Tom Throws

I know, things are tough all over. Fred’s, that venerable bistro in Stamford, NY, has decided to stop presenting music. No particular reason given and none needed in these times. It was great while it lasted and many thanks to Lisa (who booked these gigs) and Fred’s for having us.

If you’ve not been to Fred’s, treat yourself to a great dinning experience. The food is excellent and though I’ve only dined in the pub, the dinning room looks like a great place for a great meal. Give Fred’s a try, you won’t be disappointed !

Sunday evening in Albany, NY, Richard Thompson gave a concert that was nothing short of brilliant and made even more so by the perfect foil, songwriter Loudon Wainwright, III.

Thompson immediately set the hard driving tone of his performance and continued to raise the bar throughout: both in song selection and with masterful soloing. RIchard Thompson is a guitar player. I’ve always thought of him as a great songwriter but never having seen him live, was unaware of just how good he is at playing great melodic solos.

Thompson plays in a style that utilizes the flatpick and two fingers (presumably the middle and ring but from where I was sitting I couldn’t tell) and does so to great expressive effect. He is more than a pattern picker when it comes to finger picking too, as he demonstrated on one of his most covered songs, ‘1952 Vincent Black Lightning’.

If you’ve not seen Richard Thompson do yourself the great good favor of taking in one of his shows. Keep your eyes peeled for Richard Thompson’s next Albany appearance. He seems to play the Egg about once a year.

Yours in tunefulness,

Tom Throws

Hello Music Lovers !

From the land of enchantment . . .  greetings !  I’ve been on the Colorado River for 18 wonder-filled, magical days and am now back in the world rarin’ to play songs for you all !

Fred’s, that excellent bistro in Stamford, NY, has decided to discontinue music on Thursday nights but will present music on the third Wednesday of the month.  My November 12th and December 17th shows at Fred’s are cancelled.

The good news is I’ll be playing a show at Fred’s on Wednesday, December 16th at 7pm with Tom Wetmore.

The food is excellent at Fred’s and the pub has a warm, welcoming feel to it so if you’ve not been “up the hill” come on up to Fred’s on Wedcnesday, the 16th of December for great food and rockin’ music.

Many friends were asking about my adoption of the stage name “Tom Throws” at last weekend’s benefit for our new mayor Sandy Mackay:  The story is pretty simple: I’m tired of a surname that sounds like a stuffy English lawyer.  Plus, I never could pass that damnable bar exam!

I feel a renewed excitement about being a musician, a new commitment and enthusiasm for writing songs, producing records and performing for all you music lovers !  Come on out and see a show, you’ll be happy you did !

Tom Throws

Hello Music Lovers !

The River.  The Colorado River in the Grand Canyon.  18 days, 226 miles; live in that canyon for a year and there’s plenty more to see and be in.  A true adventure of a lifetime. Thanks to my sister and brother in law, Sarah Jane & Toran Maynard who made this trip happen in an elegant and magical way !  Thanks also to all the river mates who were on this  journey: Arty, Nikki, Jared, John, Abigail, Mark, Blake & Dominique, Dave and Anna, it was a delight to run the river with you !

Tom Throws

Recently,  longtime friend Hank Lamont asked me to join a new band that he and fiddler Len Broiles are calling ‘Loose Change’ ! I know what you’re thinking: ‘What a great name for a band, I wonder who thought of it ?’

I played my first gig with this excitable new ensemble at Frank Mesiti’s ‘Lake House Grill’ in Wells, NY last Saturday night and we had a blast !  What a treat to play with these inspired musicians ! Drummer Kyle Murray and bassist Colin Dehond form the rhythm section with Colin also contributing backing vocals.

The band plays a mix of Western Swing, Progressive Bluegrass and Blues and were given a warm reception by the crowd at the Lake House Grill.

I’m mostly playing electric guitar with this band and it has been a real thrill for me to come back to electric after such a long hiatus. Dennis Gallagher loaned me a “catalog electric” when the only guitar I owned was a crappy Stella my uncle gave me with action 3/4 of an inch off the fretboard and a plywood top so thick you could have “El Kabonged” several drunken brawlers with nary a scratch !

Rumour has it we’ll be playing at the Bull’s Head in the beautifully restored cellar pub on Saturday, November 14th at 9PM.

Hope to see all you music lovers there !

Tommy

Hello Music Lovers !

My solo gig at the Jonesville Store (October 3rd) has been moved back to the future.  Some of you will recognize this as rescheduling but I like to think of it in terms of the space / time continuum. The time coordinate of this gig is now: December 5th 6:30 to 8:30PM. All space coordinates remain the same. Isn’t science fun !

The extraordinary original music of Dennis Gallagher.  When longtime friend Dennis asked me to play a concert with him in his hometown of Keene Valley, I leaped at the opportunity.  Unfortunately, I neglected to land the leap resulting in a fractured immune system and now I have a wee bit of a summer cold !

The show was great fun and the crowd at the Keene Valley Congregational Church was enthusiastic and had a great time despite the humorous interludes.

In all the years I’ve been listening to his wonderful compositions, I’ve never heard Dennis so relaxed in front of an audience. Perhaps this was due to the fact that most of the concert goers were local Keenites, ravenous to hear this man’s magical creations ! ! !

Hello Music Lovers !  This thursday night (7PM)  Tom Wetmore and I will be at Fred’s in Stamford NY.  If you haven’t been to Fred’s yet and can come up for dinner you will not be disappointed !  (The duo playing the bar is rumored to be quite tastey as well) Hope to see you there !

For those of you who want to venture farther afield, I’ll be accompanying my good friend Dennis Gallagher in a concert at the Keene Valley Congregational Church, Friday August 14th at 7:30 PM.