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Sometimes being first is everything. In this case, the first person in line at the locked door of the Village Idiot in Maumee is Pat Gibson. It’s 10:07 a.m. and the crowd has already started to gather outside the Conant Street watering hole, because the golden rule of seeing The Daydrinkers is to get there early. Otherwise, you’ll be left standing on the edge of the room for four hours.
“The band is really good, it’s a lot of fun. The place is packed. It’s a great way to spend a Friday afternoon,” explains Gibson. Standing behind Gibson is Rick Reiter, who’s come from Bowling Green to catch the show.
“The band is all professional musicians. They show up once a month and play three great sets. It’s just a fun time. The crowd is always into it,” said Reiter, adding, “The reason we’re standing here before the bar opens at 11 o’clock is because we wanna get a seat. It fills sometimes to three or four deep standing-room only. So get here early.”
By 10:15,Daydrinkers founder, pianist and vocalist Jake Pilweski has arrived, unloading his musical gear from his Ford Escape. Generally, rock stars typically do not show up at this hour of the morning. But these performances are special shows that started back in October, 2017 and have been going strong ever since, except for during COVID.
Setting up for the show
With his long hair, well broken-in Stetson hat and snakeskin cowboy boots, Pilewski looks every bit like the country rock outlaw he is. Waylon Jennings could have dressed him. Possessing an easy going smile, firm handshake and killer rock ‘n’ roll rhythms, Pilewksi plays in a multitude of bands around the Toledo area.
The backstory of The Daydrinkers is pretty straightforward. No “Behind the Music”-worthy drama. “(The band) is constantly evolving,” said Pilewski. “When it started, it was just an afternoon jam between the two of us and our buddy who organized it. But we have a lot of friends and the music community is tight and we just started building more of a band rather than just an open jam. Within a year it was a full band and we’ve changed members a few times over the years.”
Pilewski comments on how the band survived the COVID-19 pandemic: “I think 2020 kind of took this thing that was already working and made us think, ‘Now what’s important in life?’ And the community element is what makes this special. The Village Idiot is a communal place to begin with and in Nashville there’s music in the after- noon and I’d talk with my friends and say ‘We should have that here.’”
Musicians by trade
What sets The Daydrinkers apart is that every member is a full-time musician, each selected from among the best working bands in Toledo. This isn’t just a weekend gig for the members of this band. Everyone does music for a full-time living.
“It’s become easier and even more fun for us because everyone in the band is a career musician,” said Pilewski. “This is our bread and butter. We live it, breathe it, day and night. Every member of the band plays in different projects and once a month, we come together to do (The Daydrinkers). With the community and the staff, it’s like we’re just having one big family gathering. And we’re providing the music.”
Pilewski also plays regularly in Jake and the Venom, as well as The New Fashion, a band that plays a lot of corporate events and weddings. His band from fifteen years ago, Nine Lives, is also having a reunion this summer. He also performs solo while playing in a lot
of different ensembles. “2020 taught us that if you want to stay busy you have to try a lot of different things,” Pilewski comments.
The line slowly grows to about 20 folks by the time the Village Idiot opens at 11. As people join the queue, they’re greeted by other Daydrinker fans waiting for their turn to file in. Everyone knows each other here and a few patrons wear Daydrinkers T-shirts, ready for the experience that lies ahead.
Once the doors open, tables are occupied instantly. By 11:08 only two tables are available and the show doesn’t start until 1 p.m.
At this hour, Bloody Marys are the prevalent order and the two bartenders mix them up for the thirsty Daydrinker fans.
The drummer of the Daydrinkers, Evan Spurlock, arrives next, setting up his drum kit around 11:45 as the patrons of the now quite packed bar chatter away, counting down the time until the party really starts. Orders for the Village Idiot’s renowned pizza are placed.
A special experience
When asked what makes The Daydrinkers experience special, Spurlock simply smiles and barks out, “Beer and pizza.”
Daydrinker fans are a fiercely loyal bunch. Take Troy Westfall, sitting at a table in the middle of the room, holding court with his family. Westfall has seen every Daydrinkers show, not missing a single gig in the seven-and-a-half years that the band has been performing. An avid trumpet player, he also performs two songs with the band. “The talent,
the music, the atmosphere keeps me coming back,” said Westfall.
People of all ages are here, too. Michael Mankowski, the assistant general manager at Sylvania Tam-O-Shanter, is at the Village Idiot for a team building/relaxation exercise with a few of his barely-drinking-age workers to celebrate the end of a successful hockey season. “This is a great way to have a team building outing,” said Mankowski. “You just can’t go wrong with this show.”
Taking the stage
It’s 1:05. The party has officially begun.
Up on the crowded stage, Palewski plays the keyboards. “Mother Nature’s on our side!” shouts Palewski into his microphone. “The door of the venue is open. A month ago it was 40 degrees and the door was closed, now people are complaining that it’s too hot out!
You people need to make up your damn minds!” And then the music starts and the cheers begin.
For the third song the band plays a rousing rendition of “One Toke Over the Line,” originally recorded by Brewer and Shipley. As the band plays a series of songs, Reiter passes a tip jar through the crowd, which elicits a generous response. By the time he’s made a complete pass through the bar, the large jar is filled with legal tender. Palewski pauses, giving a shout out to the Village Idiot’s Pizza of the Month,a jerk chicken version.
By 1:40 the venue is standing-room only. No one really seems to mind if you encroach upon their space. Need a place to set your pizza? Most people are cool with you using their table, provided you’re not stingy with sharing the pie. That’s the kind of communal musical experience the Daydrinkers provide.
Working through the show
After a little over an hour, the band takes a break before the second set. Palewski’s mom, sitting off to the side under the marquee announcing the Idiot’s upcoming band schedule, sells Daydrinker beer koozies and t-shirts The band members file outside the Village Idiot, all smiles. John Roth is a singer and guitar player in The Daydrinkers, performing with the band for five years. Roth relates that the band’s setlist is influenced by the selections in the old Village Idiot jukebox that rocked the Maumee neighborhood bar years ago. “The setlist is based on the jukebox that used to be in here — we specialize in jukebox music,” said Roth. Bassist Carl Smothers, is the new kid in the band. Today marks his very first gig as a member of The Daydrinkers. “Play a little hooky, come on out and have a good time,” Smothers advised.
Rounding out the current incarnation of The Daydrinkers is Toledo music scene stalwart Frank May, who joined the band a month before the COVID-19 pandemic hit. May states that the once a month schedule has meant everything to the success of The Daydrinkers. “The timing is great. It’s not too frequent but it’s frequent enough,” said May. “People want to have that end-of-the-month party. We try to play a variety of music while we keep adding new stuff, mixing it up a bit.”
With that, the band break is over and The Daydrinkers file back into the Village Idiot. It’s time to finish the job.
The Village Idiot
309 Conant St., Maumee
419-893-7281
villageidiotmaumee.com
The Day Drinkers at Party in the Park with The
Funk Factory
Friday, July 18, 6pm-9:30pm
Promenade Park
400 Water St.
facebook.com/events/1211029253995912
