Oracle 2009 - The Year in Review - Page 4

Oracle Returns to the
Hope Ball - Benefit for Howard County Domestic Violence Center

October saw Oracle return for a very special event, the Hope Ball, benefitting the Domestic Violence Center of Howard County.

Unfortunately we missed the event in 2008 due to a scheduling conflict, but in 2009 we were back full steam ahead to help raise much needed funds for this much needed resource.

Maryland State's Attorney Doug Gansler attended as did Lt. Governor Anthony Brown.

We posted several other photos from this special night on our Facebook Page.  Check them out.

St John's Singles Dance

October is always a fun month as there always seem to be lot's of special events and parties going on.

Such was the case this year as Oracle performed for the second time during the year for the folks with the St. John's Singles organization.

Word definitely got out about this one, as a huge crowd came out to dance and party.

Held at the Wilde Lake Interfaith Center in Columbia Maryland, the facility is a fabulous one for parties of this sort. An enormous dance floor gives everyone plenty of room to show off their best moves, and in spite of some very high ceilings the sound in the room is nothing short of incredible.

Fundraiser Dance for American Legion Post 40 Auxiliary in Glen Burnie

The folks at the American Legion are special.  It doesn't matter a lot which post it is, Legionnaires and their friends & family are outgoing, considerate, & great partiers!

Post 40 in Glen Burnie Maryland is ideal for a successful fundraiser.  There is a spacious dance floor, plenty of seating, and the food there is great.  They even take care of the band, and we're sometimes so full from the great food it's tough to hit the stage!

The musical requests we get at the Legion are one's that would test any variety band's repertoire.  We might be playing AC/DC one minute and Engelbert Humperdink the next! The best part is, we are usually able to accommodate the vast majority of the requests.

FutureCare Harvest Festival

After two previous years of spectacular weather for the annual Harvest Festival at FutureCare in Canton, it was sort of inevitable that sooner or later Mother Nature would rear her head and let our a roar.

Well, for 2009 roar she did, as it rained pretty much all day, putting a major damper on attendance. 

The one thing that wasn't dampened was the enthusiasm of those that DID attend, as you can see in the photos here.

The Harvest Festival has been a tradition at this Baltimore based rehab facility for many years, and for the past three years it has been our pleasure to perform there.

Return to Whispers

Since we perform at Whispers in Glen Burnie so much during the course of the year we thought it might be nice to show a few shots from the latter part of 2009. 

A couple of moments from the end of the year stand out. 

In  October we celebrated Steve's birthday at Whispers, and he was rewarded with birthday cake in his face from Veronica!

In November, the largest crowd of the year turned out, including a group of ladies celebrating a bachelorette party.  What is most interesting about this particular group is that the bride-to-be's fiancé proposed to her from the stage at one of our performances at Perry's Restaurant over a year earlier!

Whispers Photo Gallery

American Legion Post 175 Halloween Party

Halloween is definitely not a children's day anymore.  A sold out house attended the annual Oracle Halloween party for 2009, held this year at the American Legion Post 175 in Severna Park Maryland.

With the band outfitted as the Adams Family, the costumes were original and imaginative, and selecting the winners of the various costume contests was difficult to say the least.

Adrenaline can go a long way for a band, as was evidenced by the fact that few people realized that half the band was recovering from one illness or another, and our trumpet player Steve had a full fledged case of pneumonia! Hey...the show must go on!

We'd like to thank all the fans as well as the folks at the Legion who went to such great lengths to make the evening a huge success.

Halloween Party 2009 Photo Gallery

Fleet Reserve Club of Annapolis

Situated in the heart of old town Annapolis Maryland, the Fleet Reserve Club commands a magnificent view of the Annapolis waterfront, the State House, and the infamous "ego alley", where captains of large yachts prove their skill at the helm by cruising up the "alley" and turning around to come back out to tie up.

Oracle performs several time a year at the Fleet, and each performance is an adventure, as we never know what songs will be requested next. We might go from a Motown tune to a Lady GaGa song to a polka in the space of 15 minutes

Of course that's what makes the Fleet such fun, & why we enjoy returning there so much.

Fleet Reserve Photos 2009 

Gambrills Athletic Club Bull Roast

As November rolled around Oracle returned to Gambrills Athletic Club for yet another great Bull Roast sponsored by the club to raise funds for the programs they offer.

Once again the event sold out over a month in advance, and the full house danced and partied until the wee hours of the morning.

It really is a great facility, with lots of space and a super stage.  Now if they could only install air conditioning so it could be used year round it would be perfect!

Photos Gallery from Oracle Band performance at Gambrills Athletic Club 

Stoney Creek Democratic Club

Oracle's first performance at the Stoney Creek Democratic Club was warmly received by those that attended.

A number of fans came out eager for a great time of the spacious dance floor, and they were not disappointed.

The food there was very good, and we would recommend this facility to anyone looking to hold a wedding or other private party there.

Photo Gallery from November Oracle Band performance at Stoney Creek Democratic Club 

Crabtowne Skiers

One of the highlights of the pre-holiday season is the dance that is held by a group called the Crabtowne Skiers.

Formed in 1971, the social group does much more than ski. With activities ranging from hiking and biking to dancing and of course skiing, this group is active year round.

The dance they throw at the end of the year in one to watch for, particularly for those fond of ballroom dancing.   Watching the dancers as they spin and twirl around the floor is so much fun to watch we sometimes get overly caught up in it & miss a cue!

2009 was the second year we have performed for this organization, and we have been invited back for 2010.  We're looking forward to it! 

Holly Ball -
Annapolis Sheraton

The Holly Ball in Annapolis is an annual event sponsored by the Severn Town Club.  It is their annual black tie fund raiser, and a wonderful crowd braved the chill to support a great cause, Scholarships for Scholars. A silent auction, on-site photographer, and a live auction all helped contribute to the cause.

Unfortunately, just as things were getting underway, the hotel fire alarm sounded.  At first nobody paid much attention as these things are usually a prank or malfunction, but a short while later everyone was told to move out of the ballroom and towards the exits.

A chill (not from the cold) went down the event  organizers' spines as everyone headed for the exit.  The Anne Arundel County Fire Department trucks were already outside, and concern continued to mount.

Fortunately, after about 15 minutes everyone was told we could go back inside and resume the party! 

In spite of the distraction the event was deemed a success, and a lot of money was raised for Scholarships for Scholars. We were thrilled to have been a part of this very special evening. 

Apple Ford Holiday Party

The folks over at Apple Ford are a great bunch of people. 

It has been our privilege to perform for their annual holiday party at Martins West in Baltimore Maryland for the past five years.

While the economy has taken it's toll on a great many auto dealerships, the folks at Apple push forward defying the downward trends. 

From the sales staff to the mechanics to the accounting and financial people, this company has it all together, and we're fortunate to be a part of their annual party. 

The Blizzard of 2009 -
Lois & Phil's Wedding Day

It started the night before. By mid afternoon we were being told don't drive unless you HAVE to.  Well, we did our best, because our friends Lois and Phil deserved music at the wedding they had been planning for over a year.

By the time we were to arrive there was almost two feet of snow on the ground, most roads had not seen a plow, and everything anywhere had been cancelled...except Lois & Phil's wedding out near the Bay Bridge past Annapolis.

Small wheels & a heavy load on the band trailer, coupled with the unplowed roads forced some of the band to give up the attempt.  It was just too dangerous. However, Jim & Steve, road warriors that they are, prevailed in the face of overwhelming odds, and made it to the reception on time.

Taking stock of the equipment from Steve's van we put together a basic PA system with lights. Then, using past digital recordings of the band, we were able to have Oracle music actually playing at the reception...minus a few members of course, but the spirit was there.

A mix of past Oracle performances coupled with current material that we always carry with us, and the evening went about as well as one could expect considering we didn't know if we could make it home of not!

Hey... remember the adage...THE SHOW MUST GO ON!

Congratulations to Lois & Phil...you two will prevail through ANYTHING!

New Years 2009-2010 - Welcoming A New Decade

And here we are for another year, come full circle on our trip back through time, reminiscing about the past performances of 2009.  As with our other Year In Review pictorials, we begin and end each with the New Years performance.

For the past several years Oracle fans have been asking for a New Years party at a hotel or in conjunction with one where rooms would be available so folks don't have to drive home for the night.

For New Years Eve 2009 your wishes came true in a magnificent way, at the Four Points by Sheraton Hotel at BWI.

At first it was kind of a scary proposition. We were going to book the room ourselves and sell the tickets directly.  However, the management at the Sheraton kindly offered to take over the logistics of the party, leaving us to simply publicize it.

Although we were a little apprehensive at first, our worries were soon quelled when we sold the first few tables by the end of JULY!  By the end of October we were told the main ballroom had completely sold out, and that they were going to open a second ballroom and put a video feed of the band in there, along with other entertainment.

The clincher, the piece to make the evening all the more memorable, was the addition of a silent auction in the lobby, whose proceeds were to go to the USO at BWI. At the end of the evening a check was presented to the USO for $4225.00

We are already at work looking at next New Years.  What's really scary is that it will probably be here before we know it! 

Don't quit now!  We have one final section of photos from the past year.  The previous four pages have covered the performances and the highlights of the year for Oracle Band.

However, the most important photos we take are those of YOU, our fans.  The next two pages are dedicated to the fans that support us week to week.  You know who you are, and we usually don't mention names since that means we might leave some out, & we certainly don't want anyone feeling left out.

We really love sharing these photos, and like receiving the photos that YOU take as well.  You can send your photos to us via e-mail, or the best way is to post them to our Facebook page, where you can tag the people shown and share them with everyone. 

OK...time to keep going.  Take a look at the REAL reason for Oracle Band's success...OUR FANS!