And so it begins

As with every trip to the lower 48 there is a beginning and an end. At this point we have reached the end and are now on our way back to the frontier. fyear's return trip is starting off right now with some wi-fi on the bus in route to Logan Airport in Boston.

How far we have come that I can now get the internets pretty much anywhere on my trips. They didn't even try to nickel and dime me for it. It is included for free with our bus ticket. How wonderful. Hopefully even with all this interneting my battery will full charge in my laptop. I have a long flight from Boston to Seattle and I want to be able to play Super Nintendo games on my computer. I would play my ukulele, but flight staff really frown on it and are quick to tell me to shut up. However I still operate my life on the premise that is it always easier to say I'm sorry than to ask for permission. I'm just sorry the don't enjoy ukuleles. I mean who doesn't?

Georgia you're such a peach!

I have been having a great time in Georgia. This week I have been relaxing with my brother and his family here in Hotlanta so I haven't been doing too much ukuleleing, however I did slip away to go visit Mike at the Uke Republic just outside of Atlanta to talk some shop at his shop! It isn't that often that I as a ukulele professional from Alaska get to hang out in an actual store devoted solely to ukuleles. I felt like I was in Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory and I had the golden ticket.

It was really great getting to know Mike and his lovely wife in real life and not just on the old book of faces. FYI -- they are not just figments of my internet imagination. They are real people with an awesome shop! I can't wait to get home and sport my Uke Republic shirt to the masses. They also gave me a complimentary kazoo. I might have to dust off my kazoo skills.... Perhaps for my version of the final countdown. That would be some hot poop right there!

Other than that I have just been taking it easy and enjoying time with my Bro. Tomorrow I am off to Valdosta, GA. to open for a band at the Ashley Street Station. Should be a good time! I always really enjoy playing new venues and rocking new faces. The south has been great to me thus far on this tour and I am sure it will continue to be. To Valdosta I go! Then I will just be having vacation until I return to the frozen snowy north.

After south Georgia it is off to Florida for some more sun, fun, my parents, and possibly some Disney action. I'm a sucker for EPCOT. I will leave you on this moment of zen from the Uke Republic!

To live and rock in Dixie

It has been a  great tour so far heading down the east coast. I have to sya more than anything I have been impressed with my time south of the Mason / Dixon line. The food, the people, and the appreciation for a strange guy from Alaska who plays ukulele for a living.

First stop was in Charlottesville, VA. where I got to visit an old friend of mine from my college years. The man who actually inspired me to pick up stringed instruments and leave the drums behind (little known Russ factoid - I started on the drums). Steven Levine of Dr. Levine and the Dreaded Blues Lady. He has moved up in the world considerably from the time that I was his History pupil at the University of Maine at Farmington.  IT was awesome relaxing at his 160 acre 1700s era plantation. IT was like an island of awesome within a  sea of new construction. It was a little slice of heaven I intend on visiting again next year for more than one night.

After that I headed to Charlotte, North Carolina to hook up with my friend Mr. Jim Hickey who runs a music school just over the border in South Carolina. I rolled into town with minutes to spare. I was almost late for my gig for the students at the Palisades School, however rolled in right on time to rock the 1st-8th graders. Here is a video of their reaction to my version of Brown Eyed Girl which was requested by a 7 year old little girl. The head banging in the front row by the 1st graders was priceless. Here is a clip from the show.

I had a great time sitting in with a band called the Rockafellers at a joint made out of a dock in the middle of a small lake called T-bones. The people there didn't know how to react to the crazy ukulele guy. Someone yelled to me on stage asking what part of Alaska was I from. I replied, "The cold part". The joke went over well and so did my set.

I will post more about my time in NC soon. Currently I'm in Hotlanta (Atlanta), Georgia soaking up the 60F tropical temps (at least for my wife and I) and will be heading over to the Uke Republic tomorrow to talk shop.

To be continued...

Skow? He gone.

Bloomfields Tavern in Skowhegan this Friday @ 9pm - NO COVER CHARGE!!!

Skowhegan is a little former mill town I grew up down the river from where the party doesn't quit on the corner of RT. 201.
This is where Bloomfield's resides. How it got it's name. Ask the locals. It boils down to some white men asking a native in the are where "Skow" was, a familiar Indian. To which a native replied, "Skow. He gone.". Hence the name Skowhegan.

It is a small echo chamber of brick and tin ceilings that has been rocking Skowhegan for decades. It was one of the first regular gigs I ever had in my music career and it will be a pleasure to make my way back for one night this Friday. I am planning on seeing a lot of familiar faces. A good time will be had by all.

ALSO -- Tonight I will be appearing on one of Maine's entertainment shows called, 207! Should be great. I will be hitting up the green room around 3pm for my 3:30pm filming slot in Portland. Then... Sushi with the wife and some long time friends I haven't seen in a year. It will be nice to make it back to the "big city"

Core Strength Exercises for Ukulele

Maine Central Institute was a awesomely good time yesterday. Getting to share what I do for a living with the young minds of my alma mater is such a treat for me every year. I am all ready looking forward to next year. There is nothing like returning back to your old high school to be the "cool guy"... I was cool when I was in high school I was just a little more awkward than I am now. Who am I kidding? I am way more awkward in my adulthood.

The rest of my Maine shows before I leave on tour are as follows:


1/8 - 207 TV - Portland, ME.

1/9 - Bloomfield's Tavern - Skowhegan, ME. - 9pm

1/10 - The Smilin' Moose - South Paris, ME. - 7pm

Did you know that I am the foremost authority on ukulele exercises? No not strumming or picking exercises, actual physical exercise for building muscles. How about some core strength exercises for ukulele? You know you want to.
Nothing tightens the stomach like some EYE OF THE TIGER on an inflatable exercise seat.

This is what happens after a long winter and you can finally see the ground again. This is the season of brown, or what we affectionately call it , BREAK UP. It is it's own season in Alaska. Hopefully this global warming thing hurries up and starts summer early this year. Alaska, not too many people are complaining here.

Molding Young Minds

Every year I get to go entertain the whole student body of my alma mater, Maine Central Institute. It is always a highlight for me to come rock a gym I have had countless hours of wrestling practice and years of fond memories of high school dances and what not. However, once a year they file all the students and staff in and I get to grandstand in front of them for a half hour or so.

Here is a clip from last year's performance where I do my shtick on how all music is the same. That is why you can put the words for Gilligan's Island over the music to Stairway to Heaven and throw in Freebird and some Metallica for good measure. I can't wait to get to entertain the good people of MCI tomorrow. It is one of the gigs I play that I look forward to every year. Plus, who wouldn't want to go back to their high school and finally be "the cool guy". So what if I'm 32. I'm finally the cool kid at my high school. Judge me if you want, but somewhere deep in the back of your mind you want to do the same thing. I figure if I get this down it will warm me up for being the cool guy in 2021 at my 20 year class reunion. Practice makes perfect. 

Vacationland

There is nothing like being up on the marquee next to Penguins of Madagascar! I have made the big time!

There is nothing like being about to get out of the bar scene and play a sit down theater show. If I could just play sit down shows like the one I played last night full time... That would be a treat compared to the marathons I have to pull off multiple nights a week year round. However, there is nothing like the bar scene. If you can distract people from their dinners, drinks, and conversations to look over and stare in awe of the butchery of contemporary music on the hatchet of strings then you got something. If it works, run with it.

Last night at the Pittsfield Community Theatre my good friend Mike Reny and I put on a great show for the people of Pittsfield. There were no heart attacks during our rendition of Hall and Oates' Man Eater and in fact the sound in that nice large theater room was EXCELLENT. A big shout out to the MCI Alumni Association at Maine Central Institute for making it all possible. Can't wait to come perform for the students on Monday the 5th!

Several ukulele clubs converged on the Universalist Church in Pittsfield today for some ukulele guru time.

Today I had a great time doing my 2nd annual Ukulele Russ Get-together sponsored by the Sebasticook Ukulele Group.  I must say the turnout was most excellent and everyone seemed eager to learn about our friend, the fret board. It is always really awesome for me to be able to share my passion of the ukulele with others.

oh..Vacationland is Maine's nickname. Sorry for the confusion.

Someone died at my gig

In a decade of gigging and over 11000 hours on stage I have seen some strange, exciting, and sad stuff during my shows and I'm not even talking about my personal performance. Bars and clubs are the places where people let their hair down and people relax. This was not really the case last night on New Years Eve for the first part of my night.

My longtime friend and colleague Mike Reny and I were about three or four songs into our night when all of a sudden during our rendition of "Man Eater" by Hall and Oates a dancing man right in front of us fell lifelessly to the floor. I mean I hate Oates as much as the next guy and know that Darrel Hall was the only real driving force in that dynamic duo. Oates just had a cool jerry curled afro and a sweet mustache, nothing else. Hopefully this wasn't the reason why a patron would fall over dead in front of us. Note to self; stop playing Hall and Oates OR have a disclaimer.

The best part was that this man, who was obviously not breathing, was immediately saved by the people of the room. Two staff members pulled together and started CPR right away. This was crucial! They got his heart and breathing started twice until the paramedics finally arrived and got the man stable enough to transport (meaning hooked up to the machine that goes "Bing"). I have seen CPR performed before, but you always seem to forget when it is done properly that if you aren't breaking the person's ribs you are compressing you aren't doing it right. Well it was done right and that guy is going to be pissed when he wakes up, but happy to be alive. It was a new years day miracle and I got to witness it with ukulele in hand from about 10ft away.

Don't believe me? Here is the link to the article.

The rest of the night went without a hitch. It is a good year to be alive!