*December 4, 2007
~ A few recent photos

Scott Gates and Dave Eastly with the Miner 49er's at Disney's California Adventure Park, mid-November 2007. Scott's been a stand-in with the Barncats and the Miner 49ers at DCA since the park opened.

Scott's three nieces: Madison (age 6), Abby and Zoey (age 18 mos.) Scott's brother Thomas and his wife Krista.

Scott with Sheba, of S.A.B.R.E. Foundation, Inc. (www.sabrefoundation.org)

*Friday, November 16, 2007

Okay, okay, so the High Desert Grand Re-Opening of the Victor Valley Mall was billed as Scott Gates and Pacific Ocean Band…. we just weren’t sure who that was going to be! Three POB members couldn’t make it (WHAT?) so Scott called upon The Vintage! What you really saw folks, was Scott’s other bluegrass band, “The Vintage” with Special Guest Singer Jessica Johnson from Pacific Ocean Bluegrass.

So many friends and relatives arrived to support Scott and Jessica! Dancing Princes and Princesses ages one to six played in front of the bandstand for the whole hour with other young friends of the mall coming and going throughout! The Moos Family, the Gates Family, The Millers, Elizabeth Johnson and her Friends Equestrians Extraordinaire, The Best Family and the list goes on. All these friends, and more, blessed us. Pastor Randy Burk of Hesperia’s Temple Baptist Church attended in capacity of Band Photographer – we just can’t wait to see the shots he got! Thank You Pastor Burk!!

I realize you are wondering just whom it was you heard play at the mall – well, there is a link on this site to The Vintage, but I’ll let you know here and now (and add photos when we receive them) that Mike Nadolson singer, flat-pick guitar player and entrepreneur (www.TricopolisRecords.com) among many other things (trust me, you just don’t know who he really is!) brings in his vocals and expertise, and has been quietly mentoring Scott along his way, since he was about 11 years old. Kevin Gore – banjo, singer; Fred Wade – bass; Scott Gates, mandolin, lead vocals.

Special thanks to the couple who waited for more CDs to arrive from “the bus”! Enjoy!

Here at Manzolin Records, Scott Gates & Pacific Ocean Bluegrass and The Vintage, are winding up 2007 with a few private engagements, and one more public engagement…so check the schedule, and we’ll see you at Braemar!

*Hello Family, Fans, Friends and Fellow Musicians

11/15/07 - Thank you so much to those of you who came to support Scott Gates & Pacific Ocean Bluegrass Band -- it was so nice to see so many familiar faces who came to see the band, and some specifically to see John Mailander -- what an addition to POB!! Unfortunately for POB, John is not a full time member of the band, but is a great guest player when he is able to join the band for performances. Orange Blossom Special and El Cumbanchero really come together so well with John, don't you think?!


E-Street Cafe is a great place to play, and POB has been asked back on a monthly basis. It looks like beginning in February, POB will be playing the third Saturday of every month at the E-Street Cafe, from 8:pm to 9:30pm. Here you will be able to catch the band trying out some new tunes in front of a live audience, bringing in some guest players on occasion, and generally watching their start in the San Diego area. We are all looking forward to these monthly visits!

Have you ever been to the Fallback Festival at the Gaslamp District in San Diego? We were so happy to see friends there, too! POB was invited to film some promo spots with a morning news and weather show, and played main stage at 11:00 am. The concert was fun, and we were all able to stay around for a while to enjoy the booths and other experiences celebrating the coming of fall and winter!

Upcoming public events wrapping up 2007 are the Mall of Victor Valley Grand Opening this Friday, and the December 18 Braemar Country Club event. Both are free to attend. Please come, let us know you are there!

*Oh where, oh where have the Updates gone?

Pacific Ocean Bluegrass at King's River Bluegrass Festival Scott Gates & Jessica Johnson

Last May, Scott and POB won the 47th Annual Topanga Banjo/Fiddle Contest in the Band category; while POB lead guitarist Paul Davis won first place in the advanced flat-pick guitar category. Below are video highlights of some great events. Unfortunately, The DVD video from the Westside Theatre in Newman, CA, on August 11, where POB opened for The Biscuit Burners, had technical difficulties. It was a fantastic show! The Westside Theatre crew treated band members and their families like international dignitaries!

On August 17, 2007, Scott and Mike Nadolson (Silverado Bluegrass Band, Tricopolis Records) filmed a studio interview on Sandy Jacobson’s show Backstage: Los Angeles, with interviewer Michael Sunday. Check out backstagelosangeles.net to read about Sandy Jacobson, her life and her work with the music and movie industry. We haven’t viewed the show, and haven’t been given a date it will air yet – check your listings! Do you get Backstage: Los Angeles in your area yet??

August 18, POB opened for Transcontinental Music Express, where North and South America met up to play American Bluegrass and Brazilian Choro Music – it was quite the night! Evan Marshall sat in with POB on fiddle, and gave the audience the musical joy of their lives when he performed his signature piece, The William Tell Overture on solo mandolin. I know, I know – you can’t believe it until you see it for yourselves, and when you do, you STILL won’t believe it.

To fill out that August weekend, Sunday ended with POB playing at the Neighborhood Community Church in Palace Verde’s Estates outdoors, in the beauty of the surrounding ocean. As if that weren’t enough, Scott and Mom jumped in the van at midnight, driving through the night to make an 8:am rehearsal Monday morning, for a 9:am downbeat with the Pearce Family Bluegrass Band, at Mt. Hermon in Santa Cruz, CA. Scott played with the Pearce Family through to that Thursday, when Wil Pearce was able to make it back with the band, and Scott and Mom had to leave for Summergrass Bluegrass Festival in Vista. CA -- near San Diego! We certainly couldn’t miss having Tricopolis Records there, and seeing the U. S. Navy Bluegrass Band “Country Current”.

PEARCE FAMILY BLUEGRASS BAND

Oddly enough, Scott and Catie Pearce knew one another from His Little Lambs preschool and Santa Clarita Christian School back in Santa Clarita from about 1995-1999. Though the Gates family moved to the High Desert in 1999, Scott remembered Catie, and as it turned out, Catie remembered Scott. They hadn’t seen one another since, then at the Topanga Contest in May ’07, where Scott’s band won First Place in the band competition, Catie won first place in back-up guitar playing for her sister Molly, who won first place in the banjo competition!

Scott and Jesse McReynolds at Jesse's place

While standing with the other band member’s parents at Topanga, Jessica’s mom mentioned that a young woman walked by, then moments later, she walked by in the same direction again! As I looked up, Scott’s mom recognized the young woman passing by, stopped her to ask her name – it was Molly Pearce! Do you have a sister named Catie? She asked. As God would have it, just a few months later, Scott was asked to substitute for Wil Pearce in the Pearce Family Bluegrass Band’s gig at Mt. Hermon. Now the Pearce’s and the Gates’ families get together occasionally to pick and grin, as if they’d never parted years before!

September brought a private party to POB, in Los Angeles, in the Hollywood Hills, where the property layout brought a vertical climb to the staging area, a swimming pool, staggered patios, and a view of the world! What a beauty!

Scott and Courtney Burroughs at IBMA

The Julian Festival was to be the highlight of the month, but was cancelled due to a raging fire, which sent the festival families fleeing. A few weeks later, we drove by the festival grounds, and thanked God for His many blessings. That fire came right up and over the mountaintop. Guitar player Paul had driven 11 hours with his trailer, his coffee man and his case of Mexican Coca-Cola only to find out he had to turn right around again.

POB met up again the following weekend at Sanger, CA for the Kings River Bluegrass Festival at Hobbs Grove Park where the Jerry Johnston brought in some fine players for the weekend events, and where we visited with several friends and fans of POB. It was nice to see so many of you there, and we thank you for your support!

Mac Weisman -- at Jesse's place, the Pick Inn

At the end of the month, September 30 brought POB to Menghini Winery in Julian to a soothing and relaxing festival in the mountains. It was a great event, just 2 miles from the Julian Festival, which had been cancelled a few weeks before. The freshly mashed grapes present an unbelievable unprocessed juice, and the Winery offers nice wines for tasting and buying, as well as special events days which can include grape stomping – check out their web site!

IBMA slid into October, where Scott had a grand time playing music with the best of the best for four days. It’s a good thing he had all his homework caught up, because it took a good week to recover!! Pacific Ocean Bluegrass Band has been in rehearsals most of October, and will be playing three events in San Diego County November 2, 3 and 4th. Proceeds from this event will be donated to benefit victims of the San Diego County fires. Come see us, we’ll be so glad to see you!