Big'uns

Where we're hangin' out

2010-08-22T07:18:00.001-07:00

Most of our online activity these days originates out of our Facebook page. If you, don't participate in Facebook, and want to get email updates about public gigs Big'Uns will be playng, send me an email to ederdn @ gmail.com (spaces added to avert spammers)

Meanwhile, we'll be at the George's Happy Hour for the first time in a few months, on Friday, September 3, the day before the first Fayetteville Razorback game. Come on out.

A few public gigs

2010-01-03T14:23:00.000-08:00

While it seems a lot of the stuff we're doing these days is private--weddings, corporate events, etc.--we do enjoy playing about every six weeks at the George's Friday Happy Hour. For us it's about the perfect club gig: early in the evening, lots of good friends, a good room with good sound.
Here are the ones we have scheduled for the first part of 2010:
January 8
March 12 (Sterling's "Paint Your Hair Green" St. Paddie's Birthday Party
June 11

So come on out. And if you need a group for your private event, we're your guys.

Time to get back to this (George's Happy Hour--Friday Nov. 6)

2009-11-04T02:37:00.001-08:00

I had the pleasure of speaking yesterday in Little Rock at Commerce Arkansas, sponsored by Arkansas Business and was relating that this blog provided a portal into a lot of other stuff I have going in social media. Problem is, I just haven't updated it recently. So here goes.

If you're out and about on Dickson St. in Fayetteville this Friday afternoon (Nov. 6), Big'Uns will be playing one of our once-every-six-weeks Happy Hour engagements at George's Majestic. If you've been there, you know this a a great party. Usually SRO (so bring your dancing shoes). Starts at six, lots of energy and home in your 'jammies (if that's what you want) by TV news time.

With the ballgame in town on Saturday and lots of out-of-town friends in, it'll be a particularly rockin' time.

So come on out.

Happy New Year from Big'Uns

2008-12-30T13:33:00.000-08:00

As we close out 2008. We want to take a few moments to count our blessings. While it’s been a challenging year for a lot of folks, we can look back and find many things for which to be grateful. Among them, that we live in the best place in the world, are still able to play our music, and best of all, we have great friends, like you all.

We’ll be bringing in the New Year by playing Fayetteville’s First Night festival, to be held this year at the NW Arkansas Mall. We’ll play at 10:30, leading up to the fireworks show at midnight. If you’re a family type—or if dancing on the table at midnight is something that just no longer holds its luster—First Night is a really cool event. Plus it’s kinda nice waking up on New Year’s Day without a headache.

We’ll be back at George’s for another January Happy Hour. Stay tuned for a notification there.

Other ways to connect with Big’Uns online—
Facebook: The Official Big’Uns Facebook Group
MySpace: Big’Uns MySpace Page
Or if you Twitter, follow me on twitter at http://twitter.com/ederdn

You'll be happy, too

2008-12-04T17:06:00.000-08:00

Lard’s hard to come by these days, what with the high demand on animal fat and all. So just come to George’s for happy hour on Friday. Another Big’uns “no Christmas music guaranteed” happy hour (don’t you get tired of hearing that stuff on every Muzak [do they still call it Muzak?] system in the country, beginning Halloween? I do). We’ll guarantee two hours when you’ll only be having yourself a merry little Friday.

There are music and the usual whiskey

2008-07-09T12:23:00.000-07:00

Instruction for delicious and buoyant Friday hours of euphoria: Do not siting on couch after work. To please place selves in good tingling car. Toodle careful to George’s whiskey enterprise. Many people putting joy into air from Big’uns music racket. Dangle feet in happy air and punch holes in bad thinking. Return lobster always better. Suddenness can occur among many. Fluffiness not a breakable option. Better to shake monkey on Friday than see horse turn into mule. You’ll see and be painted with pink-green flouge Happy hour is for relaxation from gay college puppy to old grand dad You're there, too.

Inspired by one of my favorite web sites, http://www.engrish.com (thanks, Gio) (and I use the above image asking forgiveness rather than permission) and by some of the instruction manuals I've received with Asian-made musical gear.

Translation: Big’uns @ George’s this Friday Happy Hour.
Ed
http://thebiguns.blogspot.com/
www.myspace.com/bigunsnwa
http://twitter.com/ederdn
PS, We’ll be at the Ryan Gibson Foundation One Particular Harbor fundraiser on Saturday night. The ticket’s a bit higher, but it’s a great event for a good cause.

Update--June 28

2008-06-28T10:32:00.000-07:00

Quick note to let you know of some upcoming stuff:

We'll be back at George's for happy hour on Friday, July 11. I'll send out an email that week just to remind the faithful.
The next night, we're playing the annual Ryan Gibson Foundation, "One Particular Harbor" at the Fayetteville Town Center. For more information.

If you're a MySpace user, the band now has a MySpace page http://www.myspace.com/bigunsnwa (for the mnemonically challenged, think "biguns northwest arkansas")

Also, if you're a Twitter user, subscribe to my updates at http://twitter.com/ederdn I'll send out "tweets" about engagements as they're coming up.

And the winner so far

2008-04-24T18:44:00.000-07:00

There are two great things (as it relates to this posting) about Emily Kaitz:
1) She's can turn a phrase
2) She doesn't drink beer

Her submission:

Old guys really rock
On pricey musical gear
They live teen-aged dreams.

If you'd like to hear some of Emily's great songwriting, come to Devil's Den between 2 and 4 on Sunday. Outside the Lines will be there in support of a Lewis and Clark event.

More poetry

2008-04-24T18:37:00.000-07:00

And here's one from our friend Frank in Little Rock. Two things are very obvious from this: 1) Frank should stick with marketing and leave the poetry to those who can't sell. 2) He knows us very well.

Haiku" is much too sophisticated for me. How 'bout an Arkie take on it:

There once was a band on the hill,
that played cover tunes for a thrill.
They were old bastards, true,
and they ached through and through --
I think "Big Un" means "massive pain pill."

George's poetry

2008-04-24T18:23:00.000-07:00

My longtime Harrison buddy, John submitted these entries. And although they deviate a syllable or two from the traditional haiku format (I always thought when it came to poetry, the Brits had it over the Japanese in truckloads), I think they capture the spirit of Friday afternoon really well. John gets a beer for being the first to submit, and for being such a great supporter from the very start.

BigUns at George’s
This Friday for sure
Springfest as well

Got my own table
Been here since four
Show’s now starting and, gee, got a buzz

Ralph’s has the pole
Dancing with the babes
Wonders if it’s the talc or the tape?

Her boots, her hat, slit up the thigh
Jigglin’ for the band
Catchin’ Ed’s eye. [note: not certain how I feel about this one]

The blonde babe swayin’
Scootin’ across the floor
Is she pointing at Sterling? [how appropriate!]

Beer’s been swilled
Beatles set got’em rockin’
Nobody here gonna be Dancing with the Stars!

Show is over.
Crowd screaming for more.
Georges in July. Just can’t wait.

THANKS, JOHN

Big'uns Georges Happy Hour Haiku

2008-04-23T18:53:00.000-07:00

Okay, so inspiration just didn’t come this month. So I just threw this together in haiku form to tell you about

Big’uns at George’s
Happy hour at six o’clock.
You’ve been there before.

Two beers, ten fast songs.
Place is beginning to buzz.
Whoo ee. It’s Friday.

Powder on the floor.
Ralph dances with his shoes off.
With that pretty girl.

Jeez! What an outfit!
She’s wearing that at her age?
Hope nothing falls out.

Got here half past six.
Don’t have a table.
Oh well. Who needs one. Let’s dance

This will be the last
Big’uns happy hour date til’
Sometime in July.

I’m sure you can probably do better. If so, email me your George’s haiku. I’ll buy the winner a beer on Friday and put it up here.

BTW (just so I can say I added value) there are some _really_ entertaining redneck haiku here. Perhaps these will inspire you.

As I always say
If you don’t want to get these
Just reply to this.

It's Gets Green Early in Big'uns Land

2008-03-15T07:51:00.000-07:00

Greetings from Big'uns World Headquarters, where we've just celebrated a rite of spring early, with the third annual Sterling's Birthday/St. Pat's Day Big'uns Gala Celebration Extravaganza at Happy Hour at George's.

For the third year in a row, Sterling and Mark painted their hair green for this special occasion. This year, they talked Darren and me in to joining the action. Special thanks to Tina and the women at Salon Professionals . They took a break from their award-winning work to have a little fun with us. Our shenanigans notwithstanding, if you need outstanding work done by stylists at the top of their game, join some of Northwest Arkansas' finest as their clientele.

We had a crowd of about 350. Not our biggest at George's, but maybe one of our best.

We'll see you back there on April 25.

December 3 Update

2007-12-03T19:25:00.000-08:00

Here we are in December again. Just a gentle reminder that Big’uns will be playing one of our once-every-six-weeks happy hours at George’s this Friday at 6 pm.
We got all dressed up and played the annual St. Mary’s Ball this past Saturday under the “respectable” moniker of Big. It was fun, the governor and some of Benton County’s finest were in attendance, and I was happy to see my tux coat still fits.
At the end of October, we played the Mad Hatter’s Ball, a fundraiser for the Eureka Springs School of the Arts. I was late in getting them the contract, and we were inadvertently billed as “The Ed Nicholson Band,” until the error was corrected. Whew! Won’t let that happen again! So just to give everyone else in the band equal time, we’ll be playing with a different name for each of the next five gigs:

Fuzz and the Foster Children
The VanDerhoof and Mouth Gang
Sterling and the Nasty Little Tuckers
Carl’s Bad Boys
Darren and the Ray Guns

We’ve spent a bit of time in my son’s garage working on a few new tunes, and will be playing four of them on Friday. So come on out.

Mad Hatter's Ball--Eureka Springs

2007-10-28T14:32:00.000-07:00

Friday the 26th, Big'uns played the 5th annual Mad Hatter's Ball in Eureka Springs, which benefits the Eureka Springs School for the Arts.

Great time was had by all, and there was some incredibly creative headgear. Thanks to our friend, Philly Rains for shooting these photos.

Bikes, Blues and Big'uns

2007-10-12T08:45:00.000-07:00

We had a big time doing this. Playing with great production (good job JT Huff and Co) is always fun. Although Darren and Big Bad Bubba were a formidable act to follow, I thought we held our own. It was wonderful seeing a lot of our good friends out there on the front row. Thanks to our buddy Frank Cox for sending this these photos along.

RECALL NOTICE—YOU MIGHT BE AFFECTED

2007-10-09T17:04:00.000-07:00

Local music providers Big’uns have recalled their entire three-hour performance from the September 28, Pink Trash Ball at George’s due to defects in the first three songs of the first set.

Apparent temporary faulty connections between the brains and note-triggering mechanisms contributed to the flawed performances.

Although the group is still exploring the cause of the malfunctions, the real reason might never be known. “If it were an Accord and a substandard carburetor, I’d know it immediately,” stated expert auto technician “Fuzz” Foster, the band’s bass player. “But this is baffling. We know it wasn’t alcohol-related, since this was a real paying gig and we weren’t drinking—besides, we’ve been known to play very well under the influence.”

“Man, I’m bummed,” stated singer Darren Ray. “I play in sixteen different musical configurations, and these are the guys who put my reputation on the line.”

“An obvious gap in our Six Sigma program,” according to Carl Thomas, UofA MBA candidate and Big’uns keyboardist. “I can only hope it doesn’t impede our ISO-9000 accreditation attempt.” The band has traditionally prided itself on its Quality Program.

At this point, it appears no injuries or illnesses have resulted from the performances. And while only the first three songs were affected, the entire performance is being recalled out of an abundance of caution.

Consumers who were unknowingly exposed to the faulty performances do not have reason for concern, according to Malice Intonation, paid third-party expert at the Institute for Betterer and Finerer Music. “Millions of people willingly listen to bad music every day; some seem to thrive on an all-clam diet. Nothing to see here. Move along.”

For those in attendance at the event who do feel as though their musical psyches might have been compromised by the performance, a make-up performance will be held at George’s this Friday from 6-8 pm. A minimal cover will be charged.

Good Photos of Pink Trash Ball

2007-10-09T11:40:00.000-07:00

Eric Molle took some great photos of the Pink Trash Ball last week. If you have an event for which you need a photographer, this guy can do the job. See the entire gallery here.

Get yer motor runnin'

2007-10-04T15:36:00.000-07:00

Big'uns will be on the Main Stage at Bikes Blues and BBQ, Saturday, Oct. 6, at 5:15.

Ride on out and join us.

Pink Trash--That's What We Are (at least for one night)

2007-09-28T08:51:00.000-07:00

Good cause. Good venue. Good fun.

For Tickets.

Are you gonna eat that?

2007-08-27T17:03:00.000-07:00

In an effort to continually add value (why can’t we all just contribute?) to what might be otherwise annoying notifications of the periodic Big’uns George’s appearances, I offer just a few of the things I’ve learned in my many years as an amateur gardener. I seem to relearn them each year, so maybe you can benefit from my experience:

Crabgrass can actually make an interesting and (depending on one’s attitude about it) attractive ground cover. It's beats the heck out of bluegrass for durable. As my dad, Jim Nicholson so wisely said, pretty is as pretty does.
A huge ripe tomato is no obstacle for a half-inch worm. Said worms taste like hell. Homegrown tomatoes are God’s own food. Growing them well can be the devil's work.
Don’t fool yourself into thinking your friends want your extra zucchini.
Mint, as prolific as it is, and as much as it might resemble basil, does not make good pesto.
One can rent a backhoe without any specialized knowledge or license to operate it. There probably should be a license required to drive one into your yard. But they can be really fun to play with. If you can live with the consequences.
Poison ivy will grow in an urban environment. Dead poison ivy is still poison ivy. You can develop an allergy to it, even after a lifetime of immunity. God only knows how, but it can get into places on your body normally protected by elastic.
Bamboo is like 20-foot-tall Bermuda grass. Left unchecked, it would probably spread to and thrive on your roof. Unless you plan on setting up your house as a base for a paramilitary organization, beware the seemingly innocent, smiling older Asian lady who tells you it’s great for landscaping.
Roundup™ won’t kill bamboo. It will, however, do very interesting things to your neighbor’s prize peonies. The best time to futilely spray Roundup on your bamboo is on Sunday morning. The worst time is Friday evening after a few cocktails. Whiskey and Roundup don’t mix.

But Friday evening—notably this Friday evening--is a great time to go to the George’s happy hour. Big’uns will be there this week, along with our best friends. 6-8pm. So put up the garden sprayer and get yourself on out. All that yard stuff will wait ‘til Sunday (or Monday this week).

"Hey you. Git-tar player. You ugly, too"

2007-07-18T17:25:00.000-07:00

Okay, it’s getting late in the week, and I can’t think of anything to amuse even myself (and I'm easily amused) to put in my “Big’uns at George’s” announcement.
It’s coming up this Friday (the 20th). 6-8.
Come on out. The good thing about the Big’uns George’s happy hours is that you’re pretty well guaranteed to see someone older and uglier than you are (this coming from someone who is both beauty and age-challenged) probably doing something or wearing something that would have inhibited you when you were sixteen. In other words, you can let your guard down without being noticed.
Oh, and at this one, you can stay for the whole thing and still be home with enough light left to water the tomatoes.

Who are these guys?

2007-06-11T04:40:00.000-07:00

Sterling says it looks like paparazzi caught us at a funeral.

This was at the Lefler/Cross wedding at Pinnacle Country Club this past Saturday, where we showed that we could be bastions of decorum, down to Pinnacle's rule of absolute temperance for the band.

This was actually a lot of fun. It was great to see my long-time friends from the Lefler family. The hosts and guests were all fun to work for.

If you need a wedding band, we can clean up and act nice.

Best wishes Erin and T.J. Live long and prosper.

What time is it?

2007-06-07T11:51:00.000-07:00

Geez, it’s Thursday afternoon already. Time flies when you’re giving away chicken. I’ve been out in California this week celebrating Hunger Awareness Day by doing just that. I feel like Michael Anthony must have felt. It’s a job that doesn’t suck. Anyway, enough about me.
That’s a long way of saying this is a little bit shorter notice than you usually get, but Big’uns is back at George’s for happy hour tomorrow (June 8).
Then it’s off to the weddings—including Darren’s! So this is the last time we’ll be playing in public with a member who’s never, ever, been married. Gosh, I hope that doesn’t adversely affect our sex appeal.

Party in the Park--let's try again

2007-05-26T14:04:00.000-07:00

Well, we had a little precip throw a monkey wrench in Thursday's performance at Gulley Park. At 4:30, it looked like that line of T-storms was going to slam Washington Co. at about 6:00, so the powers-that-be postponed. About an hour later, it all dissipated. Can't stop the rain. Sometimes you can't predict it. WTH.
The good news is that we're back on the schedule for this Thursday, the 31st.
So, we'll be hoping the weather gods smile upon us this week.
If not, at least the adults can join us at the George's HH on June 8.

Down in the Gulley

2007-05-23T07:47:00.000-07:00

This week (Thursday, May 24), the family-friendly edition of Big'uns (we've been trying to call it "Big," but the name just won't seem to stick) kicks off the summer music series in Fayetteville's Gulley Park.
We'll be playing from 7-9pm.
If history is an indicator, there will be local TV news teams there (for about 15 minutes), ready to tape the first kids that even act like they're dancing. Parents, this could be the initial monumental step in sending your child down that grueling path to the American Idol finals.
So round up the young'uns, rinse the winter dust out of the cooler, dig out the Jarts set, pack up the pickup and head on out for an idyllic spring's evening of music wrought Big'uns style.

Heads up for your calendar: Next George's happy hour sighting will be June 8.