We wish you a Merry Christmas, We wish you a Merry Christmas...

The Intercoastal Pirates are coming to the close of another great year, and the guys would like to wish a very Merry Christmas to all of the family, friends, fans, club owners, event coordinators, and other wonderful partners who make this adventure so enjoyable for us. Without you all, this whole show would come to a grinding halt and we are sincerely thankful to all for the love and support we enjoy every week of the year!

And now that we are near the end of 2010, we want to extend another invitation to everyone to join us at the Lake Jackson Civic Center on December 31st to greet a New Year in with us! Tickets are available at the Civic Center. It will be a great time!!

The Gala!

The annual Christmas Gala at the Freeport River House was a success again this year! One look at some of the guests of the female persuasion will tell you why the gala is so well attended by their male counterparts! Lovely nite to be a Pirate...

The auctions, both silent and not-so-silent, were well supported. Food provided by the fine folks at On The River was outstanding, as were the decorations and table settings!

The band had a great time, delving into many ICP favorites, and a few we decided to wing on the request of a raucous crowd. And a special rendition of "Satisfaction" got the crowd into a loud mood, with some stellar singalong and air guitar moments seen amongst the dancers!

A well conceived and executed event, and one enjoyed again by band and patrons alike. So, till next year...

And on the horizon?

The week of December 6-12 will be a busy one! December 9th will see us in Surfside Beach (and you know how a Pirate and the beach go together!) for a private Christmas party, Friday December 10th will see us traveling up the San Bernard River for a final night at Dido's for 2010 (open to the public, so come on out!!!!!), and Saturday December 11th will see us in Angleton at the KC Hall for another multifamily Christmas event!

And don't forget... New Year's Eve at the Lake Jackson Civic Center! Food provided by La Casona, it will be a BYOB event with setups available, security provided, and a DJ to fill in the dancing gaps between ICP sets. This is the perfect event to have a great night dancing and visiting with friends in a safe environment free from the knuckleheads you may have to deal with elsewhere (apart from the band, anyway). Come to a party you will actually ENJOY! Tickets available at the Civic Center, $60 per person, food and entertainment included. See you there!

And the winner is...

Finally!

With the exit of Pirate-for-Life Stuart Herbst from the decks of the musical Pirate Ship o' The South came the search for a suitable person to fill the drummer's throne. Of course, it takes the proper mixture of musicianship and mayhem to make a living amongst this group of sea dogs. So, not just any old stick man is going to quite fill the bill.

We've had the pleasure of making music with a few drummers of late, and all have been fine musicians. Several would make fine band mates, to boot. But we were fortunate enough to have a long time friend come available during our search, and have invited him aboard the ship full time, as your newest Intercoastal Pirate! (Drum roll please...)


Bryan Armstrong, who has plied the musical waters of Brazoria County for 20-odd years now will be the time keeper, skin beater, and general tempo guru from here on out! Most recently, Bryan was the drummer for The Keepers, a great band and great bunch of guys. Several of the Keepers, including Jim Clark and Marvin Plander, have played with the Pirates on occasion. Bryan also played with ICP's Rick Park and Ronnie Churchill in Painted Desert in the early to mid 1990s, so he comes to the band with longstanding friendships already established! Bryan released a solo CD, as well as one with The Keepers, during his many years playing in this area. He's a solid player, a great guy, and he's single! So you ladies can come chase him down.

Bryan will be with us on November 13th at Dido's in Brazoria. Come on out and welcome him to the band! He's looking forward to meeting all the Pirate fans!

The end of an era...

Have you ever had a such a great time doing something that, when it was over, you were both exhilerated by the experience and sad it was behind you at the same time?

Such is the case with this post. A longtime and founding member of the Intercoastal Pirates, Stuart Herbst, is taking his leave of the ship to attend to more important matters on land, with his many friends, family, and business associates. Anyone who has sailed the waters of the weekdays working/weekends playing musician can attest to the fact of how difficult it can be to manage all of the things you love, and give them all their due attention. Stu has been a seaworthy companion and friend these many years, and we wish him nothing but success in whatever he puts his hand to in the coming months and years.

Proper respect dictates credit being given where it is due, and Stu has quite a bit of credit due to him. As mentioned earlier, Stu was here from the beginning, even taking significant credit for naming the band. And while some still say "What??" when they hear the name for the first time, they certainly remember it once they have it down! Stuart is one of the two remaining members from the group Backlash, the band that eventually became the Intercoastal Pirates, leaving Chris Faulk as the only member here from the dawn of time. :)

Stu has been in the music, and later the business, scene of Brazoria and surrounding counties since the 1970s, and has contributed to many area bands. He brought his expertise and hard-charging style to ICP, helping to forge a sound that became one of the most popular in the county. You can bet Stu will not disappear from the music scene, and already has some work going in the recording and film industries (we don't want to steal his thunder on that, so we will leave the rest of the story to him!). You'll be hearing from him again, maybe in some surprising ways!

The Intercoastal Pirates wish Stuart and his family the best and brightest of futures, and express heartfelt thanks for years of dedicated contribution. Play on, Thunder!

Of course, you don't replace a family member. We'll just add another seat at the pirate table for the person who will shoulder the drumming chores from here on out. As soon as it comes to pass, we'll be sure to introduce you to the newest Pirate!

Never fear, Powder Monkeys, we wouldn't bring home anyone you wouldn't be afraid of...

Drunker than...

Cooter Brown! We've heard it for years. And if anyone is sampling the rum or grog, we want to know where it may be happening. Figuring to find an answer to the query of just how drunk Cooter Brown might be, the Pirates were off to Brazoria for a first hand look at Cooter Brown's Country Club!

Well, Cooter was well behaved, and he has quite a nice club, to boot! A wide open dance floor, lots of fun loving patrons, a very capable wait staff, and the one thing bound to impress any of the many female fans... clean restrooms! Now, if you've been a'pillaging for very long, you know just how rare that can be. Hats off to the crew at Cooter's. We hope to visit you again real soon.

Having answered the age old question of Cooter Brown's sobriety level, we move on to other waters and places in need of a good pirating. We will be pointing the ship up-river to Dido's this Saturday. Always a great place to play, it will be all the better this time with the cooler temperatures outside. We're looking forward to it, and strongly suggest you reserve a table if you're planning on bringing a group. Good food, good friends, a beautiful location... come and make a few memories with the band!

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT!! The band has been selling a special sort of raffle ticket. The winner of the drawing will get the Intercoastal Pirates, playing at their event! That's right, we raffled US! Why would we do such a thing? It is our part in the fight against breast cancer. The band has been personally touched by the impacts of breast cancer, and are committed to do our part in supporting research for treatment and a cure! We send a very sincere thank you out to all who have purchased tickets for this event, you are doing more good than you know. All proceeds from the raffle will be donated to the Susan G. Komen Foundation to fund breast cancer treatment research. The drawing will be at Dido's, so come out and see who the lucky pillagee-to-be shall be!

The following week will find us even further inland, at the Armadillo Ballroom in Brazoria. For those who may not know, The 'Dillo is a southeast Texas institution. Many bands and artists of renown have played there and it has been a musical center for live acts most of our lives so we are looking forward to visiting their shores. Making it all the more special is that it is a sort of reunion of Columbia school students... no specific year, it it's your Alma Mater then you are who they're looking for!

Many more ports to be visited through the year, and we are already booking into 2011. We hope to see you soon!

Fun into the Fall

Well, we were thinking the Fall of 2010 might be a little bit slower, but the scheduled stops for the Mighty Ship of Music will be bringing the Intercoastal Pirates to many a port over these next months!

We'll be making a few more visits to one of our favored places, Dido's, over the next few months. School reunions are on tap, notably the West Columbia Schools reunion for ALL past students that will be taking place at the Armadillo Ballroom next month. We are proud to have been invited to entertain at the Grand Opening for Amber Lane Boutique in West Columbia. This will actually be TWO clothing stores, one for women and one for men. Come on out to meet Holly and Bill Thompson, eat some BBQ and buy yourself some new duds! We'll have several private parties and weddings to pillage, and then (believe it or not) there are already several Christmas parties on the horizon before closing the year with a special public party at the Lake Jackson Civic Center. See the "Ports of Call" on the front page for dates and times. Looks to be a busy Fall for the boys, and they are looking forward to seeing everyone out and enjoying the music.

Bryan Armstrong, drummer and vocalist for The Keepers joined the band for a night at Dido's while Stu was busy with a previous commitment. The band enjoyed a cooler night than we've seen of late, and another full house at Dido's. Thanks to Bryan for filling in. Great job, as always!

Thank you

Smooth Seas!

Well, mateys, here we are... nearly to September of 2010... Of late, your favorite pirating pillagers have been making the rounds of local parties and other events, enjoying some great times, making new friends, playing some new tunes, and then filling our sails with wind to move to the next fun experience with our great fans. A great summer so far, and we are feeling especially blessed that most of the tropical activity hasn't made our sailing difficult. Keep those storms over the remote Atlantic waters, thank you very much!

The Pirates have a little breathing room in the month of September, which is much needed to tend to the ship we call home and make certain we give the proper attention to those who keep our home ship sailing smoothly. Also during this time, we'll be adding to the ever expanding song list to add to your experience when next you join us!

We want to make sure you know where to find us, wherever the ship might sail. In addition to this continuing chronicle, you can keep up with us at:

www.intercoastalpirates.com
www.facebook.com/intercoastalpirates
www.myspace.com/intercoastalpirates

This will help you find us on your computer, Blackberry, Iphone, or whatever your favorite device might be. Tune in! See you soon...

Flying with Willie, Getting Moody,and other fun stories

The Great Texas Mosquito Festival in Clute, Texas has been a mainstay for the Intercoastal Pirates for 2008 and 2009, and 2010 was to be no exception! Coming in on Saturday night with Casey Donahew and Stoney LaRue, the night was hot, the crowd loud, and the music filled the night. GTMF mascot Willie Manchew and the Skeeter Fest crew were, as always, great to the band. The boys were all quite happily surprised by a glowing article on the event, written by Sherry Jane Cooke for the Houston Country Music Examiner... Thanks, Sherry!

Sherry's Article

It wasn't too long ago that the mighty musical Pirate ship sailed into the old port of Galveston to spend an evening with the Beach Boys, doing what we could to get the historic seaport city back on its feet following Hurricane Ike. That was a great night, and left us with many memories of beautiful weather, great fans, wonderful music, in a nearly perfect environment at Moody Gardens.

Now pretty much back to all its former glory (or at least without boats sitting in yards and on top of cars!) the return to Galveston was a long awaited night. The event was Bands on the Sand at our favorite Galveston locale... Moody Gardens. We disembarked in the midst of a sweltering hot Texas afternoon, and met with the crew from Sound on Sound to get prepared. The Moody Gardens folks were out, and cordial as ever, keeping band, crews, and event staff rolling in the right direction. A joy to work with, as always.

Frank Billingsly from Channel 2 News in Houston was on hand to cover the show. Captain Chris got a little camera time while the band bopped along behind him and Frank (looking dapper in his new multi-color tie dye Intercoastal Pirates t-shirt!). The Channel 2 News crew was top notch, and treated the Pirates to several prime time spots on the evening news. Thanks to Frank and the crew for coming out... you guys are welcome any time.

The next night had us sailing back into the home port of Lake Jackson to party with the B'wood Class of 75 at the Civic Center. It was a pure joy to play in temperatures that weren't near triple digits, and the food and drink provided a great start to a fun night. The Boys were in fine form, and kept the dance floor hopping through the evening. We can testify... the Class of Seventy-Five is still alive!

August 21st will have us back to a most favored port along the San Bernard River: Dido's!!! We always have a great time there, and this date(at this moment anyway) is our last scheduled appearance there in 2010. PLEASE make your reservations to come party with the Pirates early... it's always a full house when we visit Jeff and the crew. Great food, lots of drink, pretty girls, and wall to wall music! What could be better for a slew of Pirating note-smiths?

The big ship rolled up the (finally) receding waters of the ol' San Bernard river to a one of our most favored ports, Dido's, to spend a night reveling with the river folk Saturday night. The place was filling even before the band was set up, and was full by the first notes sounded. A great crowd, loud and partying the night away, joined the band in song after song on the dance floor. A great night.

The band hosted several birthdays, several anniversaries, and a shipload of old friends reuniting throughout the night. One set of friends that have not seen one another in 53 years actually got together to catch up on all the happenings since they last shared a high school hallway. The boys in the band just love friends and family, so these kind of happenings are always among the most enjoyable moments in Pirating! Keep up with the Ports of Call listed to the left... there are more reunions to be pillaged throughout 2010.

Now that the whole band is back together (reunited, if you will), we find ourselves thankful to be sailing the waters of the United States of America in this week following our Independence Day. A HUGE thank you to all who have served, who serve now, and who will serve in all branches of the United States military, protecting our borders and going far & wide to make sure the stars and stripes stay flying over our collective heads. We are proud and ever thankful to be a band from the greatest state in the greatest country on Earth!

Time is coming...

Well, here we are in June... that means one thing... Rick is almost back!! Just a few more weeks and he will be done with taking care of business out of state and will climb back to his rightful spot opposite the Captain on the musical pirate ship o' the south!

It's been a long three months, mates, awaitin' his return to these decks! But many thanks should go out to all the fine Brazoria County musicians that filled in gallantly for Rick while he was away from his seaworthy compatriots. Each added his own flavor to the mix, and they are all honorary Pirates for life!

Rick's first night back on deck is scheduled to be at Castaway's on Surfside Beach, June 26th. Come on out and welcome the first mate back to life at sea!

More dates coming, more updates here too...

As you can tell from the few recent posts, there has been a lot going on getting ready for Rick's absence, Les' arrival, and even some more member news. Former ICP guitarist Rod Foroozan will also be making several appearances during Rick's hiatus, so be sure to come welcome him back into the fold. Rod has been burning up area stages with The Nailers, old friends of the band, so seeing him back on stage with The Pirates (even on loan) is a special treat.

The band schedule is being updated, but in the mean time go to www.myspace.com/intercoastalpirates and get the most updated dates and times.

It's getting warmer, and the busy summer months are a'coming! Rick will be back at his post opposite Chris starting with the June 26th date at Castaway's, so come out to welcome him back!

See you all soon at a port near you!

(Photo- Ladd Photography, Galveston)

Past the Holidays, onward through the fog!

Well, we lived through another Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years, and all the associated gatherings. Great season, lots of private parties and corporate nights for the band, and many things on the horizon for your favorite pillagers.

The boys sailed into a few new ports and even joined in the bliss of marriages celebrated by fans (and friends)of the band. Always the best of times with the best of people.

Just last night, the place to be was in Bay City at the Oscar Night for Junior Service League. Extremely well planned and executed, it was a night fit for the elite stars of the silver screen when Hollywood was really Hollywood. Hosts Erin and Michelle made certain the band was well cared for, with food and drink to spare. It was a great night, with the dance floor full from stem to stern all though the event.

Some changes of interest are on the horizon. Rick Park will be heading off to Quantico, Virginia for some high level training for a few months. Don't worry, he will be back! But while he's gone, his place opposite Captain Chris on the deck will be ably manned by Les Roberts. An old friend of the band, Les has been plying the musical waters of this area for more years than he'd like to admit! A veteran of bands such as Moonchild, and current member of Dogtown Blues, his guitar playing and vocals will be a great addition to the band. Welcome, Les!!

Also, we're hoping to be pointing the ship to different venues in different cities over the next many months. You can bet we will maintain our friendships and appearances you've come to expect, but are looking to give you more choices than ever when it comes to a night of stepping out with the Pirating elite!

See you soon!!!