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LIVE at The CUP - blog 2009
Entertainment pixs year
in review
Entertainment blog 2009 — thanks to Diane |
|
| December 13, 2009 | Even though it is not quite winter, we had a blustery evening on Saturday. Shauna and Johnny came to entertain for Live at The Cup. Poor Johnny was sick but performed like a trooper. To greet him, the season brought one of our first storms. Now, usually the rain is no bother at The Cup since the atrium keeps us dry. We have only been rained out once in the past four years and that is only when the wind blows the rain in from the sides. Wouldn’t you know it would be one of those evenings? Yes, the wind blew but only blowing sprinkles into one side so we hunkered down on the other side, warmed by the heaters. Shauna and Johnny didn’t let that hinder the performance. The crowd was festive and in good spirits sporting the Santa hats Shauna brought. It was a fabulous Christmas concert with the audience singing along. They sang all of our favorites and it was a fantastic evening. Shauna and Johnny are like family and bring that feeling alive at the Cup. It was like a big family get together all singing carols and sipping our hot drinks. We can’t wait until they appear again. Until then we wish them a happy holiday and hope Johnny gets over his cold. I highly recommend that hot toddy before bedtime! |
| December 1, 2009 | Whoooaa! What
a Saturday night at Live at The Cup! We
told you there would be a special guest performer
and we were
not just whistling Dixie. John Troy and Bob
Hawkins teamed up to
provide us with an amazing night of music. The vocals were spot on
and the guitar playing was off the charts. These two together make
an unbeatable team with voices as smooth as velvet. The planets must
have been aligned just right because the sounds, and rapport between
John, Bob and the audience made
it an exciting evening. It was the perfect treat to round out the
holiday weekend. The evening ended
too soon and it was our privilege to hear them both. Smoooooth! |
| November 8, 2009 | It’s not your imagination; the atrium looks a little different. The wooden tables and chairs are out for refinishing so we have temporary replacements. The tables are really large, encouraging you to share and meet someone new. In fact Saturday night I think I adopted a new family (or they adopted me) while we sat around sipping coffee and having a bite to eat. It was wonderful. The chairs were cushy, providing comfort for the tushy. And the heaters made their appearance as the weather started to change; perfect for taking that little chill out of the air. We made good use of them while enjoying the music of Wilfax. Jeff and Willy had a new addition to the group, James on percussion. It is very exciting to see the evolution of the group since their first appearance with us. They have developed a wonderfully rich, balanced sound. I can’t do it justice by any description. You have to hear them perform to appreciate the uplifting, energetic sound that makes you feel great. Such talent, I love the guitars and Jeff really makes those strings sing! |
| November 1, 2009 | Sharon Leighton Joyner's sing a long on Halloween evening was a big success with a nice crowd, lots of energy and fun. A great start to a holiday evening. |
| October 25, 2009 | The entertainers who join us for Live
at the Cup are just that. John Troy is no exception to that, and
as always had us
in stitches Saturday night with his stories, jokes and lyrics. In
between the laughter you realize what an amazing voice and range
he has. The more you watch you are struck by the intensity and depth
knowing somehow of the long journey John has taken to bring you the
gift of his music. And it was definitely worth the voyage. An amazing
talent and it is our pleasure to be included as John shares himself
thru his music. |
| October 19, 2009 | Wow, what a great Live at The Cup we had on Saturday night. Jenn Grinels surprised us with an opening act ‘Pasadena’ starring Joey and Cory, from Baltimore, go figure! They were so much fun. Joey said they only had a few hours sleep from all their travels but you couldn’t tell. The rhythm was snappy with great lyrics. Loved it, loved it, loved it, and we can’t wait to have them back again. I felt as though I was on a Jamaican vacation. Especially with my cup of Coconut Roca coffee, yah Man. Then it was Jenn’s turn to entertain. It always amazes me how much power is contained in such a petite person. The tunes were more mellow and showcased Jenn’s amazing vocals. What a great night of music and stories. I never laughed so hard. But then again there is always next weekend and we have John Troy entertaining. We know we are in for a wild ride. You won’t want to miss John! |
| October 4, 2009 | This was the first
evening it started to get a little cool during Live at
The Cup.
Not quite time for
the patio heaters
to come out, but a good indication that the hotter days are behind
us, thank goodness. Our spirits were warmed as Brooke Ramel gave
a fabulous performance and was at the top of her game, such passion
in her voice. I had a great time watching the audience and those
who were hearing Brooke’s music for the
first time. People just started smiling and held onto that feeling
the
entire evening.
So many song requests, all fulfilled happily. As you know I love
when Brooke sings in French. It was a perfect night of storytelling
and song. |
| September 27, 2009 | As I drove down to The Cup Saturday night, I realized it is getting darker, earlier. The seasons are definitely changing. Now, if only the temperature would take a hint and start acting more like autumn that would be a refreshing change. And talk about refreshing; Tyler Bettge’s performance during Live at The Cup was just that...young, crisp and energetic. It's been about a year since Tyler's last appearance at The Cup and it was great to have him back: some guitar, some keyboard, and a whole lot of singing. Tyler's song titled 'Hopelessly Hopeful' gave us a good sense of the flavor of his music: positive, hopeful, love and life songs. |
| September 20, 2009 | Unfortunately I missed
Rendezvous’ appearance
at The Cup Saturday night as I was at a gathering for the Jewish
New Year. But I heard wonderful reviews from the packed house. Several
counties reported in on how exciting and on top of their game Johnny
and Shauna were. And I missed the most wonderful part of the whole
evening, Shauna and Johnny’s announcement of their upcoming
wedding. Now that truly is the way to start off a New Year! “Mazel
Tov!” |
| September 13, 2009 | As always Alec
Marken and Deep Stirrings brought a
lot of energy to Live at The Cup last night. They bring in a lively
crowd ready for music and fun, and that is exactly what was delivered.
From the very first song Alec had the crowd singing along. Variety
in music and engaging personalities, what a great evening! |
| September 6, 2009 | So I deserved time to unwind at The Cup during Live at the Cup where Michael Edward entertained us. As always the crowd grew throughout the evening. What a great sound and personality with the sounds drawing people in. Michael had the audience singing along and it was a great time had by all. We heard covers and originals. If you have not heard Michael before it is a definite must. There is something special about his sound and you’ll find yourself transfixed with the soft, soulful feel of the words and music. Michael treated us to a guest appearance by Rob Chiavelli. Rob had a great deep sound and magical guitar. It was a terrific balance of styles. What a night to be treated to the music of two performers. But as I said, there is no place that compares to the Cup! |
| August 16, 2009 | It is hard to
imagine that Marliese is only 14 years
old when she sings. She was a hit Saturday night as she sang as a
solo artist and performed with her group Elegy as
well. Marliese packed The Cup with eager
fans. It is going to be fun to follow her career as she moves forward.
What a future! |
| August 9, 2009 | Jason Luckett was just back from tour and filled with lots of stories as he entertained us this Saturday night. He had been touring from San Diego to Washington. It had been too long since his last visit to The Cup and we were glad to have him back. We also want to wish Jason a belated happy birthday. It was great to see Jason with his latest cd MMIX (2009) – the new album, it’s a must! I always enjoy when Jason sings because he makes you smile. He played all our favorites and of course we all sang along, who could resist joining in? The audience was packed with smiles, singing, and lots of energy. Jason ended the evening treating us to his new tune from his video ‘Moments in the Sun’. |
| August 2, 2009 | We had another
amazing night at Live at The Cup with Zacchaeus
Tree. There was
a large crowd all gathered together to
have fun, fun, fun. We just love these summer nights and the moving
melodies. The music was great and energizing. The band had an interesting
new 180 degree directional mic which gave a wonderful sound. You
never know what is going to be new and happening at The Cup. |
| July 26, 2009 | There was definitely
no need for the heaters during Live
at The Cup. The smoothies just
hit the spot while Randy Rusk sizzled with talent.
You just can’t help having fun because
you know Randy is having a blast entertaining the crowd. There was
a nice turn out with lots of laughter and good old fashion fun. |
| July 19, 2009 | Live at
The Cup with Rendezvous was spectacular as always. We were pampered with
a cool breeze as we enjoyed the sounds
of Shauna and Johnny's music. It was so much fun visiting with all
the friends and family that came to hang out. Shauna passed around
percussion instruments amongst the audience who shook along with
the tunes. It was a true group experience. |
| July 12, 2009 | We had a powerful
evening of music Saturday night. When I say powerful, I really
mean it
as anyone familiar with Jenn
Grinels will attest. She has such an amazing vocal quality
with no need for a mic. Wow, absolutely captivating. Jenn gave
us a few updates.
She is planning ahead for her future CD and is posting music videos
on UTube. So you can catch a glimpse of what is to come in the
future, as the songs are developed. Her latest song is ‘Don’t
Want to be Happy’, but that is just a possible title. It was
a wonderful evening and we can’t wait for Jenn’s
return to The Cup. |
| June 28, 2009 | What a fun evening we had during Live at The Cup. Alec Marken and Deep Stirrings performed. This was to be their only concert for the summer with us. The group has been busy in the recording studio with their music as well as shooting a music video. We can’t wait to see the finished product. But for now we were glad to have them performing live. It is always a treat to hear the wide variety of styles the band presents. It was a perfect evening to kick back, enjoy the music and sing along; a great way to kick off summer at The Cup. It’s hard to pick a favorite tune but I always look forward to hearing those Irish melodies and was thrilled to hear ‘Right On’ as it has such a magical quality. We wish Alec good luck with the recording sessions and look forward to seeing him on Fridays for Swing ‘n’ Java at The Cup. |
| June 21, 2009 | There was a big
turnout for Live
at The Cup on Saturday
to hear the fantastic voice of Brooke Ramel and
help her celebrate her birthday. That was not the only celebration
going on at The Cup,
as we had a couple celebrating their 17th anniversary! What a great
evening and fun time for all. |
| June 7, 2009 | It was absolutely wonderful during Live at the Cup last night. We had a special double bill with two new performers to The Cup. If you missed it, you will definitely want to catch Michael Edwards and John Carrillo next time they appear. Two very different artists, both so special and entertaining, it was a pleasure to hear them perform. John had a fun refreshing style and we absolutely loved his lyrics and sense of humor. Thanks John, now I have the Fish Man song in my head! I just could not stop smiling. John even threw in some Cole Porter. Michael had a more serious style and was a wonderful treat with his great vocals. You could not stop listening and his tone had an almost hypnotic quality. It was fun as Michael discovered a name for a new song. Boy, he really got the audience to sing along. It was a wonderful treat to hear them both and we look forward to their next appearances. |
| May 24, 2009 | Wow, what a great time during Saturday’s Live at The Cup with Shipwreck Town. John, Nilson, and Ray were joined by new band members Downs on the violin, and Tammy on vocals. The group had a new flavor but the same passion and enthusiasm in their music. We loved the new blend of sounds and enjoyed the wonderful tunes remembering Katrina and our soldiers in the Middle East during this Memorial weekend. A lot of hot new tunes, along with an acoustical adventure by John and Downs. A fun evening and a big crowd. |
| May 18, 2009 | Saturday’s Live at the Cup treated us to the rich full sounds of Rendevous. I know it’s impossible to imagine Johnny and Shauna sounding any more spectacular, but they topped themselves. It was a great evening. I know I say that a lot, but when you are enjoying great music with a fun crowd, at a terrific coffeehouse, what could be better? We heard classics, new tunes, instrumentals, and original songs like ‘Being With You’. It was fun to look out at the crowd, everyone swaying, tapping their feet and nodding their heads to the music. An energetic group, all feeling the musicality of the night. Okay, I couldn’t help myself and had to sing along. But I wasn’t the only one…I saw the rest of you…how could we help it? They are amazing, and Johnny and Shauna’s music just makes you happy. Isn’t that what it’s all about? |
| May 10, 2009 | Saturday’s Live at The Cup featured Randy Rusk. He was soooo easy to listen to, is one of those entertainers with such a great personality and very approachable. It was a very pleasurable evening making you feel great to be there, listening to fantastic music. Randy had an arsenal of many styles of music which included an instrumental selection. His renditions of ‘Vincent’ and ‘Over the Rainbow’ were heartwarming and really indescribable. If you missed his appearance, you will want to stay tuned for Randy’s return appearance. While you are waiting, don’t miss Rendezvous this Saturday night. They are amazing! |
| May 3, 2009 | What a great evening Saturday night during Live at The Cup. Tim Moyer was in the zone with an uplifting, energetic performance. Tim was joined by Jaron Eldon with Susan Moyer as a surprise guest singer. It was fun, hearing all the new tunes from Tim’s CD just released May 1st entitled Fresh Lemonade. It’s always wonderful to hear Tim’s original tunes (‘Vow’ being one of my favorites) and you can hear them too by visiting his website www.timmoyer.com When you click on the CD and then the song title, you will see all the lyrics, pretty cool. And we agree, Tim is certified fresh, and truly unique. Thanks Tim. |
| April 26, 2009 | Jason
Luckett was the performer
for Live at The Cup Saturday. As always he was fantastic and we
just love Jason’s
tunes. You can’t help get caught up in the rhythm. So glad
he is back from India to be with us. Not only did he have wonderful
stories to share, but a new tune ‘Rickshaw’. Of course
I am loyal to one of my favorites ‘Miracle’ which seems
to describe what Jason is all about. As a special guest, Jason’s
high school teacher was in the audience with his family. It was
a fun, fun evening as we sang along. |
| April 19, 2009 | It's fabulous being back in California after a month working in Florida. I was going thru ‘Live at The Cup’ withdrawals since there is no place like it across the country. And I was missing all my favorite entertainers. Steve kept me up to date but there is nothing like being at the Cup, in person. This Saturday night we were treated to the sounds of Brooke Ramel who was absolutely wonderful. The weather was perfect and no heaters were needed. This of course makes it a lot more comfortable for Brooke when singing. She had some fantastic news. Brooke's song “Finding My Way” is in the movie 'Sunshine Cleaning' directed by Christine Jeffs. With Amy Adams, Emily Blunt, Alan Arkin. It is so exciting when entertainers we know have such great success. Congratulations Brooke. We will see you at the Cup again on June 20th. |
| April 12, 2009 | There was a whole lot of fun happening at The Cup on Saturday. The Showcase entertainers were great with a tremendous variety of styles and a big crowd filling the atrium. And just when you thought things couldn’t get any better, Alec Marken and Deep Stirrings provided even more entertainment. Alec brought a fantastic level of energy to the evening and as always, we expect something new when Alec appears. This weekend he had a new singer with the group, Sarah, who sang Fever as Alec and Liz danced in the audience. It is always a treat when Alec performs and we look forward to his next appearance. |
| April 6, 2009 | For those that
joined us on Saturday night for Live
at The Cup, you know how special the
evening was. John Troy entertained
a great crowd and was at the top of his game. He not only provides
fantastic quality music but stories, jokes and adventures. It was
a very special evening with John’s Mom, Sister and Son in
the audience. John is a regular at the Cup and it was
a true pleasure to have the family there for the evening. Nights
like that is what
makes The Cup so special. |
| March 29, 2009 | Steve has
provided me a great report of last night’s Live at The Cup and
boy did it sound exciting. Rendezvous always
brings in a nice crowd with their adult contemporary style and
this
time they not only took everyone back to the 70’s, but also
treated all with their modern originals. In fact Shauna and
Johnny just finished the 1st track of their upcoming
album. I am so excited to hear when that comes out, you can bet I
will be one of the 1st
ones in line for that CD! Shauna shared some stories
of her trip to Australia and New Zealand. In fact she had two new
musical instruments
to add to her set. I can’t wait until they come back for
their next visit to The Cup. . Now some of you saw the activity going on at The Cup Saturday and were curious about what the gathering was all about. Well, a private party reserved the atrium where The Cup hosted and provided dinner. Alec Marken added an additional layer of entertainment by providing Swing Dance lessons. It was great fun and you too can have such an event. Just give Steve a call at The Cup for more information. |
| March 22, 2009 | Steve shared
how Joel
Ackerson and the Novelists were fantastic during Saturday’s Live
at The Cup. Joel, Jason, and
Zack started the 1st set with Rock N Roll, followed by a
second set of acoustics. Of Course Joel shines in both but has a
special place
in the acoustical arena. There was a special surprise for Joel when
his wife (who recently joined the Verizon Wireless family-Yeah!)
drove down from her San Francisco training to surprise him at the
Cup. When Joel finally came into the atrium it was
fun to see his jaw drop at this totally unexpected visit. Isn’t
love wonderful? . |
| March 15, 2009 | During
Saturday night’s Live
at The Cup, the
audience was crazy with laughter and rhythm. Losers Like
Us is a
funny, funny group and it was contagious. The house was packed and
everyone had a great time, talk about an audience in motion! Losers had
their 1st CD with them titled ‘Live from East Nashville’.
So if you missed it you will want to hurry down to The Cup and pick
up your copy. |
| March 8, 2009 | The
Cup was a
buzz last night and it wasn’t
the caffeine. It was Zacchaeus Tree as they gave us a warm feeling
inside on a cool evening. There was lots of love amongst a great
crowd with family and friends. The songs and sounds throughout the
night filled the air with such a positive charge, you just felt good;
it was in the atmosphere. There was Paul on vocals & guitar, Alicia on background vocals, Joshua on mandolin, Donovan joining
on acoustic & resonator guitars, and Gerry on
bass, guitar, flute, violin. Wow. We didn’t recognize Josh at
1st, since he cut his beard since his last appearance. It was definitely
a mix of energizing
sounds. So much diversity of tunes…a bit of Ireland, some
U2, bluegrass, and many wonderful originals. It was a fun, fun
night
and great entertainment. |
| March 1, 2009 | Live
at The Cup was swinging with SWAY this Saturday. Gina,
Perry, Scott, Pat and
Nate were
hot! It is always an event
when SWAY comes to perform and Saturday night was no exception. It
was Gina’s birthday and there was cake,
cake and more cake. It was like a big family affair with lots of
fun, laughter and great
music. Everyone enjoyed the evening and it was great to meet Gina’s
family. There were some fantastic news items shared...SWAY just made
it to # 1 on Reverbnations local Country chart. They also were just
nominated best Country / American group for the OC Music Awards being
held Saturday April 4th at The Grove Theater. Congratulations! |
| February 15, 2009 | We
are getting ready for another session of rain storms tonight
through Monday, but on Saturday
there was not a cloud in
the sky. And have you glanced up at the mountains lately, how amazing
is that view with the snow? Don’t you absolutely love living
in California? I mean where else can we get the type of entertainment
that we are treated to at The Cup! Brooke
Ramel was so great Saturday
night. I know she is promising us some new originals soon but we
were so happy to hear the variety she brought to her performance.
Not only was the air crisp but so was Brooke’s sound. It felt
as though we had just sat down and it was already break time. And
the second set went as fast as the first. Time just flew by and we
couldn’t get enough. The crowd was in a fantastic mood with
familiar faces popping in and the buzz of friendly conversation,
just the type of atmosphere that makes The
Cup so special. So don’t
miss out, come join the fun next Saturday. |
| February 8, 2009 | Listening to Jason
Luckett’s songs with the
rain lightly falling in the background brought back those wonderful
memories. The sounds of the rain added a great ambiance to his
performance which is always fantastic anyway. We celebrated Jason’s
new record just being released with the crowd getting a chance to
own
the 1st cut. His first set was filled with familiar as well as new
songs. After intermission the 2nd set was a tribute to Valentine’s
Day. You can tell Jason is a hopeless romantic. Jason has
so much going on with a trip to India coming up. He will be gone
for a few
weeks but we will have him back at The Cup in
the spring. We can’t
wait! |
| February 1, 2009 | The night was cool but you can tell we are warming up a bit. We are hitting the middle of winter but its nothing like our neighbors to the east with ice storms and the like. Sitting in the atrium, it was the perfect setting for having a treat of warmed bread pudding topped with caramel sauce, and of course a steaming cup of a favorite hot beverage. The sky was crystal clear with billions of stars. This was my first treat in listening to the music of Randy Rusk. It was great. Randy also teaches music and the crowd kept growing through the evening with friends and students from Saddleback College. It is always nice to see my brother bringing more chairs for a growing audience. That’s something The Cup loves! Randy had a smooth and easy style to his music. Listening to him gives you a feeling of comfort, as if you are at home. Imagine being at the relative’s house for that homemade pot roast dinner, apple pie and ice cream for dessert, along with good conversation. Aaaaahhhhh…that’s what the evening was like as we settled in to enjoy the warming tunes and personality of Randy Rusk. We can’t wait to hear him again. |
| January 25, 2009 | We began with
a small crowd Saturday night for Live
at The Cup. There was no
rain so it was
great. Jeff and Willy from
WILFAX warmed us up with a tapp’n tempo.
You could almost picture yourself on the perfect summer day, cruzin
along the California coastline.
And who doesn’t love that thought. Kowabonga Dude (and Dudettes)!
There Bluesy rhythms were drawing us in, and I mean it. We started
with a small crowd and the music must have traveled the airwaves
because people just kept trickling in to hear where those great
sounds were coming from. They were being drawn right to The
Cup. We just
LOVE when that happens! |
| January 21, 2009 | Saturday night
we went on an amazing musical journey.
Seth Horan is an awesome talent. He was his usual
energetic personality with that humorous wit. We love him. He has
reached an unrivaled
level. I know we thought the same during his last appearance, only
to be taken to that next level of expertise. I am never sure how
to describe what I hear when Seth performs. It is
just plain amazing. And if you thought it couldn't get better, guess
again. Seth invited
Ed Sheets to perform. This was my first introduction
to Ed's music
and all I could do was wonder where that sound came from, how does
he do that? I never heard a guitar sound so intense, with power,
passion, WOW. We were truly mesmerized. And with the two musicians
together...it was a journey in sound to be experienced. To make the
evening even better we had a surprise visit from Michael
Shelton.
It was wonderful to see him again. Michael was our first performer
at The Cup. We sure do miss him and hope to see him back soon. Until
then we wish him much success. |
| January 11, 2009 | Well, I am going to try
to do this justice but I am not sure I can when describing the
music of Rendezvous. All you can
really say about Shauna and Johnny is… Captivating,
Magical, Sounds from the heart. I so look forward to their appearance
at The
Cup and obviously so did the other 50 people that came to visit and
I know why! Each time they come to The Cup,
the crowd grows larger. We had so much fun the 2 hours just flew
by leaving us wanting more.
It was a full moon, the heaters were on, and the crowd was fantastic.
It’s as if we all knew each other or became friends by the
end of the evening. Shauna and Johnny have
such a great partnership. They sound amazing and have a great chemistry
that invites you in
to share the music. In fact some of the audience took to the floor
dancing during several numbers. We were treated to some great oldies
and some new originals. ‘When a Fool Falls in Love’ was
wonderful. I can’t wait until they come back and you won’t
want to miss them. We have another treat for you this Saturday. Seth Horan who is an amazing performer on bass is coming back for an appearance. If you have never seen him, you definitely don’t want to miss this, trust me. |
| January 4, 2009 | What a way to start 2009’s Live at The Cup! This was Paul Jackson’s first appearance at The Cup with Zacchaeus Tree. What a great sound with a variety of styles to please everyone, Bluegrass, Irish gigs, and acoustics. I found their sound to be charming, almost whimsical and if I am not mistaken I think there was a little magic in the air. We had many couples in the audience including Alicia’s sister and fiancé who are to be married within the month. Congratulations. The band did a wonderful job with Paul as the lead, Alicia on vocals, Gerry on bass, flute and fiddle, Joshua on mandolin, and Donovan on guitar. Great fun and we can’t wait to see them back for an encore. |
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