AUGUSTA PROVES TOO WILD, WE RETREAT TO EAU CLAIRE MUSIC SCENE

Tonight's got the makings of a typically good Wisconsin Saturday night: Supper at "The Hungry Hunter" down in Augusta with our friend Judy Willink. We like to get together with Judy at least once a week to catch up on our lives.

I think Judy's bowing out on the after dinner activity. Kim and I will be heading up to Eau Claire and The Red Parrot Music Club (formerly Jimmy Woo's) to catch a set or two of the BFORS - I think that's how it's spelled - anxious to hear Mikey Richson sing and play that wicked guitar of his, and to groove to Tommy Wieseler on keys -

I think I will take the camera along and get a shot of Mr. Richson for this page.

SO I DID TAKE THE CAMERA, as you can see. The evening started out with some giggles. "The Hungry Hunter" cafe in Augusta only stays open until 6PM on saturdays, so we picked Judy up at 5:45 and when we got to the cafe, this is what we found. The entire cafe was empty, the television set at the far end of the restaurant was set on "stun" blasting volume. Then we noticed the black tee shirted gentleman seated at the far end of the booths, fast asleep.
Turns out that after we sit and giggle about the situation for a while, the owner comes out from the back of the restaurant kitchen area to inform us that she will get us menus and wake up the cook.
She wakens sleeping beauty, who is in possession of the TV remote control, he turns down the Tv and slowly makes his way back to the kitchen.

During food prep time we can hear him unintelligibly grousing about something with the owner/waitress. it was a great start to our evening!

After dropping Judy off, we made our way bAck home as the music didn't start until 9 PM.

We arrived at the Red Parrot shortly after the BeFors had launched their first set, As you can see from their banner, they specialize in "oldies" of the mid-sixties on, and Kim and I stayed for two sets before my legs and feet sent me home.

Mike Richson , I could tell, is having the time of his life playing their selected tunes. We heard everything from the Rolling Stones to Bob Dylan to Jimmy Hendricks.

What's nice about this band is that they are careful to choose songs that weren't played to death on radio but still have a familiarity that makes you say: "Oh, yeh! that was a great tune!"

The addition of Tom Wieseler on keyboards adds a lot of depth to their sound also.

If you live in the Eau Claire area, you should really get out to hear the guys!

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