You come to a Hodge barbecue as Friends and leave as Family
HodgePodge by Charlie Hodge
Okay – my turn to say it…Wasn’t that a party!
As has been the tradition for some 25 years, the annual Musicians BBQ’ took over the Hodge Household and neighbourhood Sunday and I double dare anyone not to have had fun! Certainly no one could have enjoyed the full festivities more than Tez and I. We knew most of the people here at the beginning of the party and all of them by the time they left.
You come to a Hodge barbecue as friends and leave as family.
However, this September long weekend bash was even more meaningful than in most in the past because of some bonus ‘becauses’.
The long weekend barbecue at my house began 25 years ago as a party for the bands I was involved with in one of many ways (such as managing, coaching, running and owning light shows, entertainment writer and photographer, player)… Way back on a rare opportunity I was working with three bands in a week and learned we all had the Sunday of the September long weekend off so I invited them to my pickers shack – and the party was on. (Most bands travelled Sundays or were committed to hosting a jam). For the first 10 years my party was pretty much a musician’s only bbq event and then slowly included family and friends.
This year was a celebration of super swell stuff.
I was too busy actually ‘greeting’ people this Sunday to be sure, however I believe it was Danny Thiessen who first hit the microphone. My boyhood chum played a couple of meaningful and catchy tunes including his best new originals.
As everyone now knows the Cruzeros have been named to the B.C. Country Music Hall of Fame and so they naturally performed a number of great originals on stage. Curtis Tulman, Barry Mathers, Rachel Matkin, and Jay Swetlishoff (on his unique suitcase drum kit) mesmerized the audience. Probably the greatest bonus music surprise to the event, however, was the arrival and performance of Scott Thielmann on lead guitar. Scott is joining the Cruzeros for their upcoming Reunion Tour celebrating their selection to the Hall of Fame. Without question Scott is the best guitar player I know of in the interior of the province and likely all of B.C.
After the Cruzeros we were treated by Dirt Road Opera and more hauntingly beautiful harmonies with all involved but listening to Ratchel and Barry literally makes me shiver with amazement.
However, the music on the stage just continued to improve. One of my favourite people and very talented singer songwriter Ryan Donn reminded people why he is an exceptional artist on his own. Ryan gave us some great examples of his strong voice and solid guitar work.
Just when I thought it could not get better, Grahan Zamboni jumped the stage with a command performance with other guest musicians including the gifted Michael Garding and Don Burnett.
Rann Berry makes any stage feel happy and the talented man did the same Sunday. His unique voice and friendly stage presence was another perfect gift Sunday night.
Celebrating life and everything about it was what the day and night were full of.
In addition to more musicians (I will name next week when I realize I somehow forgot them) were people who made the effort to join the party. My very dear friend Teunis Westbroek (Mayor of Qualicum Beach) made the journey as did Tez’s best friend Marlene Nickel from Kamloops and Tez’s son Arthur and our grandson Max from Vancouver. Bill and Lorne Greene from Falkland.
So it was quite a gathering in our yard made beautiful by Tez. It is she that did 90% of the yard if not more.
All of which topped the arrival of another 250 copies of my book Lost Souls of Lakewood which I shamelessly flaunted,
My wonderful wife Tez once again literally made a bundle of the food for three days (all of it) except that cooked by buddy Jim Rippley on his monster barbeque.
What a fabulous day.
