Date Set -June 10th-- Central FL Gathering

[tbondo]

June 10, 2006 from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM at the Kennedy Space Center Recreation Center Area 1 on North Merritt Island.

(outdoor pavillion, grills, sundry store (with beer and snacks)...right on the Banana River (you can see the cruise ships in Port Canaveral)).

I'd like an early RSVP from those who that date works for.......I'm gonna invite some KSC players to augment our ranks..

Good time and good music fun guaranteed.

[ricks]

Unless something happens between now and then that should be good with me, so count me IN !

[pollajak]

I hope to give you a definite answer next week. :)

[flaggerphil]

Darn, darn, darn...I'm gonna be in Melbourne two weeks before and then working a race up in Watkins Glen, NY that weekend.

Darn.

[ricks]

Hey Phil, just let us know when you will be down and we'll arrange a mini
gathering of some kind.

[sharkydude50]

Tbondo- I'm new to AGF, but have been down in FL for alittle bit. Can u tell me more about what this is? I live in Ft. Lauderdale, but may be willing to make the trip if it's the right thing.

[tbondo]

Each AGF gathering I've had the pleasure to attend has been somewhat different, but generally everyone mills around and greets old friends and meets new ones for awhile, and everyone breaks out their guitars and new ones are ogled and admired.....then, someone (in this case me) kind of gets everyone's attention (I'm gonna have PA so I'll do the "class, claaass, Claaassss,, Shutup!") and

then we all sit down and play songs to each other, which can be somewhat formal (as in sit at the front and do an open mic time slot) or everyone in a circle taking turns going around and leading a song....in either case, a jam protocol is generally observed which says "don't start a song you can't finish"...covers or original material can be played...

at some point (in the planning cycle prior to the event when we have an attendees list) we'll decide what we want to eat and drink, and I'll make arrangements for that...

pretty much a hang out, play guitar and meet folks kind of thing.....particpation (guitar playing) is not mandatory, you're allowed to just listen so long as you remember to clap?!

They always start off slow and end way too soon.....this one is scheduled from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM, but I think we can stay later......the good news (at least so far) is that without rain we have almost no mosquitoes (FLorida State bird)

Did I answer the question?

[sharkydude50]

Each AGF gathering I've had the pleasure to attend has been somewhat different, but generally everyone mills around and greets old friends and meets new ones for awhile, and everyone breaks out their guitars and new ones are ogled and admired.....then, someone (in this case me) kind of gets everyone's attention (I'm gonna have PA so I'll do the "class, claaass, Claaassss,, Shutup!") and

then we all sit down and play songs to each other, which can be somewhat formal (as in sit at the front and do an open mic time slot) or everyone in a circle taking turns going around and leading a song....in either case, a jam protocol is generally observed which says "don't start a song you can't finish"...covers or original material can be played...

at some point (in the planning cycle prior to the event when we have an attendees list) we'll decide what we want to eat and drink, and I'll make arrangements for that...

pretty much a hang out, play guitar and meet folks kind of thing.....particpation (guitar playing) is not mandatory, you're allowed to just listen so long as you remember to clap?!

They always start off slow and end way too soon.....this one is scheduled from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM, but I think we can stay later......the good news (at least so far) is that without rain we have almost no mosquitoes (FLorida State bird)

Did I answer the question?
Mostly, but I have some folo ups-
About how many (estimate) players come? A "jam" w/ more than a few guitars seems pretty hard to manage, if all are trying to play the same song at the same time.
How are folks going to follow an orig. tune w/o knowing the song? You say someone sits "up front- like at an open mic"-do they show everyone all the cords first, just start playing as others join in, ???
Do they "plug in" their git to the PA, or is this 100% acoustic w/o a mic?
Any type (genre) of music fair game, or is it mostly country, folk, blues, rock, or ???
I know these are some dumb noobie questions, but I have zero experience w/ this kind of event.

[wthurman]

Tom, I might be in Chicago the week before... if not, I'll try to make this. I'd love to get down there again...

All the best,

Wade

[tbondo]

Mostly, but I have some folo ups-
Q. About how many (estimate) players come? A "jam" w/ more than a few guitars seems pretty hard to manage, if all are trying to play the same song at the same time?

A> Well, we won't know how many and that tends to drive the approach...with 10+ guitars, it's more of an open mic and solo/duet performances, with fewer (which might be a product of time during the day) a round may commence.

Q. How are folks going to follow an orig. tune w/o knowing the song? You say someone sits "up front- like at an open mic"-do they show everyone all the cords first, just start playing as others join in, ???

A> Generally, knowing the key and watching the progression 1X will be enough for the mid-amateur (sp?)....some guys are so good at this ensemble playing that they are in at the first note...everyone to their comfort zone.....

Q.Do they "plug in" their git to the PA, or is this 100% acoustic w/o a mic?

A> We're gonna have PA set up, go in direct or use the guitar mic (603S condenser) for instrument and something for vocals (probably a SM 58) plus some extra mics/stands in case we decide to go R&R Hall of Fame finale.

Q. Any type (genre) of music fair game, or is it mostly country, folk, blues, rock, or ???

A> No rules, just right...the last gathering we had in Jacksonville ran the gamut as did MS5 in Monroe, NC (classical to country, with a lot of bluegrass flatpicking and some DADGAD Celtic stuff and some originals of various and sometimes unknown genre (like my stuff)

Q.I know these are some dumb noobie questions, but I have zero experience w/ this kind of event.

A> No such thing as a dumb question

[sharkydude50]

tbondo- I'd like to RSVP. Anything else you need to know or inform me about? This sounds pretty cool.

[tbondo]

OK< in the RSVP column we've got SharkyDude, RickS, and Tbondo (plus maybe some other folks lurking in the wings like Wade)....I asked DickensDad to put it on his busy calendar, and I'm gonna start sending emails to some of you who are near the area....like Bobby67 and anyone else I can recall....

I'm gonna ask the local Taylor Dealer if he wants to be involved (I'll be at his place for a Wendy Waldmann Workshop on the 20th of April (sorry Rick, no Artie)).

Gonna be fun....

[ricks]

Tom,
Don't be sorry about Artie, ain't your dealings.
BUT, what date is it gonna be????????
You said the 20th before and now you say the 17th?
Better confirm that if you could, cause I could do the 17th a lot easier than the 20th for the Clinic.

[tbondo]

Unfortunately, it's the 20th...guess my eyes weren't focusing this am, cause the flyer is right here under the monitor????

[beach bob]

I'm marking the date & gonna plan on being there, pending a scheduling meeting w/ the wife :D Heatwave is on 6/17, & the wife has a convention 6/24, so it's quite possible that weekend is open.

I'm pretty sorta familiar w/ the area, but I'm not exactly sure on the location... some specific directions to the site will be needed at some point; I know I'm jumping the gun, but sometimes my inner travel agent / route planner takes over. On that note, if some will be staying over (I probably will), perhaps a common hotel would be nice, in case people want to hang out more, have dinner, etc... I'd be willing to find a suitable (reasonably priced) hotel / motel if there's interest...

Thanks to Tom for pulling the details together. Y'all will find me picking in the more-guitar-than-ability section :roll:

[tbondo]

Hey Beach Bob,

You'll have company in that section! I'm personally sure of that!....

Directions: I-95 to SR 528 (the Beach Line, how cool is that), then east to Merritt Island, SR 3 (AKA Courtenay Parkway) exit, north/left at the light after exiting 528 to SR 3, and drive north (a couple miles or so) to Hall Road (Circle K on the left/southwest corner), turn right on Hall road and head east to the entrance to the KARS Park, continue driving to finally turn left at the end of the road (it's that or into the Banana River), tell the guard at the access point that you're with the AGF group in Area 1, park where he directs...look for a covered pavilion with a PA setup...you've arrived

So we got:

Beach Bob
Sharky
Rick
Tom
Wade (maybe)
DickensDad

Lots of time left to sign up for this one.....you don't want to miss it.

[jeffrey]

Sticky now. :)

[tbondo]

Jeffrey,

Thanks for the assist.

[Pistolero]

It looks like you can put Lauren and I down for this one, barring any unexpected occurrences. Looking forward to it.

[beach bob]

Tom, looks easy enough to get to... I never run north of 528, so that's the part of Merritt Is. I have no clue about. I spied the meetup location on my Streets & Trips app; I luuv that thing :)

I also checked w/ the boss, looks like a go far as we can tell. Probably I'll have wife & kid in tow; don't worry, they're well behaved (me, on the other hand... :eek: ).

Still looking for level of interest on the hotel / motel ... doubt we'll have enough peeps for a group discount, but I can do the research ... y'all please post if interested...

[sharkydude50]

beach bob- where do u live in S. FL? I'm in Ft. Lauderdale and planning on going.

[beach bob]

sharky... I am in fabulous unincorporated West Palm. Currently the land of lane expansions and such :-/ I travel all over the state for work, so I get around. Looking forward to putting faces to the names here :D

[tbondo]

B Bob,

what level of hotel/motel are you interested in?

Several within 10 miles, none or few on the Island

[tbondo]

Allan

Just saw your reply, that's cool....you'll get to hear my new song, Queen of Monroe....

I'm gonna talk (email) with Bagelsgirl and see if I can entice her to come.....if she's back to working a full schedule, that won't fly...but I'll try anyway.

[beach bob]

what level of hotel/motel are you interested in?


Usually budget, need two beds for the family. I try to scout places w/ two queens as opposed to two doubles, cuz um err parts of me have enlarged over time ;) They are tricky to find on the budget end... budget USED to be under $50, nowadays I shoot for under $100...

I have stayed at the Ramada on 528 by the mall for work (1 or 2 nights), but that place is certainly nuttin' special, just convenient btw. mainland, where the work is, & beach, where I sometimes take dinner. For this one I might be looking at Cocoa Beach, just to hang at the pool &/or beach come Sunday...

& add my thumbs up for Allan being there :up:

[lcogginz]

Hiya Tom - I thought I had posted on this thread before but Allen pointed out to me this was a new thread (I was thinking of the initial "gauging interest" thread that you recently started, on which I *did* post)...so, I thought I'd post. Even though Allen spoke for me--and he was right--I thought I'd say I'm looking forward to it and it should be a good time! Let me know if there's anything I can do or bring to help out.

By the way - hope the new job's great. My dad found one recently after being laid off about 2 years ago, and he's happy to have it. Good things come in threes - I wonder if I can find a new one too? lol

[ricks]

Glad to see that Allen and Lauren are planning on coming down, I'll have to send him and e-mail about something.
Beach Bob and whoever else, there used to be a good motel that was pretty reasonable right on 520 just east of Rt 3 (Courtenay) that I have used before.
For the life of me I can't remember what it was, but I'll check with the kids down there tonight and get back to ya.
It might be a little ways from the gathering, south a bit, but much more in the way of places to go and such in this area.

[sharkydude50]

beachbob- we should jam together before the June date- maybe work up somtin' cool for it? What do u think?

[sharkydude50]

Ricks-what's the name of that good seafood place on the water in Orange?

[sharkydude50]

This forum really needs a PM feature =(