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...