the bog log

      Bog Thistle, in its present form, is the latest manifestation of an ancient musical tradition dating back to 2001.  Back then; when the Internet was still in its infancy and cell phones were just starting to outsell ham radios, Scott and I were having our first jams in his family’s garage.  I blew harmonica and sang, Scott played the 12 bar blues on guitar.  Over the coming years, the Conroy garage would host many of the long, aimless jams that define the evolution of Bog Thistle.  From its earliest form as a guitar-harmonica blues, the band has developed into an internationally recognized symphonic-electric rock orchestra, boasting laser shows, fireworks, and an army of synchronized backup dancers.
      Heh, heh.  No, though we have picked up several new instruments and added a few pages to the song list, Bog Thistle is nothing but a new name for the same old duo: Scott and Dylan, playing and singing.  Aside from harmonica, I currently switch around between banjo, guitar, and the Horst Resonator (unofficially known as the Chinese Banjo).  Scott has been studying music and teaching guitar lessons, as well as picking mandolin on the sly.
      The band’s progression has not been constant and predictable, however.  An unforeseen event in the fall of 2006 created the trajectory which set the current form of Bog Thistle its inevitable destination.  What happened was this: my good friend’s great-grandmother had fallen and been badly injured.  Scott and I were planning to hold another concert in the awesome, empty venue of his garage that afternoon, when we realized that her hospital stay could be made more pleasant by our ragtag practice set.  We arrived at the hospital, ready to play a few simple songs and head home.  When we asked to see her, we were told, sadly, that she had passed away just that morning.
      Our mission had been made clear.  That afternoon, we contacted a local care home, took our guitars to Los Osos, and played our first concert for several old ladies.  We were pumped.  Not only had we found a use for our practice time, but we were bringing some good live music to people who really enjoyed it.  That was all we needed to get us going.  The first show set the course on which we now find ourselves, and it could easily be proved that this summer’s tour has been in the works ever since.
      For the last two years we have played dozens of shows for retirement, care, and nursing homes.  Those old folks, and the staff members, have been the perfect audience to encourage our musical evolution.  We made a 103 year old woman, who wouldn't’t respond to the nurse yelling “Good Morning!” in her ear, tap her foot to an old mountain tune.  Does it get any better?
      So, my band history is coming close to the present.  Alright, so we’re playing all sorts of instruments now and tons of songs and we have loads of equipment and stuff – though we’re still strictly acoustic.  For a while, I have joked about the absurd possibility of a retirement home tour.  With all the practice we have, booking shows and pumping up old folks, I figured it wasn't’t inconceivable that we’d be able to gets shows around the state, or even around the country.  (Oh, as a funny side note, we once called a retirement home in San Luis and asked if we could come and play a volunteer show.  The activities director was skeptical.  She said we would have to come and “audition”.  Did you get that—she wanted us to audition to prove that we were worthy of giving a FREE concert!  So, we though, whatever.  We had already played numerous shows, encores, and stoked hundreds of old people.  Anyway, we get to this retirement home and the activities director makes us play a few songs just for her and her henchmen.  And you know what? – that woman rejected us!  She denied the old folks a free concert because she didn't’t like us.  Now, of course, I think that’s hilarious.)
Oh, man, what was I talking about?  Ah, the tour.