I Am In Love ... with The Lawnmowers!

I managed to drag my Joe into the city "where there is no parking" last night to go see The Lawnmowers at Abilene. I think he wanted to avoid my having the tantrum that I wrote about in my last post. Anyway, we pulled into the completely filled parking lot, and what to our wondering eyes did appear? A parking space was vacated in a most timely fashion for us, and Joe shimmied his car into it. So far, so good.

We walked into the packed, and I do mean PACKED, Abilene. The vibe was actually electric - like something really special was going to happen. It felt like The Place to be on this particular Friday night in Rochester. A space appeared at the bar, and we got our drinks and moved closer to where the band would be playing. The band members started getting organized to play, and who do you think was going to sit in? John Nugent! This was boding well.

From the first song on, there was no standing still. The beat was there to dance to, and had I more space, I could have really moved! As it was, though, we were packed in like sardines - but we were all dancing sardines. The vibe was relaxed and groovy but really alive! I loved this band.

The members include the ever-cool, Dave Cohen on drums. The lead singer, who also played guitar, is Ron Stackman. Now, I did a little online research this morning and found that he was the leader of the band Big Roots. They used to play at Milestones quite often, and I went to see them on my first date with my ex-husband. But I won't hold that against Ron! He has a very luscious, fluid voice - perfect for the reggae sound of the Lawnmowers. Vinnie Ruggiero is a great guitar player; I really liked his sound. It was pretty evident that he is a master of rock, jazz and probably most any genre of music. And I, of course, have very high standards for guitar players . . . I loved Russ Roberts and his cajun accordion - it added so much to the overall sound of the band. The bass player, Jim Schwarz, has a long history in music in the Rochester area, and includes Colorblind James Experience and Big Roots.

John Nugent picked up his sax and joined the band about halfway through their first set. He can really play. As Joe said, "He has a nice tone." It was great to see that someone who is so integrally linked to the jazz scene in Rochester can actually put his money where his mouth is. So to speak.

I can't wait to see the Lawnmowers again. It looks like they are going to be playing at the Lilac Festival, the Jazz Fest and Corn Hill. I wish I could get them to come and play at the soon-to-be-announced launch event for the Rochester Music Hall of Fame. What do you think guys? It would be awesome to have sound of The Lawnmowers there.

I had a blast with The Lawmowers at Abilene last night. I think it really was THE place to be.

yours in music,
Tracy