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Well, my 2-month hiatus from the road is about to end but I sure made good use of the time I had. I was able to visit my brother Frank in San Antonio, TX for a few days…it was great spending some quality time with him. The following week I flew to Hilton Head, SC to be best man at Frankie Gray & Christine’s wedding…what a beautiful wedding it was as they were married on the beach!! But most of my time off was spent enjoying making music with some old friends.
I performed one night with Jim Tigue and Billy Sullivan came along to hang out. Jim’s “Wish You Were Here” alumni E-Roc & Jon Darling were also there. Needless to say, total musical mayhem broke out as Billy, E-Roc & Jon joined Jim and I on stage for about 2 hours of non-stop fun!!

“with Billy, Jim, E-Roc & Jon”

The Knuckleheads also made a rare appearance at Wexler’s in Cleveland…another wacky & fun night of music. The Knuckleheads are: Billy Sullivan, Fred Jackson and me.

“The Knuckleheads”

On another night I sat in on bass with Paul Pope and Billy as they prepared for their upcoming Paul Pope Band shows in C-Town & Buffalo….love playing Paul’s music!!

“on stge with Billy, Jon & Paul”

Also, The Wally Bryson Group performed a concert at The Winchester in Lakewood. It was a packed house and we rocked the place!!! The line-up consists of: Wally Bryson (The Raspberries, The Choir, Tattoo, Fotomaker), Bill March (Beau Coup), Ed Brown (Sittin’ Ducks), Billy Sullivan and me. The night featured songs from Wally’s illustrious career.

“The Wally Bryson Group live”

But the highlight of my touring hiatus was the reunion of my first band “Love Affair”. It was the first time the original line-up performed together in 28 years. The show sold out a month prior to our appearance so a second show was added and both shows were FANTASTIC!!! It truly was the highlight of my musical career so far. The memories & music that were shared between us, our friends and fans will stay with me for the rest of my life!!! I big thank you to all that made this such a huge success!

“Love Affair on stage”

“doing my thing”

“taking a bow”

Next week I return to my normal touring schedule with Herman’s Hermits starring Peter Noone as we kick it back into gear with a 3-day performance at Epcot in sunny Florida. See ya on the road!!!

I’m officially on vacation from the road until May…the longest I will have been off the road since 2005. And I’m enjoying it so far. I’ve actually been able to get out and see some friends perform around town…still a lot of great talent here in C-Town!!! But prior to my hiatus from the road I spent almost the entire month of February and the first week of March on the road…I was only in town for 4 days….enough time to re-pack, rehearse twice for the Love Affair reunion and perform twice with my piano bar around town.

Almost 2 full weeks of February were spent in warm weather, perform in Marietta GA, Ft Lauderdale & Tampa FL…and as usual Busch Gardens was wonderful, especially joining the Noonatics for their yearly dinner get together!!

“Peter and his Hermits taking a bow at Busch Gardens”

“Clowning with Peter on stage in Marietta GA”

After Florida I flew to England for a week to rehearse the band “Vanity Fare” for Peter’s UK tour. Since it was my first time in England, I made sure that I dined on the English cuisine…I had a pint of ale at ate a meat pie at an old English pub, ate fish & chips for lunch one day & ate a true English breakfast each day. Plus, meeting and hanging out with Peter’s younger brother Damon was a total blast…what a great guy! He even got me to try black pudding, but I didn’t care for that!!!

“Eddie, Mark & Bernie from Vanity Fare rehearsing”

“Peter & I rehearsing with Vanity Fare”

“Brian Poole, Peter, Chris Montez & Brian Hyland rehearsing the encore for the UK tour”

Concert reminders: I will be performing with the Cleveland legend Wally Bryson (Raspberries, Choir, Fotomaker, Tattoo) at the Winchester Music Hall in Lakewood on Friday the 13^th.
And of course our “Love Affair” reunion will be taking place on April 28 at The Tangier in Akron. The show is almost sold out so if you haven’t already got your tickets you should do so quickly!! Here’s the link: http://www.thetangier.com/entertainment.php

“Love Affair then & now”

I’m flying to Oregon as I type this…barely a month into the new year and the tour schedule has already taken me to Marion & Toledo OH, Niagara Falls Ontario, Las Vegas NV, Snoqualmie WA, Merrillville IN and back to Canada in Calgary Alberta. Next up is Canyonville OR, Hot Springs Village AR, Fairfield CT, Marietta GA, Ft. Lauderdale & Tampa FL. I will then fly to the UK for 4 days and after that I’m on vacation until May!

By vacation what I really mean is I’ll be off the road and in town through May and because of that, I’ve been able to schedule some exciting things around town.

First and foremost is our upcoming “Love Affair” reunion concert on April 28 at Tangiers in Akron. It’s the first time the 5 of us will have performed together since 1984. The rehearsals have begun and we’re having a blast…so many wonderful memories…it’s going to be great!! There’s not many tickets left so get online or call soon!! Here’s the link:

http://www.thetangier.com/entertainment.php

“Wes, Wayne & John at rehearsal”

“with Wes rehearsing.”

And on April 13 I will be performing with the Cleveland legend Wally Bryson (The Choir, The Raspberries, Tattoo, Fotomaker) at The Winchester in Lakewood, OH. We’re called “The Wally Bryson Group” and the members are Wally, Billy Sullivan, Bill March, Ed Brown and myself. You won’t want to miss it!!

“The Wally Bryson Group”

I will finally finish my new CD during this break and release it sometime in May. One more thing…keep an eye on my calendar, as I will also be playing around town with my piano bar. See ya soon!!

“my piano bar”

We just finished our last tour date of 2011 and did it in style as Herman’s Hermits starring Peter Noone headlined Bowzer’s Christmas Show in Clearwater, Florida. The Ruth Eckerd Hall was packed!! Dewey Bunnell of the group “America” stopped by to catch Peter’s show…it was so cool meeting him!

“with Jana & Dewey Bunnell of America”

“with Peter having fun on stage”

I actually have a few weeks off to enjoy Christmas and New Years Eve here in C-Town with my family and friends before I hit the road again in January. One of the best things about all the traveling I do is the greeting I get from my dog Diva when I get home as you can see below.

“Diva greeting me after a long road trip”

Before I go, I want to tell you that long awaited “Love Affair” reunion has finally been scheduled…it will be on April 28, 2012 at Tangiers in Akron, OH. It will feature all 5 of us performing together for the first time since 1984…I can’t wait!!! Tickets should go sale soon….you can contact them here: http://www.thetangier.com/entertainment.php

“Then & Now!!!”

Everyone have a joyous Christmas and a wonderful New Years!!!

I’m flying to Little Rock, AR right now and realized that once again, it’s been a whole month since I posted a blog. But what a month it has been!! Traveling, rehearsing, performing in a few different projects, meeting new people…I sure had a good time!

While performing at the Cannery in Las Vegas I had the pleasure of meeting a man that I’ve admired for a long time, Frank Luntz. And let me tell you, he knows his rock-n-roll history just as well as he knows his politics and how people think. It was truly an honor!!

“with Frank Luntz”

After Vegas, Billy and I flew to Texas for a “Spina & Sullivan” performance a Betty Brown’s (I call her El Presidente) 60^th birthday party…everyone had a grand time!!!

“with Billy, Mo, Betty & Jana”

Before the party, Jana & Mo had to work the fields…luckily; I was able to capture the moment.

“Mo & Jana working the fields in dress clothes!”

And last week, the concert I had been excitedly waiting to perform for months: Wally Bryson and Friends. It was a benefit concert for R.O.A.M. We performed Wally’s music that spanned his entire career along with some of the musicians from the bands he performed in. Dann Klawon, Dave Burke & Kenny Margolis of The Choir performed a couple of numbers. Later on, Scott McCarl (The Raspberries) & Lex Marchesi (Fotomaker) joined us for a few songs and added to the memorable evening. The Beachland Ballroom was packed and Wally rocked the house. His son, Jesse, also performed that night with his own band. Needless to say, he’s a chip off the old block as his original songs are well written, he kicks butt on guitar and he has a great voice.

“Wally Bryson & Friends ”

“on stage performing Might As Well”

Local Notes: Don’t miss the “Spina, Sullivan & Hudak” reunion show the night before Thanksgiving (11/23) at The Mad Cactus. The music & mayhem begins at 9:00pm. Also, I’ll be performing around town throughout the Thanksgiving & Christmas holidays so please check my calendar often to see when and where.

Go check out the haunted houses, eat lots of candy, find a silly costume and have a happy Halloween!

Wow, September’s already here…where did the last couple of months go? It sure was a busy summer of touring. I was in so many states over the last 2 months I lost count. But I did find time while in Denver to spend some time with some old friends Chuck Ciepiel & Jeff LaQuatra.

“with Chuck Ciepiel, Jeff LaQuatra & Billy”

And what little time I was home I made count. In early August I was able to celebrate my dear friend Paul Fayrewether’s 60^th birthday at his surprise party.

“with Paul Christensen & Paul Fayrewether”

I was also able to attend my hometown’s Brook Park 70’s Reunion Party. I had a blast visiting with old childhood friends that I haven’t seen in years!!

“with Chris Marotta at the Brook Park 70’s Reunion”

“with Mark Price at the Brook Park 70’s Reunion”

And lastly, the party I never like to miss, Buddy Maver’s annual musician’s party.

“with Ron Iafornaro, Hank LoConti & Ravenna Miceli at Buddy Maver’s party”

Upcoming events to mark on your calendar:

On October 22 at the Beachland Ballroom I will be performing with the legendary Wally Bryson for the ROAM benefit. We will be performing songs that span his entire career…from his days with The Choir, The Raspberries, Tattoo, Fotomaker, The Sittin’ Ducks. I can’t wait!!

On the eve of Thanksgiving, “Spina, Sullivan & Hudak” will have a reunion show at our old favorite haunt, The Mad Cactus. The musical mayhem will begin at 9:00pm.

And in early April of next year, “Love Affair” will be performing a reunion with ALL the original members: Wes Coolbaugh, Wayne Cukras, John Zdravecky, Mike Hudak and yours truly. We plan on making it a truly memorable reunion. As soon as all the details are worked out and the date and venue are finalized I will let you know.

I hope everyone had a wonderful Fourth Of July holiday.
The June tour schedule lightened up a bit so I got a chance to get back in the studio and resume recording my new upcoming CD. I still have hopes of releasing it by fall but the hectic tour schedule starts back up this weekend and continues throughout the rest of the summer…so it could be Christmas before I have it finished! I also got to reconnect with some olds friends that I haven’t seen in a while. That was great.
Last month I went back to Del Sangro’s where I used to perform at regularly years ago for a special Tuesday night performance. Well, I’ve been there every Tuesday since then and it looks like, for the time being, I’ll be there every Tuesday that I’m in town. Stop by and enjoy some music, great food and wonderful people. I start at 8:00pm.

“performing at Del Sango’s (photo by DJ)”

On a sad note: Last week rock journalist Jane Scott, a Cleveland legend passed away…she was 92. I grew up reading all of her articles on both the local and national artists dreaming of someday making music my career. I was 20yrs old when she first wrote about our band. I was both humbled and awed that day. Later on I was blessed to call her friend. Not only was she a brilliant writer respected not only in Cleveland but all around the country, she was a wonderfully beautiful person that made everyone she came in contact with feel special. Below are a couple of pics by Janet Macoska of Jane and I on stage at her 80^th birthday bash in 1999.

“On stage with Jane”

“Dancin’ with Jane on stage”

There will be a memorial for Jane Scott at the Rock-N-Roll Hall Of Fame on Sunday August 28 from 7:00pm to 10:00pm. Hope to see you there.

I keep saying that I’m going to blog more often but the road becomes one long blur and I forget that 2 months have gone by without a post…that will change…hopefully!!!Since I’ve last posted we’ve really been racking up the frequent flyer miles traveling in and out of the country…let’s see…we’ve been to Vancouver, Victoria, Nanaimo & Kelowna; all in British Columbia. Then we went to Connecticut, New York, Wisconsin, Oklahoma, back to Canada for a show in Calgary, Florida, Mississippi and currently I’m back in Wisconsin for 3 days of concerts in Green Bay. Below are a few pics from our performances at Epcot last week.

“On stage at Epcot”

“still on stage at Epcot”

In between all my traveling I was able to attend a few important things at home in C-Town and finish a couple more tracks for my new CD…I’m now hoping to have it completed by September.
One of my stops home…all of 41 hours…I attended the listening party to celebrate the release of my friend, Scott Hanson’s new CD “Revival”. Scott and the band were great and the new CD is killer!! On another stop home I took part in the “Jammin’ for Japan” benefit performing with friends Jim Bonfanti, Norm Isaac, Bob Palumbo & Rick Montanari to help raise money for Japan.

“talking with Jim & Barb Bonfanti while Norm & Michelle Popela (who put on the benefit) pose for the pic.”

“with Norm Isaac & Dan Hrdlicka”

Also, on my last stop home I attended the annual Taurus Party. I hadn’t been able to attend the past couple of years due to my tour schedule but I sure had a blast this year!! It was so nice being able to visit with old friends.

“with John Gorman & Ravenna Miceli”

“with Peanuts & Helen Marketti”

Local notes: I’ll have 2-week break from touring in the first couple of weeks in June so I’ll be performing around town. A couple of notable dates will be a Spina & Sullivan reunion at the Mad Cactus on Thursday June 2^nd and on Tuesday June 7^th I will be returning to Del Sangro’s for the first time in almost 7 years for a special Tuesday night with my piano bar. I’ll also be performing a couple of weekend dates around town with Don Krueger.
Rumor mill: To all Love Affair fans, I believe we will finally be scheduling a Love Affair reunion for next April 2012. I still need to get all the guys together to hammer out the details but I’ll keep you posted.

I’m at 30,000 feet flying to Las Vegas and once again I realized that I’ve not posted a blog in a long, long time. I’ve been traveling so much the last 2 months I still thought it was February! But it sure has been a lot of fun so far.

A belated Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to everyone. Sorry I haven’t posted anything in a month but as our tour schedule wound down I took some time off to enjoy the holidays with my family and friends and re-charge my jets!! Below is a beautiful Christmas card the wonderfully artistic Rita Layman made for me.

“Merry Christmas!!”

For those of you that have Sirius Satellite Radio you might’ve heard our “Herman’s Hermits starring Peter Noone” New Years Eve show that was pre-recorded during our concert at the Canyon Club in Agoura Hills, CA on November 27. Unfortunately, I didn’t get to hear it as I was on vacation in Las Vegas ringing in the New Year with my girlfriend and friends at Giuseppe’s Bar & Grille…the best restaurant in all of Vegas!!!

“At The Canyon Club”

Also, while I was off the road I was able to further along the recording of my new CD, tentatively titled, “My Accidental Life”. It’s about two-thirds complete and should be out by spring. Of course, I’m on the road a lot in February, March & April, so the release date could change, but I’ll keep you posted.  Talk to ya soon!!!