The Road According To Lee
Your backstage pass to fun and excitement...
   
  ****Java The Bub Tour 2001****
 
New Years Eve 2000-01, Elks Club, New Milford Connecticut :
Mid Life Crisis kicks off the new year with a real bang, performing at the Elks Club in New Milford for a combination wedding / new years celebration. Most notable parts of the evening include DJ Jazzy Lee spinning the wheels of steel so that the crowd can participate in such wedding classics as the Chicken Dance, Electric Slide, Hokey Pokey, and a full blown Conga Line.
    
January 27th, ZOOGIES, Waterbury Connecticut :
Gary and I perform at ZOOGIES "battle of the bands" in Waterbury with special guest Jerry B. We cleverly disguise ourselves by calling the band DuzntMatr. The crowd mainly consisted of other musicians who were all there to check each other out but the show went well and we got the "nod" from the club owner who was in favor of a future return performance.
    
February 8th, Webster Grill, West Hartford Connecticut :
Rich and I make a surprise appearance at The Webster Grill's "open mic night" and play a full set for an audience of 12 people all asking themselves the same question, why are these guys here playing rock music at our acoustic get together?
  
  March 2nd, Lebanon Historical Society, Lebanon Connecticut :
( L to R ) Warren, Lee, and Bruce
Warren and I perform at the annual coffee house held at the Lebanon Historical Society with special guest Bruce Manly. Another shocking performance that left the audience with their hair blown back a bit. Highlights of the evening included a full blown rendition of the Don McLean classic American Pie.
 
April 5th, Carlies Lounge, Pinellas Park Florida :
Dave "Hoagie" Stevenson 
In a near futile attempt to continue to reach far and wide, I made a guest appearance, singing a tequila inspired rendition of Gimme' Three Steps, with my former Fair Warning bandmate and roommate Dave Stevenson,  at Carlie's Lounge in Pinellas Park, Florida. Back in the day, when we were playing Lenny's, The Barbary Coast, The Sandpiper, TC's, and other spectacular Pinellas County drinking establishments, Dave was known as "Heafty" (complete with tattoo), "Hoagie Dave" or simply "The Hoagster". He'll always be "Big Dave" to me, the best bass player and friend I have ever come across, not to mention he's also my biggest bass playing influence. There, I mentioned it anyway. Dave's new band, Rebel Pride, has made quite a name for themselves in the Tampa Bay area.
  
April 7th, Eagles Club, Bonita Springs Florida :
( L to R ) Kevin McFarland, Julie McFarland, and Lee
Traveling even farther south to Naples, Florida, I got to play the entire evening with friends and former band mates, Kevin and Julie McFarland of Secrets, at the Bonita Springs Eagles Club. Kevin and Julie are still working very hard at making a living, playing music in the South Florida region although there is a rumor that Julie spends some of her time teaching class piano in the Bonita Springs area. 
 
May 5th, O'Hagan's Irish Pub, Burlington Connecticut :
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Cinco De Mayo hits with full strength. Rich, Gary, Warren, and I debut the new line-up, light show and set list at O'Hagans Irish Pub and Restaurant. This is the first show with Mr. Warren Hartzell (the amazing one) who was quite shocked at the onstage electricity and enthusiasm of the group. A splendid time was guaranteed for all and it was delivered in grand fashion including an appearance by "The Wigs" and a rousing rendition of Keep On Rockin' In The Free World with "Torrington Tim" the Fire Marshal on stage, singing and playing air guitar. The band gave away Lucky Charms cereal, a two pack of Irish Spring, and an Ortega Taco Dinner kit as dance prizes. This was the first show of the first tour of the first year of the millennium and it couldn't have been a better send off.
JAVA THE BUB!
 
June 9th, Private Party, New Milford Connecticut :
( L to R ) Lee with Johnny the Arm and Jerry aka: "Double J"
A private birthday party takes center stage as Lee makes a special appearance with "Double J" way out in New Millford, CT. Although it rained on and off for most of the evening, a great time was had by all who stuck around for the entertainment.
 
June 16th, O'Hagan's Irish Pub, Burlington Connecticut :
           
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"The Summer Of Love" show at O'Hagan's Irish Pub, now known by some as the "Summer Of Disaster".
 We almost created the same style riots and chaos demonstrated in the 1960's as the management of the club forced a late set up which in turn led to an even later starting time for the evenings entertainment. Everyone received PEACE SIGN pendants, peace sign ear rings, and a lucky few found themselves with a new pair of  John Lennon style sunglasses. The band performed many songs from the groups that played at the original Monterey Pop Festival. The highlight of the evening was our very own Warren Hartzell performing Jimi Hendrix's song Purple Haze complete with afro wig and official Hendrix guitar effects. The winners of the most authentic 60's attire, Brian and Gail (our biggest fans), were presented with MLC T-Shirts.
 
 August 4th, Real-Aid, Manchester Connecticut :
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Real-Aid, an annual cookout for members of the Connecticut Association of Realtors, was held in Donna Connolly's back yard this year. This annual event attracts realtors from all over Connecticut and this year was no exception. A slight drizzle and slightly humid conditions didn't keep all in attendance from having a great time for the entire day.
  
September 1st, River Fest, Greenfield Massachusetts :
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River Fest 2001 sponsored by the Franklin County Boat Club of Greenfield Massachusetts was a beautiful day on the water for everyone that came. Over a hundred MLC fans, old and new, enjoyed the sun, fun and some great live music.
 
September 29th, PIGSTOCK 2001, Warren Connecticut :
 
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This annual event has received more rave reviews than Jay Lenno. Cooler weather and Sister Sara have arrived from out of town. The stage was set. Joe Paul built it, and they came. PIGSTOCK 2001 was a complete success. Opening acts Velocity and  Smokin' Gun made their debut appearances.
  
 October 20th, Harris Farms, Weathersfield Connecticut :
HARRIS FARMS BENEFIT PIGROAST FOR  WTC VICTIMS
Beautiful weather and an incredible location. It was a crime that more people didn't show up. Cheryl had every base covered with everything from games and hayrides for the kids to great food and drinks for the adults. The American Country Band and West Haven based EL-34 were the opening acts  for this event. Click here for pictures from the day. 
 
December 1st, Private Party, Berlin Connecticut :
Imagine this scenario, it's your 50th birthday, you go out on a quiet Saturday morning to do a little Christmas shopping and when you return there are a couple dozen of your best friends and a loud rock band in your living room. Some would say, "This would never happen to me", but as long as MLC is around this could happen to just about anybody. We love the folks that come to see us on a regular basis and this was another opportunity to show our appreciation to our devoted fans.