BOB RAFKIN - NEWS & EVENTS ARCHIVES (YEAR 2003):

JANUARY 2003 - Wow! 2002 rocketed by, what a fast year. I hope everyone enjoyed the holidays. It seems that it always takes a few weeks to get back up to speed. Partying is fun but it certainly has its price. I want to thank those of you who came to Leu Gardens Christmas show to see Mindy Simmons and I. Mindy is a great performer, and yes The Weather Channel aired selections of SIX STRING CHRISTMAS. So now I'm getting back to my "normal" schedule, if there is such a thing. If I haven't yet mentioned it, I've begun writing and recording a new CD. I hope to have it completed by June. Why June you ask? Well if I don't give myself a deadline, I might never finish it.  All the songs on this CD will have lyrics (no instrumentals) and all will be performed with the backup of one guitar. It should sound as I do in a live solo performance, minus people talking, cell phones ringing, dishes clanking, cappuccino machines hissing----- Did I miss anything?

Well, you all take care and I hope to see you somewhere down the pike. I've got a few public gigs coming up in January. I'll be at the White Wolf Cafe in Orlando on Saturday the 4th and Saturday the 25th. On the 18th and 19th, I will be performing at the South Florida Folk Festival in Fort Lauderdale and on the evening of Friday the 17th, I will be performing somewhere near the festival at a public venue, sponsored by the folk festival. I don't yet know which venue, but by the time this is posted in my web page, you should be able to find out by contacting the festival at (800) 785-8924 or www.southfloridafolkfest.com.  See you soon. Bob Back to Top

FEBRUARY 2003 - January is over. 2003 is flying by. Life is slipping awayyyyyyyyy. So much for the drama. January actually did go by quickly and was sprinkled with some interesting gigs. I did two performances in Daytona for the Dodge NASCAR drivers and media. This was a car racing fan's dream. I know absolutely nothing about car racing and so didn't recognize any of the drivers. I was seated at a table with the winner of last year's Daytona race and can not remember the driver's name. It was quite a banquet though. The food was so very good.

I also performed at the South Florida Folk Festival in Fort Lauderdale. It was exciting performing there. The organizers always put together a great show. Caroline Aiken, one of the main acts is such a talented, wonderful performer. I participated in a Phil Ochs workshop, organized by Phil's sister Sonny Ochs. The late Phil Ochs was a courageous protest singer from the sixties. His music lives on to inspire people of this generation and is a reminder of the power of music. I think it was an enjoyable festival despite the unusually low temperatures. Cold, slow moving fingers was an annoyance to many performers including myself. I played in a few rounds featuring guitar soloists and felt like I was moving my frozen fingers around by mind control. No matter what the gig is though, when it's all over, nothing feels more satisfying then pulling the car into my garage and saying to myself "I'm home".

Well, It starts all over again this month and so I've got a few public gigs to tell you about. On Feb. The 4th, I'll be performing from 6:00pm to 9:00pm at Metro Espresso in Orlando on Central, located next to Lee's Lakeside. They are celebrating their 5th anniversary, open to the public. Cool place. On Sat. the 8th and the 22nd, I'll be at the White Wolf Cafe in Orlando, on Orange Ave in the antique district, from 6:30pm to 10:30pm. Another cool place. On the 21st, I'll be going down to North Miami to perform at a music series sponsored by The Folk Club of South Florida called Folk Friday from 8:00pm to 10:00pm. The location is The Museum Of Contemporary Art, 770 NE 125th St 305 893-6211.  Well folks, that's it for the public performances. You all have a good month, and I hope to see you soon.  Bob Back to Top

MARCH 2003 - It is said of March, that it comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb. Growing up in Maryland, I recall this to be true. March was the transition from winter to spring, and spring was my favorite time of the year. I felt so alive and inspired. As a kid, I spent many spring afternoons and weekends in the woods which bordered our little community. Though I'd sometimes venture out into the woods on a snowy winter day to follow the tracks of animals, It was the spring when my real exploring began. My destination was usually the creek, the ever changing creek that divided this small forest.

Spring would always reveal new residents. I'd always find a plant, bush or even baby tree that was not there the year before, and the path of the little creek continually changed from year to year. To this day, I quite often daydream about that tiny world. That "world" was the inspiration for a song of mine, LAZY WATERS. Singing It always brings me back across the miles and years to that place.  Here in Florida, we don't have snowy extreme winters. Still, our winters are quite different from our long hot summers. Our short winters bring relief from the humidity that occupies most of the year. I usually wake up early each morning and do my TAE BO exercises. Well, In the last week, I've begun to feel a slight hint of that green, organic HUMIDITY sticking to me as I exercise. Summer will soon be here.

Before closing, I have a few public gigs in March to tell you about. I'll be at The White Wolf Cafe here in Orlando on March 7th and the 28th from 6:30 to 10:30pm. I'll also be at The Central Florida Fair in Orlando at the Fair Grounds on March 5th at 9:00pm. The only description I have of the stage location is that it is near the restrooms. Now I guess this is a plus as restrooms are very popular and so the area will have a lot of traffic.  Till next time.  Bob Back to Top

APRIL 2003 - March has left us and will not reappear till 2004. Let us hope that by then the human race will have evolved beyond its current methods of settling differences and its need to enslave. Though we have advanced technologically, history reveals that our way of achieving "peace" has not progressed beyond that of cave people, or perhaps, monkeys. Well April has arrived. Springtime is a season of new life, a new beginning for humanity as well as the environment that we are part of. 

Leaves are beginning to appear on the pecan tree in front of our house. By May the tree will be in full bloom and taller then the year before. Though the Florida winters are so mild, still many varieties of trees and plants are dormant during our winter season, as is our pecan tree. Mysteriously they wake up and do so before we notice a change in temperature.  The universe, God, the forces of nature, or whatever you want to call it is capable of generating new life and also new thought. Maybe the darkness we are experiencing now will lead us to a higher place of enlightenment.

I have a few public gigs coming up in April. I'll be at the White Wolf Cafe here in Orlando on April 11th and the 18th from 6:30 to 10:30pm. On April 19th, I'll be performing in Eustis at the Eustis Woman's Club for the Lake Eustis Folk Club. They have a wonderful pot luck dinner at 7:00pm. The concert is 8:00 to 9:00pm, followed by a jam. On April 23rd , I'll be appearing in concert from 7:00 to 9:00pm at Chapters Cafe and Bookstore in College Park. I'll be performing many of the songs that will be on my new CD, scheduled for released this year. Admission is $5.00.  I'll talk at you again next month. Bob Back to Top

MAY 2003 - I had a great time performing at the Lake Eustis Folk Club on Saturday. A big wonderful crowd came out for the concert, including some people I haven't seen for quite a while. These folks all brought fantastic dishes of food made with care and love, and let me tell you, that food is joyfully and quickly eaten. Those people get down to business and do it. I grabbed some up and hid it in the refrigerator till after the concert.  The concert at Chapters Cafe and Bookshop also went great. The turn out was fantastic. So many people came out that they had to bring in more staff and set up extra tables.

I was asked back and will return in a few months. If you live in the Orlando area, you should check this place out. Chapters is a very good restaurant and a used bookshop with LOTS of hard to find books. The dinning tables are surrounded by towers of bookshelves. It is the perfect environment for small acoustic concerts.  I spent much of this month working on my CD whenever I could squeeze in the time, and that time was usually late at night. I've done more writing this year then I have for quite a long time. Writing gets you into such a deep reflective mode. For me, the process is difficult to get going, but once I start, the ideas flow right out. I guess everyone has their own unique way of writing. I went through my share of dry spells, but I think that during those times I expected the songs to pop into my head and sort of write themselves.

What I have discovered is that once I sit down and center myself with the intention of writing a song, the song will be written. I usually have to put on paper every thought that comes to me, and I have to do that sometimes for a few days till something clicks. The more times I go through this process, the more confident I am of the outcome. Well, enough of this talk. You all take care.  Bob Back to Top

JUNE 2003 - This installment begins the second year of News and Events. I hope you enjoy my ramblin' on as much as I enjoy tapping it out. It's become a good way for me to air my thoughts. I never know where my thoughts will take me, or where my two index fingers will walk.  Now the cool stuff. I'm writing this installment a few days before leaving once again to tour with Annie Sims. On the 11th of May I fly to Dublin to begin a month long tour opening up for Gene Pitney. We will be performing in Ireland, England, Scotland and Wales. What a kick. 

By the time that the June 2003 News and Events is posted, our tour will be almost over. After the tour ends, I'll be going to Europe. I'm sure I will have some good stories to tell. You can check out our tour schedule on Gene Pitney's web page gene-pitney.com.  Obviously, no local gigs to report. Take care of yourself.  Bob Back to Top

JULY 2003 - Hi again. Well all I can say is that the Gene Pitney tour went great.  Gene has a big following in the U K and so we played to sold out crowds.  Our part of the show went real well.  The British were really taken by Annie.  I enjoyed this tour so much.  I've always loved to travel and play good music, and so the combination of the two was unbeatable.  My wife and daughter came over after the tour and we traveled to Italy and France.  This was definitely a dream come true. I'll tell you more in detail about this tour after I settle back into life in Orlando and let this adventure sink in.

I've got a few gigs in July to tell you about.  I'll be returning to Chapters Cafe and Bookshop on Wednesday, July 16th 7:00pm to 9:00pm and Wednesday July 23rd, 6:00pm to 8:00pm to perform in concert. The cover is $5.00. It is recommended that you call for reservations. 407-246-1546. On Saturday July 19th, I'll be performing at the Yalaha Bakery from 10:00 am to 12:00 noon. They have a real good Saturday concert series.  Catch you next time. Bob Back to Top

AUGUST 2003 - Hello, bon jour, ciao, I've had a busy month getting myself back into a routine after the European tour. Eight weeks is a long time to be away. I drove a stick shift in France and so the first few days at home my foot kept feeling around for a clutch in my automatic. I had a lot to catch up on. It took me about two weeks to find a window to record the last song, "The Old Dirt Road" of my new CD. I began writing it in England as a poem, and worked on it in Italy and France, changing some of the words and adding a melody.

So now the songs are all recorded. Next step is photos, then graphics. The manufacturing takes three to four weeks. I expect to have the CD in hand by September. The CD has twelve songs, recorded as a solo performance, guitar and vocal. I titled it ONE MAN BAND.

I have a few public gigs this month:  Saturday, August 16th - White Wolf Cafe in Orlando, 6:30 to 10:30pm (407)895-5590.  Wednesday, August 20th - Chapters Bookshop and Cafe, 7:00 to 9:00pm (407)246-1546.

The last concert in July we had A full house, so please call for reservations. Talk at you next month.  Bob Back to Top

SEPTEMBER 2003 - Hello again, By the time the September News & Events is posted, I’ll have my new CD, ONE MAN BAND back from the manufacturer. I’m like a kid waiting for a birthday present. The booklet for the CD has the lyrics to the songs. This is the first of my CD’s that does have the lyrics. That’s not why I’m anxious for the release of this album. I’m anxious because--- well, I’m like a kid waiting for a birthday present. Anyway, T McComas, the very creative lady who does the graphic design for my CD’s and my web page, suggested putting the lyrics in the CD booklet. Great idea. So now we’ve decided to update my web page. We are going to put the lyrics of all my CD’s in the web page. The new CD, ONE MAN BAND will have song bytes on the web page, as do the other albums. The bio will be updated, and high resolution photos will be available on the page. Cool stuff.

My monthly concert at Chapters was quite enjoyable. The audience was great. Thank you so much for coming out to the show. Please note, Chapters will be moving at the beginning of September from College Park to Winter Park. This is an exciting move for them, as this is a larger venue in a real neat part of Winter Park. The address is 358 N. Park Ave. Please note that to get to 358 North Park Ave from Fairbanks, you must go north on Park passed Morse St. The phone number is 407 644-2880. Chapters is not sure of an opening date so my first show there will be on October the 15^th, the third Wednesday of October.

This month, I’ll be at the charming, one of a kind, White Wolf Cafe in Orlando, on Friday the 12^th and Saturday the 13^th, from 6:30 pm to l0: 30 pm. I’ll also be performing this month at the Eustis Art Festival on Saturday the 27^th from 1:00 to 3:00 pm. I’ve played this festival the last few years. It’s a good festival to come out to, very talented artists. They attract a lot of people, but it doesn’t get over crowded. Parking is not a problem. The festival sits right on the edge of a picturesque large lake.

That’s all folks. Catch up with you next month.  Bob Back to Top

OCTOBER 2003 - A big hello to you all. I’m sure you’ve noticed the new look of my web page. My thanks go to T McComas. T designed the web page and also designed the graphics for my CDs. The web page now has high resolution photos and also the lyrics of all the songs on my CDs. In a few weeks, the web page will also have a 5 minute audio interview.

My new CD, ONE MAN BAND is displayed on the page and links, as all my CDs do to www.cdbaby.com the web store that sells my CDs. Gee! How many more times can I use  “CD” in this newsletter? CDBaby now has sound clips of all the songs on my CDs, and through them, my CDs are also available on www.towerrecords.com and www.towerrecords.co.uk .  VELVET HAND and SIX STRING CHRISTMAS are also available for a fee on a few MP3 sites. Cool stuff.

Chapters Bookstore and Cafe is almost ready to open. I’ve been there to check it out. It looks great. It’s huge, two levels. The live music will be on the second floor. The address is 358 North Park Ave in Winter Park. It is located a few blocks north of Morse. I’ll be performing there on the third Wednesday, the 15th of October from 7:00 to 9:00pm. The phone number is 407 644-2880. Parking is available on the street and across from Chapters behind the old Jacobs building. The cover is $5.00.

Also this month I will be performing Thursday October 2^nd from 6:00 to 9:00pm for 1^st THURSDAY at the Orlando Art Museum. This is a huge monthly event that attracts about a thousand people and features local art. I’ll be performing there with a trio, bass player Larry Dolamore and percussionist Mike Dale. The cover is $7.00.

I’ll also be performing with Larry and Mike at the Peacock Room on Tuesday the 21^st from 10:00pm to 1:00am. No cover. The address in Orlando is 1321 N Mills Ave.

The 4^th of October, I’ll be at the Black Bear Festival in Umatilla. This is a fun festival and also educational (wildlife). My set is 12:00 to 1:00pm.

On Saturday the 11^th, I’ll be at Chamberlins Health Food Store in Dr. Phillips from 11:00am to 1:00pm.

Sunday October the 12^th, I’ll be performing at the Lake County Folk Festival in Eustis. I don’t yet know what time I’ll be on stage. This is a really cool two day event (Saturday and Sunday).

Looking ahead to November, Saturday the 1^st and Sunday the 2^nd is the Barberville Folk festival. I’m not scheduled to perform this year, but I’ll be sitting in with some friends. That’s all. Take care.   Bob  Back to Top

NOVEMBER 2003 - October was a fantastic month. The Black Bear Festival and the Lake County Folk Festival were both wonderful events.  I was scheduled to perform at them last year but had to cancel to do the British tour.  I’m so glad I was able to make it this year.  Let’s see what else. Oh yeah, Two great performances with the trio, Larry Dolamore and Mike Dale. We played for a huge monthly event at the Orlando Museum of Art, thank you Debra Stamas. We also performed at the Peacock Room, very cool place.  I did my first show at Chapters new location in Winter Park. They have a huge second floor that is used for live music. The Thornton Park area of Orlando is the home of an Espresso pizza parlor that I played at this month, called Metro Espresso. On occasion they have art showings there and always display the works of local artists. You can eat your pizza, drink your espresso and gaze at the art. I must say that the face of Orlando is changing.

The weather is also changing. At long last the endless, sizzling, humid summer is beginning to come to a close. The evenings are becoming pleasant, though the days are still hot and humid. Another few weeks and maybe I’ll be able to turn off the A C.

Well, let’s see what’s in store for November. On November 2^nd at 7:00pm, I’ll be part of a tribute to legendary political activist and protest singer, Phil Ochs. I toured with Phil in the early 70’s. The tribute is hosted by Phil’s sister, Sonny Ochs, and will include 5 or 6 artists performing some of Phil’s songs and talking about his life. The concert will be held at The 1^st Universalist Church of Orlando. The address is 1901 East Robinson Street in Orlando. For ticket information, please call (407) 645-4968.

On November 14^th,  I’ll be performing again at Metro Espresso from 6:00 to 9:00pm. The address is 417 East Central Blvd. in Orlando.

On November 15^th , I’ll be doing a concert in the City of Deland, at Dublin Station. The concert is from 7:30 to 10:00pm. Tickets are $10. For more information call (386) 747-9820.

I’ll be doing a concert at Chapters  in Winter Park on November 19^th  from 7:00 to 10:00. The cover is $5.

I’ll be returning to the Peacock Room with the trio on November 22^nd , 10:00 to 1:00am.

Lastly, I’ll be in concert at the Yalaha Bakery on November 29^th from 10:00 to 12:00 noon, performing Christmas songs from my Christmas CD, SIX STRING CHRISTMAS. Hope to see you this month.  Bob  Back to Top

DECEMBER 2003 - Once again, it’s that time of year.  My wife asked me to put up the Christmas lights around the house.  I’m sure I just took them down last week. WOW!  This year has gone by so fast.  Well, as I’ve been told, “ Life is like a roll of toilet paper, the closer you get to the end, the faster it goes.”

I’ve begun to promote the SIX STRING CHRISTMAS CD. This year it will be for sale in the Orlando area at Borders Books and Music.  It will also be available at two, year round Christmas stores; Santa & Co. and The Christmas Collection.  And, I will be selling it at my gigs and will always have some with me in my car.  Stop me if you see me and I’ll sell you a CD right out of the trunk.

I’ll be doing a radio interview today on the Ron Seggi show to promote the CD.  The interview will air nationally soon on AM radio.  SIX STRING CHRISTMAS was also reviewed on a web magazine called www.christmasreviews.com.  Check it out.

WMMO radio here in Orlando will soon be playing the CD for the holidays and has begun playing my new CD, ONE MAN BAND on Jerry Steffen’s Sunday Morning Acoustic show.  Thank you Jerry.

I’ve been hearing some good words from folks out there who have heard the new CD. You can sample sound clips of ONE MAN BAND and all of my CDs here on my web page.  Click on “music.”  Also, check out my radio interview with Fred Migliori by clicking on “interview.”

Most of the gigs I have in December are private parties.  I have two public performances. On Wednesday, December 3^rd, I’ll be performing in Tampa at Jimmy Mac’s, starting at 7:30pm. The cover is $7.00.  Call 813 839-3449 for directions.

On Saturday, December 13^th, at 7:00pm, I’ll be doing a house concert in Orlando. The cover is $5.00. For info, call 321 264 0678.  Well, that’s it. Have a happy Hanukkah, merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year.  Bob Back to Top