Michael Cleary Band: Blog

 Over the years MCB has played at many outdoor Summer music series in towns all over Connecticut. What I have witnessed over the years at these events is that they are never supported enough in attendance by local townspeople. Sunday at Heritage Park in Stafford Springs was quite the contrary. A very good crowd of enthusiastic people of all ages were in attendance. It was very nice to see a town supporting their local arts scene. Especially when we were the band that was performing that day ! According to people that I spoke with there it was the largest crowd this Summer for a musical event held there. Not that there were thousands, but Thank you people of Stafford Springs for the good turn out. With a nice crowd in attendance on the green, a beautiful day turning into a pleasant evening and a spacious Gazebo as the stage, the band was ready to play.

 Starting out the set with Sting's "Love is the Seventh Wave" the band then went into one of their new originals. Mike usually sets up this song with his telling of how he wanted to parody lengthy Country and Western song titles by writing a C &W song with the longest title possible. The original title being "I got those late night, all right, Summers almost over but the headlights too bright, better pull it over, cause the wife is gonna kill me if I don't arrive completely sober Blues, again" , with the working title ironically shortened to "Barfly". Though the original title is still the main hook line of the song. When ended this song received a great round of applause. This song is a bit lyrically complicated and for it to be heard correctly the vocals coming out the main speakers must be very audible.This day they were thanks to our soundman, Rhody Triblets.

  For those of you who don't know Rhody, he's been part of our musical family for years mixing the band countless times. Providing us with tech support, gear repair, and an ear for the band that no other soundman has. Rhody is a consumate professional who has been holding down the soundboard at Black-Eyed Sally's Blues Club in Hartford, which the band will be playing this Saturday the 7th of August, since it's opening. To quote Frank Bauer, " Our Sound was sound ! "

 During the show I went among the audience to get names on our mailing list in order to do a drawing to give away a few CD's. It took me a while but I was able to speak briefly with almost everyone in attendance, whew ! I was completely overwhelmed with people's genuine adulation for the band considering that most of these people have never seen the band before. Hey, I shouldn't be surprised, I know how good they are. You do too, but if you don't, you better get out there and find out for yourself ! Check our calender.

  It was a really good day for the band musically with Lee, our rhythm guitarist, doing a nice improv on the ride out of "When All Else Fails" that led the band into a smooth segue for "Funky 16". Lee also shined after Jedd's bass solo in "Child Inside" by starting a different groove taking the band into another far out jam til they found there way back to the ride-out hook. The biggest round of applause of the day came after Mike's solo in Santana's "Maria, Maria" that also showcased Edmund singing lead vocal. Here's a facial chronology of the guitar solo, enjoy !

When the band ended there were a lot of happy people, with faces beaming and much praise for the band. One woman declared that MCB was the best band that had performed there this summer. "For that," I said, "you get a free CD." She left glowing. With an 8 o'clock finish time it was a nice ending for a Sunday as opposed to playing in a club til closing.

 For my one shout out.... that's to Linda from Portland, what are the odds that someone from my hometown, that was in the same year in school as my sister and one of Mike's brothers, and had never seen the band, just happened to be in Stafford Springs that day? ! Seeya at Wadsworth Mansion on the 11th Linda. til the next gig.......... stay tuned, Jonny Gates