This is our last outdoor show for the 2024 season. And it's on a GREAT stage. We first played here back in May of 2024 for the bar's grand opening. The stage is literally a musician's dream. There is a ramp that backs straight up to the side where gear can be loaded directly onto the stage. It is also set pretty high up… about 4 feet or so off the ground which keeps the riff raff from getting too wild around our special effects. And best of all, the stage faces a large open grass area towards the back of the bar where a newly built covered patio is located. What a great setting! So no matter where you are standing, you have a great view of the stage and easy access to get a cold libation.
Now, the guy responsible for building this all is a huge reason why we are here tonight. And it wasn't planned to be this way other than to be a regularly scheduled show. Let's back up a bit and tell you a little something…. We met a really cool dude named Ken Schunke in May of this year. He is the builder of the stage, the patio and more at R&R Patio Bar. He made a REALLY good impression on us at the Grand Opening. In a temporary encounter, we made an instant friend. He was that LIKABLE of a dude! Ken made sure everything was up to par for the stage, from the power, to any suggestions that we could offer him from a musician's perspective. Super nice guy! Sadly, he recently died in a motorcycle accident. Right away, we knew we wanted to honor this man. We learned thru his obituary that he was an Army Veteran, a husband, a dad, a friend, and just all around, a well loved dude and MORE. His celebration of life service was opened with Poison's “Nothing But A Good Time.” So of course, we knew just what to do. Frank made a video to play during this song in our set, and to raffle off an instrument at the show, with the full proceeds going to Tunnel to Towers Foundation which is an organization near and dear to Ken's heart. Our very own Amanda Trash, reached out to owner Russ, who immediately approved of this idea. Ken btw, was Russ' Drill Sergeant in the Army. They became real life friends and the rest is history. How cool is that.
So with YOUR generosity, we raised $2,000 in honor of Ken. Tell you what, the blessings that come out of a tragedy such as this, can really catch you off guard sometimes. That temporary encounter turned into THIS. God works in mysterious ways and while we don't always see it, HE HAS A PLAN. May He take the Schunke family and Ken's R&R Family and lift them up in love and healing warmth.
Also an awesome bonus to our show was a local Rapids band, Krool Fool opening up for us. They had a killer setlist and sounded great! Ah, to have a young generation on our heels doing what we dreamed of when we were their age. It's nice to see that live music still has a future. Nice job guys (and gal)! YOU ROCKED!
Big hugs everyone. Do better tomorrow than you did today because you never know what someone is going thru. The least we could do was honor a man who was clearly loved and respected.
And of course, THANK YOU to everyone that came out to the show. It was an AWESOME turnout and a FUN night.
FACEBOOK PHOTOS OF THE SHOW:
Sound/Production: Breezy Point Sounds & Lights Co.
Photography/Videography: Amanda Trash
Merchandise: Karen B.
Raffle Tickets: Amy Kennedy
Stage Techs: Marty & Karen
SETLIST:
Stay tuned!