[Dixielandjazz] Club ViVa Gig - Wyomissing PA.

[Stephen Barbone]

Well, Barbone Street Grand Opened the Viva Bistro & Lounge on October
10, in Wyomissing PA, near Reading. It is a brand new Jazz Club
featuring "Modern Jazz" but we had been chosen because of our local
reputation for drawing a crowd. The place was cavernous with a capacity
of about 350 which takes away the intimacy and is a bit daunting. We had
a full house.

Folks from the Pennsylvania Jazz Club were there, as were other fans of
the band. The club owner came up and complimented us on that fact that
many in the audience were there, and had called, because we were
performing there. Very gratifying.

But there were a few glitches. Their mega bucks sound system was not
working properly. And so while we were OK musically (acoustic except for
Guitar & Bass) our verbal announcements and vocals were only audible to
a limited number of attendees sitting directly in front of the band.
None of the side speakers and none of the helper speakers 150 feet away
in the corners were working. Rats.

But we persevered and even got a number of young 20 something standing /
dancing / and shouting encouragement to us from the dance floor. They
had multi colored, spiked hair, tattoos and numerous body piercings.
Were they putting us on? Ever the bold, I went out on to the dance floor
and draped the girls with mardi gras beads. And then realized that they
were REALLY ENJOYING THE MUSIC. They couldn't have been nicer, smiling,
telling me the band was awesome. And the girls all kissed me, one by
one, in exchange for the beads.

I had never been kissed before by females with lip rings and pierced
tongues. Suffice it to say, I enjoyed it.

Fun? Yes. Successful? We are re-booked there for Friday Night, December
12.

Today, we are getting ready to open the Rehoboth Jazz Festival. Another
modern jazz event, with OKOM leading the charge. The opening event (we
headline) is sold out. Venue holds 500 @ $35 a ticket for snacks plus a
cash bar and one and a half hours of OKOM Barbone Street style. It is
tomorrow night. (10/16). This is one of the swingingist jazz parties on
the East Coast. Right next to the "Starboard" (A beach dive) where the
sign in the Ladies Room reads. "Friends don't let friends go home with
ugly men." Think I'll stop by after our gig for a drink and check out
the girls who flashed us last year when we played there to a packed
house of wild, young people.

Followed soon, Nov 1, by the Dover Downs Jazz Festival where we share
top billing with Tito Puente's Latin Jazz Orchestra. It is run by Tito
Junior, with Dad's charts and is a smokin outfit. Once again, we can
hardly wait. There is nothing finer that a gaggle of latino women
dancing to Tito Puente's music. They are gorgeous and very hot.

Purpose of this post? To once more light the fire proclaiming that OKOM
Jazz is a lot more than just old folks music, A LOT MORE. In fact it may
well be best when played by old folks for young folks.

Cheers,
Steve Barbone

PS. Bringing our swing dancers to Rehoboth & Dover Downs. They too,
ignite the audience.