I've always loved music. Ever since I was a kid I wanted to play music as my 'job'. Now that I'm not playing music full time, there are still many moments when I get the itch for music and need to have it scratched. This past weekend I got it scratched.
Through some random web surfing early last week I happened upon this band called "the Yards" I found on lawrence.com. I clicked on their songs to download some free mp3's and there was the band photo. I realized that I knew the guitar player, Michael Hamm, from when I lived in Lawrence in college. Michael played some guitar with "thepoolboys" on our Dying to Know Myself album and played a couple live shows with us as well. Tremendous guitar player! This guy is talented. The Yards are a funk, jazz, jam band which is right down my alley. The download got my approval. I was impressed. They just so happened to be playing a show that Friday night at a bar down on Mass St. I called a couple musician friends to see if they were interested and it was a no go. But, I wanted to go anyway...the itch was flaring up. So I went. It was so refreshing. I sat right near the front of the stage and for over an hour allowed myself to shut out the world around me and get into the groove. Songs lasted ten, sometimes fifteen minutes but you'd never know. The guitar playing was smooth, the groove was heavy, and the organ was dirty. C'mon!! Sure I wish I was the one up there playing the drums but it's not my time. Maybe someday. Check out their stuff at www.theyards.net.
