HAPPY 26th, G-Man!

They say it's yer birthday - (Beatles)

You've lead a very hard life, you precocious little shit (he's good!)...

8-year-old guitar wiz has reason to play the blues by Carrie Antfinger (AP)

ELKHORN, Wis. - When Tallan "T-Man" Latz was 5, he saw Joe Satriani playing guitar on TV. "I turned around to my dad and said, 'That's exactly what I want to do.'" Three years and countless hours of practicing later, 8-year-old Tallan is a blues guitar prodigy. He's played in bars and clubs, including the House of Blues in Chicago, and even jammed with Les Paul and Jackson Browne. He has a summer of festivals scheduled and has drawn interest from venues worldwide.

And what, you might ask, would a kid not even in the third grade have the blues about? The state of Wisconsin for one, and some possibly jealous older musicians for another. An anonymous e-mail sent to state officials complained that Tallan was too young to perform in taverns and nightclubs because of state child labor laws. His booking agent even got an anonymous letter threatening her with death if she keeps booking him. more

Television news story:

Tasty entry from Cahl's Juke Joint...

Tuesday morning blues Cahl's Juke Joint, a blog that includes reviews and meditations on rock, blues, jazz and other genres of music.

1) Bonnie Bramlett: "Two Steps From the Blues"
2) Angela Strehli: "Telephone Blues"
3) Big Time Sarah: "Red Dress"
4) Alberta Adams: "Messin' Around with the Blues"
5) Ruth Brown: "Why Me"
6) Leroy Ervin: "Rock Island Blues"
7) Gatemouth Moore: "It Ain't None of Me"
8) U.P. Wilson: "That's Your Woman, But She Comes to Me Sometimes"
9) Luther Allison: "Mistake"
10) Syl and Jimmy Johnson: "If I Wuz White"

Oh Monday morning, you gave me no warning of what it would be...

Maybe all those Red Sox fans were right, the Yankees do SUCK! Maybe we should be taking a vacation to Tampa instead of catching the Bombers in Toronto. By the way, does Robinson Cano have a 'no dive' clause in his contract?

Speaking of Toronto, we were considering seeing Bonnie Raitt and Jon Cleary, but:
BONNIE RAITT ~ CANCELLED
The live concert performances by Bonnie Raitt, scheduled for Tues. August 19th & Wed. August 20th, have been cancelled by request of the artist. Tickets purchased for these performances by credit card whether in-person at the Casino Rama Box Office, or over the phone or internet via TicketMaster, will be automatically refunded.
Bummer.

Shaft, he's a dead mutha f...

Hayes, 'Shaft' singer and disco presage, dies

MEMPHIS, Tenn. - Isaac Hayes, the baldheaded, baritone-voiced soul crooner who laid the groundwork for disco and whose "Theme From Shaft" won both Academy and Grammy awards, died Sunday afternoon after he collapsed near a treadmill, authorities said. He was 65. Hayes was pronounced dead at Baptist East Hospital in Memphis an hour after he was found by a family member, the Shelby County Sheriff's Office said. The cause of death was not immediately known. - more - AllMusicGuide

CMT Crossroads to feature Lucinda Williams & Elvis Costello...

About the Episode from CMT- Lucinda Williams and Elvis Costello hardly qualify as mainstream country artists, but each has absorbed traditional Southern music, written country songs and had a long affinity with Nashville. The stars of the debut episode sing two duets, Costello's "Poisoned Rose" and a fiery version of Williams' "Changed the Locks." They provide backing vocals for each other on four songs -- including a Rolling Stones cover -- and Williams' road band plays throughout. - more

It's Friday, I'm in love...

I don't care if monday's blue
Tuesday's grey and wednesday too
Thursday i don't care about you
It's friday i'm in love

Rumor has Manny Ramirez teaming up with Randy Newman for an updated I Love LA video.....Ah, young love! Randy has a new album out, Harps and Angels.

Nice job by one of my PGA Championship pool team guys- Hunter Mahan shot an 81 in the first round. The team of Anthony Kim (0), Retief Goosen (+2), Justin Leonard (+4), Ian Poulter (+4), Hunter Mahan (+11) gives me a score (best 4) of +10.

Plantsville's own, The Sawtelles, appear Friday (8pm) at Borders in Meriden and Saturday (9pm) at Cafe Nine. Their new CD is Dime Museum.

Wednesday morning at five o'clock as the day begins...

Hump....

I don't really think Jeter has an edge anymore. Can you say double play? The Bombers are in deep trouble and may be out of the damn race by the time we see them two weeks hence in Toronto.

Southington Music on the Green features the Eddie Forman Orchestra playing classic polkas and more! Hard to imagine more! Music, weather permitting, starts at 7pm. It's raining like hell right now!

Hannah, Sugar Hill publicity intern, emails about the upcoming Sarah Borges show at Cafe Nine: I know this is somewhat last minute, but Sarah is coming to Cafe Nine in New Haven on Friday, August 15th, and she could use your help in promoting the show! If any of you would be willing to help out with our grassroots network by putting up posters for the show, we would be able to get you on the guest list for the concert. If you're able to help out, shoot me an e-mail with your full name and address with zip, and we'll get those posters in the mail to you right away! Thanks so much!! Keith and I (not sure about The Reet and Sharie) plan to be there, Hannah, even though we have an early morning golf date to make!

Tuesday's burned music for Marybeth:

The Reminder Fiest

Back to Black Amy Winehouse

Bronx in Blue Dion

Note to self: my team for the upcoming PGA Championships pool- Ian Poulter, Hunter Mahan, Retief Goosen, Anthony Kim, Justin Leonard. Low four scores count, so at least four must make the cut.

Plantsville's own, The Sawtelles, appear Saturday (8pm) at Borders in Meriden and Sunday (9pm) at Cafe Nine. Their new CD is Dime Museum.

It's just like heaven, being here with you...

But you know that! There are many lyrics websites around, but Songfacts.com is a neat little site to satisfy the soul (or just to get some little-known, useless, but fun data on rock songs/artists). Below is a sample:

Angel Baby by Rosie and the Originals: Album: released as a single (released: 1960; US Chart: 5)

Rosie Hamlin wrote this when she was 14 years old. It began as a poem about a boyfriend. She had some experience as a singer with a local band, getting the job by telling them she was 16.

The appeal of the song rests in Rosie's bell-like vocals and the utter simplicity of both the lyrics and the single, repeated melodic line. The inexpert musicianship and unpolished recording quality contribute to its charm.

This made it to #5 on the Billboard Hot 100 in December 1960. It remained on the charts for twelve weeks. It is listed as #34 on the 1961 Hot 100 for the year.

Immediately after writing this, Rosie certified-mailed herself a copy so that it would be legally dated, a wise move in view of the legal mess later created by Highland Records.

Many members of the Hamlin family were musically inclined. The Originals were a group of family friends who hung out and jammed at the house. They were Noah Tafolla, David Ponci, Tony Gomez, Carl Von Goodat and Alfred Barrett. Rosie later married Tafolla.

This was recorded on a two-track machine in an abandoned airline hangar which was being converted to a recording studio. Bass player Tony Gomez is on sax, because the sax player had to stay home and mow the lawn.

For publicity, the group went to Kresge's in San Diego and took advantage of a then-standard feature of variety stores -- the preview or listening booth in the record department. They received permission to play this in the booths so teens shopping for records could hear it. The response was overwhelmingly positive. A scout for Highland Records was in the store and immediately offered them a contract.

Highland Records took possession of the master as a condition of the contract, and talked Rosie into allowing Ponci instead of herself to be named on the contract as "Angel Baby"'s composer. None of the promised royalties were paid, for this or any other recording the band made for Highland. Rosie got out of her Highland contract and signed with Brunswick. With Tafolla, she went to New York and recorded an LP, "Lonely Blue Nights," and performed with other Brunswick artists at the Brooklyn Paramount. Rosie won back the composer's rights to Angel Baby in 1961, but faced a series of court fights to obtain the royalties.

The B-side is "Give Me Love," in a completely different style, with vocals by Bluford Wade.

In a 1969 interview, John Lennon named Rosie as one of his favorite vocalists. He covered this for his Rock & Roll album, but it wasn't released until 1986 on Menlove Avenue.

Rosie Hamlin has enjoyed a long, vital career in music. She was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995. She also briefly worked as an art teacher. She has two children.

An amazing quote about this song has appeared on a number of websites. It is attributed to Mark Sten (of the Oblivion Seekers?) in "Rock Almanac" (which one of several books and blogs of that name is not specified). It describes the instrumentals as "generating a robot mantra devoid of embellishment or variation, the perfect underpinning for Rosie's piercing, disembodied-siren vocal. With 'Angel Baby,' rock had regressed as far as it could, some nameless dread loosed within the collective Top 40 mind had run its course and spent itself in a lost mournful wail. 'Angel Baby' was the final moonlit flowering of rock's medieval phase, paean to a purity and innocence no longer possible in the real world." (thanks, Ekristheh - Halath, for all above)

From YouTube:

Big weekend for live music....

Litchfield Jazz Festival at the Goshen Fairgrounds (lawn tickets are $35)- lineup

Newport Folk Festival at Fort Adams State Park in Newport, RI (general admission tickets are $69)- lineup (GREAT lineup for Saturday!) - Listen on NPR

Christine Ohlman & Rebel Montez at Cafe Nine in New Haven on Saturday.

Southern Culture on the Skids at the Iron Horse Music Hall in Northampton, MA on Saturday.

The Beatles A-Z project at the Daniel Street Music Club in Milford, CT.

It all begins with the Beatles. The music they recorded. The influence they left behind. One evening in March of 2006, Tim Palmieri and Sean Miller were playing music together. Sean was showing Tim how to play "Dear Prudence" when the two musicians thought, "What if two people tried to play every Beatles song that was recorded alphabetically from A to Z?" Thus became the concept of The Beatles A-Z project. The two musicians have been influenced by The Beatles since first being introduced to the music at an early age, which contributed to their vast knowledge of the music, lyrics and the nuances you hear in the original recordings. Their role in presenting this project is to perform each song just as the original recordings were recorded; all the while making each song their own. Another purpose for presenting this, that Tim and Sean both agreed upon, is to share their enthusiasm and passion of the Fab Four. The Beatles recorded over 215 songs from 1962 until 1970. Learning all of the songs is not an easy task, armed with only The Beatles Complete Scores and their musical ability they set out to accomplish this feat. The result of their efforts will be heard on the 5 Sundays in August at the Daniel Street Music Club in Milford, CT.

Catch the Newport Folk Festival on NPR...

From the NPR website: She & Him, Gillian Welch, Jim James, Calexico And More At The Newport Folk Festival

WFUV, July 25, 2008 - As it approaches its 50th anniversary next year, the Newport Folk Festival is expanding its focus in 2008, showcasing an impressive array of not only folk music (Richie Havens, Gillian Welch), but also indie rock, including Jim James (of My Morning Jacket), Calexico, and She & Him. NPR.org will webcast performances by all of these and more, live from the Newport Folk Festival on Aug. 2-3. WFUV's Rita Houston hosts along with Bob Boilen from All Songs Considered.

Since 1959, the Newport Folk Festival has been an American institution. It was founded by folksingers and managers such as Theodore Bikel, Oscar Brand, Pete Seeger, George Wein, and Albert Grossman. Some of the most important folk musicians in history have come through the Rhode Island town, including Johnny Cash, Howlin' Wolf, Joan Baez, and Bob Dylan, whose controversial plugged-in performance at the Newport Folk Festival was the stuff of legend. - complete schedule

Re-Born on da Bayou....

Creedence Clearwater albums to be reissued

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The first six albums of California rock band Creedence Clearwater Revival are being reissued on September 30 with bonus tracks and new liner notes, Concord Music Group said on Tuesday. The reissued albums, which have been digitally remastered and will be presented in DigiPaks, are: "Creedence Clearwater Revival," "Bayou Country," "Green River," "Willy & the Poor Boys," "Cosmo's Factory" and "Pendulum," all originally released from 1968 to 1970. Among the many extras are unreleased studio versions of "Down on the Corner" and "Born on the Bayou," which were recorded with Booker T & the MGs. The tracks appear on "Willy & the Poor Boys" and "Cosmo's Factory," respectively. - complete article

Tom Waits on Letterman. Just because...

Thanks, nieces Caitlyn and Elizabeth, for your Yanks/Sox tickets, available because of a conflict with the Kenny Chesney concert at Gillette Stadium Boston Herald concert review. His Poets & Pirates Tour also features LeAnn Rimes, Keith Urban and, yes, that 'ol country singer, Sammy Hagar.

Lost track of them, found in The Herald:
STEVE CROPPER & FELIX CAVALIERE “Nudge It Up a Notch” (Stax): B
Paired in Nashville by producer Jon Tiven, the two ’60s icons prove soul never grows old. Cropper, legendary guitarist for Booker T. & the MG’s and Otis Redding, is still nimble-fingered, while the organ and vocals of Rascals frontman Cavaliere remain “Groovin’ ” sharp. Teaming with Tiven to write the 12 songs on “Nudge It Up a Notch” (in stores Tuesday), they don’t get very creative, but do knock out pleasant pop and r & b that would have sounded at home in the Stax catalog 40 years ago. Download: “One of These Days.” (Felix Cavaliere’s Rascals, with the Cowsills, appearing tomorrow at 7 p.m. at the Hatch Shell, free.)

Pinstripes in Beantown....should The Reet wear her Jeter #2 jersey?...

Well I was small, they took us to old Mechanics Hall
We got to see the mighty Ted Williams,
Put one over the right field wall
All that nostalgia comes out every day, you see,
On the Fenway where I've dreamed dreams
The Fenway by Jonathan Richman
Don the stylish #2? After Joba's up-'n-in Friday night to that weird sweat machine, Kevin Youkilis, I'm thinking it's not a wonderful idea. Maybe we should bring the Ray Allen #20 as a backup. Will Tim Wakefield retaliate with a 45 mph knuckleball to Jeter's ribs? Thanks to tix from Somerville's own NancyK/JoeK, we're in town, baby, to see the carnage continue Saturday afternoon. What's a good spot to grab a burgah?

Nashville East? Jack Nicklaus and Kenny Chesney threw out ceremonial first pitches, while LeAnn Rimes sang the national anthem. Who ya got today?

Whew! Manny didn't kill us last night, he killed the Sox instead by yanking himself from the lineup. Bad contract negotiations means sore knees. Sorry, Manny being Manny!

Has (Sweet) Caroline Kennedy ever thrown out the first pitch at Fenway? Maybe pair her up with longtime (read pre-teen) admirer perv Neil Diamond after all these years?

Sly at the Fillmore in 1968...

NRBQ live at the Bottom Line 8/24/78...

NRBQ is:
Terry Adams - keyboards, vocals, wind
Al Anderson - guitar, vocals
Tom Ardolino - drums
Joey Spaminato - bass, vocals
Keith Spring - tenor sax
Donn Adams - trombone

NRBQ has never been a hit making machine but the group has continually made some of the best albums of any roots-oriented American rock ’n’ roll band. To call NRBQ a rock band is probably inaccurate, but they certainly have no problem playing it. As you will hear on this second of two shows recorded at New York’s Bottom Line club in 1978, the band effectively performs a myriad of musical styles ranging from rockabilly, country swing, ‘60s pop, freeform jazz, and they do it all well. After all, we are talking about a band that plays covers by everyone from Sun Ra to Carl Perkins.

Featured here is a wealth of NRBQ classics including “Green Light” (covered the following year by Bonnie Raitt), “That's All,” “Wacky Tobacky,” “I Got A Rocket In My Pocket” and the Beatlesque “I Love Her, She Loves Me,” which appeared on NRBQ At Yankee Stadium, the LP out during this tour. (complete summary)

Another Fabulous Farquahr tribute...

While looking through my car this morning for something I'd lost, I came upon my old Farquahr tape while I immediately played. Then I came home and decided to Google them. I was saddened to see that Frank had died. We had some great times listening to their band, both live and on tape.

Joellen Hopkins, now of Albuquerque, NM, originally from Putnam, CT

Farquahr overview from Mariners website.

When I was sixteen, ran away.....

Mention Dion (DiMucci) to someone and he/she may quickly dismiss him as either a washed-up 50's pop star (The Wanderer/Lonely Teenager/Runaround Sue - some of the era's best) or a washed-up 60's folkie (Abraham, Martin and John - okay, I hated that, too), but you should know better. This guy is significantly more than that. The guy picks a mighty fine guitar and can really sing the blues. His 2004 Bronx in Blue and last year's Son of Skip James were critically acclaimed, if popularly ignored. He's coming for a 4-night stint (Thu-Sun, August 28-31) at Mohegan Sun's Cabaret Theatre. Anyone else wanna go?

Per AllMusicGuide....When Dion DiMucci, one of the early great rock & roll stars, knocked out Bronx in Blue in 2005, it caused a rumbling stir among critics, if no one else. To be honest, no one expected much -- not even Dion, who hadn't made music for the masses since 1968 with his last big hit, "Abraham, Martin and John." He nailed down a few hip records in the early '70s and has made plenty since, but American audiences don't get to hear them for all the usual reasons. If the biz wasn't itself, his turn of the century classic, Déjà Nu, would have sold a million or two. Bronx in Blue was a killer blues record. Yeah, a blues record. It was on this tiny little label with inadequate distribution, and whatever...you know the story. But if you were lucky enough to hear that disc, you could hear the same Dion who issued those hip blues records for Columbia in the mid-'60s, produced by Tom Wilson. The years melted away and Dion's unique take on the blues via the street corners, record shops, and alleyways of the Bronx came pouring through the speakers like some message from another world. For anyone cynical enough to think it improper for Dion to title this record Son of Skip James, quit reading right now; you won't get it at all. DiMucci played the Newport festivals and was as deeply under the sway of James, John Hurt, Fred McDowell, Lightnin' Hopkins, and Muddy Waters as Dylan, the Band, Fred Neil, John Fahey, Tom Rush, and the like.

DiMucci's voice is a thing of wonder; he has lost none of his vitality and none of his range, and his control over it is simply amazing. He also plays a pretty mean guitar. He didn't need any big-name producer or all-star band, either. Dion produced Son of Skip James himself, plays acoustic guitar and harmonica, and sings his rear off. Rick Krive accompanies him on piano on a few tracks, and Bob Guertin is on percussion and Hammond B-3 on others. That's it.

Damn it, I'm going. You?

Ladies and gentlemen, now getting funky for the New York Yankees....

Songwriters devote album to baseball by Derek Caney (Reuters)

NEW YORK- Dusk is setting on a cool evening at Yankee Stadium, as Yankee pitcher Andy Pettitte sets down the San Diego Padres. Steve Wynn and Scott McCaughey, two songwriters behind new band The Baseball Project, are doing what they love: sipping beer and talking baseball and music. The Baseball Project is celebrating the release of its first album, "Volume 1: Frozen Ropes and Dying Quails," on Yep Roc Records earlier this month. It is a record solely about baseball, which is not a subject people might associate with veteran rockers like McCaughey and Wynn.

The subject turns to "walk-on" music -- music baseball players select to be played on stadium loudspeakers when they come up to bat -- that McCaughey and Wynn might select for themselves if they were ball players. Wynn says, "Maybe 'Waiting For My Man," a song by the Velvet Underground about a dope addict and his dealer. Scott McCaughey quips, "All right, I'll pick 'Sister Ray,"' referring to a 17-minute Velvet Underground song consisting primarily of abrasive white noise and off color lyrics. complete article

On Letterman:


The Baseball Project

Cindy smokin'....

Didn't catch Lucinda Williams this time around (she was headlining the Green River Festival in Greenfield, MA Saturday night), and it was our loss 'cause she ripped it up in Trumansburg two nights before.

From the Ithaca Journal: Usually the first day of the GrassRoots Festival is a mere appetizer for the rest of the weekend, but this year the annual gathering in Trumansburg got off to a running start with headliner Lucinda Williams, who played a hard-rocking set Thursday evening on the Grandstand Stage. Taking the stage at 8:58 p.m. (two minutes before her scheduled 9 p.m. start), Williams, sporting a “You Rock” t-shirt, kicked off with two new songs, “Real Love” and “Tears of Joy” sandwiched around “2 Kool 2 Be 4-gotten,” from her acclaimed 1998 album “Car Wheels on a Gravel Road.” “Car Wheels” was well represented throughout the night by “Joy” (which incorporated the riff from Led Zeppelin's “Heartbreaker”), “Drunken Angel” and “Right in Time,” which is probably one of the most sensual rock songs ever written. ......The pace really picked up when Williams strapped on an electric guitar. The high point of the set soon followed with “Come On” (from her 2007 album “West”), which came off sort of like the Pretenders meets Crazy Horse — Williams shouted out the chorus while her band Buick 6 rocked out behind her. In fact, Buick 6 impressed throughout the night, especially guitarist Doug Pettibone, who wailed on “Out of Touch” (from 2001's “Essence”) and many other songs; indeed, the four-piece band sounded like the “Exile on Main Street” Rolling Stones many times during the set. Williams seemed to be having a good time throughout the night, at one point stating “I wish the whole world could be like this.” -full article

Cool feature on Lucinda's website- Concert set lists

I'd like y'all to meet my friends....

Guest artists performing at the Billy Joel concert at Shea Stadium Friday night:

Paul McCartney (performed Let it be)

Steven Tyler (performed Walk this way)

Roger Daltry (performed My generation)

Garth Brooks (performed Shameless)

Guest artists performing at the Billy Joel concert at Shea Stadium Wednesday night- (NY Times review):

Tony Bennett (performed New York state of mind)

Don Henley (performed Boys of summer)

John Mayer (performed This is the time)

John Mellencamp (performed Pink houses)

Billy Joel/Paul McCartney- Let It Be:

Live music explosion.....

We tried to figure a way to get to the Green River Festival (with a side of golf at Crumpin Fox) in Greenfield, MA with the Andersons this weekend to hear Lucinda Williams, Jimmy Vaughn, Lou Ann Barton (my fave), Eilen Jewell, Mavis Staples, etal, but it was not to be.

But there are many tasty alternatives:

Plantsville's own Sawtelles will be appearing Friday night at Jitters Coffeehouse in Plainville and on Saturday night at the Funky Monkey in Cheshire.

The 17th annual Hartford Festival of Jazz, free (Fri/Sat/Sun) at Bushnell Park. Included in the festivities is a Sunday jazz mass at Christ Church Cathedral at 10am, which reminds me of the Jazz Fest Mass this past May in New Orleans. Complete schedule

On Saturday at 6pm, the Squirrel Nut Zippers will appear as part of New Haven's Music on the Green series. Per their MySpace page, the Zips ".... feature original and founding members Katherine Whalen, Jimbo Mathis, Chris Phillips, Je Widenhouse and Stuart Cole. On tour the band will be performing material from the entire catalogue.....Since 2002, the members have kept themselves more than busy. Katherine Whalen has released several solo albums, most recently the critical favorite Dirty Little Secret. Jimbo Mathus has also released several acclaimed solo records, all while working as musical director for legendary blues musician and Grammy winner Buddy Guy. Phillips was enlisted as composer for the Comedy Central TV show Lil’ Bush and spent time touring with the Dickies. Widenhouse has performed throughout the country with his traditional jazz combo the Firecracker Jazz Band. Not to be outdone, Cole has written Dancing to Morocco, a travel guide of dark and dusty bars in Northern Africa, and has been performing extensively with Dexter Romweber. The band performed around 50 shows in 2007, and has just begun a series of summer tours. Look out for a new live record late in 2008, and a new studio record in 2009."

And there's always something tasty at the Musicians' Living Room, New Haven's Cafe Nine, where the Soul Merchants play on Friday night. According to my (MySpace) sources, the Merchants are....a mighty 8 piece band hailing from the basements of Central Connecticut. Their sound combines a love of reggae and rocksteady niceness with the respect and nod toward the infectious classic soul sounds of the 1960s. Featuring a full horn section, infectious Farfisa organ riffs, sweet vocal harmonies and a guitar lead that would make Nigel Tufnel blush. Featuring former members of Ska King Crab, Nigel Six, Johnny Too Bad and the Strikeouts, Golgo 13, Natural Funk Selection and Throwing Star of David. They slide on over to Sully's Pub in Hartford on Saturday.

Something tells me I'm into something good...

Spur of the moment, The Reet, G-Man and Johnnyk headed southeast Saturday night to Mohegan Sun to feed Reet's craving for some (gambling) action. I quickly checked the Wolf Den schedule to have an alternative to throwing my money away and came up with Herman's Hermits starring Peter Noone (the original lead singer!). Granted, the Hermits were not the Beatles, but they had a string of catchy pop hits during the British Invasion and I'm not so much the music snob that I didn't listen to them.

The Reet listened at her nearby video poker post, while G-Man and I stand at the bar (Sam Summer for Dad, LI Ice Tea for G) for the 8pm show. Not a bad show. Peter Noone's voice is amazingly intact and he easily hits all the notes. Quite the showman. Highlights are Because, a tribute to the Dave Clark Five, and the almost-whispered Mrs. Brown, You've Got a Lovely Daughter. A nod to the threesome seated at the bar, who tastfully filled in the backing vocals during the song.

Groovin' on a behive queen 'n tex-mex on a picture-perfect Friday night in Hamden...

Gooljean Gool (Bobcat baseball head and brother of Rejean Gool) once bounced a tee shot about 100 yards down the fairway into the cup for a hole-in-one on a spring day long, long ago here. He couldn't do that now. No, his skills have not eroded over the years (he never had any), but now this tract of land on Dixwell Avenue is no longer the Meadowbrook Country Club. It's gone!

It is about 6:30pm. We've already had some tasty Mexican (Eating Raoul) and witty reparte at DaVins, so we're contented boys and girls. Vin directs us to park at the middle school, where we assemble our belongings (folding chairs, coolers, even a blanket!) and follow the crowd down the hill, across the field/fairway, past the vending trucks, up the hill to a viewing spot about 50 yards from the stage. The park has a wonderful natural slope down to the stage for a viewing area and it's filling in fast. We settle in and we await Christine Ohlman & Rebel Montez.

Per AllMusicGuide, Christine Ohlman is a "....writer, singer, book editor, record collector and performer, ....probably best known to the general public for her work as vocalist in the Saturday Night Live band, specifically the G.E. Smith years. Both were founding members of the Scratch Band that specialized in the soul drenched rock she has continued to release with her own group Rebel Montez....She has also contributed her husky pipes to albums from the diverse likes of Charlie Musselwhite, Kenny Neal, Eddie Kirkland, Big Al Anderson and Ian Hunter. Ohlman sang the theme song for 30 Rock and was one of the singers for Bob Dylan's 30th Anniversary Concert at Madison Square Garden in 1993. In her non-vocal work, she was an original contributor to All Music Guide and edited Andrew Loog Oldham's book 2Stoned."

I originally met Ms. Ohlman in 2006 at the Meriden Daffodil Festival while purchasing one of her CDs after her show at the bandshell stage there. She had just packed everything up to leave, but graciously she directed me over to the back of her station wagon to get one. When I mentioned that I was leaving the following week for Jazz Fest in New Orleans, she related to me her great love for the recently-ravaged city. I emailed my post of the show to her that night and she replied in kind, thanking me and sending me the link to a piece she had written for the New Haven Advocate about her experience in New Orleans at the first post-Katrina Mardi Gras. I introduced her to Johnny Gumbo at a Cafe Nine show, which subsequently led to her appearance at the Southington Apple Harvest Festival. I'm a big fan of her music.

The Beehive Queen (the beehive is her tribute to Ronnie Spector) and her band, Rebel Montez (Michael Colbath-bass/vocals, Larry Donahue-drums/percussion,Cliff Goodwin-lead guitar), are in great form and first-rate soundsystem throws it out to us perfectly. Prior to launching into It's All Over Now, Christine tells us that, although the song was made popular by the Rolling Stones, their version would be closer to the original, done by the Valentinos'. The boys love the hour-long set; the girls do not.

Los Lobos follows after a brief intermission. Bad time to hit the head, for there are hundreds lined up, single-file, at the two available locations. Oh well, hold it in for later. We settle in for some more great music. The band is tight, energetic. Curiously, despite wonderful musicianship and solid vocals, the only songs that are catching my attention are the covers. Their style reminds me somewhat of the Iguanas, but I find the latter to have catchier songs. Not to quibble, Los Lobos is still very good. I finally make my way through the crowd down to the shorter lines at the port-o-johns to get some relief. Whew! We stay for the start of the encore, but it's late and the boys must be awake early for golf, so we sneak away before "La Bamba" closes the show. Not sure what was going on, but the stage was filled with people as we drove down Dixwell on our way home. A good time was had by all. (note: Los Lobos rocking out for the kids- article

Concerts continue during the summer at the bandshell. However, tonight's pairing may have been the best, for acts like The Fifth Dimension, Mickey Thomas' Starship and the Temptation Review don't hold much promise, at least for this cowboy.

Da blues got da blues....

Chicago blues scene wanes as genre grows tired (AP)

CHICAGO - Blues guitar virtuosos and honey-voiced singers filled the Chicago streets with music during the 1950s. Muddy Waters' guitar seeped from corner juke joints. Willie Dixon strummed bass guitar beats, echoing the city's blues sound. Now more than a half century later, a music that was born in the rural South and raised in the urban North, has grown old and tired. Its fan base is aging, key blues haunts have shuttered and some of its up-and-coming musicians are struggling. Nowhere is the decline more evident than in Chicago, arguably the city that made the genre famous. - article

Marcia wants some Tex-Mex...

Hi-I wouldn't know Los Lobos if they came and applied for a job, but anyway they are playing at Meadowbrook Park right down the street, for free, on Friday night. Anyone interested? We could do Mexican first-lemme know. -Marcia

Marcia, Marcia, Marcia. If you read my (admittedly lagging) concert suggestions (johnnykconcerts), you would have known. Sounds like a great way to start the weekend. Christine Ohlman & Rebel Montez open; they're great too. You in, Andersons?

From AllMusicGuide.. Los Lobos were one of America's most distinctive and original bands of the '80s. They may have had a hit with "La Bamba" in 1987, yet that cover barely scratches the surface of their talents. Los Lobos are eclectic in the best sense of the word. While they draw equally from rock, Tex-Mex, country, folk, R&B, blues, and traditional Spanish and Mexican music, their music never sounds forced or self-conscious. Instead, all of their influences become one graceful, gritty sound. From their very first recordings, their rich musicality was apparent; on nearly every subsequent record, they have found ways to redefine and expand their sound, without ever straying from the musical traditions that form the heart and soul of the band. - tour dates/set lists 1983-2008 Here's a sample:

Don't forget the Motor City...

Exclusive: Read Jack White's poem for Detroit - Detroit Free Press article

'Courageous Dream's Concern,' by Jack White

I have driven slow,
three miles an hour or so,
through Highland Park, Heidelberg, and the Cass Corridor.
I've hopped on the Michigan,
and transferred to the Woodward,
and heard the good word blaring from an a.m. radio.
I love the worn-through tracks of trolley
trains breaking through their concrete vaults,
As I ride the Fort Street or the Baker,
just making my way home.

I sneak through an iron gate, and fish
rock bass out of the strait,
watching the mail boat with its tugboat gait,
hauling words I'll never know.
The water letter carrier,
bringing prose to lonely sailors,
treading the big lakes with their trailers,
floats in blue green chopping waters,
above long-lost sunken failures,
awaiting exhumation iron whalers,
holding gold we'll never know.

I've slid on Belle Isle,
and rowed inside of it for miles.
Seeing white deer running alongside
While I glide, in a canoe.
I've walked down Caniff holding a glass
Atlas root beer bottle in my hands
And I've entered closets of coney islands
early in the morning too.
I've taken malt from Stroh's and Sanders,
felt the black powder of abandoned embers,
And smelled the sawdust from wood cut
to rehabilitate the fallen edifice.
I've walked to the rhythm of mariachis,
down junctions and back alleys,
Breathing fresh-baked fumes of culture
nurtured of the Latin and the Middle East.
I've fallen down on public ice,
and skated in my own delight,
and slid again on metal crutches
into trafficked avenues.

Three motors moved us forward,
Leaving smaller engines to wither,
the aluminum, and torpedo,
Monuments to unclaimed dreaming.
Foundry's piston tempest captured,
Forward pushing workers raptured,
Frescoed families strife fractured,
Encased by factory's glass ceiling.

Detroit, you hold what one's been seeking,
Holding off the coward-armies weakling,
Always rising from the ashes
not returning to the earth.

I so love your heart that burns
That in your people's body yearns To perpetuate,
and permeate,
the lonely dream that does encapsulate,
Your spirit, that God insulates,
With courageous dream's concern.

Happy birthday, George W. Bush and JohnnyK!

Born 7/6/46 in CT.....and inseparable since...

others born July 6

Happy birthday, Sister Mary Agnes!...

A real, live nephew of my Uncle Sam....

4th of July wishes from the Gumbo:

300 days until JazzFest

July is here; so are the Sawtelles!...

Go see them!
Jul 4 12:30P *CANCELLED* Hamden, CT
Jul 6 11:00A Coventry farmer’s market, Coventry, CT
Jul 11 6:00P Two Boots Pizza Bridgeport, CT
Jul 19 8:00P Funky Monkey Cafe, Cheshire, CT
Jul 28 10:00P Beatnik 2000 @Cafe Nine, New Haven, CT
Jul 31 7:00P 5th Thursday @NEB, New Haven, CT
Jul 31 10:00P Ken Safety’s Open Mic Show, Cheshire, CT
Aug 8 8:00P Borders Meriden, Meriden, CT
Aug 22 12:30P Hamden Farmer’s Market, Hamden, CT
Aug 24 11:00A Coventry Farmer’s Market, Coventry, CT
Aug 28 7:00P *NEW* Passiflora, New Hartford, CT
Sep 5 12:30P *NEW* Hamden Farmer’s Market, Hamden, CT
Oct 3 12:30P Hamden Farmer’s Market, Hamden, CT
Oct 12 12:30P CT Garlic and Harvest Festival, Bethlehem, CT
Oct 31 7:00P Books & Co Sofa Series, Hamden, CT

I've got blisters on my fingers!....

Lost Beatles interview unearthed by Howard Shannon, Producer (BBC)

For 44 years a canister of film had been stored in a damp garage in South London; unopened, unloved and almost thrown away. But, finally, somebody took a look inside - and realised they had unearthed a piece of pop history. This is the story of a lost Beatles interview - which is to be broadcast on BBC Radio 4 on Tuesday for the first time since it was originally recorded.

The nine-minute interview took place in the studios of Scottish Television on Thursday, 30 April, 1964. It was thought to have been recorded on a tele-cine machine in London, and stored in a can, now rusted with the passing of decades. Which makes it all the more remarkable that the fragile film has survived at all. complete story

Listen to an extract here.

BEWARE, The Summer of the Whore...

Since johnnykmusic is on the A-list for rock publicists seeking a buzz for their clients, I received notice of the debut solo effort of Shannon McArdle (formerly of Mendoza Line) called Summer of the Whore. So, be on notice when you're out and about on the Summer evenings of 2008.

Publicist Roberta Moore Patterson writes:

When Shannon McArdle left the Mendoza Line in 2007, she was also leaving behind a marriage to fellow member, Timothy Bracy. Along with a cast of contributors, the Mendoza Line recorded a remarkable body of work that wrestled with the intoxication of life and love on the edge of the new millennium. McArdle met Bracy in the late 1990s in Athens, Georgia and struck up a musical collaboration as well as romantic relationship. Along with an early incarnation of the Mendoza Line, the band made the move to New York City, establishing themselves as a rollicking, well-read rock band with a love for The Replacements, Bob Dylan, and the Velvet Underground. After four albums with the group and another project with Bracy called Slow Dazzle, Shannon McArdle is heading out on her own with an unflinching report from the frontlines of divorce. Summer of the Whore is a unique, fearless view of her life from the summer of 2007, finally ready for delivery in the summer of 2008. Shannon explains, "It's very strange going back and listening to the record. When I wrote and recorded the songs last summer, my emotions were completely exposed. I had no interest in veiling them in any way. Subtlety was not something that appealed to me at the time. I'm glad for that." Shannon McArdle's latest is not the feel-good album of the year, but it is an honest, singular work, rich in melody and the occasional bitter smile. Sometimes a season seems to last a very long time, but soon the air and the trees change and maybe we change as well without effort. Fortunately for her listeners, McArdle captured the Summer of the Whore before it passed her by.

McArdle will be appearing Friday, August 8 in Brooklyn, NY @ Park Slope and Tuesday, August 19 in New York, NY @ Mercury Lounge.

ESPN take me out to the ballgame...

Celebrating 100 years with 'Battle of the Bands' ESPN.com

Baseball fans remember 1908 as the year the Chicago Cubs last won the World Series. But it was also memorable for another reason: "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" was born. To commemorate the 100-year anniversary of baseball's most famous tune, "Baseball Tonight" has asked nine popular musical artists to record a rendition of the song and engage in a battle of the bands. Each version will debut during "Baseball Tonight" at 10 p.m. ET, except where noted, and then be posted on this page.

After all nine have been posted, SportsNation will have an opportunity to vote on its favorite one, beginning at 8 p.m. ET on June 29. The top three vote-getters will be announced on July 6, and the winner will be revealed on July 13. Kicking things off was a recording from ESPN baseball analyst Peter Gammons. His version, which is not eligible for the voting, was performed as a tribute to the late Bo Diddley.

Another Pleasant Valley Sunday (here in status symbol land)...

Muggy as hell for golf this morning (deal with it!)......Will be without my iPod, 'cause G chose to leave it atop the car as he drove to track to workout (found it crushed in the street upon his return)...Gumbo emails from Spokane about Spokane Hoopfest (Gumbo, with double knee replacement, has chosen not to participate in the slam dunk contest this year)...

Buddy, can I borrow your turntable?...

A tasty morsel from the Gumbo...

The Most Expensive Albums of All Time Vinyl sales are starting to make a comeback on retail store shelves. Here are five you can't find on them. (by Matthew Shepatin, Esquire)

#1. "That’ll Be the Day/ In Spite of All the Danger," The Quarrymen (1958) -- $180,000-$200,000 According to a list of UK’s most valuable records of all time, the top spot goes to The Quarrymen, a little Liverpool skiffle band that featured Ivan Vaughan on bass. Mr. Vaughan introduced his schoolmate John, who formed the outfit, to another friend, Paul, who joined the band a few weeks later. The 10-inch acetate -- which featured the first ever recording by the quintet that would launch The Beatles -- includes a cover of Buddy Holly’s “That’ll Be the Day.” The other single is an original composition that McCartney co-wrote -- interestingly, not with Lennon, who sings lead vocals on both songs, but rather George Harrison. The one existing copy of the 1958 gem is owned by Paul McCartney and worth a reported 100,000 pounds. McCartney included a digitalized re-recording of it on 1995’s Beatles Anthology Volume 1.

#2. Double Fantasy, John Lennon (1980) -- $150,000 On December 8, 1980, John Lennon signed a fan’s copy of his Double Fantasy album. Five hours later that fan murdered the peace-loving icon outside the entrance of the Dakota Building. The record was found at the crime scene and later used as evidence at assassin Mark Chapman’s trial -- his fingerprints were lifted off the cover. In 1999, autograph dealer Moments In Time sold the LP for an auction record $150,000. Good news: the dealer has put it back on the block for around $600,000.



#3. Yesterday and Today, The Beatles (1966) -- $45,000-$85,000 In 1966, record company Paraphone recalled the album after retailers freaked over the cover art: the Fab Four dressed in butcher smocks, covered in baby parts and raw meat. The Holy Grail of what’s become known as “The Butcher Cover” record is the Livingston collection, named after the 1960’s Capitol Records President Alan Livingston, who signed the Beatles. Livingston stowed away a box of 24 sealed Butcher albums in his home, only to be brought to light twenty years later by his son. According to at least one Beatles memorabilia site, the value of the Livingston LP has tripled in the past years with the price for a single stereo copy hitting $85,000, with the market value for the entire collection approaching a million dollars.

#4. The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan, Bob Dylan (1963) -- $10,000-$40,000 Considered by many to be the most valuable U.S. album, it contains four tracks that were ultimately deleted from its final release in 1963 -- “Talkin’ John Birch Society,” “Let Me Die in My Footsteps,” “Rocks and Gravel,” and “Gamblin’ Willies Dead Man’s Hand.” A number of these original copies were accidentally released into circulation with restamped labels. Today, mono copies likely sell in the high $10,000s while the two existing stereo copies fetch upwards of $40,000.


#5. The Velvet Underground & Nico, The Velvet Underground (1966) -- $25,000 Montreal resident Warren Hill’s first attempt to sell his rare album on eBay turned sour when the winning bid of $155,401 in December 2006 turned out to be a fake. Before you brand Mr. Hill a schlimazel, consider that he bought the 12-inch acetate for 75 cents at a New York City flea market in 2002. A real buyer finally came forward, shelling out $25,000 for the fabled Warhol LP, which features different versions of the final release in different order.

Hippy dippy weather forecast- 71 and dead...

"Fighting for peace is like screwing for virginity."

George Carlin mourned as a counterculture hero (AP)

LOS ANGELES - George Carlin, the frenzied performer whose routine "Seven Words You Can Never Say On Television" led to a key Supreme Court ruling on obscenity, has died. Carlin, who had a history of heart trouble, went into St. John's Health Center in Santa Monica on Sunday afternoon complaining of chest pain and died later that evening, said his publicist, Jeff Abraham. He had performed as recently as last weekend at the Orleans Casino and Hotel in Las Vegas. He was 71. article

For your Monday morning enjoyment...

Sarah Borges and the Broken Singles perform at the legendary Sun Studio in Memphis, TN. Sarah and the boys will be returning to Cafe Nine in New Haven on Friday, August 15.

Don't dare take someone's seat or you'll die...

They are back for their 15th season. Southington Concerts on the Green, Wednesday nights at 7. Not exactly cutting-edge bands, but fun, small-town flavor. And if you miss a concert (or attended and MUST have more), you can catch replays on the telly at Cox Cable position #14 (10am Tues, 7pm Fri, noon Sat). Concerts are held on the Town green and utilize a mobile band stage gifted to the Town in 1999 by the Southington Rotary Club with financial help from other civic groups and local businesses.

This Wednesday's concert features Smokehouse, strong country hit of now and then.

Johnny Gumbo Party Band on tour...

Johnny Gumbo captured during a break between sets in Colorado. Gumbo says that he's excited about his band's new album, which is getting rave reviews in obscure, pointless music blogs like the following:

Musicblogs-R-Us- After playing endless shows in the scumy coffee houses of Whocaresville, Washington in the 1960's, The Johnny Gumbo Party Band found themselves at the top of the the folk scene in 1969 with their debut album, This Thang Too Spicy For Ya?. The band's latest album, Western Horizons, hijacks Gumbo's poignant vocals with delicate finger-picked guitar to evoke simply stunning compositions. With standout tracks like "Accidents, I've had a few, but then again, too few to mention," and "Intersections are for stopping??" dominating radio airwaves far and wide, The Johnny Gumbo Party Band is an essential addition to any music lover's library

No more pencils, no more books, no more teachers' dirty looks....

SCHOOL's OUT FOR THE SUMMER!



Best summer cruising song; got any more?

List#1) Are You Gonna Go My Way - Lenny Kravitz "409" Beach Boys "No Particular Place to Go" Chuck Berry "Born to Be Wild" Steppenwolf "Crosstown Traffic" Jimi Hendrix "American Pie" Don McLean "Born to Run" Bruce Springsteen "Paradise by the Dashboard Light" Meatloaf "Highway to Hell" AC/DC "On the Road Again" Willie Nelson "I Can't Drive 55" Sammy Hagar "Maybellene" Chuck Berry "40 Miles of Bad Road" Duane Eddy "Hit the Road, Jack" Ray Charles "Wheels" String Alongs "Stick Shift" The Duals "The Wanderer" Dion "Ramblin' Rose" Nat King Cole "Route 66" Nat King Cole "Detroit City" Bobby Bare "500 Miles" Bobby Bare "Let's Go Trippin'" Dick Dale "Little Deuce Coupe" Beach Boys "Six Days on the Road" Dave Dudley "Dead Man's Curve" Jan and Dean "Little GTO" Ronny and the Daytonas "Little Honda" The Hondells "King of the Road" Roger Miller "Mustang Sally" Wilson Pickett "America" Simon and Garfunkel "I Can See for Miles" The Who "Crossroads" Cream "Hitchin' a Ride" Vanity Fair "Roadhouse Blues" Doors "Truckin'" Grateful Dead "Goin Up Around the Bend" Creedence Clearwater Revival "Country Roads (Take Me Home)" John Denver "Take It Easy" The Eagles "Ventura Highway" America "Hot Rod Lincoln" Commander Cody "Ramblin' Man" Allman Brothers "Keep on Truckin'" Eddie Kendricks "Carefree Highway" Gordon Lightfoot "Convoy" C.W. McCall "Life in the Fast Lane" Eagles "Barracuda" Heart "Cars" Gary Numan "Drivin' My Life Away" Eddie Rabbit "Cruisin'" Smokey Robinson "Drive" Cars "Pink Cadillac" Bruce Springsteen Golden Earring - Radar Love Stealers Wheel - Stuck In the Middle With You The Cars - Let's Go Derek and the Dominos - Layla John Mellencamp - Authority Song Wall Of Voodoo - Mexican Radio Billy Ocean - Get Outta My Dreams, Get Into My Car Beatles - Drive My Car Beach Boys - Little Deuce Coupe Eagles - Take It Easy Chuck Berry, "No Particular Place to Go" George Thorogood, "You Can't Catch Me" J. Geils Band, "Hard Drivin Man" Little Feat, "Willin'" Creedence Clearwater Revival , "Travelin' Band" Steppenwolf , "Born to Be Wild" David Lindley, "Mercury Blues" Eagles, "Take It Easy" Dave Dudley, "6 Days on the Road" Lowell George, "Two Trains Running" The Band, "The Night They Drove Ol' Dixie Down" The Meters, "Ride Your Pony" Wilson Pickett, "99 1/2" REM, "Driver 8" Royal Crescent Mob, "Walking Down the Street" Was (not Was), "Elvis' Rolls Royce" WAR, "Low Rider" James Brown, 20 All Time Hits Ry Cooder & Ali Farka Toure, Talking Timbuktu Charlie Parker, The Savoy Sessions Charles Mingus, Blues & Roots Pat Metheny, Still Life (Talking) Neil Young, Rust Never Sleeps Steely Dan, Aja U2, War The Police, Synchronicity Anything by The Grateful Dead Sonny Boy Williamson, "Bring It on Home" Robert Johnson, "Terraplane Blues" The Sonics, "Boss Hoss" Eddie Cochran, "Summertime Blues" and "Somethin' Else" Alice Cooper, "School's Out" Golden Earring, "Radar Love" Canned Heat, "On the Road Again" Bob Dylan, "Highway 61 Revisited" Bobby Sykes, "Diesel Smoke and Dangerous Curves" Big Star, "Big Black Car"

List#2 1. Summer Lovin' - Grease 2. Summertime, Summertime - Jamies 3. Those Lazy Hazy Crazy Days Of Summer - Nat King Cole 4. Happy Together - Turtles 5. Summer in the City - Loving Spoonful 6. School's Out - Alice Cooper 7. Joy To The World - Three Dog Night 8. Surfin USA - Beach Boys 9. California Sun - Riverias 10. Summertime's Calling Me - Catalinas 11. Summertime - DJ Jazzy Jeff & Fresh Prince 12. Summer - War 13. Saturday In The Park - Chicago 14. Girl Watcher - O'Kaysions 15. Remember (Walking in the Sand) - Shangri La's 16. I Can See Clearly Now - Johnny Nash 17. Hot Fun In The Summertime - Sly and the Family Stone 18. We Got The Beat - Go Go's 19. Summer Wind - Frank Sinatra 20. Summertime Blues - Eddie Cocheran 21. Up On The Roof - Drifters 22. Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini - Bryan Hyland 23. Sunshine On My Shoulders - John Denver 24. Vacation - Go Go's 25. Sunshine Superman - Donovan 26. Centerfield - John Fogerty 27. Summer Of '69 - Bryan Adams 28. Vacation - Connie Francis 29. Downtown - Petula Clark 30. Low Rider - War 31. Beach Baby - First Class 32. Summertime USA - The Pixies Three 33. A Summer Song - Chad and Jeremy 34. Wildwood Days - Bobby Rydell 35. Just You 'N' Me - Chicago 36. Daydream Believer - Monkees 37. Boys of Summer - Don Henley 38. Kokomo - Beach Boys 39. Spill The Wine - Eric Burden and War 40. Magic - The Cars

LOVE THAT DIRTY WATER!....

What do you say, Walter Ray!

It's a Sawtelles Tuesday....

Hot off the email (ouch!):

Tonight! We'll be featuring along with Lach, from the Sidewalk NYC, at The Space. Check thesawtelles.com for our upcoming July Is Sawtelle Birthday Month shows. They're piling up!

We will be playing a benefit MS Bikeride down at Sherwood Island Sunday (not sure of exact time as of yet but will post as soon as I know), courtesy of mr's Critelli and Lasala, who couldn't make it and kindly suggested us for a sort-of-able replacement. Completely unplugged 'cause we can, and because that's how they do it on the isle.

ciao

Happy Father's Day!

Father's Day present from G-Man:
Rain Dogs- Tom Waits
The Hard Way- James Hunter

A Father's Day Video for the Dad Who Has Everything:

What Father's Day gift do you get for that hard to please Dad? 2 Hot Girls in the Shower is a PG-rated comedy advice show with short episodes that run between one and two minutes. Our content is for mature adults who enjoy immature comedy. Created and written by Kim Evey (Producer - Gorgeous Tiny Chicken Machine Show & The Guild) and Julie Wittner (Unhitched, Pushing Daisies).

Amy, what a waste....

Racist video by her loser hubby (story:

WE LOVE Jesus Shuttlesworth!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!....

Oh yeah, baby. If you missed it, or want a rush reliving it, read this (be sure to read the comments, too).

Here's to you, Jack....

Born 6/12/1908 (last year the Cubbies won the World Series), John A. Kennedy imposed his unique Catholic view of life upon all who knew him. I was one who knew him. He was one of a kind. At my brother Joseph's suggestion, please raise a glass and toast his memory. Cheers on your 100th, Dad.

From Nancy K:
So Johnny K - I went to the movies tonight with a girlfriend and then remembered I had to toast JAK's 100th so we went to Johnny D's to grab some dinner and have some drinks and this guy was performing - ever hear of him?? I was thinking he was right up your alley - he definitely had a following who were really into his music- John Hammond

JK- Thanks, Nanc

AND HOW "BOUT THEM CELTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A Westie Punk responds...

Gus P, a founding member of the legendary Westie Punks as well as one of the greatest trivia minds ever to come out of West Haven CT, has belatedly, yet astutely, offered his unique perspective in response to the Something to chew on... posting about the 25 top songs of the century listing. The listing includes JK/Reet's wedding song, You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling by the Righteous Brothers.

Augustus offers thus:
Sorry for the late response, but i don't read my e-mail very often. Lists of things are always fun, as they cause us to think about the junk we have stored (uselessly, in my case) within our brains. Lists, of course, are very subjective - even that impressive group that chose those 25 songs. Naturally, I have a problem with some glaring omissions from the list (keep in mind that often times i imitated Elvis during kindergarten 'show and tell,' so late 50's and early 60's songs made a big impression on me. Here are my beefs:

'danke schoen' by wayne newton - tell me you can prevent yourself from snapping your fingers when you hear that. and a vision of that slicked up pompadour hairdo on the ed sullivan show - please!! 'ahab the arab' (even before 'mission accomplished') by ray stevens. jumped on his camel clyde (not frazier). jo ann campbell's 'i'm the girl on wolverton mountain' in response to claude king's song. has there ever been another case of a 'take that' record in the history of music? lastly (as they're coming to medicate me), 'please mr custer' by larry verne. 'hey charlie, duck your head pfffft. hmm, you're a little bit late on that one, charlie. oooh, i bet that smarts.'

We can discuss more next month at Southington CC. I'm sure you can't wait. Gus