First Adventure at the Twisted Fork
The general Tacoma region - from University Place to Gig Harbor to Point Ruston to Lakewood- is not without a litany of different eclectic music venues with great food. So, it never surprises us when we find ourselves on the way to somewhere new, such as this evening on our way to the Twisted Fork Saloon!
Point Ruston is not the easiest place to find your way around. Even with my GPS directions turned on I drove past the Twisted Fork Saloon twice. But the efforts to find it (and the possibly higher effort to then find a parking spot) proved to be well worth it as Billy Stoops and Leanne Trevalyan were the entertainment for the night!
This time, we showed up just a few moments after the music had started… but I (Zeek) still had to have a chance to try something from the fantastic menu. While I typically look for a patty melt on the menus, I didn’t see one here. I decided to order the club sandwich on rye. It was a full meal by itself, and especially delicious!
Billy and Leanne were set up in a little alcove near the door, positioned perfectly to lure in those passing by as the music spilled out on to the sidewalk. With some of Billy's trademark sounds, Leanne's riveting voice, and the harmony of the voices and guitars... it was obvious why several sidewalk strollers paused to enjoy the music in the evening air.
No Billy and Leane show is complete without some stories and banter! Billy performed a well known and loved original, Emma Jean, adding some commentary midway through. The last verse mentions driving around looking in windows… This works in context, he mused, but sounds a little creepy if you haven’t listened to the whole song. If you've ever heard some of Billy's side bar conversations while on stage, you can probably imagine how the impromptu confession went.
Leanne provided great harmony for Billy's songs, but one of our favorite moments was Leanne performing No Place Like Home, a reference to The Wizard of Oz, with Billy quietly adding background vocals and harmony. Leanne's voice and songs are both amazing in range and appeal. With or without a backup vocalist, she always warms the room with an enchanting vibe... Or gets laughs herself with her own quips. Shortly after No Place Like Home, a patron and his dog were heading toward the door. Leanne didn't miss the chance to say goodbye... To you and your little dog too...
Through out the two hour performance Leanne and Billy swapped back and forth with songs and antics, keeping us All entertained and amused.
There wasn't much room to dance, but as you know we don't let that stop us. We got in a few dances, while watching for the wait staff or other patrons needing to come through the walkway we were using for a make shift dance floor. Several folks there we have become familiar with while chasing live music events, and others we'd only seen once or twice in passing... But in the Twisted Fork's eclectic setting of Steam Punk meets Old West Saloon- with songs, food and drinks, and wait staff that made us all feel comfortable- we ended up staying well after the show was over enjoying the great company!
A chance to chat with the musicians, see familiar faces, meet new friends, and enjoy fantastic entertainment is always what we look for. And this evening at the Twisted Fork Saloon hit the mark!