Good Times in Carmichael

El Dorado Hills, CA
Hello Friends!

Our first of four weeks in the Sacramento area has come to an end (but you said you had only three in Sac? Well our last week in May is also in Sacramento). The shows went wonderfully and the rain even let off for us to pack up the truck dryly. We had a wonderful time with our home stay Mom and her kids - Lisa Phenix. Being a local musician she knows all the great singers and band members through out Sacramento.

One night she wanted to take us to Winko Acoustic Sanctuary. Our interest perked and we asked what it was and simply put it is a piano bar in the back of a guys van.

Yes, yes we would go.

After a quick bite at the famous Tower Cafe (run by the same people of the Tower Record Fame) we sought out Winko's van which moves from night to night. We found it parked in a oil change station off of a main drag in downtown Sacramento. The outside of the van is amazing. It looks like a UPS truck but with neon lights and a great purple exterior.

I must admit if I wasn't with Lisa who knew the guy I may have been a little heistant to go in, but Lisa led the charge and in we went. The space is not big. You walk in and are met by a grand piano facade that seperate you from Winko. He sits behind the piano much like an old fortune teller machine. He is surronded by about 30 instruments that he can play.

His gig is a lot of fun. He chats you up for a bit and then asks you for a random topic and he will then play a song about that topic. Some songs are main stream and some he makes up on the spot. He does not take requests for songs as he feels that would interfere with the natural order of storytelling and song creating.

He sang to us about fishing and then did a rendition of Jumping Jack Flash. It was great! This video does it justice a bit, except we were not loud and drunk, but you can see him play none the less.

While at Lisa's I got to stay in here backyard cabin and LOVED IT! It was a little sanctuary that I was cozy and warm in while many storms blew through. It Christmas lights lining the walls and I burned incense every night. It was blissfull!

Now we are in a very nice neighborhood in El Dorado Hills. The stairway when you walk in the house reminds me of Tara from "Gone with the Wind" and they even have a water slide in the backyard, though it may be a touch chilly to use it. Or is it...

The Adventure Continues - ML