On Wednesday, June 11, we played a corporate event at the Ritz Carlton in Dana Point. It was great to be joined by Sam Montooth (bass) and my wife Cynthia Perez-Gerhart (triple guitars). The views from the hotel were breathtaking. In the future, I need to remember to tell the client that we don’t want to set up in front of a bonfire that has Duraflame logs. Once they lit the fire, the smoke blew right into us. Oh the smell of fake wood and plastic. Lesson learned. Thanks to Jessica and Amy for hiring us.
On Wednesday, June 4, I played an event for Hoopla Events in Redondo Beach. It was a pleasure working with Tawnee and her crew at Hoopla and I look forward to the next time!
I always have a lot of fun playing for the Laguna Beach Art Walk and tonight was no exception. About 20 minutes into my first set, two homeless beach bums came to listen to the music. After the first song, one of them pulled out a tarantula and put it right next to my drum and said “he really likes the sound of the music.” I am so glad the tarantula “liked” the music and this was definitely a first for me. Thankfully, they only stayed for a couple of songs and the rest of the evening was arachnid free. Thanks to Andy at Enchanted Evening Productions for hiring the Island Hoppin’ Steel Drum Band. I will look forward to working with you in the future. Next time, I will make sure to bring my can of Raid.
I am extremely grateful for all of the good fortune I have had over my career. I have been fortunate to play music for a variety of people all over the world. In my career as a professional musician, I can’t remember the last time that I had 6 gigs in 3 days. And all of the gigs were solo steel drum gigs. Like I said, I am grateful, but I also don’t want to see my steel drum for the next couple of days. Here are some photos from the weekend. Island Hoppin’ Steel Drum Band was featured at the Marriott Newport Coast Villas, The Old Ranch Country Club, a private residence in Escondido, Aspens Village Apartments and the Lido Pool at the Hyatt Regency Newport Beach.
Come enjoy the sounds of the Caribbean every Sunday from 1pm – 4pm at the Marriott Newport Coast Villas. I perform at the Main Pool next to the La Vista Bar. The food and drinks are great. If you are staying at the resort, make it a point to come to the pool and groove.
