Saying Thanks 62323

The author expresses gratitude for the people who have helped him rediscover his love for playing guitar. He used to only play at family events and funerals, but now he has started performing at concerts and gigs. He had a great experience at the Big Easel gallery and bistro in Wabino and is excited about upcoming shows in the Northwoods. The author feels thankful to those who have supported and encouraged him, as they have helped him regain confidence in his abilities. Welcome to the Sunday Column. I'm Dan Flannery and it's June 23rd, 2023, a beautiful, hot, steamy day in the Northwoods. I hope you're doing well. Today's piece is full of gratitude for helping an old fella get back into the game. It's titled, I'm Still Playing Thanks to You. Dear people who still make a difference in my life, thank you. You don't know what you've meant to me for the past couple years. For five or six years before that, I rarely played guitar, maybe three or four times a year, never for more than 30 minutes, and usually not at home. During that dry stretch, I played only at family events, Mom's birthday party in her Crandon apartment building every year until she passed away, Sister Marilyn's funeral in April 2016, Brother Terry's memorial service in October 2018, and Mom's funeral in July 2020. I didn't feel worthy of playing in public. I didn't know if I had lost any skill, but I wasn't going to let an audience answer the question. To be clear, though, it's a privilege to play Rock of Ages or In the Garden during a time of mourning. Those songs heal wounds incurred by losing a loved one. I'm honored to do that again, if asked. But I did wonder, is this what I want to do? Do I want to be the guy who plays at funerals? Are there still other options? The answers to those questions are profound to a newly retired person. I thought about selling my amplifier and my PA system around the time I transitioned from full-time employment to something less than that. I might have been borderline depressed. Moving from a leadership position to a position of anonymity will do that, I bet. So I stumbled and I struggled. And then I was asked to play. Early in 2021, Joan Flannery, my late brother's bride, asked my brother Luke and I if we could play in the Music in the Squares Summer Concert Series she organizes in Goodman in northern Marinette County. It turned my musical world upside down. I learned how to play guitar as a kid by listening to Chet Atkins and by watching Luke. He's almost 10 years older than me, but he was a fine player as a teenager and he's still a fine player at age 75. But in 2021, Luke was recovering from carpal tunnel surgery and he declined to play in Goodman. So I played the non-fee, tips-only gig as a solo act, as I'd done many times since 1978. I actually practiced. I actually cared. Relearned songs, rearranged a few others. Had a blast. Saw old friends, played old songs, chatted and joked with a mixed-age crowd of 60 or so who only wanted to listen to music. Laughed a lot and the tips were great. Got me thinking. I played the same event in Goodman last summer. Learned a few new songs, rearranged a couple more, played as long as they'd let me. It was a hoot. The tips were even greater and that matters. Got me to thinking harder. Should I do this more often? Work on it harder? Expect more from myself? Try to get actual playing and paying gigs? Yes. Yes. Yes. Hell yes. Through the help of Wabino native friends, I got in contact with Tim and Connie Friesen, who own and operate Big Easel Gallery and Bistro in Wabino. They also organize a summer concert series in Wabino's bandshell on State 32 as you pass through town. It's adjacent to the 21-foot Larry the Log Roller fiberglass model, and if you've seen that, you will remember it. The concert series is really what I was after, but they wondered if I'd be interested in a gig at the Big Easel and asked me to send samples of my work. I did, they liked, and we agreed. On February 18, 2023, I had the most fun I've ever had with a guitar in my hands. Every other gig is tied for second. 25 listeners and I had a superb time chatting, singing, exchanging tart and saucy comments, laughing, challenging each other, generally enjoying a winter night in a century-old lumber baron's expansive place. The Big Easel has a great vibe, and Tim and Connie are amazing hosts in this quirky, unusual northern Wisconsin venue. They deserve your support for whoever's playing there or whatever else they're up to in support of the arts, and by the way, that's a lot. The Big Easel is on Facebook, and they're available at 715-889-1179. Anyhow, I was hooked, again. I had forgotten how much fun it could be to perform for an interested and engaged audience. I came back to the Big Easel on April 29 to play for another supportive group and enjoyed an equally fun night. On both nights, neighbors from our lake made the 50-minute drive to see what the old guy could do with a guitar and a voice, and they seemed satisfied with the results. Old friends from decades ago showed up at both gigs to eat, drink, listen, occasionally heckle, sing quietly, clap, giggle, etc. You get the drift. Mirth and merriment. I was hooked even harder, and I was happy to be back, plugged in and ready to play. Since then, I've played a couple other gigs, including a seriously great late Wednesday afternoon in the Wabino Bandshell, a fun early afternoon outdoor show at Primal Eats near Cecil and Gillett, and I have a few more coming up, most in the Northwoods. But first, tomorrow night, June 24, at the Big Easel for an outdoor show. Dinner is served at 5 p.m. with musical stylings to follow. You don't hear musical stylings much anymore. I tend to focus on the music of the 70s, singer-songwriters, with a good share of Chet Atkins-influenced fingerstyle guitar. Let's just say it works well for a certain demographic. And I'm back in Goodman, where it all re-began on July 19. Joan, Tim, Connie, and everyone else who's shown up to listen and support my lifelong habit, thank you. You've helped this 66-year-old erstwhile entertainer believe in his abilities again. Bless you. I'm Dan Flannery. That's the Sunday column for today, Friday, June 23. Hope to see you tomorrow night in Wabino. If not, we'll catch you next time on the Sunday column. Have a great weekend. Bye.