As we finish up another wonderful year with the Mike Estep Band, we'd like to take a minute and reflect back on all the thrills and chills we've shared with all of you. It's been a great ride, and we want to thank you for hanging out with us the whole time.
[Click images to see larger versions]MEB Selected for Compilation Disc
In February we received notification that our song "Borders To Share" had been chosen for "
Discover The Next Original, Volume II," sponsored by
Pilsner Urquell beer and the NPR radio program
World Café. We are surrounded by incredible artists like Steve Winwood, Emmylou Harris, Jamie Cullum and more. Unfortunately the CD was never put into national distribution, but it was an honor nonetheless. Read more
here.
Get Off The Stage, Bo, We Need To Rock!After waiting hours for
Bo Bice to finish his soundcheck, we had a great opportunity to share the
MEB gospel with the folks at the Jamesville
Balloon Fest 2006. We got to hang around with
93Q's Ted and Amy backstage in the meantime, and all the bands put on a great show (
93Q photo gallery here). And when
Bo did take the stage later, he had the crowd begging and pleading and swooning for more. It was crazy, like Elvis or The Beatles, man.
Oh, and Steve enjoyed his meeting with the hotness of Frankie J.
Our New Friend Jill and Mommies For Miracles
In June we played
McGhan's in Victor, and met a bunch of great folks, including
Jill and Vinny Orologio. Jill heads a great fundraising organization,
Mommies for Miracles, and we were happy to help when she asked us to perform at their benefit
Dancin' In The Streets in August at Nathaniel's Pub in Rochester.
The weather didn't co-operate much, but we still had great time with Jill, Breanna, Kim, Melissa and all the other folks.
Going forward, we're working with Jill to get us more bookings in the Rochester area and we're happily donating a portion of our fee to Mommies For Miracles.
Feelin' Hot Hot Hot on Paper Mill IslandWe got the chance in July to perform at the Budweiser Amphitheater on
Paper Mill Island as an opener for the U2 tribute band
Elevation.
It must have been 150º on that stage, staring directly into the setting summer sun. Copious bottles of water couldn't keep us hydrated, but we just kept going and had an incredible show.
Unbeknownst to most of the crowd, Steve had an emergency in the middle of our set that required him to dash off stage for a few minutes. The other 3 of us played a tune without him, so it looked like we planned it that way. But wait, it gets even stranger! While hanging out with the guys from
Elevation over at
Lake Effect after the show, we find out that their drummer had the exact same issue and also left the stage during their set - twice! Way too weird.
Endless Summer
We had a great time playing the
Block Party Thursdays at
Coleman's this summer, and an anniversary party on the river for
Jim and Lani Beardsley. Unfortunately, weather and other circumstances kept us from an outdoor gig at
Hooligan's in Liverpool. And nothing is better than a summer Friday night on the
Brae Loch Inn lawn in Cazenovia with our friends Jim and Val and our erstwhile harmonica player Tyler.
Fall Into Something New
Besides our regular stops at
Wacky Wyatt's,
Greene's,
Coleman's, and
Shifty's, we hit a few new places this fall. Our friend
Bobby Paice hooked us up with a show at LeMoyne College hangout
The Shire. We spent a very interesting evening partying with some
servicemen just back from Iraq. And we also had a very successful evening at the iconic
Fireside Inn in Baldwinsville. Looking forward to more from these places in 2007.
Cranking Away In The Studio
All throughout the year, we've been heading out to
GFI Studios in Ontario, NY to record tracks for our next CD. It's been a wonderfully successful and creative process, and we really like what we've put down so far. 5 tracks are almost done, and there is more on the way. Look for a release of the new music sometime in early 2007.
Propping Up a Sick DinosaurFor the first time ever in the history of the restaurant, the
Dinosaur Bar-B-Que in Syracuse had to close because hundreds of staff and
customers became sick. It was eventually determined that a
norovirus was the cause of the outbreak, but it still cost them an entire weekend of business and an intense and complete sanitation process.
Once they reopened on Monday December 4, we were the
first band to take the stage and help usher in the resurgence of the Dinosaur. It was a
great night, with lots of our friends in attendance and the food, drinks, and good times flowing freely. Welcome back!
Lots More Coming in '07!2006 was a lot of fun, and we can't wait to show you even more good times in 2007!
Labels: MEB
