The Serapis Blog

Serapis 2010.1

2010-01-24T22:21:00.016-06:00

Serapis rockin' at The Highlands Brewery, in Kirkwood, Mo.

We have been waiting for this gig for a couple reasons - the folks at The Highlands have been working hard on remodeling of the club. New carpeting is down, the bar is almost finished. The bar is huge. I am not very good at guessing lengths, but I'd guess it will be around 954 feet long when it is finished. Just my guess, though.

And now that Kirkwood is smoke-free, it makes for a more pleasant place to hear a band.

It was a terrific night. Many friends stopped in...some from work or business associates, some were musician friends that we know, some were family, others were just friends who showed up. Like good neighbors. Smoke-free MO had a contingency. Some friends who quietly follow us stopped to say hello. The Beck sisters were there.

Singer-songwriter Mark Moebeck, a St. Louis treasure, sang a couple songs. Randy DeSplinter worked his magic on the skins, as did Spencer Gleason. Kurt Jackson slapped some palm on the bongos.

The Highlands Brewing Company has a lot of potential to be a great little venue to see a show. Make it a point to check their schedule and get by. It is on Jefferson at Kirkwood Road.

Serapis is playing at Venice Cafe on March 6th. That will be really really neat. The Colin Sphinctor Band will be back at the Sheldon Concert Hall in a couple months.

Here comes 2010.

Christmas 2009

2009-12-22T11:34:00.006-06:00

-Got the blog fixed.

I wrote once about a Christmas when I was a child. Someone asked me to post it again. It is the story of the night that O Holy Night! became my favorite Christmas song.

Here it is:

*****

When I was around 10 yrs old, about 1969, I remember being at midnight mass on Christmas Eve at St. Robert's Catholic church in St. Charles, MO. My parents were involved with the choir; my mother, Shirley, sang and my father, Robert, was the choir director - despite being a Lutheran.

This midnight night mass had a special feel. The church was so beautiful, with the richness and colors of Christmas – the deep reds of the poinsettias and the greens of the wreaths, the priest and the servers in their colorful celebratory robes. Incense filled the air, and the music sounded wonderful as the choir sang the familiar Christmas hymns. And, heck, it was Christmas Eve!

For some reason the songs of the choir sounded especially beautiful that night. More than just the standard Christmas feeling, the songs seemed to ring beautifully in the night. Joy To The World. Angels We Have Heard On High. Adeste Fideles. (Venite Adoremus Dominum)

A woman sang "O Holy Night!" and it sounded so beautiful. The song seemed to hold real meaning - Fall on your knees/Hear the Angel voices The notes and words were so clear and so perfect that I decided right then, at 10 years old, that this was my favorite Christmas song.

When mass was finished, I asked my mom who was singing that song, because it sounded so pretty.

"Don't you know who that was?" she said.

I replied that I did not, and she said "That was me."

I always knew that my mom had a beautiful voice, but that night I heard the music through new ears. With my senses filled by the beauty and magnificence of the occasion, the beautiful song and the beautiful performance took on a new meaning.

That night my mother was lifted a little in the eyes and heart of a Christmas-awed little boy; and "O, Holy Night" was elevated to the top of my favorite Christmas song list, where it remains today.

Happy Christmas from Serapis.

Keller & King Quotes

2009-01-19T22:39:00.005-06:00

Two people from whom you can usually find a nice quote are Helen Keller and Martin Luther King, Jr.

Helen Keller said:

The world is moved along, not only by the mighty shoves of its heroes, but also by the aggregate of tiny pushes of each honest worker.

A nice thought. It is also a line in a Serapis song.

Martin Luther King, Jr. said:

It may be true that the law cannot make a man love me, but it can stop him from lynching me, and I think that's pretty important.

My favorite King quote is:

Returning violence for violence multiplies violence, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars... Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.

More Sphinctor Sheldon

2008-11-13T23:43:00.006-06:00

Further…

It was a terrific night for the Colin Sphinctor cd release party. The cd, titled "The Colin Sphinctor Band" (though some were referring to it as simply "The Brown Album")
Carol Eder provided a stunningly refreshing jazz guitar improvisation as a prologue to “Tucumcari Tonight”
It was also a celebration of Brain Sandwich mayhem, brought about through the hard work of Mike Madonna. Thanks Mike. Check out the Brain Sandwich stuff at http://brainsandwich.bravehost.com/
Mark and Judy Moebeck highlighted their thespianic talents.
Jay Schober was on hand, helping to Stomp Rats – figuratively, of course.
The entire evening was captured through the photographic wizardry of Mike Bizelli. Look for pictures soon.

Old friends were there, new friends were there, and we enjoyed seeing them all.

And, dude - it was The Sheldon.

The Colin Sphinctor Band at The Sheldon Concert Hall

2008-11-13T23:40:00.001-06:00

You would think…

You would think that playing at the legendary Sheldon Concert Hall would be a noteworthy event in any musical career. After all, it is acclaimed worldwide for its perfect acoustics. The classic setting has been host to performances such as Dave Brubeck, Doc Watson, Bela Fleck, Al DiMeola, Crosby & Nash, David Grisman, and far too many others to mention in this small space.

You would think the sound system to be professionally manned, and sound to be in peak form.

You would expect that the performers would be excited and eager to play.

You would be correct on all counts.

The folks at the Sheldon could not have been nicer – or more professional. Sarah in Marketing, Tim the sound guy, Dale Benz – Operations Manager, all went out of their way to make sure that everything was exactly as it should be. As a musician – whether you are Bonnie Raitt, or The Colin Sphinctor Band, this is all you can ask for.

Thanks mostly to all of the folks that came to share the fun.

Recaps and Things

2008-10-16T21:29:00.010-06:00

Okay - first of all, this is so way past due that the teacher probably won't even give me partial credit.

Acknowledged.

Moving on - let's recap a few exciting things that happened this summer.

Serapis in Concert - Live at Bum's Hollow: This is such a cool place to see a show. It has been used as a natural amphitheater since the turns of two centuries. Turn that into a sentence and diagram it.

The weather was beautiful, the crowd was great. Dave Cheli, of Tribal Chicken and The Little Hills Jazz Quartet, sat in on sax, everyone had a great time. Playing for the home town - there's nothing like it.

Near the end of the summer, Serapis kicked the summer tour into high gear with a swing through Shelbyville, KY. This is one of the most beautiful parts of the country - and the Saddle Horse capitol of America. We were thrilled to provide entertainment for the wedding of Toni Knight and Mark Utoft, studs of the American Saddle Horse world. (not "studs" literally, of course)

Through an unfortunate, last-minute turn of events, Bob was unable to make the show, so Todd threw his drums in the truck, and off we set. When we arrived, as luck would have it, approximately 29 people had friends...whose brother played drums...

Fortunately, Mark the groom had a friend, Mark Mayo - an outstanding drummer who would be in attendance, so Mark convinced him bring his stick bag. Honestly, when he arrived you could tell he was a player, so it was nice to have him sit in for the night without haveing to worry if he could follow along. He did an outstanding job. Thanks, Mark. And Mark.

While there, we took a quick jaunt to Lexington to hear guitarist extraordinaire, Ben Lacy. We first heard Ben play at The Sheldon Theater with Al DiMeola. Ben was a very gracious host, and we enjoyed talking with him, and hearing him play. Ben Lacy is a guitar monster.

Then come Octoberfest in Saint Charles. Serapis on the Main Stage. Oddly, it was the end of September, and not November. Again - showing off for the home town. Sound guys were very good, and did a great job of making us sound good. Props and a large kudo to Scott Kanne. Brian Moskop, of QuikTrip reknown was in attendance with his stunning wife, Ruby. Brian is a whiz at presidential trivia. Name a year - he'll tell you who was president.

Up next - Colin Sphinctor Band cd release party at The Sheldon Concert Hall on November 11, 2008.

Serapis at Bum's Hollow

2008-06-09T21:58:00.002-06:00

Don't forget the big show at Bum's Hollow, in Blanchette Park , St. Charles.

We're really excited about this one, as it is a great opportunity revive the natural amphitheater as a concert showcase location.

Serapis at Bum's Hollow, June 21, 8pm
http://www.iloveserapis.com

Mount Pleasant Winery 08

2008-06-08T21:50:00.005-06:00

Kicked off the 2008 Mt Pleasant season. Mt. Pleasant is one of Missouri's premier wineries, and it sits atop a bluff overlooking the Missouri river valley.

The only thing that kept the temperature from getting unbearable, was the unbelievable wind.

It was a good season opener for us.

The Bizellis stopped for a visit - Beno and Mary, Mike and Kay. The Bizellis are Saint Charles OG. Joining them were Mike and Debbie Hall. Mary and Mike are pretty old skool SC, too. In St. Charles, Bizelli means photography. (In Peers, MO, it makes catfish nervous.)

Annnnnnnnnnnd.................. It was Beno who knew the correct answer to the question about June Cleaver's maiden name(Bronson).

A new question...maybe Gilligan's Island. Ask about names of the two astronauts who flew over over the island, and the flaming log fiasco.

Other assorted Mt. Pleasantries abounded.

Pause ll

www.iloveserapis.com

2008-05-21T05:50:00.006-06:00

Serapis - Authentic Rock Music
St. Louis, MO Area Band
http://www.iloveserapis.com
Todd Luerding - keyboard, Bob Gleason - Drums, Tony Chambers - Guitar, Gene Carroll - bass.

Serapis Schedule - http://www.iloveserapis.com/schedule.htm

The Little Hills Jazz Quartet

2008-05-19T21:02:00.003-06:00

The Little Hills Jazz Quartet is: Dave Cheli, tenor saxophone; Gene Carroll, bass guitar; Tony Chambers, Guitar; Todd Luerding, drums.

Dave Cheli is a bona fide jazz player, and has sat in with Serapis on several gigs. He has played with top players in the area, and one of his bands - the now defunct "Tribal Chicken", with Doug Carson and Dave Sweet on bass and drums respectively, was a heck of a good listen.

A couple of occasions lately have called for a small jazz combo, and so The Little Hills Jazz Quartet was created. We played at the Chemin de Fer fete at the Academy of the Sacred Heart in St. Charles, and one of the Cancer walks at St. Charles West High School.

Miles Davis, Coltrane, Monk, Sonny Rollins...a couple standards, some bop and post-bop. Dave's bread-and-butter, we were still dusting of the chops.

But, man, is that fun.

A Partial Reunion

2008-04-11T21:43:00.005-06:00

Tuner's on Friday and Saturday, April 4/5

Steve Snyder was in town. Randy Desplinter was there. Mark Moebeck, Jim Gould. Only person missing was Rick Clifford. Chris Black of Arbogast sat in on bass. (That's a good band - check them out when you can)

Now living in the DC area, Steve hadn't been back to StL (don't EVER call it "The Lou") since about 1995. He's playing in a couple bands out there, and sat in on skins and congas, and sounded great. He also played water on "Little Dead Surfer Girl".

The remarkably talented drummer Randy DeSplinter just keeps getting better, and singer/songwriter Mark Moebeck is a Saint Louis treasure.

At the end of the night, a fellow from the Scottish festival (Holden MacGroin) played a number on bagpipes.

This was a fun weekend. If you were fortunate enough to be there, you know what I mean.

The Gramophone

2008-04-01T20:29:00.005-06:00

Old friend Benet Schaeffer - drummer extraordinaire with Gumbohead and others, mentioned that there was a new club called The Gramophone, getting ready to open in the "Grove" neighborhood - near Kingshighway and Manchester, and talk was of a gig featuring Serapis and Gumbohead on their grand opening weekend.

While that never came together, Serapis took the gig and came on after a killer show by Alvin Jett & the Phat Noiz Blues Band.

This has the potential to be a great spot to hear music - _Roo and the gang have a great lineup of acts, and best of all - it is a smoke-free club. Check out photos here: http://www.thegramophonelive.com/multimedia.html

There was a great turnout of friends from the Royals Rugby Club, some smoke-free Missouri friends stopped by, friends from SLU, KSDK, and a whole table of Sphinctors. Jim Findlay opened the show with a solo set.

Get down to The Gramophone.

Support live music.

Gold Lame'

2008-04-01T20:21:00.004-06:00

March 8, 2008.

Bogey Hills Country Club.

Michelle Spezia passed the bar exam.

Big party.

Gold lame' dress.

Good heavens.

The Last PJ's

2008-02-25T22:21:00.003-06:00

If every night was like last Saturday night at PJ's, they would continue having music. The crowd gathered early - as is always recommended in our emails.

It was standing room only for our final gig at PJ's before the music stops on March 29th. Friends from SLU stopped by.

Jeff Strickland took time off from his insurance office (I won't say which company, but even if you don't have a Farm in this State, you ought to call Jeff) to stop with wife Laurie, and son Bob. It's a pretty talented family. Jeff and Laurie are friends from way back, and each are loaded with stories which shall never be told. Son Bob is a talented singer/musician/performer.

Catch up #2

2008-02-25T22:14:00.002-06:00

Tuner's in Saint Charles.

Several new faces during the weekend. This seems to be the case at Tuner's lately. That is great. Main Street is a happening place and it's nice to see new faces.

Randy DeSplinter, drummer extraordinaire, stopped by on Saturday. He just keeps getting better.

Tom and Debbie O'Brien stopped in on the way home from a Village People concert. Tom had disco balls - a condition for which there is no cure.

Catch up #1

2008-02-25T22:12:00.001-06:00

The Famous Bar, early Feb.

As usuaul, a great gig. We love the people, fabulous babes.

Old friend Satyen "Seth" Vora from Elsevier publishing stopped by.

Get a cigar for the ride home.

PJ's in Kirkwood

2008-01-27T12:44:00.000-06:00

In Kirkwood, there is a nice small-town feel, where people live near to the things they like to do. Restaurants, markets, shops are almost all only a short walk away. It's nice to play at PJ's, the folks are friendly, there is a decent "walk-in" crowd, and it's a little different from the typical drunken bar scene.

It was disheartening to hear last week that as April 1, 2008, they will no longer have live music. They have a very nice kitchen, and feel that they can more money per sq ft with a white-tablecloth restaurant. Probably they are right.

We are there once more before the change - on Feb 23rd.

Celebration at Tuner's

2008-01-17T21:50:00.000-06:00

Lots of fun and friends at Tuner's.

Songwriter extraordinaire and Prime Sphincter John Garbo was there...and there was a birthday party for one of the Goulds. I won't say which one, out of respect for Mary's privacy.

Do you have one of the new Serapis stickers for your car yet?

Come On, 2008!

2008-01-07T21:49:00.000-06:00

Generally we take a little time off in the winter. We try to do a little recording, and gear up for the coming year. But some late gigs have made the winter calendar pretty crowded.

This year we got a late booking for an early January company Christmas party at The Tap Room- for Stone Technologies, playing for some interface-code-writing computer geeks - and their hot-babe girlfriends. A great bunch of folks, we had a blast.

Find a way to see "Before the Music Dies" - an "extraordinary documentary and cautionary overview about the state of the music business in America."

You know the world is now completely digital when you Google the word "Amazon", and the first page has no references to the largest river in the world!

More to say...too tired to make the words appear.

Miscellany

2007-12-25T23:17:00.000-06:00

1) The 2007 edition of the Serapis Christmas Extravagaplooza was on December 7/8 at Tuner's this year.

Every year we have a gig in December at Tuner's, this year was just a little earlier. It is always a lot of fun, as people are in full holiday mode.

Mirth and merriment abounded. Have you ever written that sentence? I hadn't until now.

2) The new web site www.iloveserapis.com is up and running. right now it is just like our other site. That may change. It may not. That's the beauty of these internets. You can change and yet still stay the same.

3) Was flipping past "The Set" on CCIN (Charter Channel 3), and had to stop and listen to Spooky Daly Pride. Spooky is from the Boston area, and in St. Louis he is backed by Madahoochi. It had a nice sound. Madahoochi is a quality band, you should try to see them. It would be fun to play a festival with them sometime.

4) If you ever wanted to see large numbers of fabulous-looking women, you only need attend a Dan Fogelberg concert. His passing was a loss to the world of music.

5) As was Oscar Peterson's.

6) Dr. Seuss said: "Don't cry because it's over. Smile because it happened"

Happy Christmas from all of us in Serapis. Here's to 2008!

PJ's and OK

2007-12-04T22:12:00.000-06:00

It was an odd night even before it started.

The #1 college football team in the country - the Missouri Tigers were 3-point underdogs (explain that one), and fully 1/3 of the televisions in the metro area were tuned in to the game.

That means not many people were out just to hear a band, however they would be ready for serious fun after the game.

The room was booked for a baby shower until 9:00PM, so not many people people were watching the game in there, either. Even the band was asked to not watch the game there. (explain that one, too)

Eventually we started playing after the game - around 10:30. There was a nice crowd gathered, and held strong until 1:00AM.

New Topic:

The Perks of Musicianship, Part II

I've mentioned in other posts that one of the neat things about being a musician is being turned on to and turning others on to different music. Today's new recommendations include Monte Montgomery. a great guitarist, check him out on YouTube.

While you poking around YouTube, give a listen to the late Eva Cassidy singing Somewhere Over the Rainbow. There is a live version of this, I prefer the studio version. There is an interesting story regarding a recent posthumous surge in popularity for the singer. Look her up on Google.

Joe Ely was on Second Cup Cafe on CBS last Saturday, playing a tune with accordionist-extraordinaire Joel Guzman. A real treat.

This coming weekend, December 7/8, we continue the Serapis Holiday Extravagapalooza at Tuner's in Saint Charles.

Exciting web site news coming.

Oooooooooooh..........

The Famous Bar

2007-11-05T10:51:00.000-06:00

Recognized by AOL's City Guide "Best of..." The Famous Bar, on Chippewa in the city of Saint Louis, has become one of the area's top bars for entertainment.

We play there a few times a year, and walk away pleased each time. It has some of the best looking women, and this weekend was no exception. It's also a great place to catch up with old friends and make new.

Old friends included The O'Briens. Tom goes back with the band farther than the band itself. He ran sound for the band for many many gigs. It was his garage where we became a garage band back in the 20th century. His wife Debbie goes back equally as far, and has managed to find the secret of getting cuter each day. (Not so for Tom) They were out for the evening with old friend Kristy Arcowiczhizlevskivicz. (not sure about the spelling, I think all the letters are silent)

The Eberles were there, Larry and Lynn, as were Jim and Lori Gould, in town from Chicago (the windy city) Jim is another former sound/light guy, but also played trumpet and flugelhorn with the band in the 70's and 80's.

We are all pretty much in "Nash equilibrium" - basically meaning that none of us will tell stories on the others, as the outcome could potentially be devastating to all. (see also "Mutual Assured Destruction")

The place was crowded, the women were beautiful, and as usual, and everyone had a great time.

If you like martinis - foo-foo or otherwise, put The Famous Bar on your list of clubs to visit.

Emmy Awards

2007-10-24T08:39:00.001-06:00

On Saturday night, while the Colin Sphinctor Band was playing it's little hearts out, the regional Emmy Awards were held in downtown Saint Louis.

At this event, Tony Chambers and Deanne Lane were awarded Emmys for a feature they did about local jazz-babe Erin Bode, and the recent trip to South Africa by the Erin Bode Group, where they worked with a choir at the Themba School for Girls.

I don't know how many Emmys Tony has won to date, but I think he's up there with Bea Arthur and Anson Williams for outstanding contributions to entertainment.

Congratulations Tony.

The Colin Sphinctor Band

2007-10-24T08:28:00.000-06:00

The first time I saw the Colin Sphinctor Band was in 1975 at the Festival of the Little Hills, in Saint Charles, MO. The band was playing on a flatbed truck next to a dumpster. The drummer was a guy in professional wrestling leotards who billed himself as “The Purple Demon” The unassuming man with the straw hat with the green plastic built-in visor was at the microphone playing guitar and harmonica in a loose “are-these-guys-serious” manner. Songs being played included such originals as “God Drives A Volvo” and “I Don’t Want To Be A Nazi Anymore”.

Well, in 30+ years the band has come a long way. These days the flatbed truck is almost 20 feet away from the dumpster!

And who’d’ve guessed…I’d be a Sphinctor!

While today’s Colin Sphinctor Band is different in regards of personnel, the spirit of a Sphinctor shines through in each performance. Jim Findlay (the aforementioned green-visorly-hatted harmonicanarian) is still the front-man, and one of the two chief songwriters. (John Garbo is the other. He now runs the slideshow during performances). The rest of the band is Serapis with the delightful addition of Goeff Seitz on fiddle.

The band plays about once or twice a year – the last few years have been at The Focal Point, in the artsy Maplewood, MO. The Focal Point is adjacent to the Maya Café, a delightfully unique restaurant owned by Sphinctor Jay Schoeber.

The performance last Saturday night was a lot of fun. The house was filled to capacity, and as usual, everyone left with a smile on their face. The show can best be described as “serious silliness”. While we are working hard to make sure every goes (nearly) as planned, we all realize that the total experience is the fun. Yell at the band between songs. We don’t care, we’ll yell back.

There is some nice music going on between the lines. We all enjoy playing together, and the folks always seem to have a good time. Next time, you should be there.

Last Winery of the Year

2007-10-14T21:18:00.000-06:00

We have been pretty fortunate this year with our winery gigs. We played there about five times, and though the first was snowed (actually iced) out, we have since avoided inclement weather. On one occasion it started to sprinkle just as we were breaking down, and just in time for Butch Wax and The Hollywoods to get all wet. Sorry, Gene. Go hear them - they are a lot of fun, and Gene Ackmann has a lot of cool stories for a Warrenton dude.

Today's weather was fabulous, sunny, cool, very autumn-like. Soon the leaves will be turning - making the area even moure beautiful. Thanks to the folks at Mount Pleasant for having us this year.

Benet Schaeffer of Gumbohead books the bands for Mount Pleasant Winery. Gumbohead is another band that should be on your "must see" list, If you have one. If you don't have one, put it on your "need to create" list.

Among the friends we saw was Bob Baker, author/publisher. Bob is the music market/promotion guru at www.thebuzzfactor.com. I first met Bob while we were videotaping a show at the Sheldon. Also on the bill was local fav Fairchild. Comedian Royce Kelly opened the show. It was our first (and perhaps only) show using the name "Lazy Boy & the Rockin' Recliners". Television personality John Pertzborn played the part of Lazy Boy.

Next Friday is the Colin Sphincter Band at The Focal Point, in Maplewood, hope to see you there.

Fall Tour Winding Down

2007-10-14T20:55:00.000-06:00

It has a busy time with Serapis on their Fall 07 Extravagapalooza-rama, and the constant playing, travelling, and partying is taking it's toll on the band. It gets to a point where you can't even remember what city you're in (Augusta or Defiance) - or are you even in a city at all, or is it just the county.

Saturday night was a private party in sub-suburban Defiance, MO. The locale was a palatial (seriously, "magnificent" is an understatement.) estate set high on a hill overlooking the Missouri River valley, and surrounding areas. A house such as this would make a guy feel like he was king of all the land that he surveys.

It was a gorgeous night, and after a feast of freshly caught Alaskan halibut and salmon, folks retreated outside to the veranda and sampled various beers (Russian?) and other potent potables. (got that from Jeopardy)

Thanks to Stan and Tony for hosting this event.

Another late night - an early winery gig on the following day.

More on that next.

Karl Marinko 1961 - 2007

2007-10-08T19:44:00.000-06:00

Walking into the 505 Club in Santa Rosa, California, the first thing that hit me was the sound. The smooth organ-rich jazz/rock sounds coming from the bandstand would get any one's attention.

The quiet, unassuming man sitting intently over the red keyboard (a Nord) was effortlessly blending a soulful blues lead over the rhythm of the bass, guitar, sax, and drums.

I only saw Karl a couple times, but his talent as a keyboard player truly left a lasting impression. He had a knack of filling the space with floating melodies. I watched and tried to learn.

Of course, at that time I had no way of knowing that a year later, I would play with him on one of the last songs that he would play as a Pulsator.

The Pulsators came to Saint Louis (Saint Charles) in late September, a week later Karl had died.

The details of his death aren't as important as the details of his life. Obituaries have been written which will tell more about him than I know. But for the few, brief times that our paths were the same, it was great to be around Karl.

It's Parish Picnic Time

2007-10-07T00:26:00.000-06:00

We've played the Parish Picnic at Borromeo church in Saint Charles, MO, for about 5 years straight, now. They must be real gluttons for punishment.

This is a lot of fun. It's a great party that the church throws. We always see TONS of friends, and usually we have a lot of folks who stop by and sit in with us, not so many this year.

Molly Carroll sat in and played some nice guitar. Molly is Gene's daughter. She is 14, and plays in a jazz band with Todd's son Ben (15, drums).

We had originally scheduled tonight for Tuner's, but they were great about finding another band to cover for us. Also tonight was the opening concert in Bum's Hollow the natural amphitheater in Saint Charles' Blanchette Park.

We'll play one there soon. It is a great venue.

One Night At Tuner's

2007-10-07T00:15:00.000-06:00

A rare one-night stand at Tuner's on Main Street, in Saint Charles.

Had to skip the Saturday night part for another commitment.

It wasn't our typical Serapis crowd, which is fine. We like meeting new folks, and making new friends.

We concluded that it was lesbian biker chick night. Almost a lesbian biker chick fight.

a-voodin voodin.

Octoberfest in St. Charles, MO

2007-10-06T23:31:00.000-06:00

First of all, we played Octoberfest in September.

There is something about playing on the Main Stage in your home town on a beautiful fall evening.

We were glad that this wasn't a smoke-free event, as the bbq grilling wafting throught he park put the finishing touches on the terrific event. The park was full, if I had to guess I would say around 650,000 people. Seriously, I don't know how many people were there, but there were no open seats. A couple thousand, probably.

Everybody had a blast. The sound was good, the night was good, the crowd was good. It is a lot of fun showing off for the home crowd.

Especially when it works.

New Faces, New Places

2007-09-28T20:16:00.000-06:00

Been trying to nail down a date at Lucas Schoolhouse in Soulard. Been trying to get the Pulsators up here from San Francisco.

Put the two together and - voila! Let's get Serapis and the Pulsators at Lucas Schoolhouse.

What a fun night. Serapis played a couple hours, the Pulsators played a couple hours...we did a couple songs together. Bumpy...Iko...

Then, on Saturday, the Pulsators took the Main Street stage in Saint Charles "Hot Summer Nights" and rocked the place for 3 hours.

Rick Clifford sounds better than ever, and the Pulsators - Johnny, Doug, Karl, Mick, Rick, and Glen, are a great bunch of guys, and tremendous musicians.

Let's do it again next year - out on the coast.

Autumn in Augusta

2007-09-20T22:04:00.000-06:00

The leaves haven't started to turn yet, but you could smell fall in the air outside of Augusta, MO.

The cool weather was a nice break.

Nice to see the Chamberses with their entourage, and the Carrolls (fresh from their tour of Russia)

A couple more times there this year, I think.

The Perks of Musicianship

2007-09-17T20:47:00.000-06:00

One of the (many) neat things about playing music is that you get to talk with a lot of people about the music they enjoy.

We try to turn people on to music they've not heard before. People we like - such as Afro Celt Sound System or Todd Snider, Leftover Salmon or Raul Maol/The Mavericks...

Likewise, folks turn us on to stuff we've not heard...Paul Cebar and the Milwaukeeans. At the Famous Bar, a guy named "Pooch" strongly recommended checking out Chris Rea. Check out this video: The Road To Hell.

Rea has a very haunting slide guitar sound, reminiscent of Mark Knopfler, or even Ry Cooder.

Check him out.

Gladstone's in Soulard

2007-09-10T22:21:00.000-06:00

If you've not been to Soulard recently, you owe it to yourself to get back. There's a real nice vibe.

Saturday afternoon/evening at Gladstone's is a great little party. A handful of tables, a couple dozen people, a nice afternoon on the patio. Someone said it's "like a private party."

Five-oh stopped in the street to listen as Gene sang about calling them "...a couple of d*cks". They seemed to not mind.

Pulsators in a couple weeks.

Out.

Here comes Fall...

2007-09-04T19:08:00.000-06:00

Wrapped up August at Mount Pleasant Winery, on the bluff overlooking the Missouri River valley, in Augusta, MO.

The weather stayed cooler than the 100+ that we've been seeing, and the crowd was having a ball.

The winery is booked by Benet Shaeffer, drummer/percussionist now spending a lot of time with a great group called Gumbohead. Gumbohead bills itself as "...a collective of rhythmic rapscallions and tuneful tricknologists who find great joy playing music born in and influenced by New Orleans and southwest Louisiana." They are a talented group. Check them out.

A couple more wineries this year. Autumn in Augusta should be terrific.

Catchin' Up

2007-08-19T12:50:00.000-06:00

Okay. Overdue for an update.

First - catch up on gigs.

Trip to PJ's in Kirkwood on 4 August. We always enjoy the crowd in Kirkwood. There is good walk-in traffic, and it's a chance to play for people in that part of the area. We've made a lot of new friends at PJ's.

Wednesday, August 15. Each year for the last 3 or 4 years we've been asked to play at a "welcome get-together" for first-year law students at Saint Louis University. Record-setting heat was the talk of the week. Fortunately, we were under a tent, so it didn't get over 101 degrees. Nobody sits and listens, which is OK. They are too busy polishing their lawyerly skills. Usually, around the last 2 or 3 songs, one or two of the bannisters-to-be wanders under the tent and decides "hey, these guys are pretty good." Then we stop. Judging by the attendees, the legal profession is going to get much better looking in a few years. (Advice to any young men reading this: dude - stay in school).

Friday, August 17. A magical night at Tuner's. Friends old and new were abundant. The Festival of the Little Hills is going on this weekend, so the crowds are bigger and livelier. So is the band. Hot.

Saturday, August 18 4:00 to 5:00pm. It was warm on the main stage at the Festival in St. Charles, but the sound was good. One of the things we like about these bigger gigs is that we have a chance to play mostly orginal stuff. Huge thanks to the guy of the band "Arbogast" for the use of their cool equipment. These guys are top notch. Check them out.

Saturday, August 18 9:00pm The end of a big week. We were feeling pretty loose, and pulled out a few tunes that we haven't played in a while. The crowd was great, thanks to all who were there. We had a blast.

Thanks to everyone who came around this weekend.

Celebrating our Freedom

2007-07-08T18:49:00.000-06:00

We're celebrating our freedom - from playing, that is!

It's sort of a mixed blessing to have a couple weeks off. It's fun to play, but the break is well deserved during this busy summer.

We had a great time on the Saint Charles riverfront on the 4th of July, and finished the week with a nice weekend at Tuner's. We hadn't played there in a while, so it was nice to be back "home".

The crowd was a lot of fun. Sort of a late crowd on Friday, which arrived after the music on the Riverfront ended - around 9:oopm. On Saturday, we were joined on stage for the last few numbers by our good friend (and outstanding trumpeter) Tim Schleinat. Tim is studying jazz at North Texas State, and is home for the summer. It was nice to have him sit in; he has some tasty chops.

Random thoughts:

-Jack Gould was, for many years, kind of part of the extended Serapis family. Our condolences to Jim and the whole Gould clan.

-Music to check out this week:
Paul Cebar and the Milwaukeeans. Nice, easy, fun.
The Spanish Harlem Orchestra. Some serious latin jazz.

Serapis plays next on August 4th, at PJ's in Kirkwood.

July 4th, 2007

2007-07-04T21:10:00.000-06:00

Remember - it's always hot in Saint Louis on the fourth of July.

It wasn't quite as pressing as it has been in years past, but still pretty hot.

It's hard to tell how a Wednesday fourth will affect the crowd. A great crowd of several hundred arrived early enough to sit under the tent and enjoy good music; thousands more enjoyed from outside the tent. Cornet Chop Suey held the stage with world-class big band jazz just before Serapis. It was nice to have Brian Casserly stick around and play a few tunes with us. Dave Cheli added sax, and we were off and running.

The sound is always good there - and this year was no exception.

Thanks to everyone who came out, and to those who came up and talked.

PJ's in Kirkwood

2007-07-04T21:04:00.000-06:00

(A catch-up post.)

A slower-than-normal night at PJ's. However, we continue to be impressed by the quality of the crowd which frequents PJ's.

A lot of friends in the Kirkwood area get a chance to come see the band.

Thanks!

Kirkwood Junction Summer Concert Series

2007-06-17T21:27:00.000-06:00

If you get a chance, make it a point to get to the Kirkwood Summer Concert Series.

The weather - humid - was acceptable and everyone had a ball. Lots of lawn chairs, lots of friends from Kirkwood.

This is a great party they throw.

Saturday we're right around the corner at PJ's

Rollin' on THE River

2007-06-03T00:50:00.000-06:00

John Hartford once told me that "As any good riverboat captain knows, it is the Mississippi that flows into the Missouri River. The mapmakers decided otherwise."

Near the confluence of the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers is a rather unassuming harbor - home to hundred or so yachts. The Duck Club Yacht Club.

Gated, manicured....more of a country club. It's pretty sharp.

On Saturday we played at the celebratio0n of two 40th birthdays - Tom Gould and Jim Fenning. Probably about a hundred people there. Lots of friends, old and new. The weather was nice, a little humid at the end of the night.

Those river people have a neat mindset. They like to have fun - they like to party.

A really nice group of people.

A Rainy Day at Innsbrook

2007-05-26T17:20:00.000-06:00

It was actually a nice day overall.

We love playing at Innsbrook Resort. The crowd is always a lot of fun, the day was nice. Up until the rain.

Approximately 2 or so hours into the 3 hour gig (a three-hour gig) the weather started getting rough. We covered and removed the equipment. It was a shame - we were having a blast.

It was a good time, just more brief than planned.

Let's do it again.

Some New Pics

2007-05-26T01:24:00.001-06:00

A lot of people have been writing, asking if we would update the pictures on our "Meet the Band" page.

OK. It's done. More to come. These photos were taken in Augusta, MO, by Molly Carroll.

We're adding more cool dates this year, so watch this space.

Main Street Saint Charles

2007-05-20T10:48:00.000-06:00

If you haven't been to Main Street, in Saint Charles lately, you really should make a trip.

The daytime historical district is a lot of fun, and the nighttime club scene is hopping.

It surprises me that we've been playing regularly at Tuner's for Xteen years, and the crowd keeps changing and growing.

We keep meeting new people, and the regulars are bringing their friends. A lot of folks over the weekend. Bob broke a bass drum head and we had to stop to replace it (Fortunately, he had an extra. Doesn't everyone?)

The upside of this was that he had to be a little delicate with the replacement, so the boom level was held down to "thunder".

Come down there sometime.

The end.

Music on Main

2007-05-17T22:25:00.000-06:00

Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Temperature: 75 degrees
Skies: Sunny

It was a storybook springtime evening to kick off Music on Main, in Saint Charles, MO.

The crowd was great. I'm not very good at estimating crowd numbers, but I'd say around...maybe 900,052 people were there.

Seriously, probably 600 - 700 people flooded Main Street in Saint Charles for a great concert, with lots of fun, food, and music.

Love playing for the home town crowd.

Tuner's this weekend.

Mount Pleasant Winery

2007-05-12T22:54:00.000-06:00

It was a beautiful day on the bluffs of the Missouri River in Augusta, MO today.

There was a nice crowd as people were ready to get rid of the rain we've had.

In the distance you could see the river out of its banks.

We played 1:00 to 4:00, Gumbohead followed us at 5:00.

Good fun, come up there next time.

May 07 is a busy month. Wednesday, the 16th, the band is on Main Street in Saint Charles, to kick off "Music on Main" Should be a great time.

Hope you can catch some of the shows.

Last Weekend at Tuner's

2007-04-09T22:25:00.000-06:00

Nice crowds Friday and Saturday at Tuner's. Lots of old and new friends.

The Royals Rugby Club guys are rockin'. Check out their web site, and take in a scrum sometime.

The Famous Bar

2007-03-13T14:51:00.000-06:00

The Famous Bar - in the land of the Chippewa, Saint Louis, MO.

Loud. Smokey. Exceptionally good martinis. Very nice cigars. And some fine women.

This unassuming bar on Chippewa draws a great crowd, every one has a good time, and did I mention that the ladies who frequent this place a remarkably nice-looking.

I think it's the band.

Hey - make it a point to check out the folks at indieBOOM.com. In addition to Serapis, they are playing some nice indie stuff.

Old Friends / New Songs at Tuner's

2007-03-02T12:21:00.000-06:00

A great time was at Tuner's, on Main Street in Saint Charles last weekend.

Old friend / fellow musician / state huge-wig Bruce Clements stopped by on his way home from a Bioterrorism conference in Washington D.C. Todd and Bruce played in the band together at Jefferson Junior High under Mel Briedenbach back in 19£æ. (Sorry - computer glitch) Bruce is a former Holtzinger member - as are Gene, Tony, and Todd.

Speaking of past Holtzingers, the DeSplinters were there - Randy, Joan, and Kevin, joined by former high school band direct and still music stud, Bob Schleinat.

We did some stuff from our forthcoming, as yet untitled cd, met new friends, saw old friends....had a great time.

Wedding next Saturday.

Serapis.

PS. Hey - look for our friends The Pulsators, with Rick Clifford on sax, with a couple things on YouTube - one tune with Tommy Tutone, another without him.

Playing With the Legends

2007-01-29T19:15:00.000-06:00

Pop quiz:

Q. What do these performers have in common - Elvis Presley, Chet Atkins, Roy Orbison, the Everly Brothers, Willie Nelson, and Serapis?

A. They've all recorded at RCA Studio B, in Nashville, TN.

It was pretty unbelievable. You don't really have to be a country music fan to appreciate playing on the same piano that was used to record "Are You Lonesome Tonight" and "Oh, Pretty Woman", or recording with Chet Atkins amplifier.

The Serapis Tour Bus (The Sarcophagus) rolled into Music City Friday afternoon with a polilce escort. (OK, actually they were chasing us - but we lost them in a construction zone).

Working on material for a new cd, we spent the weekend recording (until 1:00AM). We laid down several new songs, and even re-worked a couple old favorites. We will continue recording at the RCA Studio, as well as Imagitrax in St. Louis.

Nick Spezia was the engineer for the project, and we all had a blast.

Pictures will be up in a day or two.

More Snow in Kirkwood

2007-01-21T03:09:00.000-06:00

More weekend snow in the heartland of America.

Tonight's gig was at PJ's in Kirkwood. The crowd was great. Lots of old friends, lots of new fans. We really like playing there, be sure to stop in the next time we are there (which will be in April)

We're busy working up material to record in Nashville next weekend. (Jan 26/27) We have new songs, and plan to re-record a couple of fan favorites from our 1989 "Allergic To Fun" release.

Thanks to everyone who came out in the snow tonight.

No phone, no lights, no motor-cars.

2007-01-14T07:59:00.000-06:00

So this is how it's going to be. Starting the year with an ice storm - and having to cancel our first show of '07.

No power, power lines down, trees through houses, fires. These are the issues that Serapis was dealing with, and the reasons for the cancellation of last Saturday night's show at The Famous Bar.

Sorry to the thousands of fans who showed up and camped out in the freezing weather while waiting to get in. We'll be back at The FB (on Chippewa) in March.

Serapis is hard at work on new material for a new cd. This will be the band's third full-length project. No release date has been announced.

More next time, thanks.

Stay warm.

Here's to 2007

2007-01-08T14:53:00.000-06:00

Well, 2006 was good to the band. We stayed quite busy, played some neat shows, and made a lot of new friends.

The band is celebrating 25 years of Serapis this year, and 2007 is almost full.

At the end of January the band is heading to Nashville to do some recording at the legendary RCA Studio B. This place has history just dripping from it's walls.

Check out the web site at http://www.countrymusichalloffame.com/site/visit-studiob.aspx

Welcome to the Serapis Blog

2007-01-05T23:56:00.000-06:00

Welcome to the Serapis Blog.

We'll keep this space updated with news, events, comments about shows - past and upcoming, maybe fishing talk...

So check back often.

See you at the gig.