Bo knows national anthems

 WE HAD A great weekend playing shows with The Whatevers. Friday at noon Allison Hutson and I played at the downtown Plaza show - it was warm but bearable, Big Bros BBQ was off the charts and we had a great time.

Saturday night we played at the St. Peter's block party. We were really looking forward to having drummer Thomas Gunsten and bass player Joe Desmond with us. We had an amazing practice in the garage a few days earlier and had a few new (to us) songs to unleash. Playing with a band versus a two-piece acoustic duo is quite different - but when a band clicks, there's nothing like it.

A few hours before the show, Joe messaged us and said he was dealing with a horrendous migraine. He said he'd give it a shot, but that was a bad idea. Having dealt with migraines, and how it affects vision and balance, there was no way he was going to play a three-hour show in the early summer heat.

So Thomas, Allison and I did it. I played acoustic guitar instead of turning up the electric. You know what? We had a blast and we played out hearts out, and that's all you can ask. Everybody seemed happy with us after the show so I'm chalking it up as a win.

The  moral of the story is to keep going, no matter what life throws at you.

Before our St. Peter's show, 10-year-old Bo Weiman played the national anthem on his guitar. Bo has been a guitar student for two years and has blossomed into a musician - he also plays organ, piano, drums and bass guitar. When he recently declared Eddie Van Halen was the best guitar player of all time and that the Beatles were cool, well .... we have a little rock and roll monster on our hands.

Bo decided he was going to play the national anthem by memory, not with his music in front of him. A bit into the song he hesitated and momentarily forgot where he was. It was only a second or two and no big deal, and the main thing is that he kept going. He. Kept. Going.

Later his mom said Bo was bummed. It's a normal human reaction - we all want to be perfect all the time. But it just doesn't happen - every singer and player wants the perfect song, every band wants the perfect show. Believe me, there were at least five times Saturday night I clunked a wrong chord or screwed up an intro. It happens. We try and strive to do better.

So I'm proud of Bo. And how many 10-year-olds do you know who'd even think about playing his guitar in front of a bunch of people, especially the national anthem? 

Bo is destined for great things. I just hope he remembers all the little people who helped him along the way, like his 5-foot-19 guitar teacher who is amazed every time he plays.