Loose Leaf Notes

He mentioned the idea of hiring The KIND, one of our longtime favorite local bands who play mostly Grateful Dead music, for his 60^th birthday.

I’m one who is not good at hosting or planning events. The idea overwhelmed me and was unlikely to happen, but then the perfect line-up fell into our laps when Tuggles Gap Roadside Inn (just up the road from our house) announced that The KIND would be playing at the first of their After Dark Live Music Series on the exact date of Joe’s birthday.

The venue is small and only 50 tickets were sold. I got ours right away and bought a couple of extras as a gift for Joe to “miracle” someone. In the Grateful Dead tradition, a miracle ticket is one given to a stranger at a sold-out show.

Good friends and Dead Heads showed up and the whole night couldn’t have been better if we planned it!

It was up-close in personal in a good way, especially considering that the band members are some of our friends that go way back, and the new Tuggles Gap owner and the band are also friends.

Tom, the band’s lead guitarist and vocalist, called the gig “cozy.” Wendy, on guitar and vocals, said it felt like playing in someone’s living room.

It reminded some of us long time Floydian dancers of dancing at the Floyd VFW back in the day (late 80s) when we were fundraising for Blue Mountain School and there were practically no live music venues in Floyd.

The Inn rooms were filled with Dead Heads. The After Dark menu was delicious (I recommend the Greek spanakopita chicken egg rolls with bruschetta dip) and the IPA was cold.  If I wasn’t so tired from dancing till midnight, I’d go back for the Inn’s Sunday Brunch!

Joe says: “The best birthday ever!”