-ers for being a fun and gracious
audience... and to those who joined me onstage for vocals, dancing
and backup instrumentals. You guys were great!! Check out the
photos... |
|
12/10/05 |
Had
another night of fun and games at the Willow River Saloon!
Thanks to all who ventured out and sang along. Thanks also to
the Strangers
for a great night of music and for letting me sing Margaritaville
with them. I had a blast. Hope you all did too! |
|
12/03/05 |
Had
a great time at the Willow River Saloon in Burkhardt...
hope you all did too! Thanks to Chris for having me play. Let's
do it again!! ;-) |
|
11/9/05 |
Hi
Friends! The
Dick's Bar "Jimmy Buffett" Halloween gig
was a blast. Thanks to Paul at Dick's for having me play.
We sang lots of Buffett songs and threw in some other favorites,
too, over the course of the 3 hour gig. If I remember right
we ended the night with a rousing "singalong" of
David Allan Coe's "You Never Even Called Me By My Name."
Thanks to all who hoisted their drinks and helped me out on
that one... what a ball!
I've got
some "potential things" lining up in terms of gigs...
but I'll take any help I can get. Let me know if you have
any ideas for me... know any bars/bar owners that would dig
the kind of music
I play? I have a few in mind so I need to quit typing
and start calling!
Shoot
me a note anytime... joe@jamboacousticmusic.com
See you
at the next gig!
Jambo
|
