Hobo Mariners ‘Captain Rich’ has a Landmark Birthday Party and Musical Jam at Chester Street Tavern

This reporter got an invite to a musical birthday party slated for Thursday evening, February 6th at the Chester Street Tavern. The “Birthday Boy” was Richard Coon, aka “Captain Rich” of the powerhouse musical duo The Hobo Mariners. As readers may recall, that duo is named for their multi-year sailboat run up and down the Atlantic coast from their former home base in Florida to Virginia ports with vibrant local musical scenes. And Captain Rich and and his significant musical and personal “be all other”, singer-songwriter, vocalist, and rhythm-guitarist “par excellance” Michelle Beall, have become a Thursday evening fixture at the Chester Street Tavern since relocating their home base to The Plains, Virginia.

I arrived at the Chester Street Tavern in the early-evening hours of February 6th to find food lining the entrance room approach to the music room, and behold, in that music room a stage area as crowded as the customer seating with what I counted as 9 musicians squeezed on stage with lead guitarist Captain Rich and Michelle on lead vocals letting it rip.

The bar and a table loaded with complimentary treats leading to a music room with a 9-musician count on stage as we arrived Feb. 6. And with ‘Capt. Rich’ over her left shoulder, Hobo Mariner Michelle Beall lets it rip vocally.

Food, some complimentary, a celebratory birthday toast drink or two, and music to beat the drum about — talk about a birthday, Let’s PARTY!!! Camera in pocket I began snapping pictures of the scene. Later I asked Michelle how the Front Royal and Chester Street Tavern-based birthday party and jam came about.

“Over the years, The Captain and The Beall have celebrated his birthday in many wonderful ways, usually we travel somewhere. This year, when we realized his special day was falling on Friday, it seemed a great idea to kick off the weekend with a party at Chester Street Tavern during our weekly Hobo Mariners show. When I sat down and started to invite people, I was overcome with gratitude for the beautiful, very unique opportunity to become part of such an amazing community of musicians here in Front Royal,” Michelle told us of the camaraderie that has developed around Chester Street Tavern with proprietor Jim Justice’s embracement of the local music scene as a base for his Thursday through Sunday weekly scheduling.

Three more stage perspectives of the birthday jam as it ebbed and flowed over the course of the evening.

We then asked Michelle if that Thursday evening birthday countdown toward midnight Friday was a one-of-a-kind event over the course of that weekend’s celebration.

“Yes, it was a once in a lifetime birthday party. Richard turned 74 with his Stratocaster in his hand, surrounded by superb musicians and me singing my heart out for him. Our music is the purest expression of our love and the joy that we found each other; that joy is the heart of how we approach life,” Michelle responded with a smile the Captain’s way, and a nod toward their Thursday night venue’s host:

“Our darling Jim Justice, the Fearless Leader of Chester Street Tavern, loves to throw a party. Thus, this party was a marvelous synthesis of joy! So many friends came out, brought tasty treats and presents and generally Loved On Richard – what more could I even imagine? – I have so much gratitude,” Michelle reiterated of the emotions she felt in response to the outpouring of musically-based love and friendship toward Captain Rich.

The ‘Captain’ and his ‘First Mate’ seem to have their musical communications down to a Sixth Sense level. And Chester St. Tavern owner Jim Justice offers a little harmonica accompaniment to the mix.

So, where did the birthday weekend head to next, I asked assuming it was elsewhere than Front Royal with the Hobo Mariners membership in multiple musical communities.

“No Sir!! We came back to the Tavern the next night for Mike Hastys’ Tasty Happy Hour and ended up spending the whole night in town, hopping to Catamount, On Cue and Honey & Hops to spread birthday cheer, and ended the great night down at Chester Street Tavern!” Michelle enthused of Birthday, Part 2, Front Royal, adding of the balance of the weekend, “Saturday night, we took the birthday party to Warrenton and Sunday we had brunch and relaxed at home in The Plains.”

I then asked about the status of the Hobo Mariners non-landlocked mode of transportation that had been in drydock for a while getting some repair work.

“We are moving our boat up to a marina on Mobjack Bay, in the middle peninsula in a tiny town called North. We lived aboard our Hans Christian 43-foot Christina for five years, in Florida and Hampton, and now commute from a little place in The Plains, which happens to be perfectly situated to play music in both Front Royal and Warrenton.”

And with that, we closed with a nod to The Hobo Mariners for sharing their immense musical talents with us on a weekly basis, for launching the Captain’s birthday weekend with us at Front Royal’s Chester Street Tavern, and to Tavern proprietor Jim Justice for “loving to throw a party”.

And let’s not forget all those musicians who participated in that party jam, with a nod to Hank Gorecki and Friends for opening the show at 4:20 p.m. for Happy Hour. And let’s not forget those patrons who brought food to share and all those there to wish the Captain a Happy Birthday, and many more to come.

Hank Gorecki at the mic is joined by the Captain as the music got started just after 4 p.m. for Happy Hour. I know that music, and more to come, made me HAPPY the rest of the afternoon and all evening as the clock ticked toward birthday midnight. Courtesy Photo The Hobo Mariners/Chester Street Tavern

It was a magical evening, and we can’t wait for February 7th to roll around again next year. After all, we’ll all have to up the ante for that number 75 for Captain Rich, who by the way, said this of his 74th:

“Reminded me of my 60th at Kevro’s art bar in Delray Beach, Florida. Jim Justice and Kevro are both great party hosts, friends and supporters of the live music community.”

And the Captain and his first mate Michelle included a list of the names of most, if not all, the musicians on stage at one time or another. They were: “Ralph Fortune, Mike Seekford, Debby Seekford, Wayne Turner, Greg Williams, Lorraine Duisit, The Hobo Mariners, Jim Justice, Steve Pugh, Dewey Vaughan, James Vaughan, Hank Gorecki, and Janice Lewis ❣️🙏🏼”.

Oh, and by the way, Michelle, when is YOUR birthday? — You don’t have to give us a number if you don’t want to, just a month and day. That date is September 5, and we have a year — but we’ll keep you in suspense on that number for a while.

A final musical stage sequence for an evening well spent at the Chester St. Tavern.

(Writer’s note: According to Hobo Mariner Michelle, the Captain is doing “GREAT” recovering from emergency appendicitis surgery this past week. Maybe we can have a post-surgery party next.)