Tommy Patten

We held a CD Release Party for The 99th Monkey and the double CD, Two Flavor, One Cone (Beneath a Simple Sky and Zero to Sixty in Fifty Nine Years) on July 7, 2018.

The weather could not have been better as we gathered in the Watsontown Park. I sang about 20 songs from the three CDs, two new, unrecorded songs, and one of my favorites from Chuck Berry. I also blasted through “Boots on the Ground in the Battleground States.” John Sweeney joined me for This Time, and then he sang and played BeansAre Fine and Please Send Me Someone to Love.

Kimbo Reichley, Joey DeCristopher, John, and I played six of my songs together (unrehearsed, without a drummer). KJ Reimensnyder-Wagner and Kimbo sang harmony with me on These Fields, and KJ sang us a James Taylor song. Kimbo sang two of his best (meaning, great) songs, Faith, and Dog Days.

I don’t know exactly how many folks were there. We had many friends from New York and New England and loads of great folks from our area. The quality of the pot luck picnic food was, to say the least, fantastic. Central PA has always had the highest possible quality of pot luck meals. And the sunset over the Susquehanna washed the entire event in warm summer light.

I would like to thanks the musicians, of course. Kimbo, Joey, John, and KJ.

My brother Kit and his son Zak were along, carrying stuff and keeping things from getting TOO serious. Suzanne Murphy and Yvonne Erikson Dryden pitched in, helping set up the canopy, my son Penn manned the  ‘Merch  Table’ (I never thought I’d use that word . . . if it is a word) and applied his math skills and winning grin to selling more than a few CDs.

Joey and Kimbo and John all brought components of the PA (mostly Joey) and put their knowledge of these matters to good use. We didn’t want to get too loud, but one or two hefty Mercuries on passing boats could have been trouble. We were spared.

Thank you Linda, for taking care of Helen for the entire evening (that’s a long shift), and thank you, Anna, for doing everything else at home.

Sadly our chief percussionist, Steve Mitchell, was suffering a run of nasty health, and couldn’t be there. Steve, we’re rootin’ fer ya, full tilt.

And, of course, I want to thank Kate for her patience, hospitality, and support throughout. (She also punctuated the preceding sentence for me.)

So far the feedback has been uplifting (let’s keep it that way, please!) with folks weighing in from all quarters. And I’m delighted to say that there were people there that I met for the first time. The older I get, the less frequently that happens!

Thank you, thank you, one and all for making the whole shebang memorable and fun. We’ll have to do it again sometime!