We're all back at home nursing a cold, jet lag and just plain old weariness along with listening to all the sports experts picking the Ravens to win this weekend.
I just got a great slide show link from Tom Budzyna who is the Director of Public Affairs at USAG Schinnen, Netherlands where we did our last show on Jan 7, 2009. It was a great show complete with some audience participation on "Red Neck Yacht Club" and the base commander, Lt Col Sumpter directing the enthusiastic audience in the chorus of "Take Me Home Country Roads".
The slide show is so much better than my own pics, I'm posting its link for you to enjoy. Some of the angles are classic. I especially like the one of Ben with the American flag draped behind him. I plan to post one more "Final Thoughts" post in a few days.
Meanwhile, please enjoy this great slide show:
http://www.army.mil/-slideshows/2009/01/09/15634-usag-schinnen-hosts-thom-shepherd-and-the-nashville-songwriters-band/index.html
Saturday, January 10, 2009
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Will post more soon....
We are back at our base hotel in Schinnen, Netherlands. The last show is over and all went great. It is now 10:30pm here and our bus to Brussels Airport departs the hotel at 4:30am. We are scheduled to arrive in Nashville on Thursday, Jan 8 at 4:21pm (which will feel like 11:21pm to our worn out bodies).
As a result, I'm going to turn, get some rest now.
I'm hoping to have some down time at the Brussels airport to post one more about the final show and some closing thoughts.
Suffice it to say it was much more than a great trip. Thom calls us his "dream team" and I think he's onto something.
We love and miss you all and are looking forward to seeing you very, very soon.
Jerry
As a result, I'm going to turn, get some rest now.
I'm hoping to have some down time at the Brussels airport to post one more about the final show and some closing thoughts.
Suffice it to say it was much more than a great trip. Thom calls us his "dream team" and I think he's onto something.
We love and miss you all and are looking forward to seeing you very, very soon.
Jerry
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Hello from the Netherlands!
After our first decent restful night in Belgium we packed out on the bus and headed for Holland. It took about an hour to cross the border:
This is particularly sweet for me because (thanks to the internet) I have been able to trace my paternal lineage to Holland all the way back to 1480. The name Vandiver evolved from the original Van Der Veere, which means in Dutch to be “from the Village of Veere”. We are about an hour in the wrong direction from Veere and the neighboring Welmeldinge (in the provice of Zealand) which is where my ancestors came from. How I would like to go visit there some day. So close and yet so far.
We were scheduled to play USAG Rotterdam, a small facility specializing in the transport of goods and supplies to the military bases throughout Europe. Though we were playing in a little cafeteria, we had a nice crowd of personnel and their families.
Renae was her usual incredibly entertaining self. As Todd said earlier about her, “She’s our secret weapon”. Its fun how she takes the show up to another level:
The band got a nice standing ovation after the closing song, “Thanks To You” written by Todd and Thom:
Tomorrow we head to Schinnen for the final show of the tour.
Stay with us a little longer!
Jerry
This is particularly sweet for me because (thanks to the internet) I have been able to trace my paternal lineage to Holland all the way back to 1480. The name Vandiver evolved from the original Van Der Veere, which means in Dutch to be “from the Village of Veere”. We are about an hour in the wrong direction from Veere and the neighboring Welmeldinge (in the provice of Zealand) which is where my ancestors came from. How I would like to go visit there some day. So close and yet so far.
We were scheduled to play USAG Rotterdam, a small facility specializing in the transport of goods and supplies to the military bases throughout Europe. Though we were playing in a little cafeteria, we had a nice crowd of personnel and their families.
Renae was her usual incredibly entertaining self. As Todd said earlier about her, “She’s our secret weapon”. Its fun how she takes the show up to another level:
The band got a nice standing ovation after the closing song, “Thanks To You” written by Todd and Thom:
Tomorrow we head to Schinnen for the final show of the tour.
Stay with us a little longer!
Jerry
Monday, January 5, 2009
Off to Klein Brogel
We left the Watermolen at 12:30 to head down the road to Klein Brogel, an air base here in Belgium that supports the NATO forces in the area as well as other USAF activities in Europe.
There was a significant snow storm last night and as a result the base was letting all non-essential staff off at 3:00, so instead of the scheduled show going from 4-6, we needed to set up as early as we could and be done by 3.
No problem. We decided to set up with a smaller drum kit, no keyboards (Todd would play acoustic guitar and mandolin) and get it done on time.
The band started a little after 2:
And we had a great little crowd that was very, very appreciative.
Including Jacqueline, who was our host at a show in Kuwait!
I thought this shot of Todd on acoustic with the flag in front was cool:
I was wearing my Titans hat as usual and after the show this couple from Chattanooga found me and we talked NFL playoffs and Tennessee Titans. They are Malissa and Nathan Jackson and not only are they hardcore Titans fans (well, he is as she is originally from Miami) but they plan on being back in Tennessee next fall. I promised Nathan I'd take him to a Titans game then. (Tim, you're going to have to give up your ticket for that one!). Nathan insisted on giving me the helmet and cup:
Nathan, I better hear from ya!
We are now back at the Watermolen enjoying an early evening, no stress hang. A nice dinner followed by bowling - German style. The lanes are much different than in the U.S. They start out narrow and widen at the end. There are only 9 pins set in a diamond shape and hung by strings:
The balls are different sizes and have no finger holes:
Here's Todd showing how its done:
Tomorrow we head for Rotterdam and hope to get in an evening in Amsterdam after that early show.
Keep coming with us,
Jerry
There was a significant snow storm last night and as a result the base was letting all non-essential staff off at 3:00, so instead of the scheduled show going from 4-6, we needed to set up as early as we could and be done by 3.
No problem. We decided to set up with a smaller drum kit, no keyboards (Todd would play acoustic guitar and mandolin) and get it done on time.
The band started a little after 2:
And we had a great little crowd that was very, very appreciative.
Including Jacqueline, who was our host at a show in Kuwait!
I thought this shot of Todd on acoustic with the flag in front was cool:
I was wearing my Titans hat as usual and after the show this couple from Chattanooga found me and we talked NFL playoffs and Tennessee Titans. They are Malissa and Nathan Jackson and not only are they hardcore Titans fans (well, he is as she is originally from Miami) but they plan on being back in Tennessee next fall. I promised Nathan I'd take him to a Titans game then. (Tim, you're going to have to give up your ticket for that one!). Nathan insisted on giving me the helmet and cup:
Nathan, I better hear from ya!
We are now back at the Watermolen enjoying an early evening, no stress hang. A nice dinner followed by bowling - German style. The lanes are much different than in the U.S. They start out narrow and widen at the end. There are only 9 pins set in a diamond shape and hung by strings:
The balls are different sizes and have no finger holes:
Here's Todd showing how its done:
Tomorrow we head for Rotterdam and hope to get in an evening in Amsterdam after that early show.
Keep coming with us,
Jerry
Good Morning, Belgium
A short blog to keep you up to date:
We had a long travel day yesterday, leaving our quarters in Warsaw at noon and checking into the airport with all the gear (including John's snare which spent a little holiday in Budapest) and flying to Brussels, finding Armin and riding to our hotel here, about 70 miles east of Brussels arriving at 10:30pm.
The Brussels Airport is massive and ultra modern:
A coke machine at our gate made me think twice about having a cola:
We finally arrived at the De Watermolen (pronounced vater molen - meaning "waterwheel") hotel which is a nice little chalet style place off the beaten track.
Looking down the road from the Watermolen:
and on the side of the building towards the back is the reason for the name:
Checking into the hotel:
They still had some Christmas cheer on display in the lobby:
We learned that Belgium speaks 3 different languages depending on the area. Close to the German border, German is spoken, close to France, of course, is French and further Northwest is Flemish, or Dutch. We are just barely in the Flemish area.
Here is the "breakfast buffet" which is typical of Dutch and Germans - breads, cheeses and meats.
I'm looking forward to a couple of eggs over easy when I get back to the states.
We're pulling out at 12:30 to meet up with our POC Sgt Gory to play for a small contingent of Air Force folks at a NATO base about a half hour from here.
I'll post more about that tonight.
Miss you all,
Jerry
We had a long travel day yesterday, leaving our quarters in Warsaw at noon and checking into the airport with all the gear (including John's snare which spent a little holiday in Budapest) and flying to Brussels, finding Armin and riding to our hotel here, about 70 miles east of Brussels arriving at 10:30pm.
The Brussels Airport is massive and ultra modern:
A coke machine at our gate made me think twice about having a cola:
We finally arrived at the De Watermolen (pronounced vater molen - meaning "waterwheel") hotel which is a nice little chalet style place off the beaten track.
Looking down the road from the Watermolen:
and on the side of the building towards the back is the reason for the name:
Checking into the hotel:
They still had some Christmas cheer on display in the lobby:
We learned that Belgium speaks 3 different languages depending on the area. Close to the German border, German is spoken, close to France, of course, is French and further Northwest is Flemish, or Dutch. We are just barely in the Flemish area.
Here is the "breakfast buffet" which is typical of Dutch and Germans - breads, cheeses and meats.
I'm looking forward to a couple of eggs over easy when I get back to the states.
We're pulling out at 12:30 to meet up with our POC Sgt Gory to play for a small contingent of Air Force folks at a NATO base about a half hour from here.
I'll post more about that tonight.
Miss you all,
Jerry
Saturday, January 3, 2009
From Old Town to Hard Rock
This blog will be in two parts, the first half will be a tour of Warsaw's famous Old Town, and the second, a report about the performance at the Hard Rock Cafe.
Part 1:
Before Hitler's invasion of Poland, Warsaw had a population of close to 700,000. In 1944 as the Russians were making ground on the Eastern front, a large contingent of Poles decided they wouldn't stand it any more and revolted against the occupying Nazi army.
There is a museum commemorating that event called the Resistance Museum.
The revolt lasted 60 days and the Nazis, showing no mercy, destroyed 75% of the area which was Old Town and the famous Warsaw ghetto. The Russians, knowing that the Polish resistance was pro-English/American, waited outside for the Nazis to take care of the problem so that when they entered Warsaw, they wouldn't have any resistance of their own.
Once that revolt had been put down, the population was reduced to about 100,000.
The Poles decided to rebuild Old Town back to its original grandeur using available photographs of the buildings and staying true to the original architecture. As a result then, most of Old Town is actually relatively "new", having been built since 1945, but it doesn't look at all like it.
Here is a picture of the King's Palace:
and nearby is a picture of the original palace after the Nazi decimation:
A street in Old Town
At the end of the above street is a beautiful square:
There were many cool shops and restaurants. One shop that caught my attention was a jewelry store featuring amber pieces
I seem to recall someone saying there are numerous amber mining areas in Poland. It makes sense as there were several of these stores.
Leaving Old Town and heading back to the Hard Rock, we found this Science and Technology building just across the street. The Russians built it for the Poles as an apology for their WWII hardships.
Warsaw is a beautiful, clean city. In the summer, the sidewalks are filled with cafe tables, people and charm. I'd love to come back here in warmer weather.
***************
Part II
Back at the Hard Rock, we did some final adjustments and before the first set, posed for a photo op with the famous Hard Rock logo in the background.
Some fans from the Embassy showed up early:
And once again, the band was great with a great crowd:
I thought it would be cool to have a photo of each member with the logo, so here goes:
and yours truly
Ben wanted to do his part:
More autographs followed the final set
After packing out we were treated to a delicious Lebanese dinner and once again found our beds to be a welcome sight at the Embassy quarters.
Tomorrow we pack for Brussels.
The adventure continues.
Thanks for being here with us,
Jerry
Part 1:
Before Hitler's invasion of Poland, Warsaw had a population of close to 700,000. In 1944 as the Russians were making ground on the Eastern front, a large contingent of Poles decided they wouldn't stand it any more and revolted against the occupying Nazi army.
There is a museum commemorating that event called the Resistance Museum.
The revolt lasted 60 days and the Nazis, showing no mercy, destroyed 75% of the area which was Old Town and the famous Warsaw ghetto. The Russians, knowing that the Polish resistance was pro-English/American, waited outside for the Nazis to take care of the problem so that when they entered Warsaw, they wouldn't have any resistance of their own.
Once that revolt had been put down, the population was reduced to about 100,000.
The Poles decided to rebuild Old Town back to its original grandeur using available photographs of the buildings and staying true to the original architecture. As a result then, most of Old Town is actually relatively "new", having been built since 1945, but it doesn't look at all like it.
Here is a picture of the King's Palace:
and nearby is a picture of the original palace after the Nazi decimation:
A street in Old Town
At the end of the above street is a beautiful square:
There were many cool shops and restaurants. One shop that caught my attention was a jewelry store featuring amber pieces
I seem to recall someone saying there are numerous amber mining areas in Poland. It makes sense as there were several of these stores.
Leaving Old Town and heading back to the Hard Rock, we found this Science and Technology building just across the street. The Russians built it for the Poles as an apology for their WWII hardships.
Warsaw is a beautiful, clean city. In the summer, the sidewalks are filled with cafe tables, people and charm. I'd love to come back here in warmer weather.
***************
Part II
Back at the Hard Rock, we did some final adjustments and before the first set, posed for a photo op with the famous Hard Rock logo in the background.
Some fans from the Embassy showed up early:
And once again, the band was great with a great crowd:
I thought it would be cool to have a photo of each member with the logo, so here goes:
and yours truly
Ben wanted to do his part:
More autographs followed the final set
After packing out we were treated to a delicious Lebanese dinner and once again found our beds to be a welcome sight at the Embassy quarters.
Tomorrow we pack for Brussels.
The adventure continues.
Thanks for being here with us,
Jerry
A short hello from Warsaw, Poland
It was a long day leaving Camp Bondsteel to the airport at Pristina, Kosovo, then checking in 35 pieces of gear to Budapest and then to Warsaw. We arrived at the airport about 6pm and were greeted by SMSgt Julie Brummond and several dignitaries from the US Embassy.
This particular gig is scheduled as a performance for State Department Embassy personnel as well as the military stationed here. It promises to be pretty fun not only because we're playing at the Hard Rock Warsaw, but we are expecting 200+ people at the show.
At the airport and we packed all our gear (minus John's snare which was left behind in Budapest) into two vans and first headed to our Embassy sponsored quarters - a nice 3 story home with all the amenities, then to a great restaurant near Warsaw's Old Town:
The area around the restaurant was beautiful:
Inside, we were greetted by a Warsaw duo:
and then by yet more folks from the embassy. Here is a pic of Thom and Julie at the restaurant:
Ben was practicing his usual diplomacy with a local staffer, Kasia:
while Thom was being taught some polish phrases with Agata, another local staffer:
By the way my Polish name is Jerzy, pronounced "yer sha".
and Ben distributed the Polish beer via a "beer tube"
And the food was great. Not a place for vegtarians here:
All good things must end, though and we eventually got back to our Warsaw "home" and crashed.
I'm typing this now at the Hard Rock as we just finished a 9:30am sound check (sleep deprivation is a common occurrence on these trips) and are enjoying lunch here. Thom is off to lunch with the Ambassador (a former mayor of Knoxville). When he returns we hope to get in a few nearby sights.
I plan to post a blog of the show later (maybe after we get to Brussels tomorrow as there is no internet service in our house).
We are all loving your comments. Please, please keep posting!
Jerry
This particular gig is scheduled as a performance for State Department Embassy personnel as well as the military stationed here. It promises to be pretty fun not only because we're playing at the Hard Rock Warsaw, but we are expecting 200+ people at the show.
At the airport and we packed all our gear (minus John's snare which was left behind in Budapest) into two vans and first headed to our Embassy sponsored quarters - a nice 3 story home with all the amenities, then to a great restaurant near Warsaw's Old Town:
The area around the restaurant was beautiful:
Inside, we were greetted by a Warsaw duo:
and then by yet more folks from the embassy. Here is a pic of Thom and Julie at the restaurant:
Ben was practicing his usual diplomacy with a local staffer, Kasia:
while Thom was being taught some polish phrases with Agata, another local staffer:
By the way my Polish name is Jerzy, pronounced "yer sha".
and Ben distributed the Polish beer via a "beer tube"
And the food was great. Not a place for vegtarians here:
All good things must end, though and we eventually got back to our Warsaw "home" and crashed.
I'm typing this now at the Hard Rock as we just finished a 9:30am sound check (sleep deprivation is a common occurrence on these trips) and are enjoying lunch here. Thom is off to lunch with the Ambassador (a former mayor of Knoxville). When he returns we hope to get in a few nearby sights.
I plan to post a blog of the show later (maybe after we get to Brussels tomorrow as there is no internet service in our house).
We are all loving your comments. Please, please keep posting!
Jerry
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