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THIS IS A POST ON "CONCERT CRAZIES" from December 05, 2005 Monday, December 05, 2005 Boxdrummer is Back and Bad at the Beach Shack WHEW!...so..12/4/05 Ben Prestage (unannounced) was playing the Beach Shack w/his old time harp player Dave Hawkins. He gets a call...."come to the Beach Shack Boxdrummer!" So., this time he took his box, brushes AND a low boom mic stand, a new mic, and his new Marshall amp...and amplified his playing. Aside from a full time invitation to play anytime w/Ben (he loved it! I've played w/Ben several times, but never amplified...that was his idea)....a crowd pleaser....a few solo's, several rounds of applause...a fanning off, and a sweat wipe while playing/from the Rev. Billy (who came in to watch), HE even seemed impressed...he's already figuring out how to create a full set of drums using boxes so he can play w/him!! (dr. joel a/k/a/ Boxdrummer NOW plays w/The Reverend Billy C. Wirtz w/a full drum kit...he made him do it!) Bruce Johnson showed up and played harp with Dave, very different styles and they play great together. So a foursome it was. Ben kept turning around and yelling to Boxdrummer "I love that! Turn it up" so up it went and he just played his heart out...loving every second, every beat, every song..."it was the most fun I've had playing since playing drums in the OLD days in Bosstown!!! Exhausted...a few blisters...but I'm flying high!" Ben announced every set that you'll NEVER see a group like this ANYWHERE in the WORLD! TWO harp players...(and Ben was playing his cigarbox guitar) and TWO boxes being played /simultainiously, as ONE group!!! He was great, as usual....and the four of them had a BLAST playing...they played way past the Sun. nite cerfew...no one seemed to mind! Look out Brevard...here comes the BOXDRUMMER!..."anyone got a band-aid for my finger? It's 'bout down to the bone!!" Boxdrummer has gone back to playing pro...and now playing a full drum kit w/Rev. Billy...on occasion getting out the boxes to jam w/Ben Prestage, Josh Miller, Danny Morris, Kenny Cohen, Michael Pickett and Ernie Southern (we opened for Mark Hummell w/Charlie Musslewhite & Kim Wilson) and sat in w/Doug Demming and the JewelTones w/ Dennis Gruenling and Mookie Brill)...on boxes...recently got an invite to sit in w/Biscuit Miller and the Mix...just can't seem retire them boxes!!~~~~UP TO DATE HAPPENINGS................. The BOXDRUMS have been retired!(x-cept when playing w/Ben Prestage and Josh Miller acoustic) dr. joel is now playing full tilt drum kit (The Reverend Billy C. Wirtz made me do it!) With a vintage KENT bass drum and a vintage KENT snare w/snare turned off and used as a tom-tom. Using a piccolo snare hand made and hand painted, extra small, all heavy wood, from CHINA! What a bright sound! Thanx Beau for the loan!! (sometimes I use a chrome piccolo from the U.S.A., bigger and a bit heavier tone) Playing in a trio w/the Reverend Billy C. Wirtz, international recording star, radio personality, columnist,comedic satire, keyboard player extraordinare and fashion plate of the BLUES world! and Bruce Johnson on harmonica, as the 'TallyWackers'. Blues/boogie-woogie/real country/rockabilly is our style and comedic satirist Rev. Billy keeps you on your toes, laffin'and dancin' all nite. Rev. Billy does many of his own original tunes, you ain't heard nuttin' 'till you've heard the Rev.'s masterpieces! 25+ years on the road, 8 CD's a DVD, 3 current radio shows, 3 newspaper columns, Blues in the Schools teacher in Canada, gospel to blues historian and college lecturer, have made the Reverend one of the best boogie-woogie pianists playing today. Well known from Norway to Santa Cruz to Memphis to Philly to Baltimore to Nashville, Asheville and throughout the South...and of course Florida, our home base. I'd also like you to know about my 2 sons. Beau is a recording engineer and programmer (both degrees recvd. at the U of Miami, School of Music, graduated as "Best Graduate of the School of Music 2007" ) for the 'state of the art' digital recording/broadcasting deck makers "EUPHONIX" in Palo Alto, Calif. and a hell of an extraordinary drummer! Jay, my oldest is getting his PhD at M.I.T in Cambridge Mass. Rcvd his BS at Ga. Tech, (graduating ALSO as "The Best Elect. Engineer of the Year"), Masters at Cambridge University in the UK (he won the Bill Gates Cambridge Univ. Scholorship). They are both the loves of my life and we are all very close, great kids, great guys, great men!