Post PBSN Notes

Oh my goodness! Let me say - this past weekend was incredible!!
The music was amazing - the people were so wonderful - and Frank - well,
what can I say?!?!? The PBSN owes you so much!! You are an amazing man!!
You put together such a thing as to far surpass anything I have ever been to!
The love and caring there was so intense. Words just fail to express what I felt
this weekend! I am so grateful to you and your musical friends for what you
have done for the PBSN.

We love you ! ! ! Lynn & family

Lynn and Family with Frank

FW:Oh geez……J

In this post 9/11 world it is easy to lose hope in humanity, but the truth is hope
still reigns strong after witnessing what I have this weekend at the PBSN benefit.
Frank is one of those select few who was willing to reach well beyond himself to
better a part of our society that is often overlooked. If there is anyone who understands
the way people should be towards each other it is Frank Walker. I was truly honored to
be asked to be a part of this show and I had an amazing time and the level of emotion
in the room was almost overwhelming. There was an unspeakable vibe that was absolutely
amazing as the final night came to a close. Having seen what I did this weekend I encourage
everyone to take up a good cause that hits them closely. I am sure everyone can find something
that they truly believe in or are effected by. I know it is cliché but if everyone did take action on
all the so-called little things the world as a whole could improve greatly. We all too often get
wrapped up in the mire of life whether it be the job, bills, money etc. Sometimes you just have
to put the breaks on and wake up and take a stand for what really matters out there.
So when you see Frank and other local heroes out there who have taken a stand for something
such as Steve Mastrandrea and soon to be Bryan of A Modest Five take a moment to
just say thank you!
Regardless of each person's cause they can inspire hope and all that is good in us all.

Jeremy

Jeremy, you are SO right.

Many kudos to Frank Walker, and for his helpers Frankie's Angels (Ramona Spooney, Eileen McGlone,
Jessica Martines, Robin Chifari and her daughter Sarah White) for their great work this past weekend.

FW:”Frankie’s Angels” hard at work…..just check out their purple bowling shirts! ;-)

They took a situation that could have been a real downer on Saturday,
and made it into a great event. For those who don't know what happened, a cranky neighbor
from down the block who had an axe to grind with Cap's' former owner,
Maureen, sent the police to Cap's the day before the show, to say that because
the venue (which had just been sold) didn't have their cabaret license in order,
the show couldn't use any electronic amplification, and no more than 3
performers on the stage at the same time.
You might think this would have totally derailed the show.
Instead, it was one of the most
fun shows I was at all year, and it succeeded in raising a bunch of money for a good cause.

FW:As it turns out, the Cap’s show made the most money among very dark,
intimate, campfire-like conditions….see below for details!

“Momma” Maureen Briedenbach & every staff member in that time have
been gracious to us from day one & has allowed us many magical & unforgettable
memories, RIGHT down to the last day!!!!!

Cap’s has been sold to her daughter Amy who is rebuilding it under the name
“Catfish Max”, which I believe took effect the day after our benefit!

It’s is TRULY & SINCERELY an honor to have been the final show at Cap’s………..
AND have it be a successful benefit AND do it under the conditions that her “grinch” left it in.

Momma, Ramona & I love you so beyond words & we love Amy & wish her well from here on in!

Frank Walker rules!

Richard Hughes

Yes, Jeremy I would have to agree. You have put into words very well
exactly how I feel about what Frank is doing. I was fortunate to be able to
attend Saturday night at Cap's and it was an amazing night... despite the grinch
neighbor's court-sponsored denial of amplification- or maybe because of it!- t
he vibe in the room was incredible. Cover songs? So what, as long as they were
great songs, the audience singing along and realizing that so many others cared
about your own favorite tunes...from Pete Townshend's "I Love Every Minute Of
The Day" to James Taylor's "Shower The People" to Don Henley's "Forgiveness"
to the Kinks' "Better Things" to Warren Zevon's "Tenderness On The Block" to
John Mellencamp's "Pink Houses" to Led Zeppelin's "Going To California"...
and so many more, it was a wonderful experience of a community celebration.

And then Sunday afternoon, walking in and being asked to substitute for Kathy,
how could I turn down the honor of appearing with Liz, Alli, David, Jeremy, Maniac, Forever Falling,
String Alley etc.? Thanks Frank for the opportunity to help.

Kathy Flesichmann had to back out due to illness….
so Hank Stone & Darcy Avolin graciously spilt the time & played some amazing music!!!!

Kathy also wrote an amazing article in the January 2004 issue
of Aural Fix magazine (http://www.auralisland.com) about the PBS site & the benefit.

It was very touching & I’m convinced was a BIG factor in the success of the weekend!

Kathy & Mike Ferrari (AF’s publisher), much love & thanks for your time & help!

There has been a lot of talk about the "community" that we are all happily
a part of, and I have been amazed time and time again by the support that is
shown to one another. This past weekend's PBSN Benefit brought all of this
to the forefront, and it was a beautiful thing to be a part of start to finish.

Starting out at Munchaba Lounge (http://www.munchaba.com) Friday night, the
place was filled with people wanting to make a difference, and the music that
flowed this night, and throughout the benefit was sheer perfection.

Getting home at 4am is generally not a "happy" thing, but when I got home,
I was beaming for another good hour on what was accomplished.

FW:Bobby Newman & everyone at Munchaba made us feel very at home i
n many ways & even recorded everyone set that night (copies on the way!!!) Thanks Bobby!

Special thanks to Liz Smith (aka: Blonde Lemon Pledge http://www.blondelemonpledge.com)
for taking time out to come and tape portions of this night for L.I.M.C. TV (http://www.limctv.com).

FW:Liz owns http://www.digifrog.com Through this site, she will help me make
a DVD version of “Not The Only One” which will include PBS pictures & statistics
while the song plays throughout. The DVD will then be shown on a special episode
of Rich Hughes’ LIMC TV dedicated to http://www.prunebelly.org, which will also feature
interviews with Lynn & Amy Brokus & myself, conducted by
Janine Innamorato & filmed by Liz Smith.

The DVD will also be distributed to any & all TV media………

When the call was received Friday afternoon that Saturday at Caps On The River
in Seaford was "unplugged" in the truest sense of the word, there was an underlying
concern of "how the heck are we gonna pull this off". Instead of "pulling ANYTHING off",
those of you that came out were a part of a special night that I will remember for a
very long time. It was intimate and love filled from the word go.
Those of you that were there to witness Patti Morrone's Debut Performance after her
3 month hospital stay knew not only that she is back full force, we were in for an incredible night.
In a room packed from wall to wall with supporters, and musicians performing with nothing
but their chops behind them...it not only worked...it was inspiring on more levels than I can count,
and it was a perfect send off to the Caps as we knew it. Thank you Momma Mo!!!

And it goes without saying, the biggest highlight of Friday and Saturday was the presence
of Lynn Brokus (the president of http://www.prunebelly.org - from New Hampshire) and her family,
Amy, Katie, Sara and Daniel, our little 5 yr old artist who is responsible for the beautiful
CD cover on "Not The Only One", the charity single recorded by SpoonWalk and Jen Chapin
(available for sale at http://www.spoonwalk.com). The courage, love and sheer appreciation
shown by this family was felt by everyone in the room and it was an amazing thing to be a part of.

FW:Especially when Lynn, Katie & Amy Brokus spoke about their experiences
with PBS, AND when Daniel agreed to say “Please help me & my friends, thank you”
on Saturday! Every one of them made very passionate speeches which drove the request f
or help home with everyone! And for the 2^nd year on a row, Daniel drew some amazing
pictures that were auctioned off, raising $350 for 4 pics!!!!

To wrap up this emotional 2 days already, enter in V.P. South last night.
Again, the music was simply beautiful starting with the ever wonderful
Blonde Lemon Pledge and finishing up 10 acts later with the band we all know and love, Devia.
The emotion in the room was engulfing and contagious, with everyone knowing....
together, we made a difference.

I am not going to disclose the final dollar amount raised....
got to leave some bragging to our wonderful Mr. Frank Walker, who by his friendship,
dedication and love made this entire event come true.

We all wanted to come down and help.
We didn't realize we would all walk away better people for being a part of it.

And we all did, every last one of us.

Side Note: While these notes are about PBSN.
The writer did attend the Sunday VPSouth session on Sunday and saw,
and felt the love for Frank. He asked that I include his note here.
Site Designer.

It's actually quite rare for me to take a moment to laud someone for any reason.
I am a firm believer that everyone has an outstanding quality or two, and that
being a "good person" should be the rule, rather than the exception. Besides...
many people with outstanding qualities will not hesitate to inform you of their
exceptionality anyway, so kudos are unnecessary and redundant. However, once in
a while, God puts upon this earth a soul that embodies the epitome of the finer
points of humanity - an individual that expresses himself with the utmost decency
and humility, and makes our world a better place. I
n my own humble opinion, I sincerely believe that Frank Walker is one of those individuals.

Although I wasn't able to be "on the scene" this past weekend, I was tuned in from the get-go.
I know, that doesn't make much sense. Frank is a new friend for me and I can't remember
when meeting someone and getting to know them was such an absolute high. Aside from his talents
(and jumping some high hurdles along the way), Frank is a "one of a kind person" who makes each
person feel like they are his only friend. Special, eh? I am glad to have Frank as a part of our
extended family and proud to call him friend. Do I have an ulterior motive? You bet I do! I want him
to teach me some of those terrific chord changes he does so naturally. As Frank would say............
Hey GUYSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!
Frankie I'm glad to know ye! Looking forward to ONE gig together when I get my
act together and take it on the road! LOL What shall we call ourselves?? NotChoWalk??? <BIG SMILE>

I really can't add much more to what was already said here,
except to say that so many magical things happened that could
NEVER be planned if we tried......the ultimate having to do
with Rob Upham.
Rob gave us a page on his website (http://www.foreverfalling.net/pbs2004.htm)
that completely covered every necessary bit of info about http://www.prunebelly.org
& the benefit for it, which went all over the world as well as several TV media & a
few celebrities. Wellllll, being the masterful singer/songwriter/guitarist Rob is, it
JUST so happens that Rob won the grand prize drawing last night, a
Marshall MG30DFX guitar amplifier!!!! The ultimate payback for all he's done
for us!!!!! Rob, much love & thanks for everything!!!!

Frank, "Not the Only One" is a testimony to what can happen when a group of friends are pledged to mutually supporting each other -- and thereby enriching the world. Thanks Frank, for inviting me to play a small and honored part in this recording. I think you made some great moves on the production -- especially with the
acapella opening, which really adds to the emotion and intimacy of the
track -Jen Chapin

Someone here in NY asked me why I recorded the song & paid for it myself.
The PBSN owes me nothing......

My answer is this:
I was born with this, beat EVERY odd against me early on,
AND basically had most of it corrected.

If a Silly Love Song (thank you Paul McCartney...LOL) & a fundraiser can help a
community of people have ANY of the same luck I've had, it's a small payback...........

So I thank YOU guys for giving me this opportunity to try & do something.

Much love & appreciation-Frank W.