It Could Happen To You

It can happen to the best of us. 165 blog posts. Probably a thousand emails sent to band members. One group email list for the blog. One group email list for the band. One line apart in the email address book.

And everyone always got the right communication. Until this week. One 'mis-click' of the finger and the people who subscribe to the blog by email got the email about band practice with a reminder to bring their music stands.

The majority just ignored the goof. But there were others who responded. Those responses varied from the sympathetic, "So glad to know I'm not the only one who's done this" to the sassy, "I'd come but I don't think I can be there on time coming from Canada" and "Shouldn't you have told me I was in the band?" to the cute, "We were going to come but LK doesn't have a music stand."

Might have been fun if someone had actually shown up, ukulele in hand. We could have shared music stands.


It Could Happen To You, Johnny Burke & Jimmy Van Heusen, 1944

Happy Talk

After the program for the First Presbyterian Church PEP club, audience members (which included members of First Baptist Church, too) gathered around the Yesterukes to say how much they had enjoyed the music. We heard again and again, "I knew every one of those songs!" We knew that because they all sang along with us. It was an especially good audience.

As the room began to clear, one band member said a lady had just told her, "Your group is just so professional." And the Yesteruke player looked at the rest of us and added, "Well, that's the first time we've been accused of that!"

By the time we got home, this email had arrived...

Please pass along our thanks to all the Yesterukes for coming to be with us today! Everybody just loved every minute of it; you all are quite talented, and you make it such fun.

And these good folks made it fun for us, too.



Happy Talk, Rogers & Hammerstein, 1949

The Sound Of Silence

It has never happened before. Setting up the sound equipment for a program is a chore but it's just part of the gig. But this time after hooking up all of the cords and plugs and cables, there was no sound coming from a couple of mics and the single plugged-in uke. We had just used it all last week so we were pretty certain the equipment itself was okay.

It more likely had something to do with the spaghetti-like pile of cords piled at the bottom of the main mic. Something was not hooked up right. But finding the problem when you're watching the clock tick down until it's time to start is nerve-wracking. 

Thankfully Simpsonville First Baptist Church has an audio-visual professional on staff who happened to be in the event space. And the Yesterukes' own sound pro got there just before it was time to start. And because they were there, it was all untangled and corrected and the show went on without a hitch. 

After the music (and a standing ovation) so many people came up to tell us how much they had enjoyed the music. One lady told us, "You all are wonderful. We've never had anything like this for a program before." That would be because there is nothing like the Yesterukes! So glad they enjoyed us and have already booked up for next year.

And there is great hope that next time, we will be ready, diagram in hand now, to get it all done right. The first time.

The Sound Of Silence, Simon & Garfunkel, 1964

On The Road Again

The Yesterukes are back! After a very long summer break, we hit the road again bringing songs and memories to the good folks at Fairview Baptist Church. We had new songs in our set list and some new equipment to make things run smoother. Thank goodness there was at least one Yesteruke who knew how to hook all of this up!

And once again, we were well fed. 

The group here numbered over 100, including one beautiful lady who was celebrating her 95th birthday.

The Yesterukes sounded as good as ever, receiving a standing ovation and a request to return another time.

The Yesterukes trade in music and memories. Last night as we were packing up after the program a lady came up to talk to us. She said she had listened carefully as we were singing one of our standard songs, Sixteen Tons. She grew up in W. Virginia where her father was a coal miner. She told us, "As I sat and listened to this song, I thought....they could be singing about my dad. Pretty much every word of that song was true for him." Powerful memories.



On The Road Again, Willie Nelson, 1980

Sitting On Top Of The World

Technically Prince Edward Island, Canada isn't all the way at the top of the world, but when you start out from South Carolina it's pretty darn close. For a few years the Yesterukes have been online friends with SMUG (Saturday Morning Ukulele Group) and the leader of the Yesterukes decided it was time to go meet the leader of SMUG--a ukulele summit.

David, who directs SMUG, arranged a day for everyone to get together to visit, play music and share a meal. For Dianne, who directs the Yesterukes, it felt much like being at home with her own group. We hope it won't be the last visit. SMUG members, please know you are always welcome here down South.

Sitting On Top Of The World, Mississippi Sheiks, 1930

The More We Get Together

Finally. It was time to get back together after summer break. As much as we need a good break, it felt good to be back with friends. Visiting. Eating. (You know us...there's usually food.) Talking. Playing. Talking. Singing. More talking.

The photos tell it best.

 And yes, we really did practice a little...

The More We Get Together, traditional children's song

Feeling Good

The Yesterukes are on vacation. But that doesn't stop people from contacting us for performances (which we love) or stop them from sending us things they think we will enjoy. Today's email included one with a link to this video and said, "You can share this with the Ukesters."

We've played programs in many, many retirement communities but never have we encountered one like this! Love the sense of humor these folks have. It's too good not to share with you! The video has been up for four days and has had over a quarter of a million views.  (Warning: no ukulele content. Just good fun.)

Feeling Good, Anthony Newly & Leslie Briscusse, 1965 
(This version recorded by Michael Buble, 2005)