Thursday, May 26th, 2005
KKUP Radio Cupertino, CA
Daphna won "Best Song" at the West Coast
Songwriter's Association South Bay open mic, and was subsequently invited to
perform a set on "Moonlight Trails", Jackie Loken's Thursday night radio
show. Decided to make the event into a Rahmil & Barley radio debut!
Bruce had been sick for over two weeks now, but he was willing to humor
Daphna
anyway and actually sing on the radio. Somehow he decided at the last minute
that he wanted lemon water. Have you ever squeezed a big slice of lemon into
a small water bottle? While riding in a car?? Daphna wound up making a
complete mess on the way to the radio station, but luckily lemon juice does
not leave stains. David Gunn and Valerie were already there, sounding really
good with their bass player, and after a little of Bruce's Tai-Chi, which he
did in the back room, we were ready to go on. The songs went without a
hitch. The radio station got a nice pledge from a caller in the middle of
our set, and it turns out that it was Daphna's husband, Senya, lending his
support! What a a guy.
Friday
April 29th, 2005, Purple Onion, San Francisco, CA
When we first heard “Purple Onion” we immediately thought of all
the famous stars that had performed on the same stage we would soon be
standing on: Mort Sahl, Robin Williams, the Smothers Brothers, to name just
a few. And now, we were being invited to showcase a short set on Friday
night “Live at the Purple Onion” open mic, as a “Rising Star. Most folks
come there to sing cabaret style, and are fortunate to be accompanied by a
really good pianist, such as Barry Lloyd, who was there that night.
The Room is down a steep stairway into the basement. Inside, the stage is
surrounded by a layered circle of tables, cozy candlelight, and Victorian
wall sconces. Wow! We were nervous, and had some problems with the audio,
and cables, and stage space. But Lua Hadar and Linda Kosut, known together
as the fantastically entertaining cabaret ladies, “The Kitchenettes”,
welcomed us warmly and gave us an enthusiastic introduction, and we were on!
We had a good reception from the audience. Daphna’s original song “This Old
Ship” and “Back To Lonely” showed their legs again, and won over the crowd!
An elderly lady named Maria, who sang an amazing rendition of Vodka, was quite
taken with the addition of Bruce Barley to the Daphna Rahmil act (of which
she was already a fan), and loved the way he charmed the audience.
Bruce decided he needs to put on his tuxedo and come back to the Purple
Onion without his bass or guitar- just to sing a few songs with Barry Lloyd
at the piano. We’ll let you know all about it after he does it!
Today was our real debut! We appeared on a split bill with “Guys With Guitars” at the inaugural summer concert at Vasona Lake Park. This summer concert series draws large crowds and takes place at a shaded stage. Beautiful setting and friendly audience. Things went swimmingly until Bruce crushed a tambourine mid-song with his foot! Daphna cracked up about it right on stage and could not continue singing the song. And then, in a touching English ballad, we tried to play in the keys of Db and D at the same time-not a good idea. It stopped us cold, until Bruce realized he had his capo on the wrong fret. (“I hate when that happens,” says Bruce.)
Click to enlarge
Picture an intimate, rustic room with exposed beam ceiling, and double doors opening onto a balcony, and you have Blue Rock Shoot, a delightful venue in downtown Saratoga. We sold out the house, and packed the place with our fans. The tiny stage was just big enough to hold us and our instruments, and everyone had a good time. The sing-alongs went especially well. Thank you to all! But we can’t overlook the touching moments. Several in the audience cried at Daphna’s rendition of “Flying”, a coming of age song about her son.
First time out with our new PA set up! The sound was clear and balanced, and with the helpful audience, we got the sound mix just right. A bit of noise came off the street, especially the busses, and that darned train, distracting Daphna so much that she began to wonder out loud what the couple in her song “ Love All Over Again” were about to do next in order to find their love. She finally figured it out and Bruce was able to stop his calm and expert vamping. We particularly liked the people passing by stopping, smiling, and coming in to hear the show. Great audience participation on “Same Old Blues” and “Tumbalalaika”. So nice to have our audience sing with us, especially when they are well-versed in Yiddish. We love you all! Daphna, though not being in a particularly flirtatious mood, was nevertheless coaxed into singing her “signature” song “The Hots for Me”, after getting several requests for this saucy original tune. You go, girl!
Bruce played the bass quite humbly throughout the song, sitting very still in his chair.
After the performance, some very impressed and happy ladies eagerly asked Mr. Barley if he was a professional musician, at which point we realized that he may have been, except that we forgot to put out the tip jar…The kind and lovely Kathryn Yates, our friend and fan helped us get all the gear out of the shop just before they closed. Thanks, dear!
We set up under a canopy right in the center of this old-time farmer’s market, where farmers truly sell off the back of their pickups, parked back to back. The day turned nice, and we filled the market with our blend of originals and popular songs. Daphna did a short set of children’s songs, which had the entire stroller crowd parked right in front and dancing and clapping. We loved the opportunity to put smiles on new faces. The elderly lady who walked up and said “At last, real music!” made our day.
A full-on concert at a well-known venue, Espresso Garden Café. We were graciously asked by Fiddling Cricket to do a half hour set opening for Jan Smith, a nationally touring singer/songwriter. Wow! All new faces in the full-house audience, and we were roundly applauded for our efforts. Turns out that Daphna’s “Hot Tamborine Babe” transition in the song “Sweet Melissa” caught the attention of one fan who felt compelled to single her out and tell her “You ARE a hot tambourine babe,” much to Daphna’s embarrassment.
Today we played outdoors for a private party, under a shady canopy, with walls made of plastic island scenery. Just like a beach bungalow in Hawaii! We had some issues with the equipment, but thank goodness we could solve the grounding problem! When we got it straightened out, all was well. We played a one set show of our best songs, and the crowd got what they wanted. Bruce even got to eat one fast lunch and one slow one, including a chocolate cup with lemon cream and a blueberry on top. "I saw that blueberry and just knew it was a healthy dessert", he later explained. Thank you to all the volunteer roadies who made the load in and load out go so smoothly, and rather quickly as well.
Friday September 16th,
2005, Blue Rock Shoot, Saratoga, CA
We all cracked up at the screech of sirens from fire trucks racing down the
Saratoga street, right in the middle of Daphna’s rendition of “The Hots for
Me.” It couldn’t have been planned any better! Tonight’s performance to an
appreciative audience of new fans (and some long-time fans) went well,
including several brand new songs. Bruce melted a few hearts with his solo
performance of “Keep Me in Your Heart for a While.” We had two surprise
guest appearances: Daddy’O Dave from Folk-in-A played bass and Mari Duncan
from Good Trouble played her flute. These two wonderful musicians and
friends filled out our sound and created new, moving dimensions for our fans
to enjoy. Thank you!