Tomorrow being Valentine's Day and Monday being being Presidents' Day, they're both days off for me as I drive down to Jacksonville, FL for my next speaking engagement at the Jacksonville Public Library:

​Tuesday, 16 February 2016, 7:00-8:30 p.m.
Jacksonville Public Library: Southeast Library, 10599 Deerwood Park Blvd, Jacksonville, FL
The Influence of American Rock 'n' Roll on The Beatles
Before the Beatles ever wrote their own songs or performed on stage, they were inspired to do so by American rock 'n' roll records. This 90-minute multimedia program will illustrate the influence of Carl Perkins, Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry, Little Richard, and other American recording artists from the 1950's on the Beatles through side-by-side comparisons and musical analysis of Beatles covers and original recordings.

What is it with me and burst pipes?

Last October, two speaking engagements at the Bridgewater Public Library in Massachusetts were cancelled because a burst pipe flooded the program room. And now yesterday my airbnb host for the night, Trent, cancelled after a burst pipe flooded his entire house. He wrote to me yesterday: "Unfortunately, the house is a disaster. I just got home, and am seeing the damage for myself for the first time. The house doesn't have water at the moment. We are staying with family this evening since the repairmen could not make it out until tomorrow. Once again, I am so sorry that this happened! I feel terrible about having thrown your arrangements out of whack."

That's bad news to receive while in the car driving to his house, but it's even worse for him!

Anyway, that left me in the predicament of having to find overnight accommodations for that evening. Pulling off the highway, I found a McDonalds with free WiFi. Gheorghe, a customer service representative of Airbnb, was kind enough to offer to cover the difference in cost between my original reservation and the cost of my last-minute substitute, and I found a place in Greensboro, NC. While slightly out of my way, the extra driving was worth the peace of mind knowing I had a place to sleep!

Crisis averted, I got back on the road and arrived in High Point, NC around 3pm. With a start time of 6pm at the High Point library, that gave me two hours to find a bite to eat before reporting to the library to set up. Now, granted, I only drove down one street, but that was main street, but the only restaurants I could find were fast food chains. It seemed like every single chain restaurant in existence could be found: I saw Wendy's, Arby's, Little Caesar's, Chick-Fil-A, Pizza Hut, Subway, Chipotle, Waffle House, Dunkin Donuts, Zaxby's, and McDonald's. But having had a Big Mac earlier, I wanted something other than more fast food. Wasn't there any decent place to eat??? Eventually I found Sumela, a Turkish and Mediterranean eatery (which happened to be just across the street from the library), and devoured a gyro in record time.

The program went exceptionally well. The crowd of maybe 40 or 45 was completely attentive and engaged, and asked some great questions afterward. I've found that the number and quality of questions asked is the best barometer of how engaged a crowd is, and this group didn't disappoint. In addition to the common questions, "How did you get so into the Beatles?" and "Who is your favorite Beatle?", one guy asked about George Harrison's album Wonderwall, which was the first solo Beatles album ever released. Another asked about how receptive English audiences were to my presentations last July (they were skeptical at first - even American audience are skeptical when they realize I didn't live through the Beatle years - but by the end of my programs I had won them over!). And one woman asked about the inspiration for the song "Eleanor Rigby", to which I responded by citing the grave with her name at St. Peter's church, where John and Paul met for the first time in 1957.

Today I backtrack a bit to Mt. Airy, NC for another "Band of the Sixties", and tomorrow I drive to Elkin, NC:

Saturday, 13 February 2016, 4:00-5:00 p.m.
Elkin Public Library 111 N Front St, Elkin, NC
The Beatles: Band of the Sixties
Explore the music of The Beatles in this 60-minute multimedia presentation (part history and part musical analysis) spanning the full 1960's: beginning with the band's seminal visits to Hamburg, continuing through Beatlemania, and concluding with Abbey Road. The program will be supplemented with audio clips of music and excerpts from interviews with the band members.​

This Elkin stop was the last to be added to my February schedule. Originally I had plans to speak at the Raleigh, NC library that day, but they flaked out on me, leaving no time to fill the spot as I typically book six months in advance. Then, out of the blue, Martha Smith, director of the Elkin Public Library, emailed me on January 28 asking if I could be there on February 13 - just two weeks later. Of course I could!

Yesterday's "Band of the Sixties" at the Kanawha County Public Library in Charleston, West Virginia drew about 45-50 people - significantly more than my average of 30-35ish and more than twice as many as any of the earlier presentations on this tour.

After the program and Q&A, we held a raffle for a free copy of Steve Turner's book "The Complete Beatles Songs", a revision of his earlier book "A Hard Day's Write". While I have the original, I do not yet have the revision, and I secretly wished I could have won it! On September 21 of last year, I received an email from Lucy Gibson of HarperCollins publishing offerin me a complimentary copy of the new version. I eagerly accepted the offer, but still have yet to receive the book. Lucy, if you're reading this, I'm still interested :-)

With the raffle complete, the Beatles Tribute band RUBBER SOUL performed. I originally planned to leave right after my talk because I had an hour drive ahead of me, but since the band started before I was even done packing up (I had expected them to start playing about 7:30, but since their keyboard player Mark had to leave by 8, they started promptly at 7) I was able to catch the second half. I've heard LOTS of different versions of Beatles songs, but I don't believe I've ever heard the solo to "A Hard Day's Night" played on a euphonium before! When I realized what was happening, I immediately pulled out my phone to capture it on video:

I'm sitting in a Denny's in Catlettsburg, KY, about half way between yesterday's talks at the Jessamine County Public Library in Nicholasville, KY and this evening's program in Charleston, WV. I can't remember the last time I was asked "smoking or non?" upon entering a restaurant. I just ordered their bourbon chicken :-)

I didn't realize it ahead of time, but the Jessamine Co Library just opened a brand new building and my presentations were the first events to be held in the new library. Apparently the book collection has been open for a few weeks, but their brand new program room had not been used before yesterday. (On Friday, 15 July 2016, I'll be christening another: The Media-Upper Providence Free Library in Media, PA.)

Les, the library's programmer, said she advertised in many different places. I did notice in the library's newsletter this blurb:

But I also can't help but notice that it doesn't describe the topics. I had a small  (couldn't have been more than 10) but engaged group for the matinee, but only two for the evening. That's the opposite of normal - evening talks are typically MUCH better attended.

In any case, I suspect tonight's speaking engagement will be better attended because Beatles tribute band Rubber Soul will be performing afterward. Unfortunately I cannot attend because I have to drive to Beckley, WV (an hours South of Charleston) to my Airbnb host for the night.

Tomorrow I continue South to High Point, NC for another round of "Band of the Sixties" at the High Point Public Library:

Thursday, 11 February 2016, 6:00-7:30 p.m.
High Point Public Library, 901 N. Main St, High Point, NC
The Beatles: Band of the Sixties
Explore the music of The Beatles in this 60-minute multimedia presentation (part history and part musical analysis) spanning the full 1960's: beginning with the band's seminal visits to Hamburg, continuing through Beatlemania, and concluding with Abbey Road. The program will be supplemented with audio clips of music and excerpts from interviews with the band members.

Yesterday I launched my first lecture tour of 2016 with a round of "Band of the Sixties" at the Kenton County Public Library in Covington, KY. Today that tour continues with two programs in Nicholasville, KY (just South of Lexington), and tomorrow with another in Charleston, WV:

Wednesday, 10 February 2016, 6:00-7:00 p.m.
Kanawha County Public Library, 123 Capitol St, Charleston, WV
The Beatles: Band of the Sixties
Explore the music of The Beatles in this 60-minute multimedia presentation (part history and part musical analysis) spanning the full 1960's: beginning with the band's seminal visits to Hamburg, continuing through Beatlemania, and concluding with Abbey Road. The program will be supplemented with audio clips of music and excerpts from interviews with the band members.

On the 52nd anniversary of the Beatles' first Ed Sullivan broadcast, the Jessamine County Public Library will be hosting two Beatles programs:

Tuesday, 9 February 2016, noon-1:00 p.m.
Jessamine County Public Library, 600 South Main St, Nicholasville, KY
The Beatles: Band of the Sixties
Explore the music of The Beatles in this 60-minute multimedia presentation (part history and part musical analysis) spanning the full 1960's: beginning with the band's seminal visits to Hamburg, continuing through Beatlemania, and concluding with Abbey Road. The program will be supplemented with audio clips of music and excerpts from interviews with the band members.

Tuesday, 9 February 2016, 6:00-7:00 p.m.
Jessamine County Public Library, 600 South Main St, Nicholasville, KY
From the Shadow of JFK: The Rise of Beatlemania in America
Many Beatles authors and scholars have cited John F. Kennedy's assassination on 22 November 1963 as a cause of the Beatles' sudden popularity in the United States in early 1964. Their logic: Kennedy's assassination made America sad, then the Beatles made America happy again. But this commonly accepted answer is overly simplistic. America has suffered numerous tragedies and rebounded each time, but the popularity and staying power of the Beatles remains unmatched in American history. The real answer is that Kennedy's life and death inadvertently primed the nation for the Beatles' arrival and success. This 60-minute program will explain how and why.

Having added one more speaking engagement, tomorrow will be #2 of 79 (not 78) from February through May:

Monday, 8 February 2016, 7:00-8:00 p.m.
Kenton County Public Library, 502 Scott Blvd, Covington, KY
The Beatles: Band of the Sixties
Explore the music of The Beatles in this 60-minute multimedia presentation (part history and part musical analysis) spanning the full 1960's: beginning with the band's seminal visits to Hamburg, continuing through Beatlemania, and concluding with Abbey Road. The program will be supplemented with audio clips of music and excerpts from interviews with the band members.