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I have spent the last 2 nights with a traveling circus, a/k/a Los Straitjackets,
The World Famous Pontani Sisters, Kaiser George, the Hi-Risers, and (in New York
City in particular), quite a diverse group of characters
Needless to say I haven't had this much non-stop unsteady fun in a long long
time!
These last 2 evenings have been just amazing! I'm still high as Hell, buzzin'
like a UFO streakin' thru the universe, and I'm sober! No added ingredients!
Just Los Straitjackets and company, and some wonderful friends along the way
As if that wasn't enough, I have 3 more of these "moments" awaiting me later
this week, God willing!
Wednesday night I will travel to Boston, to The Paradise -- that's a great
venue; I used to go there all the time while working at Chrysalis Records
1978-1982; Boston is maybe the greatest rock n' roll town on the East Coast --
gives NYC a run for its money!
Thursday night you will find me in Providence at The Call - a new site for me;
should be awesome!
Friday I am off to Philadelphia, to the T.L.A. for more mayhem
Saturday December 4 took me first to Rhinecliff, NY where I was met by Stewd
Dude, bass guitarist for the Surfalicious Dudes (slowly but surely they are
becoming my "Surf-Rock Shindig" and "Reverb Superb" "house band" !!). We then
hooked up with Lewd Dude, guitarist extraordinaire for the Surfalicious Dudes,
and son of Stewd, I should add. How cool is it that Father and Son can
catch-the-waves together? By the way, this is a band to watch, and watch
closely! We headed up to Williams College in beautiful Williamstown
Massachusetts in the Surfalicious Dudes' Van, (can't forget the blond bombshell
"Tara" who was with us) got there around 8:30 pm. Started running into the
members of LSJ after a while, met Kaiser George (think 1960's Woody Allen slams
into Austin Powers), the Pontanis, and the Hi-Risers. Finally met Eric Hage,
fan and friend of LSJ, as well as Eddie Angel's Sister and her Husband (told him
he was an "Angel by marriage"). What sweet people! The concert went off
closer to 9:30 pm than the schedule 9:00 pm, with the Hi-Risers leading the way
-- they are a 3-piece Beatles' influenced rockabilly/roots rock/good timin' band
-- slick, happy music...great stuff. Heard some "twang" from them too - song
called I think "Goin' Mad" -- a little "graveyard surf" thing goin' on. Very
personable, great musicianship! Los Straitjackets then came out, with the
Pontanis and Kaiser George running on and off the stage. Wonderfully unsteady
and chaotic but of course I loved it! Kaiser George added lyrics, he told us,
to "Isn't Love Grand", and sang it with Eddie! The band was in fine form. The
room was filled with college kids...now, either I am getting real old, or these
kids were not really in college, but were 11 years old....Jesus...has college
been that long for me? (God answers: "Yes Unsteady Freddie...do the math").
I won't go thru the songs here....figure someone else will cover that. Suffice
it to say it was just a blast! And also
terrific to catch up with Eddie Angel again -- we last gave each other a hug in
Calella Spain at the Wipe Out Festival where he performed there with The
Neanderthals. We exchanged e-mail addresses so I can send him some of my
amazing pictures of The Neanderthals on stage in Calella. You may have seen
some of them at www.reverbsuperb.com.
Sunday December 5 was not mayhem, it was pandemonium. Hi-Risers opened the show
at the Bowery Ballroom, another tight set. No sign of "Goin' Mad"
though....shucks. But I already have fallen for these guys b/c they are some
damn personable, and great musicians as well. Now the LSJ show with the
Pontanis and Kaiser George last night was a hoot...I as right at the foot of the
stage -- yeah, visualize this immature 52 year-old-going-on-25 twang-drenched
dude having the time of his life! Lots of subtle mistakes up on stage but
that's what makes a great "live" show, for my purposes. 2 minutes before
showtime I noticed the LSJ "wreath logo" was not on the drums -- ran to the
backstage door, shouted this out to Eddie, and Kaiser George was sent pronto to
the stage to take care of business....with Eddie shouting back, "Unsteady
Freddie does it all!". Some local "burlesque" characters were also part of
this show...not sure of their names but that's secondary to their "images" --
maybe
I should put some of these people on my www.scaryhumans.com website? "Too
much information" was my reaction to an overweight, I guess you could call her,
female "stripper". Literally caught her "in the flesh". Yikes! And an
angry-punk baton twirler was out-of-her-mind (i.e., unsteady-as-Hell--loved it!)
but I thought that at any second I was gonna get whacked with a wayward baton.
Didn't happen. Eddie was having some "amp" problems (he said "it sounded like
Shit" to me after the show) but I nonetheless was having too much fun to care
that much. He made it up with his playing. He and Danny Amis were kneeling
less than a foot away from me constantly. Just a wondrous moment for Unsteady
Freddie. The usual Xmas songs covered here, with songs from the CD too ("Play
Favorites"). Loved "Telstar" in particular. Ran into "Twig" (he played in the
60's garage band "Richard & The Young Lions"), and some members of my Twang
Shebang Yahoo Group (special hellos to "Old Surfer" --
you rock! you twang! and the omnipresent David B.).
Hopefully I will be able to interview the rest of L S J for my "Twang Shebang"
Internet Radio Show heard at www.myrealbroadcast.com, as well as others from the
traveling entourage.....Fingers crossed for that! The Pontanis -- ladies, you
are the goddesses of burlesque! Amazing routines, terrific costumes, great
stage presence!
Whew...I am exhausted as I write this....still at my office, heading home now
for some much-needed rest. I will check back in after Philadelphia and my
December 11 "Surf-Rock Shindig" at "Pianos" in NYC featuring the bands
"Surfalicious Dudes", "Susquehanna Industrial Tool & Die Company", "The Clams",
and "The 9th Wave".
I am having way to much fun for one person!
Unsteady Freddie
P.S. Special thanks to a Higher Power that continues to show me how to live my
life in an unbelieveably spiritual manner.....so very very grateful
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