Monday, December 30, 2013

Mind Shifting to the New Year

Well, my mind is shifting a little as we approach the new year.  I had pangs of loss for the Christmas season that surprised me a couple days after Christmas, but those were soon replaced by the wonderful feeling of rebirth and the excitement of new things to come in a fresh year.  It's amazing how the mind can shift gears so quickly!  I get so worked up for Christmas, and so immersed in the seasonal music, that I don't quite know what to do with myself when it's over.  I tell folks every year that they should enjoy the holiday with gusto so they don't miss out on the joy it can bring.  And it did bring me a lot of joy this year.  Between the family visits and new faces and parties and singalongs, I thoroughly enjoyed the season and let it wash over me.  Unfortunately I also got a cold for Christmas Day, but the sniffles are just about over, so no worries.  I'm not sure what the new year will bring, but it's always a tabula rasa (a blank slate) full of possibilities.  I hope you see it that way too!

So I had a surprise on Saturday night.  (I sent out a quick note to you yesterday with the news that I'll be DJ'ing at the La Veta Inn for New Year's Eve.)  When I off-handedly asked the Inn what they were doing for New Year's Eve I didn't expect to end up DJ'ing for them, but that's how it went down.  One thing led to another, and before I knew it I was dreaming of how much fun we could have.  I don't DJ very often, but there was a day when I did do it much more - DJ'ing on weekdays and playing with a band on weekends.  I loved to play interesting alternate versions of popular songs, and I enjoyed diving deep into my album collection to pick out gems that would surprise and delight my audience.  I didn't always have a dancing audience, but I did have an interested audience that thought of me like a radio DJ - programming music to set a mood and tell a story.  I really enjoyed it and missed it when it ended 25 years ago.  So I'll be doing it for New Year's Eve again, and I think it's going to be a blast!  I'll have a kickin' sound system, some flashing lights, a crystal ball, and a collection of 28,000 songs for your listening pleasure.  And yes, I'll bring my guitar and be ready to play some songs as well if folks would like.  They'll have free champagne at midnight and their usual menu of tasty steak and fish, and I'll start the tunes at 7:00.  If you don't have plans, please come out and celebrate with me.

Then Friday I'll be starting the new year at Magpies 6-9.  I'm still toying with the idea of doing theme sets at Magpies for the fun of it.  If this interests you, then give me some suggestions of what you'd like to hear.  My ideas so far are: Dan Fogelberg, John Denver, jazz standards, Beatles, old country western, cowboy, historic, folk songs, etc.  We could really dig into this and do some fun sets!  I look forward to seeing friends and having a fun night!

I'd better sign off.  There's lots to do to get ready for tomorrow night.  Happy New Year!

Tom

Details:

Who:  Tom Munch
What:  DJ'ing, and maybe playing & singing too
Where:  La Veta Inn, 103 W. Ryus Ave, La Veta.  719-742-3700
When:  Tuesday, December 31, 7 pm to midnight

Who:  Tom Munch
What:  playing & singing
Where:  Magpies, 229 S. Union, Pueblo.  719-542-5522
When:  Friday, January 3, 7-10 pm

Monday, December 23, 2013

Merry Christmas!

Christmas is just about here, and I think I paced myself just about right.  I may have peaked a little early in my Christmas spirit, but the feeling has lasted, so I think I have just enough to get me through the week.  I hope you are enjoying it too.  This year the thing that has hit me the most is just how meaningful it can be to share and sing the Christmas songs together.  I've done several singalongs this season, and I'm so gratified at how much people have come to me and said that it made their Christmas season.  Christmas is about many things, but the community aspect and the shared experience seems to be very close to our hearts.  I don't know if it's the memories from those songs and the places we've been when we've heard them or just the fact that we all know them and share a common history and culture.  It's pretty special.  And it doesn't seem to matter what your religious background is - I even had a Buddhist friend say how much it meant to him to sing the old songs together.  Maybe we should try this with non-Christmas songs during the year as well.  Maybe Mitch Miller had it right all those years ago, and the Golden Bee and all the piano bars over the years have tapped into this too.  But I do think the specialness of the Christmas songs has something to do with the meaning of the experience I've felt this season in these singalongs.

So I hope you have a wonderful Christmas.  Just go with it!

So what I am up to for gigs this week?  I have family here, so I only have one public gig to tell you about.  Saturday night I'll be at the La Veta Inn 6-9.  Last Saturday I had a really nice group of folks at the Inn, and it was snowing lightly outside and felt so warm and delightful by the fire (as the song says.)  I'm betting this week will feel just as great in the magical week between Christmas and New Year's.  Come on out if you can!

Merry Christmas!

Tom

Details:

Who:  Tom Munch
What:  playing & singing
Where:  La Veta Inn, 103 W. Ryus Ave, La Veta.  719-742-3700
When:  Saturday, December 28, 6-9 pm

Monday, December 16, 2013

Favorite Christmas Music

I've been grabbing some moments of silence around the house and in the car to listen to some of my favorite Christmas music, and I thought I'd share some of my favorite albums and songs here.  Please write back and share your favorites with me too!  Among my favorites are Nat King Cole's "The Christmas Song" album, Vince Guaraldi's "A Charlie Brown Christmas" album, Bruce Cockburn's "Christmas" album, the song "Colorado Christmas" recorded by the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band and written by Steve Goodman, "David Grisman's Acoustic Christmas" album, "Dr. Demento Presents the Greatest Christmas Novelty CD of All Time" album (a little twisted, I admit,) Peter Kater's "For Christmas" album (great piano,) Handel's "Messiah," Tuck Andress' "Hymns, Carols, and Songs About Snow" album, anything by Bing Crosby, and Tchaikovsky's "Nutcracker Suite."  There are way too many others to mention, but there are a few I listen to every year.  It's such a joyous time filled with so much music, goodies, stories, and traditions!

So now what am I up to this week?

I'm playing every day and every night at different Christmas parties and gatherings, but the two public performances I have will be Friday and Saturday night.

Friday I'm doing a Christmas Singalong at Magpies 7-10.  I've always wanted to do a community singalong during Christmas, and this is a good way to do this - except this will be just friends and family which is extra-special!  I'll have song sheets with big printed lyrics (for us old folks who need our glasses!)  This will be a blast!  Come get in the spirit!

Saturday night I'll be at the La Veta Inn 6-9.  I haven't played at Christmastime at the Inn for several years, so I'm really looking forward to seeing my good friends in La Veta and sharing the Christmas cheer.  If the weather's nice and you're up for an evening drive, then come on down and enjoy the wonderful ambience and good friends at the Inn for the evening!

I hope to see you this season, and if I don't get to, then have a wonderful holiday!

Tom

Details this week:

Who:  Tom Munch
What:  playing & singing
Where:  Magpies, 229 S. Union, Pueblo.  719-542-5522
When:  Friday, December 20

Who:  Tom Munch
What:  playing & singing
Where:  La Veta Inn, 103 W. Ryus Ave, La Veta.  719-742-3700
When:  Saturday, December 21, 6-9 pm

Monday, December 9, 2013

Taking Care

I heard a good interview with Jony Ive from Apple this past week and posted a quote on Facebook that has me thinking quite a bit about an aspect of life I find interesting - taking care.  The amount of care a person takes reflects a lot about that person's character.  Jony Ive was talking in reference to the amount of care a person takes in designing a product for use by others, but I think it extends in to the care we take in everything we do.  Taking care is not just done for the pride of the person giving, but it also shows respect for the receiver of the care.  I see this in many things I do every day, from my cat who wants down as soon as she senses that I'm not giving her 100% of my attention, to my audience who starts to lose interest when my heart is not 100% in the delivery of the song I'm performing.  Taking care requires focus and being present in the moment.  Jony said that getting it right is something we do for each other.  This kind of taking care ultimately shows love for everything from our fellow humans to our surroundings.  I think this is a very worthwhile endeavor.  What else is life about other than caring?

So what am I up to this week?

I have a couple of private Christmas parties I'm looking forward to.  I used to do quite a few more of these, but I'm not the best marketer in the world, so I haven't done as many in the past few years.  I really enjoy them though!  My one public gig this week is something everyone can attend - an online concert.

Friday night I'll be doing a UStream concert from our living room 7-8 MST (mountain time) that will feature seasonal favorites.  This time of year has always meant a lot to me, especially since music is so much a part of the season - from Christmas songs to winter songs and favorites I learned when I got my first guitar for Christmas 37 years ago.  These UStream concerts are a lot of fun since you all can enter the chatroom and give me requests as well as chat with each other.  I should do them more often!  The address from your computer is http://www.ustream.tv/channel/tom-munch-live, and you can even watch from a smartphone or tablet with the free UStream app you can download from your app store.  If you can't make it at 7:00 mountain time, I will record the show at the same address so you can watch it at your convenience (except without the live chat of course.)  I hope to see you there!

That's it for this week.  I hope you are enjoying the holiday season.

Tom

Details for this week:

Who:  Tom Munch
What:  playing and singing
Where:  online on UStream http://www.ustream.tv/channel/tom-munch-live
When:  Friday, December 13, 7-8 pm MST

Monday, December 2, 2013

Getting Psyched for Christmas

I played my first show of Christmas songs last Friday, and I'm always interested in how my psyche adjusts to being in the Christmas spirit again.  I have a strict rule of not doing Christmas songs before Thanksgiving.  It's hard to explain, but it really messes me up to hear songs that are out of season, whether they're Christmas songs or summer songs or whatever.  I find as I get older that my brain isn't as flexible as it once was, and encountering things I don't expect can throw me into a funk that I have a hard time bouncing out of.  And so the change into Christmas songs and the Christmas spirit is something I encounter with curiosity each year.  I tell folks I play for that the Christmas season goes by so fast that if you don't get in the spirit when the season is here then you'll miss it completely.  I tell myself that too.  And the truth is that I love the Christmas music so much, and it is so much a part of my life, that it is very easy to fall into the songs each year.  And then the challenging part is to let myself get swept up into the joy and emotion of each song. I have to remember that my joy of the song is important to how much my audience gets out of the song - and I owe it to the song to perform it well.  So I venture out into the season with my heart full of song and my head full of the love of the season!

I also have to mention that Jen and I have been delving into old Muppet movies and TV shows since we both finished the biography of Jim Henson by Brian Jones.  He was quite a guy, and was taken from us too soon at the age of 53.  His giving spirit and gentle philosophy of life is an inspiration to me.  There are a bunch of Muppet Christmas shows that are a treat this time of the year, so we can watch the Muppets and get into the Christmas spirit at the same time.  A bonus!

So what am I up to this week?

Friday I'm back at Magpies 7-10 for an evening of friends and fun!  I find that some folks don't want to hear Christmas music just yet, so I will temper my seasonal enthusiasm with other favorites.  Since I've been reading about Jim Henson and the Muppets I have been listening to Paul Williams who wrote several songs for the Muppets, so you can expect to hear a few of his songs.  I also love a bunch of '70's songs that the season reminds me of, so I'll be singing those as well - Simon and Garfunkel, Jim Croce, James Taylor, and many more!  Come on out!

Sunday I'm playing for the Pueblo Zoo Christmas event called Zoolala 5-9.  This promises to be a blast!  It's at Park East restaurant (just east of City Park) with the evening going from cocktails to dinner to ElectriCritters at the zoo with a shuttle.  I plan to lead a sing-a-long of Christmas songs probably from 7-8 depending on how the night flows, and I'll be performing favorites before and after that piped into several of the rooms.  This is a fundraiser for the Zoo.  The cost is $75 apiece for zoo members and $85 apiece for non-members and includes dinner, one signature cocktail, goody bag, ticket and shuttle to ElectriCritters at the zoo.  You need to call 719-561-1452 ext. 206 to RSVP or visit the website - http://www.pueblozoo.org/zoolalabegins.html - for more info and to RSVP.  I can't wait!

I'm also playing a lot of Christmas shows for different nursing and rehab facilities, so if you have someone in one of these facilities you may see me as well.

Almost forgot! I'm planning to do an online UStream concert very soon.  I'll send out more ASAP!

That's it for this week!  May you be filled with the joy and love this season brings.

Tom

Details this week:

Who:  Tom Munch
What:  playing & singing
Where:  Magpies, 229 S. Union, Pueblo.  719-542-5522
When:  Friday, December 6, 7-10 pm

Who:  Tom Munch
What:  playing and singing for Zoolala, the fundraiser bash for the Pueblo Zoo!
Where:  Park East restaurant, 720 Goodnight Ave, Pueblo.  719-561-1452 ext. 206 to RSVP
When:  Sunday, December 8, 5-9 pm

Monday, November 18, 2013

Giving Thanks

I'm thinking about Thanksgiving and being thankful, and about family and caring for others this week.  I know Thanksgiving is over a week away, but I do a fair bit of reminiscing with the folks at the facilities I play for during the whole month of November as I try to engage people in a meaningful way, and so Thanksgiving is on my mind all November.  I usually ask them about their favorite thing about Thanksgiving.  The responses vary from food to the family gathering to football to the Black Friday sales frenzy.  Everyone has a little different tradition, and we talk about that as well.  And giving thanks works into that too, with some folks sitting down and making a list of the things they're thankful for.  It seems a shame that Thanksgiving has been reduced a bit over the years to a brief visit with family before the big show of the Christmas season.  I still refuse to sing Christmas songs before Thanksgiving - wanting to give Thanksgiving its due.  I wish there were more Thanksgiving songs.  I tend to sing "Over the River and Through the Woods" as well as the old hymn, "We Gather Together."  Sometimes I stretch the Thanksgiving motif a little to play "Turkey in the Straw."  I'll also sing "No Place Like Home for the Holidays" since it mentions traveling and getting some homemade pumpkin pie.  I have one story I always tell too that I enjoy.  I'll share it here.

----------

A TURKEY STORY

When I was a young turkey, new to the coop,
My big brother Mike took me out on the stoop,
Then he sat me down, and he spoke real slow,
And he told me there was something that I had to know;

His look and his tone I will always remember,
When he told me of the horrors of ..... Black November;
"Come about August, now listen to me,
Each day you'll get six meals instead of just three.

And soon you'll be thick, where once you were thin,
And you'll grow a big rubbery thing under your chin.
"And then one morning, when you're warm in your bed,
In'll burst the farmer's wife, and hack off your head;

"Then she'll pluck out all your feathers so you're bald'n pink,
And scoop out all your insides and leave ya lyin' in the sink,
"And then comes the worst part" he said not bluffing,
"She'll spread your cheeks and pack your rear with stuffing".

Well, the rest of his words were too grim to repeat,
I sat on the stoop like a winged piece of meat,
And decided on the spot that to avoid being cooked,
I'd have to lay low and remain overlooked;

I began a new diet of nuts and granola,
High-roughage salads, juice and diet cola,
And as they ate pastries, chocolates and crepes,
I stayed in my room doing Jane Fonda tapes,

I maintained my weight of two pounds and a half,
And tried not to notice when the bigger birds laughed;
But 'twas I who was laughing, under my breath,
As they chomped and they chewed, ever closer to death;

And sure enough when Black November rolled around,
I was the last turkey left in the entire compound;

So now I'm a pet in the farmer's wife's lap;
I haven't a worry, so I eat and I nap,
She held me today, while sewing and humming,
She smiled at me and said "Christmas is coming........"

----------

That story always pleases.

This idea of giving thanks for all the things we have that we know we don't deserve is a good one. The world can be a scary place, and the warm embrace of family and a gathering with food and comfort is something to truly be thankful for.  Happy Thanksgiving!

So what am I up to this week?

Friday I'll be playing an evening at the La Veta Inn in La Veta 6-9ish.  I always enjoy the Inn around the holidays, and I haven't gotten to play there at this season for several years, so I'm really looking forward to it!  The weather forecast is a little iffy right now, so cross your fingers for safe travels for me and anyone else who ventures out that night.

Best always,

Tom

Details this week:

Who:  Tom Munch
What:  playing & singing
Where:  La Veta Inn, 103 W. Ryus Ave, La Veta.  719-742-3700
When:  Friday, November 22, 6-9 pm

Monday, November 11, 2013

Thinking of My Dad on Veterans Day

Happy Veterans Day!  I always think of my dad on Veterans Day and the time he spent in the service.  He served in the South Pacific as a medic, and although he didn't tell a lot of stories (as many vets are reticent to do) the stories he did tell always let me know how tough it was on him to serve.  He lost good friends for no apparent reason, missed being killed at random, and faced the enemy across a rice patty at one point where he could tell that the enemy was no more than a scared young man just like himself.  He saw beautiful tropical paradises juxtaposed with terrible destruction in the same day.  It always hit me that the things we ask our young men (and women) to do and to see are things that they will live with for the rest of their lives, and it seems like there is no real way to thank them enough for enduring the things they endure and risking their lives to defend our way of life.  My dad only mentioned these things when we asked about the small outrigger canoe that a native had made for him in New Guinea, or after seeing great films he wanted us to see like "Patton."  I love and respect him for doing what he did, and that goes for all the men and women who serve.  So Happy Veterans Day, and hopefully one day we will have lasting peace.

I just have one public gig this week - Magpies this Friday 7-10.  We had a great evening last time at Magpies, and I expect this one to be a blast as well.  Maybe I'll bring the electric and do a few jazz standards this outing.  Hope to see you there!

Tom

Details this week:

Who:  Tom Munch
What:  playing & singing
Where:  Magpies, 229 S. Union, Pueblo.  719-542-5522
When:  Friday, November 15, 7-10 pm

Tuesday, October 29, 2013

Songwriting!

I'm writing a day later on Tuesday this week because I got to spend yesterday visiting my good friend, Don Richmond, and part of what we did between talking shop and sharing stories was to revisit a couple songs we've been working on writing for a couple years.  Collaborating with another writer is a really fun thing to do!  I get to bounce ideas around and flesh out more thoroughly than I usually do on my own.  We sit and talk about each line and how it fits into the overall arc of the story we're trying to tell.  We think about pacing and words and how it all fits together.  There are so many variables!  One song was based on an idea I had, and Don and I had quite a discussion about the topic before we dived in a couple years ago.  We had to pick this one back up and get into the idea again and expand on it.  This was quite an exercise in memory and reconnection.  The other song was based on a melody that Don came up with and lyrics that I kicked off.  It has an old-west feel that was really fun to work in.  The first song has a free-form ending that we just sketched out a little because we know it will take on a life of its own when the real recording is done.  I'm not sure whether one of us or both will record these songs, but they sure are fun to work on - the give and take, the reliance on each other's strengths and background, the fun of creating with someone else since it's usually a personal and individual adventure.  So I just had to share!  It's one of the more fun things I get to do in my work.

So what's up this week?

Friday I'm back at Magpies 7-10.  We had a blast last time starting up again for the season! Barrett may stop working Friday nights, so things may change a little.  We'll miss her for sure.  Please come out if you can.

Have a great Halloween!

Best always,

Tom

Details for this week:

Who:  Tom Munch
What:  playing & singing
Where:  Magpies, 229 S. Union, Pueblo.  719-542-5522
When:  Friday, November 1, 7-10 pm

Monday, October 21, 2013

Back from the Road - What I Learned


Well, we're back home and into the flow at home again - as much as you do right away, anyway.  It was a great trip in so many ways.  I had a friend ask me about it on Facebook, and I was surprised by my answer.

She said:

"So glad the vacation was what you both needed it to be."

My reply was:

"I hadn't thought of it that way. I guess it was that and more. I don't think you ever know what you need until you experience it. A vacation gets you outside yourself and your normal scope of life. This one did that. It also showed us what an extended time on the road is like. (We've never done two weeks off before.) It also got me to a festival where I got to soar like I haven't before. In addition I got ideas for new songs, connected with Jen in new ways that make our relationship even stronger, and made new friends. It really was all we needed and more."

That was a couple days ago.  I'm having a little post-trip coming down now that is bringing out other realizations.  There's a certain magic you experience when you travel that is interesting to recover from.  I wrote about it in my song, "The Road."  You have freedom in your mind to let your mind wander.  If you travel where we did you end up in pretty remote areas where you're almost unreachable.  You suspend your regular life in a way that lets you experiment with other life realities and other paths.  What if you could live in another place with another job or different priorities?   What would that be like?  You also see how other people live.  This lets you find out that your world is completely different than other people's worlds, and this helps to understand why people see the world and day-to-day life in different ways than you do.  (Life really is a wondrous thing with so many possibilities.)  And the thing I always ponder after a trip is just how to let these little epiphanies stay with me as I flow back into my regular life.  It's so easy to just pack it away with the pictures and souvenirs, and if I am to believe that it's better to spend our life resources on experiences and not things, then I want to take the time to make lasting changes based on the things I've seen and done on a trip.

So here are some things I want to hold on to.

-The Joy of Discovery
Even though we had read about different places and had a rough idea of where we wanted to go, we let the moment dictate our next move by trying new roads and new areas that we happened upon.  This led to sights, smells, and even tastes that were amazing and gratifying.  If I can break up my regular routine with a little of this I'll be a happier and more fulfilled person.

-The Love of Creativity and the Human Spirit
The festival in Prescott, AZ, where I got to play had some very creative people who could write and play in ways that thrilled me.  It reminded me that we humans can be endlessly inventive and expressive in ways that reflect the wonder of the universe and the vibrancy of life itself.  Remembering this every day can't help but make each day better.

-The Beautiful Silence and Awesome Roar of Nature
From the primeval hushed redwood forests we stood in to the tireless deafening white-capped waves we marveled at, the power of the natural world we experienced brought out a reverence and a peace that can silence any angst or unrest in the soul.  I know this and talk of it often, but I never grow weary of learning it all over again.  This surely can make every day worth living.

I think those are some great things to hold on to.

So on to the week ahead.

I just have one gig to tell you about this week, but it's a pretty special one.  Saturday night 8-midnight I'm playing for the Jimmy Durante Children's Fund Benefit Dinner at the Eagles Lodge in Pueblo West. Tickets are $28 per person or $50 per couple and include prime rib dinner.  Cocktails start at 5:30, dinner is served at 7:00, and I start playing at 8:00.  Call Rick Lack at 719-821-1115 for more information.  The event is limited to 80 people, and they are almost sold out, so call ASAP if you'd like to come. I'm glad to be a part of this, and I'd love to have you there!

Tom

Details this week:

Who:  Tom Munch
What:  playing and singing for the Jimmy Durante Children's Fund Benefit Dinner
Where:  Pueblo West Eagles Lodge, 348 S. McCulloch, Pueblo West
When:  Saturday, October 26, 8-12

Monday, October 14, 2013

Tales from the Road

I'm writing from the road today.  Jen and I have been traveling up the coast of California after the festival in Prescott last weekend which was amazing!  I've never had a better reception from nicer and more supportive people.  They've already asked me back.  I got to play amongst some great singers and songwriters!  If you've never heard of Beth Fitchet Wood or Bob Frank (just two in particular) then go listen to their music right now.  I'd highly recommend them and any of the other folks I got to hear - not to mention the entire Sharlot Hall Music Festival.  It was superb!  Big thanks to Jan Collins for introducing my music to the Sharlot Hall folks, Steve and Ann Atkinson for hosting us, and Terry and Jan Berrett for running the festival and handling the CD's and logistics!  Steve and Ann have become new good friends.  Steve's art is outstanding, and he is nationally known and a heck of good guy!  Check out his art - western to the core - great landscapes and cowboys and Indians!

And how is the road you ask?  Well, we've seen some amazing sights, had some very tasty wine and yummy food, and met some wonderful folks.  Highlights include Vina Robles winery in Paso Robles where we had a private wine tasting, the boat tour in Morro Bay with Jack the skipper and Roy the long-haired dachshund (who is a good little sailor,) long hikes and the McWay waterfall at Big Sur, the Año Nuevo State Reserve south of San Francisco where we got to walk on our own beach, playing music with my banjo-frailing nephew Eric Niehaus and harpist extraordinaire Diana Stork, and we still have several more days of our adventure before we get home in time to play Magpies this Friday.

So that's where I am this Friday - Magpies 7-10.  I always look forward to getting back to Pueblo in the fall and my good friends at Magpies.  It's a homecoming that gets sweeter with time.  And coming off a trip I'm going to be jazzed beyond belief, so this should be a great night!  Please come out if you can.

Better get back to the morning where we're off to Mendocino, the beaches of Fort Bragg, and beyond today.

Tom

Details this week:

Who:  Tom Munch
What:  playing & singing
Where:  Magpies, 229 S. Union, Pueblo.  719-542-5522
When:  Friday, October 18, 7-10 pm

Monday, September 30, 2013

Computer Crashes and Peace of Mind


Well, I had more computer crashes this week.  First it was my main PC - a two-year-old iMac.  I switched to Mac a couple years ago, and it's been a fairly good experience for the most part.  Yes, there are a lot of apps that I had on my old Dell PC that I can't have on Mac, but I bought into the all-Apple universe when I adopted the iPhone and iPad, and I'm trying not to look back.  After two years my Mac has started to balk a little.  I finally filled up the hard drive and started getting errors.  Chalk it up to my learning curve on what's automatic and what needs periodic maintenance.  So now I know that I have to empty the trash and do disc maintenance more often.  An operating system update has also caused me some problems with wifi access which has caused some consternation, and it took some good searching to find a solution online.

But the real problem was trying to upgrade my iPhone and iPad over the last two weeks.  For the most part I like the new operating system - iOS 7.  It's a little wonky, I admit, but I'm willing to make some changes to go along with what's next.  What really bothered me was that I actually lost a lot of documents I had stored on Apple's iCloud storage service when the Pages app crashed (a word-processing app like MS Word.)  Yes, I should have backed up these documents, but there isn't a readily-apparent way to do a backup, and I mistakenly thought that since they were on my device they wouldn't be deleted by what was in the cloud - not so - they actually only exist in the cloud.  So I spent all day yesterday off-and-on with Apple support online trying to get my documents back.  Turns out I'll have to trust the Apple engineers to find them on a backup server and hopefully restore them.  The good news is that I can recreate anything I need.  The bad news is that I don't remember all of what was there, so I can't be sure what I have lost until I need it.

And this raises what I really wanted to write about - the loss and weird headspace that crashes and the computer world cause in your life.  Let's face it, to use computers you have to get into a different space in your brain that is a world in itself.  And it's very abstract and very unreal in so many ways.  I usually enjoy this space, but it separates me from the real world and particularly from the constraints of time - you can waste many hours on diagnosing and fixing a simple problem.  And it makes it hard to focus on other things in real, physical space that need attention.  It's true that other projects can get you into the same kind of funk, but the mental mapping and abstract involvement that computers and software require is a world unto itself.  Add to this the loss when data disappears into nothingness right before your eyes, and it recalls the kind of loss that people feel when someone dies and there's no body - like 9/11.  All you know is that you lost something important to you, but you can not reach out and touch or see the person or thing you lost.  It's a weird abstraction that is, frankly, unhealthy in my opinion.  I have lamented many times in my life how much more human it would be to not have to depend on computers in our lives, but that ship has sailed, I'm afraid.  And anyone who knows how tech-oriented I am would never believe I could say that.  But the mental mapping and headspace that each piece of technology and software require in your brain is daunting and disturbing to me.  I think it's something that we will deal with at some point in some interesting ways in our world.  But for now I will continue soldiering on - enjoying the good times when it all "just works," and trying to forget about the times when it causes such angst in my life.

By now I've probably lost most of the folks who were reading this, but this week holds a wonderful event for me that I must tell you about.

This weekend will be the Sharlot Hall Music Festival in Prescott, Arizona, and I'm playing two shows and giving a workshop to boot!

Friday night I'll be playing Guy Clark songs as part of a festival kickoff concert that is a tribute to Legendary Songwriters at the Elks Opera House at 7:00.  I'll get to share the stage with several other performers during the evening, and then we'll all come together for a big finale.  It should be a blast!  A pdf of this concert with more info is at http://www.sharlot.org/images/stories/Folk_music/FMF%202013/legendary%20song%20writers%20poster.pdf.

Saturday I'll be giving a workshop with songwriter Bob Frank on Cowboy and Western songs in the Sharlot Hall building from 1:00 to 2:00.  Bob is a very accomplished songwriter and performer, and this will be a great opportunity to share some knowledge with folks about Cowboy and Western songs.  I'll probably concentrate on my knowledge of old cowboy song.  This should be fun!  A pdf with the workshop schedule for the weekend is at http://www.sharlot.org/images/stories/Folk_music/FMF%202013/Workshop%20Schedule.pdf.

Saturday I'll also be performing solo in the Theater from 3:30 to 4:00.  It's a short show, but I look forward to it.  I've got a tight set with my best songs ready.  I'll also be acting as the emcee for this afternoon of performers.

I'm in great company with all the other folks performing at this festival, so it's a real honor to be asked to play and to be featured in their promotional material.  You can see more of that and read more about the festival at http://www.sharlot.org/folk-music-festival/folk-music-festival-2013.  There's also a full schedule of performers there.  I know I won't see many of you folks there, but I'm excited to share it with you!

So it's a big week for me coming off my computer woes, and I'm raring to go!  I'll be back in Pueblo and starting back at Magpies in a couple weeks, so stay tuned!

Tom

Details this week:

Who:  Tom Munch with a whole passel of great singers and players
What:  playing and singing for the Legendary Songwriters kickoff concert
Where:  Elks Opera House, 117 E. Gurley St, Prescott, AZ.  928-777-1370
When:  Friday, October 4, 7 pm

Who:  Tom Munch and Bob Frank
What:  giving a workshop on cowboy and western songs
Where:  Sharlot Hall building, 415 W. Gurley St, Prescott, A. 928-445-3122
When:  Saturday, October 5, 1-2 pm

Who:  Tom Munch
What:  playing and singing
Where:  Theater at Sharlot Hall Museum, 415 W. Gurley St, Prescott, A. 928-445-3122
When:  Saturday, October 5, 3:30-4 pm

Tuesday, September 24, 2013

Keeping in Perfect Balance


I woke up in bed last night in the middle of the night with my wife, Jen, on one side of me and our cat, Anisette, on the other.  As I lay there I realized that I was perfectly balanced on my hip - on one side lightly leaning against Jen, and on the other lightly leaning on my arm that Anisette was nestled under.  I felt the interdependency of the three of us there to support each other in sleep, and yet knowing that the slightest movement would also shift the symmetry and balance we were experiencing.  I know we experience this unconsciously in sleep and in life - not knowing how much we are interdependent, and not knowing the perfect balance we are maintaining as we weave through our days - leaning and flowing against each other.  We are much more dependent on each other and our world around us than we probably will ever understand.  Sometimes we get this.  Often we don't.  The Native Americans have a phrase, "All My Relations" that approaches this concept simply and well.  We are all related and we are all one - from the way we share so many traits to the way we are  interdependent.  Keeping in perfect balance is part of this.

So what am I up to this week?  Well, I didn't have anything scheduled when I wrote last week, but on Friday I had one of my good friends who hears me at the La Veta Inn ask me to play this Friday for a friend of theirs who is visiting. This is the big Celtic Festival weekend in La Veta, Walsenburg, and Gardner, and so we hadn't planned on me playing, but it turns out that my playing will be a good fit, so I'll be there.

Friday I'm at the La Veta Inn 6-9. Come on by if you can!  This will most likely be my last gig there for this year.

So I hope you're doing well and are enjoying the fall season. Appreciate the gifts the earth has to share all around us, and keep sensing that Perfect Balance.

Tom

Details this week:

Who:  Tom Munch
What:  playing & singing
Where:  La Veta Inn, 103 W. Ryus Ave, La Veta.  719-742-3700
When:  Friday, September 28, 6-9 pm

Monday, September 16, 2013

Sameness and Surprise


I find myself thinking about the things I like in life this morning, and it occurs to me how funny the differences in those things can be.  On one hand I've been liking the same things for decades - Pace brand salsa, popcorn, and bologna sandwiches.  On the other hand I love music that has surprises in it - melodies that go where you don't expect them to - and spontaneous twists in the day that delight and make me smile.  I like the same routines and even cling to them - like the way I brush my teeth and other mundane tasks I do every day.  There is a comfort to knowing what to expect and when to expect it.  This even opens up space for me to think while I'm doing something else that I'm so used to.  But then again I love to switch things up just to experience life in a new way - even if it's as small as a slight change in routine.  Tasting a new taste or smelling a new smell in nature is a thrill as well, and can take me out of myself completely sometimes.  So why is this that sameness is a comfort sometimes, and yet there is a craving for new things that surprise and delight?  I'm not really sure as I write this, but I'm glad that life can have these different aspects that warm and delight us.  That's what's on my mind this morning.  Now on to the week ahead.

Before I tell you what I have on tap this week, I have to say how much fun I had at the High Peaks Music Festival last Saturday in Westcliffe.  I don't play festivals that much - partly from fear of rejection and partly from lacking ambition to pursue them, but this one was absolutely fulfilling and wonderful!  The folks were so nice - the audience, other performers, and the organizers, and the weather was perfect too.  I had a blast!

So on to the week ahead.  I have two great gigs to tell you about.

Thursday night we will have a special performance of the Song of Pueblo as part of the opening of the special exhibit, "Children of Ludlow: Life in a Battle Zone, 1913-1914" at El Pueblo History Museum.  This is the 100-year anniversary of the events at Ludlow that affected so many in our area and nation.  The free opening reception of the exhibit runs from 5-8, and our performance of Song of Pueblo starts at 8.  You can read more about it on the Pueblo Chieftain article here - http://www.chieftain.com/life/community/1810066-120/ludlow-strike-photo-colorado.

Friday I'm at the La Veta Inn for the last performance of this season 6-9.  It was too cold to stay out on the patio last Friday, so we moved inside after the first hour.  I had some really fine folks, and I'm sure this Friday will be just as special.  Please come out if you can.

That's it for this week.  Next week I don't have any public gigs scheduled, so I won't write unless something comes up.

Tom

Details this week:

Who:  Tom Munch with Johnny Watson, David Enke, & Linda Amman
What:  playing, singing, & telling the history of Pueblo at the Song of Pueblo oratorio
Where:  El Pueblo History Museum, 301 N. Union, Pueblo.  719-583-0453
When:  Thursday, September 19, 8:00 pm

Who:  Tom Munch
What:  playing & singing
Where:  La Veta Inn, 103 W. Ryus Ave, La Veta.  719-742-3700
When:  Friday, September 20, 6-9 pm

Monday, September 9, 2013

Landing Softly at the Dunes and in Life


Jen and I took a trip over to the San Luis Valley to see the sand dunes at the Great Sand Dunes National Monument today. We walked around for a while on the dunes as we've done before, and it always amazes me how striking and beautiful they are. It also strikes me how difficult it is to walk in sand - particularly on a slope. The trick is to land your foot flat and without too much force so you don't break the crust of the sand. Then when you push off you also want to push with your whole foot if possible and without too much force. It occurred to me that the harder I pushed, the harder it was to walk, and that of course made me think about life and how this can apply. The more we rage around and push against each other and against the world the harder life becomes. The key is to keep moving forward with grace and a smooth flow that balances the forces that pull and push at us. Yeah, it's not the greatest insight in the world, but it kept me pondering as I walked over the dunes this afternoon.

Now to get the rest of the sand out of my shoes!

So what am I up to this week?

Wednesday I'm playing the Senior Safari at the Pueblo Zoo 10:30-1. This is a wonderful annual event during Senior Week that I play every year. It's free admission for seniors, and the Safari features special animals, pizza, bingo, and my music in the Mandari Pavilion. It's always a blast and is very well attended.

Friday I'm at the La Veta Inn 6-9. We had another beautiful night last week with some really nice folks. The song "There Is a Time" by the Andy Griffith Show band, the Darlings, came up as a request. I didn't remember it, but a quick check on the internet revealed that the Darlings were actually the bluegrass band, The Dillards, with a couple actors thrown in to round out the family for the Andy Griffith Show. "There Is a Time" is a wonderful song, especially for the fall season, so you can bet I've learned it and am performing it now.

Saturday I've been asked to play a slot from 1-2 at the High Peaks Music Festival in Westcliffe since another performer had to cancel. I'm honored to play it. This is at the Feed Store Amphitheater where I did a concert in June. I'm doubly honored by getting to follow the Great Pete and Joan Wernick. You will remember Pete if you were ever a fan of Hot Rize or Red Knuckles and the Trailblazers. Pete played banjo and the electric table (lap steel) in those respective bands, and is a heck of a player. I haven't heard his show with Joan, but I'll bet it's amazing! Also featured will be Dakota Blonde, Smythe and Taylor, The Rejuveniles, and Gadbaw and Krimmel. This is fine company! There are more details at the festival website - http://www.kwmv.org/high-peaks-music-festival.aspx. Please come if you can.

That's it for this week. Hope to see you soon!

Tom

Details this week:

Who: Tom Munch
What: playing and singing for Senior Safari
Where: Pueblo Zoo, City Park, Pueblo. 719-561-1452
When: Wednesday, September 11, 10:30 am - 1 pm

Who: Tom Munch
What: playing & singing
Where: La Veta Inn, 103 W. Ryus Ave, La Veta. 719-742-3700
When: Friday, September 13, 6-9 pm

Who: Tom Munch
What: playing and singing at High Peaks Music Festival
Where: The Feed Store Amphitheater, 116 North 2nd Street, Westcliffe. 719-783-2771
When: Saturday, September 14, 1-2 pm

Monday, September 2, 2013

Life Changes


I had another change in my life when Shadow Hills called this week and told me they wanted to stop having me play for Sunday brunch.  Of course it hurt a little to hear this, but it made me think of life in general and all the changes we see in our lifetimes and how we react to them.  (BTW, I'd seen the change coming at Shadow Hills - I really take it as my fault for not maintaining good enough contact and feedback as management changes were happening.  It's okay though, I'm ready for a change.)  So back to general changes and how we handle them.  I've thought quite a bit about change and how we react and respond to it.  Of course the fall-back is to fear it.  I almost always do this, but I find that change has almost always worked out to be good in the long run.  I won't deny that there is a pang in my heart and mind when I remember and so miss what came before, but I've really found that change with an open mind can lead to more fulfillment and peace if I let it.  That "letting it" is a big part of the equation.  When I resist the change too much, then I find myself moping and whining about what is really an opportunity for growth.  I'll be blatantly honest, I'm not the guy who goes out of his way to always plan ahead and make concrete decisions.  I'm more the guy who goes with the flow and lets life and each situation guide me.  Growth comes when I listen to the situation and realize what bigger options I have.  I think that our purpose in life is to grow into more loving and understanding beings.  So bring on the change!

What am I up to this week?  I only have one gig to tell you about.

Friday night I'm at the La Veta Inn 6-9.  I'll be at the La Veta Inn three more times before their season is over.  I so enjoy the beautiful nights on the patio, and one of the couples last week (their first time at the La Veta Inn) said that the patio at the Inn was about the most beautiful place they'd ever spent an evening.  That's how I feel, and I hope you'll come and experience it yourself.

So Happy Labor Day, and I hope to see you soon!

Tom

Details this week.

Who:  Tom Munch
What:  playing & singing
Where:  La Veta Inn, 103 W. Ryus Ave, La Veta.  719-742-3700
When:  Friday, September 6, 6-9 pm

Monday, August 26, 2013

The Dilemma of Being Known


My wife, Jen, and I were having a conversation over breakfast that is still lingering in my head. I'm at a fairly low level of fame with my career, and yet even at my level I have come into contact with literally thousands of people over the years, and the expectations and interactions still hint at what is a major dilemma for people who are well-known.  Part of being on stage and having frequent publicity is a certain pedestal and celebrity that is difficult to deal with from both sides - for the object of the attention and the givers of the attention.  I've always tried to downplay it from my perspective, often to the dismay of those who give freely.  I've had to learn to say "Thank you!" even if I felt I didn't deserve the praise.  Being on stage brings a culturally-influenced relationship that is really strange.  The performer has his/her reasons for performing and being an artist, and the audience member his/her reasons for being in the audience and appreciating the performance and artist.  For the performer/artist it's unavoidable that a certain familiarity and comfort with being praised sets in after a while, and it's also hard to deny that it can be hard to have a genuine and gracious response or even aware that you've neglected to give one.  In people with much more fame than myself that I've interacted with I've been aware that the habit has developed in the person to be totally unaware of the praise or the sincere and worthy person offering it.  This is a psychological state that (in my opinion) is very unhealthy and dangerous.  It leads to narcism and dishonest behavior - something I have always sought to avoid in every way I can.  For the audience member there is an appreciation of the artist that can border on idolism (in the worst case) that is also unhealthy (in my opinion.)  As I look at my career and why I've held back from pursuing greater fame, I've often thought of whether I wanted to put myself into this pressure-cooker of emotions.  I've sometimes used that as an excuse to not push for more, and I've sometimes looked at it as something I maybe wanted - adulation is something we all desire, after all.  I don't have any answers for this, but I know it has influenced many performers over the years, and I know that I'll never have it worked out fully for myself.  What do you think?

So what am I up to this week and into this Labor Day weekend?

Friday I'm back the La Veta Inn 6-9 - hopefully on the patio.  Last Friday was unbelievably beautiful, with warm breezes from the tropical storm in Baja California that made for a gorgeous evening.  Hopefully this week will be as beautiful.  Please come out if you can for a start to the long holiday weekend!

Saturday we're performing the last regular show of the Song of Pueblo for the summer at El Pueblo Historical Museum 7-8:30.  The July show was one of the best we've ever had - the band and the audience were cookin', and I have high hopes that this one will be just as wonderful!  Call the museum to reserve your tickets today at 719 583-0453.  Doors open at 6:30.

Sunday I'm at Shadow Hills for brunch 10-1.  This should be a great week for brunch as well with the long weekend and relaxing atmosphere of Shadow Hills.

So that's it for this week.  Be well and be good to each other!

Tom

Details this week:

Who:  Tom Munch
What:  playing & singing
Where:  La Veta Inn, 103 W. Ryus Ave, La Veta.  719-742-3700
When:  Friday, August 30, 6-9 pm

Who:  Tom Munch with Johnny Watson, David Enke, & Linda Amman
What:  playing, singing, & telling the history of Pueblo at the Song of Pueblo oratorio
Where:  El Pueblo History Museum, 301 N. Union, Pueblo.  719-583-0453
When:  Saturday, August 31, 7:00 pm

Who:  Tom Munch
What: playing and singing for brunch
Where:  Shadow Hills Golf Course, 1232 County Rd 143, Canon City.  719-275-0603
When:  Sunday, September 1, 10 am-1 pm

Monday, August 19, 2013

Going for a Hike!


We just got back from one of my favorite things - a hike in the mountains.  It was just a brief afternoon hike on the Rainbow Trail above Westcliffe, but the late summer air felt great, and there were still a few raspberries on their bushes, and even fleabane and harebells still blooming along the trail.  It was very regenerating, and we need to do more of it!  What is it about a trail that is so enticing?  Is it the promise of adventure, or of new things to see, or just the feeling of the dirt under your feet, the smell of the pines in your nose, and the warmth of sun on your face and mountain air in your chest?  Either way it is heaven on earth to me.  I even like the ache in my legs and feet when I get home.  Sometimes I think it reconnects me with those who went before - the miners, pioneers, frontiersmen, and native Americans who walked the same rugged land and pondered their own existence.  I guess the wild lands give you something to measure yourself against - something that is so much bigger than your self and so primal.  And it reminds me how much I am a part of the earth - made from the very elements of the earth and the stars.  A hike is a magical thing that always brings out these thoughts in me.  How about you?

So where will I be this week?  Well, the summer is finally slowing down, so I only have a couple gigs to tell you about this week, and only one that most of you could come to.

Friday night I'm at the La Veta Inn 6-9.  I had another great group of folks last week, and it was getting a little chilly by the end of the evening as the summer starts to give way to fall.  Come out if you can.  There is a new menu with several items that looks really yummy to me, and my music just seems to fit this marvelous old building and patio.

Saturday I have a private outdoor concert in Cuchara for some wonderful folks I get to play for many summers - the Cuchara Hermosa.  If you're one of their members, I hope to see you for an evening of music and friends!

So that's it for this week.

Tom

Details:

Who:  Tom Munch
What:  playing & singing
Where:  La Veta Inn, 103 W. Ryus Ave, La Veta.  719-742-3700
When:  Friday, August 23, 6-9 pm

Monday, August 12, 2013

Would I Ever Give It Up?


I've been thinking today about whether I could ever stop playing music.  I have always thought that I would play until I keeled over, but several things have come up this week that have made me think again.  First, I've been having a lot of pain in my hands in the last few weeks, and then I almost lost my voice on Sunday in Buena Vista (I think I just had some allergies land in my throat.)  But then a friend of mine posted on FaceBook today that he was having to cancel some of his upcoming gigs because of a chronic illness that plagues him.  I reached out to him with encouragement and sympathy.  We always think that it can't happen to us, but as we know that's not true.  It doesn't mean I'm going to stop living my life day by day, but it does make me wonder what my life would be without the constant flow of music going through me.  I've been looking at different ways to express what it's like to play music on a regular basis.  Lately I've thought it was like an eternal river that I can jump into and ride whenever I want and need to.  That's sometimes how it feels - a river that keeps on flowing and is never-changing that always will be there for me.  Sometimes I feel like it is like flying - it takes great effort to take off, but after the initial push to get off the ground is accomplished it lets me glide and soar.  Sometimes I feel that it is sacred and a way to tap into the powerful energy of the universe (heady and maybe goofy, I know.)  So I'm not sure what it would be like to stop playing.  I do know (from reading Oliver Sacks) that the brain is actually changed by playing music regularly, so I know it would have a profound effect on me - mentally, spiritually, and physically.  I guess I'll cross that bridge if I ever come to it, but for now I'll keep enjoying the great privilege it brings to create and share something wonderful!

So what's up this week?

Thursday 6:30-8:30 is the final barbecue at the Yellow Pine for this year in the old barn.  We expect it to be a big evening with many folks who are coming to eat and enjoy.  If you'd like to be there call Jo Anne at 719-742-3528 by Wednesday.  Last week we had a visit from a bear and a good and entertaining rainstorm to boot!

Friday I'm back at the La Veta Inn 6-9 - hopefully on the patio.  I know it will be a memorable evening of good friends and music!

Sunday I'm at Shadow Hills for brunch 10-1.  Shadow Hills is always a great time with good food and views.

So please come out if you can.

Tom

Details this week:

Who:  Tom Munch
What:  playing & singing at the Barbecue
Where:  Yellow Pine Guest Ranch, Cuchara.  719-742-3528
When:  Thursday, August 15, 6:30-8:30 pm

Who:  Tom Munch
What:  playing & singing
Where:  La Veta Inn, 103 W. Ryus Ave, La Veta.  719-742-3700
When:  Friday, August 16, 6-9 pm

Who:  Tom Munch
What: playing and singing for brunch
Where:  Shadow Hills Golf Course, 1232 County Rd 143, Canon City.  719-275-0603
When:  Sunday, August 18, 10 am-1 pm

Monday, August 5, 2013

Morning at the Lake


I'm reminiscing again today because the cool breeze I was greeted with this morning outside our house brought back a summer memory that washed over me in a rush.  When I was a kid we had a trailer on a lake in central Nebraska where we would spend many weekends.  It wasn't fancy - just a house trailer we could sleep in and use as our base for boating, fishing and exploring the lake.  It had a great big porch we could even sleep on with screens and storm windows, and my folks bought a bunch of old mattresses to lay out on the porch so we could have sleepovers with a bunch of friends if we wanted to.  There are so many things I could tell you about the lake, but the main thing I'm thinking about today was just how it felt in the morning walking down to the shore and feeling that breeze - that grand breeze in my face with the faint smell of lake water and the promise of an exciting new day!  I may have been looking forward to taking the rowboat out to a new cove or fishing along the bank of trees in the cove where we pulled our boat in.  Our next-door neighbors on both sides were interesting characters, and one of them used to make German chocolate cakes for me which I still love to this day.  (I had convinced her to quit smoking when I was 6 or 7, and she was so grateful that she made me cakes!)  Whatever the adventure, the smells of the grass and trees and water, the sights of the sunlight dancing on the lake and greenery, and the sounds of red-winged blackbirds, frogs, and splashing water were heaven to a young boy.  I also remember walking in that breeze at night down to the point to listen to the waves lapping the shore.  It is so vivid in my mind to this day!

But enough reminiscing for now, what am I up to this week?

Thursday I'm back at the Yellow Pine 6:30-8:30 for the barbecue.  We only have two weeks left for this summer for the barbecue, and there have been many great memories with old and new faces.  If you'd like to be a part of it, then by-all-means call and make a reservation - 719-742-3528.

Saturday and Sunday I'm back in Buena Vista for the annual Gold Rush Days celebration 11-3 both days.  (I'm usually a little flexible with my time to fit into the activities during the weekend.)  This is a really fun festival with all kinds of fun things to do and vendors with great items and food.  I bring an EZ-Up craft tent and set up in the grass on the south end of McPhelemy Park near the waterfall with chairs and benches for folks to sit and enjoy the park and my music.  It makes a fun getaway in the cool mountains with some fine folks.  If you're hankering for a nice day in the mountains, you can't do much better than this!

So that's enough for this week.  I hope you're enjoying your summer, and I'd love to see you if you can make it out!

Tom

Details this week:

Who:  Tom Munch
What:  playing & singing at the Barbecue
Where:  Yellow Pine Guest Ranch, Cuchara.  719-742-3528
When:  Thursday, August 8, 6:30-8:30 pm

Who:  Tom Munch
What:  playing & singing at Gold Rush Days
Where:  Buena Vista at McPhelemey Park (on the west side of the highway in the center of town)
When:  Saturday & Sunday, August 9 and 10, 11:00 am - 3:00 pm

Tuesday, July 30, 2013

Lightning!


This is the season for beautiful and frightening lightning!  Lightning has fascinated me since I was a child.  I've been so close to countless strikes, from house hits to nearby trees.  I remember when I was a kid in Nebraska watching lightning hit the back fence and arc over the gate.  Then it hit a truck and welded the hood shut outside where I was eating at the Philmont dining hall when I was in high school.  It took out a bunch of appliances and one whole circuit of our rental when Jen and I were first together.  I've seen a giant tree just seconds after a big strike that was splintered into thousands of little match-stick-sized bits of wood with the smell of electricity and ozone (I'm guessing) in the air.  I have a photographer friend now who delights in sharing wonderful lightning shots he takes all over the country.

But the most amazing and terrifying experience I had with lightning was when I was working at Philmont as a ranger in the summer of 1979 after graduating from high school.  I was responsible for a crew of 14 (or so) Boy Scouts for their hiking trek of a week and a half.  We had several memorable experiences, but the most memorable for me was about half way through the trek.  Our itinerary that day took us over Mt. Phillips, a reasonably tough climb with great views and an extended ridge trail leading down to Sawmill camp that night.  I had arranged to pick up several treats for my guys that day (watermelon, Doritos, and soda) that I could hike up to the mountain ahead of them and surprise them with.  These kind of things taste so good after you've eaten dehydrated food for a week, and there was enough snow still on the summit that I could have the soda and watermelon chilled for the guys.  The scouts really enjoyed and appreciated them when they got to the top, and we had a good time taking photos and eating lunch at the summit.  Then we began the ridge trail, and I'm sure you can guess what happened next.  Even though I had seen the approaching thunderstorm, I figured we would have enough time to get off the ridge and into the uniform trees down the other side before we had any lightning striking around us.  We did, but this was a particularly intense storm with a lot of dry lightning, and the least fit kid in the group began to exhibit signs of hypothermia.  (If you don't have experience with hypothermia, the body core temperature drops to a dangerous level that can kill if you don't get dry clothes, warm fluids and at last resort, external heating to the sufferer - at that time the recommendation was getting into a sleeping bag with the sufferer and wrapping your body around them to warm them.)  I knew he had gotten sweaty and chilled and needed to be changed into dry clothes at least on his upper half ASAP!  I had spaced the crew out so we wouldn't attract lightning as a group, but now we had to gather around the suffering boy and hold a tarp or poncho over him while we changed him into dry clothes.  The lightning struck very, very close to us, and I was just sure that the Albuquerque Journal would have a headline stating that several Boy Scouts had been struck by lightning due to the ineptitude of their ranger and leader, Tom Munch.  We got him changed and moving at last.  Luckily we weren't struck by lightning and the boy recovered fairly quickly as we dispersed again and rushed down the mountain.  I swear I felt the hair on my neck stand at least once as the static electricity built up, but the bolt never came.  As a side note, the kid who got hypothermia was profoundly affected by the experience of the trek, and he was definitely a changed and more mature young adult when we parted ways.  As another one of the trek members stated, "Some saw the mountains, some REALLY saw the mountains."  He REALLY saw the mountains.

So that's a few lightning stories from me.  Be safe in the electricity-filled wilds as you enjoy one more month of summer!

So what does this week bring me for gigs?

Thursday I'm at the Yellow Pine for the barbecue 6:30-8:30.  We had a great group again last week, and even a nice little rain shower in the middle of the evening.  I so much enjoyed the folks who came!  I encourage you to come out for the evening sometime before we're done on August 15th.  The number to call to make a reservation is 719-742-3528.

Friday I'm back at the La Veta Inn 6-9.  I can't say enough about how beautiful the evenings are on the patio at the Inn.  There have been many special nights this summer already, and we have several more to enjoy.  I'd love to share it with you if you'd like to come.

Sunday I'm back at Shadow Hills for brunch 10-1.  I'm going to every other week at Shadow HIlls for the next couple months.  I just have a lot of gigs this summer, and they wanted to try a different schedule to see how it went.  Come on out for brunch if you can.

So that's it for me this week.  I forgot to mention that I spent a couple days with family in the mountains over the weekend, and I also got to hear and sit in with Don Richmond and the Rifters in Red River, NM.  I was a thrill!

See you soon!

Tom

Details this week:

Who:  Tom Munch
What:  playing & singing at the Barbecue
Where:  Yellow Pine Guest Ranch, Cuchara.  719-742-3528
When:  Thursday, August 1, 6:30-8:30 pm

Who:  Tom Munch
What:  playing & singing
Where:  La Veta Inn, 103 W. Ryus Ave, La Veta.  719-742-3700
When:  Friday, August 2, 6-9 pm

Who:  Tom Munch
What: playing and singing for brunch
Where:  Shadow Hills Golf Course, 1232 County Rd 143, Canon City.  719-275-0603
When:  Sunday, August 4, 10 am-1 pm

Monday, July 22, 2013

Seeing Family


I don't know how your summers usually go, but this is the time of the year that my family converges on the mountains, and I try to steal a few days out of my schedule to cram in a quick visit.  I always wish I had more time, but that's never how it turns out for me since the summer is my busiest time.  Still, I love to see how much the kids have grown (they're all mostly adults now) and find out how everyone's year is going.  They usually go on great hikes and day trips that I miss out on, but I get to sing a few songs with them and reminisce a bit over a day or two that I cherish and look forward to.  I'm sure some of you do similar things in the summer.

Last week's concert at Philmont was a wonderful time full of old friends and new faces and shared memories.  I was lucky to get to see so many friendly faces.  And later in the week I got a surprise from an old friend from Georgia who shocked me with a visit and also with attending my gig in La Veta and the dance with the band on Saturday night in Westcliffe.  On top of that I got to have a good visit with Texas songwriter Vince Bell whose music I love.  You may have heard a few tunes of his that Lyle Lovett recorded a couple albums back.  What a week!

And this upcoming week will have some great surprises as well!

Thursday I'm at the Yellow Pine for the barbecue 6:30-8:30.  Last week we were finally able to have an outdoor fire where the guests could roast marshmallows and make s'mores, so I made a s'more for the first time in many, many years.  It was fun and tasted pretty good!  If you'd like to come to the barbecue, call 719-742-3528 by Wednesday to make a reservation.  It's always a good time in the old barn.

Friday we're doing the Song of Pueblo oratorio at El Pueblo History Museum starting at 7:00.  I always look forward to doing this show and reconnecting with the local history in such a meaningful way.  If you've never seen it or want to see the changes we've made for this year, please come out.  I'd suggest getting tickets or at least reserving them at El Pueblo in case it's sold out - 719-583-0453 / 301 N. Union, Pueblo.

Saturday I'm back at the La Veta Inn 6-9.  Last week we got rained out on the patio after an hour, but we had a marvelous time sharing songs and watching the rain out the window in the rustic restaurant.  I even had my friend from Georgia (Rick Jordan) do a couple numbers that knocked the socks off everybody.  Come on out if you're in the area.

So y'all have a good week, and I hope to see you soon!

Tom

Details this week:

Who:  Tom Munch
What:  playing & singing at the Barbecue
Where:  Yellow Pine Guest Ranch, Cuchara.  719-742-3528
When:  Thursday, July 25, 6:30-8:30 pm

Who:  Tom Munch with Johnny Watson, David Enke, & Linda Amman
What:  playing, singing, & telling the history of Pueblo at the Song of Pueblo oratorio
Where:  El Pueblo History Museum, 301 N. Union, Pueblo.  719-583-0453
When:  Friday, July 26, 7:00 pm

Who:  Tom Munch
What:  playing & singing
Where:  La Veta Inn, 103 W. Ryus Ave, La Veta.  719-742-3700
When:  Saturday, July 27, 6-9 pm

Sunday, July 14, 2013

Blessed Rain!


As I'm writing this it is raining all around - not here yet, but soon - I can FEEL it!  I love the rain!  I have so many great memories of being holed up somewhere with the rain coming down outside - from high in the mountains in a cabin to sitting on a big porch in college or sleeping in a tent.  The smell and the chill and the rebirth that rain represents is a blessed event.  It is literally new life falling from the heavens.  Of course it brings misery sometimes in the form of flooding and muddy muck that's hard to drive or even walk in.  I can remember walking in the darkness down a muddy road at night with the trebled weight of the earth clinging to the soles of my boots.  But it is nothing but a godsend to the dry land around these parts, and I welcome it tonight.  One of my favorite memories is playing cards in a cabin with the rain falling on the tin roof drumming a soothing and mesmerizing rhythm that lulled me and made everything seem right with the world.  Ahhhh…I do LOVE the rain!

So what's up this week?

Monday I'm heading down to New Mexico to play a concert at Philmont Scout Ranch.  I wrote about this last week as well, and now that I have put together my setlists and made my preparations I am even more excited.  I have put together a list of songs and stories that just thrill me to be able to play!  I just know it will go by too fast, and I want to savor every moment.  If you're around Philmont tomorrow night I'll be in the Staff Activities Center (SAC) Baldy Pavilion at Camping Headquarters from 8-10.  If it rains I'm sure we'll be indoors nearby, so just look for the activity and listen for the music and come join us!

Thursday I'm back at the Yellow Pine for the barbecue 6:30-8:30.  Last week we had to cancel due to a mixup with the guests at the ranch, but this week will hopefully go off without a hitch.  My apologies if you had booked last week and then had it cancelled.  Call 719-742-3528 to make a reservation by Tuesday night if you want to come.

Hey - I can hear the rain coming down outside now!

Friday I'm at the La Veta Inn 6-9ish.  We had another great outing last week with some fine folks and good friends at the Inn.  Wow! Just wow!

Saturday night I'm playing with the Atomic Fireballs under the name "Midnight Rain" for the Westcliffe Stampede rodeo dance 9-1.  We chose this name years ago to play under at this event, and it has stuck all these years.  The rodeo dance has to be experienced to be believed.  All the unused energy from the rodeo gets poured out on the dance floor in a flurry of dancing and frivolity that is just a gas.  We give it a shove and start the pandemonium and then ride the wave for the rest of the night.  It's a heckuva time!  Come on out if you can.

That's it for this week.  Well, I have most of my regular Alzheimer's and nursing gigs as well as another show for the rafting scouts on Sunday, but that's another story.  I hope to see you soon!

Tom

Details this week:

Who:  Tom Munch
What:  playing a singing a concert for staff and alumni
Where:  Staff Activities Center, Philmont Scout Ranch, Cimarron, New Mexico
When:  Monday, July 15, 8-10 pm

Who:  Tom Munch
What:  playing & singing at the Barbecue
Where:  Yellow Pine Guest Ranch, Cuchara.  719-742-3528
When:  Thursday, July 18, 6:30-8:30 pm

Who:  Tom Munch
What:  playing & singing
Where:  La Veta Inn, 103 W. Ryus Ave, La Veta.  719-742-3700
When:  Friday, July 19, 6-9 pm

Who:  Tom Munch & the Atomic Fireballs
What:  playing for the Westcliffe Stampede rodeo dance
Where:  Westcliffe Rodeo Grounds (north of town)
When:  Saturday, July 20, 9 pm - 1 am

Monday, July 8, 2013

Yearning for the Mountains


It's that time of year when I really yearn for the mountains.  It has been a blessing and (I suppose) a curse ever since I was a very young boy.  I inherited my love of mountains from my grandfather and my mother for sure.  They spent summers starting in 1930 working in the mountains of New Mexico - seeking the cooler temperatures and scarcity of mosquitoes and snakes - unlike their home in Oklahoma.  My mom even used to guide horse trips way up into the mountain lakes around Mt. Wheeler.  When I was young we spent quite a bit of time in these mountains either hiking or exploring in my granddad's Jeep or my dad's Bronco.  (We even drove over a lot of old Colorado passes in my folks' 1960 Ford station wagon when I was an infant.)  I can tell you stories of sleeping in tube-tents at timberline at Bull-of-the-Woods or even climbing to the top of Baldy Mountain when I was but 6 or 7 years old.  The smell of the trees, the sound of the marmots or the wind in the aspen leaves, and the feel of the breeze on a mountaintop thus became part of my soul early on in ways that I cannot explain or understand.  When I reached my teens I got to work in the mountains at Philmont Scout Ranch - teaching backpacking and hiking in many breathtaking places.  As a young man in Colorado I explored many places west of Pueblo.  When Jen and I were first together we always had some sort of four-wheel-drive vehicle we could get into the high country in, and we hiked a lot of passes and beautiful spots.  But we have let go of the four-wheeling for practicality's sake mostly in recent years - it's expensive to either have a third vehicle for four-wheeling or to have one of our two main vehicles be a rugged, gas-eating machine.  That said, our feet and legs still work just fine for hiking, so we make time to get out and enjoy the wild lands - not as much as we might like, but we still know the value of the spirit of the mountains and their rejuvenating elixir.

So how about you?  Do you yearn for the mountains and the wild places?

And where does this week take me for gigs?

Wednesday I'll be sharing history and songs for a Boy Scout group from Pennsylvania after they raft the Royal Gorge at Echo Canyon Rafting at 5:30.  This is a private gig, but if you happen to be at Echo Canyon you can listen in from the porch in the front.

Thursday I'm back at the Yellow Pine in Cuchara for the barbecue at 6:30 after a week off for Independence Day.  I so enjoy these weekly barbecues and the fine folks who come out to the old barn for a night of barbecue and music.  It's a great time which you can be part of if you'd like.  Just call 719-742-3528 by Monday night on the week you'd like to attend to make reservations.  (I realize this is a little late for this week, but Jo Anne might still take your reservation if you call now!)

Friday I'm back at the La Veta Inn 6-9.  We've lucked out and been able to be on the patio almost every week, and it has been spectacular!  If you're in the area I'd love to have you there!

Saturday I have another session with a rafting group at Echo Canyon.

Sunday I'm back at brunch at Shadow Hills 10-1.  We had another great group of folks last week, and I even had a friend I hadn't seen in 30 years from college stop in to say "Hi!"  What a treat!

Sunday I also have a group of rafting scouts in the evening at Echo Canyon.

Monday (a week early, I know, but this is important) I have a special concert at Philmont Scout Ranch in the Staff Activities Center (SAC) at Camping Headquarters at 8:00.  I really enjoy getting to play for the staff at Philmont and share old memories, and this year will be doubly special because it's during the annual reunion week for alumni staffers as well, and there are several folks coming who are dear friends and musicians to boot!  It will surely be a night to celebrate and remember!

So it's quite a full week ahead, and I'm looking forward to it!  Be well, and I hope to see you somewhere down the road.  Life is good!

Tom

Details this week:

Who:  Tom Munch
What:  playing & singing at the Barbecue
Where:  Yellow Pine Guest Ranch, Cuchara.  719-742-3528
When:  Thursday, July 11, 6:30-8:30 pm

Who:  Tom Munch
What:  playing & singing
Where:  La Veta Inn, 103 W. Ryus Ave, La Veta.  719-742-3700
When:  Friday, July 12, 6-9 pm

Who:  Tom Munch
What: playing and singing for brunch
Where:  Shadow Hills Golf Course, 1232 County Rd 143, Canon City.  719-275-0603
When:  Sunday, July 14, 10 am-1 pm

Who:  Tom Munch
What:  playing a singing a concert for staff and alumni
Where:  Staff Activities Center, Philmont Scout Ranch, Cimarron, New Mexico
When:  Monday, July 15, 8-10 pm

Tuesday, July 2, 2013

Independence Day Memories


I can't believe it's July already.  And it's much cooler this week which is a wonderful change.  And I've been singing patriotic songs and thinking about fun things we did on Independence Day in the past.  When we were kids we didn't need an excuse to blow things up, but firecrackers were great for planting in ant hills and taking apart old toys.  The family firework lighting in the evening was always great fun too.  We usually lit them at a lake where we could watch the folks on the other side of the lake fire theirs off and reflect in the water towards us while we did the same for them.  Of course the fireworks seemed to be pretty simple (fountains, Roman candles, and bottle rockets) compared to the elaborate displays you can see nowadays.  They were still pretty and fun to light off!  One of my favorite memories was the year we came back from a trip along the interstate in Nebraska.  All the little towns along the Platte river and the I80 were north of the highway just far enough that you could see them from the interstate easily, and each town's firework display was like a moving light show as we drove along the interstate.  It was really special!  Then when I married Jen we started going to our local town's display where we had some memorable nights watching the beautiful colors dance in the sky as we shared our new life's beginning.  Today we have pups that are very frightened of the sound and fury, so we mostly stay at home with fans running to mask the sound of any fireworks in the neighborhood.  The displays on TV are fun to watch though, so we appease our pyromaniac tendencies and love of the colors that way - we just keep the sound down so the pups don't get shaky.  So I hope you have a lovely Independence Day, and I'll be out playing all around the holiday.

So where am I playing this week?

Wednesday and Friday I'll be at the La Veta Inn 6-9.  I'll tell you again, I've had some really great folks down there with some beautiful nights on the patio.  I really get a chance to be "in the moment" in this space and time, and it's a great place to be of an evening.  Come on down if you can!

Thursday the Yellow Pine is taking the week off from the barbecue since there's so much going on in town, so I'm thinking of going to the rodeo in Cimarron, New Mexico during the day.  A lot of old Philmont friends still go down every year, and I'm looking forward to seeing them and catching up and maybe picking a few tunes too.

Friday I'm at the La Veta Inn 6-9 like I mentioned on Wednesday above.

Sunday I'm back at Shadow Hills for brunch 10-1.  We had a spectacular time last week with old friends and very yummy food!  This week should be just as good, so come out for brunch if you're in the area.

I have some private gigs in the cracks like playing for the rafting Boy Scout groups like I do ever summer, so I'm plenty busy.

That's it for this week.  Have a great Independence Day, and Happy 237th Birthday to our great nation!

Tom

Details:

Who:  Tom Munch
What:  playing & singing
Where:  La Veta Inn, 103 W. Ryus Ave, La Veta.  719-742-3700
When:  Wednesday, July 3, 6-9 pm

Who:  Tom Munch
What:  playing & singing
Where:  La Veta Inn, 103 W. Ryus Ave, La Veta.  719-742-3700
When:  Friday, July 5, 6-9 pm

Who:  Tom Munch
What: playing and singing for brunch
Where:  Shadow Hills Golf Course, 1232 County Rd 143, Canon City.  719-275-0603
When:  Sunday, July 7, 10 am-1 pm

Monday, June 24, 2013

Gosh - More Fires!


More fires!  Gosh, can't we get a week without more of these in Colorado and the West?  And so many are near places I'm playing - first burning the building at the Royal Gorge, then burning the area south of Philmont where I'm playing in July, then burning near Prescott, AZ where I'm playing this fall, and then burning the east Spanish Peak near La Veta and Cuchara.  I'm beginning to think either someone is targeting me or else I'm bad luck!  Seriously though, it's not about me.  My heart goes out to all those who have lost homes and had real scares dealing with these fires.  I know it has become part of living in the West, but we'd sure like a break for a while.  The only good thing is watching everyone pull together and help each other out.  It brings my heart joy to see how good we can be to each other when the political arena wants us to be at each other's throats.

But I don't want to get into that.  Let me tell you where I'll be playing this week because it's a big week for me, and I want to spread the joy of music to as many folks as I can.  (That's what I'm here for I believe.)

Tuesday (tomorrow night as I write this) I'll be doing a concert in Veterans Park in Cañon City from 7-9.  This is an annual summer concert series, and I've been honored to play it for several years now.  It's a great chance to stretch my legs for all the Cañon folks I get to play for in so many venues and also for some visitors.  This will be particularly special for me since it is happening in the wake of the Royal Gorge Park burning two weeks ago.  I plan to share some memories from my years performing up there, and I also will be singing the song I wrote for the bridge workers when I performed up there - "Let's Build a Bridge."  If you come be sure to bring a lawn chair and a light jacket.  Sometimes the bugs are "bugging" as well, so you may want some insect repellent.

Thursday I'm at the Yellow Pine Barbecue in Cuchara 6:30-8:30.  Last week was the first week of the season, and what a blast we had even though some nerves were frayed with the fire burning on East Spanish Pike.  It was a very special night nonetheless, and I intend to make this Thursday just as special.  If you want to come, then you need to call ASAP to make a reservation since they base their food order on the number of reservations and also because they sell out most weeks.  The number is 719-742-3528.  The old barn awaits!

Friday I'm at the La Veta Inn 6-9.  I can't believe how many wonderful nights we've had in the patio under the stars (and last week the Super Moon!)  It's been just a heckuvalotta fun with some great folks and memorable tunes.  This week promises more of the same.  Come on out!

Saturday is the first of three Song of Pueblo oratorios for the summer at 7:00 at El Pueblo History Museum, 301 N. Union in Pueblo.  What can I tell you if you've never seen the Song of Pueblo?  It's like watching a Ken Burns documentary live and in person.  Four of us sing, play,  and narrate while breath-taking still images and video dance across the screens to give you a true sense of the history of southern Colorado and Pueblo.  I'm the musical director, and I'm so proud of this production!  This year we have added new narration and lighting changes as well as all-new video and stills.  It's the best Song of Pueblo yet!  We'll have our new (as of last year) albums with the current group for sale, and of course we'll be happy to sign them to make them a special memento.  If you want to come, then you need to buy tickets at El Pueblo History Museum, 301 N. Union, Pueblo ASAP.  We do accept walk-ins the night of the show, but it is frequently sold out, so I'd recommend getting your tickets beforehand.  I hope to see you there!

Sunday I'm playing brunch at Shadow Hills in Cañon City 10-1.  I've told you several times about the brunch at Shadow Hills.  It has great views, great food, and my music for the bargain price of $10.95.  How can you go wrong?

So after reading above at the week I'm about to dive into, I'm not sure I can keep up with myself, but here goes!  Hope to see you out and about!

Always sincerely,

Tom

Details this week:

Who:  Tom Munch
What:  playing and singing in concert
Where:  Veterans Park in Cañon City (west end of town on Hwy 50)
When:  Tuesday, June 25, 7:00-9:00 pm

Who:  Tom Munch
What:  playing & singing at the Barbecue
Where:  Yellow Pine Guest Ranch, Cuchara.  719-742-3528
When:  Thursday, June 27, 6:30-8:30 pm

Who:  Tom Munch
What:  playing & singing
Where:  La Veta Inn, 103 W. Ryus Ave, La Veta.  719-742-3700
When:  Friday, June 28, 6-9 pm

Who:  Tom Munch with Johnny Watson, David Enke, & Linda Amman
What:  playing, singing, & telling the history of Pueblo at the Song of Pueblo oratorio
Where:  El Pueblo History Museum, 301 N. Union, Pueblo.  719-583-0453
When:  Saturday, June 29, 7:00 pm

Who:  Tom Munch
What: playing and singing for brunch
Where:  Shadow Hills Golf Course, 1232 County Rd 143, Canon City.  719-275-0603
When:  Sunday, June 30, 10 am-1 pm

Monday, June 17, 2013

Memories of the Royal Gorge Bridge


I have a heavy heart this week with the burning of the buildings at the Royal Gorge Bridge last Tuesday.  I spent so much of my last 24 years in one capacity or another doing music and history shows at the bridge, and it is a shock to have all those stages and buildings where I spent so much time burned to the ground.  I've looked at the pictures and videos many times now that show the grey patches of concrete and ash that remain now where gazebos and restaurants and shops once stood.  There are things in life that just defy your ability to comprehend them, and I will always hold the memories and pictures of these places dearly in my mind.  The gazebo alone on the south side I figured I had done 4000 shows - combining the history show with my solo and band performances.  I started playing in that gazebo in 1989.  Then they built a stage on the north side where the zip line is now where I performed a few hundred times, and then I also played with the band a dozen or more times at the Juniper Junction picnic area on the south side, and of course I can't forget all the gunfights I helped with at the mountain man camp.  (The zip line is still functional, but they tore down that stage to put in the ticket booth and concessions for the zip line.)  And I have tramped all over that park over the years.  That is all gone now.  They say it looks like a moonscape in person, and I believe them.  Only four buildings remain with the aforementioned zip line and Sky Coaster.  But they will rebuild and make it better, and I'm sure it will be improved from the mixture of different generations of buildings that existed before.  Still, it marks a passing of an era that I will not forget.

We had one more weekend booked with the band at the Royal Gorge Bridge that has been cancelled at the end of July.  I guess I'm lucky that this isn't a summer I was booked seven-days-a-week up there or I'd be scrambling to find gigs for the rest of the summer.

So I guess we move on and hold our memories dear.

What does this week bring?

Thursday I start the summer season at the Yellow Pine 6:30-8:30.  This is a community barbecue that is nothing if not a blast!  I see such wonderful folks at these events, and it feels so much like family that I really look forward to returning every year!  If you've never been, it's a Texas-style barbecue in an old barn at the Yellow Pine Guest Ranch which is located in Cuchara, CO just before you reach town on the east side of the road.  They serve brisket, chicken, ribs, corn-on-the-cob, pinto beans and pork, potato salad, tossed salad, rolls, and homemade peach cobbler for dessert.  It's yummy and so much fun.  Afterwards you're welcome to roast marshmallows around the fire and make s'mores.  I play in the barn for the listening pleasure during dinner, and afterwards it quite often turns into a little dancing and hooting and hollering on the old wood barn floor.  It's just a great time all around.  You need to make a reservation by Tuesday at the latest if you want to come because they order food based on the reservations.  The number is 719-742-3528.  I hope to see you there.

Friday night I have a private event at Pueblo Community College.

Saturday night I'll be a back at the La Veta Inn 6-9 in La Veta, CO - hopefully on the patio if the weather permits. The last two weeks there have been fine weather and even finer folks, and we have had some memorable moments.  Come on out!

Sunday I won't be at Shadow Hills.  I wrote last week that I'm going to playing a little less there - about half the dates overall.  It will be kind of random until August when I'll start doing every other week there, so check my schedule or my emails to make sure I'm there when you come.

I'll tell you about Tuesday next week too so you can plan ahead.  I'll be doing the big Concert in the Park in Cañon City Veterans Park 7-9.  I have been playing this for several years now, and it's always a wonderful evening sharing the sunset and the green grass and trees with you all.  I get to stretch my legs a bit in this concert venue, so you'll hear a little different take from my other gigs.  Bring a lawn chair and maybe some bug spray so you can enjoy the open air on the lawn.

Oh, and the Saturday after that is the Song of Pueblo at El Pueblo History Museum starting at 7:00!

That's it for now.  Be good to each other and this old earth, and I hope to see you out and about.

Tom

Details this week:

Who:  Tom Munch
What:  playing & singing at the Barbecue
Where:  Yellow Pine Guest Ranch, Cuchara.  719-742-3528
When:  Thursday, June 20, 6:30-8:30 pm

Who:  Tom Munch
What:  playing & singing
Where:  La Veta Inn, 103 W. Ryus Ave, La Veta.  719-742-3700
When:  Saturday, June 22, 6-9 pm

Tuesday, June 11, 2013

Running to Catch Up and a Few Changes


Whew!  This week is kicking me already, but I'm running full speed to catch up or stay ahead - I'm not sure which I'm doing so far.  The heat is causing part of it, and little changes in my calendar and conflicts in life are contributing too.  Nothing is bad though, and I know that a few bumps in the road just remind me how fortunate I am to have the life I have and friends and relations to love.  I've met so many interesting and genuine people over the past weeks and months, and I have to pinch myself often that I get to cross paths with so many worthwhile folks.  It's something that always amazes me.  People are so creative and resilient, and it drives my belief in humanity and the ways of love and life to be out in the world.  Life is good...life is good!

So what does this ruminating lead me to this week?  I have some interesting new bookings and gig changes coming up.

First, I'll be playing a concert July 15th from 8-10 at my old stomping grounds of Philmont Scout Ranch in Cimarron, New Mexico.  I played at Philmont last year and had such a good time that I decided to ask for it again.  So I'm playing during a big staff reunion week and a 75th anniversary year that should be a blast!  Philmont meant so much to me when I was a teenager, and it has launched so many youths on exciting lives full of adventure and success, and it's a pleasure to get to connect with these past and future folks with whom I share so much - love of mountains, love of history, camaraderie of hiking and sharing campfires and good music.  I can't wait!  I'll tell you more as we get closer to the time.

Second I'll be playing fewer brunches at Shadow Hills.  They're going through some changes and have asked me to lighten their load a bit.  I'm not sure if it will affect their business, but I'm always the person to go with the flow and seek to be a benefit and not a hindrance, and so I'll be there basically every other week, but you can check my calendar or follow my blog posts to see when I'll be playing there.

Third, the Yellow Pine is starting a week later than I had originally stated which was this week on the 13th.  Instead we'll start next week on the 20th at 6:30.  Also they won't be doing a barbecue on the 4th of July which would be a Thursday that would fall into our normal schedule.  There's just too much going on in Cuchara that day.  So I may make a 4th of July run to the mountains or a visit to Philmont for the rodeo and all the folks who return to Philmont each year for an impromptu party.

That's probably enough changes for now.  Where am I this week?

Friday I'm back at the La Veta Inn 6-9 for what hopefully will be a wonderful night on the patio.  The last couple weeks have been beautiful nights under the stars with a fire in the outdoor fireplace and good friends to share music and stories with.  I hope you'll be part of the evening some night.

Sunday I'm at brunch at Shadow Hills 10-1 for Fathers Day.  There are so many great songs for Dad, and I can't wait to share them and some good food and beautiful views with the crowd at the View Restaurant.  Come on out!  And Happy Fathers Day!

That's it for this week.

Tom

Details:

Who:  Tom Munch
What:  playing & singing
Where:  La Veta Inn, 103 W. Ryus Ave, La Veta.  719-742-3700
When:  Friday, June 14, 6-9 pm

Who:  Tom Munch
What: playing and singing for brunch
Where:  Shadow Hills Golf Course, 1232 County Rd 143, Canon City.  719-275-0603
When:  Sunday, June 16, 10 am-1 pm