"You.....you make playing fun!!"
- Apr 11, 2025
- 4 min read
Updated: Jun 4, 2025
You all make playing so much fun!! If it wasn't for "you" we might as well play in our garage or basement!
And because you are such great people, the club owners and staff love you too. You guys are respectful, congenial, thirsty, hungry and love to dance!
When all the stars are aligned like that, good karma spills over and we get asked back again and again.
We began 2025 in March at the Stark Brewery in downtown Manchester, which is our most regular gig, despite Peter's apparent aloofness (ha, ha), but not so the staff and manager extraordinaire, Freddy.
Here are some of the smiling faces we love to see that came to the Stark that Saturday.
Graham and Neil Allyson and friends Heather Alan and friends Zen and Stevie Mr. & Mrs. Mahon Zen and John Murph and Deb
As usual, we heard stories of coming to the La Cantina/O'Donnells shows way back when and how much fun it was. Neil, who came to shows from the very beginning, met up here with his nephew, Graham, who now loves to come. Alan and his crowd came and harassed Bill about his attire, ha, ha (he has his standard outfit!). We met Heather, who found us online and finally came to see us play and she came solo! My camera settings weren't quite right that night, so forgive me for a little blurriness, but the photo of Zen and Stevie is the only one we have of Stevie. Allyson and her group were also a mixture of older and newer friends. We were also honored with the first appearance of the newly married couple, Marty and Lucy, at one of our gigs as well as the regulars, Murph and Deb.
We chose some songs for that night which included a couple as tributes to the friends who recently passed away, Rob and Charlie's cousin Pete. It was so special that Allyson, Rob's daughter, was there. She took guitar lessons from John and played with Lichen at Penuche's for a few songs one night. Rob said he was so proud of her. He was a great, long-time friend with a big personality and John always says Rob would say "You know I love you Man".
Bill and Rob Charlie and Rob Rob and John
Here is the setlist from that night:
1st set - acoustic
Sugar Mountain
1980 - Steve Cook original
Masterpiece
Back on the Chain Gang
One More Cup of Coffee
Before You Accuse Me
Love the One You're With
Riding in my Car
Big River
2nd set
Cleaning Windows
Cortez the Killer
Get Back
How Sweet It Is
I Will Not Be Denied
He's Gone>
Jack Straw
(for Rob and Pete)
3rd set
The Blues is my Business
Hold On, I'm Coming
Brown-eyed Women
There Are Times - Diane Zevos original
Southern Man
Revolution 1
Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting
When we head outside in the nice weather we'll have some very interesting artwork to enjoy on the trusses of the Bridge Street Bridge!
Another thing that happens besides being hired back, is being offered gigs at another venue of the owners that turns out to be so much fun! That was the case with the Auburn Pitts (photo leading off blog is from there), which led us to the outdoor gigs at The Barnyard in Candia. What a great place....fresh air, good music, good food and drinks, and good atmosphere!
One of the gigs at the Barnyard was on June 2nd and was attended by the family of another one of our friends who had just recently passed away......Sonny. The love of Sonny brought us together and we all posed for a "peaceful" photo. During the show Charlie talked about how Sonny honored our band by tattooing some of the melody notes from 3 of our originals on himself. He was such a special guy!
Sonny's family and Lichen Fred and friend Sonny
I'd like to mention a poignant moment that I had upon scrolling back on the fb Lichen group page to see Sonny's tribute posts and finding this collage made by Rob for Sonny.......and so shortly after......Rob passed.
We have a couple of gigs booked for the Barnyard this year. Keep informed of Lichen's upcoming dates at lichen.net. Come on down to the next Barnyard gigs, see below a sample of the friendly faces to meet up with and share some music together.
Remembering a few more friends who have passed and I just obtained their photos, Mike and Jim. Mike actually hired us to play at his house once. Jim and Dusty are long-time friends that in their later years would keep in touch by getting together at a Lichen show........sweet memories.
Mike in background Jim Jim, Dusty and friend Jim
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