| What
A Difference A Year Makes - An Interview with Vinnie
Valenza of the Blues City Deli |
Blues Interviews
Real Blues
Real People
By MissVickie@stlblues.net
Hi Everybody! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
I hope all of you are enjoying the holidays and everyone
is safe. Time to snuggle up to your computer for one
of my Christmas stories. This year for Christmas,
Santa has noted that a young drummer boy, named Vinnie
Valenza has done a remarkable job managing and expanding
his business. So sit back and enjoy...A Christmas
At The Blues City Deli.
As in most Christmas stories written in the midwest,
the weather is cold and snowy. As usual, the weather
people have forecasted one storm event after another
and as usual, all we get is a couple of inches. This
day is just like that! It's cold and snowy, with at
least three inches of snow on the ground. SUV drivers
are dangerously driving to get anywhere before anyone
else and the smaller vehicles are darting around trying
to avoid the accidents that the SUV's most certainly
wish to have happen. The sky is gray, but not so gray
that you can not see some hint of sunshine. The temperature
is cold, with a hint and a little knowledge that the
weather SHOULD be cold, you know the thermometer will
record slight drops in degrees as the hours tick by.
It's Saturday and as I have done in the past several
weeks on a Saturday, I get up and get ready for the
day. But this day is special! This day is filled with
music, friends, and great food. No, I'm not dreaming!
This is Saturday and I'm going to the Blues City Deli
for lunch and Music Saturday!!
Now in order for me to continue this Christmas story,
I need you all to think back about three years ago.
What were you doing back then? Myself, I lived in
Cincinnati Ohio. The biggest treat on Saturdays was
a drive across the Ohio River to the Party Source
store and buy beer. Oh, not just any old beer, but
specialty beers that are rich and dark and taste of
sludge. (laughter)
Three years ago, a young man, ex-drummer, father,
and husband had an idea. Now we all have ideas, but
not all of us act upon them. This young man took a
leap forward with his eyes closed, not knowing what
to expect. How scary is that? No, this is not a Haunted
Christmas story...this is real life! This little drummer
boy stepped forward and offered what he had. He offered
hard work, live music, great food, and fast service.
All of this and the support of family and friends
have made this idea possible then and now. So is my
story over? I bet you wish it was! (Big Laughter)
No...this story continues!
So time goes by at a clip! Two years ago, I was still
in Ohio, not knowing I was to return to St. Louis
very shortly. Meanwhile, here in this story, the little
drummer boy is hard at work. So are his helpers! The
Dream Team...young kids working with this old guy
(big laugh) and working to succeed. They really pride
themselves on their work and a quick turn around time!
They are like the links of a chain...graham on a cracker,
and reindeer pulling Santa's sleigh. These kids work
hard! Santa has Rudolph, Vinnie has Vinnie Jr., Robby,
Steverino, Mike, Yokum (not Dwight), Clay, Markey
Mark, Ryan and a young lady named Kele. (pronounced
Ke Le) Oh what fun it is to sing a Christmas song
tonite! Hey!
This year, Santa has looked upon our little drummer
boy with great favor! This year on Saturdays, live
music from 1:00 pm to 3:30 pm engulfs the scene at
the Blues City Deli. Three inches of snow will not
keep us all away today. Johnny Fox is scheduled to
play, but the weather has changed his mind. No problemo!
We all just sit and talk about Christmas , watch the
snow fall, and eat lunch. Music piped in over head
allows us to mentally visualize musicians on stage.
Hey! What's in that sandwich that's making me mental?
(Big Laughter) Just kidding! I'm always mental! (Big
Laugh)
Christmas is a time for cheer.. a time for laughter...and
a time to drink beer! (big laugh) Yes, the Blues City
Deli serves beer. A great selection of local and specialty
beers are available. Could be why I like Music Saturdays,
eh? (laugh) Not! I love the music! My friends come
to the deli for the fun, too! It's so easy to meet
there and even more fun to make New friends there.
My friend Nina and I met a new friend, Sophie. Nina
loves the New Orleans style of food that the deli
offers. Having lived in New Orleans for many years,
she misses the food, but knows that Vinnie makes up
the loss. Nina loves the Zipps chips and wants to
see Barq's Root beer added to the menu. (Big Smile)
Sophie hangs out at the deli while her boyfriend,
Clay, works hard in the kitchen...the newly expanded
kitchen of 2007! Sophie claims to be a “Jazz”
girl, but her favorite musician is Jimmy Hendrix!
Ah, I hate to break it to you , Sophie, but James
is not Jazz. Oh well, she's 17..lots of time to live
and learn. She sings and writes poetry. Hey Sophie,
bring in your poems and let some of the music guys
put down the tunes! I know you'll be a great blues
singer one day! Lots of musicians, locally and not
so locally, come in to check out the place! Could
be another reason to like Music Saturday? Mid December,
Nick Moss came into town to play with Los Carnales
down at BB's Jazz Blues and Soups. Like so many other
musicians, they came down to the deli for lunch and
a meeting. I was at the deli then, too. Imagine that!
Not like I'm a stalker or anything! (laugh) Nick was
there with Preston Hubbard, Alec, Derek, and a visiting
guitar player named Josh Miller. Josh lives in Florida,
knows Nick Moss, knew he was playing at BB's, and
drove up for the gig. Amazing! Music happens like
this all of the time! Nick and Josh loved the deli.
Loved meeting Vinnie. Loved the food! Both musicians
would like an opportunity to come back and play on
a Music Saturday. I'd love it too! I heard Josh play
at BB's. He sat in with Nick and Los Carnales. What
a great show! He reminded me of a young Tom Waite.
Los Carnales is a Blast! They played at the deli's
Third Anniversary party. Vinnie was VERY happy with
that day and the sound the band puts out. ”I
like the feel of a having a full band in here,”
says the little drummer boy. You may wonder, having
been in the deli, how would you get a Blaster Band
such as Los Carnales into the deli? Well my friends...each
band sets up a stripped down version of the band to
accommodate the room. The sound is great!
Back to the Christmas story....Santa was listening
to KDHX radio one Friday evening. He was listening
to Blues in the Night with Art Dwyer, but Art was
out that night...undoubtedly shopping for his girl's
Christmas gift, eh? Or Not! Anyway..Santa called the
little drummer boy and told him to tune into the radio
show. Luckily for the little drummer boy, Marquis
Knox was performing on air at the station and played
a set of acoustic tunes. ”WOW!” Thought
the little drummer boy..”he sounds great! Wonder
if I can get him to the deli to play like that?”
A phone call was made and Marquis is signed up to
do an acoustic gig at the deli. Yeah! How easy is
that? Don't you wish more things were just as easy?
Santa was right to steer the little drummer boy in
that direction. He Does know when you're awake!!!
Who else has Santa steered toward the little drummer
boy? Well there's Deke Harp, Rev. Robert, Brian Curran,
Johnny Fox, Larry Griffin, Eric McSpadden, Bottom
Ups Blues Gang, Nathan James, Pokey LaFarge, Matt
Roland,Booty Grabbers, John Logan, Los Carnales, and
the new kids on the block..the Rum Drum Ramblers!
Ryan, who works in the kitchen , is the harp man and
vocalist for the Rum Drum Ramblers. Vinnie gets his
money's worth with this kid! (laughter)
What's in store for our little drummer boy in 2008?
I'm glad you asked! I see (from the web site, ha ha
) lots of talent on Saturdays...musicians from Collinsville
and Belleville, Illinois, Brian Curran starting 2008
off with Blues music, and Rockabilly will be hitting
the stage with Scott Kay and the Continentals. I see
the menu adding some new food items...beer specials...and
music on Thursday starting the last Thursday in January....music
until 8:00 pm. I see a “jam” during Thursday
happy hour and Kele as the “Beer Wench”
(laugh) serving up the beverages. 2007 has been great
for the Blues City Deli, so let's keep it up in 2008!
Let's make some new friends, hear some great music,
smile and laugh, clap along with the band, and just
have fun! And check out the newest kids on the block
for 2008...The Lucky Old Sons...this is a project
of Frank Bauer's (still with the Phat Noise Blues
Band) and a drummer and keyboard player. Vinnie says
it's like listening to Jerry Lee Lewis. I'm looking
forward to checking that out!
Well..my Christmas story is drawing to an end. BooHoo!
I'd like to thank Vinnie (AKA the little drummer boy)
for this interview. He is a treat! Let's get out there
and support live music! Let's get out there and make
new friends at the deli! Let's support Community Radio!
Let's show support for each other everyday! Be safe
this holiday and may 2008 be good to you all! Thank
you & Merry Christmas!!
Web
sites to check out...
www.bluescitydeli.com
www.bbsjazzbluessoups.com
www.nickmoss.com
www.loscarnalesmusic.com
www.johnnyfox.biz
www.myspace.com/joshmillerreview
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