Late night open thread

Well, at least there's plenty of water in the river now.

Time for Oscoda, After Dark

14 hours (or more) in a canoe, LOL

Not on Johnny's best day. True story, Johnny and the late Mrs. Johnny went canoeing together for the very first time one week before their wedding.....which almost didn't take place because of differing philosophies on moving the canoe down the river.

Of course there was a wedding and it never really was in doubt but boy, what a couple terrible days. Late on the second day things got figured out and the Johnny's won the day simply because we wanted off the river and out of the fucking canoe.

But best of luck to our competitors today!

Late night open thread

The following people will not be participating in this weekend's canoe marathon. Please make changes in your scorebooks.

Time for Oscoda, After Dark

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with LOU REED!

Johnny really did enjoy his time in and around NYC and getting to learn more stories and go to places his musical heroes hung around and played in. This classic, 'Take A Walk on the Wild Side' is so encompassing of all that to your host with the most.

Lou Reed would have to be on a Mt. Rushmore of New York City musical acts, right?

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with STEREO MC'S!

Putting his behemoth iTunes catalog (Seriously, Johnny has created a catalog so heavy not even God can lift it) on shuffle pays off here with the Stereo MC's and a great jam, 'Connected' which can really get Johnny dancing around a room. The joke is on you, he's better than you'd think. He had a whole wedding imitating him one night.

FACT!

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with THE ROLLING STONES!

That one time out of the year beside New Years Eve we get a chance to play us some Mick and Keef, fitting as today is Mick Jagger's 76th birthday. We of course wish him a happy birthday and many more. Off into this good night you go friends, with, 'Have You Seen Your Mother, Baby, Standing In the Shadow?'

It's the BIG Oscoda/AuSable weekend of summer! The canoe marathon is here!

Two weeks after the Curley (and of course Johnny is a total noob to this on his first time through the summer schedule here in Oscoda) comes the marathon and folks, have we got a LOT of people in town for this race. 91 teams have signed up in the different classes of canoers,  and it all ends here in Oscoda.  More on the race from the Oscoda Press:

At least 10 local paddlers are expected to take part in the race, which begins Saturday in downtown  Grayling at 9 p.m, near the corner of Ionia St. and Peninsular St. There teams will sprint with their canoe about two city blocks until they reach the river near the Old AuSable Fly Shop and frantically try to get in their boats, get started down the river and separate themselves from the other teams.

Winners of the race are expected to cross the finish line at Finish Line Park, near the AuSable Inn in Oscoda on Sunday, around 11 a.m. Teams have a cutoff time of 4 p.m. To finish the race. In between paddlers will venture down 120 miles of river, several hours of which will be in the dark and portage over six dams. Teams should hit the first dam, Mio Dam around 2 a.m., with Foote Dam serving as the final portage site.

So this is how the sausage gets made but later in the article it does mention the high water levels on the AuSable might mean the top finishers get in earlier than the article suggests.

You're gonna want to totally click that above link as you can also get a listing of all local talent hitting the AuSable River and more on the favorites in both men's and women's divisions.

See ya on the river, folks!

Late night open thread

Time for Oscoda, After Dark

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with THE YARDBIRDS!

The Yardbirds classic, 'Over Under Sideways Down' is one of Johnny's favorite songs to sing along to, hence it's inclusion tonight. However, this is not a version you've probably ever heard before unless you're a true hardcore fan. The Youtube video info says this far more upbeat and ambitious version was cut in the BBC Studios May 6, 1966. Most definitely worth a listen, really good stuff.

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with DAVE EDMUNDS!

Now here's a welcome classic you don't hear every day, Dave Edmunds with 'Slipping Away' from 1983. You may not have known this before but if you listen to the song with the knowledge Jeff Lynne of ELO fame wrote it you can sure as shootin' hear his influence on this track.

Let's get it!

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with SUPERTRAMP!

You just can't go wrong with a Supertramp song if you're trying to put on a proper Music Series.....as we are here. Johnny remembers coming back from a baseball tournament with his giant friend Matt (He was literally 6'4" by 8th grade) who got more and more frustrated with his mom who just wasn't understanding the difference between The Trampps (Disco Inferno) and Supertramp. Good times in the Suburban that day, Johnny can tell you.

'Breakfast in America' fits the bill tonight for one to keep you singing our last tune of the evening til Sunday.

Late night open thread

If you didn't see this on it's first go round a few years back or just want a cool reminder, there's a planet out there in the Cancer constellation, not entirely far from Earth as space goes, made up largely of diamonds.

Time for Oscoda, After Dark

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with THE ALAN PARSONS PROJECT!

Right here is the difference between what you do (And Johnny means himself here too) and what rock stars do. If you get called to be on a project for work that's BAD. That usually blows pies. Work projects suck ass.

If your musician friends call and ask if you want to work with them and be in a project with them you get very happy and life is GOOD. Perhaps this is why 'Breakdown' sounds so good.

Johnny's work projects usually involved dioramas.

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with BANANARAMA!

The band guaranteed to set off your spell check, it's Bananarama. Truth be told, you could probably clear out a whole herd of kids from spelling bees asking them to spell it.

It's summer, it's gorgeous, it's competitive canoe racing for the next few weeks in Oscoda and AuSable, that's as good as it gets so here's some summer cotton candy for your ears, 'Really Saying Something'

Did you know then, this song is a cover done originally by Detroit girl band (Johnny didn't name them girl bands, but they're considered one) The Velvelettes.

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with SHERYL CROW!

From the Tuesday Night Music Club to the Friday Night Music Series by way of Kennett Missouri, it's Sheryl Crow boys and girls!

Here's a song Johnny quickly got sick of from overplay of, well a really good album. He's kind of circled back to 'Leaving Las Vegas' as one he can appreciate.

And who among us hasn't driven up to Barstow to find a crossroad trucker to show us his might? Nobody here better be throwing that rock.

Out the door you go after another week of the Music Series. But not into Las Vegas. You just left there.

Late night open thread

These days from the 4th til Sunday is almost like a four day summer Thanksgiving weekend.

Time for Oscoda, After Dark

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with SUZANNE VEGA!

Music fans, you have to trust your old friend Johnny. This is an amazing performance of an amazing song. He doesn't do this often, but by the end you'll have another song you like. Suzanne Vega at Montreaux in 2004 with 'Penitent'

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with MUDDY WATERS!

'Mannish Boy'

(Songs that don't need an intro don't get an intro)

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with THE RUNAWAYS!

There are still a few firecracker fans afoot tonight Johnny is already hearing so why not get us on our way this week with a song title quite apropos, 'Cherry Bomb' by The Runaways.

Johnny used to love fireworks until he got a dog. He used to always buy the most down south before they were legal. *sigh*

Late night open thread

From the sounds of things out there (Johnny is in here helping his pooch through the booms and bams) Independence Day 2019 is a giant success in Oscoda.

Time for Oscoda, After Dark

Happy Independence Day!

What a day on tap for Oscoda! There is perfect weather afoot today for beach or BBQ or trail time, the Oscoda Beach and pier have events planned (and tasty ice cream places near the beach), and of course the BEST fireworks show in northeast Michigan.

Here's a little clip Johnny has been running every year on the 4th of July (as soon as he can re-find it each year) he like to simply call 'Jimmy's Truck, mobile fireworks launch command"

All the way from 2006, it's back again this year: