Category Archives: Gig

Orinda Masonic Crab Feed Playout

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February 27, 2015

By:  Diane Malucelli
Photos by:  Bob Nelson

We had a  playout on Friday, February 27 from 7pm – 8pm at the Orinda Masonic Temple at 9 Altarinda Road.  It was their annual crab feed and we estimated about 140 people were there, including guests, cooks, and servers.

We were on a low stage and it was a challenge to fit 14 people and the equipment on the stage.  Betty David was our lead player and Guy Black was on bass.  The rest of the players were Tom Brunetti, Clyde Dedmon, Don Granberg, Harry Higgins, Ardie Jarrett, Garry Kerr, Bob Malucelli, Diane Malucelli, Dina Melamed, Kit Nelson, Larry Risner, and Danielle Torres.  Red Higgins, Diane Risner, Kasey Torres and Bob Nelson were in the audience to support us.

Danielle started off singing “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” and Red joined her for “Bill Bailey” and the “Crawdad Song,” which was such fun.  Kit sang “Nobody’s Sweetheart Now,” “Give My Regards to Broadway,” and “This Land is Your Land.”  Don Granberg sang “Oh Susanna” and “Five Foot Two.”  Red also sang “Darktown Strutter’s Ball.”  Danielle closed out our performance by singing “South.”

It was a fun playout and our sound system seemed to work really well for the vocals.  The audience appreciated the music and songs.

Oakland Masonic Crab Feed Playout

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January 17, 2015

By:  Diane Malucelli
Photos by:  Bob Nelson

We were invited back to the Masonic Lodge in Oakland for their annual crab feed.  We played on a raised stage in a nice, large room on the third floor. There were around 100 people attending and most of them responded to the music when they were not eating their crabs.  We played on the stage, so we had lots of equipment in addition to the 17 banjo and bass players up there.  Guy Black played the bass and Terry Horner played the gut bucket.  Jack Convery was our lead banjo player and we played a wide variety of fun, toe tapping favorites.  Betty David, Bob Ehrhorn, Don Granberg, Karen Hefter, Deb Hodson, Ardie Jarrett, Garry Kerr, Chris Lardge, Bob Malucelli, Diane Malucelli, Linda Myers, Phil Myers, Kit Nelson, and Bud Pearce were the rest of the banjo players present that night.

Jack had us each choose songs to play and Bob, Don, Deb, Chris, Kit, Terry and Bud sang many of the songs.  One of the guests, Suzi Phillips, came on stage and sang “You Are My Sunshine.”   (Suzi is the daughter of past Masonic Master Joe Bettencourt.)  Bud then sang “If You Knew Suzie” for her.  At the end of the evening, we played “When the Saints Go Marching In.” Deb led a parade through the audience with her banjo and she was accompanied by Don and Terry with their washboards.  The audience had fun, we had fun, and it was a successful playout.

Walnut Creek Civic Arts Playout

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December 4, 2014

By: Diane Malucelli
Photos by: Bob Nelson and Linda Myers

Our playout on Thursday, December 4 was for the Walnut Creek Civic Arts League’s annual holiday lunch. The Civic Arts League promotes the arts in Contra Costa County and will celebrate their 50th year in March, 2015. There were probably 150 women in the audience and many wore a lot of bright red and green.

Jack Convery led us in a variety of Christmas and Jewish songs, in addition to songs from our regular EBBC book. We started out with “Winter Wonderland” and performed some new songs like “Sunrise, Sunset,” which was sung by Sheila Welt. Chris Lardge sang “Hava Nagila,” in addition to a song by George Fromby called “Fanlight Fanny.” Don Granberg sang a song and played his washboard. Dina Melamed and Don played their washboards together to “Coney Island Washboard.” Terry Horner sang a couple of songs and played the gut bucket, to the delight of the audience. Bud Pearce sang several songs, including “Swanee.” Kit Nelson sang also and we ended with “When the Saints Go Marching In.” It was a fun playout and the audience sang and clapped along with the songs.

The people who performed today were Guy Black, Tom Brunetti, Jack Convery, Betty David, Clyde Dedmon, Bob Ehrhorn, Don Granberg, Terry Horner, Ardie Jarrett, Garry Kerr, Chris Lardge, Bob Malucelli, Diane Malucelli, Dina Melamed, Linda Myers, Phil Myers, Kit Nelson, Bud Pearce and Sheila Welt. Bob Nelson took photos for us.

Kensington Playout

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November 11, 2014

By:  Diane Malucelli
Photos by:  Linda Myers

When we walked into the Kensington, they had a very large, beautiful American flag across the foyer.  It made you feel patriotic right away.  We played in the foyer and we had around 45 people in the audience.

Our leader was Betty David and our bass players were Guy Black and Terry Horner.  The banjo players were Bud Pearce, Bob Ehrhorn, Don Granberg, Phil Myers, Linda Myers, Tom Brunetti, Ardie Jarrett, Diane Malucelli, and Bob Malucelli.

We played the military songs first and everyone enthusiastically joined in as Bud Pearce and Bob Ehrhorn led us in those songs.  We sang some of the songs from Betty’s List and it was fun to see how much the residents enjoyed the music.  Don Granberg also sang a few songs.  We closed with “America the Beautiful” and “God Bless America.”

Many residents told us how much they enjoyed our performance.  It was so nice to play music on Veteran’s Day.

Montecito Oakmont Senior Living

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November 10, 2014

By Ardie Jarrett

Our playout at Montecito Oakmont Senior Living turned out to be a wonderful experience for all.  I don’t think I have ever seen as many people sitting in the audience for one of our playouts as there were today.  We tried to count the audience members, but they just kept on coming into the room.  We guessed that the crowd included at least 100 people.  The director of the facility welcomed everyone (including us) to the Veteran’s Day celebration, and read a wonderful poem called, “The Best On Earth.”

We started our program by playing songs as a tribute to each branch of the military….Marines, Navy, Army, Coast Guard, and Air Force.  Then, we just started having fun by playing lots of the “oldies but goodies” songs that everyone was familiar with.  Our singers included:  Don Granberg, Chris Lardge, Sheila Welt, Bud Pearce, and Bob Ehrhorn.  The audience joined in and sang while we were playing.  We all had a great time.  Our players were:  Betty David, Don Granberg, Tom Brunetti, Chris Lardge, Bob Malucelli, Linda Myers, Phil Myers, Sheila Welt, Guy Black, Bud Pearce, Bob Ehrhorn, and Ardie Jarrett.

Orchard Nursery

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October 25, 2014

By:  Karen Hefter
Photos by:  Karen Hefter

The Orchard Nursery playout is often one of the most fun playouts of the year and this year was no exception.  It rained earlier in the day and we weren’t sure if the playout would be rained out, but we ended up with a beautiful day.  The nursery was kind enough to provide a large canopy for us to play under.  We enjoyed the gorgeous foliage and festive Halloween and fall decorations that surrounded us as we played.

A small audience was able to sit under the canopy with us and many shoppers stopped by to listen to us.  We do not use amplification for this event because no electricity is available.  This also meant that we had no mics for singers.  However, that didn’t stop us at all!  Don and Sheila gave their best efforts at singing (and being heard), before the group decided that singalong style was the way to go!  Chris stood up and used Tom’s tap dancing cane to conduct the band (and the audience) in a singalong version of “You Are My Sunshine.”  This was a real hit! We closed out our program with “Take Me Out To The Ball Game,” in an effort to give the San Francisco Giants a boost for their World Series game later in the day.

Our players were:  Betty David, Don Granberg, Terry Horner, Tom Brunetti, Karen Hefter, Ardie Jarrett, Garry Kerr, Chris Lardge, Bob Malucelli, Diane Malucelli, Linda Myers, Phil Myers, Larry Risner, and Sheila Welt.

The Commons at Dallas Ranch

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October 4, 2014

By:  Karen Hefter
Photos By:  Diane Risner

We were scheduled to play outdoors at The Commons at Dallas Ranch’s Fall Country Faire, but, since the temperature was in the mid 90s, we were able to play inside.   We had a small but enthusiastic audience for our performance.   Betty David led us in a variety of songs that the audience knew and loved.  There was even marching and dancing in the aisles for “When the Saints Go Marching In.”  Don Granberg, Bud Pearce, and Sheila Welt were our singers for the day and the crowd was very appreciative of their vocal skills.  The staff was very kind and offered us snacks and drinks before our performance, which we appreciated.

Our players were: Guy Black, Jim Blankenship, Tom Brunetti, Kermit Collins, Betty David, Don Granberg, Karen Hefter, Garry Kerr, Phil Myers, Bud Pearce, Larry Risner, and Sheila Welt.

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Club Picnic at Lander’s Landing

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August 23, 2014

By:  Diane Malucelli
Photos by: Linda Myers

After a long drive winding through farms and ranches, we arrived at our annual club picnic at Landers Landing.  Most of us arrived before noon and Bobbie Landers gave us all a big welcome at her beautiful home on the water.  Don Granberg brought his keyboard and joined banjo players Betty David, Bob Malucelli, Phil and Linda Myers, Kit Nelson, Mike Stein, Sheila Welt, Ardie Jarrett, Guy Black, and Bud Pearce, as they played music for many hours.  Kit, Bud, Don, Bob, and Clyde sang many of the songs.  The neighbors on the island across from Bobbie’s home even came out on their deck to listen to the wonderful music!

Other attendees at the picnic were Mary Black and her son Randy, Bernadette Espejo, Diane Malucelli and her mom Irene, Clyde Dedmon, Dina Melamed, Jim and Angelina Blankenship, Bob Nelson, Gloria Pearce, and Jeannine Stein.  A young friend of Bobbie’s came to the picnic.  His name is Marek and he is from Tabor in the CzechRepublic.  He attended with three other young people who are  part of his host family.  They went out on the boat with Bobbie’s daughter, Holly Burke.  Holly also took a few of our banjo group out on the boat to tour the Delta.

We had a wonderful lunch of sausages, veggie burgers, corn on the cob, salads, chips, dips and great desserts.  Don brought a delicious homemade cheesecake that he made from his mom’s recipe.  It was a beautiful, relaxing, warm day on the Delta with fun music and great people.  We are so thankful to Bobbie and her family for this opportunity to visit her home and the Delta for our annual picnic.  Thank you so much!

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Relay For Life Playout

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July 12, 2014

By:  Kit Nelson
Photos by:  Bob Nelson and Edward Hefter

Todos De Santos park in Concord, CA was the scene of a “Relay For Life” walk to support the American Cancer Society.  It is a 24-hour walk-a-thon for a cure and all proceeds go to the American Cancer Society.  We were delighted to be a part of their day and we thank the American Cancer Society for the opportunity to play at this event.

We had a wonderful turnout of 23 performers from the East Bay Banjo Club. Our performers were:  Betty David, Guy Black, Tom Brunetti, Jesse De Torres, Marco and Brian Green, Harry and Red Higgins, Don Granberg, Terry Horner, Karen Hefter, Ardie Jarrett, Chris Lardge, Bob and Diane Malucelli, Dina Melamed, Phil and Linda Myers, Kit Nelson, Bud Pearce, Larry Risner, Sheila Welt, and Ken Williamson.  Other club members who attended were Jim Abele, Georgette De Torres, Clyde Dedmon, and Bob Nelson.

A “Try A Banjo” area was set up adjacent to the stage and staffed by Karen and Linda.  People could stop by and learn more about banjos, ukuleles, and the East Bay Banjo Club. Karen and Linda let people try the banjos and ukes we had on display and taught the visitors to play a 2-chord song (The Hokey Pokey).

Quite a variety of musical talents were displayed that day by our members.  The audience enjoyed the list of songs that Betty, our Music Director, chose to play.  The EBBC did a wonderful service to our community by volunteering to provide music to people who are “fighting for the cure.”  Everyone in the club can feel proud to have made their own personal contribution to the American Cancer Society.  We hope we are invited back next year.

 

EBBC at Relay For Life.

E TX BBC at Relay For Life.

Orinda 4th of July Parade

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By Karen Hefter
Photos by:  Karen Hefter, Edward Hefter, Linda Myers, and Gloria Pearce
Video by:  Edward Hefter

We couldn’t have picked a nicer day for a parade!  Spirits were high as we rode down the streets of Orinda on our festive float.  We  decorated the flatbed truck with bales of straw, bunting, and plenty of American flags.  Betty David led us in our parade songs, which we played to the cheers of the audience.  Many people smiled at us and air strummed imaginary banjos as we went by.  We were told that it was much easier to hear us this year, as compared to last year, which is good!  The parade was really well attended this year and it is a real treat to be part of this slice of Americana.  Diane and Bob Malucelli coordinated this event for us and even brought coffee and doughnuts for us to enjoy as we decorated the float!

We would like to thank our wonderful sponsors, Alex and Alice Gailas of A.G. Realty (and their dog Apollo) for sponsoring our float again and for riding with us.  We would also like to thank club member Bobbie Landers for arranging the logistics of the straw bales for us this year.  Our performers were:  Guy Black, Betty David, Don Granberg, Brian Green, Marco Green, Karen Hefter, Harry Higgins, Red Higgins, Deb Hodson, Bob Malucelli, Diane Malucelli, Linda Myers, Phil Myers, and Bud Pearce.

EBBC at the 2014 Orinda 4th of July Parade from East Bay Banjo Club on Vimeo.

Stoneman Village Playout

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July 3, 2014

By:  Diane Malucelli
Photos by:  Bob Nelson

We had an enjoyable playout at StonemanVillage in Pittsburg.  We were going to play in their outdoor patio, but we were moved into their recreation room because it was too warm outside.  We were very happy to be in the air conditioning!

The members who played were Betty David, Guy Black, Kit Nelson, Don Granberg, Linda Myers, Phil Myers, Jim Blankenship, Bob Malucelli, and Diane Malucelli.  Since it was right before the 4th of July, Betty led us in a state themed program, including songs like “Missouri Waltz” and “Alabama Jubilee.”  We played all 5 of the military songs.  Betty acknowledged each branch of the military individually and asked the veterans to stand when their branch’s song was played. Kit Nelson sang and led the group in the military songs.  Don Granberg played several songs on the piano, which really added a special touch to our music.  We ended with “God Bless America.”

We had about forty people in the audience and I want to highlight two special residents who were present in the audience.  Mac Coates, the president of the Pittsburg Lions Club, was in the front of the room and he loved every song.  He really inspired us with his enthusiasm as he cheered us on.  The other person I would like to mention is Joe Morales, an Army veteran.  He was drafted in World War II,  reenlisted four times, and fought in the Battle of the Bulge.  He took a photo with Bob Nelson, our own Marine veteran.

Aegis Senior Living Playout

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June 19, 2014

By:  Karen Hefter
Photos by:  Bob Nelson

The EBBC had an amazing turnout of 18 players and 2 supporting members at this playout!  We performed in a beautiful, shaded courtyard in front of a gurgling fountain while the audience members lounged in chairs around the perimeter of the courtyard.  They were served drinks and hors d’oeuvres by staff members during our performance.  The EBBC was invited to join the residents for a light buffet following the show.

We performed a number of singalong and dance favorites and audience members clapped as we played.  Towards the end, many of them rose to their feet and danced to “Five Foot Two” and our closing number, “When The Saints Go Marching In.”  Our youngest member, Danielle Torres, sang several songs, to the delight of the audience. Don Granberg, Kit Nelson, Red Higgins, Bud Pearce, and Chris Lardge also entertained the audience with their vocals.  Our performers were:  Guy Black, Tom Brunetti, Kermit Collins, Betty David, Don Granberg, Karen Hefter, Harry Higgins, Red Higgins, Ardie Jarrett, Chris Lardge, Bob Malucelli, Diane Malucelli, Linda Myers, Phil Myers, Kit Nelson, Bud Pearce, Larry Risner, and Danielle Torres.  Club members Bob Nelson and Jim Abele were present in the audience, along with EBBC alumnus Jack Hicks.

EBBC at Aegis Senior Living.

EBBC at Aegis Senior Living.

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Kensington Playout

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May 26, 2014

By:  Bud Pearce
Photos by:  Bob Nelson

The East Bay banjo strummers helped the seniors at Kensington Senior Living Center celebrate Memorial Day 2014. The performance got off to a somewhat rocky start, due to a problem with the audio system. With only one speaker working and no way to increase  the volume, the audience could not hear Betty David’s opening remarks. The first songs were a salute to all branches of the Armed Forces (Marines, Navy, Army, Coast Guard, and Air Force), but we relied heavily on Kit being able to start each vocally. Again, the audio system caused less than desirable results. We must correct these problems if we expect our audiences to enjoy our performances.

Some excitement occurred during the performance when the EMT’s arrived along with an ambulance to take care of a medical emergency somewhere in the facility. Fortunately, most of the audience was unaware of the happenings, as their backs were turned to the facility entrance.

Despite the problems, the  East Bay performers did their best to provide a fine memorial day celebration. Performers included Betty David, leader, Kit Nelson, Bud Pearce, Karen Hefter, Chris  Lardge, Dina Melamed, Guy Black, Sheila Welt,  Don Granberg, Herb Moore, and Ardie Jarrett.

 

 

 

 

 

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Arizona Banjo and Ukulele Blast

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May 22-24, 2014

By:  Diane Malucelli
Photos by:  Diane Malucelli, Ardie Jarrett, Garry Kerr, Linda Myers, Larry Risner

This funded event took place over three days at the Omni Tucson National Resort on the outskirts of Tucson.  Each day was jam packed with ukulele and banjo workshops, poolside concerts, jam sessions, and an evening concert.  The resort was beautiful and included an outdoor swimming pool and a golf course.  Many of our rooms were near the pool, as well as the banjo and ukulele activities.  The weather was clear and around 90 degrees.

Our group of 12 banjo players practiced in Don Granberg’s room on Friday.  Our players were:  Jesse DeTorres, Don Granberg, Deb Hodson, Bob Hodson, Ardie Jarrett, Bob Malucelli, Diane Malucelli, Linda Myers, Phil Myers, Dick Neuman, Larry Risner, and Sheila Welt.

We performed at 2pm on Saturday.  We looked great in our blue polos and brown khaki pants and everyone cheered for us as we performed our ten songs.  A Tucson tuba player, Daniel “Sly” Slipetsky joined us for our performance. We had about 100 people in the audience.  Jesse played and sang “Babyface,” “For Me and My Gal,” and “California Here I Come.”  Don played his washboard on “Coney Island Washboard.”  Sheila sang “Darkness on the Delta” and Don and Deb sang a duet on “Just Because.”

There were many wonderful musicians at this event and one of the exciting groups that performed was the All Star Youth Banjo Band from Houston, Texas, led by Banjo Hall of Fame musician, Buddy Griffin.  There were about 20 young people from ages 8 to 18 playing banjos and ukuleles.  They knew all of their songs so well that they didn’t need any music in front of them! They were very inspirational and a great group of musicians.  Johnny Baier, Executive Director of the National Four-String Banjo Museum and Hall of Fame in Oklahoma City, performed at the event.  Tyler Jackson and his lovely wife entertained us many times.  Another Hall of Fame banjo player, Dave Marty attended as well.  We all enjoyed several international banjo players:  Sean Moyses from England, Mikoyo Onishi and Mashu from Tokyo and Tom Stuip from the Netherlands.

Several of us brought our ukuleles with us and we attended some of the ukulele jam sessions and workshops. Bob and Diane Malucelli played their ukuleles.  Ardie Jarrett and Jesse DeTorres came to several ukulele workshops on Saturday to learn about Hawaiian style and other ukulele styles from Buddy Griffin and blues from Del Rey.

Garry EBBC Tucson_2216 The EBBC performs in Tuscon.

Bourbon Street Parade and Bill Bailey” from East Bay Banjo Club on Vimeo.

Just Because from East Bay Banjo Club on Vimeo.

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S.I.R.S. Playout

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May 8, 2014

By:  Karen Hefter
Photos by:  Bob Nelson

S.I.R.S. (Sons In Retirement) invited us to play for their bi-annual luncheon with their spouses.  The luncheon was held at the beautiful Boundary Oaks Country Club in Walnut Creek. The audience was very appreciative of our music.  Jack Convery led the playout and he introduced each member of the Club and invited them to select a song for us to play.  The performance ended when the S.I.R.S. Singers got up in front of the banjos and invited the crowd (and the EBBC) to perform “God Bless America” with them.  Their pianist started off the verse and the crowd and the banjos joined in on the chorus.  Our players were: Guy Black, Tom Brunetti, Kermit Collins, Jack Convery, Betty David, Karen Hefter, Ardie Jarrett, Garry Kerr, Chris Lardge, Bob Malucelli, Diane Malucelli, Herb Moore, Linda Myers, Phil Myers, Kit Nelson, and Sheila Welt. Club member Bob Nelson took photographs.

EBBC at S.I.R.S.

EBBC at S.I.R.S.

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Sacramento Banjo-Rama 2014

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May 2-4, 2014

By: Karen Hefter
Photos by: Garry Kerr, Linda Myers, and Bob Nelson

The East Bay Banjo club would like to thank our hosts, the Sacramento Banjo Band, for a fun-filled, 3 day banjo extravaganza. The workshops were excellent and very informative and all of the featured performers were inspiring.  Jam sessions went on all day long (and well into the night).  The Slovenian group, Navihanke, was a high energy surprise that brought smiles to everyone’s faces. There was plenty to do all weekend long and, when there was a bit of down time, you could get your banjo worked on by Renee Karnes, a Hall of Fame luthier, or shop for a new addition to your banjo collection.

The EBBC had a great turnout for our performance, with 20 players present. Betty David led us in a solid performance of a variety of banjo favorites. Danielle Torres, Kit Nelson, Bud Pearce, and Sheila Welt were our singers for the day and 10 year old Danielle was especially popular with the crowd. The EBBC had the youngest band member present out of all of the clubs! We were fortunate to have Fredy Kinadeter play the tuba with us and we are grateful that he was able to join us. Our players were: Guy Black, Tom Brunetti, Jack Convery, Betty David, Barbara Findlay, Don Granberg, Karen Hefter, Harry Higgins, Bob Hodson, Deb Hodson, Chris Lardge, Kit Nelson, Fredy Kinadeter, Herb Moore, Linda Myers, Phil Myers, Bud Pearce, Larry Risner, Danielle Torres, and Sheila Welt. Club members Bob Nelson, Garry Kerr, and Red Higgins supported us in the audience and Bob and Garry took pictures.

A special treat followed the EBBC’s performance. First, our own Jack Convery performed with Dave Marty. Then, Harry Higgins and his granddaughter Danielle Torres were invited on stage to play with Jack and Dave. Danielle sang several songs and even played the banjo and sang at the same time. To top off this wonderful performance, Harry’s wife, Red Higgins, came on stage and sang with Danielle while Harry, Jack, and Dave played their banjos. The crowd really enjoyed the entire performance.

The EBBC at Banjo-Rama 2014

The EBBC at Banjo-Rama 2014

Harry, Danielle, Jack, and Dave

Harry, Danielle, Jack, and Dave

Danielle wows the crowd.

Danielle wows the crowd.

Chris poses with Navihanke.

Chris poses with Navihanke.

 

 

 

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Sheep Shearing Day Playout

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April 26, 2014

By:  Karen Hefter
Photos by:  Bob Nelson, Linda Myers, Garry Kerr

Over the years, the East Bay Banjo Club has played for a wide variety of audiences and events, but, to my knowledge, this was the first time that we have played for a Sheep Shearing Day!  The City of San Ramon holds an annual festival at Forest Hill Farms, a former walnut orchard and processing plant where families watch sheep being herded and sheared, watch wool spinning and carding, take tractor rides, and tour the historic home and farm buildings.  The EBBC played outside, in a courtyard next to an open barn filled with a variety of woodworking demonstrations.  The play out was 3 ½ hours long, including a few breaks.  Betty and Larry took turns leading the sets.  We played a wide variety of songs and the crowd seemed to really enjoy us.  Our players were: Guy Black, Tom Brunetti, Kermit Collins, Betty David, Barbara Findlay, Don Granberg, Karen Hefter, Deb Hodson, Ardie Jarrett, Garry Kerr, Fredy Kinadeter, Chris Lardge, Linda Myers, Phil Myers, Kit Nelson, Larry Risner, and Sheila Welt.  Bob Nelson took pictures.

We also tried something new.  In order to reach out to the public, particularly children and their parents, we set up a “Try A Banjo” area next to the band.  Two players at a time manned this area and we  had 2 banjos available for the public to try.  When people came, we would teach them “C” and “G7” chords and play “Camptown Races” with them.  This was a huge success – we had children of all ages, from toddlers to adults, come and try playing the banjo.  One little girl enjoyed it so much that she came over and sat in the middle of the band for about 20 minutes and just took everything in!  (You can see her in the video of “Take Me Out To The Ball Game.”)  We gave her a sparkling blue pick to take home as a souvenir…  There was a line most of the day with people waiting their turn.  The festival organizers seemed very pleased with the Club’s performance, as well as with the “Try A Banjo.”  We hope we will be invited back next year.

 

“Take Me Out To The Ball Game” from East Bay Banjo Club on Vimeo.

Oh Susanna from East Bay Banjo Club on Vimeo.

“Marching To Pretoria” from East Bay Banjo Club on Vimeo.

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Walnut Creek Senior Center Playout

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April 18, 2014

By:  Karen Hefter
Photos by:  Bob Nelson

What a wonderful playout!  We thoroughly enjoyed playing for a crowd of 60 or 70 seniors in a big, bright room for their April luncheon.  This was first time that the new microphones and mixer were used for a playout.  The setup was easy and the sound quality was excellent.  Overall, the equipment situation has improved tremendously.

We were led by Betty David in a selection of spirited banjo classics that really got the crowd involved.  At one point, a lady with a walker came up right in front of the band and did a solo dance, walker and all!   Our players were:  Guy Black, Betty David, Don Granberg, Karen Hefter, Terry Horner, Ardie Jarrett, Chris Lardge, Dina Melamed, Herb Moore, Linda Myers, Phil Myers, Kit Nelson, Bud Pearce, Larry Risner, and Sheila Welt.  Club member Jim Abele was in the audience and Bob Nelson took pictures.

Kit Nelson sang several songs, such as “St. Louis Blues,” “You Are My Sunshine” and “Take Me Out To The Ballgame, ” many in singalong style.  Bud Pearce sang “Yes Sir, That’s My Baby” to thunderous applause.  Herb Moore, who has been absent from the group for awhile was back playing his banjo and sang “Bye, Bye Blackbird.”  Larry Risner took a solo on “Bye, Bye Blues,” which the crowd really enjoyed.  Chris Lardge sang “Margie” with style and Sheila Welt sang a lovely version of  “Darkness on the Delta.”  We closed with “When the Saints Go Marching In” and about a third of the crowd got up out of their seats and started marching around the tables.  When the song ended (after 4 times through), there were cries of, “Darn, you ended!”  It was a fun performance and we left the crowd wanting more.

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Orinda Masonic Center Playout

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February 28, 2014

By:  Karen Hefter
Photos by:  Bob Nelson

We played for a full house of around 150 happy and well fed people at the Orinda Masonic Center Crab Feed.  The place was packed!  Our fifteen players performed on a raised stage and had a great view of the festivities.  We had a little trouble setting up the sound equipment, but everyone pitched in and we figured it out.  For this performance, we were led by Betty David in a variety of crowd pleasing favorites.  Our singers were Jesse De Torres, Kit Nelson, and Sheila Welt.   We ended the performance with When The Saints Go Marching In and people got up and started marching in the aisles!  Deb Hodson got out of her seat, brought her banjo down into the audience area, and joined the parade.  The audience seemed very appreciative of our performance.  Our players were:  Guy Black, Tom Brunetti, Kermit Collins, Betty David, Jesse De Torres, Don Granberg, Karen Hefter, Deb Hodson, Ardie Jarrett, Dina Melamed, Linda Myers, Phil Myers, Kit Nelson, Larry Risner, and Sheila Welt.  Club members Jim Abele, Georgette De Torres (and her grandson), and Bob Nelson supported the players from the audience.

 

 

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