Featured In Local Magazine

Last night while performing at the Lil' Briar Patch (had a great time too guys) I learned something from Robyn Godfrey. While they were closing up and paying me and catching up on things she mentioned a table of of folks who had cut out the "article" they'd read, wrote the date I'd be at BP and brought it with them last night. So I said, "What article"? And proceeded to learn that Andy Fenn, of Forsyth Woman Magazine, had featured me in the Local Vocals section of Forsyth Woman Magazine. Well, that was cool to learn. Anyway Robyn and Janice proceeded to go on and on about how "famous" I was and how much they kept hearing about it. Really cool, so last night I found the article on page 112 at this link.

Here's a copy of the page:

 

 

Great day yesterday... two shows

Yesterday started off with a "something you don't see every day siting"... a dog riding on a Harley. :-) Lynn and I were traveling to my first show of the day at Elkin's Reevestock Music Festival. It was great to see old fans and friends there but really great to make new ones. One of these new fans, John, also worked with the homeless in Knoxville. John it was good to share tales and stories with you and I look forward to seeing you in Knoxville soon.

My set was on the hillside stage. For the first time in what seems like forever, I did an entire show of just, as my buddy Michael McCloud in Key West would say, my songs. Performing your songs or any song is kind of like entering a beauty contest. When you do other folks' songs you know they're great songs and you know listeners like them. The only variable is how well you play them or how much you suck playing them. Doing an all-original show adds two more variables to the show... are the songs actually good too? It also adds an "unfamiliar song" variable for most of the audience. Several of my regular fans and friends were there yesterday and it was cool to see them singing along to some of my regularly played songs. But yesterday was the first time I've played out songs like "I Like the Rain", "Duct Tape Is Silver" and "Living My Life". Luckily for me the songs were very well received as was the performance. Whew... Those of you who see me often will notice something missing in yesterday's festival performance... my full set of drums.

The word Hillside Stage scared me when it came to rolling up on stage so I reverted back to my cajon drum and Pork Pie Snare combination. Turned out we could have easily rolled onto the stage. Oh well, it felt great to get back to my roots and the more simple setup allowed me to experiment a little. You'll also notice my buddy Jonathon Byrd's old 339 blue guitar that is now one of my favorites. Both shows yesterday were played with no acoustic guitar at all, another first for me for sure. But I loved it. So for the festival I played the 339 straight into my old reworked Crate Club 20 tube amp and it was killer.

 

This festival was a little different than others I've played for. There were multiple levels of seats and seating. Here's a shot of those who had a very close and intimate concert yesterday while those sitting on the hills and below got more of a festival view. I loved it, because seeing how folks react to my songs helps me perform better and helps me know which songs are really good songs. Thanks to everyone who came out yesterday to see me play. Also thanks to those of you who had never seen the crazy 1-man 5-piece-band show. The smiles and pointing and "are you seeing what I'm seeing" was cool to see and hear.

After finishing my set at the festival and signing a few autographs and CDs it was back in the car to head to Lake Norman for a private party. I'm very confident this internet thing is going to catch on. Last night's show was booked from Hawaii earlier in the year. If was a 60th birthday party with 40-50 family friends there celebrating a really cool guy's big birthday. So remember how I said getting to the Hillside Stage scared me. Well this one should have really scared me, but Lynn and I got the cart out of the car and started down a 100 yard really steep hill that ended up in the lake, which is what I was afraid was where my equipment would end up. But, luckily it did not and ended up on their dock which served as my stage for the show. When I finished my sound check the family started bring out lawn chairs and blankets and lined the hillside to listen to the music in what was more like a festival environment than the festival I'd just left. huh? It didn't take long for those who love to dance to head up on the make-shift dance floor on the dock. That grew and grew during the night until I honestly started wondering if the dock would hold all that weight and wondering if my insurance would pay for my equipment landing in the lake when the dock collapsed. Good thing it did not. It was rocking and rolling but that just helped us have a great time. As James McMurtry says, most of the best times of having fun happen when you're moving.

 

 

My Grandfather Loved Phil Mickelson...

My late grandfather, Mr. C J "Tebo" Poteat loved the game and sport of golf. He especially loved Phil Mickelson. It makes me happy to know someone he admired so much is such a great person and had such a great win at the British Open yesterday. I know my grandfather would be pumping his fist and laughing over this one. He would have taped it on VCR (no DVR for him) and watched it commercial free way before it was cool to do that. One other thing he would have done would have been to skip every shot of Tiger Woods. He admired his skill but I can't tell you how many times he said it wasn't fair to all the other golfers who are pros as well for them to just follow Tiger around. I loved and adored my grandfather "Poppa" and it made me smile yesterday to see the scene at the Open.

Here's the article I just read: Phil Wins British Open

 

Great Time at Benders Tavern in Pfafftown Last Night!

 

When you make music for a living it's great to have cool places play that love to have you play that you love. Benders is one of those places. You'd never know it looking at the outside... just a simple brick house on Highway 67 converted to a Bar/Tavern. But inside it screams local bar. Full of folks who know your name and like being around you. Last night was really something. Tons of fans... and I mean fans. They were applauding from the end of the first song until the 3rd encore. Many times a bar gig is just music over top of the noise... but not last night. It was as the owner said, a full fledged by-God concert. What an honor. I received 4 requests for songs last night and every single one of them was for one of my original tunes. After the last encore I ended up standing up there signing CDs for another 30 minutes... but what a rush and ego booster. Wow! I smelled like smoke when I was driving home and I was wore out... I played for 3 1/2 hours without even a pause between songs... but I was content. Nights like last night are the "music crack" that musicians live for. Thanks guys. Can't wait to see you again soon.

 

Check Out www.OwenPoteat.com

4th of July Concert 2 Weeks Late... but a blast!

Tonight I was honored to provide the music for Morganton, NC's Independence Day Celebration Concert and Fireworks. It's always cool to be on a big stage in from of a sea of people... most of them looking at me like, what the crap :-)... Thanks to Gary and the great folks at Morganton Recreation Department for making me part of this. By the way, I spent a lot of my childhood at the Rec center there. Drew and I used to play tennis 8-10 hours a day during summer and I played in all the basketball leagues and pickup games. Plus I coached little league there one summer and we won the championship... still smile thinking about that. Anyway... rambling on. Glad they were able to finally get the fireworks show and concert in. It rained it out 3 times but they just kept trying. Way to go!

 

Check Out www.OwenPoteat.com

Sad seeing homeless friend tonight...

Tonight Lynn and I met up with our old friend, Michael "Pegleg" Johnson. We met Mike last year while performing on the boardwalk in Myrtle Beach. When we first got here last year he was lucid, sharp and funny. Over the summer his drinking and anger seemed to get progressively worse. The day we left for the year was sad. Mike actually got really mad and caused a big scene. My CD, Someday I'll Be the Man Again, has 11 songs written about homeless friends of mine. Here's the link to listen to the song Pegleg Mike.

Also pictured in this photo is our friend Ray. Last year we thought Ray was a homeless fisherman from NC's OBX. As it turns out, he was a fugitive on the run from the NC court system. Ray was one of the most likable guys we'd ever met, but we didn't get to see him tonight because he was arrested arraigned and is now serving 20 years in prison. Maybe we made a difference last summer, but it looks more and more like we just made a small dent in the lives of our friends. Here's the song I wrote about Ray... It's called Malt Liquor and Cheap Tobacco

 

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Perfect Time Tonight Wedding and Cocktail Hour

Tonight I was part of Kyle and Meggan Short's wedding and cocktail hour. It was hectic because it was in two locations and both uptown Charlotte with Friday 5:00 traffic. I got setup easily at Byron's South Side for the cocktail hour. Even though I had to lift the cart up a few steps by myself... Lynn was working at Merlefest. I left in what I thought was enough time to get to the First Methodist Church on 9th Street. Not! Bumper to bumper traffic... but I made it. Barely. I did my sound check and the organist, Don, startedOwen Poteat's BLOGletting these pipes above my guitar loose... and I mean loose! Man, they sounded awesome... deep, deep and loud... just like I like it. My part of this wedding was easy. I played and sang, "When I Say I Do" by Matthew West. I don't toot my own horn, but wow it was a breathtaking experience. That church has one of the best acoustics I've ever heard, period.

So once they said I do, I ducked out the back door of the church and scooted back to Byron's South Side to provide the music for the cocktail hour. It was an outdoor, patio, event and I played the full setup with drums and all. I started out with Cry Lonely and kept it low key until Born On a Bayou and ended with Phillip Phillips' "Home". Thank you Kyle and Meggan for choosing me for your music. On a side note, I really missed my wife tonight. We are a great team and when she's not there when I perform I realize all she actually does. She sure does much more now that she ever has and I missed her being there. Here's a link to the song I sang in the wedding:

Listen To Song Here

 

 

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Our local music stores need our help and support

Today I helped my friend, Jonathan Byrd, setup his booth at this year's Merlefest. His booth is surrounded by national big guitar vendors, with Fender all the way down one wall and Taylor right across the aisle. If you are going to Merlefest this year and you are going to buy a guitar, please support my buddy and buy your guitar from a well deserving local businessman at The Vintage Corner. Without our local owned businesses our world would be different... way too different. Good luck this weekend my friend.

 

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Great, fun show at West Wind Farm Winery in VA

I love playing at wineries and vineyards. The crowds are always so cool and attentive. I always joke that they've had the tastings and had wine with their meal... I actually start to sound pretty good and even start to look good later in the show.

The views traveling up by the New River are just spectacular. Their vineyard/winery used to be a family farm and the owner bought it from family and changed it from a working farm to a working vineyard and winery. Their story is awesome and if you get a chance you should check them out. Maybe even on June 1st... yeah that would be a good idea for sure.

Thanks for reading. Here are a few pictures from the show Saturday. Hope to see many of you again on June 1st.

 

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Wedding Weekend... two worlds are so different

My two worlds of music are so different. Rowdy concerts and street shows and formal wedding events. But, maybe they're more the same that I think. The advantage of playing 250+ shows per year is how prepared I am to perform. I can tell a big difference now in my musical performances. Like those who were are The Briar Patch last night can attest, I still screw up announcing the songs, but once the first note starts, I'm ready to go. When it all comes down to it, the music is the same, no matter what the event is. Maybe the song selections are a little different but I love playing everything on my list so I'm happy to just perform for a living.

It's time to hit the road for a 4 hour drive to the western mountains of NC. Tonight I'll be dressing up a little more and doing my best to make a rehearsal dinner party in the Highlands, NC a fun event for everyone. The groom has said they are all really pumped up for a party and to expect to stay hours later than planned. Sounds great to me! Then tomorrow I'll be dressing up a lot more... I'm back at one of my favorite wedding venues, The Esmeralda Inn in Lake Lure, NC for a wedding ceremony and reception.

So I'm sitting here thinking... my two worlds of music are different, but they are more alike than I would have believed. People just want to have fun and hear a good, unique, polished performance. Wish I could go POOF! and be in the Highlands right now, but since I can't it's time to put in a little road time.

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My Florida Snowbird Adventures Winter 2013

We have now been in the warm southwest Florida area for 3 months. We came to here to one, escape the cold in the mountains of NC and two, perform at many of the places where folks flock to escape the cold. Kind of the best of both worlds. Things are typically slow for me during the winter months so this year we decided, what the heck, let's try it.

So where have I performed for the last 3 months? January and February were spent beside the beautiful white beaches of Clearwater Beach as part of the Clearwater Beach Sunset Festival. Each night, I took my spot on the beach walk and serenaded those who began to gather each night to celebrate one of the best sunsets in the world to my music. It became a regular thing to do for many of the locals and those staying for a while. A few of the highlights for me included being interviewed by USAToday and appearing in one of their articles and meeting my buddy, Chase.

I first met him and his parents in January.Chase is 2 1/2 years old and has Down Syndrome. We fell in love with each other immediately and I found myself looking forward to seeing him running down the beach walk and standing laughing and clapping. I will miss the sunsets at Clearwater Beach but most of all I will miss my pal, Chase. In two months I never saw him when he was not smiling and happy. He has the attention span of a 2 year old and his mom spent a lot of the time chasing him in all directions... turns out he is appropriately named. Later I learned I could take a spot closer to the lifeguard building and he would be safer while visiting me... so that's where I'd set up. Lynn would stand guard over one exit and his mom the other one. His parents have taught him that if he does something good they clap... so Chase does the same. I found myself stopping in the middle of a song to clap and laugh with him. All you ever want with your music is for it to connect to folks and mean something to them. It meant a lot to Chase but Chase meant more to me. I will miss my little buddy for sure.

Around February I hooked up with the largest fresh market on the east coast, the St Petersburg Saturday Morning Fresh Market. So each Saturday I'd start singing at 9:00am until 2:00. I met so many fans and friends there and thanks to so many buying CDs my music is traveling all over the world now. I enjoyed the market scene so much Lynn and I started looking for other similar opportunities. Next came the Gulfport Tuesday Fresh Market and that led to the Gulfport Friday and Monday Art Walk, which led to the Coquina Beach Sunday Fresh Market. It happens I guess but we came here to do one thing and ended up doing something totally different. After a few weeks we found there just wasn't time to drive to Clearwater Beach everyday, so we moved to St Petersburg and made that area our home base. I made so many friends and fans at these markets and had a blast performing so much. I especially enjoyed the friendship Lynn and I created with Worden Farm, a huge organic farm in Florida. Each week they would bring over a bushel of great organic veggies that fed us almost all week. I will miss them and their really good food.

Being on the bayou in St Pete opened up the opportunity to do something else I love, fish! So after purchasing a kayak from one of the local shops I started going out everyday to try my luck at inshore Florida fishing. Here's one of the many redfish I caught. My biggest was a huge snook, pulled from the bayou not more than 200 yards from our back yard.

We also found that we, including Jake our dog, loved Fort Desoto. Here's a picture of me paddling out into the Gulf do catch a few Spanish Mackerel... yes, I said Holy Mackerel several times that day. This county park on the Gulf of Mexico is one those pristine places where you just find yourself catching your breath from the sheer beauty of what you're seeing.

We loved our time in Florida and unless plans change, which plans often do, we plan to come back again next winter. With just 2 more shows in Florida, we leave for home on Sunday morning. We miss our friends and family back in the mountains... especially our little granddaughter Carrie. Plus thanks to Heather and Joseph, we will be grandparents again in August... so another sweet grandchild may influence how much we can stand to be away from home. I have to say playing almost everyday of the week has helped me perfect what music is to me, it's allowed Lynn and I to experience the paradise that is southwestern Florida and brought us even closer together... and, it's made me realize how very, very fortunate we are and how very much we miss being home. To say life is good would be an understatement and I owe a debt of gratitude to everyone who booked me for so many shows, everyone who generously tipped, everyone who bought so many CDs and my wife, who is my loving partner in all this. Without you we could not have done this and we are extremely humbled and grateful.

Cleaning My Harps Is a Pain

One of the bad things about playing out so much is how often I have to clean my harps. A harp friend of mine suggested I use this to clean them regularly and then take them apart once per month. I tried it today. You would not believe the stuff that came out, plus it leaves a minty smell and reminds me of my late grandfather. Has anyone else tried this?

 

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Our cat, Bo, loves her personal windshield saunaa

This time next week Lynn, Jake, Bo and I will be on the road to home in NC after being away for the last 3 months. It will be sad to leave the paradise that is southwestern Florida but as Dorothy said, there's no place like home. Can't wait for so many reasons. But, Bo,the cat who hated the motorhome, loves her private sunning windshield so she may be mad for a while. See you next week NC.

 

 

 

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How far would you drive for family?

How far would you drive for family? My uncle was in Orlando for vacation this week from Miami with his sweetie, Marion Dillingham Hanks. Even though it was 3 hours out of the way, they came through St Pete today on the way to Miami to see us again, even though we saw them Friday night, Tuesday and again on Wednesday. I'm pretty sure I get my sense of humor from my uncle too :-) I can only hope I have his sense of importance of family too. Marion and Steve we miss you already.

 

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Missing My Granddaughter

It's been nearly 3 months since I've gotten a hug from my sweet little granddaughter, Carrie. I was missing her this morning so I thought I'd listen to this song. She helps me to sing the chorus at the end of the song. Mari I sure miss my Carrie. Just 12 more days now sweetheart. :-) There's no place like home!

https://soundcloud.com/owenpoteat/pressure-on-the-man

 

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