May 18, 2010
BK LOUNGE

It is truly amazing to me the great fans the Stranger Creek Band draws to the BK Lounge every Tuesday. It seems the weather or nothing else matters, we always enjoy a capacity or near capacity crowd. A large majority of them are there each and every week eagerly waiting for Gordon to make that first strike on the guitar string to get things going. I don't know if anyone notices but the larger and more enthusiastic the fans, the harder the band works to please.

I want to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to Jean and Roger Hawkins of MO-KAN OPRY.com for their generosity in allowing me to use their material in this blog. Their accuracy in listing not only the titles of songs performed but to also list the original artist that recorded it is amazing to say the least! I am the first to admit it is way beyond my capability to do that.

With a clear, sunny day instead of the rainy, overcast conditions we've been experiencing, a bigger than normal crowd decended on the BK this evening and the place was pretty well packed by the time Larry Dean and the band struck up the first chords of Merle Haggard's "Big City." Next up was George Strait's "Does Ft. Worth Ever Cross Your Mind" and somewhat later Larry returned to sing "Ramblin Fever" and Lefty Frizzell's "Always Late With Your Kisses."

One of the finest lead guitar players we know, Gordon Riley along with the rest of the band including drummer John Malone played the ever-popular "Under The Double Eagle," picked and sang the Hank Thompson classic "Six-Pack To Go" and Elvis' "Big Boss Man." Later was the self-penned "Gordon's Boogie #1 and "Harbor Lights." "Marvelous" Marvin Bredemeier, who plays fiddle every Saturday evening at Annie's Country Jubilee in Tonganoxie was kind enough to play our favorite fiddle tune, "Ragtime Annie" for us this evening as well as the beautiful "Maiden's Prayer, Bob Wills' "Milk Cow Blues" and "Red Wing." Great stuff!! Mary Bichelmeyer sounded super this evening as she kept up the beat on that bass guitar and sang Highway 101's "Walkin Talkin Cryin Barely Beatin Broken Heart," "You Belong To Me," Kathy Mattea's "Walk The Way The Wind Blows" and "Oh Lonesome Me." Husband Garry Bichelmeyer, on the other hand decided to test everyone's memory with an oldie but goodie - "The Ballad Of Jed Clampett" (Beverly Hillbillies, etc.), Johnny Russell's "Catfish John" and later teamed with Larry Dean for the Soggy Bottom Boys' rendition of "In The Jailhouse Now" and then it was Garry with "Stand By Me" and one of his many self-penned numbers, "Marie."

David Purcell is always a crowd favorite and tonight he didn't disappoint as he sang George Strait's "The Cowboy Rides Away," Merle's "It's Not Love But It's Not Bad," Willie's "Help Me Make It Through The Night," George Jones' "Walk Through This World With Me" and Alan Jackson's "Here In The Real World." Larry Dean closed the evening with a couple of R & B tunes, Gene Vincent's "Bebop A Lula" and "Old Time Rock & Roll." (Below) top - Our friend Marvin Bredemeier plays our favorite fiddle tune "Ragtime Annie" bottom - Look who we spotted on the dance floor tonight - Garry & Mary Bichelmeyer dance while the others play!





Thanks again Jean & Roger!!

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