Behind the Orange Curtain
The two hours I was left to work on new songs only translated to one new one that I played last night–and it wasn’t ‘Ferrari’. If I’m gonna play that one without the wonderful Lost Toy People, it’s going to have to be REALLY special.
My trombonist and horn section leader Adam Theis had metioned that they sometimes goof around with ska and reggae tracks. So last night, for the pure hell of it, I decided to play ‘A Message To You Rudy’, which is a ska classic that The Specials brought to notoriety. We segued into it right out of ‘May The Cube Be With You.’
And, smartass that I am, I couldn’t resist throwing in a line or two from somewhat similar-sounding ‘The Tide Is High’ during the fade–pretty cheeky since Blondie were probably eavesdropping, minutes before taking to the main stage for their NYE show.
The brass section were great. I’m going to try to use them for all/any party gigs I do in ’07.
I only played for 50 mins, a kind of stripped down, fun set without the darker songs or ballads. Good thing seeing as the cargo company managed to snap my electric keyboard stand in two!
But I have to admit I missed Lunesse, Johnny, and the whole BT gang. It was a splendid tour and I hope we’ll be able to play some more shows with them this coming year.
Power supply missing… keyboard stand thrashed… Apparently, someone should have bought the optional bible stand, eh? Damn gremlins must have a hotline to heaven…
Rotten shame about your keyboard stand, Thomas…that cargo
company’s got bloody negligent employees! I sincerely hope your
stand is repairable, or that the cargo company will pay for a replacement! Man, oh man. The new year hasn’t started very well
at *all*.
It’s good, though, that you’re not going to play “Ferrari” until you
can do it justice. Right on.
Peace and hopes that the rest of everyone’s year goes better,
Kara
What a great choice “A Message to You Rudy” is! I recently caught Dave and guests, billed as the English Beat, but sadly without Ranking Roger, Saka, Andy and the others, at the Pittsburgh Arts Festival this past summer just a month or so following your Club Cafe gig in the South Side. They did all the favorites, Save It for Later, Mirror in the Bathroom, and ‘Rudy’ as a tribute to The Specials.
Hope you can order another keyboard stand from the church supply company! Can I get an Amen?!
Happy New Year!
Awwww…..
*sniffle*
Much as I enjoyed sitting back watching Carol Channing and Pink Martini last night without having to do a lick of work other than find my seat, I was indeed crossing my fingers and missing everyone down in the OC. Happy New Year, TMDR!
At least the stand snapped now and not in November? But how do you snap something as sturdy and God-thumpingly bad-ass as that thing? Maybe it was God wanting you to add some hymns!
I feel better about leaving MY power supply cord @ Berklee in Boston! :p
How great! Ska = fun.
The network of musicians running around playing together hasn’t been this cool in years.
A massively wonderful 2007 to any/all brought together in this fine, semi-ethereal place. (Evidence of your existence is incredibly pleasing.)
Incidentally, I got my keyboard stand at Toys R Us when the local one closed. Twelve bucks. Any time you need it, man!
OH NO! Not that sweet sweet keyboard stand! That thing was so cool. ;_; I’m sorry for your loss. =(
SCIENCE!!!!!!
Good to hear a bit of the old ska….coming back
brings back good memories…
thanx for Making 2006………great..!!
hope to see and hear you in 2007…!!
I’m not sure if this will make you feel better but last night my room mate and I made up a pot of spaghetti! Only afterwards did we realize we had a gallon of noodles floating in scalding hot water with nothing to strain them with! Because neither of our heads were in any way like a sieve we just stood there stupidly for a while….The I had an idea! What is a strainer after all? Just a container with holes in it! So I grabbed a 7-eleven sack that was sitting on the counter and made my buddy hold it over the sink. I poured the stuff in there and then with scissors poked holes in the bottom. All the water drained out and then we just dumped it back in the pot! It made me realize how, with a little ingenuity oned doesnt need all of those fancy gadgets and gizmos… ergo, one only need to think of the purpose of a keyboard stand and then…one can reverse engineer….errr….well you might need to buy a new gadget really Thomas…sorry
Sorry to hear about the keyboard stand… was it under warranty? You’ll just have to play Budapest By Blimp standing up for the time being…
Happy New Year, Thomas!
Beech
Thomas…I just noticed that you have 100 posts designated as Miscellaneous…Now I’m no Miscellany scientist or anything…but that’s by far the largest number in any other category…What does that say about your thought processes? More importantly does this somehow invalidate the need for any sort of topical nomenclature??
I just had a thought, which I should probably ignore, that you missed an opportunity with that keyboard stand. You could have introduced ‘Budapest’ by saying “I’m gonna take it down a little bit for you now”. Then you insert the rimshot on your pad controller.
Glad the thing’s gone. Gotta keep some of those ideas in check.
I have to say that I paid $90 to be at the OC Fairgrounds on NYE with the express interest in see you live. I have to say that the whole ordeal was a bore as band after band tried to find a way to keep the audience… some playing holiday renditions of their one-hit wondertune, others whose agenda was to promote their newfound religious convictions, and on, and on…
However, you made the $90 worth it!
Great show, nice to see someone so honest to their art and their music without the business of some BS soliloquist side show even after 20 years. You are definetly a class act! Come BACK again!
More thoughts [like you really needed them, hee hee]…
Good on ya for sneaking in those Blondie lyrics! The Blondie fans
musta thought, “Huh??!? Aren’t those lyrics from…??!!??”
Re: Poor belabored keyboard stand…I realize now, it could’ve
been metal fatigue. After all, methinks ’twere designed to stay in
one spot for months, not get schlepped onto a truck, driven cross-
country, schlepped off the truck, put up onstage, performed with
for a hour, taken off the stage, put back in the truck, repeat.
I can just imagine you on the phone with that nice lady from
the keyboard stand company: ” What happened to the LAST
stand we sold you, Mr. Robertson??!”
Peace and thankfullness that you’re made of stronger stuff
than that stand was {!!!},
Kara the Kook…