Tricks Trio & KaRTunes Blog - 2021

Tricks Trio - September 2021

Sep 18 - Tricks Trio, Scouting Event, Mackinac Rendezvous XVIII
Mill Creek Campground, Mackinaw City

Thanks to Facebook, Rick has reconnected with his cousin Bruce. We always had a similar passion for Progressive Rock music, so there has been lots of back-and-forth exchange of comments and links on Facebook over the past few years since reconnecting. With Bruce being a Scout leader in the upper part of the Mitten, he asked if we could provide some live music for a couple thousand scouts at their annual get-together "Mackinac Rendezvous" at Mill Creek Campground, just outside of Mackinaw City, on Lake Huron. At first, we were trying to get the entire Tricks band, but Steve was not available. Instead, we made a big splash with the Tricks Trio; Krystal, Ozzy, and Rick. Bruce provided a cabin for us to stay in and we initially thought we would accompany the older scouts on their trip to Mackinaw Island on Saturday morning. We decided that we needed to stay back at the campground so we could get our stage arranged without a big rush job. We were apprehensive about playing for a thousand youngsters whose parents weren't even alive when most of our songs were popular. But we shouldn't have worried. For one thing, there were only a couple hundred kids who stayed after dinner for our music show. And those kids couldn't have been more enthusiastic. It was mostly boys, but there was a handful of girls up front and watching us closely. Check out the pics to see the fun. Bruce said we might be invited back for 2023, and we might talk Steve into coming along to make it a Tricks extravaganza!

I think this was our 11th party for Duane and Kim at their Irons place. We missed out on 2020 because of Covid concerns, but we're back with the Tricks Trio and we're having the usual blast. This group of friends are dancers. That gets us fired up and we all feed off each others' energy. Thanks to Duane and Kim for having us. Thanks to the Phelps for giving us a place to stay overnight.

KaR Tunes - August 2021

Aug 21 - KaR Tunes, Diamond Lake Party, Whitecloud


This party is an offshoot of our Duane and Kim party. Most of the people here were friends who we've seen at Duane and Kim's. And it shows in the photos with all the drinking and dancing fun.

Aug 20 - KaR Tunes, Multiple Birthdays, Hospice Benefit Party, Allegan

This one was a freebie - we donate a 3-hour music party for the Hospice Auction every spring. I think this is the fifth time that we've been paired with Bill's Barbecue catering - that makes it an all-inclusive party with food and music; you just supply the venue. This group of family and friends were celebrating multiple birthdays that had been postponed because of Covid. Check out the little girl playing ukulele, singing a song that she wrote with her mom. Outstanding!

Aug 7 - Ozzy & Doogie, Carol's Cabin Party, Lake Allegan

Tricks Trio - July 2021

July 24 - Tricks Trio & Friends
Straight Light Party, East Jordan

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This was a first annual band reunion, with Straight Light being the center of attention. Bill Roelofs place in East Jordan, near Charlevoix, was the venue. It poured rain all night and all morning. We used the Tricks sound system, and had that set up the day before the show, ending up with lots of tarps to protect everything. (When we pack up the stage later, there was water in between Rick's stack of amp racks.) There were four bands and we started late because of the rain, so we only got to play about seven songs. We didn't have Steve with us, but we had Bill playing drums with us, along with supplemental keyboards and some mighty saxophone work. That sax worked good for Dave Matthew's "What Would You Say" and our Pink Floyd "Money" cover. Fun stuff! Not sure if we can make it next year, but hopefully we'll be back some time.

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July 17 - Phelpstock XV in Irons
Tricks Trio + Bill Roelofs

 

This was our 15th annual party for Tommy & Tara Phelps at their home-away-from-home in the back woods of Irons. We've done music for this party in various formats with various bass players and drummers. This time we played with the Tricks Trio (Krystal, Ozzy, & Rick) plus Bill Roelofs on drums. There were a couple dozen family & friends having a good ol' time drinking, eating, dancing, and sitting around the campfire while we rocked out with Bill. One notable thing you might see in the photos is Bill's hand injury from a skillsaw accident only a week and a half before this party. Ouch!

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Jun 19 - Tricks Trio, Karen & Dan Yard Party

Here is a party in an Allegan backyard. Karen and Dan plan on doing a party like this every year, so this is the "first annual". Karen is one of Krystal's main hiking, kayaking, and camping gal pals, so lots of the ladies dancing in the grass are Krystal's gang of active moms & grannies (I can say that, right?). We had a great time, especially when Jeremy Dutkiewicz joined in on Djemba drum for the last few songs.

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