Nothing says “success” like being asked back to host an event for four, five, maybe even six times. I’m not sure. I made my fourth appearance at the Kickapoo Creek Winery not too long ago and I hope it won’t be the last.
I live in a very rural town about 30 miles from the winery. When I was told that we’d be playing there multiple times, I wanted to make sure that we had a very unique show for the people who might have been there the last time. Being in a somewhat remote area, I expected that there would be a lot of repeat clientele. I was wrong!
With a crowd hovering over 100, each time, there were always new guests. Now I know that not only does Kickapoo Creek Winery have an enormous reach, but their visitors are a lot of fun, too!
For this particular event, there were several birthdays going on. And yes, I did have to do a traditional dueling piano roast for one of the birthday girls. Needless to say, a roast is meant to be funny, slightly embarrassing, but lighthearted. After the birthday girl stepped down, I learned that her Dad was with her. When I asked who was more embarrassed, her Dad raised her hand and the crowd laughed.
Johnny Cash Or Frankie Valli?
At one point in the night, I asked the ladies in the crowd if they liked their men to sing in a low baritone or bass like Johnny Cash, or if they liked the higher notes like Frankie Valli. Everyone applauded for Johnny Cash. But when I asked about Frankie Valli, one woman was very excited! I pointed out how she was the only one in the crowd that liked men that sing high, because there was an obvious contrast with the majority opinion. Later on, in the night when I was in the middle of some high notes, I heard a woman erupt into clapping and screaming… Just one woman. But it’s always great to have that one special fan you can count on! For the Johnny Cash, I had the men fill in a lot of the low parts. “Down to San Antoine… I hang my head and cry…” They never missed a line!
By the second half of the show, there were a lot of people dancing. It worked out great. The first half, was geared more towards getting to know the crowd, and breaking the ice, and the second was playing the hits that would keep them moving on the floor.
At the end of the night, after the lights had come back on, we were lucky to capture a nice group photo. Here it is! If a picture tells a thousand words, I’ll let the smiling faces tell it all.
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