Chapter 20

The next morning, with both Ty and Dad taking a few days off, the ten of us took the bus to scout out a place to practice. I was allowed to drive, with Nevina in the navigator’s chair.

Our first appointment was in a part of town called Chickasaw. There was an empty shell of what used to be a Walmart, albeit a rather small one.

The building was open, and a man was standing outside, apparently waiting for us to arrive.

April and I were first out of the bus, and I extended my hand, “Hello, my name is Michael Love. Quite honestly, I didn’t know that Walmart ever had such a small footprint store?”

“Hello, Michael, I’m Harold Morgan. I’ve seen you perform before ... I hope we can help you?”

That sounded sincere as the rest of the ‘Dirty Dozen’ piled up behind me. Everyone shook hands, then we all followed Harold inside.

There were lots of ‘Wows!’ especially from those younger than I.

“To answer your question, Michael,” Harold said. “This was an original 100 x 100 Walmart store, before they got big and became Super Walmart Centers. However, they have evolved to six different size formats, and may be interested in moving back into a few smaller stores again.”

“Pardon me, Harold,” I said, “but there is a Super Walmart a mile away. You aren’t saying that they want this place back, are you?”

He looked at me, then Ty and Dad.

“No they’re not, Michael. But, depending on if you want to rent, lease, or purchase this property, they are holding on to all of their options.”

“I understand that, excuse me for a moment, please?” I said gathering up Ty and Dad.

Being quiet, I said, “This could be where we rehearse and perform. We could completely gut and renovate the place, put up a stage, rehearse as needed and schedule ourselves here whenever we could. There is already a big parking lot, with a restaurant we could make an arrangement with, or build a full-sized kitchen, if not right away, eventually?”

“What do you say, guys?”

“Harold,” Ty said, going up and getting him by the shoulder, “Michael, the ultimate decision maker, seems interested in this place. What kind of deal can we workout?”

Nevina came up behind me and said, “Watch and listen to my husband, young Padowan. He is like a shark after some fresh chum in the water. Just you wait.”

Ten minutes later, I saw a handshake occur, with Ty waving me to them. We all shook hands, I was given a large set of keys, and Mr. Morgan left.

Waiting a minute after he went back outside, I jumped and screamed “Yippee,” getting a kiss from all the ladies, starting with my April Love!

I asked my brothers to find and turn off all the lights, since we were paying for them now. April and I waited to be last on the bus, and I sat down, closed the door and said, “McDonalds for lunch, John is paying!”

Everyone laughed as I headed just down the street. Left turns are a lot easier, I quickly determined as I pulled into the parking lot. Mom came up and explained the best way to park suggesting we park a distance from other cars, and to use two stacked lanes.

I opened the doors, and let all the couples out, followed by us.

After we ordered, I was told the order amounted to $75.23, getting out my LFS credit card, glaring at my father.

April and I shared a table with Ty and Nevina. After we all were eating for a while, Ty said, “We got quite the deal, Michael.”

“That was all you, Sir. You’ve been wheeling and dealing’ longer than I have been alive.”

“Exactly, how do you mean that, Son?”

“My folks have four boys and you have four girls, there is some dealing going on to make that happen, isn’t there?”

“We may have another on the way,” Nev said.

I put my hand up, and Ty did indeed give me a high five. Both of our ladies giggled.

“Nev,” I said, “Since you and my mom have become such good friends, is she having another?”

“That’s for her to tell you, I believe,” she ... seemed to confirm.

Having eaten my double cheeseburger, all I had left were fries, and I asked to the Dads, “How quickly can we get the Love Family Singers Concert Hall (LFSCH) ready to rehearse in?”

After having a long drink of his Coke, he said, “Is ten days soon enough, Mr. Love?”

Using the written word, it is impossible to explain how much work happened between our next three paying gigs and the work on the LFSCH.

With an architect borrowed from the Michael Thomas named Cyrus Hefner, all non-support beams were removed, really opening up the place. Right above where the stage will be, a light bar was anchored to the roof, where stage lights would be. They were expensive and would be purchased later. Temporarily, we rented spotlights, and some University of Louisville Students from its College of Arts and Sciences to run them as needed.

With the use of an indoor scraper, all the flooring was removed down to the concrete. Every square inch of the concrete was covered with the carpet from a store going out of business. The Mom’s, with my final decision, gave instruction on went where.

A raised stage was quickly built 40 inches above the floor, with steps up to it both stage right and stage left.

Our entire LFS, now up to 32, along with the instruments, corded and cordless microphones came in to see what was happening.

I went from being behind everyone, to the combo being, as a group, to the stage right of where the singers would be performing. There was a solid wall behind us, painted flat white, to be used as we got more equipment. Immediately, it would bounce light back to make us look better, if possible.

The gigs during this time were just the ten of us.

What really made the place look prestigious was when we got the delivery of 50 tables, 500 chairs (We needed more, in case) and had tablecloths, red, blue, green, yellow and violet. These were Sir Isaac Newton’s colors of the rainbow, my brother Charles said.

Our first big job with everyone involved was the one we got back at the beginning of the summer for August first. Ty convinced the powers that be to move it to the LFSCH. That group, from Dad’s work would only take up a fourth of the tables. Mr. Nicholas, in his infinite wisdom, got more than enough of his bosses and friends, with their families, to make the place look fuller. They would be paying $35 per person or $100 for a family of four or more.

We called the caterers and tripled the order of food, that would be setup as a three-table long server-served, so people wouldn’t dawdle in line.

The Big Band was still coming in, but they would be our opening act. They would play for an hour, we would play until everyone left, or midnight at the latest.

Monday August 1^st, 2022
Opening Night
of the
Love Family Singers Concert Hall

It’s funny, I had never gotten terribly nervous until an hour before this was to start.

I walked into the area that will become our kitchen, found a large trash can and puked my guts out. I went to the bathroom, washed my mouth out, and my face and my hands, then went out and sat down at one of the tables for the LFS to sit at while they waited.

Unfortunately, we didn’t have a liquor license, so the evening was dry,’ But we did have soft drinks on tap, Mom’s idea, for one dollar each. Water was also available, but in plastic, with a large carafe of ice on every table. The Nicholas daughters removed the paper labels to class the water up a bit.

Two days beforehand, Nevina said, “WE NEED A DANCE FLOOR!”

With all there had been to do, we found a local purveyor and purchased outright, a 20 x 40 parquet dance floor, which they installed for us. We only took up four tables of space to accommodate it.

As the people were coming in, being seated by my aunts, cousins, and future in-laws, the Mingus Big Band was getting into place. They are a Band of 30 musicians, all male. Mr. Charles Mingus, the founder, died and his wife manages it. They won a Grammy in 2011 and have been nominated for six others.

The gentleman at the piano looked to be the leader, as Tyrone Nicholas walked out on stage to the cordless single microphone on a stand.

He got a very favorable amount of applause, and then:

“Good Evening, ladies and gentlemen, welcome to opening night at the Love Family Singers Concert Hall ... isn’t it beautiful?”

Another nice round of applause, and as it lessened, he went on... “You need to know something. The idea for all of this is not mine, it is a young mans, who is only 17 years old.”

Some applause.

(Don’t call me up, please ... don’t call me up?)

“His name is Michael Love. Yes, that is his real name. He was out of school and played the keyboard in his bedroom to relax. He and his family live next door to us, and now he has become a much better keyboard player and is also the fiancé of my oldest daughter. Fast forward almost sixty days exactly, and now there is a rather large mass of us, called the Love Family Singers. It includes Michael and his three brothers, my four daughters, his parents, my wife and I, plus some aunts, uncles, cousins and such.”

“But, that is later. First, get in line to make yourself a big plate of food. In fifteen minutes the Mingus Big Band will play while you, eat, listen or even dance if you want.”

He left the stage, and the leader from the piano, started them up.

Not having heard of them until two days before, when they came by to rehearse, I went to iTunes to hear their jazzy sound of all original music by their late founder, Charles Mingus.

We were told to get some food to eat, something I hadn’t expected. It would have been rude to refuse it, so we got in line, got a light meal, and sat down to eat, listen, and enjoy.

Three songs in, it was slow enough and April and I joined others dancing. I was no Charles Newman, but I had been schooled by my mother enough to not fall over or step on my fiancées’ feet.

Everyone dancing applauded as the song ended. They had a very unique sound, unlike most of the big bands from the 30s and 40s.

We sat, and finished our meal while listening to them. Our set was a nice combination of new-ish and older music. We would be playing much more recognizable music then they were playing.

They announced their final song as the ‘Song With Orange,’ which was the closest sounding to something by either Miller or the Dorsey’s.

Quite fortunately, Ty came back up on stage as people came up on stage to clear it and help set us up.

“Thank you very much to the Mingus Big Band. Let’s all give them a big hand, why don’t we?”

They got a very large applause with some people standing for them. Sheesh. What a group to follow?

With our setup, nearly complete, I got up, went over to Ty and said, “You can leave the stage, old man. It’s time to move forward a few decades.”

He left to join the others, and I stayed up to say, “If you don’t dance to us, we have plans to turn this place back into a Walmart, or maybe even a Costco!”

They laughed, oh boy.

“My name is Michael Love, as my future father-in-law said before, I used talent from the ladies and money from the two Dads. One thing he didn’t say was his daughter’s name is April, come on up honey?”

She came out, looking gorgeous, to a wonderful applause.

“The first song I sang after meeting her was that fabulous Pat Boone number, ‘April Love!’”

I motioned to Nancy to start the music...

April love is
for the very young
Every star’s a wishing star
that shines for you

April love is
all the seven wonders
One little kiss can
tell you ... this is true

Sometimes an April day
will suddenly bring showers
Rain to grow the flowers
for her first bouquet

But April love can slip
right through your fingers
So if she’s the one,
don’t let her run away

Mary played the flute, we danced in place a little

Sometimes an April day
will suddenly bring showers
Rain to grow the flowers
for her first bouquet

But April love can slip
right through your fingers
So if she’s the one,
don’t let her run away

She didn’t sing, but she inspired me to, and the sound of applause from so many people was remarkable.

Keeping her out there, I went to my headpiece microphone, and simply said, “You ain’t heard nothing yet!” and began the piano intro...

APRIL
Some say love, it is a river
That drowns the tender reed
Some say love, it is a razor
That leaves your soul to bleed

Some say love, it is a hunger
An endless, aching need
I say love, it is a flower
And you, its only seed

The whole combo joins in with me
Nev and Sarah are her backup voices

It’s the heart afraid of breaking
That never learns to dance
It’s the dream afraid of waking
That never takes the chance

It’s the one who won’t be taken
Who cannot seem to give
And the soul afraid of dying
That never learns to live

And the night has been too lonely
And the road has been too long
And you think that love is only
For the lucky and the strong

Just remember in the winter
Far beneath the bitter snow
Lies the seed that with the sun’s love
In the spring, becomes a rose

The audience liked her even better than me. That’s just fine!

“Here is our official theme song, everyone. If you know it, sing along!”...

EVERYONE
Love, Love, Love
Love, Love, Love
Love, American Style,
Truer than the Red, White and Blue.

Love, American Style,
That’s me and you.

APRIL/MICHAEL
And on a star-spangled
night my love.
(you can rest)
You can rest your head on my shoulder (shoulder).