Greetings SlimStones!

My roommate asked me to move out because of my incessant puns about South American farm animals.

I said, "Alpaca my bags."

Slim People!

Christmas is around the corner.

And if you're looking for that perfect gift for your dearly beloved, may I suggest a Slim Man Cooks Volume 2 cookbook?

Order now and alpaca one and llama send it to you!

It's got lots of great recipes. And funny stories.

But even if you don 't like to read, there are lots of pretty pictures!

And videos.

That's right! Each recipe has a video of me showing you how to cook that dish. Just scan the QR code or go to the secret website…created just for the videos.

But wait! There's more!

How about a FREE Slim Man CD?

Yes, that's right, we're bringing CDs back!

CDs sound great, they're durable, and even if you don't have a CD player, they make great coasters for your glass of Boone's Farm Strawberry Hill!

But wait! There's more!

You also get FREE shipping. USPS Priority. No Pony Express for The Slim People!

Get a copy right here while supplies last!

https://slimmancooks.com

And…come see a show, will ya?

We got Antigo, Wisconsin on Friday, November 11.

I'm playing with this very hip horn band, Hip Pocket.

Does that poster really say FREE BEER at the bottom?

FREE BEER? In Wisconsin?

Those crazy Cheeseheads! I hear the show is SOLD OUT. No wonder!

And on Sunday, November 20th, come party for a good cause!

The Slim Man Band is doing a benefit for CREER, an organization that helps kids in need further their education.

So come on over and boogie down with the Slimmy Bo Bimmy Band and support kids in need.

Craig Chesnut on drums, Hans Zermuehlen on keys, and Chase Huna on sax!

Get tickets right here!

All details on all gigs are down below.

And on the website.

https://www.slimman.com

AND NOW THE REAL NEW REAL NEWS FROM SLIM'S SHADY TRAILER PARK

The following is a true story about the last three Slim Gigs...San Diego, Sedona, and San Antonio.

I had to edit it down to 1,000 words, which comes out to about 333 words per town...

San Diego

My friend Shauna called me a few months ago and asked if the Slim Man Band would like to do a gig at Humphrey’s, a very cool club in San Diego, right on the bay. 

Shauna runs the club. And I was appreciative for the offer. But also a bit apprehensive.

Why?

The last time I played there my dog, Batu, died. I had left him in Palm Springs with a dog sitter, and after the Humphrey’s gig she called and told me Batu had a heart attack.

I like to keep these newsletters light and fluffy, but it was one of the saddest days of my life. Batu was my bestest buddy in the whole wide world!

But the show must go on.

So I told Shauna The Slim Boys could do the gig. Chase (Huna, sax) picked me up at the Slim Shack in Palm Springs and we drove to Humphrey's.

I was exhausted! For some reason, I’ve been getting up at 3 AM and can't get back to sleep. It’s been happening quite often.

So often I wrote a song about it!

When Chase and I got to the club, I was so tired I thought I’d have to do the show in a sleeping bag on the stage floor.

But when the lights went up and we hit the downbeat, something happened... 

All my exhaustion faded away. The Slim Man Band put on one of the best shows in quite a while. Craig Chesnut on drums, Chase on sax, and Tateng Katindig—the Thrilla from Manila—on keyboards.  

Kelly Cole, an amazing DJ who helped break the first single Faith in Us way back when, brought us on for the second set.

She and Shauna and I have been friends for years.

2010 Kelly [L] Shauna [R]

2022

After a few songs, I told folks that if they had any requests to write down the name of the song on a hundred-dollar bill and send it up to the stage.

I was joking…

However, a couple folks brought up C-notes with song requests. At that point, what do you do?

Play the requests! 

We had a request by a guy named Mario for Low Rider, a song by WAR. I told Mario we’d do the song, but only if he’d come on stage and play cowbell.

Well, we brought Mario on stage. Craig handed him a cowbell and Mario started wailing away.

He was hitting that cowbell so hard I was afraid livestock from miles away would start stampeding towards Humphrey’s.

They didn't.

But Mario's wife stampeded onstage and got Mario in a headlock and escorted him back to their table!

More cowbell! Or less cowbell...

Sedona

The next weekend, I did a show in Sedona, Arizona, with Will Donato. 

It’s a five-hour drive from Palm Springs, but it’s really beautiful. I stopped for a couple days in Cottonwood to see the Slim Bro, and then on Saturday night, we went to Soundbites Grill…

It’s a stunning club right in the heart of Sedona. The window behind the stage has an amazing view...

Joel Reaves played drums, Hans Zermuehlen played keys, and Will played sax.

I started off with some Slim songs, and then Will came up and played.

Will is an amazing entertainer. He spent a lot of time in the crowd, serenading folks from table to table.

He spent so much time at one table I thought he had decided to sit down and have dinner with them!

But people loved it. They really did.

Soundbites was rockin' that night!

Hans, Will, Joel

I drove back to Palm Springs after the concert…I had to make it back for our regular Groovy Tuesday gig at Vicky’s.

And who shows up?

Mario, the cowbell banger from San Diego! 

For our last song, we had to bring him up once again! He played cowbell on Low Rider.

He brought down the house! And Mario's wife didn't stop his exuberant performance this time.

I think she was hiding in the bathroom!

San Antonio

The following weekend, I flew to San Antonio, Texas. Alamo City. The Lone Star State!

I love San Antonio. I’ve been gigging there once a year since the first CD (End of the Rainbow) was released. David Munoz, the DJ who broke that record, has played that song for years.

And a couple months ago, I got a call from Oscar, the Mayor of Hollywood Park, a town in San Antonio. He was getting married and asked me to sing End of the Rainbow at his wedding.

His bride-to-be had heard the song on David's radio show and told Oscar she wanted me to sing that song after their nuptials.

I was honored. I've sung that song at many weddings. Big weddings. Small weddings. Weddings on boats. Weddings by the sea.

Even naked weddings!

The wedding in San Antonio was NOT a naked wedding. It was in an elegant banquet hall next to a small park. When I walked in, I saw a table filled with engraved sippee cups.

I've seen sippee cups for kids. But not ones for grownups! There was one front and center with my name on it.

I sang some Rat Pack songs and some Slim songs, and towards the end of the show, Oscar brought up his new bride, Kristi, and they danced while I sang End of the Rainbow.

It was really touching. Heartwarming.

I got back to the hotel about midnight, got up at 5 AM, and took an Uber to the airport.

We boarded the plane and then they discovered a mechanical problem. They deplaned the plane.

Then they replaned the plane an hour later. And then?

They deplaned the plane. Again! More mechanical problems.

The airline was afraid I was gonna miss the last flight to Palm Springs, so they put me on another airline.

A few hours later, I flew to Houston, waited three hours, and then boarded a flight for Palm Springs.

We were on the runway waiting to take off when the pilot told us there was…a mechanical problem.

He taxied the plane back to the gate. We deplaned.

And waited for a replacement plane. A couple hours later we took off for Palm Springs.

I waited at baggage claim for my luggage. It never showed up. What a day. Twenty hours of planing and deplaning! And now no Slim bags.

But it didn't bug me. Not in the least. Seriously.

Why not?

Well, I play in some really terrific towns. I get to sing my own songs. With some great musicians. For some wonderful people.

I'm seeing old friends and making new ones.

Plus, I now have a sippee cup with my name on it!

How lucky can one guy be?

It's all about love, Slim People.

Who loves ya?

Uncle Slimmy

PS: Here's my recipe for potato leek soup. Perfect for a cool fall day!

Potato Leek Soup

Also known as vichyssoise…

This soup is so quick and so easy and so inexpensive to make.

But most important, it’s DELIZIOSO!

The last time I made this soup, I thought it needed a little crunch on top.  

So I cut a leek into matchstick-size pieces, dusted them with flour that I had salted and peppered, and fried them for about a minute.

When I served the soup, I stuck the slivers into the soup so it looked like a little teepee in the center of the bowl.  

They tasted great. And looked pretty cool, too.

Before you make the soup, you’ll need to prep the leeks… 

Cut off about an inch of the white root at the bottom. 

Cut off most of the green upper part of the stalks.  

You’ll have about 6 or 7 inches or so of stalk left.  

RINSE WELL! Especially in between the leaves.  

Peel off the outer leaf of each leek and set aside. You’ll use these for the fried leek garnish.  You’ll also see just how dirty leeks can be.  You gotta clean ‘em good!

Chop the stalks into chunky pieces, which should give you about 4 cups.  

Slice the leek leaves you pulled off into matchstick size slivers—you’ll fry these for the garnish.

INGREDIENTS FOR THE SOUP

4 tablespoons of butter

4 cups of chopped leeks (CLEANED!)

4 cups of chopped potatoes (I leave the skin on)

4 cups vegetable or chicken broth

Salt and pepper

INGREDIENTS FOR THE FRIED LEEKS

2 large handfuls of clean leek leaves, cut into matchstick-size slivers

½ cup of flour

4 tablespoons of olive oil

Salt and pepper

Here we go…

Let’s do the soup first.

Put the butter in the bottom of a large pan over medium-low heat.  

Add the 4 cups of chopped potatoes and the 4 cups of chopped leeks.

Cook for 10 minutes, stir often.

Add the broth—vegetable or chicken—and put the heat on high.

When the soup comes to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low, add salt and fresh cracked black pepper, and cook for 30 minutes.

While the soup cooks, let’s fry our leeks.

Get a frying pan, put the olive oil in the bottom, and turn the heat to medium-high.

Put the flour on a plate and add salt and pepper.

Put the leek slivers in the flour, roll ‘em around, shake off the excess, and place in the pan.

Cook for about 30 seconds until golden, then turn them over and cook for another 30 seconds until golden.

Golden, Slim People!

Remove from the pan and place on paper towels.

Now back to the soup…

When the soup has cooked for 30 minutes, it should be done.  Stick a fork in a piece of potato to make sure.

Check for salt and pepper and adjust if needed.

At this point, you’ve got a decision to make…smooth or chunky.  

If you want it chunky, take a slotted spoon, or a masher, and mash the potatoes and leeks, right there in the pot.

If you want it smooth, put the soup in a blender and give it a couple of pulses.

SERVE IT UP!

Put some soup in a bowl.  

Make a teepee in the middle with the fried leeks.  

Serve it with some hot and crusty bread to your hot and crusty friends and…

MANGIAMO!!!!!!!!!!

COME SEE A SLIM SHOW!

5@5 will be back as soon as I find a new home for it! Not sure where or when! Stay tuned!

Slim Man Sings. Five songs. 5 PM PT (8 PM for you East-Coasters!) On Facebook LIVE!

A little Rat Pack, a little Slimness, a lotta fun!

https://www.facebook.com/slimmanicotti

THE SLIM MAN BAND

LIVE AT VICKY'S

EVERY TUESDAY!

SHOWTIME 6 PM

Craig Chesnut on drums, Chase Huna on sax, and Tateng Katindig, the Thrilla from Manila, on piano.

VICKY'S

45-100 Club Drive

Indian Wells, CA 92210

https://www.vickysofsantafe.com

FRIDAY NOVEMBER 11

SHOWTIME 6:30 PM SOLD OUT!!!!

Slim Man and Hip Pocket!

Back Together Again for a United Way Benefit!

Slim Man returns to Antigo, Wisconsin, for a Big Show with Hip Pocket!

Mr. Man is gonna sing a few Rat Pack songs, then sing some Slim Songs with Hip Pocket, a very HIP 10-piece horn band!

And then Hip Pocket is gonna close the show with their blazing blend of horns. They do Earth Wind and Fire, Kool and the Gang, all that great horn stuff.

And I hear Mr. Man might come up and sing Low Rider! More cowbell!

And there's FREE BEER! That's NOT a typo!

Northstar Banquet Hall

Antigo, WI

Call 715.610.5351 for tickets.

Sunday, November 20th!

SHOWTIME 6 PM!

San Juan Capistrano, we're coming back!

The Slim Man Band is doing a benefit for CREER, a wonderful organization that helps kids in need further their education.

So boogie down with the Slimmy Bo Bimmy Band and support a great cause at the same time!

Craig Chesnut on drums, Hans Zermuehlen on piano and Chase Huna on sax!

CREER Benefit

San Juan Capistrano Community Center

25925 Camin o del Avion

San Juan Capistrano, CA 92675

Get tickets here!