Colin with a recap of sets by Norah Jones and Redd Kross.
Read MoreCorona's Covers For a Cure Saturday @ Big Room Bar - by Ricki C.
The second annual Corona’s Covers For a Cure benefit show will take place at CD 102.5’s Big Room Bar this Saturday, March 10th, beginning at 4 pm, and running ‘til eleven (or thereabouts, you know how these multi-band extravaganzas go). Full details and a rough running order of the local artists performing can be found at Corona’s Covers For a Cure.
The basic premise and set-up of the show is simple, but profound: local Columbus bands & solo rockers play cover songs by bands or solo artists who died of cancer, thereby keeping those songs from being lost to live performance. This show is really close to my heart. I first heard about last March’s inaugural show while driving away from one of my sister Dianne’s chemotherapy sessions at the Zangmeister Cancer Center. That CD 102.5 ad – local artists playing songs lost to cancer – seemed like a perfect fit for me. “Hey, I know songs by The Velvet Underground,” I said out loud to myself in the car, and when I got home I set about trying to cadge my way onto the bill. I felt like I owed it to the doctors, nurses & technicians who were caring for Dianne.
Somewhere along the way Colin’s band The League Bowlers also became involved in the benefit. The show went great, the guys & girls from Corona were truly friendly & caring and the benefit raised thousands for cancer research. Colin & I asked if they were going to repeat the benefit in 2018 and the Corona & CD 102.5 crews said they hoped so. We asked them to keep us in mind for a repeat appearance.
And now comes the downside: in the year that has transpired since that show my sister died of the cancer she was in treatment for when I played that first benefit. Further, Mike Parks – the genius lead guitarist of The League Bowlers – ALSO died of a cancer that hadn’t even been DIAGNOSED when the Bowlers played the benefit. (Click here to read Pencilstorm Remembers Mike Parks)
At one point in Colin’s e-mail when he asked me to write this story for Pencilstorm, he used the phrase “if that ain’t evidence that cancer is a mean son of a bitch I don’t know what is.” (And Colin should know, he lost his beloved mom to cancer more than 20 years ago.) He’s exactly, precisely right: cancer is a mean son of a bitch and I’m asking you to come out this Saturday to show your support – with your money and your hearts & minds – to fund research to show cancer that we’re meaner sons of bitches than it is. - Ricki C. / March 8, 2018
Pencilstorm Remembers Mike Parks
Fans and friends of Mike Parks will be gathering to see Willie Phoenix at the A&R Bar Friday, February 2nd. It's a post CBJ show. Details here.
League Bowlers guitarist Mike Parks succumbed to cancer on Sunday, January 7th. I really don't know how old he was and I guess it doesn't matter anyway. Mike was a gentleman and an artist and it was truly an honor to stand next to him onstage and get to listen to all that amazing guitar playing up close. Not that you needed to be close once Mike cranked up those two VOX twins, but you get the point. I'm going to turn it over to Ricki C. and Jim Johnson from here as they knew Mike longer and better than I did. - Colin G.
Click here to read: Mike Parks - Guitar Slinger.....written by Ricki C. in 2014, updated 2017
Jim Johnson - I guess it's time to post my thoughts. I lost one of my best friends yesterday. Mike Parks passed away peacefully yesterday, with his wife, Danya Linehan, and his cats by his side. Mike had a lot of cats. More than one household really needed, but Mike loved his cats. He had this thing, a sort of telepathy with cats. If you know anything about cats, you know cats don't trust anyone. Cats trusted Mike. They knew he was one of them, and they loved him as much as he loved his cats. It really was amazing to see.
I first met Mike, back in the "Sugar Shack" days. I think he was playing in Flasher, and I was playing in Lizzy Borden. I used to watch Mike play, and he would do this thing, with a violin bow and an echoplex. It was amazing. Every bit as good as Jimmy Page, but I didn't have to go to Madison Square Garden to see it. I could stand 5 feet away, at the Shack, and then walk home. Those were amazing days. I thought to myself, "I hope I get to play in a band with this guy someday." My wish came true. Mike and I played in three bands together. The Retreads, Willie Phoenix and the True Soul Rockers, and the League Bowlers. All cool bands, and it was a pleasure to share the stage with Mike. The Retreads used to play at Bernies, and we had a gig the day Mike's first child was born. We weren't sure if he would make it to the gig. After all, his kid was being born. Mike showed up 5 minutes before we were supposed to go on, dressed in full Operating Room scrubs, including surgeon's mask, and played the gig. I wish there were pictures. That's the Mike I remember. There are some tapes of the True Soul Rockers playing the High-Beck, floating around in cyberspace. The band was really at it's best in those days, and if you ever get to hear the tape, you'll hear Mike and Willie Phoenix, tearing it up. Those two together, man, it was magic. That's the Mike I remember.
After the TSR's broke up, Mike quit playing for a while. I used to call him, and he'd say, "Man, I'm retired. I'll do my sculpting. I got other stuff I can do." I said "we'll see." I went on to join the League Bowlers, and when we needed a guitar player, I suggested Mike. I said "Come down & jam, and if you hate it, you can go back to your sculpting." Long story short, Mike had a new rock & roll home. Colin Gawel had some cool songs, and we recorded them with Rick Kinsinger. Some Balls was born. Rick reminded me of a story about Mike not long ago. Mike was having a little trouble coming up with a lead for a song, so I told him, "Play it like Chuck Berry would, if he was in a surf band." Needless to say, Mike NAILED it. He had an amazing amount of Rock & Roll Knowledge. After all, he lived with the MC5 for a while. That's the Mike I remember. Some Balls Deluxe is finished, and Mike left some great guitar playing for us to remember him by. Colin said not long ago, "There are a lot of guitar players that are artists. Mike is an artist that plays guitar." There's a difference. The world lost a gifted human being yesterday. I'm lucky to have known him, to have him in my life, and I have some great memories. That's the Mike I remember. - Jim Johnson
Jim mentioned Bowlers producer and sometime stand-in Rick Kinsinger above, I thought his comments were worth sharing as well:
There are losses that make me sad, not just for the ones who knew and loved the departed, but also for the people who never knew them, because now they never will. Mike Parks is one of those. Whether you knew him or not, your world just got a little less cool, less colorful, less weird, and less kind. Rest In Peace, Mike. - Rick Kinsinger
Along those lines, as Mike was fighting his illness while trying to finish Some Balls Deluxe, Rick would literally take a small recording rig to Mike's bedside so he could record his parts. With the circumstances being what they were, Rick recorded EVERYTHING Mike laid down. The final song on Some Balls is one of those moments of Mike just messing around and having some fun. We thought it was the perfect way to wrap up the record and I think we will wrap this post the same way.
Click here to play 11th Frame by Mike Parks .
Attention World: Colin on Andymanathon Saturday Morning. Stream It!
Watershed and myself have a lonnnnnng history with the annual CD1025 Andymanathon charity for the kids. The late WWCD program director Andy Davis started the tradition 25 years ago when he would stay on air for 48 straight hours and play requests in exchange for donations for children's charities. Though sadly he has left us, his tradition remains alive though the current staff widely divide up the two day event among themselves.
With that is mind, I will be on air with Brian Phillips Saturday December 16th from 8-10am. (Or from after I drop off Owen at basketball practice until 10am.) The good thing about that time slot is that if you call in, and make a request-donation it usually goes on air very quickly. So, please tune in or even better, stream the show at www.cd1025.com and request your favorite Watershed-League Bowlers-Lonely Bones song. You will be glad you did.
Call 614 221 1025 and tell Brian and myself "hello" and play a song for the kids.
Colin on WCBE Thursday October 19th, 1 - 2 pm. Tune in or Stream It.
It's the fall fund raising season for WCBE 90.5 and to pay respects, Colin will be riding shotgun on the air with Maggie Brennan and her fabulous show The Global Village on Thursday October 19th from 1 - 2 pm. Talking Watershed, Bowlers, Pencilstorm and all sorts of things along with the great music you expect from WCBE, it should be a fun ride. Tune in and spread the word. Or hit the link below to stream it on the interwebs the kids are so crazy about.
Click here to stream the show and to learn about how you can contribute to this great radio station.
Mike Parks Benefit Sunday Afternoon at ValleyDale w/Joey Molland (of Badfinger), Willie Phoenix, Bowlers, Blinns & more
Columbus guitar-slinger Mike Parks has been diagnosed with stage-4 stomach cancer. To raise some money and raise his spirits, the folks at Team Productions have put together a truly once in a lifetime bill Sunday September 10th as part of their Valley Dale Ballroom Breakout series. (Click here for a Ricki C. story about the amazing history of Valley Dale) Doors are at 1 pm and music goes until 7 pm. Since I play in the League Bowlers (with Mike Parks) and Ricki C. is the stage manager for this show, I got the scoop on the line-up and set times. Dig this...
First off - click here for Valley Dale info, tickets, location and so on and so forth.....
Doors 1 pm
Rezes/Hall Band 2 - 2:30
Willie Phoenix 2:45 - 3:15
Black Leather Touch 3:30 - 4:00
Erica Blinn 4:15 - 4:45
League Bowlers 5 - 5:30
Joey Molland (Badfinger) w/ The Dan Orr Project 5:45 - 6:30
Yes, that is the real Joey Molland from the real band Badfinger. Click here to read a story by Scott Carr explaining why this matters and you should care.
Please pass on this info and I hope to see you there. - Colin G.