Tales of The Troubadours Reincarnated

Troubadours Put A Spell On The Pagans

2008-04-15T07:42:00.001-07:00

Proof positive -you can dress 'em up.

It was a wild event last Saturday night at Persephone's Ball even if it was at The Hilton.

No animals or people were harmed in these shots, and as far as we know, these people were driven mad only by the music.

The Troubadours said they would rock this event, and they kept their word.

The next event coming up is a benefit for Chris Gaffney at Surf Club Live THIS Sunday.
Stay tuned.

From Mark Noone-

2008-04-10T06:21:00.001-07:00

PERSEPHONE'S MASQUERADE
The 7th Annual Spring Charity Gala, Dinner & Ball
The Hilton Of Silver Spring, Silver Spring, Maryland
Sat. April 12. 6:30 Open. 7:30 Dinner. 8:30 Dessert

Hey Gang! Do we get the gigs or what?!?!?!

This has been a wild party in the past and this year it will be wilder!

Check this out, click on the link and you’ll see! Not to be missed!

www.openhearth.org/springball/

Troubadours Go Pagan On April 12

2008-04-03T07:46:00.000-07:00

We go just about anywhere someone wants us....
Persephone’s Masquerade Ball. What is it? It’s a dinner, and it’s a masquerade ball- "creative black tie" and costumes encouraged, and it's a pagan and pagan friendly gathering to benefit The Open Hearth Foundation and DC Pagan Community Center Project. All your questions can be answered at their web site- hit the link above.
(All we know is we have to show up and rock The Silver Spring Hilton.)
You have to get tickets for the dinner by April 9th, but tickets for just dessert and dancing will be sold at the door.

On The Road

2008-04-02T07:57:00.000-07:00

Jake Flack took a field trip down to New Orleans his old stomping ground to play with Thousand Dollar Car- the band he had to leave when he moved back to DC. Derek Huston, a frequent sit-in sax guest of The Troubadours and ole pal took these shots when ANOTHER old DC connection Eric Brace of Last Train Home wandered through. Eric's now living in Nashville.

The Scene At Chick Hall's

2008-01-28T18:47:00.001-08:00

There was a really good turn out at The Surf Club last Friday, despite the cold. The one and only Rhodes Tavern Troubadours were glad to be back together and playing in one of their favorite joints.

Thanks to Chip Py who caught all these great shots.

And
you have one more chance to catch The RTTS THIS SATURDAY MORNING (yes, A.M.-10 A.M. sharp to be precise) at The Avalon- one of the few old movie houses left in D.C. Bring the kids. Bring the neighbor's kids. Bring the birthday party...

Calling All Troubadours Fans to the Surf Club

2008-01-22T08:07:00.000-08:00

If you've been meaning to go, now is your chance-
finally The Rhodes Tavern Troubadours will appear live and in person THIS FRIDAY NIGHT at the legend in its' own time, still gasping, but not for long- Chick Hall's Surf Club right there at 4711 Kenilworth Avenue in Beautiful Bladensburg- gem of Prince George's (don't call it PG) County. Karen Collins and her Backroads Band will hold up the honky tonk end of the show while The Troubadours will faithfully lean towards the rocking side. Show starts at 9:30. Most probably this will be the last time Troubadours play Chick Hall's- where the real people like to hang.

And if The Troubadours' show leaves you wanting more... you are in luck. Mark Noone will be playing At The Velvet Lounge in downtown DC the very next night- Jan 26- this time disguised as a Hula Monster.

And don't forget - coming up -Feb 2 -it's the RTT kid's show at the historic Avalon Theater.

Try and get your fill now...it may be a long time 'till the next gig.

Tribute Turns Out A Crowd

2008-01-15T09:46:00.000-08:00

The Troubadours had a great time at the Nick Lowe tribute. Seemed like old home week with the cast of thousands that turned out to play and watch. The Troubadours did Soulful Wind from the Impossible Bird recording with guests, Bill Kirchen on guitar and trombone, Louise Kirchen singing back up, and Jon Carroll on piano. Just to add to the mix up- Jake Flack played the drums and Jack O'Dell played guitar on this one with Mark Noone holding down the bass line as usual.

Their other Nick Lowe song, Play That Fast Thing One More Time, had everybody back to their places, with Jon Carroll still on piano. The night ended with a humongous finale- too many musicians to name, but plenty enough to change a lightbulb.

There are TWO gigs (count 'em TWO) coming up- one for the older set at Chick Hall's Surf Club-January 25 and a kid's show at The Avalon Theater- Feb 2. Both are great venues, and you know these appearances are scarce now so mark your calenders.
Thanks to Linda Parker for these great shots- you can check out more pix of The Troubadours and the Nick Lowe tribute at her site.

Happy New Year from THe Troubadours

2008-01-02T07:05:00.001-08:00

photo by chip py

Troubadour/ Slickee Boy Mark Noone wowed The Surf Club last Friday night.

And Troubadour Jack O'Dell played all night New Year's Eve with Bill Kirchen and (sometimes) Grandsons until he could do it in his sleep...

but he was actually wide awake.

Catch The GENUINE Rhodes Tavern Troubadours this Saturday night, January 5th at Wolf Trap when they join the DC local music scene's tribute to Nick Lowe--
and a full blown concert later this month at the here today gone tomorrow Surf Club.

MARK NOONE FANS ALERT

2007-12-26T09:27:00.000-08:00

Slickees @Otto Bar courtesy of Dunbek

Troubadours/ Slickees/Mark Noone fans.. this is IT.
The big Slickee Boys shows are this weekend at Chick Hall's Surf Club in bee-u-tiful Bladensburg, MD on Friday Night Dec 28th
and The Otto Bar in Baltimore on Saturday night Dec 29th.
Both shows will be outrageous fun as usual... and you can even bring the kids to Chick Hall's and share the legacy of your own misspent youth.
And for all you commuters- catch Mark on the radio tomorrow morning, Dec 27th, at 8:15 a.m. with Weasel on 94.7 FM The Globe
.

Troubadours Withdrawl? Get Help Here

2007-12-10T09:47:00.000-08:00

Get your Troubadours fix where and whenever you can. In December you can catch that cool cat, Jack O' Dell playing the big holiday show with the venerable Bill Kirchen at Jammin' Java
(And special guest on sax-- you've seen him play with The Troubadors, too-Derek Huston.)

And don't miss this show- including the legend in his own time- Mark Noone when The Slickee Boys take the stage at the soon to be gone Chick Hall's Surf Club on December 28th, along with their pals The Beatnik Flies and Prabir and The Substitutes.

Plus one more chance!
The Slickee Boys will also appear in Baltimore on December 29th with The Howling Mad,
Chelsea Graveyard and The Screams at Midnight, and Jukebox Zero at The Otto Bar

Hopefully Jake Flack will show up at one of these shows so we can at least say hey to him, too.

Remember Brides and Boys

2007-11-08T08:31:00.001-08:00

The Rhodes Tavern Troubadours will get on the road for weddings.
Here they are in South Carolina with Derek Huston. And even though

the police were not called-

and no one was carried out on a stretcher-

it was still a great party!

Quarry House Gig

2007-11-03T05:42:00.001-07:00

Thanks to everyone-fans and friends-(usually there isn't a difference) who came out and helped make our gig at The Quarry House a success. Jake's friend, Dave flew to Oklahoma and back on the same day and still made it to the show.

We had fun- it sure looks like you all did, too.

And it was great to have out pal, cool cat himself, Derek Huston sitting in.
We wish he'd move back up here and join the band.

We're off to play a wedding in Charleston, SC. Hope to see you all soon.

TRoubadours Treat Tomorrow

2007-10-31T07:06:00.000-07:00

(Jake Jack and Mark do it again)

See you tomorrow night, Thursday November ONE for the big Troubadours' dance party/ Halloween relief bash with DEREK HUSTON sitting in at the Quarry House in Silver Spring- right there sort of under Gaylord's on the corner of Bonifant and Gorgeous Georgia Avenue.
No costume anxiety, no need to decorate. Just rock.
You can bring your kids, or you can bring yer candy,
or better yet bring your kids' candy.

Troubadour for a Day

2007-10-29T07:49:00.000-07:00

Mark the calender- this Thursday November First, ex Iguana and former DC area native Derek Huston will be flying up from New Orleans with his sax to sit in with the Troubadours at The Quarry House- one night only. It's happened before, but who knows when it might happen again now that Jack O' Dell is playing with Bill Kirchen full time. Don't miss this one.

Halloween

2007-10-23T08:00:00.000-07:00

It's just around the corner,
and so is the Troubadours' long awaited rock show
at the Quarry House on November First
Plus there may be a surprise guest...stay tuned.

The State Theater Event

2007-10-10T14:07:00.000-07:00

It was a fun time at The State Theater last Sunday night. Lots of familiar faces and good music.
Unfortunately, due to technical problems, the film portion of the evening didn't happen, but Mark Noone gave a short history and a nod to the Langley Punks who showed up even though their films did not. He also thanked Weasel for giving his Slickee Boys career a huge boost back in the day when WHFS in Bethesda ruled the airwaves for us locals in the
know. Here are a few shots of the evening:

Mark Noone with Ron Holloway
Mark and local DJ legend, Weasel

Eddie Angel and ... you guessed it.

Bulletin: RTTs Return!

2007-10-05T10:47:00.000-07:00

Kids' Show this Monday- October 8- at the Phoenix World Gate Theater. Get your popcorn and the wee ones and head over there-13025 Worldgate Dr. in Herndon, VA. It's at the obscenely early hour of 10:30 am.Tixs are $5; the set is about 45 minutes. We're not kidding when we say this is a rare show so hope you can make it.

And don't forget the State Theater Sunday night. Mark Noone emcees Langley Punk films featuring such bands a s The Slickee Boys of all things. Details below.

Music On the Rise

2007-09-30T06:14:00.000-07:00

Big night at The State Theater coming up on this Sunday October 7- a concert featuring local legends Billy Hancock (former Troub, Dave Chappell will be playing with him) Robert Gordon, Eddie Angel and more. The above link has the lowdown on the musicians.

Early on in the evening at 6 p.m., there will be a showing of the old Langley Punks films emceed by our own MARK NOONE.
(Look for him to be IN the films as well as talking about 'em)

Check out Music On the Rise to find out more.

This show promises to be a re-enactment of the dear ole 80s in DC- a pretty amazing time for the arts around here- brought to you by folks who are all about preserving our past. If you weren't there, come out and see what all the fuss was about- and if you were there, well, you know what they say about the sixties... Here's our chance to go back in time and refresh that brain page.

Troubadours- Get 'Em Where You can Find 'em

2007-09-24T09:57:00.000-07:00

Troubadours fans are mostly music fans, and a surprising amount of music can be found in this town. The Troubadours do have a gig coming up in November, but in the meantime look here for updates/links on where band players may be found ...in public anyway. Jack O' Dell can be seen with Bill Kirchen, but you never know when he'll cross over to the Hula or Grandson side of town. Mark Noone is a staple of the Hula Monsters, but he also plays with other bands including, of course, The Slickee Boys. And Jake Flack has something up his sleeve. So watch this space- it won't always be empty!

Place A Hold On Summertime

2007-09-04T19:29:00.000-07:00

Just because everyone went back to school, summer's not over yet. At least not in downtown increasingly hip Hyattsville, MD. The Summer Jam is coming up this Friday, September 7. It's a community event with beer and burgers in the parking lot of the Municipal building at 4310 Gallatin Street. The Hula Monsters will play from 6:30 until 8:30, and as if that isn't enough, rumor has it there will be a moon bounce as well.

And if enough is NEVER enough you can catch the Hulas in full dance mode when they share the bill with Karen Collins and the Back Roads Band at Chick Hall's Surf Club 4711 Kenilworth Avenue in, best left in a category by itself, beautiful Bladensburg, MD on September 8 this Saturday night.

Aloha

2007-09-03T05:59:00.001-07:00

Troubadour/Hula Monster Mark
in the Park last Friday night.

Monster Troubadour Out Tonight

2007-08-31T07:33:00.000-07:00

Jack may be out of town, and Jake is AWOL,
but ever busy Mark Noone will be playing tonight
with the Hula Monsters in the Mason District Park
- a free concert- one long set from 7:30 until 8:30.

It's a great band and great players-you can check out their sound at the link above,
or better yet come and see 'em.
Remember variety is the poi of life.

Reunited

2007-08-27T08:24:00.000-07:00

Yep, the rumors are true, Jack O' Dell has reunited, and it's not with Jake.
Jack has rejoined Bill Kirchen which will free him from carpentry and put him back on the road again. (as Willie would say) A lot of The Troubadours dates have been preempted, but a Cd is still in the works, and the band will still be together, schedules permitting.
(Consummate professionals that they are- this can happen without too much notice.)

Stay tuned.

Practice Makes Perfect

2007-08-17T06:38:00.000-07:00

Steady ...steady ....

AND

taaaaaaah-
Dahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

No Animals Were Harmed...

2007-08-16T07:54:00.000-07:00

Jake's Party

2007-08-14T07:44:00.001-07:00

Only Jake seems to know what is in store as the other guys in the band seem pretty calm at Jake's birthday party last Saturday night. Below Jake shows the secret ingredients in Mark Noone's cocktail. Stay tuned for what happened next.

Troubadours Rock the Quarry

2007-08-10T06:27:00.000-07:00

(Troubadours monitor the women's room at all times)

As Joe Dolan's grandmama would say: Women glow, men perspire and horses sweat.
If she saw The Troubadours last night, she would have said: And the band persevered and kicked you know what.
The guys played their hearts out to a very warm room performing their first CD "On the Red Line" in its entirety, and it sounded great. Anyone who wasn't there... well, you missed a great show.

Chill, baby

2007-08-09T11:08:00.000-07:00

It's on the Red Line, but all our worries are over. They blew up that little brown box so we can all come out and live in peace and harmony and see THe Troubadours TONIGHT at The Quarry House in Silver Spring- an extremely limited engagement. The band starts around nine and go go goes until midnight or so. Seven bucks will get you in and a few more will get you tater tots, and depending on your own low or high standards, you can get a beer to suit any mood or pocketbook.

Plus it's Jake's birthday so you KNOW the band will set the place on fire.

Troubadours Quarry House Birthday Combo

2007-08-08T10:46:00.001-07:00

There's always something happening around here. This month it's Jake Flack's Birthday Extravaganza (a.k.a. The Troubadours gig) at The Quarry House Tavern tomorrow night, August 9, in not so sylvan but the real deal, downtown Silver Spring.
This is the only such gig lined up for August so far. (Too many private things without public access)
So crawl into your cave tonight and rest up, because Thursday is the night to go out. (Leave the weekends to the amateurs)

Hazy Hot and Cool

2007-08-07T05:08:00.000-07:00

August in DC means taking cold showers, drinking and eating things with ice in the name, and sneaking off to the beach in the middle of a work week. We should have a hundred words for hazy hot and humid here, but the weathermen just keep repeating the mantra....that and the heat index. ("Yes, it's 99 degrees out there, but it FEELS like 110, folks. You might want to leave the umbrella and your clothes at home today.")

The only way to stay cool is to be cool, and the one sure way to be cool is to go see the Troubadours this Thursday at the Quarry House Tavern in beautiful revised, revamped and redundant down town Silver Spring- Home of the Tasty Diner, the Discovery Channel, and the one and only Mo Nelson.

Three Guys, Six Ears

2007-08-04T11:48:00.000-07:00

What The guys in the band are listening to these long dog days:

I'm digging a band from England called the Magic Numbers. Also a comedian named Patton Oswalt has a new live CD out on Sub Pop. There are some great DC references to Minor Threat, the Bayou, and Arch Campbell. There's a new Fats Domino (best of) coming out that is absolutely great. Steve Earle's new record is really good too.
JAke

Last night I listened to Parthenon Huxley’s new CDs. He has two, but I think one is out takes. Still great! This guy is a Troubadour fan must see. Speaking of must sees, I think Prabir will be at the Galaxy Hut on Sept 21.

Noone

I'm listening to Arcade Fire's new CD "Neon Bible", Conway Twitty (best
of) and NRBQ live bootlegs from the '80's.

Jack

See the Troubadours live this Thursday- a rare public appearance for August

Metamophosis Or Transfiguration?

2007-08-01T10:29:00.000-07:00

(The Beatnik Flies @ 9:30 Club July 29)

So what do you get when you cross a Slickee Troubadour with a Beatnik Fly?

trans·fig·u·ra·tion
Pronunciation: (")tran(t)s-"fi-gy&-'rA-sh&amp;amp;amp;n, -g&-
Function: noun
1 a : a change in form or appearance : METAMORPHOSIS b : an exalting, glorifying, or spiritual change

answer: mark noone, of course

Troubadour Book Report/ Part 3

2007-07-31T13:26:00.000-07:00

This is it. What we've been waiting for ... Jake Flack's book report. (and don't forget all that summer reading the kids have to do- I hate to say it, but school is actually looming on that August horizon)
Jake is reading baseball legend, Roberto Clemente's biography by David Maraniss. ( I had to look that up because I thought it had something to do with Nixon) I should have known better coming from the guy who wrote "Big Train" and "Earl Weaver. He says it's good.

One Troubadour's Better Than None

2007-07-27T05:09:00.000-07:00

For those of you in Troubadour withdrawal, you at least can catch two of Mark Noone's other personalities this weekend. See alter ego number 1 when The Hula Monsters play Lubber Run Park in Arlington, VA, Saturday evening from 8 until 9:30. (free)
(Come on out, buy a Hawaiian shirt, and get down and luau.)

Mark will also be singing Slickee Boys' style with The Beatnik Flies backing him up at the big (make that humongous) dc space reunion at the 9:30 club on Sunday. This event will not only make history, but will also benefit a very cool cat, Tom Terrell, who is fighting cancer for his life. Twenty buck donation to get in; doors open at 4 p.m., and the performances go on until 1 a.m.
A lot of bang for that donated buck. See DC ROCKS for more details.

(Mark and The Flies are scheduled at 8:45.)

dc space is the place again

2007-07-24T04:12:00.000-07:00

Catch Mark Noone if you can...this Sunday July 29th.

( click on flyer to read... more info. at DC ROCKS)

Got music?

2007-07-22T07:51:00.000-07:00

While we're waiting for Jake's book list and for the new Troubadours' CD to come out- check your Homeland Security Survival kits. Do you have enough copies of their last CD- On The Red Line? One as a spare? One for a last minute gift?
And don't forget the RTTS' Kids CD- "Turn It up, Mommy" which could save the new generation from The Wiggles. (Not to mention, the parental units will dig the music as much as or more than the offspring)

See the links in the right column here-under "Dig This" and stock up now.

Don't get caught with your pants down- even if it is July.

Summer Reading List

2007-07-19T05:38:00.000-07:00

The Troubadours are truly a literate band- which is not surprising really since they are all smart, and all song writers in their own rite.

Jack O' Dell tackles the New York Times Book Review every day, and these days, if he has time left over, he's reading Nick Hornby's latest- A LONG WAY DOWN.

Mark Noone is cursing his way through psychology and biology textbooks. His book club is reading ULYSSES by James Joyce. ( I told you they were kinda smart)

Jake? He's out of town, but check in next week for his list.

( ok it's a slow news cycle)

Don't Make Me Go In There

2007-07-17T07:00:00.000-07:00

Due to summer scheduling conflicts, Mark Noone found himself going to the Hit and Run studio alone last night...late last night, down a dark road somewhere beyond Rockville.
He was getting ready to lay down the bass tracks to a new Troubadour's song when... out of the shadows... stepped a Man in Black.

Hello, he said, My name is ...

Just then the power went out, EVERYTHING went black, and the last thing Mark remembers is a voice saying over and over "What deaf dumb and blind kid??"

Need less to say, the CD is progressing, but slowly.

(photo from suzysputnic @ flickr)

Summertime

2007-07-16T09:32:00.000-07:00

This week The Troubadours are off (or ON, depending on how you look at it) pursuing summer time activities. Jake and family are off to New England to visit his mom. Jack's crew is flying to the Left Coast to attend a family wedding, and Mark Noone, since he doesn't have his own, has adopted several kids and is turning them into a rock band. ( No ONE gets out alive...)

It Was A Hoot

2007-07-13T06:34:00.000-07:00

The Quarry House rocked last night, especially when a band of wild women came in to celebrate Jake's wife, Anne's birthday. The Dollar Jar stumped the band with "Dark Side of the Moon, but Neil Diamond somehow made it. (about 75 cents' worth anyway) And of course, The Beatles' Birthday Song.

(This birthday thing seems to be an ongoing theme for these shows-next month it'll be Jake)

Two Beatnik Flies were spotted lurking in the crowd, making that a quorum.

Look for a rare incarnation of The Flies and Mark Noone later this month at the 9:30 Club's D.C. Space reunion. They'll be making local rock history.

(And if you weren't there last night, you heard it hear first.)

Rare Wild Life

2007-07-12T05:29:00.000-07:00

Catch The Troubadours live tonight at The Quarry House in Silver Spring. This month their public appearances are as rare as that weird woodpecker they thought was extinct so get there if you can. Bring a net. Bring your dancing shoes. Bring your dollars and your requests for any song. (If they've heard it; they can fake it.)
The commotion starts rolling around 9 pm.
Don't miss it.

TROUBADOURS - Live Tomorrow NIGHT

2007-07-10T20:02:00.000-07:00

The Troubadours are back at the Quarry House in Silver Spring tomorrow night, and if you haven''t checked out this scene yet, well, now's the time. Of course it depends on whether you favor American Idol and the chain type pubs that seem to be everywhere (and boy, the Irish seem to have gotten cornered on that market) or a good old fashioned hole in the wall owned by somebody who serves a dang amazing variety of beers.

And what other band will play a buck's worth of any song on the planet???

Jake's Story

2007-07-09T12:07:00.000-07:00

Jake Flack and Mark Noone go way back on the DC scene, and for anyone without the will to get out to Fort Reno tonight to see the new young up and coming rockers- sit back in your computer rocking chair and read on a page from DC's music history by Mr. Jake Flack:

This Wednesday is July 11. It was on July 11, 1985 that my band the Neptunes opened for the Slickee Boys at Fort Reno. At that time the Slickees were the kings of DC. They were on Q107 and MTV. They had the coolest clothes and the wildest, most fun live show. Fort Reno was the epicenter of the DC music scene and it was the only place that underage kids like me could see all the bands that we were listening to on vinyl and hearing on WHFS. I saw everyone there: Danny Gatton, Black Market Baby, the Insect Surfers, Razz, the Night Hawks, Tommy Keene, 4 out of 5 Doctors, The Golden Bats, The Diversions, the Teen Idles, The Beatnik Flies, The Nurses, Tex Rubiniwitz, All Points Bulletin, Evan Johns and the H-Bombs and more. The Slickees' annual Fort Reno appearance was always the far biggest crowd of the year. When our "manager" Sean Mencher, who also booked Fort Reno, told us we had the opening slot, he might as well have told us that we were opening for the Rolling Stones. I'm sure we didn't sound very good, but we put the "s" in showbiz jumping off the bass drum, diving in the piano, and rolling around the stage on our backs. I remember throwing my Tele across the stage after the last song for the big feedback effect. It was a thrilling night for a bunch of 17 year olds. And I sure wouldn't have predicted that I'd be playing "When I Go to the Beach" in a band with Mark Noone 22 years later.

Troubadours Go Technorati

2007-07-08T17:31:00.000-07:00

Technorati Profile

Troubadours in July...

2007-07-05T08:11:00.000-07:00

Mark your calenders- The Troubadours will be at The Quarry House one week from today...
which may be one of the few gigs in July!

From THe TROUBADOURS:

2007-07-04T04:33:00.000-07:00

HAve A HAppy Fourth Y'All !!!!!!!

Long Lost Troubadour?

2007-07-03T08:40:00.001-07:00

In a bizarre twist of fate, the long lost first guitar player once removed of The Troubadours was found off shore in St Michael's, Maryland this past weekend-commandeering a boat, claiming to have floated all the way from New Orleans. Undisclosed sources do confirm he has been operating a bar there called The Kingpin. He was not sure he remembered Jake or Mark, and may have a whopping case of amnesia.

Guitar therapy seems to be working.

Saturday Night Gig

2007-07-01T08:59:00.000-07:00

It was a beautiful evening in Lansdowne, Virginia, and lots of happy campers came out to see The Troubadours. They always have a great time playing Lansdowne because the crowd loves 'em, and they get treated well. No one flogs the band, or makes them kiss anybody's feet.

And thanks to Virgil for taking pictures and making the show run smoothly.

2007-06-30T14:09:00.001-07:00

Limited Access

2007-06-30T13:15:00.001-07:00

Anyone lucky enough to live in the community of Lansdowne, Virginia will be treated to an outdoor concert with The Rhodes Tavern Troubadours tonight. The rest of us will just have to go suck an egg.

How Much Does A Band Weigh Soaking Wet? OR What Happened In Herndon...

2007-06-29T05:13:00.000-07:00

Mark Noone tells all:
We got out there, set up & it looked promising, but at 7:25, (we were slated to hit it at 7:30) it started thundering & drizzling, and the few people who were there left! Then it started raining harder and harder, so we waited for about 15 minutes so we could break down and load out when the rain subsided. Then people came back, and more people showed up than there were before!! It was clear and damp for a while, and we played our hearts out for the people who braved the unpredictable weather, and during the song, "Little Tornado", the sky opened up, and it just poured and poured. Everything got soaked; we quit playing mid song, and eventually loaded our soggy gear into the soggy Van. Wudda night! But we really appreciated all the people who did come out and I had a nice conversation with some folks who wanted to know the story about "My New Hero"…so I told 'em!

The Troubadours will be wringing themselves out today, and drying on the line tonight.

FREE Troubadours Concert tonight in Historic Herndon

2007-06-28T05:08:00.000-07:00

Herndon.. We all know now was created several years before the Civil War in honor of Captain Herndon, the brave cat who went down with his ship. (At least those faithful readers who have been taking notes know-and yes, there will be a quiz.) So IF you are thinking it's too far to go for a show, think of it as an opportunity to travel back in time. A field trip through history with The Troubadours as your soundtrack....

OK- how about this? Just get a picnic dinner together, and get on out there. The show starts at 7:30- one LONG 90 minute set- no breaks. (poor band) The town green is at 777 Lynn Street in beautiful, historic, mind you, downtown Herndon, Virginia.

Why Come Over Here from Myspace?

2007-06-27T10:22:00.000-07:00

It's calmer over here. You don't have to be in my space, your space or any space, but your own. There are lots o' links and more pictures-
like this rare shot of Mark Noone playing a wrench.

Who's On First?

2007-06-27T08:54:00.001-07:00

So it's The Grandsons tonight at The Quarry House with Moe Nelson who also plays with the Hula Monsters of which band Mark Noone of the Rhodes Tavern Troubadours is in, (not to mention Chris Watling of The Grandsons, Moe Nelson, and Jack O' Dell ALL used to play with Bill Kirchen, but that's another story.)

TOMORROW NIGHT it's-JAKE Flack, formerly of A Thousand Dollar Car, JACK O' Dell, who used to play in The Hula Monsters and The Grandsons, too, and MARK Noone who still plays with the Hula Monsters, but will be a Troubadour when THE RHODES TAVERN TROUBADOURS play tomorrow night on the town green in HERNDON, VA.

Just so all that's clear.

Will Trade Grandson for Troubadour

2007-06-26T08:34:00.000-07:00

The Troubadours have two dates in Virginia coming up- Thursday on the Town Green in Herndon and Lansdowne on Saturday night. The problem is they are all directionally challenged. As long as The Grandsons are playing tomorrow night at The Quarry House in Silver Spring , some one might considering capturing one that can at least get The Troubadours back over the river to Maryland again.

(photo by Driven on Flickr)

Free Music

2007-06-25T09:03:00.000-07:00

The Troubadours will be playing later this week, but tonight you can catch a free concert at Fort Reno,
the highest spot in our nation's capitol. (It IS still OUR nation, right? Somebody needs to remind Dick Chaney)
LeJeune, Pup Tent and Engine Room all play tonight starting at 7:15 until 9:30. Come on out. Show the world DC is not just for megalomaniacs. Peace.

What Troubadours Do When They're not With Us

2007-06-23T08:53:00.000-07:00

From Jack O' Dell:
I'm in the studio next week with Arty Hill--a Baltimore country
singer/guitar player. The band is called Arty Hill and the Long Gone
Daddy's. I guess that makes me a really wacky-ticky-tacky-rockabilly
guy! I'll be singing "I Might Have Been A Lawyer (But I Couldn't Pass The
Bar) "-a song I wrote and perform with The Troubs. He's got me singing one
of his tunes--"A Wreck Of A Man"-- as well.
I did the drum tracks a while back and the CD should be out in October.

Two Hulas On the Loose Free Concert Today

2007-06-22T08:00:00.000-07:00

The musical lunch thing continues in Arlington today. Look across from the Ballston Metro for Mark Noone and Moe Nelson wearing their Hula Monsters hats, doing their part to bring quality entertainment to the streets. Catch their act between 11:30 and 1:30.
Bring a sandwich.

Have you seen this band?

2007-06-21T05:57:00.000-07:00

Seems like Virginia is holding the band hostage lately. What can we do to get them to come back to this side of the river? (Perhaps bread crumbs are in order.)

Or hire The Troubadours for your summer party-picnics, family events, weddings...
(They clean up well, and they don't bite.)

Playing the Plaza

2007-06-20T04:52:00.000-07:00

Actually the heat wasn't so bad at noon in the shade yesterday when The Troubadours played Anna and David Plaza on the other side of Key Bridge in in Virginia. There was actually a breeze going, too, and tents over the picnic tables, and even a little Arlington arts and crafts fair going as well. A nice little scene. The band played and sang up a storm, and I'm surprised it didn't rain then and there.

Troubadours Do Lunch Today

2007-06-19T06:58:00.000-07:00

Wake up' y'all. It's another hazyhotnhumid day in our nation's capitol, and what better way to take your mind off the matter than sneaking off for a free lunch time concert with the intrepid Troubadours? (Did somebody say free lunch?) Everybody who can't stand the heat, can get out of the kitchen and get over to Anna And David Plaza.

Where???

Just a few blocks up from the Rossyln Metro at 1525 Wilson Blvd. Starts around 11:30 and lasts 'til 1:30. Hot day; cool music. Make it a long lunch.

See ya there.

Troubadours Do Lunch Tomorrow

2007-06-18T14:19:00.000-07:00

Free Outdoor concert tomorrow at Anna and David Plaza, 1525 Wilson Blvd. in beautiful, hopefully not sweltering, Arlington- brought to you by Arlingtonarts. The show starts at 11:45-lasting until 1:30. Bring your coolest shades and come on out.

It's A Wrap

2007-06-17T08:36:00.000-07:00

Jackie's was the happening spot last night when The Troubadours played for a wrap up party for the A.F.I.'s Silver Docs film festival in her back room. Cool little couches and chairs and lighting - the whole thing made you think you were in L.A., not our once old fashioned home town, now up and running megaloplis called Silver Spring. It was also the wrap up for Mark Noone's birthday and his fourth gig in three days, but he got to see his old buddy and former Slickee boy, John Chumbris, up visiting from Atlanta. Fun night, fun party, and, of course, great music.

Rock On... and On

2007-06-16T08:33:00.000-07:00

Even though the band got lost- it is Virginia after all, they still made it to the pavillion at Lake Accotink last night, and no fish or fowl were heard to complain. In fact the birds even asked for an encore.

Today is MArk Noone's REAL birthday by the way, and I have to tell you he got carded last night. True story. Must be all that good clean hard rocking living he's done.
Happy Birthday, Noone.
You So Rock.

Rocking the Lake

2007-06-15T10:23:00.000-07:00

VIRGINIA!!!
It's your turn...bring the picnic basket, the blanket, or chairs -maybe a candelabra or two,
and come hear The Rhodes Tavern Troubadours scare the ducks tonight at Lake Accotink in Springfield. ( Isn't that where the Simpsons live?)

Show starts at 7:30- one set, one hour. Don't miss it.

School's OUT For Summer

2007-06-15T07:00:00.000-07:00

Thanks to everyone who came out to the Quarry House last night. There was a lot of dancing and carrying on, and of course, the now infamous one buck in the tip jar gets you a dollar's worth of any song. (Alice Cooper would have been proud.)

And Mark, the birthday boy, wants to thank everyone for all his loot.
Your good karma will carry on!

Troubadours Tonight At The Quarry House!

2007-06-14T04:23:00.000-07:00

It's here.
Bring yourselves to Silver Spring.
Have a drink -shake that thing.
Bring birthday hats and party shoes.
(If you bring a dollar,
they'll play songs you choose.)
And to Mark, we'll raise a cup
Come out with us
Let's whoop it up.

And Virginian fans, look for the Troubadours in your neck of the woods tomorrow night!

Two Days And Counting

2007-06-13T06:54:00.000-07:00

Don't forget- The Troubadours-very live and in person tomorrow night at the Quarry House in Silver Spring. You don't have to have a car to get there-you can walk from the Metro, but the Quarry House can be easy to miss. It doesn't exactly face Georgia Avenue, and it doesn't really face Bonifant Street. It's actually kind of like an underground bootlegger's hangout. You have to go down the stairs from the sidewalk to even find the door....
and when you do, knock twice- a little trap door should open...
tell 'em the secret password- "Noone's birthday"- and you should be able to get in, especially if you're wearing a dress.

(photo credit:Quarry House by chippy314's @ flickr.com)

Three Shopping Days

2007-06-11T16:12:00.000-07:00

Now that the weekend is officially over, the next gig doesn't seem so far off after all, especially when you factor in the shortened shopping window for Mark's birthday. Turns out the best place to catch him this week will be at The Quarry House on Thursday night. (For those who made it to Jack O' Dell's birthday bash there in May, you'll appreciate how this band doesn't miss an excuse to celebrate.)
(And for those of you who know Mark, he doesn't need an excuse)

So line up a sitter, and get your work done early this week. After all Thursday is a great night to get out and avoid the hoi polloi. And Friday morning? Well, that's why they invented coffee.

BEGOOGLED

2007-06-08T17:04:00.000-07:00

I think this is kind of amazing. I googled Rhodes Tavern (as promised yesterday) expecting to find loads of information about the our long gone historic landmark, but it was Rhodes Tavern Troubadours references as far as the eye could see! (I waded through four pages before my ADD kicked in.)The most I could find about the tavern was in an old Kennedy Center blurb ...about the Troubadours.
Even the DC history pages only had a mention of a commemorative ceremony in 2002-which would have been the tavern's two hundredth anniversary if local nitwits hadn't torn it down.
Guess who played at that event?

I mean I might have to go to the library or something.

They WANNA BE SEDATED

2007-06-06T15:36:00.000-07:00

Well, if you missed the show last night, it was a beautiful evening at Brookside. The gardens are stunning; they looked like a painted sylvan backdrop with our favorite band inserted into the picture. And it was a great show, complete with a second line parade, in honor of Derek just in from The Big Easy. When Joe Bananas called, the kids came streaming in from all angles to join the parade. (You'd have thought that they were giving away money.)

Thanks to all of you who got the word out. There were a lot of familiar faces in the crowd. And as my friend, Brian said just after he saw the finale- the band knee deep in hyper frenzied tots on stage literally popping to "I Wanna Be Sedated"-
That was worth the drive right there.

Midday Cowboy

2007-06-03T11:45:00.000-07:00

Summertime hit hard out at the Herndon Festival yesterday, but the band played on. At first it was difficult to spot the fans as they were all hunkered down in the shade of a tree about forty feet from the stage, but there was one lone cowboy who stood out in the blazing sun for the whole show with a yoyo in his hand. (Whoever you are, brother, we salute you.)

And as far as navigating Virginia goes, Mark was at the helm of the big blue van and had no problem getting there, but the road sign pointing back to DC was completely overgrown with vines. (Maybe Virginians just wanted to keep the Troubadours for themselves...)

Anyway thanks to everyone who came out to the mid day show (like mad dogs and Englishmen) and look for the Troubadours to be back in Maryland this Tuesday night at Brookside Gardens.

Troubadours Deliver Monkees

2007-05-22T13:23:00.000-07:00

The Bride wore a white strapless gown, the groom sported fashionable sideburns, and the band wore Guayabera shirts last Saturday night when the Troubadours played a wedding at The Barns of Wolf Trap. Multi talented, the band began with chilled out dinner music. Afterwards came the bride's request for her first dance- "Papa Gene's Blues."
(She must have had a thing for Davy Jones.) Then it was everybody up and dancing to rock 'n roll.

So don't forget - the Troubadours can make your next occasion an event. (Shameless plug here, but hey, that's the point of this exercise, isn't it?)

And congratulations to Katie and John.

Invasion of the Little People

2007-05-17T11:34:00.000-07:00

I parked right in front of Tasty Diner last night (which was kind of a miracle if you know Bethesda)and found Veteran's Park full of people- especially small ones eating pizza and enjoying the music.The Troubadours were surrounded by very short fans (a.k.a. children) going balistic. (There seemed to be nothing stopping them from taking over the band, and believe me some of them tried.) Still it was a great night for all ages to sit, dance or shake your carrot which is what Jack's daughter, Dolly had going.
And Mark got the chance to practice up for the big Slickee Boys Show at the 9:30 Club next Sunday. (If you haven't seen Mark as a Slickee Boy, get your tickets now. You won't be disappointed)

Bethesda Rock Show

2007-05-16T11:33:00.000-07:00

So tonight's the night. Make like a SHERPA and load up the family or the Significant Other or just yourself and head over to Veteran's Park on the corner of Norfolk and Woodmont in the heart of good ole it's not like it used to be but it's still there Bethesda. (Remember the Red Fox Inn and The Psychedelly? How about Shakey's Pizza? I had my first beer in public there- they never carded anyone back then. And I remember going up to the third floor of the parking garage just for the view, but I digress)

The Troubadours (a.k.a.The RTTs) start at 6 and rock 'til bedtime (8) or SNACK TIME in which case you can mosey over to Tasty Diner for a slice of pie. At least some things never change. At least not yet.

TRUE STORY

2007-05-15T11:31:00.000-07:00

When I was a kid, I packed my guitar case with clothes- or maybe it was just my guitar, and ran away from home. I made it as far as Veteran's Park in Bethesda, Maryland. Back then it was a triangle that held a park bench and a flagpole. I sat there all afternoon and realized I was going nowhere. (I think I'd planned on hitch hiking to California, but I lost my nerve.) Tasty Diner was right across the street so I went in there and called someone to pick me up. I think I had just enough cash to make the call and buy a cup of cocoa.

Through the miracle of time, the park has expanded to hold a band, a fountain, and tables and chairs. I hardly recognize the place, but it's a great spot to bring the kids and see the Troubadours who will be playing there this Thursday.
(Bring 'em now before they run off to join the circus.)

What We DiD Over the Weekend

2007-05-07T11:13:00.000-07:00

Actually the Troubadours were pretty busy.
Remember when Hyattsville sort of meant car dealers? Not so much anymore since Franklin's hit town, and the town itself puts on a great party for the general public (that's us) every spring.
Last Friday night, the sky was blue, the grill was going and -the RTTs rocked the stroller set. it was a perfect evening except for maybe the beer selection, but hey, the good news is there was beer and wine for sale, and the prices couldn't be beat. By evening's end the RTTS had more kids jumping to the music on stage with them than in the moon bounce. Then it was over to Franklin's for a (really good)beer or two.

Up early on Sunday morning, the band was back at it playing at the finish line for the Juvenile Walk to Cure Diabetes . It was windy, but that didn't stop Jake's family from turning out to support the cause.