The Dory, Shelter Island's playground for the elite.

Jack, the Dory's owner and unofficial mayor of Shelter Island.

Milen (co-owner and manager) and friend.

here's how it looked just before the music started...

Ecstatic soul gyrations as the Rhythm Kings rocked Saturday into Sunday morning.

Dancing...

...and dancing...

...and more dancing!

The Kings take a break between sets. Philip catches some air.

Fueled by cases of Arizona Iced Tea, Douglas embraces it all.

Douglas and Hadj, looking very relaxed in front of the Dory.

Chris Hadjopoulos hob-nobs with one of the locals.

Philip and his very best friend...uh, what's his name again?

Fans and friends hangin' out front.

Catching a peek from the bar.

And then it's back to dancing...

...and dancing...

...and still more dancing.

Hmmmm. Are we having fun yet?

Moving into a higher dimension of oneness with the groove.

The joyometer is slamming into the red.

The grooveometer registers a funkability factor of ten.

Guess who also plays guitar here...

Could it be the appreciative audience member with the striped shirt?

Brian looks only slightly dazed as the clock rolls well into Sunday morning.

If Saturday night's all right for fighting, then Sunday morning is made for fake fisticuffs.

BFFs!!!!

There remains yet one more groove to be savored before last call.

Milen pronounced us "the best band I've EVER had at the Dory! WE want you back again and again!"

Even after we were done playing, the crowd remained,

The view of the Dory from the park across the street.

New fans bid a fond farewell as the Rhythm Kings ride into the sunrise.

Brian and Hodj, none the worse for wear, riding the ferry from Shelter Island to Greenport. This would be about 5:45 am...?

The view from the ferry crossing the Peconic Bay. Can't wait for a fried egg sandwich, coffe, and the hour-plus drive home!

Eileen and Kelly wait for the crowd to arrive.

Ready to tame unruly customers.

At 4:00, the gates open...

...and by 4:15, every seat is filled.

Wall-to-wall friends, family and fans at Popei's - it's Sunday on the deck with the Rhythm Kings!

Rob, Judy, Deborah and Mayanne

Kathy and Tom, all the way up from Florida just to hear the Rhythm Kings!

The ladies enjoy a couple of tall, cold refreshments.

Two of my favorite women: Taylor's first and second mommies.

My father-in-law, Jerome Freund.

...and mother-in-law, Emily. Dig the glasses!

Joe, Mo, and Denise.

The front table family. Do you think they're enjoying themselves?

More smiles from Table #1.

John Potter's dream machine in the parking lot.

...and more dream machines...

Nice ride, huh?

Sunday afternoon with the Rhythm Kings is a favorite destination for upscale bikers on Long Island.

Another sweet ride.

If they have much more fun, their mouths are gonna touch their ears!

There they go - having EVEN MORE FUN!

Chillin' in the parking lot between sets, checking out the sweet rides - and the bikes.

Kathy, sitting in on vocals.

Kelly, Popei's two-fisted barmaid in action.

Just hangin' out, looking beautiful.

The sun is beginning to set, but the crowd is just getting started.

"Gimme the beat, boys, to free my soul I wanna get lost in your rcok and roll And drift away..."

let us pray...

Philip is either having a real good time, or dodging some bar breath!

Photo op! Photo op!

She's gonna try and fit a little more fun in before the sun sets...

...and she does!!!

Eileen and kelly just finished counting their tips.

Welcome to a night of holiday music with the Rhythm Kings Acoustic Duo at the Cooperage Inn!

Mike and Patrice, longtime subjects of the Rhythm Kingdom.

Cathy and Larry, enjoying some of the finest food and dring on the North Fork. They felt the music wasn't too shabby, either.

"Okay, I got the frankincense, you got the myrrh...where's the GOLD?!?!?!"

The sumptuous buffet at the Cooperage.

Philip picks a little dressing off the turkey.

Douglas attempts to pry a smile from the shy waitress.

A warm smile from the coat check girl.

Another shy employee.

She still won't smile!

A contest: Be the first to tell us WHERE in the Cooperage this photo was taken, and we'll buy you a free drink at the Cooperage the next time the Rhythm Kings perform there. Enteries must be submitted by 3:00 pm, Wednesday, December 23. Send entries to coyotelk@optonline.net .

GREETINGS! and welcome to just another night at the bar with the Rhythm Kings!

Meet my friends - two of the weirdest-looking people at the bar tonight

Talk about flippin' the bird!

Hmmmm. Costume or not?

Just the beginning of a night of serious partying.

Joey Magic.

Picking up radio stations from Mars.

...radio stations playing the music of the Village People, no doubt.

Who is she going to bust tonight....?

...the wayward priest...?

...the leader of the wacky-wanna smoke-in...?

...or maybe the Big Bad Wolf and his, er, escort?

Yo! It's DJ Badda-bing, representing the Deer Park crew.

Shiek Yerbouti, seeking fresh camel-toe.

It's Maryland Monrovia and her daughter, Zippy!

Monrovia's diminutive Princess Augenschmutz.

Look! It's Ace Freeley and Alice Cooper!

"I want my lox and rolls tonight..."

Hadj O'Rokkingruven, a bloodthirsty timekeeper.

The Cooperage Inn on Sound Ave. in Baiting Hollow, all decked out for its annual Fall Festival.

The stage awaits.

The Cooperage audience. Note the age range, from just starting to walk all the way to still walking.

The audience responds. They seem to be having a better-than-average time, don't you think? Sure it was Tony's birthday - Tony is the one with the baseball cap on the right - but methinks the music helped a bit, too.

And a handsome audience it is, too. That's Joe Murphy discussing radical Celticism with Joe and Pete.

Love is a beautiful thing. That's Miss Denise snuggling with John Potter. John took this great batch of pictures at the Cooperage.

Apparently Joe Murphy's radical Celticology drove off the other Joe. The fine young fellow on the right is actually approaching the Rhythm Kings guitarist for an autograph, which he'll undoubtedly treasure for, oh, three weeks or more.

Brian and Barbara kick back, bask in the autumn sunbeams and enjoy the brews and band.

The stage accepts the Rhythm Kings. The band plays to their special guests, the pumpkins and the cornstalks. Note the GUESTBOOK on the steps. If you're in that book, you're probably looking at this picture.

Douglas and Philip dig in. This could be during one of the jams in "Cripple Creek," or perhaps "Superstition." Or maybe "Reelin' In the Years." Quick, name another band that covers The Band, Stevie Wonder and Steely Dan.

Here are some really extra-special guests, the Rhythm Kings groupie entourage!

The Coyote, relaxing between sets with Mo and Joe (mo's brothers-in-law are sadly obscured). Of course Mo and I have the stupid looks on our faces while we sip teetotalingly on vitamin water and soda, while Joe looks totally relaxed with a tray of McBrewskis nearby.

The Rhythm Kings Electric Trio with special guest Miss Maureen Murphy on spoons!

Miss Mo spooning with Philip Gardner on bass. The spoons, by the way, are from Newfoundland. Miss Mo is from Rocky Point.

Chris "Hadj" Hadjopoulos lays down a righteous groove on his sixties vintage champagne-sparkle Ludwig kit.

Unbeknownst to Hadj, the band held auditions for the drum chair between sets.

This fabulous babe is definitely on our short list of stand-by drummers, should Hadj be unavailable.

Philip coaches an auditioner on the fine points of maintaining rhythm with the Rhythm Kings.

The Coyote breaks out his very rare Ibanez Artist 2700 series guitar. You can read a little more about it if you travel over to my "Tools" photo gallery.