Sunday, December 21, 2008

The Peverett Phile Interviews: Baub Eis

Hello, welcome back to the Peverett Phile Interviews. Today’s interview is with Baub Eis, from the very cool band GSP.

Me: Okay, I am confused… the GSP or Geoff Stein Project is really two people: Geoff Stein and Baub Eis. How come the band isn’t The Geoff and Baub Project?

Baub: Well, thats a good question. Geoff actually has written all of the Tunes on the “Coconut Coasters” Geoff originally approached me and asked me to play on 5 songs. Which we recorded at a friends studio in a church. Well, the songs were sounding good so it kind of turned into a whole CD. I’ve been doing digital recording for years so Geoff decided maybe we should just buy the equipment ourselves and I could do the engineering. So then the CD kind of started taking off on Myspace, so we decieded to put a road band together. Actually what started it was that Hootie and the Blowfish were going to play at the Lake, and their tour was called the “Homegrown” tour. Well I have a radio show which features local Missouri bands called the Homegrown show. So the radio station thought it would be great if I opened. My band had broken up about 6 months earlier so I decieded to use GSP instead. Well, Hootie canceled the show, or the radio station couldn’t work out the details or something, but to make a long story longer, we didn’t play the show. But that started the seed of getting the road band put together. So it really is more than Geoff Stein, ie Baub Eis too, so we have been using the abbreviation of GSP instead of the full band name.

Me: Here’s a question you have probably been asked a lot of times… how did you Baub and Geoff get together first playing music?

Baub: I think that was mostly answered in the previous question. But Geoff offered to buy me a guitar if I would record 5 songs with him. We had been friends through mutual business endevors. Geoff is a condominium developer and I am a computer IT guy, so I had helped Geoff on several previous condo projects.

Me: I first saw the band on Myspace and went straight away and purchased the ‘Coconut Coasters’ CD from Itunes. It’s very Beach Boys, Jimmy Buffett and Kenny Chesney influnced. Is that a true statement, or are you guys just in love with the beach?

Baub: Geoff is really Beach Boys, Jimmy Buffett and Kenny Chesney influenced. He had some songs that were too country in my opinion. So I tried to pull them other directions. By adding Chubby Carrier on Accordian we were able to pull the songs more towards the Cajun side. Its really more of the love of the ocean than anything. People often say that when they hear our songs that they want to go to the ocean. And thats the affect we are looking for. Thats all we want to do too! But we’re trapped here in Missouri. Geoff is really the gung ho surf guy. Thats all he wants to do in life. So they question is why don’t we/Geoff move to the ocean. Geoff’s ex-wife lives here in Missouri along with his kids. And he wants to be close to them as he is a good father. Otherwise, he would probably be at the beach. We are hoping to have a hit one day and that will afford us to get close to the ocean. But for now we get about 1 ocean trip a year….
I have big rock/blues/jam band influences. I’m a huge Grateful Dead fan. You can totally hear the Jerry influence on Donnovan’s Reef. And you can hear the Ramones influence on Surf’s Up.

Me: The band is from Lake Ozark, Missouri… are there any beaches in Missouri? I guess on the lake, right?

Baub: Yeah, if you’re not familiar with the Lake of the Ozarks, we have over 1400 miles of shoreline, which is more than the state of California. Geoff lives in Lake Ozark, but I actually live in Osage Beach. So I guess technically I live at a beach, ha ha. I live about 20 yards from the lake. I’m not actually on the lake, but what they call second tier, so I have lake access to the dock.

Me: How far is Lake Ozark from St. Louis. St. Louis has a really big music scene. It is the home of Chuck Berry, after all.

Baub: St Louis is about 2.5 hours from here, as is Kansas City Also. We get a lot of great bands here as the lake is a great mid-way point to other venues. St. Louis Rocks. I love playing down there. I always have good fan turn out in KC and STL. People come to see us in the summer from out of town, and then they will come out to see us in the winter when we are in their town.

Me: Baub, in the years you opened for REO Speedwagon, Starship, Willie Nelson, Molly Hatchet, Uncle Kracker, Head East and Air Supply. What an impressive line-up. What was your favorite concert or band you opened up for? My father, who was the lead singer of Foghat, has pretty muc h played with all except for Willie Nelson and Uncle Kracker. I didn’t know Air Supply were still going. Anyway, how were they all like? I bet Willie had some good stories, and good weed.

Baub: Yeah, it was a good time opening for those bands. And my favorite was definetly Willie. Usually we play two sets before the national acts. The first set is usually kind of slow cause people are just getting there, and then second set rocks and people are going crazy. But when we opened for Willie, we had people pushed up against the barricades before we even played one note. So that was pretty awesome. I was like king for a day. Everyone was calling and trying to get the “in”. I didn’t get to meet Willie though. That kind of sucked. He bascially came in on the bus, played the gig and left. No hanging out. I did get to hang out with the singer from Starship a bunch. And actually Air Supply was really great. I couldn’t remember any of their songs, and then I heard them and I knew every song they played. And Uncle Kracker really rocked too. I hadn’t really heard them before so that was cool to meet those guys.

Me: Like I said, my dad’s band was Foghat, and I ask this with every question… what is your favorite Foghat song?

Baub: Fool for the City.

Me: I loved the “Coconut Coasters” album, and I am looking forward to the follow up. Are you working on one, and if so, what can you tell the readers about it?

Baub: We are currently working on the follow up CD GSP II, the working title is “Palm Trees in Winter” The CD is mostly written. Goeff has 12 new songs. We were a little further along, but had a hard drive crash on us, so we are currently trying to fund raise to get it repaired by a series of Santa’s Elves that have to use fairy dust to repair it. But other than that we just re-record. The original CD was pretty much set in stone as far as the songs arrangements were concerned. But now we have the road band to rehearse with, so the songs get a little more worked out before we record them so they kind of start to take on a different flavor as the other musicans add their flavors too. We are hoping for an early spring to early summer release.

Me: Tell me about your fan base, do all ages go to your shows and get into the music and do you have a pretty good following? My son Logan is nine and he likes your CD.

Baub: We really have a large Myspace fan base, which consists of surfers, ocean lovers, parrot heads, dead heads ranging from all ages.

Me: If one wanted to see the GSP in concert, do they have to go to Missouri, or do you play out of state as well? I live in Central Florida, so I guess you won’t come this far down.

Baub: Well at the moment you would have to come to Missouri but we are working on a tour of some sort. Our plan is North and South Carolina and Florida too hopefully. Its seems like we really get a lot of people from those areas that like us. We also seem to get some airplay too in those areas. So we plan on media blitzing those areas and trying to get people to book us there. So if you know of a place that wants us, we’re there. Or if you know of a radio station that might want to play us, we would be more than happy to send them a CD!

Me: Is your song “Crazy People” about anybody in particular? Like Britney Spears, for example.

Baub: No its not about anyone in particular, the Britney picture on our Myspace was just a current “Crazy Person”. We didn’t mean any offense by it, I just thought it was a funny picture. It seems like she might be getting her life back together but at the time, I think all we agree that is a “Crazy Person” picture!

Me: “Saddle Up Your Broomstick” (one of my favorite songs from he album) is on a compilation album put out in the UK? How did that come about and does that mean you’ll be playing over seas soon?

Baub: We were approached by Matchbox Recordings out of the UK to be featured on a CD called “Tour De Force”, it has I think 40 bands on it? Its a two CD compilation. They found us on Myspace. We get a lot of media attention from Myspace. So last I heard the CD was set to release December 8th, 2008, so we’ll see what happens with that. I would love to play in Europe. Seems like the fans there are more intense there than they are here. I’ve been to Europe several times but I haven’t ever been to England, so that would be cool. Its all just a matter of finding someone willing to pay us enough money. We’ll go anywhere! Here is their website if you want to check it out. http://www.matchboxrecordings.co.uk/index.htm

Me: Are there any websites you would like to plug here? And for the Phile Phans that have not heard your music yet, what can you tell them that will make them rush to iTunes to download the album?

Baub: Well, the CD is actually really cool. The cover design is pretty awesome. So if you go to CDbaby.com/cd/geoffsteinproject you can actually purchase the CD and they will deliver to your door, just in time for Christmas! But if you are a downloader iTunes is the way to go. We put a lot of time into considering the order of the songs, so if you do download make sure they are in the correct order as the cd. Our website is www.geoffsteinproject.com and our myspace is www.myspace.com/geoffsteinproject. We also had a little glitch where we forgot to mention someone on the CD that was very influential in how our cd sounded which was Bob Speer from CD Mastering Services, so if you are in a band and are looking for a mastering engineer please check out Bob at www.cdmasteringservices.com. As far as rushing out to itunes… If you love guitar, check out Donnovan’s Reef, thats my favorite guitar work on the cd. All of the solos were done in one take. There was one note I had to fix but other than that, the solos were one take which I am kind of proud of. And also Geoff’s Eukele solo on the end of Coconut is pretty cool too!

Me: I want to thank you for agreeing to do this interview and hope to meet the band in person soon. Good luck, and keep playing.

Baub: Peace out!

Go buy the CD, “Coconut Coasters” from iTunes or CDBaby, Phile phans. Thanks again to Baub for taking time out to do this interview. Check back tomorrow for the interview with the band Pro Audio and then on Tuesday, the very talented and witty musician Jeff Cameron. So, until then, spread the word, not the turd.

posted by The Peverett Phile @ 12/21/2008

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River City Outlaws take first place
in Battle of Bands competition

By Michelle Bell
michelleb@buffaloreflex.com

Mosh pits, groupies and grunge were mixed with an obvious small-town feel Saturday night at the Battle for Buffalo band competition at the O’Bannon Community Building. The River City Outlaws, a Bolivar-based band, took the title, and Heart2Heart reaped the rewards of the concert with more than 100 pounds of food raised for the local nonprofit organization.

The event began at 6 p.m. and lasted until after midnight, with each of the eight competing bands playing for more than 20 minutes. Entry to the concert was $5 or a nonperishable donation to Heart2Heart.

Tragic Union Productions Tree, Buffalo, organized the event, along with Randy Young, Lebanon. The company organizes benefit concerts as well as other local events. Young said “small town values come out in music,” and concerts are important to give the bands opportunities for exposure, as well as to raise money for charities.

Serving as an outlet for local musicians’ talent, the Battle for Buffalo has increased audience size and community interest over the past five years. This year, however, was Tragic Union Production’s first year of being in charge, and the bands agreed that it ran very smoothly.

Quick setups and take downs helped the event continue its momentum throughout the night, with each band garnering more and more audience involvement.

Bands came from as far away as Appleton City and St. Louis, but there were no bands from Buffalo. The competing bands included The Living Ceased, All Unknown, As Shadows Collapse, Adara, X-Afaw, Forbidden Fears, Broken Bridge and River City Outlaws.

Last year’s winner, Prodigies of the Fallen, performed during the judges’ deliberation. The bands were judged on professionalism, stage presence, crowd involvement, musicianship and overall impression. Each judge’s score accounted for 25 percent of a band’s total score, with the crowd’s vote making up the remaining 25 percent.

Judges included Baub Eis, a disc jockey on 93.5’s Homegrown Show, a show that promotes Missouri-based bands that perform original music. Eis stressed that good singing is difficult to find, and that he uses judging opportunities to find bands to interview on his show.

Brian G, member of Days Gone Past, a Lebanon band, was the second judge. G adds that the event was well-organized, and that he was impressed by “the great turnout and variety of bands.”

Jesse Johnston, an ex-participant at the Battle for Buffalo, was the remaining judge, and thinks that music “gives kids something to do,” especially in the age range of 16 to 25.

River City Outlaws played their southern metal at the competition, which was their first performance as a group. All of the members had played in previous bands, and according to bassist Rex Ybanez they are the “Bolivar super group.” The Outlaws have been together for five months, and went to school together at Bolivar High School. Band members have written nine songs and record their music on computer software. Their next performance is in Springfield later this month.

The Outlaws received a prize pack which included a $100 gift certificate to Weeks Music, an interview with Baub Eis on the 93.5 KRMS Homegrown Show, an interview with Sid and Jolene on Radio Xenu, a photo shoot with a local photographer, six show bookings from Kessel Run Entertainment, a spot on Lebanon’s 2009 Stop the Violence Music Fest and headlining the 2009 Battle for Buffalo competition.

Second place went to Broken Bridge, and there was a tie for third place between Forbidden Fears and X-Afaw.

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Taken From: http://www.lakesunleader.com/articles/2008/07/08/entertainment/02.txt

The Geoff Stein Project:

Putting the lime in the coconut

By Samantha Edmondson
Published: Monday, July 7, 2008 11:43 PM CDT
E-mail this story | Print this page

Lake Sun Publications

LAKE OF THE OZARKS – For many musicians, life is a premise for songwriting. And Geoff Stein is no different.

However, Geoff did not thrust himself into a heart-wrenching ballad that in turn would make his audiences relive and empathize with his pain. He found the humor in his life’s trials and tribulations and created positive, catchy and solid compositions, in which thousands of fans expressed ‘have lifted their spirits.’

More importantly, Geoff took a direct approach and positive attitude toward creating a project.

In January 2005, the Geoff Stein Project began when Geoff asked friend and fellow lake musician Baub Eis to help him record portions of his 25-year collection of original songs. It started with five, which grew to 12 tunes laid down. The two-man duo expanded to utilizing 14 local and regional musicians for various collaborations on one or more songs. Recording in a Baptist Church exploded into creating an in-home recording haven in Baub’s home with top-of-the-line equipment.

For Geoff, it’s more than just a vision realized with his recordings, but also a positive rebirth of his own spirit through musical expression.

‘Crazy People’

Geoff has been writing songs for as long as he can remember. Born in Germany, he traveled quite a bit with his father as a Lt. Col. In the U.S. Air Force. While Geoff was in high school, his family moved to Hawaii where they lived for three years. At 18, he then was faced with the decision to claim citizenship either in Germany or the United States.

‘Germany almost won me over, but I chose the U.S.,’ Geoff said. ‘Music has always been a part of my life and wrote songs before I learned to play guitar when I was 20.’

In fact, one of the first songs he recorded for the Geoff Stein Project was one of his oldest compositions, ‘Blue Water.’ The lyrics reflect Geoff’s love of the ocean and tropical atmosphere, something he longed for after moving to the Midwest. The song was completed with the help of Geoff’s fiancée, Theresa.

In 1998, Geoff landed in a different type of waterfront haven ‘ Lake of the Ozarks. He became the vice president of Kelly Development. In fact, Mark Kelly, owner of the company, came up with the title, ‘Saddle Up Your Broomstick,’ which is one of GSP’s popular tunes.

While with this company, he met Baub. Baub, owning and operating his own computer Internet and software business, Eis Computer Service, dealt with a lot of the same clients as Geoff. The pair became friends and found out they had much more in common than just their professional attributes.

‘It’s like we live a parallel life,’ Baub explained. ‘I was born in Hawaii in August 1968.’

‘He was literally born 15 minutes from where my family lived,’ Geoff added.

‘We both lived in Arkansas at the same time, and now we both live here at the lake,’ Baub said.

After becoming friends, the pair soon found out their love of music, songwriting and recording was another major passion the two shared. Over the six to seven years, Baub and Geoff became friends, Baub also saw Geoff go through some traumatic, personal struggles in his love life. Through this time, Geoff wrote songs that reflected these hard times. And eventually, Geoff came to his friend to lay the tracks down for good.

In early 2005 when the project began, Baub and Geoff did not have an advanced recording studio, so they utilized a friend’s studio in a local church.

‘We actually recorded ‘God Bless Jack Daniels’ at the church,’ Geoff laughed.

As local musicians and friends began to help Baub and Geoff with the project, it was time to move to a larger ‘beach.’

‘Surf’s Up’

Baub and Geoff decided to start building a studio in Baub’s home. They began to buy computer software and hardware to increase the quality, flow and continuity of the Geoff Stein Project’s tunes. However, what started as recording Geoff’s songs turned into literally a project, as Baub helped bring in more than 10 lake area and regional musicians to round out the instrumental and vocal tracks needed.

Over the three year process, John Marsi and Dave Raithel (formerly of Baub Eis Band) Rich Robben (Jack’s Cellar and also formerly of Baub Eis Band), Corey Duplechin and Chubby Carrier (Chubby Carrier and the Bayou Swamp Band), Larry Cox (Boxcar Willie), Tim Perez, Carissa Dawn, Brian Herzog, Michael Vyrostek, Johnny ‘G’ Gibble, Mike Hahn, Kyle Wiles, Steve Landau, Julie James, Eric Petska, Theresa Jones and Ed Gaston all provided instrumental, vocal or production assistance to create the first Geoff Stein Project album.

Their variety styles, talents and generosity made the CD possible. In fact, they truly helped enunciate Geoff’s song with the right flair.

‘There is amazing amount of talent in this small area that people don’t realize,’ Geoff said. ‘You don’t have to drive an hour across town to have someone stop by and record.’

A mixture of emotions pours through the lyrics, but the Caribbean, tropical rhythm allows listeners to hear the message and groove the music with good vibrations.

‘They all are upbeat and positive. The music goes along with the lyrics,’ Geoff said.

‘Some of the stuff is really country, others pull in a Cajun theme or ‘trop rock,” Baub added. ‘We like to classify it as a third rock, third country and third surf, combined together on one album.’

‘Blue Water’

With Geoff Stein Project’s first album, ‘Coconut Coasters’ set to release in mid-July, the three-year recording process is now complete. For Baub and Geoff it has been a learning experience in both handling new studio equipment, organizing recordings and building a newfound respect for each other.

‘Our success (during the recording process) is my knowledge of recording and Geoff’s enthusiasm and determination,’ Baub said. ‘I’m a slacker, but know a lot of stuff about the studio process and Geoff is very driven.’

‘I have A.D.A. ‘ Attention Deficit Advantage,’ Geoff joked. ‘I’m very detail oriented.’

‘It became a good balance. Sometimes we wanted to kill each other, but we worked together long enough now that we can get anything accomplished,’ Baub added.

In February, the duo launched a Myspace site, allowing everyone to learn, listen and befriend the Geoff Stein Project. Now, the group has more than 22,000 friends, receive 150 to 200 comments daily and have a slew of people downloading tunes and pre-ordering ‘Coconut Coasters.’

‘I receive 10 requests for the CD daily through Myspace,’ Geoff said. ‘Our biggest appeal is the Parrotheads (Jimmy Buffet fans), Deadheads and people that miss the ocean.’

In fact, GSP Myspace friends have left comments for the group such as ‘Have a day off here and am out sailing. Table Rock Lake ain’t the Caribbean but your music mixed with a few Coronas makes me think it I’m there’ and ‘You make every day feel like a beach party.’

For more information about the Geoff Stein Project, visit ww.myspace.com/geoffsteinproject.

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Dynamic crew rocks the blues

The Baub Eis Band fuses two styles for fresh tunes

Baub Eis (left) and Dennis Ternamian rip out riffs at B.B. King’s Blues Club in Memphis, Tenn. The duo trades off the lead guitar spot for a vibrant live show.

By Brooke Still

July 19, 2007 | 12:00 a.m. CST

Baub Eis jumps from the stage in The Martini Bar and runs into the audience. Suddenly, his feet leave the floor. He moves across tabletops as he grinds on his guitar. Stirred by his energy, patrons get up to dance in the small space by the stage. For The Baub Eis Band, this is what performing is all about: rocked-up blues.

Each member’s musical background adds something to the mix. “We play a lot of blues and a lot of originals, but we rock out,” says Eis, vocalist and guitarist for the Osage Beach-based group. He and drummer John Marsi hail from rock roots. But singer and guitarist Dennis “Uncle Denny” Ternamian and bassist Dave Raithel have strong classic blues influences. The diverse experience gives Ternamian and Eis a twist on the way each plays his guitar. “They say we’re the yin and yang because I tend to be the crazier, guitar antics and [Ternamian] tends to be more simple blues type things,” Eis says.

Although Eis says the band’s style is rock with a blues attitude, Ternamian has another description. “We play more of blues with a beat that you can dance to,” he says.

It’s a sound that fans love.

The Martini Bar owner, David “Doc” Campbell, enjoys hosting The Baub Eis Band every month. “When a band has some original stuff, that tends to give them their own personality — something that people can form an alliance with,” he says.

In 2005 and 2006, the group played original music to progress to the semifinals of the International Blues Challenge, a national battle of blues musicians, held in Memphis, Tenn. Although The Baub Eis Band regularly covers songs at local concerts, at the competition, it proved it could be great with its own sound.

With more than 130 years of collective music experience and a decade of playing together, The Baub Eis Band knows what its audience wants. “We play music that is cross-culture, not only age culture, but music culture,” Ternamian says. The band engages rock, blues and country fans. Eis says he hopes experience advances the band into larger venues and, maybe, to Europe. For now, The Baub Eis Band is shaking up the blues music scene in mid-Missouri and the rest of the Midwest.

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Taken from http://www.lakesunleader.com/articles/2006/05/26/entertainment/01.txt

The Baub Eis Band

Fellow musicians jam out at the lake for over a decade

By Erin Tracy/Lake Sun
Published: Friday, May 26, 2006 3:49 AM CDT

Erin Tracy/Lake Sun

LAKE OF THE OZARKS – An eclectic mix of blues and rock creates the jam band sound of The Baub Eis Band.

Dennis (Uncle Denny) Ternamian, Dave Raithel, John Marsi and Baub Eis join together to make a talented group with an intense passion for music.

Uncle Denny plays the guitar and sings lead vocals, Dave plays the bass guitar, John jams on the drums and Baub strums the guitar and sings back-up vocals.

Ten years ago, Baub and Rich Robben, a former band member for eight years, got together to put their love for music to work. Although band members switched from time to time, they realized they needed a name to distinguish themselves. The Baub Eis Band was the final decision, mostly because Baub was doing the bookings and promotions.

“(The name) was a way so people knew who we were and so we could build a fan base,” Baub said.

Since then, the band has changed a little, but has come full-circle to what they are today. Baub said the current group works great together to put out an amazing sound that people around the lake, Missouri and other states seem to enjoy.

During The Baub Eis Band’s many performances around the lake, spectators can and should see the fire in their eyes and expressions on the band members faces as they jam to music that touches their hearts.

For Baub, being in a band allows him to express himself in ways he can not in his normal everyday life.

“I think it is really good for an emotional relief, stress relief,” Baub said. “When you want to (bang) your fist because your mad, that kind of aggression is released through music.”

Baub said he is a very different person off stage than he is on stage. He describes himself as shy, but through his guitar and vocals he can completely let go.

Besides jamming out

with the band, Baub also owns Eis Computer Service. He designs Web sites and does computer networking. The computer service is his bread and butter, playing in a band is only a supplemental income, he said.

Baub also is a radio DJ and hosts the ‘Homegrown Show’ Sunday’s at 11 a.m. on 93.5 KRMS. He interviews local bands and plays their music to help expose the bands to more people. The Baub Eis Band was one of the original groups to appear on the ‘Homegrown Show’ and they were on another four to five times before the DJ moved on. Baub was then asked to help the new DJ get into the Lake of the Ozarks music scene. When that dj didn’t work out, Baub asked if he could have the job and the rest is history. He has aired 14 shows with a variety of bands he mostly seeks out himself.

“There is so much talent in the lake area and Missouri. It is great to be in the mix and bring bands, which I think are good, some radio airplay,” Baub said. “It is good to get some of those people that you might not get radio airplay.”

Baub said that the future is looking good for the band.

“We keep going forward and we are trying to widen our array of where we play,” he said.

Although the band loves to express themselves through the music and entertain their many fans, they want to take a little bit more time to enjoy the lake, beer and friends this summer, Baub said.

They will probably perform twice a week at bars around the lake during the summer season.

The Baub Eis Band will play at Knookers Saturday and Franky and Louies on Monday.

To find a listing of The Baub Eis Band’s upcoming shows, visit www.baub.com

Contact this reporter at erint@lakesunleader.com

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Luxury lures at Lake of the Ozarks

The balcony at the Horny Toad Entertainment Complex offers a great view of the Lake of the Ozarks. (Tom Uhlenbrock/P-D)

ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH

You might expect a lakefront bar and restaurant named the Horny Toad to be filled with a younger crowd knocking back Jagermeister shots and getting rowdy.

Owner Merlyn Vandervort says the name is deceiving. Everything in the bar — from wall posters, to background music to a concert lineup that has included Willie Nelson, The Guess Who and the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band — is aimed at attracting an older, wealthier clientele. Prices, too, with concerts costing $50 a head for standing room, and up to $2,500 for a private balcony table for 10 overlooking the amphitheater stage.

“Most of our customers are baby boomers, second home owners, the 40 to 60 age group,” said Vandervort, who at 42 is not a boomer himself. “They’re more than willing to pay a little extra if they get quality and service. Your expectations are not nearly so high with a name like the Horny Toad, and we far exceed their expectations.”

Vandervort is taking that business philosophy one giant step further with his new project next door. The Resort & Yacht Club at Toad Cove will open May 30, and bills itself as the only luxury condos with nightly hotel rentals on the Lake of the Ozarks. The 116 units are priced at $295,000 to $450,000, and about half are sold. When the owners are away, the rooms will go into a rental pool with nightly rates from $295 to $400 in season.

“The units are all one bedroom,” Vandervort said. “It’s aimed at an adult crowd — young professionals and empty nesters. They’ve got the kids out of college and are wanting to enjoy their life now.”

Upscale Chateau planned

The $60-million project at Toad Cove will be followed by a similar upscale development on the drawing board of John Q. Hammons, the Springfield developer who set the bar for luxury at Branson with his Chateau on the Lake.

Hammons has announced plans to build a 15-story, 320-room European-style hotel called Chateau on Lake of the Ozarks on 30 acres of waterfront near the Grand Glaize Bridge. The $100-million project is scheduled to open in the spring of 2010, and will have an exhibition center and more than 100,00 square feet of meeting space.

Vandervort and his general manager, Mike Barnett, said their hotel will be more of a boutique waterfront resort with all the personal-service amenities, while Hammons goes after larger business and convention groups.

“We’re the only true luxury condo hotel,” Barnett said. “We’ll have turn-down service, high-thread-count sheets, concierge service, valet parking, a full-service spa with pedicures, manicures, hair salon and massages.”

Watch our Lake of the Ozarks slideshow

There’s also a heated outdoor pool with a swim-up bar named, of course, the Lily Pad, because that’s where toads hang out.

On the last weekend of September, the Horny Toad will sponsor the Offshore Super Series National Championships, with a weekend general admission of $60. The competition previously has been held at the Florida Keys and at Lake Mead in the Southwest, but for the second consecutive year will roar by Toad Cove.

“They’re the fastest boats in the world — up to 200 mph — 50 racing at one time on a 100-mile course,” Vandervort said. “It’s like watching NASCAR, but more exciting.”

Building condos is nothing new at the Lake of the Ozarks. Nearly every curve on Horseshoe Bend Parkway, where Toad Cove is located, offers views of the lake with developments lining the shore. The Tri-County Lodging Association says there are 7,000-plus rooms available at the lake, including more than 1,000 condo units with the number growing rapidly.

The two hotel projects also are not the only high-brow endeavors going on at the lake. The new Art and Ambiance Trail uses a brochure and map to pinpoint 20 galleries, four museums, two wineries and seven locally owned “culinary experiences” available in the area. The brochure has a listing of scheduled events, such as arts festivals and wine tastings.

Bob Schwartz, a marketing specialist who began the promotion last season, said Art and Ambiance is aimed at improving the lake’s image of “big boats and party cove.”

“We want to show people that there are other things to do at the lake, especially on Friday nights,” Schwartz said.

Hippies and bluesmen

With the list as my guide, I headed to Lisa Frick’s Artsy Fartsy, which is located on the commercial strip near Bagnell Dam. When the lake was in its growing stages as a tourist attraction, the strip was where the action was. Today, many of the original storefronts are shuttered. Dogpatch was still there, but the hillbilly in the outhouse outside no longer yells “Shut the door, cain’t you see I’m busy!”

“The kids mess with it at night,” the clerk explained. “It’s hard to keep it working.”

I stuck a quarter in the wax-faced fortune teller machine and was relieved to see that her bosom still heaved and her arms still moved.

Frick is an artist and long-time presence on the strip, and actually has three shops in one. Artsy Fartsy has jewelry, pottery, art glass and her paintings. Adjoining the gallery is Frick and Frack, which is a throwback hippie shop with incense, tie-dyed shirts and Grateful Dead posters. Beyond a shuttered doorway, with a sign saying you must be 18 to enter, is a “smoking accessory” shop with bongs, rolling papers and other counter-culture paraphernalia.

At my next stop, I found a surfer dude. Steve Howell, a displaced Californian, had a surfboard in the corner of S&L Custom Guitars, where he and a friend, Baub Eis, build electric guitars. Both also are bluesmen who perform at the lake.

“I’ve been building guitars for 27 years now,” said Howell, who is 54. “It was part time, until I decided I could probably afford to retire and do it full time about a year ago.”

Howell’s custom-designed guitars cost about $1,200, and he said he has made 565 by hand. Eis, however, also works with computers and demonstrated the shop’s new computerized machine that cuts a guitar body from a rectangle of wood. The machine whirred, chips flew and a guitar form emerged from the wood in less than five minutes.

“What we’re building here is an absolute replica of a 1953 Fender-style guitar,” Howell said. “Every major guitar player in the world wants one of those.”

Cuttin’ ancient cedar

On Highway KK, I walked into Orr’s Studios and was blown away by the work of Joseph Orr, a painter, and his wife, Rita, a printmaker. Joseph Orr specializes in gorgeous landscapes, and his large works sell for up to $30,000 in galleries in Arizona, California, Colorado and South Carolina. The couple has lived in the lake area since 1978, and was instrumental in setting up the Art and Ambiance Trail.

“The art scene was always pushed into the background,” Joseph Orr said. “We don’t have a square or a downtown area for galleries, everything is so spread out. We wanted to make it so that people can find all the artists. Doing the trail is a day trip.”

While the Ozarks present plenty of subject material with its pastoral farms and misty rivers, Joseph Orr also travels to the Southwest for his inspiration. “Being a landscapist, I like to see and paint things in other people’s backyards,” he said. “Because I’m from here, I approach those areas with a fresh palette.”

One of the “culinary experiences” on the list is the Small Wood House Restaurant & Gallery Loft in The Landing on Main Street, a Victorian-themed village with shops and galleries on Highway 54. The lobster bisque soup and turkey panini were wonderful, as were the quilts and the paintings by local artist Gary St. Ivany, which lined the loft.

Behind the restaurant was another culinary delight, the Sugar Loft Cake Shoppe, where owner Kathy Odom and staff bake artworks. The blackboard by the door offered the day’s specialties: Decadent brownies, Mocha chocolate chunk muffins, Undeniable ooey gooey butter bars and Amaretto marble truffle cheesecake. Oh, my.

My last stop on the list was Artpho, a gallery also in The Landing where photographer Lewis Strange sells his works along with other framed art. Strange grew up on a family farm in the area and his father was one of the workers who built Bagnell Dam.

Strange and his wife, Karen, pointed out that the development at the lake is a boon for their business — those condo owners need art to decorate their walls — but also causes something of a dilemma for a nature photographer. An ancient cedar clinging to a bluff over the lake was a repeated image among Strange’s photographs in the shop.

“I can remember that tree being on a calendar when I was a kid,” Strange said. “They cut it down just weeks ago, going to put condos and supposed to have a mall there. That’s the hardest thing for me to deal with, the loss of scenery around the lake and dam. I don’t do boats.”