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It seems like just yesterday we were taking a look back
at the year 2003 and wondering where the year went, and BOOM...here we
are looking back at 2004 and sort of shaking our heads at how time flies
by!
The year 2004 was another banner year for the band as we
continued to expand our fan base (the "Oracle Family"), and expand the
repertoire. We learned almost 60 new songs over the course of the
year, most of which came as result of your requests through our
Suggest A Song Page here on the website.
So, hold onto your hats friends...because here we go
back into Mr. Peabody's Way-Back-Machine to take a look at some of the
highlights of 2004 for the Oracle Band. We hope you've enjoyed the
journey to this point as much as we have, and that you get a kick out of
the photo retrospective that follows.
Here we go!!!
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We start this little
retrospective exactly where we left off in our
2003 Year In Review, with a sold out performance for New Years
2004 at the American Legion Post 175 in Severna Park Maryland.
Sadly it also marked the last performance of bassist
Glenn Jones, who had announced earlier that the demands of
Oracle's schedule and his job as an attorney were just not seeing
eye to eye.
Glenn was with us for almost exactly one year, and although we
were sorry to see him go, he remains a great friend and still stops
by from time to time to sit in with the band.
It's so appropriate that we performed for New Years at the
Legion...it's been our home away from home for so long and the folks
there are simply the best.
Want to see more photos? Check out the
2003-2004 New Years Party at American Legion Post 175.
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In light of Glenn's departure the band was lucky
enough to have received a last minute e-mail from a bassist down in
southern Maryland who happened to be looking for a new band that
maintained a busy schedule. Oracle seemed to fit the bill
perfectly!
Charlie
Rundlett joined the band in January and made an immediate
impact.
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February marked a disappointment when
Jim's Hideaway, a regular stop on the Oracle tour, was forced to
discontinue live music. We're still hoping that the issues that
forced the cessation of live music at Jim's are able to be resolved.
Jim's was one of the clubs that gave Oracle it's break when
starting out. At one point the band was playing there 2-3
Fridays a month. You can see photos from our Jim's Hideaway
performances at the
Jim's Hideaway Photo Gallery.
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As you may or may not already know, Oracle performs
for a great number of weddings.
To attract prospective clients, Oracle performs at
a couple of large bridal shows each
year.
This one, at the Baltimore Convention Center, was
attended by almost 3000 people, from brides and grooms to wishful
thinking mothers and little girls dreaming of the future.
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Valentines Day found
Oracle at Andrews Air Force Base in Suitland, the home of Air Force
One, the President's plane. As always, we got plenty of
photos.
The return was a nostalgic one for Steve as it had been over a
decade since he had last performed there. Amazingly enough, the club
has changed little in over 30 years.
It's always a pleasure to perform for those currently serving and
those that have served our country in the armed forces.
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The band's February performance at Perry's
Restaurant in Odenton Maryland found a guest artist on stage with
us, as Tom Walsh joined Steve in the horn "section".
Tom and Steve had worked together years before on
the road with a show band called Pinoy. Somewhere along the
line we'll have to get Tom to sing a bit as well...he does one heck
of a Louis Armstrong impersonation! |
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In March Oracle performed for the
first time at a new club called My Way in Laurel Maryland.
In addition to the novelty of a new club to perform in, the
evening was made even more memorable as Steve's mom came out to hear
the band for the very first time.
Check out the
My Way Photo Gallery for shots from our performances there.
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2004 - Oracle Band Year In Review Page 1
2004 - Oracle Band Year in Review Page 2
2004 - Oracle Band Year in Review Page 3
2004 - Oracle Band Year in Review Page 4
2004 - Oracle Band Year in Review Page 5
2004 - Oracle Band Year in Review Page 6 | |
