MUSIC
On a recent Sunday, Patrick O’Brien enjoyed his 55th
birthday by playing a rousing version of the Grateful Dead’s
“Friend of the Devil.”
“I came to celebrate my birthday and play some music,”
O’Brien said. “I’m out of practice. My strings are good, but I
am a little rusty.”
Nancy Masiello, a slender woman with a powerful voice,
sometimes plays in a duet around Vero Beach. After leading
Bruce Springsteen’s “Fire” and “Can’t Help Falling in Love”
60
by Elvis Presley, Masiello sat down to enjoy the other players’
efforts. “It is so good for people,” she said. “It’s only the
Eagles Club. You get up and you’re not afraid anymore. I
hadn’t played out in a while. I’ve heard some great singers
and guitar players. It’s a good time and sometimes it’s
magic.”
The first set is usually played by the house band, Tightrope.
Lately, people have been stepping up to jam right
away. “It lets you play a little more freely,” said Tightrope
guitarist Jeff Goddard. “You can try things, get a little looser.
There’s no pressure and I find people play better.”
Drew Birdsall, who lives an hour away in Stuart, recently
played keyboards for the entire jam session. “I’m a freelance
mercenary so to speak,” Birdsall said. “I’ve been on the bus.
I toured with Travis Moon. This is always a mixed bag of
players so you never know what you are going to get on any
given Sunday. For the most part, the players who come in
here are pretty damn good.”
The crowd each Sunday has some regulars with people of
all ages coming and going. Children are not allowed. Drinks
are as inexpensive as can be, but Eagles members say plans
are in the works to serve food on Sundays.
As the only bartender Sundays at the Eagles Club, Allison
McNeal enjoys working the busiest shift of the week and for
her it means two for one. “It’s my favorite shift because I get
to work and listen to the music at the same time,” she said.
“This is one of the best jams in the area,” said Cal Shoupe,
who considers himself a live music aficionado. “I’ve been
coming here for a while from Stuart. You just won’t find this
venue anywhere around. It’s that good.”
It’s a special treat when professional musician Bruce Hunter plays at the
Eagles Aerie. Leader of the Easy People Band, Hunter spends his time playing
music between Vero Beach and Nashville.