My 19-month-old, Atticus, and I went to the local Community Market to see some friends — Mike and Kristie Strange on acoustic guitars and Stuart Jennings on mandolin — play music last Saturday, May 3rd. They call themselves Little Stuey and the Strangers, and they sounded really good. The addition of Stuart’s mandolin added an extra dimension to classics like Cyndi Lauper’s “Time after Time,” the Beatles’ “Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da,” and Jimmy Buffet’s “Margaritaville” (on which Mike twisted my arm to sing harmony :P).
We stayed for a cool (enjoyable, not chilly!) hour and a half or so. I got to chase after Attie up and down the ramp (aside from when I was singing, when the Acoustic Groove’s Tony Turner was chasing him around by the overall straps ;)). I got to see Darrell and Ruth Whitt, who were there selling their Skunk Farm veggies and eggs. (The Whitts used to hang out with Dreams, the first rock and roll band I sang with when I was about 18 to 20.) And I got to see my good friends, the Stranges, after way too long!
I first met Mike in 1988. I was freshly home from my first year of college (where I completely flunked out in Life in General, not to mention my classes…) My friend from high school, Timmy Woodson (who passed away many years ago now :(), called and wanted me to come play with his band. So I did. It was in the attic of drummer Randy Johnson’s house on Ricketts Street. Mike was on electric guitar, Timmy on bass, and Eddie Wilbourne (who is now, according to MySpace pages, playing with Mike and Kristie in 3+1) on keyboards. It didn’t last long, but it wasn’t long after its demise that Mike called me to join a new project, the Flaming Blue Iguanas.
That was around 1991 and included Mike and Kristie (who were a long, long ways from being married at the time ;)) on guitars, Jerry Wade on bass, and John Stophel on drums. I lasted until I was pregnant with my oldest son, Ryan, who was born in ’93. (I remember running offstage at the old Bogie’s to throw up in the bathroom during a guitar break one time; I was back by the next verse…)
Then, in about 1995 (?? I need some clearing up on the details ??), I rejoined the Iguanas. This time, Alan Rowland played bass, Todd Pinekenstein and William Gunnell both played drums (at different times, and I don’t remember when the switch took place or who played with us first…), Jeff Jackson played keyboards for a while, and Morgan Pinekenstein sang with us for a while. We had a great run, doing the community show circuit and opening up for bands like .38 Special, Steppenwolf, The Guess Who, and The Marshall Tucker Band.
Mike, Kristie, and I used to do an acoustic act on the side, as well, at local restaurants. I have tapes of our performances that I wish I could get digitalized!
The last time I sang with Mike and Kristie was New Year’s Eve 2004 at the Purple Onion restaurant. It had been years since we’d played, and I’m thinking I definitely don’t want to go three and a half more years until we do it again!
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