Winter 2012 - Blue Hen PHC

Winter 2012
Jan.-Feb.-March
20th Annual Meeting of the Minds—Key West, FL
28 Members of the Blue Hen PHC made the journey to the end of the road in
November, 2011!
And, we were joined by a ―special guest‖…
Jimmy and the Coral Reefers did a 75 minute set comprised of music that was mostly
from prior to 1975 with the exception of the encore (―It‘s 5 O‘Clock Somewhere‖).
Nothing like a Buffett concert in Key West!
We held our annual Blue Hen PHC happy hour once again at the Rum Bar and invited
our sister club, the Delaware Seashore PHC, to join in. We paid homage to the
memory of Sylvia Diehl with a team drink. We were surprised and touched when
musicians Sam L. Rainwater and John Friday stopped in and did an impromptu version
of ―Lovely Cruise‖…
Sam L. Rainwater
John Friday
There was not a dry eye on the street…
Registration for MOTM 2012 ―Another Trip Around the Sun‖ begins on Jan. 1st!
Once again for the holidays, our club ―adopted‖ a needy family…and once again our
members did us proud!
You have made a difference in the lives of some disadvantaged folks!
Way to go, parrot heads!
Welcome aboard to our newest members:
Jane Moore & Ross Feehrer!
Club socials (aka Happy Hours) are held the 2nd Thirstday of the month…
Jan. 12
We‘ll head back to Dead President‘s Pub, 618
North Union St. Wilmington beginning at 6PM! Happy hour drink specials for all
members. It‘s also ―Member Appreciation Night‖…your first drink is on the club AND
we will giving out free coffee from Margaritaville Foods!
Thurs. Feb 8th
2038 Foulk Road, Wilmington
It is ―Beach Night‖ again at Stanley‘s Tavern! Discounted Coronas and Margaritas for
all!
Thurs. March 8th
Hilltop Crab House
Rt. 41, Avondale, PA
http://www.hilltopcrabhouse.com/ Drink and food specials…they are located just 3
miles north of Hockessin.
Upcoming club events…
Saturday, March 10th is the date for the Annual Wilmington St. Patrick‘s Day Parade!
Plan to join the Blue Hen Parrot Head Club as we march with our award winning Tiki
float and toss out beads to the adoring crowds! Afterwards, we‘ll head to the Blue
Parrot for libations!
March 31st:
Hotel information coming soon!
While the below is not an ―official‖ club event…you should save the date!
Friday, April 13th, 2012
Diane Skipski is bringing in Jim Morris to play a solo acoustic show at the Blue Parrot
Bar and Grill, on the corner of 6th and Union St., Wilmington, DE! There is no
admission charge for the show, but we suggest a donation of $10 per person to the
Angels Among Us senior dog rescue which will be collected at the show. Happy hour
starts at 4PM and music at 7!
And, a few other things of interest coming up around the area and beyond…
http://www.nhphc.com/nephc/
http://www.musiconthebay.org/Music_on_the_Bay/index.html
http://www.springphling.com/
2012 Road clean-up dates (all Saturdays): April 14th, June 16th, Oct. 6th
Parrot Head Clubs, Jimmy Buffett tickets and the points system:
For those of you who are unaware of this, Jimmy Buffett allows a certain amount of tickets to be held aside for parrot head clubs for
every show. These seats are for club members in good standing only (i.e. you must be current in your dues). They are not free
tickets, but you wind up paying face value for them without the various Ticketmaster charges.
The way we decide on who is offered these tickets is by our points system:
Point Categories: Points will accrue as follows:
Club officer (elected) or Committee Chairperson – 15 points
Plan/organize an ―official‖ club charity event – 10 points
Plan/organize an ―official ―club social event – 7 points
Attendance at a committee meeting – 5 points
Attendance at a general meeting – 3 points
Attendance at a social – 1 point
Participate in a club approved environmental project – 10 points
Participate in a club approved charity event – 10 points
Donate raffle prizes or an item for a silent auction – 10 points
Recruit a new member – 3 points
Host a committee/general membership or social – 2 points
Accrual period of points:
From the promulgation of the amendments of 2009, points will accrue from January 1 through December 31 of each year.
D.
Keets
Children age 0 through 13 are not eligible to accrue points or to purchase a club ticket to a concert.
Children age 14 and above are eligible to accrue points and purchase a club ticket, with parental permission and if at least one parent
is accompanying said ―Keet‖
E.
Club Ticket Distribution: Club tickets will be offered to those members, in order, with the highest number of participation points.
In the case of a tie, the member with the most seniority in the club will have the first option to purchase the ticket. In case of a
further tie, the member with the most points from the previous year will have the option to purchase the ticket and after that, it
goes alphabetically.
Each member who is eligible to receive a ticket and has a significant other who is also a member of the BHPHC,
but who does not qualify for receipt of a ticket due to lack of points, may purchase two (2) tickets.
The maximum number of tickets
for any two members in such a situation is two (2).
Members without two (2) or more points will not be offered a ticket.
Club tickets can only be used by eligible BHPHC members. It is a violation of PHiP rules to give or sell a club ticket to anyone other
than a member of a Parrot Head Club. Violations of this rule can mean not only the loss of our charter, but could result in the loss of
ticket privileges for all of the Parrot Head clubs in the country.
As you can see, there are plenty of opportunities for you to get points, and have a great time doing it! Secretary Marianne White
tallies all points quarterly. Just a word on the part about donating items for a raffle/silent auction-there are plenty of ways to find
interesting items for this…yard sales, garage sales, flea markets, maybe something you have lying around that you feel you‘ll never
use! There is the tried and true ―theme basket‖, like a margarita basket! Artwork is something that is highly prized as well. Think
tropical! The club is always looking for items for future raffles/auctions!
We are forming a new committee, which will be charged with looking into ways to promote the
club. Sending out press releases, looking into events the club should be at (street festivals,
etc). Training will be provided. If you are interested, contact Diane at [email protected].
Blue Hen PHC
Mini-Mart
Oval vinyl stickers! Stick ‗em on your car, your boat or your beer mug!
3‖ x 5‖, UV and weather resistant. $3 each. Make a check payable to the Blue Hen Parrot Head Club,
and mail it along with a self-addressed, stamped, envelope to 81 Valley Circle, Newark, DE 19711. Get
‗em while we‘ve got them!
Club koozies! Keep ‗em cold this summer! $2 each. Members special, get 2
koozies for $3!
Club t-shirts!
We have sizes Medium-XL available in the powder blue color. All are $15 each. Contact Bob at
[email protected] to make sure we have your size!
Brand new in the Mini-Mart!!!!!
Blue Hen Parrot Head Club license plates!
Made of
aluminum and printed with UV resistant ink, the plates are just $10 each! Get ‗em while we‘ve got them!
Available at all club functions.
―Spending Money‖—discounts with your Blue Hen PHC membership card
DID YOU KNOW ??
Margaritaville offers a discount on selected items when you order on line !!
When ordering online, just pop in PHC for the discount code in the box provided.
www.margaritaville.com
Growing Older…But NOT Up!
Blue Hen PHC members‘ birthdays:
January
Linda Baldwin
Thom Daly
Jim Gay
Glenda Goeller
Linda Racz
February
Scott Kincaid
Kim Manley
Dick Mikus
Angela Ross
Mike Ruqus
Chris Seay
Judy Sweeney
March
Gloria Boone
Stacey Brosnahan
Maggie Knight
Lollie Villanueva
Sharon Rainey
Bill Treible
Sail on, Ralph MacDonald…
Ralph MacDonald (born March 15, 1944 in Harlem, New York, passed away December 18,
2011) was an American percussionist and song-writer. He joined Harry Belafonte's band at
age 17. He wrote the Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway song "Where is the Love" with
songwriting partner William Salter. Probably his best-known composition is the Grover
Washington, Jr. - Bill Withers hit "Just the Two of Us", which has since been covered by
many artists, including Will Smith.
His recording credits number in the hundreds and include George Benson, David Bowie,
Aretha Franklin, Art Garfunkel, Billy Joel, Quincy Jones, Carole King, Miriam Makeba, David
Sanborn, Paul Simon, Steely Dan, James Taylor, Luther Vandross, Amy Winehouse, and
Jimmy Buffett, whose Coral Reefer Band has featured MacDonald as member since the late
1990s.
He is featured on percussion on George Benson's 1976 album, Breezin'; on percussion on
Carole King's 1975 album, Thoroughbred, and on Looking Glass's 1973 album Subway
Serenade.
His song "Jam on the Groove" was featured on the breakbeat compilation Ultimate Breaks
and Beats. His "Calypso Breakdown" is on the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack. MacDonald
also appears on Amy Lee's CD Use Me.
Kev’s Corner
Trop-Rock cd reviews from Blue Hen PHC member Kevin McGrath
I hope everyone has had a great Holiday Season and that 2012 will be your best year yet. With Christmas
out of the way, its time to settle in for the coming winter. I don’t know about you, but for me a little
Trop Rock music goes a long way towards helping me keep my sanity during the non summer months!
With that in mind I have three new recommendations that I believe you will enjoy.
The first album we are going to look at is from an old friend and all around good guy Brent Burns, who as
many of you know played a few shows in the area last summer including one for our brethren to the
South the Delaware Seashore Parrothead Club.
Brent has been around a long time and putting out great music for years. His current album Don’t Come
Knockin’ If The Tiki Huts Rockin’ is about what one would expect from Brent. If you are a fan of his other
work you will be a fan of this record too.
One thing you can always count on with Brent is a rollicking musical good time. This album is no
different, from the title track which opens the album and gets your foot tapping from the first measure
to the last measure of the final song Screw The Critics, not sure how I should take that last song LOL.
His sense of humor is on full display in the songs Don’t Let That Kid Move Back Home and ‘cause I’m A
Guy. Lyrically Brent tells a tale with every song and most of them don’t have any deep underlining
philosophical life changing morals to them, rather they are like a collection of stories you might hear
while sitting around a bar with some good friends. In fact that is an apt description of this album... Good
Times with Good Friends. The one exception to that though is the beautiful ballad Love Too Big To Fail. It
is a touching song about a man pledging his continued devotion to his partner.
This album, as all of his are, is on the country side of Trop Rock but is infused with enough island sound
and “tropicalness” to be palatable to all Trop Rock fans. If you are a fan of Brent Burns this is a must for
your collection, if you are not so much a fan of his yet, this one may just put you over the edge.
The next Album I want to address is a new ensemble on the Trop Rock scene called the Conch Fritters.
The ensemble is new, but the members are not. They are Dusty Barber and Barry Olsavsky, members of
Jimmy Parrish and the Ocean Waves Band.
Some of you may have caught their debut at the Meeting of the Minds. Their debut album Deep Fried is
a blend of island sounds and creative arraignments that create a major feel good vibe. Lots of steel pans,
Ukuleles, and smooth guitar riffs that puts one in mind of the islands one moment and Bourbon Street
the next. Listening to it really makes one long for summer.
Most of the album is instrumental which makes for great background music anytime, anywhere. It is vey
soothing and relaxing in the way smooth jazz is. I think my favorite song off this album is The Reggae
Song. One song however that should be heard is Moana Breeze which is one of my favorites off Act Of
Piracy, the last Jimmy Parrish and the Ocean Waves Band album. The Conch fritters version, I think has a
little better production quality and a fuller sound, Plus it’s a full minute and a half longer on this record!
This should absolutely be in everyone’s Trop Rock Collection.
Last and certainly no least is Little Summertime by our good friends Tropical Soul.
I think this album shows a growth and maturity in Dennis McCaughey’s songwriting skills, I have always
felt he writes great songs but I think there is a little more lyrical depth in this offering.
The subject matter is pretty much what you would expect from a Trop Rock act, summer, beaches,
beverages and the laidback life… In fact there is even a song titled Laidback Life.
This is a very easy album to listen to. There are songs that make you tap your feet and songs that make
you sway back and forth. Lots of Guitars, lots of steel pans, even some vocals by Heather thrown in to
make this one of my new favorites.
I highly recommend this album. If you are a Tropical Soul fan you will absolutely love this record. If you
are not already a Tropical Soul Fan… why not?
I look forward to hearing these songs live at the next show I catch by them.
All of these albums are available for download at the Beachfront Radio Music Hut and other sites. For
hard copies CD Baby is a great source or go directly to the Artists web sites.
I hope these recommendations and other trop rock music you have helps you cope with the coming
winter and help you keep your sanity in the coming months.
Until Spring… Keep Warm, Keep dry and keep on Trockin’!!!
And that‘ll do it for this issue of ―Hen Scratchings‖…a quarterly publication for the
Blue Hen Parrot Head Club!