2024 looks to be a great year for live music, entertainment and FUN! The LochSmiths are hungry, thirsty and ready to hit the stage. Sure, we aren’t any better, but we wanted to keep our pristine “natural” vibe going…. like it’s late night at a Kegger or around a campfire after a long day of partying; anything we play will sound awesome to people starved for entertainment
There is a new band in Metro Kansas City called The LOCHSMITHS. With 2 guys and 1 gals, they are like Fleetwood Mac without the drama, ABBA without the Swedish-Ness, and Little Big Town without the hits. While they aren’t a lot of things, one thing they are is FUN.
The LochSmiths were spun out the misunderstood super group, the Cheerful Charlies; which most of the misunderstanding was the name itself. The group was super only in the eyes of one of the members; and maybe one or two fans who had nothing better to do.
Contact me jmurphini@gmail.com for more info.
The LOCHSMITHS consists of:
Johnny Murphini: Rhythm Guitarist, Head Roadie, wannabe Vocalist. Like the ugly kid who’s parents had to tie a pork chop around his neck so their dog would play with him, Johnny’s contribution to the group is the PA, mixer and dolly to move the gear. He often forgets the words, and always plays too fast, but the band needs his equipment so there it is.
Stan Perry: Percussion, Vocals. Stan is the rhythmic timekeeper of the group, the muscle when fans get unruly, and the lady-killer with his smooth vocals. Stan brings the beat, and the heat….now that he has time since CPG kicked him out of Thursday Night Mens League. Stan is our anchor…meaning he just sits there and plays the Cajon (Drum Box) instead of the Jazz flute like his alter ego Ron Burgundy.
Beth Azan: Vocals. Beth was a part of the Cheerful Charlies; so much in fact she sort of stole the show. People started asking why Johnny sang so much as Beth was clearly more talented. Beth brought spice and sass to the CC’s, which of led to its demise. She didn’t fit in because she was better than we were, in a good way.
Set list Includes songs like Friends in Low Places, Wagon Wheel as well as every other song you know by heart, but we’ve added songs like Landslide, and the Chain by Fleetwood Mac, Black Velvet, You and Tequila, Shallow…. And of course a Grease Medely. All of which showcase we are more fun than talented. Check out a few clips of us…
These Boots are Made for Walkin
Landslide: Fleetwood Mac/Dixie Chicks
The Story by Brandi Carlisle
Black Horse & Cherry Tree
Some background on us; the Cheerful Charlies; play music you heard on the 8 track tape player of your Pinto, Gremlin or Maverick on the way to a keg party during your mis-spent youth. We may not always be in tune, we may not know all the words to the songs, and we don’t sound totally like the real recordings, but like an 8 track tape, we sound good enough to have a great time.
The Cheerful Charlies 2023
Last year our gigs picked up from the pandemic lull, playing at Martin City Pizza, Tanners, Culinary Center of KC, a few street parties, and a pop up Christmas Gig at Loch Lloyd. One big change in 2022 was adding an “angel” to the Charlies’. We welcomed the sweetheart of song BethA to fill out our backgrounds, do some duets and even an occasional lead vocal….she goes from “shy to diva” pretty quickly and really adds a cool presence to our lineup.
We still play songs by Eagles, Bob Seger, Eddie Rabbit, Van Morrison, Hootie & the Blowfish, Garth Brooks, Rod Stewart; Rolling Stones, Doobie Brothers, Pure Prairie League…. But we also play new groups like Old Dominion, Kenny Chesney and Eric Church. And Beth adds color to “You and Tequila”, “Shallow”, and stole our Christmas Gig with Santa Baby and a sassy duet with Stan on “Baby it’s Cold Outside”
The Cheerful Charlies are….
–CharleyG hails from Springfield Missouri, owns more guitars than most women have purses, has been called a human jukebox. and can literally play any song well. He is the “talent” of the group, reads books without pictures, and still has all his own teeth.
–Johnny Murphini, hails from Sikeston Missouri, drives a delivery truck for Boulevard Beer so he is used to being in bars, not behind bars….for long anyway….. Johnny plays rhythm guitar and sings, and he has been charitably described as an entertainer more than a musician. He’s not shy or aware of his limitations.
–StanleyD hails from Trenton Missouri, plays the cajone- a sit down acoustic drum box. Some say he’s too lazy to carry a whole drum set in the back or his 1993 Chrysler Sebring convertible… but that’s because as the reining Thursday Night Mens League Champ, his clubs and 7 putters crowd the trunk and backseat
–BethA hails from Kansas City, and unlike the rest of us, she actually understands music theory. Although she took a few years? decades? off from performing, she jumped right in … especially when she realized we aren’t professionals! Luckily her presence takes pressure off the rest of us because when she sings people ignore us!
Recent Gig(s) Overview
Christmas Pop up Loch Lloyd December 2022
We played a packed Thursday night Reverse Happy Hour from 8-11+ at Loch Lloyd. Set 1 was Christmas Favorites; set 2 was foot stomping bar favorites. Stan and Beth killed it with Baby it’s Cold Outside, and Beth nailed Santa Baby. The crowd was thirsty, supportive and “well lubricated”… which is our sweet spot.
Martin City Pizza July 1 2022
A great summer venue that we first played in 2021 had us back in 2022; I think they like the fact people come out to see us out of pity, curiosity or spite…and tip well. It may also help that we donate our tips to the waitstaff! Irregardless, we love playing there and look forward so summer 2023 dates. This is a good example of our interactive crowd singing along to music inspired by literary greats with these immortal lyrics “He’s 34 and drinking in a honky-tonk; just kickin’ hippies asses and having fun”
Lenexa ChiliFest 2021
Another favorite gig is playing Tony Lux’s booth at the Lenexa ChiliFest-where I have played backup to a 40 MPH freight train. This was my 7th time playing this gig out of last 10 years, and it’s like the American Royal used to be before it became too corporate and moved out to the Speedway This video was taken by a 10 year old fan— notice his “cut away” style.
Culinary Center of Kansas City Fish Fry
A rare solo gig for Johnny Murphini as the other Charlies were indisposed. Johnny was supposed to play from 5-7, but the overachiever he is, he played from 4:30-7:30. I’m pretty sure his wife wanted him to stop @7:00 but the guitar sounded so full in his favorite venue. New additions to our setlist included Wichita Lineman, Rhinestone Cowboy, Travelin’ Man/Beautiful Loser, Slow Dancing in a Burning Room and Who Says I Can’t get Stoned
COVID Practice Sessions
Here are the Cheerful Charlies working on Eric Church’s classic “Jack Daniels Kicked my Ass Last Night.” Notice the double drop D tuning I play, and how much better CharleyG is on the guitar, a 1941 Martin D-18 I may add, than I am.
Friday January 10, 2020. Loch Lloyd
Pre shutdown we played a gig for the 2020 Sandals kickoff at Loch Lloyd. Little did we know this would be our last gig for over a year. This was a fun event because all the wives attended and enjoyed dressing up for each other and for the Band while their husbands told boring golf stories. This was the first gig that StanleyD (aka Stan the Man) joined us.
Friday Oct 11th 2019, Lenexa Chili
The public debut of the Cheerful Charlies was a blast on a perfect fall evening in Lenexa. After opening with George Strait’s “Fireman”, we were off to the races. Later Guest Guitarist Stephen Bishop helped when a Freight Train joined us in Folsom Prison Blues…
It’s always nice when a Train roars past at 30mph during a song that features the lyrics “I hear that train a-comin’, rollin’ round the bend…
Oct 12th, 2pm PorchFestKC
PorchFestKC was an awesome sunny day in Midtown Kansas City. We had a great (high)porch and an enthusiastic crowd who came out of curiosity and stayed out of spite. We had Stephen Bishop as a guest artist on Fulsom Prison Blues, and our highlight was “Friend of the Devil”. We look forward to PorchFest 2021!
Oct 12th. Ocktoberfest LL 8:30 and 12:30
We played our 3rd gig at Phil & Terri’s Ocktoberfest block party to a fun crowd. It was dark, we had no stage lights, but we played it hard.
The only comment I had was Phil Thomas saying our setlist were not songs from his 8track, likeAC/DC, Led Zeppelin or Van Halen. So I called an audible and we played “Ice Cream Man” from Van Halen 1, and told him neither Charlie grew up in KCK driving an El Camino sporting a mullet.
Like I said, I had a Gremlin…..
My last setlist was around the firepit with those hearty souls who wanted to sing Friends in Low Places, Wagon Wheel, Greatest Country Song Ever Written… and Total Eclipse of the Heart.
For more info, you can reach us at
Charley8track@gmail.com
The LochSmiths 