The Convention from Hell

 

The Pittsburgh Music Revue

    After I joined the Barbershop Harmony Society one of the things I looked forward to every summer was the International convention which was hosted by different cities throughout the US and Canada. I wasn't always able to go because of cost but any chance I got I went. I would always travel with one of the guys from the chorus. In 1981 I went to the International Convention in Detroit with my good friend Leo Stefano. Leo and I sang in a quartet called The Pittsburgh Music Revue (he's on the right in the picture). He was my dad's age and actually worked for Bell of PA just like my dad and they actually knew each other before I met Leo.

 

     Leo had booked a hotel on the outskirts of town which I remember had cement block for walls. It was clean I guess but I was only 17 so I wasn't very picky. Thinking back on it now my wife would have never stayed in a place like that. Once we checked into our hotel we drove into town to register for the convention and sing some tags with our friends from all over the country. We parked across the street from the headquarters hotel, The Renaissance. As soon as I got out of the car I got panhandled by a very large scary looking man. Leo yelled at him and said, "We don't have any money, bug off!" Luckily he took the hint and left me alone.

 

     The next day after visiting some friends at the Pontchartrain hotel I was walking with a group of barbershoppers back to the headquarters hotel (which was about three blocks). All of a sudden I heard shots and I started running. One guy yelled don't run, they'll shoot even more. Too late, I had been hit in the back with what seemed like a 22 pistol by some guys driving by in a car. I couldn't believe it, I was shot! I ran to the hotel to find Leo and that wasn't easy since the hotel lobby was vast and many different levels. I finally found him

The Renaissance Hotel, Detroit, MI 

singing some tags with some quartet champs and I started babbling to him. I was so upset I couldn't even speak. He had a glass of something and made me take a drink. It took my breath away, (it was some kind of straight alcohol) but it did the trick. I mellowed out and then he asked me what happened. I spent the next few minutes having Leo dig the BB's out of my back and he poured more of whatever he was drinking on the wound. We cleaned it up better once we got up to the room. Leo was singing with some champs so of course that was more important! LOL

 

     Later that week we were told about this wonderful Italian restaurant that we had to do for dinner.  A bunch of us traveled what seems like 20 miles through some of the worst areas I’ve ever experienced. The key was not stopping at the traffic lights but to slow down and keep moving. We finally found the restaurant, surrounded by chain link fence and barbed wire at the top with a gate, kinda like a jail. It made us wonder if the person that told us about this restaurant was trying to get us killed. But it was too late to turn back now and try to find another restaurant and still make the next contest session so we decided to go ahead in. We ordered dinner and as I was eating my salad I had an allergic reaction to the peppers and couldn’t breathe. Leo thought he was going to have to cut a hole in my throat and insert his Bic pen. Eventually after drinking a lot of water and eating bread it finally started to subside. I thought I was going to die right there.

 

The Boston Common, Terry Clarke is R/C

     My favorite quartet of all time is the Boston Common and I was really bummed out that I wasn't able to go to the convention in Salt Lake City, UT the summer before. I missed them winning it all and I was really looking forward to seeing them on the AIC (Association of International Champions) show. On the night of the show my good friend Terry Clarke (bass of the Boston Common, 1980 Quartet Champs) had a problem and was in a jam. It was their swan song year as the retiring champs and the babysitting service for the hotel was unable to watch his son Penn. I volunteered to forego the show and watched his son so that his wife could go watch them sing. Things we do for our friends. His wife was very grateful and I was happy to be able to help them.

 

     A local barbershopper had told us earlier in the week about a recent thing that was happening on their highways. He explained that they would come up behind you and bump your car to get you to stop and then they would rob you. Lucky us, on our way back home one night we got bummed from behind. Luckily we knew not to stop and just kept moving.

 

     On a fun note one day while we were waiting for seats at a restaurant during the lunch rush I noticed these two very beautiful business women sitting at a table for four. I told Leo, hey there are two seats, and I’m going to ask them if we can sit with them. He said there was no way they would sit with an old man and some young kid. I went over and they invited us to sit down.  Leo’s jaw dropped as he sat across from a woman with a dress that barely covered her breasts. We really enjoyed our lunch that day. Oh yeah there was also a contest but for the life of me I don't remember much about it, it really was the convention from hell.

A couple more cookies to try

Chocolate-Mint Thumbprints

With peppermint extract, whipping cream, chocolate chips and my son's favorite treat after a dinner at Olive Garden Ande's Candys Mints these Chocolate Mint Thumbprints will be a big hit at our house.

 

 

Cherry Jam Cookies

 

 

 

Cherry Jam Cookies. These cookies are simple to make and delicious. With cherry jam and a surprise flavor of ginger adds a really nice touch.

 

If you missed any of the cookies or any of the stories remember you can click on the OLDER POSTS to read everything I've posted from the very beginning. Thanks again for making my blog a part of your day.

Ron