Phil,
I don't have a lot of time right now but will try to give you a more complete description in a minute. May have to wait to later. I have an appointment with a new female artist in town and have to run a couple errands first. It is interesting that one of the songs you mention, NOBODY TO BLAME, is essentially pretty much almost the same as my song, "CAN'T BLAME NOBODY BUT ME" which was always my "barn burner" ending for nearly my first 18 years in town. Funny how things work out.
I can tell you that almost EVERY SINGLE writer without execption go through the "writers nights/open mic" thing first. The ones that really stand out, usually advance pretty quickly. In other words, from doing one or two songs on an open mic, they attract people who are ahead of them in line, who put them into rounds, get them into shows, get bumped up in the rotation very quickly. Some create their own pathway and just bulldoze their way in, due to talent and aggression. Many were "big fish in little ponds" such as myself, before they got here, and so they hit the ground running. But again, in almost all cases, that "ten year town' will rear it's head more often than not.
One, in particular, BIG KENNY, from BIG AND RICH, is one I can kind of spout out quickly because I remember his first writers night in town, because he came over to me afterward. He was from Virginia. His real name is Kenny Alphen. (still got his first business card too, LOL!). He was your atypical, Surfer Dude, shoulder length blonde hair, really good body, and about 26 years old. Every girl's summer dream.
He had had bands all through Virginia and played a lot in Virginia Beach, I believe. Some of these details are fuzzy after around 20 years so I'll be glad to stand corrected on some of them.
He started doing bands pretty quickly. In those days the writers nights were different than now. There were some open mics, but most were invited deals. There would usually be about 12 people, all playing 4-5 songs in a row on their own. There were really no "rounds". That was started by Don Schiltz, Fred Knoblock, Tom Schyler and Paul Overstreet at the Bluebird around 1991 or 2.
So Kenny was doing the regular writers nights. Like today, there were a few regulars. Bogeys (which moved to three different locations), The Courtyard Cafe' (Where Phil Vassar got his start), the BOARDWALK, BELL COVE CLUB, the basement, and dozens of others that would pop up.go for a year or so then dissapear. And there was the "top of the heap" the Bluebird, Douglas Corner, Exit Inn, 12th and Porter and about 5 or six more that were the "showcase clubs" that you worked up to. We all would do fairly regular shows there.
Just like today, there would be the same people over and over and you all grew great friendships out of that. There would be the guitar pulls, the outdoor cookouts, the pot luck dinners, getting together at churches, etc. and of course, the optinional pontoon boat (PONTOON!!!) whenever someone's roommate owned or had access to one. We tended to sneak around onto other people's property more than anything else.
Just like today, there would be the same people over and over and you all grew great friendships out of that. There would be the guitar pulls, the outdoor cookouts, the pot luck dinners, getting together at churches, etc. and of course, the optinional pontoon boat (PONTOON!!!) whenever someone's roommate owned or had access to one. We tended to sneak around onto other people's property more than anything else.
Kenny (still was not known as "BIG KENNY" yet although at 6' 2 or 3" "Big" was a pretty appropriate term.
Gonna have to hold off on this story for a bit. Will be back for part II later.
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