***NEWS 2007***

12/05/07 December Update...Well, here we are already covered in 4 inches of icy snow and having to scrape the windows every morning before rolling out of the driveway. Yup, December in New England is here! The cold brings Miki and I to a hibernating state as getting ourselves and the kids (and guitars!) out in this cold seems so much more difficult...Now is our time to look inward, and that is what we will do as we prepare the new recording. We have 14 songs to pick from at this point, but will only be recording ~6 this time around. The first tracks will go down the week of Christmas! Speaking of Christmas, need to figure out what to get Miki....any ideas?

In other news, I just got back from Quantico VA where my younger brother Brian just graduated OCS and became a 2nd Lieutenant in the US Marines! From just the stories alone of what he had to endure it is incredible to me that he made it through. Congratulation's Bri! Now when he is baby-sitting for Chloe & Tilly while we play, Miki and I can be fully confident that no harm will come their way as a "real-life" USMC 2nd-LT will be their protector...can't ask for better than that! We are very proud of him...

Chloe is getting ready for Christmas and her excitement really makes the season that much more fun...Tilly is mobile now, she has a way of being able to crawl/roll herself across the entire house! It will be tough keeping up with her...

Musically, we look forward to playing with a few new musicians over the next few weeks to see where that takes us...Practice, practice, practice. On the horizon is our Lancaster Coffee House show which will be a highlight of 2008 for us.

Have a great holiday season, the next time I write back we may very well be in the New Year, and hopefully by then we will have some updates on the recording, if anything came about with playing with the other musicians, and all of our New Year resolutions! Merry Christmas!

Dave (& Miki)

11/21/07 CDs SOLD OUT!!! On CD BABY! We would like to thank Sue from OK who sent along some nice words and bought the last one! They should be re-stocked early next week...just in time for Christmas shopping! Let's see anything else to update on?

We have started the demo process for the next CD and have very rough versions of songs out to close friends to start getting feedback. We are thinking of adding strings to the sound and have gotten some great response from an add we placed on Craigs List (we are getting so hip I tell ya'!). We definitely want to expand a bit for the next recording and hopefully we will be able to find the right match.

Other than that we are going to take December and really focus on getting the tunes picked for the recording and keep practicing...Have a great Thanksgiving and I will update sometime in DEC...GO PATS!

Dave (& Miki)

10/24/07 THANK YOU JODI!!!.Last night we were saved in a Papelbom type effort by my favorite sister in law JODI! She came through at the last minute with some babysitting duties that allowed us to play our set at Sweet Bites Cafe on time and relaxed knowing our two baby girls were in great hands! THANK YOU JODI!

We were asked to play the mini-guest set for Ellen and Jakes Open Mic series at Sweet Bites Cafe. This had been the Continental Cafe, now with new owners and a new and improved look and menu this place has it all...vibe, funky colors, great food, comfortable seating, they even let you take over the basement to tune up and get ready for your set! The room is a perfect size for a Tuesday night and pretty much all of the seats were taken so the overall feel was great. The weather last night was a nice warm October night with leaves blowing around the parking lot which made us feel like fall was really here.

Keeping in tradition I arrived at the Cafe about 30 minutes before Miki and got the guitars inside and tuned up. Miki roled in with Jodi and Chloe and Tilly about 10 minutes before we had to go on (she is such a star!)...I was a little nervous about bringing Tilly out to such a listening environment, it felt good knowing that Jodi was ready to walk her outside if she needed to...but both Tilly and Chloe did awesome! Sitting in the front row, Chloe sang along to all of the songs and had fun being out on a school night, and Tilly played the drums on the table with her little hands...I was worried that Miki would be distracted thinking "what germs could be on that table she is touching!"...but Miki handled it great. In fact in my opinion it was one of Miki's best vocal performances...At the end of the night as everyone was filing out Ira (the sound man extradonaire) was playing back our set over the PA! He records everyones performances and posts the files for everyone to take which is very cool...I did feel a bit honored he choose our set to play, thanks Ira! Although, I was nervously listening, not listening, as you never know how it really went. From what I heard it confirmed Miki sang great...I probably need some tweaking though!

We are going to have a few weeks off of playing to get things in order. November is going to be spent in some early pre-production for the next recording...We are looking at confirming a date in DECEMBER. We have a bunch of new dates for '08 already...More later, thanks JODI!

Tonight is the first night of the World Series...GO SOX!!!

Dave & Miki

10/14/07 Concord Nights...We had the pleasure of playing a set Friday night with Ellen and Jake (Two for the Show) down in Concord. This was our return visit to Main Streets Market and Cafe...Main Streets Market is a very cool restaurant/cafe located in the historic downtown of Concord, MA. The vibe of the downtown and the cafe alone is enough to make you want to go out here. Being Fall in the New England the cool air and full moon topped off the atmosphere.

Miki and I took separate vehicles so that she could spend every last minute with Tilly getting her to sleep so that Miki parents could have a relaxing baby-sitting experience! I got there on the early side and met up with my parents and my brother Brian's girlfriend Jess (Brian is down in VA training to be a Marine!). I enjoyed being able to relax and watch Ellen and Jake do their thing. It is really amazing the ease at which they perform songs. Jakes guitar playing is very inspiring as well. I also was able to sneak in a few Octoberfests (the whole vibe thing you know!).

Miki got there without any problems and we went on promptly at 9:00pm. Hmm, what to say about tonight's set...it felt great! Too bad we didn't record it (isn't that always the way?). It was nice to play in an indoor place (all summer we were outside it seemed), the intimate vibe was very nice...We both felt we performed the songs better than the last time which is encouraging...it feels like we are getting somewhere! We sold a bunch of CDs which seemed to give our feelings on the show some validity, and thank you to the folks who bought our CD! We really appreciate it...drop a note and say hello please!

We were up against the opening night of the ALCS with the Red Sox playing the Cleveland Indians so that definitely kept people in the back room occupied, but there was a great group who stuck with us in the music area, and Jake was kind enough to keep us all updated on the score during our set.

After the set Miki took off (Tilly and all..) and I hung out for a few more Octoberfest's! A fun night all around (and the Red Sox won!). We will see Ellen in a few weeks at SWEET BITES (formally the Continental Cafe). Ok, get yer sweatshirts and come on out to West Acton! See you soon!!!

9/23/07 The First day of Fall...The First day of the Fall is here and we just got back from playing a show at the Bolton Fair. The Bolton Fair is a throw back to the old days, a 4-H fair, complete with horse shows, pig races, goats, cows, etc...I (Dave) rolled into Bolton around 7:45am and met Dan and Pat who were providing the sound for the day. They hooked us up with some great parking spots right behind the stage. Armed with a large Dunkin's Ice we got the equipment set up and were ready to go for the first set at 8:45am (the earliest I have played in years!)...For the first set it was just me joined by Rob (drums) and Skip (keys/guitar). We got in a fun relaxed set as the vendors and other Fair workers were busily getting ready for the day. We played a bunch of Sundrops (my old band!) songs and practiced a few Rafter songs that we would be playing in the second set. A bunch of family showed up early which made it fun to see everyone who typically wouldn't come out to a club.

Around 10:00am Miki got there with kids in hand and we were lucky to get her parked behind the stage as well. Since the fair had already opened there was some opposition to letting her down by the stage (for safety reasons) but we convinced the staff with "She is an entertainer!". Once they heard that the gates opened and in came the RAV4! So there ya' go Mik, you are now a true "entertainer"! We got Tilly and Chloe situated (thanks to Nunna, Pa, and Amy for the babysitting duty!) and we were ready to go!

Today marked a couple of "firsts" for the ole Rafters - we played just over an hour which was the longest set we have played since Tilly was born, and we played with a "full band"! Rob and Skip played the set with us, they did a fantastic job and brought the songs up to a new level. Maybe we will see them again?! It also felt great to have more than the rush of 4 - 5 songs to get into it, it takes 3 songs just to feel comfortable with the stage and sound, so it was really nice to be able to relax a bit. Speaking of the sound...we could not have asked for better! Thanks Dan and Pat, you really made our day great! Good sound brings the opportunity for a better peformance, hopefully we took advantage of it! I will be posting (02) video clips of the show by the end of the week...

We would like to say a BIG THANKS to the Lancaster Coffeehouse (Denise, Jean, & Dan) for having us. What could be better than playing an outdoor show on a perfect 10 of a Fall Day in New England, with the smell of Redbones BarBQ & cotton candy floating through air, good sound, and better people? Not much I tell ya'...We truely feel lucky to have been a part of the event! After the show I took Chloe on bunch of the Carnival rides, stopped and got a candy apple, while Tilly slept in the stroller with Miki. We left around 12:30pm and made it home just in time for the Patriots kick off!

Dave (& Miki)

8/29/07 9 years ago today...Miki and I made it official by getting married! Yup, 9 years married and we have been together for 15 years..wowzer! It seems like just yesterday I was hanging out in Miki's dorm room up at UMass Lowell! Happy anniversary Miki! Tonight we shall dine on the finest food that the Merrimac Valley can offer, that also allows 5 month old babies and a 6 year old! We really don't go anywhere without them!

We played a show this past weekend at the Vival La Vinal Festival. The show took place outdoors in a community garden located on Vinal Street in Somerville MA. It was put on by Audrey Ryan who lives in the neighborhood and is a touring musician. Thank you Audrey for having us down! The event had a very grass roots, community feel, with musicians, neighbors, old and young people hanging out and listening to the music. Saturday turned out to be the hottest day of 2007, with a straight temperature of 98 degrees and the heat index well into 100's it really felt like being in an oven. We got down to the 'Ville with no problems. FOund Vinal street and parking right next to the gates. We were accompanied by Jodi & Kevin (Miki's sister and brother in law) and Chloe & Tilly. Armed with a cooler full of ice and a few Cold Coke's (I forgot the waters, whoops) we made it through the heat and put on a solid 20 minute set. It was so hot at times it was hard to keep focused on the music. Even through this we had a minor break through when playing "Helicopter", for the first time there was a complete natural-ness to our playing. No thinking about the parts or the mix, the words, just a focus on the playing. Hopefully, we will get to this place more often with more of the songs, it was very encouraging for us to have had that experience...There were a bunch of other musicians that played and we hung around as long as we could until the heat became too much for Tilly and Chloe and we made our way back out Route 2 home. Heat aside we had a great time coming down to Somerville and playing a part in the event! Check out the NEW VIDEO!!!

Our next show is at the Bolton Fair on Sunday Sept. 23rd. This will be a fun event and something we have been looking forward to all summer. We are bringing out a more "full band" line up with drums and keyboards....gotta get practicing!

Thank you to everyone who continues to buy our CD we appreciate it!!! We will see you out there soon...

~ Dave (& Miki)

8/15/07 VIVA LA VINAL! NEXT SATURDAY 8/25/07 2:45pm we will be playing a set in the'Ville (Somerville...Miki's old hometown!) at a communnity arts festival "Viva La Vinal". This is a public festival and you are welcome to invite all your friends and kids, there is no cover, just donations. Also feel free to bring food and drink picnic/BBQ style and a blanket. This is orgainized by Audrey Ryan who is a rising local music talent. Speaking of shows...

Last Saturday afternoon we had the privilage of playing a part in the "Rockin' for KPM Benefit"...one word..WOW. What an event. From the great cause, to the spirited energy that all of the people who organized the event gave and all of the super bands made for a very inspiring afternoon of music, food, and a good cause. We played a 25 minute set which I will have some video up of in the next few days. I would like thank Tim, Trish, and Aryn for making the trip out to Dracut, and Brian for his conintued babysitting duty! I was able to hang out w/Brian for quite sometime after we played and see a bunch of other bands play. The amount of local talent in the Lowell area is great...Check out Lowellrocks.com and see for yourself! So thanks Tom for having us, hopefully we raised some great money for the Wilkins familiy!

Bunch of shows booked for the Fall (our favorite season!). We will be playing a brief set at a house concert this Saturday (sold out!) oh yeah! Have a great week, enjoy the weather!

Dave (& Miki)

8/08/07 Benefit Weekend...This Saturday AUG 10th @ 2:45pm we will be playing a small part in the "Rocking for KPM Benefit" at the historic Deb's Lakeview Lounge on the shores of Lake Mascuppic back in our old hometown of Dracut MA. KPM stands for Kyle, Patrick, and Matthew Wilkins. They are triplets born with MD. Sadly Mathew just passed away last Nov. Money raised at the event will be used for quality of life, for the remaining time they have. We go on at 2:45pm and play a 30 minute set.

There is a GREAT lineup of local bands starting at 2:00pm going all the way through 1:00am. There will be some awesome raffles and other events going on.. A $10 donation at the door. This is a Kid Friendly event up until 8:00pm. We are there to raise money for a great cause and have some fun while doing it. Maybe we will see you there?

You can now BUY our CD online through CDBaby! You can also get a copy at any show...

Have a great week! Baby to change...things to do...

~Dave and Miki

8/02/07 Thank You! We would like to thank everyone who made it out to the Lowell Folk Festival show at the Old Court! With you being there it made the afternoon very special for us! We had a big family group there (mom, dad, brothers Brian and Tim, Trish & Aryn), friends Carol and Steve, it was great to see Kerry and Beth and the baby, the Avid crew Rick & Ellen, Ray, Joe, the Swidlers...We played a 30 minute set that featured a new song by Miki called "Amazing" (see the video!) and we did a cover of the John Wait 80's hit "Missing You". This was the first show we had CDs at and we appreciate everyone who bought one, thank you!

We played inside this year as there was some issues between the City and the Old Court and permits or something, but that did not deter us...We went on in the corner which my other group the Dots have inhabited for the past 5 years. It was fun to see Miki performing where I have spent so many Friday nights. After we finished our friend Elizabeth Lorrey played an awesome set. Overall the afternoon/evening was so much fun...we got out to watch a bunch of the other bands playing around the City and enjoyed some local flavor and the weather held off.

Bunch of shows coming up...hope to see you (in many cases again!) at one of them soon!!!

Dave & Miki

7/25/07 CD is DONE!!!We got home yesterday and had a delivery sitting on the doorstep...the CDs! We are in the process of planning a formal CD release party, but feel free to come on down to Lowell this weekend and get your copy now! We will have it available at all shows starting this weekend and soon you will be able to order it over the web through CD Baby. Thanks so much for all of the support you have given us!!! See you soon!

7/23/07 Festivals and More Yesterday afternoon we had the pleasure of playing a small part in the Alternative House "Dead Beat Bash" benefit concert. This event was put on by Chris and Tarsha Makiej in support of a local house for women and children in need (Alternative-House.org). The weather could not have been better, a perfect day for an outdoor concert at the Big Kahuna in Chelmsford. The Big Kahuna sports an outdoor pool, beach sand, tents, bars, and umbrella drinks...what more could you ask for! The sound was provided by Audio East and we honestly felt a bit spoiled with the amount of care that our sound guy Scott gave to us (thank you Scott!) and the three monitors at the front of the stage...This was our first performance back since we had baby Tilly Rose and we played 4 songs - "Helicopter", "Get Up", "Our First Year", & "Splinter". Overall we felt it went pretty good...with only playing 4 songs you just start getting comfortable half way through the third one, and then it is over! But good things come in small packages and it felt great to get back out and playing! I will post some video of the show soon...We would like to thank Brian (my brother) for performing baby sitting duty...This marked the first time someone has taken Tilly and Miki did OK with it! You might notice in the video a little girl behind the speaker watching, that would be Chloe! After the show I asked her how it was and she said "Momma was good but you were a bit pitchy!!!" Ha! Listening back I think she was right!!! After the show Miki went back to Mom duty and Brian and I hung out and watched some of the other bands and enjoyed the sun for awhile...It was great to meet a bunch of other bands and make some new friends...

Other NEWS we were selected to play a part in the VIVA LA VINAL Festival which happens at the end of the summer in Somerville, MA. The Growing Center is a very cool spot that supports culture and community. We would like to thank Audrey Ryan for this great opportunity!

With all of these shows coming up I almost forgot...THE CD WILL BE HERE THIS WEEK!!! Make sure to come out to this years show at the Lowell Folk Festival and get your copy! We will go on sometime between 6:00 - 7:00pm, exact times are still TBD but 6 - 7 is safe...

We will be scheduling a more formal CD release party in the next few weeks...don't worry we will let you know!!!

Ok, got to get back to work...I have started the email list up again check your mailbox soon!

Dave (& Miki)

7/07/07 JULY Update!!! 7/7/07...not only is the big Live Earth Concert today, but it is also Miki's Birthday! Happy birthday Miki! We will be dining with the family in Bellingham tonight! Mai-tai's and Saki are in order for such an important event!

Speaking of important things...the CD is in production now! We delivered the final mastered CD (thanks MARK!!!!) and art work (thanks MIKI!) to Diskmakers a few days ago and we should have them back for the Lowell Folk Festival show...or maybe even sooner! The CD has 11 songs on it and is aptly named "The Rafters". We felt that this is an introduction to us and our music, so it is what it is, or we are who were are, or whatever the saying is! Anyways, the CD will be here in the next few weeks. A long time of saying it is almost done, we can finally say, it is DONE! We would like to thank everyone who helped us with it, I'll save the details for later, actually it is all listed in the CD liner notes! So THANK YOU everyone who helped...

The cover shot (which features our own little Chloe!) was taken in Lexington MA on one of the battlefields that is along the Lexington battle road that took place at the start of the Revolutionary War. As we were out on the photo shoot it was a very overwhelming experience to stop and think about what had occurred on the same ground on which we were walking. The start of our independence, the loss of life, the fear, the excitement, the noise, and chaos that all went on right there some 230 years ago.

So soon we will have the CD back and hopefully you will get a copy (please?!) and more importantly we hope that you enjoy it! We have a bunch of shows coming up for the remainder of the summer. See you soon!!!

~Dave & Miki