Four Shows in Four Nights

We never turn down an opportunity to perform, which led to an interesting twist to the summer 2019 tour, a cluster of four performances on consecutive nights. This is the first time in group history that we faced such a task, and quite frankly some of us had our doubts. Would voices hold up? Could the crew, many of whom are also musicians, endure four ten-hour days of toil and performance? What would be the effect on the show, especially on shows three and four? All of these questions were answered, and we’d like to tell the story in this edition of the Confetti Clatter.

First Show: Wednesday July 24 Ferris Hills at West Lake

This was the first time we played at this venue, which is a senior living home on the west side of Canandaigua Lake. Claire, the events coordinator, was helpful in making sure we had everything we needed to have the show go smoothly.

We were hampered during set up by afternoon showers, but eventually the skies cleared. The show ran only one hour, from 7 to 8 PM. The residents were not shy about sitting very close to the band and seemed to enjoy every note. Several folks danced or mouthed the words to some of the hits. A big bonus for us was being able to perform for residents of the nearby VA hospital, who were bused in for the special occasion.

One down and everyone was happy, but how would we hold up for the rest of the stretch? Since our next gig was in Hammondsport, there was no sense driving the gear back to Rochester. Instead the crew secured a room at the Canandaigua Econolodge — more on this later.

Second Show: Thursday July 25 Hammondsport, NY

The weather report was questionable for the afternoon, but we received a call at 11:00 from the Trinity with the Hammondsport Chamber of Commerce, that the concert was a go. This show has become an annual for us, and the community always looks forward to our return. Trinity helped by securing parking along the village green for our truck and trailer in advance of our arrival at noon. 

The journey from Canandaigua to Hammondsport is both scenic and hilly. Descending into Potter, NY is always interesting with a trailer in haul! We always stop by the Crooked lake Mercantile, in Branchport, NY for a sandwich along the way to Hammondsport, and this time was no exception. The food and service was top-notch, as usual.

Always look forward to lunch at the Crooked Lake Mercantile

Arriving in Hammondsport, we began setting up. This takes two people about six hours, maybe less, if we don’t carry a percussion player, which was the case for all four of these shows.

Ken, formerly the head of the Chamber of Commerce, introduced us and the show went off without a hitch. The village green was full of appreciative attendees. This is the farthest we travel from our home base, and it is worth every mile. As soon as the concert ended, thoughts of returning in 2020 came to mind. Some of us dined at the various eateries after the performance.

At show’s end in Hammondsport

Show Three: July 26 Veterans’ Gazebo, Honeoye, NY

After the performance in Hammondsport, we returned to the Econolodge in Canandaigua for our second night. The facility was clean and obviously well cared for. I struck up a conversation with the owner about his garden along the side of the building. He shared one of his hot peppers, and said I could take any plantings I liked in the future. We talked about Indian cooking, and then it was on to Honeoye, about 45 minutes to the south west.

The Econolodge in Canandaigua as we depart Friday morning

The weather forecast for Honeoye was perfect, but the clouds quickly accumulated, as they often do in Western New York during the summer. The crew had sandwiches at the nearby ShurFine supermarket, and stopped by at Ward’s Lumber to purchase some tools before the task-at-hand. One of the appeals of performing small towns and hamlets is supporting local vendors, rather than the usual big-box stores. It wasn’t long after we began pulling gear from the trailer that the sky began to look ominous, and distant thunder was apparent to the north. Four outdoor shows on consecutive nights is asking a bit much for this part of the world, and it looked like this one would be cancelled.

Honeoye: Let the set up begin!

Just before showtime, a few raindrops fell, but most of the activity was to the north and south, Honeoye was in a corridor that dodged the major downpours. Admittedly, the crew was a step slower, due to a third show in three nights and the oppressive heat.

The skies cleared somewhat for the performance, and Wendy, the organizer was thrilled with the turnout and performance. It had been six years since we played this venue, and hopefully we’ll return sooner. 

So far voices were holding and the band continued to play enthusiastically. One glitch was the PA system, which failed to output the left channel. We quickly switched to mono for the show, and wondered what went wrong. Would this happen again tomorrow at the next show, with no time to troubleshoot?

Show Four: July 27 Country Club of Rochester 

Our final stop of the marathon was in our hometown of Rochester, NY. The Country Club of Rochester is steeped in tradition, it is the home course of  legendary golfer Walter Hagen, where he began as a caddie. This show was part of an evening dining experience for club members, which included lobster and drink. We performed on the terrace, under an awning, fortunately, as the mercury soared to 89 degrees. The skies threatened, but once again we dodged the rain. It was quite a walk from the driveway to the terrace, and it seemed as if we were in moving slow motion. 

Don “Riffin” Griffin joined us on guitar, here at the Country Club of Rochester

The performance was surprisingly strong, with high marks going out to our string section. We were well-received, with a few members taking cards at the end of the night, while others made positive comments on our Facebook page. As for the PA, the left channel output came back to life; fortunate, but would the problem arise again? The run of four shows was over, and it was time to recuperate!

New Show announced, a reschedule of a rain out