The Single Best Audience in the History of BPB; Introduction Turnabout; High Fives for Lisa; Crackers Between Sets; Boober Nearly Killed by a Waitress; and 41 (or 42 if you count “Eruption”) Freakin’ Songs! - Ballydoyle Show – 8/8/2026

It started auspiciously enough. Boober arrives super early to see an afternoon band, finishing up their set on the tiny but packed Ballydoyle stage. They are providing their own sound (no sound guy from the venue) and have an audience that makes the BPB audience at the Can Bar (of 12) look huge. The drummer, as they finally start moving their gear off the stage, informs Kevin, “I went to Berklee.” To which the computer in Kevin’s head went through three possibilities:

1. “Great, all that money spent on your musical education and you are playing a matinee at the Doyle in front of six people - and three of them are the band’s wives.”
2. “Oh cool, I went to community college for four years to get my associate’s in architecture before studying actuarial science.”
3. “You really are a doofus!”

But instead our hero replied, “Cool. You guys done so we can start setting up?”
There is not the intent to make fun of anyone. We have had a poorly attended show, but the fact that they lollygagged to get their shit off the stage really pissed the rhythm section off. Do your show, and get it off the stage so the next band can set up. But it wouldn’t be a show unless Boober was flustered by the set up…I think it might be in the contract.
Finally, the stage was cleared and Kevin and Rob started setting up as one by one the Bear arrived. With the crazy traffic and parking on Main Street, each person unloaded, as a group got their crap in and they then drove off and parked. As the set up was continuing, Boober remarked as his cabinets were precariously set up on the top stair at the side of the stage. He predicted certain death because he would likely fall and die during the show. He requested someone film it, because it would help with the band’s legacy!
Alan or Alex (Boober called him both) arrived as the sound man for the bar and he did his thing with Kevin as his consultant. After set up, a quick sound check with 5/8 of “Rocky Mountain Way,” the band had a shot in the front of the bar before taking the stage. The bar had probably 20 to 30 people in it before the bouncer (a very jacked John the bouncer, 62 years old and built like a shit brickhouse or brick shit house or house made of bricks and shit???) started collecting the $7 cover.
At some point, the joint filled up with lots of people. Family of most was there: Mike’s sister Sue was there for her maiden voyage with BPB, Marie-Eve and some friends were there, Alan, Jenn’s husband and daughter were present, Lisa Smola, Gab Smola, Jerry and Shelly Madsen, and the ever-smiling Jimmy Smola. Lisa had her crew there, as well. Keith was not represented because the man was fighting some horrendous stomach bug and despite being dehydrated, and eating crackers between sets so he didn’t hurl, played a killer three-hour show.
The crowd filled that uniquely designed space. Kind readers, this was the greatest crowd we have played in front of in our now 38 show history. “Why?” you bark at the screen as you read it. The crowd, some probably 100 at some point, never sat down, danced, cheered loudly for nearly every song (except “Take It Easy”) and drowned Lisa out during “What’s Up,” “Closing Time,” “My Sacrifice” and even “Heart of the Matter.”
There were moments when it felt less like we were playing for the crowd and more like the crowd had become part of the band. That is a pretty powerful feeling to have that energy coming back to the stage.
Lisa kept receiving spontaneous high fives after audience members needed to show their approval after she belted out, “The Story,” or “Crazy on You,” or “Paradise City.” One unknown party told her, “When you guys were setting up, we were thinking, okay, what are these people going to do, and then that voice came out of you!” Bouncer John, who has been at the door for over 18 years, told her she was the best singer he had heard there, period.
A waitress tried to kill our silly bass player as he was roaming the audience during “My Own Worst Enemy.” She ran into him at 37 miles an hour. Somehow, Rob, while twirling from the unreported collision and managing to stay on his feet, the idiot didn’t miss a note. (On that song, we won’t mention the H he played to start “Crazy on You” or the fact he missed the first D in “Saturday Night’s Alright for Fighting” when not being body checked by a waitress, which is more concerning.)
At introduction time, we learned the following facts about the band (from Boober’s ever-present and obnoxious intros which seem to be growing in absurdity as the shows pile up):

1. Dr. Keith wrote a physics article with the words “Tuning Magnetic Symmetry” in the title.
2. Mike Morsovillo started a fan club for Gilligan’s Island Skipper and Batman’s Adam West.
3. Lisa is famous in three places, for three very weird reasons including inventing a type of cactus.
4. Kevin’s newest favorite podcast is entitled “My Favorite Murder.” Mike is nervous about turning his back on him.
5. Jenn finished 17th out of 134 in an over-30 cliff diving competition in Puerto Rico.

And just when he thought it was safe, Mike Morsovillo turned the tables. He announced the following facts about the idiot bassist (there were more, but what follows will have to do. Come on, pick up the pace here):

1. Rob counted 877 licks to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop.
2. He finished second in a Mr. Clean contest, losing only to the drummer, Kevin Vesel.
3. He enjoys spearfishing, wearing colorful toe socks, knitting heavy cardigan sweaters, canning his own peaches, carving duck calls out of soap, and binge-watching reruns of The Love Boat.
4. For the majority of any given day, Rob is moist (super sweaty) ... just completely saturated and has an extensive Scotch tape collection.

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Advantage - and win - Mike!
By the time our heroes finished the second set, they had played 23 songs in the first set and 18 in the second. That’s 41, or 42 if you count “Eruption” as its own composition. Jenn had a long drive ahead and Keith was traveling to a conference, so really, after three hours, no encore was necessary!
Someone in the crowd yelled, “You say that at every show,” when Boober and Mike agreed that this was the best audience we ever had. We took umbrage! We have complimented audiences before, but so far this was the most interactive and had the most energy. Oh, if we could bottle that stuff and sell it!!!!
The band returns to the stage in October…and what tricks or treats will they have? We won’t tell, point is, you really have to go see the shows, because amazing, funny, crazy things happen. The blog just tries to capture it!
So ’til next time, this has been a BoobSovillo collaborat