Monday, June 25, 2018

Beauty of Dance

I played for a dance with my good friend Don Richmond in the afternoon last Saturday in the mountains, and then I sat and watched the dancers continue as Don and the Rifters played into the evening. I was mesmerized, and it made me remember all over again one of the beauties of our experience here on earth. The energy we pass back and forth and the togetherness that syncing in rhythm with another and others is a marvelous part of our physicality. Cultures as far back as history reaches have had dance as a major fixture. It is a joyous expression of movement and breath and grace and gravity. As I played I drove the dance, and as they danced the dancers drove me. It builds a fire of spirit and oneness that is beyond amazing.

What have I been up to?

The Royal Gorge last Monday and Tuesday was a lot fun. I had perfect weather and very sweet folks to play to and interact with. It’s just about perfect up there some days.

The Yellow Pine on Thursday was great too. I got to see so many good friends, and the folks of La Veta and Cuchara are so genuine and friendly. I love it!

The river dance on Saturday topped it off with some real magic. It was great to pick with Don, and I even got to catch up with some Philmont friends there. Wonderful!

What’s up this week?

Monday and Tuesday  12:30-4:30 I’m at the Royal Gorge Bridge again.  Tuesday I’m on the north Visitor Deck which was really fun last time.  If you’re in the area come on in and say “Hi!”

Thursday 6:30-8:30  I’m back at the Yellow Pine for the barbecue.  Is SO enjoy these evenings in the old barn.  As always if you’d like to come please make a reservation by Tuesday so they can plan enough food - 719-742-3528.

Saturday I’m playing a party for my niece Laura and her fiancee Josh.  I’m looking forward to that as well!

Sunday 1:00 and 2:30 I’m playing two 45-minute sets for a fundraiser for VFW Post 4051 in Colorado Springs. It is an honor to help raise money for the veterans in Colorado Springs, and a couple of my RV friends from Good Sam’s are helping to put this on.  Come on out and help support veterans!

Sunday evening 7-8:15ish I’m playing my First-Sunday Online Living Room concert at concertwindow.com/tommunch.  This is my way to connect with all of you over the miles wherever you are in the world.  I love doing these concerts, and I love interacting with you.  If you join in by logging in you make comments on the broadcast.  If you don’t want to login you can still comment by messaging me on FaceBook Messenger or texting or emailing me.  I try to keep up with all the comments.  It’s fun!

That’s it for this week.  You’d think I could cram in a couple more gigs somewhere, huh?  Well I am playing 8 nursing and retirement facilities as well.  Not to brag, but I love to play, and as long as my body holds up I’ll keep on keepin’ on!

Best,

Tom

Details this week:

Who: Tom Munch
What: playing and singing
Where: South side of the Royal Gorge at the Royal Gorge Bridge on the stage just off the bridge and at the north side Visitor Deck
When: Monday and Tuesday, June 25 and 26, 12:30 pm-4:30 pm

Who:  Tom Munch
What:  playing & singing at the Barbeque
Where:  Yellow Pine Guest Ranch, Cuchara.  719-742-3528
When:  Thursday, June 28, 6:30-8:30 pm

Who:  Tom Munch
What:  playing and singing for the VFW fundraiser
Where:  VFW Post 4051, 430 E Pikes Peak Ave, Colorado Springs.
When:  Sunday, July 1, 1:00-1:45 and 2:30-3:15 pm

Who:  Tom Munch
What:  playing and singing
Where:  online at https://concertwindow.com/tommunch
When:  Sunday, July 1, 7-8:15ish pm MDT

Monday, June 18, 2018

Traveling and Meeting Folks

I had gigs out of state last weekend, and staying in new places and meeting new folks is always a wonderful experience. For all the uneasiness I often feel about details and interactions, I always end up having a great time and going with the flow. And I guess that’s my lesson for myself once again this morning - when I relax and let things happen naturally it all works out fine. I even see this when I play - especially in the studio. When I tense up and concentrate too hard on a certain passage I freeze up or stumble over words and notes. When I ease up and even stop paying attention for a moment it all flows out in a musical and organic way. It’s so weird how that happens. And this lesson extends into my life in so many ways - from connecting with people to finding my way. There is just an innate flow to life and the universe when I relax and enjoy it. Do you find this too?

What have I been up to?

Monday and Tuesday the Gorge was great fun.  I got to play on the visitor deck on the north side Tuesday and really got to interact more with the folks.

Tuesday night’s party in Navajo Ranch was really special.  Happy Birthday again, Marlene!

Thursday at Yellow Pine was another fun night with old and new friends.  I love these folks so much.

Friday and Saturday night at Red River Brewing Company were crazy fun.  The energy is like a white water ride in there, and it’s so cool to ride it and help it along. I even had folks come all the way from Pueblo to hear me.

Saturday at the ski area in Red River was also a blast.  We had to be indoors with rain, but the atmosphere was fine, and Geneva and her staff made everyone welcome with great food.  Big thanks to my friend Tim Collver for setting up this and the RRBC gigs for me.  He sat in at RRBC, and was doing some cool hands-on ranger talks with Barbara as I played.

What am I up to this week?

Monday and Tuesday 12:30-4:30 I’m back at the Royal Gorge Bridge.  This is such a great place to play with sweeping vistas and nice people all around.  Come on up if you’re in the area!

Thursday I’m back at the Yellow Pine 6:30-8:30  for the barbecue.  This is such a nice environment that I’d love to have you see and be a part of.  They have to order food by Tuesday, so if you want to come you have to make a reservation by noon or so Tuesday.  Call 719-742-3528.

Saturday I’m playing one of the coolest places yet at the Cimarron River Dance.  This is a neat property below the Eagle Nest Dam by Eagle Nest, New Mexico,
near where I spent many of my summers growing up.  It’s close to where the fire occurred on Philmont Scout Ranch just a few weeks ago.  I have wanted to see this area ever since I had some family friends get married there many years ago.  Since it was below the dam, they called it their “dam” wedding in the “dam” meadow.  I don’t know if it’s sold out yet, but I’m playing in the afternoon 3-6 with my good friend Don Richmond sitting in (he set this up for me,) and then his band The Rifters play 7-10.  It’s kind of a partial BYO thing and there are details here - http://thesolitaryangler.com/annual-cimarron-river-dance/.  I can’t wait and would love to have you there!

I guess that’s it for this week.  There’s so much more to tell you, but that’s always how the summer is.  Drink it in and enjoy it my friends, and hey, go with the flow!

Best always,

Tom

Details this week:

Who: Tom Munch
What: playing and singing
Where: South side of the Royal Gorge at the Royal Gorge Bridge on the stage just off the bridge
When: Monday and Tuesday, June 18 and 19, 12:30 pm-4:30 pm

Who:  Tom Munch
What:  playing & singing at the Barbeque
Where:  Yellow Pine Guest Ranch, Cuchara.  719-742-3528
When:  Thursday, June 21, 6:30-8:30 pm

Who:  Tom Munch with Don Richmond sittin’ in
What:  playing and singing at the Cimarron River Dance
Where:  Cimarron Canyon, NM
When:  Saturday, June 23, 3-6 pm

Monday, June 11, 2018

Getting to Know New People

As you know I am endlessly fascinated by so many things in life, and this week I want to write about the interaction that happens with new people.  Jen and I got to spend time with our niece and her boyfriend this weekend, and talking with her and her boyfriend, whom we had never met before, was very cool.  There is such a give and take and even a dance that happens as you Q and A with someone you're just meeting.  It's a privilege and even a challenge to find out more about a person and how they think.  I'm reminded of the song from "The King and I,” which I was in a production of in high school, called “Getting to Know You."  What are the words?  "Getting to know you, getting to know all about you.  Getting to like you, getting to hope you like me.  Getting to know you, putting it my way, but nicely.  You are precisely my cup of tea.  Getting to know you, getting to feel free and easy.  When I am with you, getting to know what to say.  Haven't you noticed, suddenly I'm bright and breezy?  Because of all the beautiful and new things I'm learning about you day by day."  I think deep down we understand how we are all related, and getting to know what someone else is experiencing in this life helps us feel not only our kinship but also our rudder's position on our journey.  This life is such an adventure and a playground of emotion and experience, and getting to know people is such a worthwhile part of it.  Don't you think?

What have I been up to?

I have to admit that the first week of my summer season knocked me on my butt.  I hit the ground running and instantly started trying to catch up with myself.  I'm coming alongside myself now, but I'll be taking deep breaths and pacing myself as I go along. I'm going to have to replace my car because it's not keeping up with the schedule, and I'm going to need a little TLC to my feet and hands, but it'll all come toegether.

Monday and Tuesday were a blast at the Royal Gorge Bridge.  I was instantly reminded of why I've always loved playing up there.  It's such a beautiful and inspiring thing to play on the edge of such a splendid canyon for such wonderful folks as those who stop by.

Wednesday I picked up a concert playing with my friend Ken Bausano at the State Fair grounds in Pueblo.  He was there for an RV convention and put together a group of wonderful folks to play for.

Thursday was old home week right off the bat with the regulars at the Yellow Pine.  I love playing for these folks so much, and it was easy to fall right in with them and have a good time.

What's up this week?

Monday and Tuesday 12:30-4:30 I'm back at the Royal Gorge Bridge, and Tuesday I'll be on the north side on the Visitor Deck.  I can't wait!

Tuesday night I have a prvate birthday party at Navajo Ranch near La Veta that should be fun.

Thursday I'm back at the Yellow Pine 6:30-8:30 for the barbecue.  We could have handled more people last week, but not everybody called by Tuesday to make reservations so we could order enough food.  If you want to come please call by Tuesday.  I'd love to have you there at the rustic barn for some great barbecue, music, and camaraderie.

Friday night and Saturday night 7-10 I'm at the Red River Brewing Company in Red River, New Mexico.  My friend Tim Collver set these gigs up for me, and he'll be sitting in both nights with me.  It should be great fun!

Saturday over lunch 11-1 I'll be at the top of the ski resort in Red River for their "Concerts on Top" concert series.  I did one of these a few years back, and I really enjoyed it.  It's a beautiful location with good food and great folks.

Anything new?

I just picked up a gig playing in Cimarron Canyon just below Eagle Nest Lake Dam for the Cimarron River Dance and BBQ.  This is sometimes now as the Dam party in the Dam meadow.  I've wanted to see this place ever since some friends got married many years ago here, and I'm thrilled to have my good freind Don Richmond sitting in for this gig.  (He's the one who got me the gig!)  If you're interested visit thesolitaryangler.com for tickets and information.  It should be a heck of a party.

My Boy Scout gigs may change with the altered schedule at Philmont Scout Ranch with the fire that raged down there.  Stay tuned.

I guess that's all that's new for now.  Check my full schedule at tommunch.com/calendar.

I'll sign off for this week.  Take care of yourself, and enjoy each other - especially new folks and new faces.

Best always,

Tom

Details this week:

Who: Tom Munch
What: playing and singing
Where: South side of the Royal Gorge at the Royal Gorge Bridge on the stage just off the bridge and at the north side Visitor Deck
When: Monday and Tuesday, June 11 and 12, 12:30 pm-4:30 pm

Who:  Tom Munch
What:  playing & singing at the Barbeque
Where:  Yellow Pine Guest Ranch, Cuchara.  719-742-3528
When:  Thursday, June 14, 6:30-8:30 pm

Who:  Tom Munch
What:  playing and singing with Tim Collver
Where:  Red River Brewing Company, Red River, New Mexico 575-754-4422
When:  Friday, June 15 and Saturday, June 16, 7-10 pm

Who:  Tom Munch
What:  playing and singing
Where:  Concerts on Top at Red River Ski Area
When:  Saturday, June 16, 11 am - 1 pm

Monday, June 4, 2018

The Desire to Help

As you may have heard there is a big fire going on in my old stomping grounds in northern New Mexico that started in Ute Park and spread into Philmont Scout Ranch and toward Cimarron. I immediately wanted to know as much as I could about it from all sources on the web, on Twitter, and on Facebook, and to use that information to help ease others fears. I’ve always felt the desire to help when I could, particularly with fire and other natural disasters. I don’t know exactly where that desire comes from, but I know it’s a good thing. There is a natural kinship that we all share - almost a knowing that we need each other and are ultimately one with each other. This comes out in times of trouble. We tend to think that people are selfish and look out for themselves, but I believe just the opposite - we are unknowingly but intimately intertwined down to the smallest elements of spirit and being, and this compels us to help each other. When all pretense is stripped away we gain an awareness of shared purpose. I think it’s grand, and I cherish this. Sometimes it takes a natural disaster to draw this out of people.

What have I been up to?

My online concert on Sunday was a blast. I did a bunch of songs in tribute to Philmont where the fires have been this last week. I so enjoy doing these although sometimes I get a little flustered watching messages come in and choosing songs to play. I just don’t multi-task like I used to!

What am I up to this week?

This is the first busy week of the season.

Monday and Tuesday 12:30-4:30 I’m at the Royal Gorge Bridge playing on the south side stage by the bridge. I’ve always loved playing for the folks who come to the bridge while enjoying being out in the fresh air and next to that awesome chasm. Come see me if you happen to be at the bridge.

Thursday 6:30-8:30ish I start the barbecues at the Yellow Pine Guest Ranch. This has been such a wonderful place to play and enjoy the friendship of the folks of the Cuchara Valley for so many years. If you’ve never been, it’s Texas-style barbecue held in an old rustic barn with all the fixin's. I do lots of old favorites, and folks even get up to dance on the old barn floor as the evening progresses. It is SO much fun. If you’d like to be part of it, call 719-742-3528 by Tuesday for reservations.

That’s it for this first week of summer. I hope you are enjoying your summer already, and I hope you feel the joy of helping that I spoke of above.

Best always,

Tom

Details this week:

Who: Tom Munch
What: playing and singing
Where: South side of the Royal Gorge at the Royal Gorge Bridge on the stage just off the bridge
When: Monday and Tuesday, June 4 and 5, 12:30 pm-4:30 pm

Who:  Tom Munch
What:  playing & singing at the Barbeque
Where:  Yellow Pine Guest Ranch, Cuchara.  719-742-3528
When:  Thursday, June 7, 6:30-8:30 pm