Big Band Saturday Night Valentines Dance

Last night I put on a tuxedo, and went to the dance, featuring the seventeen piece Cigar City Big Band. The band, out of Tampa, plays hits from the 30's, 40's and 50's, which as you know is the Big Band Era. The event itself was a Valentine's Sweetheart Fundraiser, for our local Kiwanis Foundation of Longboat Key. I'm the Secretary of the Club, and was part of the organizing committee. Much of the credit goes to Bob Gault, our club President, and his wife, with able assistance from several other members on our 56 person roster. The event was pulled together in just three short months, and was sold out. We made a nice chunk of change to fund local scholarships.

Now, I had very little intention of doing much more than the normal administrative chores of a club Secretary, and once I had filled 20 tables and had decided who would sit where and with whom, my job was over. Yes, I went to all the committee meetings at Bob's house, but mostly for the wine and cheese that his wife, Shannon, would set out. My wife was happy to not have to cook on those same evenings, and the committee was made up with friends whom I enjoyed spending time alongside, anyway. Two of the committee, Andrew and Ramona, are shown in one of the pictures in this blog entry, all dressed up and ready to dance.

Now, I was all dressed up that night, but that afternoon while helping set up the room, I learned that the band had a "program" done in the fashion of a 1940's radio show, with an announcer. There was even a line in the script that talked about "this program is being heard overseas through the services of Armed Forces Radio". The band leader, who also doubles as a trombone player, was prepared to do the part of announcer and band leader. Once he learned of my past, as a real announcer with Armed Forces Radio, he asked me if I would like to do the role. Well, you can figure out the rest. I had a GREAT time, even if I came home with half my dinner in a doggie bag. Getting to introduce tunes, and tell a little history about them, I was back in my element of 45 years ago. It was a tremendous amount of fun.

Oh yes, toward the end of the evening, I was able to break away and have some fun with a few friends - our President took the liberty of snapping this picture, with me and five friends. It was among the many I had taken during the event, but this shot was not discovered as having been taken by my own camera until later, at home, showing my wife a bit about the night. I guess I ended up showing more than I needed - oh well, I did get a potential job offer to work for the band on occasion as their announcer. I gotta do something about that damn cummerbund however, and tell the dry cleaner "less starch" in the collar. Talk about setting the "way-back machine", this was a role from before I was even born. What a shame we can't relive our youth every night.