Friday, December 31, 2021

December 21st, Retrophonics Studios - Jim and I worked on "Complicated World" a Besley/Berardo original and "Sweet River Girl" a live recording from The Amp written by Wayne Johnston.

December 22nd, Carpetbaggers DAVE, Sue and Tony at Hurricane Grille and Wings - It was a chilly one but fun anyway! Sue and Wayne had their family in town for Christmas, it was nice to meet them and play some music for them. See you next week!

December 23rd, Bagan and Company - Dan and I worked on "Wait a Minute" another song from our The Big Lonesome Rides Again album written by Herb Pedersen. So far these are two singles from the album:


December 23rd, Carpetbaggers DAVE, Sue and Frankie at Pelican Landing - The Big D , The Queen Bee and Frank -E had a great gig. We missed Mr. T.  We will see him on Mond-E at the Winer -E.

December 25th Merry Christmas!! - Kim and Paige had our family over for a wonderful dinner. Afterwards TT and I went to see Bob and Carol tell some stories at the storytelling event at their  home. Bob and Carol were very entertaining! I recommend you go hear them sometime.

December 26th, DAVE at Aunt Kate's - I had a wonderful afternoon out on the porch by the water!

Excited about the release of "Back Again" The Carpetbaggers 2nd effort. Thanks for letting me live my dream!!! Keepin' It Real! -David

see you down the road!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
check out my upcoming performances here:
http://davidwattbesley.blogspot.com/p/schedule_31.html


December 13th, Retrophonics Inc. - We worked on Complicated World a Besley/Berardo song we recorded with The Big Lonesome. 

December 15th, Carpetbaggers DAVE, Frankie and Tony at Hurricane Grille and Wings - We had a nice night going and then came the rain. We got most of the night in and stopped just in time to keep from getting too wet.

December 16th, Carpetbaggers DAVE, Frankie and Tony at Pelican Landing - We had a nice evening. Thanks for coming out every one. See you next week!

December 17th thru the 20th, Ellijay, GA - This is slowly becoming a family tradition. We had a great time with Braylen, Brianna, the one they call Jim and most of all Sue and Wayne Westcott. This Ellijay is a beautiful place. We saw some deer on our walks up and down the mountain roads. I still gained  some weight I wasn't counting on.. We got to leave a piece of us there when we put lights on a Charlie Brown Tree which you can see from Wayne and Sue's house. We saw the water falls, drove through a creek in Wayne's Jeep. Had some wonderful meals, drank some good whiskey and beer and had a group watch of Yellowstone. I'm sorry we missed our friend Jerry Piper at the American Legion but we will see him next trip. We had a safe ride up and back after an early morning jump start now we are home.

Braylen looking for bears

Dave and Theresa taking a rest.

Brianna trying to get us all in the selfie.

I need 2 more songs for my next 2 projects Carpetbaggers #3 Say Grace and my #5 solo Poor-Dum. I'llbe in the studio with Jim Tuesday to continue work on The Big Lonesome Rides Again. We have a couple gigs with the band before Christmas. Thanks for letting me live my dream!!! Keepin' It Real! -David

see you down the road!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
check out my upcoming performances here:
http://davidwattbesley.blogspot.com/p/schedule_31.html



December 6th, Retrophonics Stidios - Jim and I worked on "My Hero" a song written by DAVE, Barry Dunaway, George Reeves and Fester Hagood. We also decided the next song to mix for The Big Lonesome project will be "Complicated World".

December 7th, Bagan and Company "LIVE" - We had a great show! My brother Ed Pickett did a great job, it was nice to sit in with him on a couple of tunes. Next show January 4th with Elizabeth Roth.

December 8th, Carpetbaggers DAVE, Sue and Tony at Hurricane Grill and Wings - We had a great evening rain and all! Thanks you guys for hanging' with us.

December 9th, Bagan and Company - Dan and I finished the layout for "Back Again" we are done! Time to start on my new solo cd Poor-Dum and the Carpetbaggers new cd "Say Grace".

December 9th, Carpetbaggers DAVE, Sue, Tony and Frankie at Pelican Landing - We had a great night! We had a great crowd!

December 10th, 11th - Benefit Toys For Tots at Duffy's Tavern - We had such a great weekend! Friday we played the benefit at Duffy's and it was a great success. Everyone sounded great; Chuck, Scott, Jay and Caroline McKeon. We had our fill of Duffy burgers until next year. The next night after having lunch at Duffy's we went to see The Waliers, a great show. Thanks Chuck and Dara for everything!

December 12th, Travel Day - We made it back home around 11:30 am. What a nice trip. Hopefully we will be back next year!

We are in search of the lost tracks of The Big Lonesome at Retrophonics. I will be getting with Dan Bagan on Thursday to start work on "Say Grace" and "Poor-Dum"  and "The Big Lonesome Rides Again" my next 3 projects. Thanks for letting me live my dream!!! Keepin' it Real!! -David

see you down the road!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
check out my upcoming performances here:
http://davidwattbesley.blogspot.com/p/schedule_31.html

Tuesday, December 7, 2021

November 22nd and 23rd, Virginia - Saying goodbye to an old friend Patrick Michael Markham, July 31, 1952 to November 5, 2021. Rest In Peace my friend.

Chuck Caudill, Jim Miner, Dave, Paul D'Angelo

November 24th, Carpetbaggers DAVE, Sue and Tony at Hurricane Grill and Wings -We had a wonderful night, it was good to have Sue back!

November 25th, Happy Thanksgiving! - Theresa was in Virginia visiting here family for Thanksgiving so I was left to my own devices for the day. My first stop was by Pelican Pub and where I had some great food and a couple beers with Jeff, Jennifer and friends. Then I was off to The Bagan's where I had a few snacks and a beer then I went home and took a short nap. Later it was off to The Westcott's for some more festivities. Sue and Wayne prepared a wonderful dinner, thanks for inviting Jay and I. Then we were homeward bound. Thanks everyone for a wonderful Thanksgiving looking forward to next year!

November 26th, DAVE at Aunt Kate's - It was cold and windy but I feel that if someone will sit and listen to my music I will play for them no matter what the weather. See you next time on the porch by the water!

November 27th, Carpetbaggers DAVE, Sue, Frankie and Tony at St. Augustine Fish House and Oyster Co (old Creekside) - We were cancelled due to the chilly weather  See you in January 15th.

November 28th - TT, Brianna and Braylen are back from Virginia.

It's been a great week, it was good to be with friends on Thanksgiving! Looking forward to getting together with Jim at Retrophonics Studios. I have two new tunes to lay down. I'm also looking forward to being with Dan at Bagan and Co. to finish the artwork for the Carpetbagger's  "Back Again" CD.  Thanks for letting me live my dream! Keepin' It Real! -David

see you down the road!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
check out my upcoming performances here:
http://davidwattbesley.blogspot.com/p/schedule_31.html


November 15th, Songwriter's Night at Pelican Pub - It was a blast! Everyone was on Dewey Via, Craig Hand, and Chelsea and Lauren of Bad Dog Mama. When I share the stage with these great singer songwriters, it's a real treat. There is a lot of talent in this town and tonight a crowd of live original music fans got a chance to hear some of it. Thanks to the great folks at the Pelican Pub for offering up their place for this event at the last minute. We will see you December 20th at the Pelican Landing!

Songwriter's Night at Pelican Pub, Dave, Dewey, Craig, Chelsea and Lauren

November 16th, OFF - Corner Sushi with the family, our favorite place.

November 17th, Carpetbaggers DAVE, Tony and Frankie at Hurricane Grill and Wings - It was a great night! 

November 18th, Bagan and Company - Dan and I finished the cover and the back of our new cd "Back Again". Now we just have to lay out the inside so that CD that I've been talking about for so long will be done.

November 18th, Carpetbaggers DAVE, Tony and Frankie at the Pelican Pub - Thanks Jeff for letting us have our Thursday night at your other place. We will be back at Pelican Landing next week.

November 19th, Carpetbaggers DAVE and Tony at Tides Oyster Co. and Grill-  - It was a little quiet but still had a great time hangin' out with Tony playing our music. I'll be back at this great place the 3rd Friday in January!

 November 20th, Carpetbaggers DAVE, Tony and Frankie at Zaharias - It was a nice evening the weather was in our favor. Thanks to all the great folks at this venue, you guys are the best!

November 21st, DAVE at Aunt Kate's - I had a nice afternoon out on the porch by the water! Thanks Brian, Dave, Tina and staff. you guys are the best

I have to make a sad trip up to Virginia to say goodbye to my old bandmate and Fairview Gang member Pat Markham who left this earth on November 5th. It will be great to see my other bandmates and friends and share some of the greatest memories I have. Thanks for letting me live my dream! Keepin' It Real! -David

see you down the road!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
check out my upcoming performances here:
http://davidwattbesley.blogspot.com/p/schedule_31.html

Sunday, November 21, 2021

 November 8th - I had a zoom meeting with The North Star Band at 8pm about our new double CD release Then And Now.

November 9th - I wrote a new instrumental "The Queen Bee", can't wait to show it to band tomorrow.

November 10th, Retrophonics Studios - We worked on "Wait A Minute" and "In The Big Lonesome" a couple songs that will appear on The Big Lonesome Rides Again.

November 10th, Carpetbaggers DAVE, Sue and Tony at Hurricane Grill and Wings - Crazy night! The place was packed!

November 11th, Carpetbaggers DAVE, Sue, Tony and Frankie at Pelican Landing - Another great night! It was a packed night! 

November 12th, 13th and 14th DAVE at The Big Deck Bar and Grille - It was a fantastic weekend as always! Bryan, Darlene and staff are always a pleasure to work for. Thanks for the clam chowder Bryan it's my favorite! See you January 7th, 8th and 9th!

I hope to get with Jim DeVito at Retrophonics and continue work on The Big Lonesome Rides Again project. Also hope to lay down a new original "The Queen Bee"  a new instrumental. Thanks for letting me live my dream! Keepin' It Real!-David

see you down the road!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
check out my upcoming performances here:
http://davidwattbesley.blogspot.com/p/schedule_31.html



November 1st, Retrophonics Studios - Jim and I worked on mixes "Wait A Minute" and "In The Big Lonesome" two songs that will appear on our The Big Lonesome Rides Again project. 

November 2nd, Carpetbaggers with Michael Howard opening at  Bagan and Company "LIVE" - We had a great show Michael Howard kicked butt. See you with brother Ed Pickett next month. Thanks everyone for supporting our "LIVE" show on FaceBook from the Classic Car Museum of St. Augustine.

November 3rd, Carpetbaggers DAVE, Sue and Tony at Hurricane Grill and Wings - It looked like rain the whole time but never did. Great night! Thanks for your support everyone. See you next Wednesday!

November 4th, Bagan and Company - Dan and I worked on the disc art for our new Carpetbaggers Back Again release. 

November 4th , Carpetbaggers DAVE, Sue, Tony and Frankie at Pelican Landing - We had a great night! Come check this place out!

November 5th, Carpetbaggers DAVE, Sue and Tony at San Sebastian Winery - The weather was so so nasty that my outside gig at Aunt Kate's was canceled, but we had a last minute booking at San Sebastian Winery that the Carpetbaggers played as a trio because Frankie had another engagement.  We had fun!

November 6th, Carpetbaggers at San Sebastian Winery - was canceled due to weather!

November 7th, DAVE at Aunt Kate's - They threw me a bone. Thanks for letting me play inside I had fun!

I will be in the studio on Wednesday this week. Should be working on the Big Lonesome project. I wrote a new instrumental "Queen Bee" can't wait to show it to the guys in the band! Thanks for letting me live my dream!!!!   Keepin' It Real -David

see you down the road!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
check out my upcoming performances here:
http://davidwattbesley.blogspot.com/p/schedule_31.html


 

October 25th, Retrophonics Studios  - Jim and I worked on a new Besley/McVey song "I'm So Gone" that will either end up on Say Grace the Carpetbaggers 3rd release or my solo release yet to be named. We also worked on "In the Big Lonesome" the 3rd song from the 10 song release called The Big Lonesome Rides Again. Later Theresa and I met up with Darlene and  Gina at The Tide's Oyster Co and Grill. We saw Kevin Costner and the Modern West at the Amphitheater. It was good to see The Falling Bones, Rick Levy and Jeff Ganz in action.

October 26th - Theresa and I worked on all the stuff you have to do these days for your digital licensing. This world has left me in the dust! 

October 27th, Carpetbaggers DAVE, Sue and Tony at Hurricane grill and Wings - We had a great evening! Beautiful! Come check out Wednesdays with the Carpetbaggers!

October 28th, Bagan and Company - We shot photos for our new CD "Back Again" and got some picture ideas for our next CD Say Grace

October 28th, DAVE, Sue, Tony and Frankie at Pelican Landing - It was a little slow but it was a nasty day. We had a good time playing though. Thanks for supporting The Carpetbaggers. Thanks to Jeff and all the good folks at the Pelican Landing see you next Thursday!

October 29th, DAVE at Aunt Kate's - The weather was bad. I talked to Dave the manager and we decided to can the gig. There was nobody outside. See you back here in a couple weeks!

October 30th, Carpetbaggers DAVE, Sue, Tony and Frankie at the Hammock Wine and Cheese - The weather was a little chilly and it was Halloween Night but we still had a nice crowd come out and see us. Lisa (the owner) is very nice and made us feel really welcome. We will be back here January 28th!

It's been a busy week even with the bad weather. I'm looking forward to getting into the studio at Retrophonics and working with Jim to keep getting tracks ready for Say Grace our 3rd Carpetbaggers release and my 5th solo release I haven't named yet. Also working with Dan of Bagan and Company to finish up the art work and layout for Back Again. Thanks for letting me live my dream!! Keepin' it Real!! -David

see you down the road!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
check out my upcoming performances here:
http://davidwattbesley.blogspot.com/p/schedule_31.html                                      


Saturday, October 30, 2021

October 18th, Retrophonics Studios - Jim and I worked on a new track for "Say Grace", The Carpetbaggers 3rd project. It's a song called "The Less Fortunate Ones". We also worked on the mix "Wait a Minute", a song performed by The Big Lonesome.

October 18th, Songwriter's Night at Pelican Landing - We had a nice night at Pelican Landing playing our songs.  Elizabeth and Mike did a great job. Bob introduced a new tune. looking forward to next month.

Dave, Bob, Elizabeth, Mike

October 20th, Carpetbaggers DAVE, Sue and Tony at Hurricane Grill and Wings - It was  a rough day that continued through the night for me. I should have changed strings, it might have made it a little better. Sue and Tony stepped up to the plate as usual and kicked butt. Thank you!

October 21st, Bagan and Company - Designed and ordered more Don't Stare at The Sun CDs. Set up date for photo shoot for pictures for the new CD "Back Again".  

October 21st, Carpetbaggers DAVE, Sue, Tony and Frankie at Pelican Landing - We had a great night! Come check out our new Thursday gig! Thanks Jeff and staff!

October 22nd, DAVE at Aunt Kate's - I had a great evening out on the porch by the water! Thanks Brian, Dave, Tina and staff!

October 23rd, Carpetbaggers DAVE, Sue, Tony and Frankie at Borrillo's - What a great place. I talked to Dewey about it the night before and he said he enjoyed playing there and it was a nice place, he wasn't lying. Our first night, Jerry and Delia and the staff were great! We will be back there January 29, 2022. We are looking forward to it! Thanks!

Carpetbaggers at Borrillo's 

It's been a great week! I'm looking forward to getting back in the studio on Monday and seeing Kevin Cosner and his band Modern West. I'm also looking forward to shooting the cover pictures for our "Back Again" project. Thanks for letting me live my dream! Keepin' It Real! -David

see you down the road!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
check out my upcoming performances here:
http://davidwattbesley.blogspot.com/p/schedule_31.html


Saturday, October 23, 2021

October 4th, Retrophonics Studios - Jim and I worked on "Took Off Like A Rocket"  a track from my sessions with Barry Dunaway at his studio. There will be 3 or 4 tracks from those sessions being considered for our 3rd release "Say Grace". Also laid down a new song I wrote "America".

October 5th, Bagan and Company  - We had a good show last night. Bad Dog Mama did a great job. See you next month November 2nd at a new starting time of 7:30 pm. We missed Sue, I hope she is feeling better.

October 6th, Carpetbaggers DAVE, Tony and Frankie at Hurricane Grill and Wings - We had a nice evening, thanks Frankie for filling in for Sue, you sounded great as always. You to Tony!

October 7th, Carpetbaggers DAVE, Sue, Tony and Frankie at Pelican Landing - Again, a great night! I'm going to miss the band while I'm over on the gulf coast for a few days playing solo at The Big Deck Bar and Grill.

October 8th, 9th and 10th, DAVE at The Big Deck - I had a great weekend as usual. It's hard not to have fun playing at such a great place. Thanks Bryan, Darlene and staff, you guys are the best! 

October 11th, Retrophonics Studios  - Jim and I finalized The Carpetbaggers new release "Back Again". We also worked on "Wait a Minute" a cover song recorded by The Big Lonesome.

October 13th, Carpetbaggers DAVE, Sue and Tony at Hurricane Grill and Wings - We had a great time, no rain, we were out under the umbrellas. We had a visit from Brady Green and Woody Pernell, that's always special!

October 14th, Carpetbaggers DAVE, sue, Tony and Frankie at Pelican Landing - This has turned out to be the best decision we have made lately. We would like to thank Jeff, Jennifer and the wonderful staff at this great venue. Come check it out! We were visited by Bob Ganley and Steve Bennett.

October 15th, Carpetbaggers DAVE, Sue, Tony and Frankie at the Rhythm and Ribs Festival - It was a blast! Great job goes out to all the folks that were involved with this event. Thanks for having us start your show! 

Carpetbaggers at Rhythm and Ribs Festival

October 16th, Carpetbaggers Dave, Sue and Frankie Zaharias - Well we didn't get any rain while we were playing, it came after we packed out, thank goodness.  It was a great time playing with these two greats! See you next month, thanks Angelica and staff!

October 17th, DAVE at Aunt Kate's - I had a nice afternoon out on the porch by the water! See you next Friday. Thanks Brian, Tina, Dave and staff you guys are the best!

Things are going great this month,  I'm looking forward to the studio this week. I will be working on The Big Lonesome release and Carpetbaggers' "Say Grace". It will be the third release for the Carpetbaggers. Thanks for letting me live my dream! Keepin' It Real! -David

see you down the road!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
check out my upcoming performances here:
http://davidwattbesley.blogspot.com/p/schedule_31.html

Thursday, October 7, 2021

September 28th, Retrophonics Studios - Jim and I finished the mix on "Back Again". The Carpetbaggers 2nd release. I can't wait for everyone to hear it. We will work on the layout and shoot the pictures for the cover and the back over the next week or so.

September 29th, Carpetbaggers DAVE, Sue and Tony at Hurricane Grille and Wings -  We had a great night under the umbrellas. Thanks Abe and staff you guys are the best! See you next week!

September 30th, Bagan and Company - We worked on the layout for "Back Again" the Carpetbaggers 2nd release. 

September 30th, Carpetbaggers DAVE, Sue, Tony and Frankie at Pelican Landing - What a great night! Come check out Pelican Landing on Thursdays!

October 1st, DAVE at Aunt Kate's - I had a great afternoon on the porch by the water! What a great place! 

I've finished "Back Again" the Carpetbaggers 2nd release. I've started work on "Say Grace" our next project. I also finished "LIVE And A Little Touched". It's a flash drive with 10 videos and audio tracks. Thanks for letting me live my dream! Keepin' It Real!  -David

see you down the road!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
check out my upcoming performances here:
http://davidwattbesley.blogspot.com/p/schedule_31.html

Monday, September 27, 2021

September 14th, Retrophonics Recording Studio - Jim and I worked on mastering 6 tunes on the Carpetbagger's "Back Again" CD. I'll be in the studio next Tuesday September 21st and hopefully we will be finished with this project. 

September 16th, Carpetbaggers DAVE, Sue, Tony and Frankie at Pelican Landing - We had a great night, it was good to get back together with the band. Pretty nasty evening but had some folks brave the weather and stop by.

September 17th, Carpetbaggers DAVE and Sue - Tides Oyster Co and Grill - What a great night! Sue and I really enjoy this gig, there's always a great audience. Stop by the 3rd Friday of every month. Thanks Felicia and staff, you guys are the best!

September 18th, OFF - Zaharias is closed!

September 19th, DAVE at Aunt Kate's - I was halfway through the gig and it started to rain. I told Brian I owed him he said I didn't but I do. See you October 1st.

September 20th, Songwriters Night at Pelican Landing - We had a good first night at our new Songwriter's location at Pelican Landing. Rob Peck was not feeling well so Denny Blue stepped up to the plate. He did a great job! It's always good to hang out and listen to Bob Patterson play his music. He is one of St. Augustine's treasures, that's for sure. Grant Peeples was maybe even better than the last time I shared the stage with him. I'm a fan!

September 21st, Back 40 - Theresa and I had dinner with Mike and Joyce it was a fun meal with two great people. Looking forward to next time.

September 22nd, Carpetbaggers DAVE, Sue and Tony at Hurricane Grille and Wings - We're back! We had a great night and the place looks great!

September 23rd, Bagan and Company - I worked with Dan on the layout for "Back Again" our 2nd Carpetbaggers release. 

September 23rd, Carpetbaggers DAVE, Sue, Tony and Frankie at Pelican Landing - It was a packed night! We had a blast!

September 24th, Carpetbaggers DAVE, Sue, Tony and Frankie at  Hammock Wine and Cheese - Our first time at this venue.  Lisa and the staff are real nice, the food is good, it has a stage. All the things that make a nice place. We will be back October 30th, so come check it out. Thanks to all our folks that made the drive, and to all the new folks we met. 

September 25th, Carpetbaggers DAVE, Sue, Tony and Frankie The St. Augustine Fish House (Creekside) - We had a great night! The weather was perfect. The band was playing good. The place was packed. It doesn't get any better than this.

September 26th, Carpetbaggers DAVE, Sue, Tony and Frankie Sing Out Loud Festival - I think we did a great show. The crew involved with the show was great! Thanks Sing Out Loud, hopefully we can be a part of your show next year.

Sing Out Load Festival

It's been a crazy couple weeks. I'm looking forward to finishing "Back Again" this week. The Carpetbaggers second release. Also my new flash drive "Live And A Little Touched" is out for sale. Dan Bagan and I have been working on this project since 2017. I am so glad it is finally done. Great job Dan! Thanks for letting me live my dream! Keepin' It Real! -David

see you down the road!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
check out my upcoming performances here:
http://davidwattbesley.blogspot.com/p/schedule_31.html 




Thursday, September 16, 2021

September 1st thru the 6th, DAVE at Coles Point Tavern - I had a great road trip. I read two books, rested some, hung out with friends and played some music. It doesn't get any better than that. Thanks Acie for putting us up and putting up with us. Thanks Mike and Sandy for a wonderful meal also Selise for the potato salad, watermelon and sausage and cheese dip. It was all awesome. Thanks Randy for the PA and the lifts to the gig. Thanks Chris and Anne for booking me for the 5 days. Thanks to the wonderful staff at the Tavern who took care of me. Thanks to Joel who is always there for the music. Thanks brother Ed for making The Seiners Virginia. reunion a great time. Thanks Theresa, Dad, Margie, Kristen,Brent and Ed because your family and I love you all! See you Memorial Day weekend!

Labor Day 2021 Coles Point Tavern

September 7th, The Carpetbaggers DAVE, Frankie and Tony at Bagan and Company "LIVE" from the Classic Car Museum of St. Augustine -  The start was frantic but everyone held it together.  What pros (with a capital "P") these guys are (Clay and Dan) everything worked out and we had a great time as usual. Rob Peck who in my tired state of mind kept I kept calling Rob Pickett (my deceased half brother), did a great job! Rob also hung around a little bit after his show and played a few tunes with us. Dan, Clay and Theresa did a great job. We will be back October 5th. I'm really looking forward to it! Thanks for supporting our "LIVE" stream.

September 9th, Carpetbaggers DAVE, Tony and Frankie at Pelican Landing, It was a great night! We missed Sue but she will be returning next week!

September 10th, 11th and 12th DAVE at The Big Deck - Another great weekend on the other coast at the Big Deck. We lost Liam this weekend, he was Byryan and Darlene's dog,  the biggest Dog friend I ever had. He left us on 9/11/2021 

My new release LIVE and a little touched USB Flash Drive with 10 Videos and music tracks is available now! Thanks Dan and Clay you guys are the best! Also as I keep saying we are closing in on "BACK AGAIN" our new Carpetbaggers CD produced by Jim DeVito at Retrophonics Recording Studio. I can't wait to get back with the band. Thanks for letting me live my dream! Keepin' It Real!! -David

see you down the road!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
check out my upcoming performances here:
http://davidwattbesley.blogspot.com/p/schedule_31.html 

Wednesday, September 1, 2021

August 25th, Carpetbaggers DAVE, Sue, Frankie, Tony and Tommy Gilstrap at Music By The Sea - We had a blast! It was hot as hell but what a great time! Tommy you are a real pleasure to play with, thanks!!! As far as the rest of the band you all never cease to amaze me.

Music By the Sea August 25, 2021

Carpetbaggers in harmony

Carpetbaggers with Tommy Gilstrap
 Photos by: Wayne Westcott

August 26th, Bagan and Company - Dan and I worked on some ideas for the Carpetbaggers "Back Again" cover. Also Dan showed me a "LIVE And A Little Touched" t-shirt he had made with our new press.

August 26th, Carpetbaggers DAVE, Sue, Frankie and Tony at the Pelican Landing - It was a little slow but the weather was pretty nasty. We still had a great time playing. Don't forget next week Tony and Frankie will be joined by Barry Rapp and Jeff Ganz come check it out.

August 27th, Carpetbaggers DAVE, Sue, Tony and Frankie at The San Sebastian Winery - We made a good call and set up inside. Thanks everyone who showed up to support us and our music. Thanks to all the great folks at the winery

August 29th, DAVE at Aunt Kate's - It's always a great time on the porch by the water!

September 1st, Travel Day - Theresa and I are headed north to Virginia today for my gigs at the Coles Point Tavern.  I'm looking forward to it. I'll playing with Eddie Pickett on Monday.

Still trying to get all my new music out. I'm running into a few thousand snags. When all is said and done I hope to be releasing "LIVE And a Little Touched" (DAVE 10 music videos),  "Back Again" (Carpetbaggers 12 songs), "Say Grace" (Carpetbaggers 10 to 12 songs), "The Big Lonesome Rides Again", (The Big Lonesome 12 songs) and "Then And Now" (The North Star Band 20 songs), that's over 50 new songs. I can't wait for you guys to hear! Looking forward to my Virgnia trip! Thanks for letting me live my dream! Keepin' It Real!!!-David

see you down the road!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
check out my upcoming performances here:
http://davidwattbesley.blogspot.com/p/schedule_31.html


Sunday, August 29, 2021

August 16th, Retrophonics Studios - I hope Jim will get the final mix for "Back Again" done this week. Today we worked on for the second time,  "This Land Is Your Land" a Big Lonesome song we recorded for a project many years ago. It was a great band that didn't last to long but we did get a recording out of it. I hope with Theresa and Brianna's help I will be able to post this for you all to hear. We also worked on "Life Goes On", "Ain't Life Grand" and "Took Off Like A Rocket" three new songs for our Carpetbaggers' 3rd release.

August 18th, Carpetbaggers DAVE, Tony and Frankie at Hurricane Grill and Wings - It was hot but we had a great night! This will be our last gig until September 22nd at the Hurricane Grill and Wings. So see in a month!

August 19th, Carpetbaggers DAVE, Sue, Tony and Frankie at Pelican Landing - What a blast! This is a great place, come check it out! Thanks Jeff, Sarah, Jen and the rest of the staff you guys are the best! See you next week!

August 20th,  Carpetbaggers DAVE and Sue at Tides and Oyster Co. - It was a little quiet tonight but we still had a nice time playing. It started picking up as the night went on and we finished with a nice crowd. See you guys the 3rd Friday next month! Thanks Felicia and staff!

August 21st, Carpetbaggers DAVE, Tony and Frankie at  Zaharia's - We had a nice night, no rain! Thanks Angelika and staff you guys are great! See you next month!

August 22nd, 23rd and 24th, Camping with the Westcott's - Theresa and I spent a nice couple days in Clearwater at the Avalon RV Resort camping with Wayne and Sue. We had such a good time.  The first night we went to see Steve Earle and the Dukes at the Bilheimer Capitol Theatre, we had box seats courtesy of Wayne. We had dinner at Clear Sky Global Bistro on Cleveland before the show, it was the bomb. It was one of the best restaurants I've been to in a long time. We had a nice day by the pool on our last full day and we had dinner at Thai Basil, that was excellent as well.  Later Theresa, Sue and Wayne were able to go at a bottle of 1816 while I had a zoom meeting with the other members of The North Star Band about the future. Overall a great trip. We made it back safely and after parking the camper and unloading I got to work on our show list for The Music By The Sea show tomorrow.

Wayne, Sue and Dave

Jim was going to work on the mastering of "Back Again" on his own since I was out of town. I'll be working with Dan at Bagan and Co this week to hopefully finish "LIVE And A Little Touched" my new release. Hopefully some shows in March of next year with the North Star Band. Thanks for letting me live my dream! Keepin' It Real!! -David

see you down the road!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
check out my upcoming performances here:
http://davidwattbesley.blogspot.com/p/schedule_31.html

Thursday, August 26, 2021

August 10th, Retrophonics Studio then to St. Augustine Fish House and Oyster Bar - Jim and I worked on a mix on a song for the upcoming release of  The Big Lonesome's "The Big Lonesome Rides Again" project, "This Land Is Your Land".  Then after a couple of hours of rest I went and set up for a gig at St. Augustine Fish House and Oyster Bar. I had a good time actually, it was a nice evening weather wise too!

August 11th,  Carpetbaggers DAVE, Sue and Tony at Hurricane grill and Wings - We had a nice hot evening under the umbrellas! We had Brady Green and our own Frankie Urzetta show up. Frankie helped us by closing out the evening with "God Bless The USA"!

August 12th, Bagan and Company - We finished  "LIVE And A Little Touched", now we have to listen and make sure everything is the best it can be. Thanks Dan Bagan and Clay Blasser for your help and hard work on this project. 

August 12th, Carpetbaggers DAVE, Sue, Tony and Frankie at Pelican Landing - The gig went great! Thanks everyone for crossing over the bridge. Thanks Jeff, Sarah, Jen and everyone else at the Pelican Landing, you guys are the best!

Pelican Landing

August 13th, 14th, DAVE at  The Big Deck Bar - This was a short weekend not playing on Sunday. Still, I had a great time as always. I look forward to hanging out with Darlene, Bryan and all my Cedar Key friends!

It's been a great week! I'm looking forward to working with Jim DeVito on our new Carpetbaggers "Back Again" release and adding the tracks from Barry Dunaway for our new project "Say Grace". Which is a future release we are working on and our our third Carpetbaggers' release. I'm looking forward to getting together with Dan Bagan at Bagan and Company to finish up my new release "LIVE And A Little Touched". Thanks for letting me live my dream!!! Keepin' It Real!!! -David

see you down the road!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
check out my upcoming performances here:
http://davidwattbesley.blogspot.com/p/schedule_31.html

Tuesday, August 10, 2021

July 27th - I had a night off to go out on the town with Theresa, Wayne and Sue. We checked out some restaurants and pubs around town, Dog Rose Cafe, Odd Birds, Black Fly and Pelican Pub. All nice places however our last stop was Pelican Pub where we met with Jeff, the owner. This will be one of our new venues for Carpetbagger's Thursday night gig.  The Corner Bar is under new ownership and will be closed for a face lift. Please come check us out! I think your going to like it!

July 28th, Carpetbaggers DAVE, Sue and Tony at Hurricane Grill and Wings - Cancelled!

July 29th, Carpetbaggers DAVE, Sue, Tony and Frankie at Corner Bar - We had a great last night! We will be at the Pelican Pub next Thursday, come check it out 6 to 9 pm.

July 30th, DAVE at Aunt Kate's - Brian threw me a bone this week when I realized I wasn't working, he gave me a gig. I had a blast on the porch by the water.

August 1st, I had another day off and Theresa had just gotten back into town so her Brianna, Braylen and I went out to Mellow Mushroom for dinner to have some pizza and listen to One Good Ring a band that brother Ed is in.  It's a dead style band and it was Jerry's birthday, they were great.

One Good Ring

August 2nd, Retrophonics Studios - Jim's mastering machine was down so we worked on "This Land Is Your Land" a song The Big Lonesome recorded several years ago. I hope to post it soon so ya'll can hear it. It brought back some great memories.

August 4th, Carpetbaggers DAVE, Sue and Tony at Hurricane Grill and Wings - We had rain the whole time except set up and break down. We had a nice little crowd for as nasty as it was. Thanks Abe and staff you guys are the best!

August 5th, Bagan & Co.- Dan and I finished the orders for my new "LIVE And A Little Touched" project. We should finished up this week - can't wait!

August 5th, Carpetbaggers DAVE, Sue, Tony and Frankie at Pelican Pub - What a great night! I hope everyone enjoyed it as much as the Carpetbaggers did. Thanks Jeff and staff! You guys are the best!

Carpetbaggers at Pelican Pub

August 6th, DAVE at Aunt Kate's - The rain stopped me just as I started! Welcome to Florida! I will be back here this Sunday from 1pm to 5pm a little extra to make up for the rain out. 

August 7th, Carpetbaggers DAVE, Sue, Tony and Frankie at the San Sebastian Winery -It was the day from hell that went right on through to the gig. After setting up and being rained on, re-setting up with most of the stuff working okay we did our show. My hat goes off to the great folks I'm playing with they are true pros. We ended up having a great night in spite of all that was going on.

August 8th, DAVE at Aunt Kate's - I had a nice hot late afternoon gig out on the porch by the water. Thanks Brian, sorry you're not feeling well. Dave, Tina and staff you guys are the best! 

Looking forward to maybe finishing "This Land Is Your Land" a Big Lonesome recording, and getting the rest of my tracks for "Say Grace" our 3rd Carpetbaggers project. Also see where we are on "Back Again" the new and 2nd Carpetbaggers project. Looking forward to getting together with Dan Bagan at Bagan & Company to try to finish up "LIVE And A Little Touched" my new solo project. Thanks for letting me live my dream! Keepin' It Real! -David

see you down the road!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
check out my upcoming performances here:
http://davidwattbesley.blogspot.com/p/schedule_31.html

Friday, August 6, 2021

July 19th, Retrophonics Recording Studio - Jim and I located The Big Lonesome tracks, we are thinking about doing a mix on "This Land Is Your Land". We made plans to lay down two more tracks for our 3rd project "Say Grace". 

July 19th, Songwriter's Night at Corner Bar - As usual, it was a nice night! Jamie and Todd did a great job. It was good to see Don Oja Dunaway, Rob Peck and Sue Westcott in the audience.

July 21st, Carpetbaggers DAVE, Sue and Tony at Hurricane Grille and Wings - The rain held off, it was a nice evening. Good to see Woody Pernell in the audience.

July 22nd, Carpetbaggers DAVE, Sue, Tony and Frankie at Corner Bar - We had a great night! It seemed like everyone was a little tired coming in to set up. The crowd was a little smaller and quiet so it made it hard to get going. Everyone hung in there and we made it to the end. Good job everybody! 

July 23rd, Carpetbaggers DAVE, Sue, Tony and Frankie at the San Sebastian Winery - We got lucky again with the rain. We had a big night and we played well. The San Sebastian Winery is a well run business, you can tell, and our fans and friends seem to love it. Thanks Kyle and staff you guys are the best!

July 24th, Carpetbaggers DAVE, Sue, Tony and Frankie at St. Augustine Fish House and and Oyster Bar - We were rained on twice and still got the gig in. Even though I was at my wits end before we started the music brought me back around. I really enjoyed playing music with my friends Carpetbaggers tonight. All the other problems seem to go away when we start to play and I enjoy every minute of it! Thanks!

July 25th, DAVE at Aunt Kate's - I was canceled last minute, sorry for the inconvenience to the people that were going to show up.  A couple folks tested positive for that thing and they decided to close and clean for a couple of days.  A responsible thing to do. See you here the first Friday in August.

Jim Devito was a little under the weather so we will talk through our mix on "Back Again" the new Carpetbagger release. Hopefully we will be back on track next week and finish this project up. Also look for a new mix on "This Land Is Your Land"  from a previous unreleased project from The Big Lonesome. I'm excited. Dan Bagan is also under the weather so we've canceled our Bagan & Company "LIVE" show this next month. Hopefully we will all be back on track for our next show September 7th Carpetbaggers with Rob Peck opening the show. This will be a good one! Also look for "LIVE And A Little Touched" soon to be released. Thanks for letting me live my dream! Keepin' It Real -David

see you down the road!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
check out my upcoming performances here:
http://davidwattbesley.blogspot.com/p/schedule_31.html

Tuesday, July 20, 2021

July 12th, Retrophonics Recording Studio - Jim and I worked on 3 new songs "I Feel Love", "You Knew It" and "Say Grace". These are tunes we are considering for our next Carpetbagger's Project we are calling "Say Grace"for the time being, it's subject to change. There are 14 songs that I wrote or co-wrote and 1 instrumental Tony wrote. Jim is almost done mastering "Back Again" our most recent Carpetbagger's project that will be out soon.

July 13th, DAVE at The Fish House and Oyster Company - I had a nice night the weather was good, big crowd. See you the second Tuesday next month!

July 14th, Carpetbaggers DAVE, Sue and Tony at Hurricane Grill and Wings - A threat of rain so we set up under the tent. Well, it never rained but we still had a decent night. It was good to see our friend Brady Green and a few friends he brought with him. See you next week!

July 15th, Carpetbaggers DAVE, Sue, Tony and Frankie at the Corner Bar - It was another great night! What a treat it is playing with this group of players. See you next week!

July 16th, Carpetbaggers DAVE and Sue at Tide Oyster Co - It's always a nice night playing with Sue. This isn't the fanciest bar on the strip but the food is good and it has a great sound. It is one of our favorite gigs. Thanks Felicia and staff see you next month.

July 17th, Carpetbaggers DAVE, Sue and Frankie at Zaharias  - Finally good weather! We had a lot of fun at this great place. Thanks Angelika and staff you guys are the best!

July 18th, DAVE at Aunt Kate's - I was a nice afternoon on the porch by the water. Will Hurley and Rhonda stopped by.

We should be finished mastering "Back Again" the new Carpetbagger's project this week. We have now started the Carpetbagger's 3rd release "Say Grace". Also should be closing in on my new release "LIVE And A Little Touched" which is 10 videos and audio tracks done at Bagan & Co. with Dan Bagan. Thanks for letting me live my dream! Keepin' It Real! -David

see you down the road!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
check out my upcoming performances here:
http://davidwattbesley.blogspot.com/p/schedule_31.html


Sunday, July 18, 2021

July 6th, Carpetbaggers at the Classic Car Museum of St. Augustine for the Bagan and Company "LIVE" Show on facebook - We missed Sue but we made it through. Chelsea did a great job! We had a nice small audience. thanks Dan, Clay and Theresa we missed Wayne too!

July 7th, Carpetbaggers DAVE, Sue and Tony at Hurricane Grill and Wings - Carpetbaggers - Thanks to Elsa we did not play tonight. See you next week!

July 8th, Bagan & Company - Dan and I put the finishing touches on the "LIVE And A Little Touched" project we have been working on. We should have a new DAVE release by the end of the month just ahead of the Carpetbaggers release "Back Again".

July 8th, Carpetbaggers DAVE, Sue, Tony and Frankie at Corner Bar - This our last show  together for the week. We had a little PA system trouble, thank goodness I had a spare rack in the truck. I will have to rewire the old rack when I get back from Cedar Key. This is still a fun band to play with, everyone's got each others back,  so one way or the other we end up having a good show. See you next week!

July 9th, 10th and 11th, DAVE at The Big Deck Bar - We had a great weekend in Cedar Key at The Big Deck. We always look forward to this get away. We saw Pete and Pat, two friends I've always looked forward to seeing when we are here. Also saw Bob Cooper drive by but didn't get a chance to chat. Thanks Darlene, Bryan and staff you guys are the best! See you the second weekend of next month!

I'm looking forward to finishing up "Back Again" our new Carpetbaggers project with Jim DeVito at Retrophonics Recording Studio. So now Dan (Bagan and Company) and I  will start the art work and packaging plans. Also I will be laying down 3 more demo tracks on new songs I have written "I Feel Love", 'You Knew It" and "Say Grace". Right now the working title to the new project we are starting on will be called "Say Grace", the Carpetbaggers 3rd effort. We have about 16 songs we are taking into this project, I'm excited. I also have a new flash drive 10 videos with separate audio tracks "LIVE And A Little Touched" that I've  been working on with Dan Bagan at Bagan and Company. Thanks for letting me live my dream! Keepin' It Real! -David

see you down the road!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
check out my upcoming performances here:
http://davidwattbesley.blogspot.com/p/schedule_31.html

Saturday, July 17, 2021

June 28th, Retrophonics Studios - Jim and I worked on the mixes for "Come On", "My Tractor", "Dust Them Blinds", "The Desert", "Safe Travels" and "This Romance". Now Jim will master the tracks and we will be done! Time to get ready for the start of Carpetbaggers #3.

June 30th, Carpetbaggers DAVE, Sue and Tony at Hurricane Grille and Wings - We barely made it through the gig, rained on  us twice. This gig is one that I am glad is over. We will try again next week! See you then.

July 1st, Travel Day - Theresa and I made it to Fayetteville about 7pm that's where we stay, it's a little over half way to the Northern Neck of Virginia. We had a good nights rest and were off in the morning about 6am.

July 2nd, 3rd and 4th, DAVE at Coles Point Tavern - I had a three great days on the Rivah. It's always good to get up and see my friends and Theresa gets a chance to visit her family. Thanks Ann, Chris and staff, you guys are the best! Thanks Randy for supplying part of the PA system I play through. Thanks Acie for putting us up or putting up with us. All the other folks to many to list, you helped make it a great 4th for me! Also thanks to my Father, he and Margie came down Sunday. As always it's great to have a chance to visit and play their requests! After the gig on Sunday we headed back south towards home.

July 5th, Travel Day - We made it to Fayetteville about 9pm last night and headed for St. Augustine about 6am this morning and home by early afternoon. 

Looking forward to our "LIVE" show this week w/Chelsea Saddler. Sue had some business to take care of this week, we will miss her for tonight's show. Also going to be finishing up "LIVE and a little touched" my new DVD/Flash Drive release. Also hope to get together with Jim DeVito at Retrophonics and put the finishing touches on "Back Again" the new Carpetbaggers release. Then it's back in the studio to record 3 more demo's "Say Grace", "I Feel Love" and "You Blew It" along with and instrumental Tony wrote that should make about 16 songs to start working on for our next Carpetbaggers project. Thanks for letting me live my dream! Keepin' It Real!!!  -David

see you down the road!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
check out my upcoming performances here:
http://davidwattbesley.blogspot.com/p/schedule_31.html


Monday, June 28, 2021

June 21st, Songwriter's Night at the Corner Bar - What a great night, Lauren and Micah are 2 special writers, I really enjoyed their music and performances. Bob as always was great, Saint Augustine's finest storyteller!

Songwriters Bob, Dave, Micah, Lauren

June 22nd, Retrophonics Recording Studio  - We worked on mixes! I think one more trip with me and then Jim will be mastering!

June 23rd, Carpetbaggers DAVE, Sue and Tony at Hurricane Grill and Wings - We got lucky and there wasn't much rain. Jack and Amy Sizemore stopped by. He is Jason Aldean's guitar player and an old friend of mine. 

June 24th, Bagan & Company - Dan and I are trying to wrap up "Live And A Little Touched", we're getting close. 

June 24th, Carpetbaggers DAVE, Sue, Tony and Frankie at Corner Bar - It was a nice night. Everyone in the audience seemed a little more laid back than usual so we did some tunes we don't normally do. It was fun!

Carpetbaggers at the Corner Bar

June 25th, Carpetbaggers DAVE, Sue, Tony and Frankie at San Sebastian Winery - We set up a little late waiting to see if the bad weather was going to move out. Kyle made the call about 5 pm to set up inside. We had a great night, it always seems like we do at this venue. The rest of the band will be back here next Saturday and Sunday. I'm booked in Virginia for the July 4th weekend.  It was good to see Selisa and Lola from Virginia in the audience tonight.

It's been a busy week! I'm looking forward to performing at Coles Point Tavern next weekend.  I hope to still have a chance to hopefully finish the mixing of "Back Again", the Carpetbaggers' new CD and "Live And A Little Touched" my new DAVE, DVD release. Thanks for letting me live my dream! Keepin' It Real!-David

see you down the road!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
check out my upcoming performances here:
http://davidwattbesley.blogspot.com/p/schedule_31.html


Saturday, June 26, 2021

June 14th, Retrophonics Studios - Jim and I worked on "Old Broken Hearts" and "This Romance". We have about 5 more songs to mix and then master. It shouldn't be to much longer, it can't be fast enough for me.

June 16th, Carpetbaggers DAVE, Tony and Frankie at Hurricane Grill and Wings - Sue was out of town so Frankie stepped in for the first time at this venue. We were lucky they set us up inside because it poured. We were only down for a short time by flooding and were back at it until the end. Thanks for stopping by JC and Woody Pernell, always good to see you both!

June 17th, Bagan and Company - We've just about finished up with our "Live And A Little Touched" DVD/CD. We are just waiting on Clay to master and give us the info we need to order the right flash drives. I'm excited!

June 17th, Carpetbaggers DAVE, Tony and Frankie at the Corner Bar - Well, it turned out to be a great night! We missed Sue though. Thanks for supporting Carpetbaggers music.

June 18th, Carpetbaggers DAVE and Frankie at Tides Oyster Bar - Another first for Frankie at Tides and Oyster Co. We had a nice crowd, Reggie Starrett (check him out on FaceBook) and a bunch of his friends stopped by. He was in town playing down the street at a parrothead function. We met in 2013. I'm looking forward to this gig next month July 16th.

Dave and Frankie at Tides Oyster Co

June 19th, Carpetbaggers DAVE, Tony and Frankie at Zaharias - We had a great evening! The rain dampened our spirits a little at the end. Still, overall a great night! Thanks Angelika and staff you guys are the best!

Dave, Frankie and Tony at Zaharias

June 20th, DAVE at Aunt Kate's - It was a rain out!

We should be real close to finishing the mixing of the Carpetbaggers new release "Back Again" at Jim Devito's studio Retrophonics. I hope to get with Dan at Bagan & Company this week where we will be finishing up "Live And A Little Touched" my new video release.  It will be a fun busy week hope to see you out there. Thanks for letting me live my dream! Keepin' It Real!!-David

see you down the road!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
check out my upcoming performances here:
http://davidwattbesley.blogspot.com/p/schedule_31.html

Monday, June 14, 2021

June 7th - Retrophonics Studios - Jim DeVito and I worked on "Come On", "Safe Travels" and "Miss Me But Let Me Go". We are getting closer!

June 8th, DAVE at The St. Augustine Fish House and Oyster Co - Normally this isn't my favorite gig to play by myself but tonight was kind of fun. I had the grilled chicken salad for the first time and it was good. There was a pretty big crowd, John Winters being among them. Overall I had a good time! See you next month on the second Tuesday.

June 9th, Carpetbaggers DAVE, Sue and Tony at Hurricane Grill and Wings - I had a blast! We tried a new tune Michelle as an instrumental. We also did a couple of our tunes we don't play that often "Sally" and "Fast As The Wind".

June 10th, Carpetbaggers DAVE, Sue, Tony and Frankie at the Corner Bar - What a night! A great last gig for the week in town for me! I'm heading over to the gulf coast in the morning. We had Don Oja Dunaway and JC in the audience tonight. Sue is going out of town for 10 days, we will miss her. Tony, Frankie and I will hold down the fort until her return.

June  11th,12th, 13th, DAVE at  The Big Deck Bar and Grill - It was a great weekend at the Big Deck! Always good to see my Cedar Key friends. Thanks Darlene and Bryan, you guys are the best! See you next month on the second weekend!

DWB at the Big Deck, Cedar Key FL

Looking forward to doing more mixing at Retrophonics Studios with Jim DeVito on our Carpetbaggers "Back Again" project. Also look forward to working with Dan Bagan  at Bagan and Company on my new release of 10 videos we're calling "Live And a Little Touched". Thanks for letting me live my dream!!!! Keepin' It Real!!-David

see you down the road!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
check out my upcoming performances here:
http://davidwattbesley.blogspot.com/p/schedule_31.html


Monday, June 7, 2021

June 1st, Bagan and Company "LIVE' - I was a little worn out coming, I'd just got in from our trip to Virginia, but the band held me together, thanks! Dewey Via kicked some butt, he is a real talent and I'm sure he made some new fans.

Carpetbaggers with Dewey Via

June 2nd,  Carpetbaggers DAVE, Sue and Tony at Hurricane Grill and Wings - We had a nice evening out on the patio! Always enjoy playing with these two!

June 3rd, Bagan and Company - Dan and I worked on the order and made sure all the videos were complete, then made a copy that Clay will go through and level out all the tracks and try to enhance  "Safe Travels". Next Thursday Dan and I will get together and do the art work and make the orders for materials. This will be a flash drive  release no DVD's or CD's right now. I am so proud to be working with Dan Bagan on this project, he is a real talent.

June 3rd, Carpetbaggers DAVE, Sue, Tony and Frankie at the Corner Bar - We had some fun and tried a couple new tunes that we haven't done together yet, "Southern Man" and "Paint It Black".

June 4th, DAVE AT Aunt Kate's - It was calling for rain all day but it didn't rain on the porch by the water. 

June 5th, Carpetbaggers DAVE, Sue, Tony and Frankie at San Sebastian Winery - What a great crowd! They were calling for rain and we were lucky we just made it through the gig when it started to rain. Didn't loose any gear and got the whole night in. A fun time see you June 25th! 

Carpetbaggers at the Winery

June 6th, DAVE at Aunt Kate's - It was another nice afternoon on the porch by the water. At least there was no rain. Thanks Brian, Tina, Dave and staff you guys are the best!

Looking forward to doing some more mixing with Jim Devito at Retrophonics Studios this coming week. We are finishing "Back Again" the new Carpetbagger lease. Also will be working with Dan Bagan of Bagan and Company on my new release called "Live And A Little Touched". Thanks for letting me live my dream! Keepin' It Real! -David

see you down the road!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
check out my upcoming performances here:
http://davidwattbesley.blogspot.com/p/schedule_31.html

Saturday, June 5, 2021

May 24th, Retrophonics Recording Studio - Jim and I worked on "Come On", "My Tractor", "Safe Travels", "Old Broken Hearts" and "Dust Them Blinds".  Theresa and I  will listen to them on the way to Virginia to see how we did. 

May 25th, Day off - I'm packing for the trip to Virginia and cleaning up the yard.

May 26th, Travel Day -  I hit the beach early then finished packing. We take the Flex on road trips so I have to move my equipment over from van. I worked in the yard a little then relaxed until we hit the road to Fayetteville where we always stop for the night now.

On the road

May 27th, We made it into Coles Point Thursday about noon and met Randy Watts.  Thanks Randy for providing the PA and the load in assitance. Theresa and I would like to thank Acie for putting us up or putting up with us, Chris and Ann for giving me a place to play, Mike and Sandy for all they do and especially breakfast on Monday morning and all our friends for supporting my music.  Also Joel for talking with a whistle. It was a nice trip overall. See you the week of July 4th.

Rowzee's and friends

Dave on stage at the Tavern

I can't wait to hear what Jim got mixed at Retrophonics Recording Studio. Looking forward to the Bagan & Company "LIVE' show. Thanks for letting me live my dream!!!  Keepin' It Real! -David

see you down the road!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
check out my upcoming performances here:
http://davidwattbesley.blogspot.com/p/schedule_31.html

May 17th, Retrophonics Recording Studio - Jim Devito and I worked on 3 mixes "Telephone Lightning", "My Tractor" and "The Desert" 9 more to go! 

May 18th,  Day off - Theresa and I went to dinner at Back 40 with Mike and Joyce Howard. It has become a tradition!

 May 19th, Carpetbaggers DAVE, Sue and Tony at  Hurricane Grill and Wings -  It was a great night until the rain came. We got most of the gig in. The honorary and part time Carpetbagger Woody Pernell stopped by to see us.

 May 20th, Carpetbaggers DAVE, Sue, Tony and Frankie at the Corner Bar - It was good to have Frankie back. We did "The Devil Went Down To Georgia" for the 4th time, it's starting to come together if I could just quit stumbling through the words. I'll get it, I use to do it years ago with the guys I played with in the band Saucer.

May 21st, Carpetbaggers DAVE and Sue at Tides and Oyster Co. - It was a nice and quiet evening at the Tides and Oyster Co. Always a good time though, see you next month!

Dave and Sue at Tides

May 22nd, Carpetbaggers DAVE, Sue and Frankie Zaharias -  We've had bad luck with weather it seems every time we are booked at this great place.  That wasn't the case tonight it was beautiful. We have moved our set up to the other side over by the parking lot, it's a nice change. Thanks everybody for coming out. See you next month!  

May 23rd, Carpetbaggers DAVE, Frankie, Sue and Tony at a Private Party - We had a blast! Good way to end the week! Happy Birthday Jay! Thanks Margie!

I'm looking forward to my trip to Virginia to perform at Coles Point Tavern. Also looking forward to be doing some mixing on "Back Again" our new upcoming Carpetbaggers release. Thanks for letting me live my dream! Keepin' It Real! -David

see you down the road!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
check out my upcoming performances here:
http://davidwattbesley.blogspot.com/p/schedule_31.html

Wednesday, May 19, 2021

 May 10th, I didn't have a gig today so it was a honey do day - I worked around the house with TT and we watched a few episodes of The Crown.

May 11th, DAVE at The Fish and Oyster Company - A little rainy but I still set up outside. It turned out to be a fun night. Thanks everyone, see you the second Tuesday of every month!

Dave solo at St. Augustine Fish House and Oyster Co

May 12th, Carpetbaggers DAVE, Sue and Tony at Hurricane Grill and Wings - We some rain but just a little, we were lucky Abe and Collette decided to set us up under the tent. Sue and Tony both brought down the house with their playing. A good evening under the tent.

Tony Scozzaro

David Watt Besley

Sue Seymour Westcott

May 13th, Carpetbaggers DAVE, Sue, Tony and Woody at the Corner Bar - Well, it was another crazy night. Frankie was under the weather so Woody Pernell joined us for the evening, he did a great job. We had George Brackens sit in with us on violin, we played Moon River, he did a great job. We would like to thank Sam, Don, Dino and George who are musicians in town that support Carpetbagger's music. We hope Frankie feels better, you were missed.

May 14th, Bagan and Company - Dan and I finished "Midnight Blue", next week we will try to complete "Live And A Little Touched" I can't wait!

May 15th, Carpetbaggers DAVE, Sue, Tony and Woody Pernell at The St. Augustine Fish House and Oyster Co. - Once again Woody did a great job! Brandon came out and helped Woody tweak his sounds and it was good. We missed Frankie and he has told me he's looking forward to getting back to work next week. Tony and Sue as always kicked butt. We did our second run on "The Devil Went Down To Georgia",  it went a lot better. See you at The St. Augustine Fish House and Oyster Co. in a couple months. Thanks Aden, Yvonne and staff.

Carpetbaggers at St Augustine Fish House and Oyster Co.

May 16th, DAVE at Aunt Kate's - What a nice afternoon on the porch by the water. Doesn't get much better than this. Thanks Brian, Dave, Tina and staff you guys are the best!

We starting to mix "Back Again", "YAY" I am excited about our second Carpetbagger's release. It's all in Jim's hands now with maybe with me chiming in every now and then. Also closing in on "Live And a Little Touched" a DVD/ CD that I've been working on with Dan Bagan at Bagan and Company. Thanks for letting me live my dream! Keepin' It Real!-David

see you down the road!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
check out my upcoming performances here:
http://davidwattbesley.blogspot.com/p/schedule_31.html



Monday, May 10, 2021

 May 4th, Retrophonics  - Tony added a few guitar tracks to complete the new CD  "Back Again". Now on to the mixing and the art work.

May 4th, Bagan and Company "Live", The Carpetbaggers with the opening performance by Michael Howard - Mike did a great job! We had a small audience which was cool. At the end of our show we recorded a live version of "Upside Down" for my "Live And A Little Touched" project that Dan (Bagan and Company) and I have been working on.  The next live stream is June 1st.

Dave and Mike

May 5th, Carpetbaggers DAVE, Sue and Tony at Hurricane Grill and Wings - It was a nice evening out on the deck. Darlene and Bryan from the Big Deck in Cedar Key stopped by. Jim and Nancy DeVito and friends were with us tonight too. Thanks Abe, JJ, Collette, Sherry and staff.

Bryan (Mr. Sneaky) and Darlene

May 6th, Carpetbaggers DAVE, Sue, Tony and Frankie at the Corner Bar - What a great night! Everyone was working real hard. We have some great folks that support our music and a great place to play and great food! It doesn't get any better than this!

May 7th, 8th and 9th, - DAVE The Big Deck Bar and Grill - Once again a great weekend at The Big Deck! Thanks Bryan, Darlene and staff you guys are the best! See you the 2nd weekend of June! Can't wait!

the big guy himself having fun in CK

It was a great week looking and I'm looking forward to what's coming up. There will be no studio this week just a lot of gigs. Thanks for letting me live my dream! Keepin' It Real! -david

see you down the road!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
check out my upcoming performances here:
http://davidwattbesley.blogspot.com/p/schedule_31.html


Monday, May 3, 2021

April 26th - A much needed day off. I have a bunch of things I have been putting off doing around the house.  We went to Braylen's baseball game at 5, they played great!

April 27th, DAVE at The Wee Pub, Jekyll Island, GA- It was a longer drive than I'm use to for a gig during the week, also a different night. I met some nice folks and had a little trouble with my amp rack. But I was still able to do the gig. The reuben sandwich and salad were good.  I got home safe about 12:30 am.

April 28th, Carpetbaggers DAVE, Sue and Tony at Hurricane Grill and Wings -What a night! The place was packed! We saw a lot of friends we haven't seen in forever, I'm glad they are getting out. Thanks Abe, JJ and staff you guys are the best!

April 29th, Bagan and Company - We put a plan together for the new "Live And A Little Touched" DVD and the cover shot for the new Carpetbaggers CD "Back Again".

April 29th, Carpetbaggers DAVE, Sue, Tony and Frankie at Corner Bar - We had another great night at the Corner Bar! Thanks for supporting Carpetbaggers music!

Dave

Tony

Sue

Frankie

April 30th - Aunt Kate's - It was a beautiful evening, that's until 7pm, then a rain came in. I was able to get my gear out of the way thanks to my fisherman friends Doug and Randy who gave me fair warning. 

May 1st, Carpetbaggers DAVE, Sue, Tony and Frankie at San Sebastian Winery - What a nice night! I'm happy we are doing shows at this venue. Thanks Kyle and staff you, guys are the best! See you the first Saturday in June!

May 2nd, DAVE Aunt Kate's - The rain they called for in the afternoon never came. I made up my hour from Friday, played from 12:30 to 4:30. I had a great time. Thanks Brian, Dave, Tina and staff you guys are the best!

Tony will be in the studio this week putting on a few guitar tracks. Looking forward to our "Live" Show with special guest Michael Howard. Also hope to get a live version after the show on Tuesday of "Upside Down" for my new "Live And A Little Touched" project. Brother Ed is sending pictures to add to the "Midnight Blue" video. Thanks for letting me live my dream!!!!! Keepin' It Real! -David

see you down the road!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
check out my upcoming performances here:
http://davidwattbesley.blogspot.com/p/schedule_31.html