Monday, August 27, 2018 - Common Bonds

I’m putting together a show for this Saturday with Ken Saydak, a renowned piano player and singer living in La Veta who has played all over the world. Ken and I are from different musical backgrounds, or so it would seem, but I find that as we are putting our show together we have so much in common. We both are striving toward the good stuff - the songs that say something meaningful in a genuine way with interesting musical changes and harmonies. We both have a sincere love of good music and good writing. It will be a fine show, I can tell, and I’m looking forward to it.  And it makes me realize that finding things in common with new and old friends is happening more and more every day. It’s easy to bond over common experiences, common backgrounds, common loves even though some people I meet are from different cultures and different parts of the globe. I have always believed that somewhere in our makeup of cosmic dust and energy we are all connected and that science will someday find this in a profound way. It’s gratifying when I see it in my everyday experience in such tangible ways. There is so much more going on than we see, and when we stop long enough to feel it the world is a wondrous place.  

What have I been up to? 

Monday and Tuesday at the Royal Gorge Bridge were very enjoyable days. Monday was a perfect day with kind people from all over the place. Tuesday was a bit of a mixup. I was not booked to be there, but somehow I still had taken the day off from my other gigs and had the Gorge on my calendar. So I showed up to find someone else on the stage setting up, and then I called the stage coordinator who said I must be supposed to perform on the other side of the bridge on the visitor deck. So I ran over and set up there and had some really kind folks listening as we endured through some spitting rain. A couple hours into the gig I got an email that I wasn’t scheduled to play but that they were happy I was there and would pay me anyway. It’s then that I checked the contract in the cloud and saw that indeed the day was not on the schedule. What can I say? I’m an idiot sometimes. It all worked out for the good, and I met some great folks.  

Thursday was the Yellow Pine Barbecue, and it ended up being the last one of the season as we can’t get food from the barbecue folks in Alamosa after last week. We had a stellar group of folks out for the night, and it was a fitting end to a memorable summer with the fire and all the angst and joy that was felt up and down the Cuchara valley. I am so grateful to be part of such a wonderful community up there.  

Saturday was the FARmm to Table Fun Run and Dinner at the Abbey Winery in Cañon City, and what a super group of folks were there. I played for the runners and the diners while they ran and enjoyed a beautiful evening with just a couple drops of rain on the gorgeous lawn by the winery. I had some fine friends come from Pueblo West and Castle Rock to be part of the evening.  

What’s up this week? 

Monday and Tuesday 12:30-4:30 I’m at the Royal Gorge Bridge for the final week of the season for me, and I’m truly looking forward to these two days. I forget how much I enjoy the views, the mountain air, and the new faces from all over the world at the Gorge. Come join me if you can.  

Thursday will not be the Yellow Pine Barbecue. As I said above, we can’t get food for this week, so last week will end up being the grand finale. It’s sad to wrap up the season, but we will do a last hurrah for the summer the last Thursday of September at the Yellow Pine for the locals with BYOB and BYOA (appetizer) that will be a great party.  

Saturday 7-9 is the concert with the Ken Saydak at the La Veta Mercantile in La Veta. As I wrote above this show is really coming together nicely to be a grand experience, and I’d love to have you all there. We will do some of the stuff you know each of us for,  but we are both putting our own spin on each other’s music and doing some unique music together as well. It’s going to surprise even us! I can’t wait to have you hear it.  

Sunday I won’t be doing my First-Sunday Online Concert because I’m playing a wedding reception that evening that I scheduled many, many months ago, but never fear, the online concert will occur the following night on Labor Day at the same time and place - 7:00 MDT at concertwindow.com/tommunch.  

That’s it for this week. The last week of summer is always a little bittersweet, but I have so many fun things planned, and I can’t wait to find more things in common with folks even today at the Gorge. Have a great week, folks! 

Best always, 

Tom 

Details this week: 

Who: Tom Munch  
What: playing and singing  
Where: South side of the Royal Gorge at the Royal Gorge Bridge on the stage just east of the bridge 
When: Monday, and Tuesday Aug 7 and 28, 12:30 pm-4:30 pm  

Who:  Tom Munch and Ken Saydak 
What:  playing and singing a concert 
Where:  La Veta Mercantile (The Merc), 300 South Main Street, La Veta 719-742-3387 
When:  Saturday, Sept 1, 7-9 pm 

Who:  Tom Munch 
What:  playing and singing 
Where:  online at https://concertwindow.com/tommunch 
When:  Monday, Sept 3, 7-8:15ish pm MDT

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