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BRC Survives Financial Summit Meeting

August 31, 2014

photoMembers of the Banjo Rehabilitation Center Executive Committee traveled from Chicagoland to an undisclosed location in mid Missouri to determine the fate of the financially uncertain BRC workshop. The leadership retreat was attended by (standing left to right) the CEO, the  CFO, Senior Vice-President of Sales, and an ex officio Member of the Board of Directors (seated foreground). Negotiations were  frank and conducted in closed session preceding and after interviews with the BRC founder. Prominent on the agenda was the recent consolidation of information under a newly designed header “Vega Martin Banjo Info”.

During a mid day nap time break  from the exhaustive meetings, the ex officio Board Member met privately with the BRC founder to evaluate the quality of workshop-rebuilt banjos (see video) as evidenced by positive buyer feedback. The twosome revisited the BRC mission to restore vintage banjos for entry level pickers at bargain basement prices and the BRC tag line: All banjos deserve a second chance.

Banjo Picking infant

 

Banjo Picking Baby Video on You Tube

 

The ex officio Board Member then reported to the Committee that the hit counter of the recently reorganized BRC website was approaching its 3rd anniversary and anticipated to log over 375K visits at the upcoming milestone. In view of successful website informatics, the newly upgraded “Vega Martin Banjo Info”  resource, and uniform customer satisfaction, the Executive Committee voted by secret ballot to allow the BRC workshop to continue for another year despite its annual revenue negative ledger. The recommendation was forwarded to the Board of Directors for its fiduciary final vote.

In gratitude for her investigative initiative, the Executive Committee elevated the ex offico Member to permanent Supervisor of Quality Assurance as the last item of new business prior to adjournment of the meeting.

 

 

 

 

 

Jamming

Yogurt and Bluegrass- a healthy mix?

August 13, 2014

As the end of summer draws nigh, the days grow quietly shorter and evening temperatures  slowly ebb. To bid farewell to the vacation season and greet the crisp nights ahead of autumn, the brewpub gang and our pickin` pals from the Ozark foothills convened for a jam session at a yogurt shop in our capital city in the shadow of the state legislative house (click to enlarge).DSC_0868

Celebrating the arrival of back-to-school days, parents and kids streamed through the shop all evening to share a family yogurt treat together and pause to enjoy the high lonesome sound of mountain music. It was a scene of Americana befitting a Norman Rockwell painting for the cover of the Saturday Evening Post. Do yogurt and Bluegrass mix? Yep, big time.

G&F Band

Motorcycles rock, but Bluegrass rules….

July 15, 2014

It was a muggy, sweltering day for the 10th Annual Harley Davidson dealership street fest to benefit the Children`s Hospital, and “TJ” the hospital mascot was on-site at the biker shop (click to enlarge). IMG_3620

Regular yearly performers for the last decade, the BRC founder`s band entertained the attendees while Miss Teen contest winners from local county fairs donned their tiaras to greet and mingle with the kids and families. IMG_3612 - Version 2

 

 

Under a blazing July sun, temperatures climbed to almost triple digits in the afternoon, but  Gainor & Friends finished their gig by mid day in the shade of a vintage fire truck festooned with Mizzou Tigers flags from the nearby University campus.

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It was a fun time with much audience response from the festival goers. Two days later, fog and thunderstorms swept over Missouri with temperatures falling into the low 50`s. Mark Twain reportedly mused, “Everybody complains about the weather, but nobody does anything about it.”

P.S. Check-out the BRC “Peace Dove”  banjo on eBay July 20-27 (sold). Upon receipt of the banjo, the buyer e-mailed, “Wow!!!!!…So happy!”

 

Jamming

Our Pals to the South

June 27, 2014

Last weekend, the brew pub gang journeyed south again for our semi annual get together for a day  of pickin` and grinnin` with our Bluegrass buddies in Eldon. Newcomers to this  semiyearly jam session  wondered about specific travel directions to this unfamiliar little faming community  in the foothills of the Ozarks.IMG_0932 - Version 2

 

No Mapquest  or GPS would be required: drive due south to cross the Big Muddy (Missouri River) and proceed till you see the large roadside “Pickers Junction” sign. The next right turn will take you to  McD`s where the pickers convene in the activity room.

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How easy can it get? We had  a great day with the best pickin` pals in the Heartland.

Quiz: Check-out Gainor & Friends on a brief You Tube video clip and see if you can name that tune:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kCCwdyig4uE

 

Answer: Whiskey Before Breakfast

G&F Band

The future of Bluegrass…..?

June 17, 2014

If youngsters do not pick-up the banner of Bluegrass, the music will die with us old timers.  The Gainor &  Friends  band recently performed again for the Safe Day for Kids festival at the Children`s Hospital, and we were blessed to have a young fiddler join us- for the third time. Her father is a banjo player and tinkerer not unlike the BRC founder.IMG_3583 - Version 2

Although a little camera shy, the young fiddler is unafraid to seamlessly leap into such Bluegrass classics like “Redwing” and the “Tennessee Waltz.”  She surprised  the  group  with a spirited up-tempo “Devil`s Dream” with which some of our veteran musicians could not keep pace.

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At the end of a sunny morning, we all took great comfort in the assurance that the future of Bluegrass is safe in the hands, fingers, heart, and soul of this little miss (click to enlarge).

 

P.S. Special thanks always to our musicians who travel from Eldon and Macon, Missouri, to  perform in Columbia with the G&F band  at these events for the kids and families.