Having a long week? Check out Midweek Fridays
Some nights you just want to go out and catch some melt-your face, peel-the-paint-off-the walls heavy rock.
And some nights you don’t.
Some nights you’re just in the mood for some tasteful three-part harmony leaning closer to the mellow side.
If you find yourself facing one of those nights, check out Midweek Fridays.
No, that’s not some sort of bizarro calendar entry.
It’s a trio made up of Deb Tompkins on guitar, vocals, and percussion, Ken Tompkins on guitar, banjo, electric guitar and vocals, and John Marsh on guitar, mandolin and vocals.
The three members have recently left their day jobs, but don’t get the impression that because they are retirees, their show is going to consist of a bunch of old codgers churning out their favorite Lawrence Welk tunes.
Yes, their repertoire strongly favors classic acoustic rock, with influences from the likes of the Beatles, Allman Brothers, Rolling Stones, Grateful Dead, Pink Floyd, and CSNY, and female artists such as Karla Bonoff, Bonnie Raitt, Linda Ronstadt, and Sheryl Crow.
But they also strive to keep their song list as current as possible.
“Honestly, I think we’re kind of an acoustic tribute band, playing our favorite songs by our favorite artists. But we’re also always on the lookout for newer material that fits with our love of acoustic guitars and vocal harmonies,” notes Ken Tompkins, explaining how tunes by the Decemberists, JS Ondara or Dead Horses, for example, find their way into the show. “It’s true that we play a lot of ‘oldies,’ but it’s also true that there is a lot of great music being made today and it’s easier to find than ever.”
“Our kids have introduced us to many Indie groups and other styles of music such as Nickel Creek, Phoebe Bridgers, Sarah Jarosz, and Rustin Kelly to name a few,” adds Deb Tompkins.
OK, let’s deal with the elephant in the room: where exactly did the name come from?
“Our name represents a midweek outing – dinner and drinks – providing relief as if it were the weekend,” explains Marsh. “It was Wednesday, and it had already been a long week. We piled into the car for a much-needed night out and my wife Cindy remarked that we were having a ‘Midweek Friday’.”
The name immediately struck a chord with the other band members.
“Frequently, during a stressful or busy week, we would get together on a Wednesday and just play,” recalls Deb Tompkins. “We thought it sounded like a great band name.
“I remember Cindy saying we could all use a ‘mid-week Friday’ — a much-needed retreat from work/life stresses,” recalls Ken Tompkins. “And I remember thinking that would make a great band name.”
The next outing for Midweek Fridays will be Oct. 13 at Piggy Pat’s, or you can catch their full band, Valley Hawks, at 7-10 p.m. on Sept.30 at Oneida Brew Haus for a Fundraiser for NF2 Biosolutions.
This article originally appeared on Observer-Dispatch: Midweek Friday has the sounds for your various moods
