Thanks to all

Thanks to all for a great time at Skippers! also, thanks for a great 20 years for jglb!

If you have pictures, please e-mail them to me!

Here's some great pics from some great people at tampagold.com, who also do sohotampa.com.

thanks again to all who attended.

yer pal johnny

UPDATE: new special guests added!

New special guests added for our Feb 27 date at Skippers!
SCHEDULED TO APPEAR
Penny Robinson
"Count" Jeff Artabasy
Rob Stoney
Dennis "Torpedo D" Toerpe
Susy Martian
Dirty E
We hope to announce more in the next few days!
of course, we'll have the usual guys, Ray Blade, Benny, Tommy, and good ol' Johnny G!
read here for more info!

JGLB Fan Appreciation Party / FREE ADMISSION!

Well, this Sunday's gig at Skipper's Smokehouse has kinda morphed from an anniversary party into an appreciation party for:
1. Current, and
2. Former * J G L B * b a n d M e m b e r s *
3. My former employees at the restaurant / bar (which i no longer own, hence "former" employees)
4. ALL JGLB FANS

If you fall into any of these categories, please come to Skipper's this Sunday, Feb 27. Come as early as 4 pm, the music starts at 5 PM and goes AT LEAST until 9 PM (we hope a little later, if we are havin' fun)! We will be coming up with some great ways to show our appreciation to all members of the above 4 categories, including FREE ADMISSION! check the "comments" on this post for further updates.

in addition to the four current JGLB members, the following are confirmed to appear: Penny Robinson (left in pic), Dennis "Torpedo D" Toerpe, and Dirty E. We are in touch with many more. We will try to get more confirmations in the coming days, and we will edit this post to reflect the additions. (or post a new post?)

For those of you who will be seeing Penny Robinson for the first time, you are in for a real treat. She is one of the most dynamic and unique entertainers you'll ever experience. She brought some real sincere passsion to her work. Also, it'll be great to jam with THE MAN on the HAMMOND BE FREE again as well. Read more about that BIG ORGAN HERE! and Dirty E, well, he's da dirtiestmanindabidness.... his performances with our band are often the high point of the evening nowadays...

as i said, i hope to add more names... How bout Stoney? The Count? Anybody know how to get in touch with Jeff Black? Will Perish can't make it... maybe we'll call him! watch for updates all week... By the way, RAY BLADE (the KING!) may have some surprises...

Go here and here for more info. And fair warning: failure to attend this event may incur the wrath of this crazed lunatic!

Goodfellas! FRIDAY NITE ONLY!

Make sure you come to see JGLB at Goodfellas' Friday, Feb 18 at approx 9:30 PM!

We love this place, because it's named after one of our favorite movies!

This is the last stop on this tour, so don't miss it!*

*translation: after this gig, we don't play again till next weekend

get a spotter

When people find out that I’m in a band, the first question they ask is: “What instrument do you play?” I hate that question. But only because I am embarrassed by the answer. I don’t know how to play anything, although sometimes I try to whack the cowbell with some sort of consistency. I say try, because I regularly fail. I should stick with just snapping my fingers, cuz when I mess that up, at least it’s not loud enough to throw Ray off the beat. Ray, on the other hand is great with the cowbell. Whenever I am messing up, he casually picks up his cowbell and throws it at me with supernatural precision.

Anyway, I don’t know how to play anything. But I’m in a band because I can remember some words to some songs. Most of the time, anyway. Oh yes, I screw that up too. Just not as often. And no one throws anything, ‘cuz both of Johnny’s hands are busy with the guitar, and Benny is just laughing. So, you may be wondering: “Tommy, is there anything that you are not horrible at?” Well wonder no more. After considering this question for some time, I have come to the conclusion that I have above average dancing skillz*. I don’t know how to Tango or Lambada, and I can almost fake my way through a Jitterbug. But what wows ‘em every night is my perfect execution of the JGLB Shuffle.

You see, a good friend of mine wrote a song to remind me of all the individual dance steps required in the JGLB Shuffle. It’s a helpful little verse that really keeps me concentrating on the task. For those that are curious, or think that you may have the necessary patience required to learn and then apply that knowledge, or perhaps you just want to be able to converse with your contemporaries on the intricacies of the national dance craze, I have a gift for you. Following is the key that helps me make it through each night as a premium entertainer, the words to the JGLB Shuffle song:

Put your left foot to the left. And your right foot to the left. Then your right foot to the right. And your left foot to the right. Repeat.

Remember, you don’t have to sing the lyrics out loud. Just think about them in you mind, and let your feet move with the music. Please use caution when using this approach, and start slowly as to not overexert yourself. Have fun!

*also note how hip I am by spelling skills with a z.

Blue Shark / Knight Parade

This friday and saturday feb 11-12: JGLB with Ray, Benny, Tommy and Johnny G appear live and in person at the BLUE SHARK! Friday will be a good night to come hear us. If you come Saturday, be prepared to deal with BIG CROWD IN THE STREET for the Ybor City's Sant' Yago Illuminated Knight Parade. It's a great parade and great fun if you can deal with the huge crowd.

an inspirational message from our mentor

I am thrilled to announce a new message from a man whom i consider to be the greatest of all time. i cannot tell you how much being a part of his organization has meant to me, both from a personal standpoint of helping me to become a better human being, and the tremendous positive impact on my career. his words come to us in the form of a reply to this message, so please scroll down and read the reply. thank you, johnny
ps: look here to see the direct result of our work with the GREAT SIR OVLVER HUMPERDINK!

wednesday nite fever

another wednesday. another opportunity to watch USF's men's basketball team. they've won two in a row. tonight they play the Saint Louis Billikens. read an excellent article in the tribune about an excellent college basketball player, USF senior forward Marlyn Bryant. Look here to see what they say in St. Louie about senior forward Terrence Leather. I like what Coach Robert McCullum is up to. Only 2 more home games after tonight, unless USF gets in the NIT tourney, and gets a home game... see you at the sun dome

new jglb.net home page?

a "person of interest" has devised a new potential home page (what did you call me?) for our band's website. take a look at it here. remember that at this point it is only a "concept," so the links are inactive, and some of the text is just space filler. still please take a look at it and comment. thanks, johnny

another successful outing

I can’t remember the last time I saw 8am on a Saturday. But there it was. The JGLB held a band meeting at 8:00 in the highly sought-after back room at Nicko’s. The meeting was a success in the sense that we eventually decided that having your choice of eggs, griddle cakes, and breakfast meats was a great idea. Much love to the great cooks and all our friends at Nicko’s. All other items on the JGLB agenda were shelved for the next meeting, scheduled in 2009.

Directly afterward, the band headed down to Cotanchobee Park. Anytime you can grab a beer and help out the Friends of Tampa Recreation it’s a good thing. When you can do all of that before 10:30 in the morning, Karma is on your side. Well, either Karma or Nilo. Saturday morning it was Nilo Menendez and company taking care of the live entertainment. The Land Sharks and Pocket Change joined your favorite band to raise a ruckus for all of those crazy denizens very healthy people that ran in the Gasparilla races on Saturday morning. I’m still trying to determine what, exactly, they were running from.

I’d like to say hello to all of you who showed up to party with us first thing in the morning. I saw Kathy milling about, as well as Tom and many others. Thanks also to all the runners there that morning. I have seen some of you out and about in Ybor or elsewhere before. Let me tell you: You people look a lot different in running shorts.

McCartney

I am looking forward to the McCartney halftime show. It could be awesome.
Disclaimer / Disclosure: this man has produced some real garbage. I don't wanna hear "Listen What The Man Said" or "Jet." But I am of the opinion that there are 5 great "original rockers" left alive: Chuck Berry, Jerry Lee Lewis, Little Richard, Mick Jagger, and McCartney.
Here's what I'd like to see: FIRST WORDS OUT OF HIS MOUTH: "I'M GONNA TELL AUNT MARY ABOUT UNCLE JOHN!" MUCH BEATLES and i mean ROCKIN Beatles! CAN'T BUY ME LOVE! and maybe: "CLOSE YOUR EYES AND I'LL KISS YOU!" BEATLES 64/65 TOUR VIDEO! GIRLS SCREAMING! tributes to JOHN and GEORGE! and then: special guests: FIRST : RINGO PLAYING DRUMS and singing "BOYS!" and then the grand finale: LITTLE RICHARD! LUCILLE! WOOOOOOOOO!
ok, he'll probably have to do "Yesterday" and "Hey Jude" but keep 'em short.
Now if the show is anything like that, i will love it. Well, it probably won't be. It will probably have a lot of his cheesy crap.
But I guess: the Beatles are the reason I am what I am. in 1964/65 10 year old Johnny Lyon went over to my 14 year old cousin's house on a Sunday night. She was in front of the TV, crying uncontrollably.
It was the Beatles (on Ed Sullivan).
I HAD TO GET A GUITAR!

USF crushes Tulane

i'll be editing this post. but it was a great game and a great win.
attention all: three home games left. I have two tickets to each of them. Please let me know if you would like to go to any of them.
After three more games, we will (probably) never again see Terrence Leather, Brian Swift, Marlon Bryant and James Holmes play in the Sun Dome again.
They deserve appreciation. Thanks to them for playing at USF.

message from David re:

Hey David, why don't you tell us all about your product as a reply to this post? Thanks, Johnny

JGLB schedule

Feb 5 / 10:30 AM
Ft. Brooke Cotanchobee Park
After the Gasparilla Classic

Feb 11-12: Blue Shark 9 pm
Friday Feb 18: Goodfellas 10 pm
Fri-Sat Feb 25-26: Blue Shark 9 pm

SUNDAY FEB 27
SKIPPERS SMOKEHOUSE
JGLB 20th Anniversary
with special guests
exact times TBA

SUNDAY MARCH 6 / 1 PM – 2:30 PM
Safety Harbor Sound Marina
(behind Safety Harbor Spa)
with special guest
Velt Walker

30 years ago / 20 years ago / feb 27 at Skipper's

30 years ago, in the heart of what's now known as Suitcase City, the seeds of today's JGLB were planted. I met a bass player (now a solo singer-guitarist) who knew a guitarist and a drummer. Although both the bass player and guitarist moved away, the drummer and I have played AT LEAST one gig a year together since 1974 (except 1983,when I spent the entire year in California) (most years many more than one gig). That drummer is now known as Ray Blade.
20 years ago, in the spring of 1985, i had a "sit-down" with Ray Blade. I told him I was starting a band, and naming it after myself so I wouldn't have to change the name when "band members" came and went. I asked if he would like to be a part of it. Of course, he was characteristically noncommittal. But we soon had a gig at the USF Empty Keg, and also a gig booked at Skippers Smokehouse! So when Penny and Max said they were willing to play, Ray went along with the plan as well, and the JGLB was born.
(Benny first joined in 1992, Will Perish played bass 1994-1996, Benny rejoined in 1997. Tommy has been with the band since 1998).
So now we're having a party to celebrate this milestone, at Skippers Feb 27.
The following former JGLB members are invited to perform with us, we will try to contact them: Penny Robinson, Max Van Laundromax, Manny Yanes, Rob Stoney, Count Jeff Artabasy, Ron Witherspoon, Jim West, Bill Witherspoon, Mike Flore, Susy Martian, Chicago Katie, all "Not Their Real Name Singers," Will Perish, Danny Roberts, Dennis Toerpe, Steve Jay, Thor Stevens, Joe Fink, of course Dirty E, and anybody else who had anything to do with JGLB over the years (and is willing to admit it)
We hope you will attend!

regarding Will Perish's letter

How easy should it be to post a message on this board? i would certainly encourage widespread ( i love that word) participation.
a couple of ideas: perhaps we could could allow Will, and other "associates" or former JGLB members to post? or perhaps, just let anybody e-mail (tommy) for a "password" to post, that way, if a post is inaccurate, inappropriate, defamatory, inflammatory, misleading, provacative (in a bad way) or otherwise fucked up, we can determine where it came from if neccesary, and maybe even delete it. but generally, i would like to encourage as much participation as possible. but i wouldn't want it to be too easy to post, say, an inflammatory & defamatory post containing personal information about someone, falsely attributed to somebody known or unknown.
what do tommy, ray and benny think about this issue?

USF wins at Southern Miss 72-61

Hattiesburg, Miss: USF Mens' basketball team beat Southern Mississippi (AKA Brett Favre University) 72-61 behind 22 points and 9 rebounds by senior forward Terrence Leather. Brian Swift had 15, and Collin Dennis, Marlon Bryant and Marius Prekevicius had great games too... Leather has been troubled lately, but he's an extremely tough dude. Swift, a senior guard, noticed that Leather was determined to have a good game. ``As soon as he stepped in the airport, I could see he was determined to get back out there and do well,'' Swift said. ``He was upset and mad he let his teammates down.
Leather is fourth in scoring in CUSA, Swift is sixth. Leather is 5th in rebounding. Swift is second in assists.
After JGLB plays at COTANCHOBEE PARK this saturday at 10 am or thereabouts, we're gonna go to the USF sun dome saturday night at 7 at USF hosts Tulane.

birthday celebrations

Friday night we played at the Blue Shark, and there to celebrate her birthday with us was the stunning Kitty Beaverhausen. Happy Birthday Kitty!

On that same night, Dick Friss had a birthday too. If you’ve been in Tampa for any significant time, you know Dick. You’ve seen him enjoying life while listening to Tampa’s greatest party band, which just happens to include his boy, Ray Blade. If you feel like you don’t know Dick, you should get out to Cotanchobee Park this Saturday morning after the race. You never know: Dick could show up just so you can wish him a Happy Birthday!