Big debut for Reed in front of the big band tonight and it went well. He sang well and was really enjoying himself. Had some big problems all day though as I accidently left the camera in the car and somebody picked last night to rob me. Went and got another video camera but I can't seem to make the USB connection work. Anyway keep checking back as there is video in the camera I just have to figure out how to get it out. This was the second song he sung as the first one I did a bad job of recording it. Crescendo Amelia Big Band Fly Me to the Moon. Save the Last Dance for Me

Let's see not a whole lot happening since my last post. Reed had another practice with Crescendo Amelia, this time including the female singer and they did some duets. It went well but, last I checked, Reed was not going to be able to make the big practice today because of work. Had dinner Christmas Eve with Reed and the Denustas. He and Jade gave me a neck massager. Great dinner but any dinner is great if it contains finedene sauce. The next day was the Denusta extended family Christmas party and all went well. Did get an idea for a little project which I may post about later.

Yesterday was interesting. First, since I've gained a couple pounds, I wanted to put in some more time on the golf course so I did 27 holes at Brentwood and was really beat heading into the afternoon. Reed was having his first practice also with the Crescendo Amelia Big Band at 7pm and I was taking him over to Amelia Island for that. When I got to his house he told me he had just gotten a call from this reality TV show called HUNTED that he had applied to through Manikin Modeling. They wanted to know if he would watch an episode of the show and if he was really interested to get back to them within 24 hours. He watched the show on the way up to Amelia Island, thought the show was "awesome", and emailed back his interest. Practice went well as he sang for an hour and a half mostly songs he already knew well. There were only 2 musicians there, Frank Basile, the drummer and leader of the group, and the keyboardist whose name I forgot. They seemed to like him well enough and offered him the New Years eve gig. We set up some more practice times and went home. Here's a blip I found about the show that was published in September.

So last night Reed and Jade and I headed over to Sandy Bottoms Beach Bar and Grill on Amilia Island to see the Crescendo Amelia Big Band and to talk to Frank about Reed singing with them on New years Eve. Everything went well and Frank seemed like a real nice guy as well as being a good drummer and the front man for the group. I did manage to find a promotion video for them on YouTube. Today was another Road Trip day as I decided to try out the Waldo, FL Flea Market. Where's Waldo? and more importantly Why Waldo? you ask. Well, I was inspired by an entry in Atlas Obscura. The same website that gave us the Treaty Oak. This collection of vendors and antiques is a treasure trove among the countless roadside gems lining the stretch of U.S. Route 301 from Gainesville to Jacksonville. Featuring everything from authentic vintage signs to fishing tackle, musical instruments to fresh produce, and, if you're lucky, the opportunity to pose for a photo with a "wolf hybrid" (for the small fee of one dollar), a day spent at the outdoor market (and you will need a whole day) is a ticket to another world, simpler times when life happened at a slower pace. Wait in line for ice cream churned by a John Deere tractor engine (worth it), sit down and enjoy a corn dog and sweet tea or try to choose from the endless flavors of boiled peanuts offered by a handful of vendors. The Waldo Flea market was born in 1975 after entrepreneur Al "Big Al"/"Cuz"/"Killer"/"Big Daddy" Killian was inspired by a similar concept he and his wife Anne saw while traveling cross country. Nearly 40 years later, the market remains in the family, and sees 900 vendors and 40,000 visitors each weekend. An antique village, open daily from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., boasts huge collections of antiques, home furnishings and more to the antique enthusiast or the enthusiastic passerby.

Now besides Brian Wilson on Saturday I went by Hemming Park and a big band was playing there. They were very good and I asked if they ever need a male vocalist. They said yes and I got in touch with the main guy and told him about Reed and linked him to some of Reed's videos. Anyway he emailed tonight and their main guy can't sing New Years Eve so he asked if Reed could. They have a gig tomorrow night on Amelia Island so we'll go up and see them and get things finalized.

Went to Brian Wilson Concert tonight featuring Al Jardine. Two Beach Boys this time and it was a good show. Neither Brian nor Al could sing like they used to but they had ten good musicians in back of them including Al's son Matt so all old Beach Boys song were solid and great to listen to. Here's a pic from the concert--Brian's behind the piano and Al is to the right.

So Reed has decided he needs some extra money so he's signed up with Manikin Modeling. Here's some pics that Jade took to add to his resume. Don't worry girls, he didn't cut his hair. He just tied it back.

Reed went to Tennessee with the Denustas over Thanksgiving and evidently had a good time. I asked him to give me stuff to put on the blog and it was somewhat minimalistic. Here's the cabin we stayed in. The water was paralyzingly cold.