July 5th and July 11th!!!
Current mood: silly
Category: Music

Ok - so those of you that made it out to Kanopolis (July 5th) to party with us - HELL Yea!  We had a great time and it was good to see everyone.  I'm sure we'll see some pictures crop up somewhere... 

Due to tragic circumstances our show originally scheduled Friday night has been post-poned.  In its place, Wayne at the Wolves Den in Lyons has stepped in to host a Klatch rock and roll party.  For those that know Klatch shows there, get there early as seating will fill up quickly!  We always have a full house and a great rockin' time there.  Friday! Friday! Friday!

Keep up the vibe and I hope to see you all soon...

John

3:50 PM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

Klatch annual fan appreciation show
Category: Music

Yep, it's time again to fire up the amps, pitch the tents, and rock out at Kanopolis State Park!  The Klatch annual fan appreciation show returns!  It took a hiatus last year but we're ready to go to show how much we appreciate our fans.  This is a free show (vehicle permit for the park required).  We started doing this show as a public appology for a scheduling issue we had years ago and it just stuck.  You can't ask for a better way to spend the 4th holiday with your family.

We perform Saturday, July 5th from 7pm - fireworks at the South Shore Shelter. (Say that 5 times real fast)((South Shore Shelter, South Shore Shelter, South Shore Shelter, South Shore Shelter, South Shore Shelter!))

I hope to see many of our friends there!

4:24 PM - 2 Comments - 4 Kudos - Add Comment

Ah the great out doors...
Current mood: excited
Category: Music

... where you get to inhale fumes of passing cars while rocking out to Klatch!  Haha, you thought I was going to talk about some discovery channel animal furry thing isn't that cute topic didn't ya! (Lemurs beware.)

This weekend is another of many outdoor shows this year.  Mort's Cigar and Martini Bar at 1st and Washington is the place to be EARLY and party LATE, make new friends (you have to share tables folks - Klatch friends are the best so it's no problem) and enjoy the weather.  Tonight and tomorrow night are the days, 9 pm is the start time each night.

When you get there - say hi - we like that.

John

10:31 AM - 1 Comments - 2 Kudos - Add Comment

Klatch at Riverfest (Wichita) thanks Donnie!
Category: Music

Well it's time for Riverfest again and my band, Klatch, will be performing three different shows this year.  I hope you all can make it out and be sure to come up and say hi if you do.

Saturday May 10 – 3:00 to 5:00 PM – Alef's Harley Davidson River Ride Concert.  On Main Street in front the library.

Monday May 12 – 5:00 to 9:00 PM – Riverfest Food Court at Century II.  Dinner and a show what a deal.

Saturday May 17 – 6:00 to 8:00 PM – Kennedy Plaza on Douglas Avenue in front of Century II.  We will be just to the West of where the pops concert is located.  The pops concert is right after us and then the fireworks.

9:49 AM - 3 Comments - 6 Kudos - Add Comment

Back to Salina!
Category: Music

Surprise!  We had a last minute opportunity to come back to The Blue Goat in Salina on Friday, April 11th and party with our crazy friends there!

Awesome - we had a blast last time and this should really crank up a notch as everyone is feeling as normal as possible.

Spam your friends - let’s get as many of our crazies as possible and rock out!

11:36 AM - 2 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

Salina Radio
Current mood: busy

Be listening - Tomorrow morning at 8:35 I will be talking with 104.9 during the morning show.

Also - listen for our interview on 92.7 as well as the Salina Journal.

All this is leading up to our Klatch show at the Blue Goat on Friday, Feb 29th!

12:07 PM - 4 Comments - 6 Kudos - Add Comment

The Salina Chronicles (and what’s going on)
Current mood: excited

Ok - I have to get this story out.  Some have heard it, others may be interested (or not).

In the early days of Klatch, we used to go to Salina and perform - we had friends and family there and it was logical that we should go where our friends are yeah?

Anyway - the shows were always wall-to-wall and ten feet tall.  More fun that humans should be allowed to have.  (Breakfast anyone?) ((Lemurs - the new white meat)) (((it goes on forever and never really ends))).

As things naturally change, inevitably change is what brought us to a period of time which we didn't go to Salina at all.  Bummer.  The room we used to play at closed and viable alternatives didn't seem to crop up even with conversations with friends in the area.

Now comes the cool part.  Missy and here sister Anne started coming out the the shows.  I don't remember the first time they came, but once they saw us they started coming back.  What a wonderful thing Klatch fans are.  Anyhow - fast forward a bit.  Missy married John - super cool guy and now closet musician (what's up with that?).  John, Missy, and Anne as well as a few others asked why we don't play in Salina anymore.  I told them the earlier stuff and they said they'd work on it.

Fast forward a few more months.  John asks me at a show in Mac what it would take to do a private party for him.  We talked about it and let it be at that.  Next thing - John has arranged a show in Salina at the Blue Goat.  Cool.  We get to see all of our Salina friends again!!!  But the coolest thing is that this was all arranged by friends of Klatch!!!  What did I say about Klatch fans?  Bottom line, without them this band would be nothing.  So John introduced us to Brent who is helping John with the details of promoting the show.

But mark your calendars - February 29th - Klatch is going back to Salina.  I've always told friends of the band from elsewhere that the most fun you can have is to take the road trip with us to Salina.  Well, this one is shaping up to be the continuation of the fun.  The word is getting out and the band really hopes to see some faces we haven't seen in a while.

All for now...

5:22 PM - 8 Comments - 10 Kudos - Add Comment

Winter weather
Current mood: amused

This year has had a number of my kind of winter storms - the ice storm being the exception.  See, I'm kind of a winter weather extremist.  I like it when a winter storm comes in, dumps a crapload of snow in a short time, and goes the hell away leaving a temporarily beautiful landscape.  Today is an example of what I'm referring to.  Snow started last night and is expected to finish by early afternoon today.  Tomorrow is supposed to be sunny and warmer allowing everyone to be only mildly inconvenienced.  Outstanding! 

6:17 AM - 3 Comments - 3 Kudos - Add Comment

Family music
Current mood: excited

Saturday Dec 29th, I will be doing what my dad did on the same day last year - celebrating his birthday and recording.  Last year Dad recorded my band Klatch.  This year I get to record his band as well as sit in!  It's been probalby 10 years since I got to play a show with him and I am looking forward to it.  Dad's new band is Harry and the Cats.  They are doing an acoustic guitar, drums, bass, and accordion arrangement that is unique to the Wichita music scene.  If you think this sounds odd - think again.  It's really cool.  Anyway - Saturday night at 9 or 9:30 at Rockin' Daddy's (the old C Major Guitar Store) on Hillside south of Douglass in Wichita is where it's at.  There is a cover at the door ($4 or $5) and it's a BYOB venue.  Grab your cooler, come on down and check it out.

8:43 PM - 2 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

My Christmas Wish
Current mood: contemplative

It's taken me a while to get my mind around this post.  It all started last year when my grandparents decided to handle Christmas giving in a different way.

Instead of buying some little trinket or piece of whatever for everyone on the shopping list they made a donation to a cancer research charity in each family members name.  This struck me as very cool as it did some good and replaced the dread of some little hoo ha trinket with a warm feeling that something good was done to help others.  Lunch discussing this with my dad solidified the idea.

This year, I have decided that my family is doing the same thing.  As Christmas has become more commercialized, it has really lost much of the spirit of the season.  To this end, we are maintaining the Christmas our kids know but for each other and our family we have made a donation to Operation Happy Note.

Operation Happy Note (operationhappynote.com) is run by Steve and Barb Baker from Fergus Music in Fergus Falls, MN.  They send instruments and accessories to out-of-country troops.  You can read more about them at the web site. 

Anyway, for those of you who have someone to shop for that you can't think of what to get instead of a lame gift or a gift card, send a donation to Operation Happy Note in their name.

This action has the following side affects:
1.  It shows support for our troops during the hardest part of the year for them. 
2.  It spreads the feeling of what Christmas should be.
3.  It spreads the sharing of music.
4.  It makes you a better person.

Who wouldn't want to enjoy this list?  Item three hits home for me as much of my personal spirituality is expressed through performing music.  Imagine a soldier who is given an IPod loaded with music sitting in a corner tuning the world out.  Now imagine a group of soldiers playing music together and losing themselves in another world far away from the stress of service.  Which soldiers do you think are healthier?

Back to the idea of this post.  If you do not donate to Operation Happy Note, that's fine.  Choose your favorite charity and make a difference in the name of a family member.

Peace, Love, Friends, Rock and Roll.

John

3:25 PM - 2 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment