Solo Gigs
I was living in a condo in Tampa–it was THE place to be . . . many of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers lived there and we’d hang out by the pool. We had a rec room, and I would set up and play in there to whoever wanted to listen . . . just to practice and learn songs. But every time I look at this picture, it reminds me of WHY I first picked up the guitar. Whether it was Elvis, Neil Diamond, Cat Stevens, or The Beatles . . . if you could play a guitar, it seemed to have a captivating effect on women. Perfect!
One of the first places that let me have theior stage was a really nice Italian Restaurant/Bar in Tampa called “Selena’s”.
My friend Rick Moon helped me get this gig. It was a big help and a confidence booster. I was playing bass pedals with my feet, harp on a rack, guitar, and singing and it was a great “multitasking” exercize, like flying a helicopter.
Another Clearwater place I played was a fancy restaurant on Clearwater Beach called “Les Partners”.
Jacksonville Beach, Florida
2-week gig at The Crab Pot
After 2 weeks at the Jacksonville Beach Crab Pot, the owners offered me a regular weekday night at their other place on Vilano Beach called “Clementine’s Crab Pot“. I played on a beautiful stage with a glass wall looking out over the ocean, and had two ladies (Leslie and some Canadian girl whose name I can’t recall) I had met and spent time with in Jacksonville Beach singing backup with me.
In Jan of 1984 I played on Main Street in Nyack at a place called
“Cafe Provencal“.
It’s not there anymore.
I got to play at The Turning Point in Piermont, a local venue that draws national acts to it. I don’t have any pictures but someone in the audience sketched me on his program and gave it to me.
Private party in Washington Township, NJ-1985
Kenny’s Tipperary Inn-Montauk, NY
In August and Sept of 1985, I played 4 nights a week (Thursday-Sunday) out at the very end of Long Island at a resort town called Montauk . . . nicknamed “the End”. It is part of the wealthy enclave known as The Hamptons, populated in summer by the movers and shakers of industry and entertainment. I did some guitar and some piano there . . .
My friend, Sandy, who was the Director of the American Heart Association and had booked us for the Heart Ball, also ran a biker rally fund raising picnic. So she booked me to do it solo . . . it was perfect–rode my own motocycle to the gig and parked it right in front of the stage.
I got a chance to play right in the heart of Manhattan at a new place called “Faces and Names”. I really loved that gig . . . and wish it had lasted longer. I got it because the architect who designed the space had recommended me.