We have a few weeks' worth of goings-on to report, so here goes:
We'll start at The Red Moon Saloon in Rutland. We arrived on time and our set up and sound check went without incident, so we were happy campers. Only thing was, with the exception of one very large, LOUD table of young ladies, the place was pretty much..dead. Uh-oh! We had about 30 minutes to show time, and this did not bode well with us. Just as we were scanning the room looking for ANYBODY that might show up, the DJ, Wild Bill approached with a big smile on his face to shake hands and welcome us once again to the big roadhouse. then he proceeded to tell us that the night before, there were only about 20-30 people in the club all night, and let me tell you, The Red Moon is a big, BIG place, so this was not good news. Thank you, Captain Bringdown! It seems that we hear this same story everywhere we go as of late. Anyway, just as he left us to go depress other folks (LOL!), people began coming through the door. More and more...and a lot of familiar faces. It looked like we would live to ROCK another day. And we did. We even had a bridal party, complete with the bride and groom and they were nuts, let me tell you. The place was packed, we had a GREAT turnout of our fans and friends, and everyone stayed until closing time. Oh yeah, one thing...that large group of girls I told you about...it was a bachelorette party and they had 'lists' of things they had to do, one of which was to get a 'sample' of chest hair from a guy...thanks to a friend of ours, Fred, who tipped me off that they had their sights on me, I was able to 'button up' and escape without incident. Whew! That would have hurt!
Next it was on to The Grist Mill in Killington for a two-day stint. The weather was beautiful, everything was in bloom at the club and at The Summit, and all was right with the world. Our setup went like clockwork, and Kevin was having a blast hanging all his new lights all over the place. I'm getting a kick out of it, I'll tell you that, and they look GREAT. Kudos to him for going the extra mile. We had a GREAT crowd both nights and everyone stayed till last call BOTH nights, so it was a success. One funny thing happened when we got to our rooms: There was a mixup between the manager and the fellow manning the front desk, and we wound up with different rooms than we were supposed to have. After the driving, setting up, ROCKING the place (haha!) and finishing up the night, we were tired and just wanted BED...SLEEP...GOOD, so we were not going to argue. I took the room next to Steve. It was nicely appointed, with a big bed AND a day bed, so I was set as far as I was concerned. As I unpacked, I noticed a thin door with a slide lock on it...we had adjoining rooms! No problem.
As I was turning in for the night, I heard that door slide a bit, so I walked over to scare the heck out of Steve (what are friends for?), and as Steve's head poked through, he got spooked to see me standing there in my tidy whities (which would scare the heck out of most folks, actually!) and we had a good laugh. I didn't ask him what he thought was going to actually BE on the other side of that little door. Funny stuff!
Next up was The Bayou Cafe. We were set up downstairs (yeah!) as Barry promised, and all went well for our load in and soundcheck. We had a great turn out, and our first set went great. As we were going on for the second set, Barry the bar manager said that folks were requesting our greatest hit from my Pig Vomit days, "The Vagina Song". He asked if we could open up with it, and we agreed. Just as we were about to start, Barry picked up a wireless mic and insisted on 'bringing us on'. He did a great job, and he really got everyone's attention, so when we actually played the song, everyone went nuts. It was a nice moment. The rest of the night went seamlessly, and the crowd was totally responsive and ready to party. Nice. Thanks to the lovely and talented Darlene, who actually reads these blurbs, I was reminded to mention that for the FIRST time, it did NOT rain at the Bayou. And she was right! Out-freakin'-standing!! Now if we could only break the string at JC's....we're there NEXT week, so we'll see. Anyway...THANKS Darlene..you ROCK!
Which brings us to..Fairwood Lanes. Honestly, due to the direction from which we approach this club, it appears to be in the middle of nowhere. We pass farms, prisons, slate mines, endless fields of nothingness....to the right person, it could actually be frightening, especially at night. Note to self: write a horror movie script and include this town when doing the movie. Anyway, as I approached the club, it looked closed. Really. No lights. One truck (yeah, I said truck, y'all) in the parking lot. Oh boy!
So I pulled my Jeep up to the door, which had not one, but TWO signs on itm listing all the days the place would NOT be open. There were no signs stating that we were appearing, or that there would be any live entertainment. Great. I checked the schedule on the door, and it said that the place was supposed to be open today, so pulled on it and it opened. A good start, anyway. The place was empty except for the barmaid and one guy at the bar. As the barmaid greeted me, she asked me if I thought anyone was coming out tonight. Not a good sign. I told her that I had sent out the mailing lists and posted bulletins on Myspace, so at the very least WE should have some folks, but I was not making any promises. The place was noticeably cooler (and I'm stretching it, believe me!) than the last time we were there, as the temperature was not 50 degrees hotter inside than it was outside, so I was happy about that, at least. So, I unloaded and then the other guys showed up and we ALL unloaded and set up. I noticed that there was a wooden slider which had been installed between the bar and the bowling alley. Aha!, I thought. They're probably keeping all the air conditioning in the bowling alley, right? (insert game show wrong answer buzzer here!) Nope! When I opened that door, it was SO hot that I thought my eyebrows were going to peel off. No joke. I closed it as fast as I could and warned the other guys NOT to go in there. I don't think I have to tell you that nobody was bowling. WoW!
So, we had about 10 minutes to go before show time and we had 3 folks at the bar, one guy in front of the band, and US. That's it. And that ONE guy was dying for us to start. These are the times when you have to gather up all your courage and say, I can DO this!, even if you don;t believe that you can. Then...familiar faces came as if out of nowhere. Our fans and friends freakin' ROCK...that's all I have to say! This was probably the first time that we actually knew EVERYBODY in the place. Then, as the set went along, we could see other faces that we did not know toward the back of the club. Nice...new friends! We figured we'd go for broke and do Vagina again, giving the same intro as last night, only this time by Kevin. the place went absolutely crazy! It was magic....in the middle of nowhere, but magic, nonetheless. We finished up the evening, everyone stayed to the end, again, and it was a great night after all. You just can't make this stuff up!.
This weekend, its The Grist Mill on Friday, Fineas T. Flubberbuster's for BIKER BURTNOUT on Saturday Afternoon, and a Private Party (Scotia - Glenville High School Reunion) at Glen Sanders Mansion on Saturday Night. Hope you're on the invite list!
Thanks for reading. We'll see you on the dance floor, and make sure to visit us and THIS site often for the latest news and happenstance in the life of the world's fastest band, The Vibratones.


If you read last week's blurb (now located on the ARCHIVE page with all our previous weeks' stories), I told you that after JC's there would be a tale to tell, and I was right!
Heregoes:
First, I'll tell you that whenever we play The Bayou or JC's it rains. This time, it was a clear night. Strange, but I'll take it, I thought. Can't wait to say that it was the first time we played JC's and it didn't rain. Nice.
Also, Idroppedthecamera(andbrokeit)theotherday,soweweregoingto
missanyand all photoopsthisnight.Let'shopeCanonrepairisquick.
When I arrived, Steve was in the process of unloading, so we went into gear and
loaded thecontentsofbothvehiclesintotheclub,atwhichtimethebar
manager approached us and said that she hoped we would draw a crowd tonight as the previous night's attendance was scant. (Uh-oh!) So, we told her with great confidence that we had sent several blurbs out to the folks on our mailing list (get on it now if you have not done so already, btw!), as well as a bunch of bulletins on myspace, so therefore we would have a good, if not great turnout. She was happy to hear that we had done our part to get some bodies in the room, and went off to prepare for her evening. Needless to say, as we went through our setup, we kept a steady eye out for activity at the front door. At this point, I'll tell you that (a) we got everything into the club, (b) Chip and Kevin arrived, unloaded and set up, (c) we soundchecked and stowed all our cases and (d) positioned all the lights. It was 9:55....we were set to start at 10pm and there were about 15 actual customers in the club. Double uh-oh! Additionally, it was tropical Safari HOT in the club. We looked at the BIG air conditioner in the middle of the wall. It was not on.When we inquired about it, we were told that it was not working. This was going to be a 2-3 shirt night, no doubt. Great.
So...we went into our first tune at 10pm..a few folks started dancing and we were under way. As we were finishing what was probably about the fifth song of the set, I happened to look out the window on the side of the night club and saw a large group of people gathering outside near the front door, as well as a steady stream of people crossing the street and traveling in the direction of the club. The crowd grew steadily throughout the first set, with familiar faces waving, smiling and giving us various forms of greetings as they found their places in the club. At this point it looked like we would definitely live to see another day, at least. Whew! Folks were dancing, aiming their cell phones at the band while we're playing,asiftoletfolksontheotherendhearhowgood(hope springs eternal) the band sounds.
Well.....by the time we finished the first set, it was really starting to get crowded. HOT, but crowded. The bar was full, and the bartenders were busy. Whenourfirstbreakwasover,wemadeourwaythroughthecrowdandwent into our secondset.Atthispoint,theplacewastotallypacked.
Wall-to-wallpeopleeverywhere, and they were closing in onUS.Witharms,legsandwhateverelsewaving every-which-way, this crowd was LOUD and ready for action...singing, dancingandyellingalongwitheach song.Thenafunnythinghappened aswewerecomingtotheendof
Saveahorse.At theverylastnoteofthesong, the power went out, along with all the lights and the crowd chanted SAVE A HORSE, RIDE COWBOY. It was as if it was staged...perfect!As they say in the media, and the crowd went wild!it was a great moment,butwithone'small'hitch...wenowhad
tofindouthowtoturnthepowerandlightsbackon.Chip went in search of help and within a minute or so, we were backinactionandthe crowd was right there with us. They never left the dancefloor.Its momentslikethisthat
keep us doing what we do.Everyonestayed..thewholenight!
Whenthemanagementturnedonthelightssignalling last call,
we looked out at an actual sea of headsfrom wall-to wall across, and all the way
to the front door of the club.Webideveryonefarewell,andbeganpackingup. We openedthedoornexttothe'stage'and immediately noticedtofindthatitwasstartingtoFREAKIN'RAIN!!!
There'sNOgutteroverthedoorwhereweload/unload,sowhenyou go in orout,thewaterhitsyoulikesomeoneisthrowinghalf-dollarcoinsat your head, not to mention soaking you to the bone in the process. We were already wet from the steam bath that was our night, but this was ridiculous.
So.....weloadedourvehiclesandtriedtodryupasmuchaspossible. As we bid farewelltothebarstaff,welearnedthattheguyatthedooractually
turnedpeople away because they were over maximum occupancy!!Next stop: Cumberland farms for coffee, then the long ride home. We were caravanning, and tonight I was the lead vehicle as I have the radar detector ......shhhh!.
I opened the passenger door of the Jeep to put my travel bag on the seat, and there it was...a DRY tee-shirt staring up at me. I could hear angelic music.
Thank you, God!
So, with a grin as wide as Texas, I proudly put on my nice DRY shirt, and ledmybandmatesintothenight.
Needlesstosay,itwasagreatnight. No pictures, but a great night nonetheless. Like I alwayssay,youjustcan'tmakethisstuffup!!
Next week, we'rebackformorewildtimesatTheRedMoonSaloon.
Hopetoseeyouthere!

This week's installment covers life for the 'Vibes'atourhomeawayfromhome,TheGristMill.
I was the first to arrive, nervous as a cat from watching every fluctuation of the temperature gauge of the newly repaired cooling system in my Jeep. (I amstillmissing a major component (cooling fan), so it will be this way for me until I get another one). After exchanging pleasantries and all the good feeling with the staff,Iunloadedeverythingintotheclubandrewiredtheclub'sdancefloor
sound system at therequest of the bar manager, as someotherbandhadtotallydisconnectedit and left it non-operational.Hacks.
My personal setup went ok until it was time to lift our main PA equipment rack (affectionately called The Beast) onto the stage. I can get it out of the Jeep ok, thanks to gravity and some quick side-stepping, but wegenerallyneed2-3ofustoliftitontoandintoareas higher than a foot or two off the ground. So I waited. After a short whileKevinarrived and we maneuvered ourgemintoplace,gothimunloadedandproceeded to runwiredandhanglights.AllIcouldthinkofwashimhittinghisheadonthe
whirringceilingfanat DDD'safewweeksago. That was nuts.
Shortly thereafter, Chip and Steve arrived. Once we got them unloaded, the setupbuzzedalongatfullsteam. The club had been filling up for awhile and all waswellforour8pmintendedstart.Atabout7:40....allatonce...welookedup
fromourwork, turned toward the crowd and found that the club was EMPTY! It was like a scene from a sci-fi movie. Where'd everybody go?! From a band standpoint, this is a scary moment. We play ourmusicwellandallthat,butweneedPEOPLE.Withoutlisteners,we'reas
goodasatree falling in the forest. Did anyone hear it??
We just looked at each other and silentlywentaboutourbusiness.Justthen,thebarmanagerapproachedusand
saidtowaituntil8:30.In a way, this was good, becauseitgaveustimetotuckawaywiresandgenerallyfine-tuneoursetup.
Around 8:15, peoplebeganfilinginandby8:30,therewerepeopleeverywhere,
sowewentintoouract and the night went well. Thank God! Then, we retired to our rooms and agreed to meet on Saturday for lunch and to rehearse.
On Saturday afternoon(hey,weneedoursleep,right?!),
wemetforlunchat2pm,andrehearsed for about 2 hours to the delight of the folks eating and drinking in the club. People love that kind of stuff. It gets them closer to howitsdone...likewatchingarealityTVshow....oracarcrash,
dependingonhowthingsworkout. Fortunately for us, we picked up another4or5tunes,andtheyallcameoutgreat,soweshutdownourstuffan
wentto do 'rockstar' stuff (sauna, pool, hot tub, SLEEP)untilshowtime.
Saturday nightwentgreat.Thecrowdwasintotheband,
alotoffolksfromthepreviousnightcameout again to seeus,andwehadvisitsfromafewfolkswehaven'tseeninawhile.Allinall,
anothergreatnight.Once we were done, we packed up, said the long good-byes to the staff, and we were off into the darkness. Steve and I caravanned to Maplefield's in Fair Haven to terrorize the little old lady that works there. Its pretty funny, actually. The place is well lit, but usually totally devoid of life except for the little lady that runs the place through the wee hours of the morning. We tell her about how our evening (or weekend) went...its come to the point where I think she actually looks forward to this...and then we proceed to buy out the store, all the while asking which coffe pot (there are about 20, I'm not kidding!) is the freshest, and why they are still out of 24oz cups. We like to think we're keeping her young. That's our story and we're sticking to it!
After filling up at Vermont gas prices, we headed out onto the highway and home. Not the most exciting story we've ever had to tell, but it was another productive weekend, as we also added more dates to our calendar.
Thisweek,itsbacktoJC'sinBennington,soyouKNOWtherewillbeataleto
tellafter we're done there!

Band-life is certainly NOT for everybody, and this past weekend was a true test of our mettle. We started out at Fairwood Lanes in Fair Haven, Vt. Upon our arrival, folks came out to greet us, telling us how much they've been waiting for us to return. Nice. As I entered the club, I immediately noticed that it was cooler outside than it was inside.As a matter of fact, it was pretty darn HOT inside. Bug movie Mad hot, actually. WoW! There were fans...the kind that sorta look like a square box...you've seen 'em....but NONE of them were on, just the big LOUD one over my head that was cranking with all get-out but doing absolutely NOTHING to cool the place down. Oh well, this was going to be a three-shirt night for sure!
When I went back outside, a cherubic-looking youngster was standing at the tailgate of my truck. As I drew closer, he began jumping up and down and said the words I will not forget You are the goodest band...EVER!
Cute kid.
He insisted on helping me unload, so I kept handing him really small items and he proudly carried each piece into the club, grinning ear-to-ear all the while. That was the cute part...now for the nitty gritty:
We set up all our gear, sound checked and got ready for the heat wave. Once we started, the club came alive. Folks seemed to come out of the woodwork, dancing, singing and clapping up a storm after every song. THEN...in the middle of a song, the power went out....EVERYTHING. As we stood in the darkness like schnooks, the owner did something and everything came back on. We played about 3 minutes more, and out went the lights and everything again. Steve says maybe we need to plug our electrical feeds into separate circuits. In jest, I replied that the place was probably on one main circuit, like the big switch Igor throws to get the electricity to Frankenstein's neck bolts. After the first set, the owner ran a line to us out of his office, stating that the club is on one circuit, but his office on a different feed. So, we ran our power amps to the new circuit. Next set....you guessed it EVERYTHING went out again. Suddenly, the Igor theory seemed to ring true. Long story short, we made it through the night, did MANY encores for the people who would NOT let us leave, and we lived to tell about it. As a matter of fact, by the time we finished, it actually had cooled down a bit...just in time to go home.
Saturday brought the wrath of the rain gods. I had about an hour's drive to the Marina ahead of me as I departed for the gig. Not a cloud in the sky. Nice. As I got closer to the Sacandaga, I noticed the sky darkening...Hmn.....
I drove on.
As soon as I passed the sign that said Mayfield, the heavens opened up. I called Steve, who was on his boat. He told me that the weather equipment the boaters have said that the storm will pass. Ok..no problem. Then he yelled something like Oh my God, the winds are kicking up...I have to go, and that was it. Life on a boat...you've gotta take the good with the bad, right? Anyway, I parked next to his van and waited...and waited. I actually posted a picture on this site that I took through my windshield. Check it out. The rain was just NOT letting up. Then Chip pulled up next to me. I rolled down my wiindow and told him what Steve had said. He opted to wait in his car next to me. I then proceeded to close my eyes for a while and listen to the rain. Peaceful. All of a sudden, my cell phone rang...Kevin. He was parked right in front of me laughing. Never a dull moment with The Vibratones! SO I gave him the 411 on the situation and we ALL sat there and waited. Suddenly, the rain stopped. We set up under a tent, and with some help we got a tarp run along the ground under us. We set up, sound checked and went into our first set. About 20 minutes into the set, the heavens opened up again. All the people went scurrying for cover. In short order, ez-up tents were going up everyhere the eye could see. These boaters KNOW how to party, let me tell you, and they were not about to let a little rain stand in the way of their fun. Everyone had a blast. AND, a TON of folks purchsed got vibe? shirts. Before long, they were EVERYWHERE we could see. Now THAT'S what I call stylin'!
When the time came to say good-night, we gladly kept playing to the chants of one more song, one more song for a while, and then we finally signed off for the evening, autographed some shirts and began our FAVORITE pastime: packing up all of our stuff. Naturally, as soon as the last attendee had left the area, the heavens opened up again in honor of us having to load everything into our vehicles. So there we were: the band and Steve's friends Derek and Chrissie...standing under our tent in the only dry spot, which was slowly and steadily getting smaller as the rain blew in from all sides. We had it all, Lightning, thunder...SURE, why not, right?! So we talked..and talked....and talked until it seemed like the rain let up enough that we could get to our driver doors and get out of there. We bid each other farewell and drove off into the wet, dank darkness. As I drove home, I noticed several fire apparatus along the way. As I eyed the last Fire truck, somewhere near Galway, I suddenly noticed white billowing smoke coming from the front of my Cherokee. Great. I looked at my dashboard and the temperature gauge was just about pinned in the RED. Long story short...my radiator blew a seam. I'll be replacing it tomorrow along with the fan relay that I think failed, causing the engine to overheat.
And I said I love summer??
Band life...its a trip!!


We've had a great deal of fun playing our music and interfacing with our friends and fans. We'll start this week's installment at The Bayou Cafe. It seems that EVERY time we play The Bayou, it rains. So far, Mother Nature is batting .1000, because we got drenched again! After moving all our gear into the club, we dried off, set up (upstars!!! - I'll get to that later) and went into our act. The crowd was great, and we THANK all of you for coming out in spite of the weather. We had a great time and now have some great memories thanks to all of you. So anyway, we're playing song after song, doing what we do and the crowd is loving it...the good news is that the entire population of the club was very into the band, the bad news is that we were set up in a space that should probably be used for low energy entertainment, as folks kept having to move tables in order to make more 'dancefloor. After a while, the bar manager, who will remain nameless (Barry!! ---oops!) keeps appearing from the doorway behind the bar, trying to tell me that the club downstairs is crowded as well and that because all the girls down there are dancing, I should go down there, drag them back with me and try to fit them upstairs with everyone else as well. We tried, and they fit, but there was only so much space, and soon after we noticed that the waitresses could not get through the wall of people. We had fun, but needless to say, we'll be downstairs next time.
Next it was on to DDD's in Rutland. We always have a great time and a great turnout there, and this was no exception. It was GREAT to see a lot of the vibe-faithful already in attendance when we arrived to set up. Then the fun started. To make room for us, the staff at the club transforms the front of the club into a concert/dancefloor atmosphere by moving EVERYTHING in the place out of the way. They do a nice job, but there was a hanging light (which was probably over the pool table that previously occupied that spot) suspended by chains, in the middle of what was now the bandstand. Further, there was a paddle fan abofe the light. It was on and spinning at a high rate of speed. Are you already putting 2 2 together?? Ok, here's what happened...Seeing as the light was hardwired into an area behind the suspended ceiling, we tried to raise the light by moving the links on the chain. To do this, Kevin climbed onto one of our speakers. I told him that the fan was on, that I was shutting it off and to be careful. As he acknowledged this....WHAP!!! You guessed it..the fan nailed him. Are you ok? Yeah, no problem WHAP again!! Wait a minute will you?? Then Steve says this HAS to go in the story this week. Voila, here it is. Fortunately, he was ok, and we managed to get the light up and out of the way. We really should get roadies one of these days. The rest of the night went without a hitch UNTIL.....the power on 1/2 of the stage (Bass lights) went out. It seems that due to the addition of our new lighting equipment, the power conditioner we were using is no longer adequate. Nice time to find out, eh? Chip fixed it quickly, and we picked up the song right from where we left off...just like pausing a CD...that was fun, and the crowd got a kick out of it.
Next, it was on to The Sandbar on Sacandaga Lake. It was an easy load-in. The setup and sound check went well, and before you knew it, we were off and running. From the first song, the crowd was receptive, dancing singing and giving us a LOT of applause. You have NO idea how much that helps. Even though we pretty much know that we're doing a good job, the response from the crowd is what we live for, so we were happy. THEN, folks from Killington started showing up. It was like one of those Wizard of Oz dreams (and YOU were there, and YOU were there...) or something. The place was packed, and they would not let us leave (one more song...), so we did it up until closing time. Even the barmaids and the management were on the dancefloor!! It was great to see everyone, and that made our night even more special. Hope you had a safe trip back. Wow, that was a great night.
Finally, we closed out our week at a private party for the 4th of July. We played this particular event last year, and we were proud to be asked back again for another show this year. It was a terrific party, the band was in high gear, food and drink abounded everywhere and the fireworks outdid many municipalities. We even had some side entertainment, as two of the band members' cars started sliding down the hill (it was a BIG, STEEP hill), and we had about 15 strong manly men (I had to say that!) from the crowd come out to push. First, Chip drove up the hill and got stuck in this HUGE rut. He backed out and drove around it. When Kevin got stuck, the owner of the property said that HE would drive Kevin's car up the hill. We figured Hey, its his place...he knows the lay of the land right? (Insert game show annoying buzzer here). He went up the hill and drove right into the rut at the top of his driveway, leaving Kevin's car on three wheels!! Everyone ran up the hill and pushed him out. Unbelievable. Then it was Steve's turn...we were positioned on a steep, wet slope and the vehicles were now packed to leave. I was behind him, and I noticed the van backing up....or so I thought...it was SLIDING. I got out of the way, put it in 4WD and MY wheels were spinning a bit, but I steered out of it and got out of the way, Then it was manly men time again. Out they came, like they were going into battle. They pushed and pushed and got the van free, but then...the hill loomed ahead. This time the owner's son says that HE would drive the van. Here we go. He went up the hill and steered AROUND the big rut (Yeah!), emerging victorious to the cheers of the crowd. I'm glad we were able to entertain them even AFTER we were finished performing. You just can't make this stuff up!
This week, we're off to Fairwood Lanes, then the boater's party at Grandview Marina. Thanks for reading, and check back next week for more tales of band life.

The weekend went by like a blur! We set out on the early side to set up on Friday night for JC's in Bennington, and all went well...our sound system went up without a hitch (although somebody forgot our band SIGN ...Chip!!!! - LOL) and all the equipment fell into place nicely. Kevin picked up a few new toys for our ever-growing light-extravaganza and as fate would have it, ONE item worked for about a minute...AMAZING, right?? We'll have to have a heart-to-heart talk with those fine electronic craftsmen in the Orient!! Needless to say, it's going BACK today!! Anyway, the crowd was on the dance floor singing, dancing and carrying on from the first song until (and after) the lights went on at the end of the night. What a great time we had! So many friendly faces, so little time!! It was great to see and talk with all of you. We'll see you next month!
As Saturday was going to be a busy one, we elected to drive to Killington after the gig and stay overnight (for a few hours of sleep and a shower anyway) at The Grist Mill/Summit Complex (MANY thanks to Cindy and Bill - you guys are truly one-of-a-kind!). We arrived at 5am, and we were back on the road showered and shaved by noon, carrying not one, but TWO P.A. systems for the day's activities - it was almost as if actual SLEEP didn't even happen!! Thanks to the Management of The Red Moon, we gained access to the club, set up our main P.A. system, then shot across town to set up for Donna Mike's wedding, which we would be working along with Wild Bill and his DJ Service. WhIle we must have not gotten the memo about the Tan Cowboy Hats (ha, ha!), the wedding went along very smoothly and we enjoyed seamless transitions throughout the day with Bill, who was lucky (?!) enough to be totally smeared with cake by the bride!! now THAT was funny! GREAT working with you, and it would appear that we will be doing more of the same in the days ahead.
Once the wedding was over, we packed up (again) and headed over to The Red Moon Saloon. We expected a healthy turn out, so when we saw the velvet ropes being set up in the parking lot (along with people in their cars waiting to get in the club, we dismissed it a business as usual. ....WELL.......like clockwork, as soon as we were finished setting up and got our soundcheck done, the floodgates opened...people began filing in and it just did not stop. It was nice to see Vibratones got vibe? ladies' and mens' 'vibe-wear' on the folks dancing and cavorting about. From the first note, we had a full dance floor...THEN...the bridal party that we JUST finished playing for showed up....Bride, Groom and all. Great folks, and they were still fresh and ready to party, so we kicked it up a notch for good measure. Of course I cannot forget to mention our resident techie Joe with his latest toy, the 3G Iphone, and I'm sure that somehow we're going to wind up on you tube or something again, as I saw him aiming the thing at us a bunch of times. Joe...you said I'm your hero...well, you're OUR hero, my good friend. As if that wasn't enough, ANOTHER bridal party came in and started rocking and singing along with us. The crowd response was loud and that's just the way we like it, and it went all the way to closing time again---including OUR bride groom! You guys know how to PARTY!!
Weekends like this are the catalyst that keeps us going and fuels our fire to continue to keep adding to the most current song list of all our peers (you can check if you like!), and keep striving to be the best in our field. THANK YOU to our fans and friends for your undying support and loyalty. We do it for YOU. Have a GREAT week, and for all of you who have not been out to see us as yet, by all means GET VIBE!!! See ya this weekend at The Bayou on Friday night, then at DDD's on Saturday!

The Goombay Smash Weekend at The Grist Mill was totally off the hook. Firstly, it was GREAT to share hugs and pleasantries with the staff, all of whom look GREAT in their new Vibratones attire. You are truly the best. Way to go!! While we knew it was probably going to be crowded, we could not have predicted the sheer multitudes that came out to party with us. It was great seeing so many familiar faces, some of whom made the trip from distant shores just to come out and strut their stuff to the sound of the band...you guys are troopers!! It was a teriffic weekend, we got to set up our new PA system, the band was in good form and sounded great. All in all, it was good to be a 'Tone!!
Next up - - - JC's Tavern (oh boy, this is gonna be another wild night!), on Friday, Donna Mike's Wedding on Saturday afternoon, and then The Red Moon Saloon (NO COVER CHARGE) on Saturday night. We're up to it, so BRING IT ON!!! Hope to see you at the shows.

Well the time has comefor the Vibratones to depart from our winter home at the Grist Mill, Summit Lodge in Killington Vermont, and hit the road for thesummer season.....It has been a great winter in Killington, and leaving therethis Saturday is going tobe bittersweet for us....We have made many new friends along the way from all over the World, andespecially the Killingtonarea......Wefirst and foremost want to thankthe staff at the Grist Mill and the Summit for thier kindness and for taking us in and making us feel like family...There are too many of you to list, but rest asured we know who youare and we love you all..Next we want to thank the management..Billy, we hopewe lived up to your expectations..You have been apleasure to work with andwe are looking forward toa long working relationship with you at the Grist Mill, I think we have somethingspecial.going on and cant wait till the 09/ 10 season..Cindy Phillips, thanks for all your kindness and nice words. We always enjoy your smiling face on the dance floor, and at the Summit..Whenever we needed anything, you were there for us....Thank You!!! Cindy Lamb and Jimmy Fiore at the Grist Mill, I have known both of you for quite a few years, and this season working with both of you has been nothing short of a pleasure Thank You! To all the GIRLS at the Mill who took care of us this season, and fed us, and sometimes baby sat us..Thank You.. We hope you are all here next season...We will miss you all....and last but not least all the people who ventured out to party and rock with us, hopefully we have some new fans and hope to grow our fan base even more next season....So with all that said, Saturday is going to be both happy and sad for us after we play our final note of the night and start breaking down the stage...As we were in our hotel rooms on Saturday afternoon prepping for the show, I could hear Frank in his room strumming out a Bon Jovi songon his guitar and singing, and I was in my roomgoing over another song we just learned singing away, we both just started laughing...........I wonder what the guests must be thinking of us? Sometimes the little things in life thatmake you laughmake everything seem worth while.......See you on the ROAD......We LOVE YOU ALL!!!!!!
Thanksgiving Week
Hope everyone's Thanksgiving week was as good as ours, because as always if we show up someplace, there's a story to tell when all is said and done. This past week, we enjoyed 3 days with our fans and friends, as we had a show on Wednesday (the day before Thanksgiving) as well as the weekend.
Our weekend started early at CJ's Suds South (as opposed to North!) and we were pleased to see a few of our new contingency already in the club when we arrived for setup. As we went through the setup ritual of running wires, rigging lights, testing EVERYTHING and so forth, we noticed that more and MORE familiar faces were streaming through the door, and you could tell the fashion plates right away, as they were attired in VIBE-wear, the new and soon-to-be-famous got vibe tee-shirt. They looked sharp, let me tell you! We had a good night performance-wise, and the crowd grew to an appreciable size and stayed that way until last call, which is the way we like it, so we said our well wishes to the rank and file, packed up, and with another job well done under our belts, headed out into the night so we could get a few hours' sleep before our own T-giving celebrations.
Friday brought us to DDD's, and yet another great turnout for the Vibratones. We're getting used to seeing all the VIBE Tee-shirts in the crowd now, so things are just as they should be...great! Its a good thing we got there really early for set up, as we faced a minor dilemma upon our arrival: the band 'area' was not cleared...it seems that the usual bar manager (who was off for the Holiday) usually rearranges the furniture long before we usually get there, so we had not had to face this type of situation as yet in this club. Fortunately, there was a large group of folks waiting to hear the band, and a few of them knew how the different imposing pieces (pool table, foosball table, tables chairs, huge DJ home-made-heavy-freakin'-wooden-box thing, speakers, etc.) were arranged or otherwise moved to other areas, so with some auxiliary help, we soon had the place looking like usual and all was well with the world, as well as the large group of folks playing darts who had no idea why we were upsetting their apple cart. Thankfully, they were tolerant of all the moving through, in/out and around their game and they got into the band once we started playing, so we made more new friends. Additionally, it appeared that all of the folks from Wednesday's gig came out to see us on Friday as well. Nice.
Saturday marked what we were hoping would be a long awaited return to JC's Tavern by our fanbase in Bennington. WHen we got there for setup, if looked like the day El Duque struck out the Red Sox in the last innig of a playoff game. It was us and the bar staff. That was it. All I could think of was...Uh-oh! Anyway, we set up our equipment, backdrop and all, and wired and constructed everything while we watched the door. We still had about an hour before start time, so we did a good sound check, and by the time we were done, a constant stream of familiar and new faces were lining up outside and the place got packed very quickly. It was nice to see so many folks with whom we have shared music, laughs and good times while building this band of ours over the past year. It was a great night (pics will be up shortly), and it got so nuts there that we couldn't get off the stage due to the overwhelming yells, whistles and screams for 'MORE!...we got to everyone's requests even while the entire bar staff was giving us the 'cut' sign (except The Vagina Song - sorry, once they turned all the lights on, we HAD to stop!), and we all had a good laugh about that once we were finally done for the evening. Hey, we LIVE for nights like that.
Oh yeah, one thing I forgot to mention about the Friday gig....after we had finally moved all the various items, and rearranged everything, the bar manager came through the door, stating that she never gets the opportunity to party with us while she's working, so she came to see the band on her night off. Too bad she didn't get there about 15 minutes sooner!

1st Anniversary weekend - The Bayou The Red Moon Saloon
WoW! Now THAT was a weekend! As we have now passed the 1 year mark as a band, things are really shaping up nicely here in the Vibratones camp. We knew early on that it was going to be a kickin' weekend, when on Friday night at the Bayou, while we were still setting up, we heard the bar Manager shouting on his cell phone Yeah, its already packed in here, and people just keep on coming in!!
From an artist standpoint, nothing, and I do mean NOTHING is better or more fulfilling than to see and hear a positive reaction to what you're putting out there night after night. The Bayou could not have been more crowded. From the bandstand, we could see NO open space anywhere, upstairs or down; and the constant cheering, applause, yelling, whistling and whatever else you guys were doing out there was just OUTSTANDING!! Thank you, thank you THANK YOU! We met with folks from another notable establishment, and they were quite surprised to learn that the club WAS actually filled with OUR fans and friends. I LOVE this stuff!! We're catching on more and more every day, and our fans ROCK! We also took the opportunity to unveil the first in our line of Vibe-wear, a got vibe? Tee-shirt. We sold a bunch, and now you guys are stylin'!
Many thanks to local radio-personality Carrie Barbato for the pre-show ceremony and story of our band, complete with stats. It was amazing to hear our exploits depicted in actual facts and figures. Tiny Dancer was all for you!
Saturday evening brought the VIBES back to The Red Moon Saloon, where we once again enjoyed playing to more and MORE familiar faces. It was yet another night to remember, as we cannot remember a time when SO MANY people flocked to spend their evening with us....and in a snow storm, no less! You backed the right horse, and we'll NEVER let you down! While there were many colorful people in the crowd (pic will be up shortly, I swear!), the one event etched in the minds of many will be the guy who dropped his pants, revealing American Flag boxer shorts, who saluted all in attendance while we sang God Bless The U.S.A. Now that's something you don't see every day!

The Grist Mill (opening week on Killington)
With our 1st Anniversary as a band rapidly approaching, we look back on our past week at our home-to-be for the Winter, The Grist Mill. This was to be the opening weekend for the ski season on the mountain at Killington.The snowmaking machines were hard at work earlier in the week and there was a good base of snow on the slopes up until Thursday, when the winds of change brought warm weather to the area. As a result, everything was just 'wet. That's it..no snow anywhere, and balmy temperatures were abounding. Just to set this up for you, the area's Premiere ski shop, Northern Ski Works, was set for their Grand Opening for the Winter. They had taken out full page ads in all the papers with pictures of 'The Vibratones, the Management at the Summit AND the Grist Mill had arranged to have those gigantic spot lights that you can see for miles and miles lighting up the sky there on Saturday Night, Captain Morgan was sending a crew, there were to be BIG giveaways and drawings for VERY expensive ski gear AND they brought US in early to kick off the ski season at The Grist Mill. As the start time at this venue is 8:30, we arrived early on Friday and were set up on time. The clubwasonly 'lightly' busy...no wall-to-wall folks asyet, but then thereWAS an announcement that the mountain would NOT be opening this weekend due to the fact thatthere was NO snow to speak of. Great, just Great! So, westarted on time,m playing vatious genresof music...ANYTHING to keep the small crowd enthused, drinking and happy. After a while, the place was well populated...NOTHING like they expected, but not bad....then in the middle of the 3rd set, one-by one, table by table they all disappearedinto the night leaving the bar staff and us. The Bar Manager told us we could stop 1/2 hr early, and we were all too grateful for the gesture. So we shut down our systems, hung around talking, and eventually retired for the evening.
The next day was to be the BIG event. Chip, Steve and I (Frank)ran into the owner of thecompound and enjoyed a working lunch with himas we planned out our winter. It's going to be a good one with some wild goings-on, I'll tell you that much..any more and I'd have to kill you, LOL! It was them we learned that the Northern Ski Works people had planned their entire openingwith a 5pm start!! So.....we now had to be ready to start at 5pm..at it was now almost2pm, there wouldbe little time for anythingelse but to shower, shave andhit the stage. We returned to the club around 4:45 to findthe N.S.W. folks setting up their displays, gieawaysand prizes. To boot, folks were beginning to wander in...steadliy and in numbers. We started playing at 5:45 (at the management's request) and the place was hopping! At first, not too many folks danced, they just stared and listened..cheering, whistling and yelling after every song, From a musician's standpoint, we LOVE it when people fill the dancefloor and loosen up, but after last night, this was like freakin' Budokan! As the night progresses, even MORE people filed in the doors of the Grist Mill and before long, the dance floor was packed, and it stayed that way right up until we signed off for the evening. It had been a great night. However, as we ARE entertsainers, and we had this HUGE crowd on the club, we took the opportunity to mention that we owed the house a half hour from last night, and to the owner's delight, we took a short break and went back on. As they say in Showbiz...the crowd went Wild!!Even with no snow on the ground, folks came out to see what the big deal was at The Grist Mill, and many folks who saw the band's pictures in the newspaares cameto see the newact on the mountain, and we keptthem ALL there, ALL night. This is the kindof stuff we live for.we finished up (again) andafter a few encores, we finally called it a night. Wecaptured thecrowd and the entire staff all the way up tto theowner was pleased. Nice. As we were leaving the Summit,we were greeted by snow and hail. Go figure. Everything went extremely well. Everyone was pleased. The only quirk in the WHOLE weekend was an invitation (thatcannot be refused, mind you) for me to go snow-shoeing with the owner. I don't walk fast in the snow as it is, and this guy wants to out tennis rackets on my feet and parade me around and up and down the Killington landscape? He says: After a few hours out there, when you come back you're going to feel GREAT. This remains to be seen.

Pinhead Susan's A Private Party for old friends
Another weekend in the books, and as usual there is a story to tell. This actually turned out out to be a 'return' for 1/2 of the band (Chip Frank) to familiar ground on both nights, so we knew it would be at the very least interesting. We started at a long-time Schenectady favorite, Pinhead Susan's on Friday night. Pinhead's is a bustling and crowded venue, especially on a Friday night, and when we got there (2 hours early) to set up, we were met with the usual wait for folks seated in the designated band area to finish their meals and conversations before we could begin assembling our stage. I (Frank) was the first to arrive, so I was able (with the help of the ever-present Bambino) to get my share of the equipment into the club and placed strategically around the area where we would eventually be set up. I was pleased to see so many familiar faces, new and from days past in attendance. As I had time, I made my way through the crowd to greet those who I recognized, as well as thouse who recognized me (it was GREAT to see all of you!!). Then Steve arrived, followed soon by Chip and mid-way through our parade with various pieces of musical gear, we were halted by a waitress, as floor space around one specific table occupied by good talkers (to say the least!) was diminishing by the minute. Honestly...yeah we need to set up, but when you're hired help you must yield to the house you're playing in, as not to disrupt their clientele, so we waited.....and waited....patiently and respectfully.....SCREAMING inside, though...watching as each glass and subsequent morsel of food was raised to the lips of these folks we SO wanted out of our way. Now I know how my dog feels when company is over for a big meal! Then, in one fell swoop the check was delivered and the folks paid it and left (Yeah!). As we began to put our gear in place, Kevin arrived and we got everything else moved in and ready. Due to the wait, our start was delayed by fifteen minutes, so we were MORE than ready to go by the time we played our first notes. We knew from past experience that the overall volume level at the beginning of the night had to be minimal, so we adjusted our sound system accordingly and we were underway and the crowd was very much into the band, clapping, cheering and even whistling after every song. Nice. THEN, after the fourth song, the main bartender approached me to say that we needed to bring the volume down a bit. No problem. We did it. Two songs later, he requested a further reduction in our output. No problem. Now the people in the crowd started making faces, gesturing, pointing at the P.A. speakers, pointing to us, their mouths, their ears (it was REALLY funny), but we just kept on playing. We knew something was up, but..what? Another song finishes, applause and whistles...and here comes the bartender. This time, he apologizes stating that we lowered down too much and all that can be heard was low tones!! Funny, right? We were just about at the end of the set, so we turned up and figured we'd make adjustments on the break, which we did and finally by the beginning of the second set we were (you guessed it) right back where we were when we started!! It was a great night. The band was sounding great, folks who recognized us continued to arrive at the club, waving and shaking hands with us (even while we were playing), and the night went smoothly all the way to the end, and as we loaded the last piece of equipment into the truck, we were approached by a friend of ours who sings in a local band, and he suggested that both bands work the block parties for Pinhead's (which we were already offered) and another local nightspot in the area. So we may be bringing the VIBE back to the area sooner than we had planned. Time will tell.
Saturday's Private Party was another great event. When we arrived at the establishment, it had already been mostly decorated, with a few girls finishing up the final touches. We were able to set up easily and quickly and we started on time with no delays. Nice after last night! Once again, there were many familiar and friendly faces grooving along and clapping/cheering during and after each song, so it was once again like coming home. Then, when we spotted one of the honorees carrying her OWN pitcher of beer, we knew this was going to be a fun party. The crowd in attendance spanned the generations, so we did our usual show for the first two sets, then arranged the third set as a sort of retrospective from the 50's to now, playing some requested songs totally off-the-cuff and it went over SO well that we actually attracted folks who were not attendees! It was funny to see the guests of our party escorting these 'new' folks into the room, making friends with them and enjoying the band and the atmosphere together. That was GREAT! We may even be playing a Christmas party for a ladies dart league (if scheduling permits) as a result. You never know who you're going to meet, eh? As we were packing up to leave, the owner of the venue and one of the bartenders approached us and told us that the band was the best they'd heard and they were actually making excuses to bring more food and drink into the room during the night JUST to hear the band!'s
KJ's DDD's
Another fun weekend is now behind us, and as usual there is a story to tell. No leaky roofs this week, but it was Halloween, so you KNOW it was not your run-of-the-mill weekend.
We started out at KJ's Place in Springfield. This was a new club for us, so we were geared up to put our best foot forward (as usual) but we would not know the lay of the land, so to speak until we got there. We were pleased to meet Jim and Chris (or is it Chris Jim?) who built the club, and we were impressed by their operation which was beautifully spacious and very well run. They even thought enough to provide several dedicated circuits to the stage to ensure that there would be sufficient power for just about any application. Nice touch! Once we were set up, the club began filling up with costumed clientele (Dead people, beat-up people, Flintstones, the toga party from Animal House, etc) from the surrounding area and beyond. There was even a couple from the Bronx (Hi Al Cleo!). From the first note we played, we knew it was going to be a great night. To our delight, we were asked to re-book with the club right after our first set, so it was obvious that we must be doing something right. We were pleased to keep the dance floor packed all night, and we made many new friends while increasing our ever-expanding fan base, so all-in-all, KJ's was a huge success and we look forward to our next engagement there in the Spring.
Saturday brought us back to DDD's in Rutland, where the drinks flow far into the night and the party never stops...at least when WE play there anyway! As usual, the management was ready for us, and had provided more-than-ample room for our set up and the dancing that would ensue once we strike up the band...and it did! The only hitch came early, as while we were grooving along and the folks were dancing to oursecondsong of the evening, the breakers blew! While we all stood around looking at each other, laughing and sharing what is always an unusual and uncertain silence whenever these things happen; the owner was at the panel in the back of the club, and once he was done working his magic we were trouble-free for the rest of the night. Way to go!! One group of folks had alerted us a few weeks ago (at another club, shhhhh!) that they intended to dress as the entire cast of the Addams Family, so we had the TV theme song ready to go, and lucky we did as we had to play it TWICE!! They looked great, and it was no wonder that they claimed 1st prize for best costume, even though they DID have some great competiton.. As there were so many of them (THING was there, too, by the way!), we know they did not leave town with the prize money once they got done splitting it up LOL! We had a great time and made even MORE new friends (the mailing list is growing!). One fellow told us that he told his date how great we were and how she had to come and see us. NO pressure now, right?! Ha ha. Fortunately we did ok, his date said that we were great, and they danced all night. Hopefully he got lucky later on, and if he did I guess he owes us, eh?!! Another couple told us that they were on their way to the supermarket, and while driving by the club they heard the band (we were not THAT loud, though..I swear!), and at the wife's insistence the hubby parked the car and they came in. They said if their family starved, it would be OUR fault. Nice. They loved the band SO much that they rushed to do their shopping on our first break (so we're off the hook on the starving thing now, right?), got back in time for the start of the 2nd set and then stayed the rest of the night.
CJ's PNA
This past weekend was a true eye-opener in the fact that more and MORE familiar faces are coming out to party with us, and we're sincerely humbled and pleased! CJ's was more packed than we can remember and the P.N.A. Lodge was equally populated with those of the VIBE persuasion. However, while the CJ's gig was pretty much a straight-forward affair, things at the P.N.A. could not have been more diverse than normal.
Read on:
Firstly, it was pouring rain and we as a band are still not all that sure of how we actually GET THERE each time we play. With the help of GPS, it sorta just happens. THIS time, one of us actually had to be talked through local directions on his cell phone by one of the girls at the club. With that said, we arrived at the club, got TOTALLY drenched carrying in the equipment, got fed by the staff (and the food was good too!) and set up. Once we hit he stage, all was well with the world; the band was sounding great and the people were immersed in our performance. Many folks took the opportunity to dress up early for Halloween as we will be out of town in Vermont for the Halloween weekend, and they all looked GREAT. Then, while I (Frank) was singing, I felt what I thought was the biggest drop of sweat know to man hit my SHOULDER!! I thought gee, how is my sweat traveling all the way out there?...and to boot, I wasn't sweating!! I looked up to my right and immediately identified the source of the drop on my shoulder: the ceiling over me was LEAKING...REALLY BAD!! Like they say, the show must go on, so I finished the set, and with the help of the personnel and the great crowd (who were all trying to get my attention while pointing to the ceiling over me, like I didn't know I was getting drenched, LOL!) and PNA membership, I moved my rig while the rest of the folks, armed with mops, buckets and towels dried up the leak over my head as well as several other leaks that were springing out here and there, including the dance floor in front of the stage..WoW! At the urging of the lovely and talented Candice (you naughty schoolteacher!), one of the staff went up on the roof and tried to stop the leak, but to no avail. By this time, Chip and Kevin also had to move, as leaks had sprung over THEIR heads! By the second set, we were set up far from one another (thank God it was a big stage), and we could not move to our collective right or left without getting rained on. Luckily for Steve, he was positioned in a dry area, so he was able to perform in a dry state while laughing at us dodging the raindrops INDOORS! All in all, it was a GREAT night, and one in which the band and the crowd interacted musically and hand-in-hand to preserve what turned out to be a fun evening for all in attendance.
You just can't make this stuff up!!
The Bayou - October
All in all, weekends like this are the reason we keep doing what we do! We have been planning upgrades to our equipment setup over the last few weeks, and as this was to be the first night we would put it all into operation, we were understandably excited as any children would be with a bunch of new toys. The first glaring difference we discovered was that several pieces of our new gear were 2 to 3 times heavier than their predecessors, to the point that when we went to life the first piece, it just sat there...WoW, I guess w got our money's worth, huh? Good thing all the new stuff is on wheels! Once we got everything in place and ready to go, we did a sound check, during which we all sported ear-to-ear grins.
Buying new equipment = expensive.
Having it work as planned = Priceless!
Then, the public started showing up. A minute or so into the first song, we collectively realized that there were a LOT of familiar faces in the room, more than usual and they were everywhere...all around us, waving smiling, dancing and singing along with the band. It was not long before we realized that THIS was the largest turnout of our fan base since the day we played and sang our first notes as a band! The VIBE continued all night, even out to the parking lot after the last song had been played and the last piece of equipment (heavy!) had been loaded.
YOU GUYS ROCK!!!