Funny or Die Starring Dave Chappelle Live @ DTE

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Question Mark & The Mysterians Live @ White's Bar

                                                           

Question Mark & The Mysterians - a glorious noise

                                                         

 

 

Question Mark & the Mysterians

Live @ White’s

July 27^th, 2013

 

I eagerly anticipated the return of Question Mark & the Mysterians to White’s Bar. I am a longtime fan, having met Question Mark (Rudy Martinez) back in 1966 when he and his family lived on the 800 block of Howard Street right next door to my cousin Sally Rork. The Martinez clan consisted of nine children and two loving parents shoe-horned into a big white house that was filled with love and music. They had very little money but somehow scraped by. Sally  knew my brother Bill and I liked rock & roll  from the times we entertained our aunts and uncles and cousins down in the basement of Nana and Grandpa White’s house at 2281 N. Carolina St. Bill played guitar and sang and I played drums (kind of). We played Keep On Dancing and Everyday I’ve Got to Cry Some (the Gentrys), Do You Wanna Dance (Beach Boys), Wipe Out (the Sufaris) and a few other well-known hits of the day.  We loved to play though we never quite noticed the tight faces, averted glances and polite applause following our brief set. At the time I didn’t feel embarrassed but as I’m peer through a lens of faded memories I’m more than a little grateful that my extended family was so kind.                                                     

In the fall of 1966 cousin Sally took us next door to see this enigmatic rock star. I recall that his parents welcomed us inside and motioned us over to couch against the far wall. There we sat rather nervously until Question Mark made his grand appearance. He was friendly yet elusive and made it a point to show us this huge Billboard Chart with 96 Tears positioned at #1 with the Beatles a close second (We Can Work it Out). I recall that he told us that his band were better than the Beatles and advised us to buy his new LP and all of his up and coming 45’s. I was in awe and of course I decided right then and there that I would purchase every single record that Question Mark & the Mysterians ever made. I made good on that promise, even found two original Pa-Go-Go label copies of 96 Tears, it was a coup ‘de etat of sorts. I was hooked from then on. I lost track of the band after a triumphant 1969 performance at the First Congregational Church (Thank you Reverend Gary Miller) with other major acts from the Buddha label including the 1910 Fruitgum Company, The Ohio Express, The Shadow of Knights, and the inimitable Jamie Lyons, the voice of the Music Explosion.

Many years passed before I saw him again. He was a co-headliner with Dick Wagner & the Bossmen and the Paupers at the incredible Y-A-Go-Go Reunion. Wagner had an illustrious career as an instrumental cog in Lou Reed’s resurrection and co-conspirator in Alice Cooper’s ascendance in the LP charts.  It was a coup ‘de etat for Question Mark to play at this eagerly anticipated event and a second chance to renew his local popularity. It marked the last time we baby boomers merged in such a loving remembrance of our life and times in the sixties. Though Question Mark’s performance was the highlight of the show, he was not able to sustain the momentum. His fortunes waxed and waned and the legend became a tattered cloak to be worn on a few local and regional gigs. Still, offers floated in. Little Steven van Zandt directed his staff to call me about Question Mark’s availability for his Garage Rock Tour. I never knew why they called me but I did pass the word to both Question Mark and Bobby Balderrama . As I recall, the band did a few of the shows but never capitalized on the opportunity. They never gave up and never went away. The last time Question Mark performed at White’s was about 5 years ago. A rain storm forced us inside. The show was a stirring testament to the bands craft. They were just plain fun and exciting but Question Mark was uncomfortable in such a confined space. He made it clear he would never play White’s again if he was jammed up into such a tight squeeze. In early 2013 I called Question Mark about playing White’s Bar again and to my delight he finally agreed. He chose the date, Saturday July 27^th. I called the support acts the Mongrels, White Mystery and Jack Diamonds. From my point of view it was a strong lineup comprised of punk and garage rockers that complimented each other quite nicely.

I started preparing for the show that morning at 5am and helped staff to organize seating, box office, product etc. We were on a roll. The sky was blue and the sun was shining. The temperature was in the low seventies. It was a perfect day until the wind and dark clouds cast a foreboding pall over the scene. Jack Diamonds performed a masterful acoustic set of original songs that included a cover of Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door. Diamonds expressive tenor has great tone and pitch. It worked perfectly to convey both love and loss and his role in the universe. Ash Carry On, You Move Right Through Me, Little Star and Pretty Bird were highlights of the set. I can’t wait to g=hear Diamonds with his full band. This is an artist on the rise!

With the crowd of fans assembling, the clouds opened up to a torrential rain storm. Due to the inclement and unpredictable weather the magnificent Mongrels – Tim Avram (guitar, vocals), Shane Swank (drums) and Ethan Murphy (bass) decided to move their show inside. The room was packed and the set was inspired. Avram opened with a straight up punk anthem You Could Be Alive. It has a dry humor and a bit of irony – great tune. He followed with G-DUB, a protest song about George Bush, political corruption and dropping the bomb, heady stuff.  Act One is a song about wasting your life away by drinking. One Last day is about fallen friends, memories and loss. They even covered Pink Floyd’s Time and pulled it off without a hitch. The last song Piss on the Lawn was a big local hit for the Mongrels. The crowd loved it.

                                                      

 During the afternoon and early evening we were rained out three separate times. The clouds would roll in and unleash a torrential downpour, laugh all the way to another breach of sunshine. One particular gust of wind and rain blew in with such force that the awning over the stage (composed of heavy metal supports) was blown over the fence that separated Charter Communications from White’s Bar,  just missing a vehicle parked on the other side. We put the frame and tarp all back together as the clouds parted and the blue sky reappeared just in time for a cool 45 minute set by Chicago garage rockers White Mystery. It was an energetic set that got the crowd’s attention and set the tone for the rest of the show. I loved the relentless driving beat on Telepathic and the goofin’ on Birthday – “C’mon boogie down in your birthday suit.” Party had a great bass string riff that recalls the Ventures. Alex sings, “I have an idea , let’s have a party.” They finished their set with Power People, a high energy “people first” anthem. Alex whoops it up and sings her ass off. It’s one of my favorite songs…ever. White Mystery is making a name for themselves and is emerging as a musical tour de force. They are already positioned on the national scene through relentless touring and releasing a catalog of great high-energy music, ironic lyrics and humor (kidding on the square) that digs a little deeper. I can see them making an International splash in the next few years.

By this time the crowd had grown to over 200 strong and they were up their feet groovin’ to the familiar sounds of Question Mark & the Mysterians. It seemed to me that we were collectively reassured by our hero’s undeniable talent.

The set opened with the pulsating groove of Do You Feel It. It contains everything we love about rock & roll the organ trills, pounding drums and a great bass line. I was up front close to the stage. I looked over to my left and saw Alex White from White Mystery dancing and smiling like a Cheshire cat.  It was as if we were all moving to the music – one mind and one body. Ten O’ Clock is a deep album cut that segued to Can’t Get Enough of You Baby – a great regional hit that was first recorded by the Four Seasons, the original lacked the spunk of Question Marks’ version. To push the point even further regarding his rock & roll credentials Question Mark did a rockin’ version of the Kink’s You Really Got Me. Bobby Balderama muscular guitar work nailed the Dave Davies solo. The band’s version of Be My Baby was a tribute to their friend Ronnie Spector (a big fan). They took it all home with outstanding versions of Love Me Baby, Cherry July (a personal favorite). The band’s reading of Do Something to Me was near perfect. In 1967 it climbed the charts until Tommy James version got more radio play and ascended to the top. The funky Midnight Hour was soulful and bluesy. Question Mark’s playful reading gave it a whole new hue and cry. The band performed well conceived covers. A reconfigured orgasmic Stand By Me found Question Mark emoting like a love struck puppy, he moaned and groaned and made it his own. He did a full balls-up reading of Otis Redding’s version of O.V. Wright’s original deep soul masterpiece That’s How Strong My Love. It was perfect. Sally Go Round the Roses is a peculiar song with an eerie atmospheric vibe and…oddly, it’s based on the nursery rhyme Ring Around the Roses. The Mysterians made it their own and gave it some jazzed up garage energy. 96 Tears got a rousing response. I love that 16^th note riff that Lil’ Frank Rodriguez created out of the ether. It is the engine of this magnificent garage rock classic and is as instantly recognizable as Louie Louie (The Kingsmen) or Dirty Water (The Standells). The performance was energetic and note perfect. Question Mark was in a zone dancing to the music and singing with conviction about this ode about love gone bad. We were all smiling and singing along like a living cellular protoplasm with one mind and purpose. Everyone thought this was the finale but Question Mark fooled everyone. He would add another thirty minutes to the show with great versions of Don’t Tease Me (a deep album cut), Girl (You Captivate Me) – a great song that is a bit naughty, it should have been a big hit. Eighteen and Try Me (a soulful James Brown song) finds Question Mark panting for love…ooh, baby. Their rock hard version of Satisfaction was cock sure and was a suitable tribute to one of Question Mark’s rock & roll heroes. He even copped a few of Jagger’s moves.  The show reached its rocking conclusion with an energetic second reading of 96 Tears. The crowd erupted like My Vesuvius releasing the thermal energy of a nuclear bomb. It was a spectacular ninety minute set that had everyone dancing and singing along. It was simply transcendent.

96 Tears Forever!

Peace

Bo white

 

 

 

 

Todd Rundgren Live @ The Masonic Auditorium 1974

                                                           

Todd Rundgren

Live & Alone

March 24^th 1975

 

I was ecstatic about finally seeing Todd Rundgren doing a solo gig that was billed as a career retrospective. I became interested in him when he had a hit with the tongue in cheek adolescent anthem We Gotta Get You a Woman. It was politically incorrect for the times and a guilty pleasure to be sure. I recall Rundgren defending it in an early interview but it didn’t really matter. We loved him anyway – his sense of humor, his wavering tenor and his incredible craft as a songwriter and producer. His fans learned early on that Rundgren something special. His halcyon days with Nazz resulted in three LPs and two great songs Open My Eyes and Hello Its Me. Stardom proved elusive and he left the band before the release of their last LP.

Rundgren wrote and produced two promising solo LPs entitled Runt (1970) and Runt: The Ballad of Todd Rundgren (1971). He was developing an eclectic style from blues based rock of Broke Down & Busted to the piano pop of Baby Let’s Swing and Long Flowing Robe to the straight up rock & roll of Who’s That Man.  In ’72 he hit his stride with an overly ambitious double album that he recorded primarily as a one man show with an elite crew of guest musicians such as Hunt (drums) and Tony Sales (bass), Rick Derringer (guitar), Mark Klingman (keys), the Brecker Brothers (horns), Rick Vito (guitar) and several backing vocalists including Richard Corey, Hope Ruff, Dennis Cooley and Vicki Robinson. It was a near masterpiece and it prompted the music industry to sit up and take notice of this wunderkind talent. He was a child prodigy who could sing, play multiple instruments, produce and record his own music.  He was ahead of the learning curve and embraced recording technology like a new lover reaching multiple orgasms.

 I bought every LP he released leading up to his incredible 1973 LP, the  incredible A Wizard; A True Star and the iconic 1974 double LP Todd. In my mind these discs were the perfect soundtrack of the years I lived in Ann Arbor. All my deep personal changes occurred on the back streets within and beyond   campus life. I began to see another way of being. I never perfectly held it and I would lapse, lie and steal hearts and not give a damn. It took years to reconcile that which was true and loving with my profound fear and distrust of the world. It was the beginning of my internal work. Todd Rundgren’s music helped me reflect what a real man could be. It was a revelation.

 I was confused by Rundgren’s sonic experimentation that began in 1973 but I was intrigued with his musical evolution through the Utopia project. I knew about his facility for irreverence and irony and the intelligent design he created as he pushed musical boundaries into the cosmos. These were traits that served him well as a balance to his obsessive perfectionism.

In this 1974 concert at the Masonic Auditorium in Detroit, I was goofing with a few friends, smoking some weed to balance the effects of alcohol, or so I thought. Rundgren wasted no time in getting to the point. He was doing a solo performance with a tape deck providing the musical backdrop. Rundgren would sing and play live to this accompaniment, guitar for the heavier songs and piano for his more contemplative moments. He joked around in-between songs and proved to be a likeable and compelling presence throughout the show . He had a distinct quality of not taking himself too seriously and would laugh or comment when his voice would crack or go off sharp or flat. It happens to the best popmeister rockers. He opened the show with the majestic International Feel followed in quick succession by Never Never Land  a nod to his Peter Pan  youthfulness) and Zen Archer. The taped loops acted up a bit during this triad of songs as the backing vocals, instrumental segments would screech and claw and make a mess of some the parts. Todd was in good voice during this part of the show, not too many cracks and groans.  He stays on key with the softer piano based songs but has trouble singing and playing the guitar especially the heavier rock sounds. Rundgren was actually in pretty good form. It seemed that nothing could ruffle his feathers. He just smiled and laughed it off, further endearing himself to his loyal fans. He would talk between songs like he was on the back porch goofing with old friends. In the intro to It Wouldn’t Have Made Any Difference he references Something/Anything his stoned solo masterpiece. He’s right in the pocket with this bittersweet ballad. He stays within his vocal range and is comfortable just holding the microphone. This is one of his more contemplative “love’s gone bad” songs. Rundgren starts a rap about commercial music…”I’m Todd Rundgren from K-Tel Records. See if you remember this one” is the lead-in to his 1972 hit I Saw the Light. His vocal is spot on as he accompanies himself on piano. He follows with another great ballad A Dream Goes on Forever. It has a wistful essence that evokes both hope and sadness. Perfect!

The next tune changes the mood in a dramatic fashion. Entitled the Lord Chancellor’s Nightmare Song, it is a rap about love, nightmare like love. Love that is unrequited and “robs me of me sleep.” It’s a hoot and a lot of fun as Rundgren breathlessly chants the verses at optimal speed , simple chords and an unrelenting 4/4 organ pattern…an updated 17^th century opera. Hello It’s Me follows. This was a B-side with his first band The Nazz (1968) and it is simply stunning. Rundgren’s singing is nuanced and his piano playing provides the perfect backdrop for this ode to a former lover and evokes a sense of sadness and unfinished business. He had trouble hitting the high falsetto on the bridge.  I remember really getting into the “think of me” refrain in the extended coda. It evoked memories of a former girlfriend. The next tune was Piss Aaron that seemed to drag on forever. This Rundgren clunker referenced nit-wits we knew in high school from the above mentioned Aaron to Dumb Larry and Chuck Biscuit. Rundgren plays around with some props like a big pile of fake puke. The crowd loved it. I did not. It proved to be the nadir (for me) of an otherwise great performance. He finished with a metal anthem Heavy Metal Kids (from the Todd LP). It was a hard hitting rocker, a wall of sound. The pre-recorded music hit a glitch and squealed and distorted the sounds, something messed up and Rundgren’s vocal was buried in the mix though his live guitar playing was incredible with a rapid fire machine gun blast of notes. He hit the e-string like he was possessed by the spirit of Jimi Hendrix . This wall of sound segues to International Feel Pt 2. Rundgren’s voice is shredded by this point in the show but his guitar playing is electrifying. It ends suddenly. The silence is deafening, the crowd roars its approval. I loved it and I’ve never experienced another rock & roll show that was so humble yet transcendent.

 

After a brief intermission, Rundgrem introduced Utopia, his new band. I didn’t really listen. By this time I smoked some refer and had a swig or two of liquor. I was almost annoyed by Utopia’s cacophonous songs. I wanted more Something/Anything or the Ballad of Todd Rundgren. But not this! After listening to a few of these new songs, it seemed that the music settled into a comfortable groove. I didn’t understand it but I began to like it. I recall the song Utopia: City in My Head and thinking Rundgren said he was going to do it (change) and he did. Some of the audience appeared enraptured, others seemed confused or angry. The music was complex but not always beautiful. Toward the end of the show, Rundgren performed Black Maria and Everybody’s Going to Heaven/King Kong Reggae bringing it all back around to the pre-Utopia foundations of Rundgren’s most complex music. I’ve been a huge fan ever since.

A special thanks to Roger Linder and Doug Moiles

Peace

Bo White

Michael Nesmith Live @ the Magic Bag

  

                                                            

 

 

Michael Nesmith

Live @ the Magic Bag

April 7^th, 2013

Michael Nesmith carries his albatross like a well-worn coat of many colors, the sleeves are frayed and the colors have faded but his history with the pre-fab four will always be linked to his media image. Nesmith was with the Monkees from 1965 to early 1970. He performed with them on television, concerts, recordings and one legendary movie Head, an avant-garde slice of psychedelia and anti-war sentiments that also included some incredible music. It was a bumpy ride that bucked, stalled and lurched ahead despite the unwarranted sneering derision. Nesmith along with Peter Tork, Davy Jones and Micky Dolenz were hired by Screen Gems to portray a rock band in a television sitcom format. It was a parody of mid-sixties rock & roll that was based loosely on the Beatles.

Once Nesmith was cast and signed on the dotted line, Screen Gems purchased his songs to be used on the weekly Monkees show. He wrote several pop gems including Mary, Mary, The Girl I Knew Somewhere, Good Clean Fun and Listen to the Band. One of my favorites, You Just May Be the One is in a mixed meter interspersing 5/4 bars into an otherwise 4/4 structure…cool. I was captivated by the humor and charm of the band but I was also playing close attention to the music, preferring the LPs from Headquarters (their first self-directed body of music) through to their masterpiece Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn and Jones LTD  to Head, their magnum opus.. By 1970 the warp speed roller coaster ride careened out of control and ran out of gas. The Monkees farewell TV Special 33 1/3 was roundly ignored despite the fact that was a rock & roll apocalypse featuring such iconoclastic artists as Fats Domino, Jerry Lee Lewis and the Buddy Miles Express. Alas, the public didn’t care and the Monkees franchise was doomed to be forever misunderstood and inaccurately labeled despite several well received reunion tours through the eighties, nineties and the new millennium.

Nesmith did not waste anytime forging a new identity. He formed Michael Nesmith & the First National Band in 1970 and recorded three LPs in quick succession for RCA Records.  Magnetic South, Loose Salute and Nevada Fighter was a highly acclaimed trilogy of the old west, an ephemeral slice of surrealistic country rock that was scaffolded by Nesmith’s psychedelic vision and Red Rhodes incredible craft on the pedal steel. This series of LPs included such acclaimed songs as Joanne, Silver Moon, Grand Ennui, Tumblin’ Tumbleweeds and Rainmaker. All told Nesmith has released fourteen studio albums and two great live in concert albums. Nesmith  also enjoyed a modicum of success with his singles Propinquity, Rio and Cruisin’. Nesmith was never an artist with substantial sales figures - one critic stated that Nesmith couldn’t buy a hit. He preferred to follow is own muse and despite his lapses into stilted verbosity (his fans may need to pick up a dictionary), he can be forgiven. I’ll take Ennui and Propinquity any way or any time he sings. Nesmith has been widely credited for being one of the pioneers of country rock along with Gram Parsons.

Nesmith was not one to tour extensively. He toured for several years with the Monkees from 67-70 and he toured with them again in 1997 to support the release of Justus their new CD. In 2012 he reunited with Peter Tork and Micky Dolenz for a 12 date concert tour. In a recent interview about the tour Nesmith said, “I never really left. It is a part of my youth that is always active in my thoughts and part of my overall work as an artist. It stays in a special place.” Nesmith did a short tour of England in advance of the aforementioned Monkees reunion. Before that Nesmith did a nine day tour in 1992. You could say he was due…

The Magic Bag has a hang dog cool, it’s worn and just a little shabby but its darkness can hide a lot of blemishes. It has a lot of nooks and crannies where you can squeeze this way or that way to buy a soda and some popcorn or even schmooze with the vendors at the merchandise table. “if I buy all four CDs will you give me a break, hmm, maybe after the show?” It was a mixed crowd of all ages. I was part of the white haired fogies taking a chance by going out on a Sunday wondering what will Monday feel like. I met a girl who was obsessed with the Monkees. She even brought a toy Monkee Mobile to the show. It was a collector’s item for sure. It was already signed by Peter Tork and Davy Jones so she bought a meet and greet ticket to get Nesmith’s autograph and already had plans to corner Micky Dolenz at a show next month. She seemed embarrassed by her obsession but she couldn’t let it go. It’s like an old pair of jeans, worn and torn with holes in the knees but it is so comfortable. There’s a pleasant vibe amongst the 300 or more Nesmith fans, no arguments, fights or major intoxication.

The band strolled onto the smallish stage @ 9:01pm -four players, drums, guitar rack, pedal steel, two keyboards, synthesizer.  A few minutes later Nesmith strides front and center and opens with Papa Genes Blues. He slowed down the tempo from the original Monkees version and it gives it a more soulful flavor. He’s in good voice and the band provides some nice harmonies on the chorus. The crowd goes wild. It was the perfect opener. Nesmith asks about the Monkee Mobile out in front of the venue and teases, “We’ll always have Paris.”

 

Nesmith wastes no time in introducing his phenomenal band: Boh Cooper – keys; Chris Scruggs – guitar; Paul Leim – drums; Joe Chemay – bass.

 

He outlines his vision for the night. A series of vignettes wrapped around songs he wrote in the past 50 years...

 

Propinquity

Nesmith narrates. The setting: a quiet mid-western city. There is a Deli downstairs. He sees her often and brings her a gift. She will cook dinner. They are lovers. He sits a long time in silence and then he says this to her…

(Nez begins to sing)

 I've known for a long time
The kind of girl you are
Of a smile that covers tear drops
The way your head yields to your heart
Of things you've kept inside
That most girls couldn't bear
I've known you for a long time
But I've just begun to care

The piano trill on the bridge is simply stunning and Nesmith’s wistful understated vocal is sui generis – a unique connection between the band and the audience.

Tomorrow and Me

Nesmith narrates:

It’s a 1930 film noire. The moonlight peeks through a stormy night. She sits in her yellow convertible and then pulls away in the night. Her smile was only a mask for the assumptions she makes. He turns out of the lot only he turns then other way…

The monolithic wash of the synthesizer creates a melancholy mood, a diaspora leads him to move away from the only life he knew. Nesmith’s wordplay is fueled by a minor key, the meaning is unclear but doesn’t bode well. The band is excellent; each player is generous and confident enough to play without ear shattering volume that can sometimes hide mistakes. Nex has a little trouble reaching the high notes on this one.

 Different Drum

Nesmith narrates:

1950’s in Paris, walking down cobblestone streets. It’s the whole scene m- a boy and girl. She is modern and he’s a dashing young man. She wants to be a mother. He wants to be a lover – to love each other. But they don’t love the same things. This is a reimagined version of the country flavor of the original. The synth passage sounds like an accordion, a mandolin emerges from the ether and the drummer does a slow shuffle. This is a gutsy arrangement , at first disarming yet compelling like a century old painting by Renoir. Nesmith adlibs at the coda

You got to learn to live without me

We got to learn to live without each other

We just got to learn it

 

Joanne and Silver Moon (two vignettes)

Nesmith narrates:

The setting: A timeless ruin, rolling hills,  a weeping willow tree by a pond. The air is sweet with romance. She is youthful and is fascinated by him. He’s a little older and he remembers these young fascinations. He stands alone and must choose which way to go. Nesmith’s vocal is nuanced both pensive and loving, a memory mixed with longing and some regret. The muted beauty of Nesmith’s reading segues to Silver Moon, reconfigured with a bossa nova beat and a calypso drum, synth splashes followed by some cool pedal steel on the bridge. Nesmith’s scratchy tenor of the sixties has settled down to an expressive baritone.

Some of Shelly’s Blues

Nesmith narrates:

Present day working class family. A fantasy handed down. She  kisses him. He’s studying her. She looks down the street and sees all the homes are the same. She pauses and thinks about seeking out another and that may be what they need. Sometimes one loving thought can save a family.

This rendition is faithful to the original version. The band plays softly, sometimes soft is better. The keyboard player provides some B-3 shadings to give it a bluesy vibe

Rio and Casablanca Moonlight

Nesmith narrates:

Late 1920’s at the Grand Cinema Palace. He sits alone until the crowd leaves. Then new cinema evoked other desires. Should he act on it., could the blank white screen be his table rasa?

A prominent pedal steel anchors Rio and gives it an aural beauty. Piano trills give the song a sense of movement, synth inspired seagull sounds are a segue to Casablanca Moonlight. Nesmith’s range has narrowed through the years and he strains at the upper register. The crowd loves him anyway, just for doing it again, one more time. He mirrors our own frailties, our lost youth.

Grand Ennui

Nesmith Narrates:

It’s the late sixties. We are in a bright red Ferrari screaming down the highway at about a hundred and ten. She’s behind the wheel; she has bright red lipstick and is wearing a tight dress. He is frumpy – once the predator he’s now the prey.

A sweet slide guitar motif rocks it to the bone. It’s a great rockin’ version a bit harder edged than the recording. This is about Nesmith’s resolute boredom with the finer things in life. His wealth becomes a dreary repetition of things that don’t matter. Listen…

Well, I reached in my pocket and I pulled out the Omega
That was never one second behind
I knew the horse that I was running at the Southern Talladega
Had won for the twenty-second time

And then the countess I was with bent over with a kiss
And put a jeweled hand on my knee
I knew I'd lost the light
And I was moving through the night
Running from the grand ennui
Running from the grand ennui

 

Crusin’ (Lucy & Ramona and Sunset Sam)

Nesmith reveals that this was the second video he ever made. He knew Lucy and Ramona and found Sunset Sam in a bar, wearing a speedo. This was from Nesmith’s triumphant television series Elephant Parts. It was edgy and cool, a bit avant garde with just enough syncopation. The crowd went wild

 

Rays

Nesmith narrates:

He awakens and crawls in the observation pod that is in orbit above the planet. He can see out in space. The glory of the earth is in an arc around him. He is in a universe of thought. It has a funky organ and a 2/4 rock beat. The drummer gets a workout on this one, he pounds it out like the Dave Clark Five  getting pissed and ready to rumble

 

The Prison Suite

Nesmith narrates:

A guy is in prison and sees a break in the wall. He crawls out and sees that all the convicts are out in the field. He realizes that the prison is only in his imagination;  it’s not real, it’s an illusion. But his girlfriend only sees the prison.

This is from Nesmith’s 1975 double LP. It was an ambitious project that failed to capture the imagination of the public. It is difficult to take pieces out of context and place it into a concert format. This is Nesmith’s magnum opus. It’s about rebirth and renewal and though it is a bit elusive, it is an incredible moment in Nesmith’s canon. It was well received by Nesmith’s adoring fans!

Laugh Kills Lonesome

The last song is inspired by a painting Nesmith viewed in Helena Montana. Nesmith says that laughter is the sound of understanding; it is the divine voice. The mandolin and steel drum effects via the synthesizer give the song an upbeat vibe that you can dance to. The mandolin player does an incredible solo followed in turn by spotlight solos by each member of the band;  the drummer stretches out and signals a segue to the chorus. It ends with a bang.

The encore Thanx for the Ride includes a pre-recorded pedal steel workout by the late Red Rhodes. He was one of the best in the business and was Nesmith’s anchor in the First National Band

People
Keep believing
What they never saw
This time
When it comes again
I'll beat them to the draw
I'll be like it's my first time
I'm moving closer to clearer skies
I'll just mosey on
Thanks for the ride
Thanks for the ride
Thanks for the ride

The perfect ending for an historic concert. At seventy years of age Nesmith has mellowed into a loving and wise philosopher. He is a gem to be treasured.

Peace

Bo

 

Dick Wagner Rock & Roll Barbecue 2003 @ White's Bar

 

The photo is from a Dick Wagner performance @ White’s Bar. This was the third and final installment of the rock & roll barbecue format that Dick and I developed. It dates back to around 2003. Dick Wagner is on the left; Donny Hartman is in the middle and Brian Bennett (from the Cherry Slush) is on the far right. I had it recorded and I still have a disc or two of the un-mastered tapes. Jim Schmidtke and East Side Mike Smith recorded the show and it was phenomenal.  Wagner focused on his later solo recordings as well as his version of songs he wrote Air Supply and Alice Cooper. He included songs from his Frost and Ursa Major period. The setlist included;  Jerusalem, I Might as Well Be on Mars, Just As I Am (for Katie Szabo), If 4^th Street Could Talk, Donny’s Blues, Ain’t That A Shame, Don’t Go Messin’ (with another man’s woman) My Darkest Hour and Misery Train. Wagner was on his game that night and his guitar work was simply stunning. He sang well and was relaxed and talking with the crowd like he was sitting in the kitchen, with old friends telling stories and trading off riffs. Dick would never quite sound like this again. Soon after his final barbecue show health problems left him unable to perform. He feared he would never return to the stage; never play his guitar again, that is, until he made a miraculous recovery from a series of strokes and coronary problems. Wagner began the process of re-learning his chops and composing new music.  In 2011 Wagner made a courageous return to performing with a brief club tour in Michigan and he continues to perform in select clubs to this day.  Hail to the mystery man.

 

Peter Tork and Shoe Suede Blues

Live In Concert

State Theatre Bay City

September 8^th, 2012

 

Peter Tork took the stage shortly after 8pm and proceeded to give the audience a rousing rootsy performance that was bluesy, jazzed up and rockin’. Tork was in fine form. He was slender, energetic and in good voice. This old blues engine was firing on all cylinders with Tork serving as a musicologist teaching his class about where all this great music came from. It was like John Hammond bringing in Big Bill Broonzy, Sonny Terry and boogie-woogie pianist Meade Lux Lewis @ the Spirituals to Swing concert @ Carnegie Hall in 1938 but playing Robert Johnson records first. He couldn’t help himself neither could Tork. He oozed the blues. He was animated, funny and energetic.  He was in good humor, crackin’ jokes and straight-faced goofin’. His energy was infectious and the audience was a sea of smiles playing off the good vibes of Tork and his band

 Their version of Saved by the Blues was tight as a vice with Tork singing his ass off and the band chiming in with some tasty harmonies -   great energy. Albert King’s 1966 version of the bawdy/naughty Cross Cut Saw became an essential feature in the modern blues pantheon and Tork was able to recreate it with great facility flattening and gradually bending the notes (minor 3^rd to major 3^rd). Peter’s lead guitar work on this tune is understated and exceptional. He plays big fat notes, opting for tone instead of speed. Good interplay between Tork and guitarist Joe Boyle. A bit of feedback at the beginning prompts Peter to make a John Cage reference, some of the crowd caught it. Great spontaneity – don’t worry, be happy.

The next song I’m a Believer was a mega-hit for the Monkees… because it’s a great pop song. Peter takes the lead vocals (it was originally a Mickey Dolenz tour-de-force) and makes it his own. The arrangement is faithful to the original. Tork is on the keys and the rhythm section lays out perfect time with just the right enough space. The next song is a boogie-woogie masterpiece written by Frankie Ford and Huey “Piano” Smith. Tork is in good voice and the band is rocking hard – a great version of an old chestnut. The high energy level of the performance keeps this song on course.

Later on Tork begins a rap about Louis Jordan, understanding the blues and the existential meaninglessness of everything; the crowd seemed puzzled but when the band unleashed Jordan’s Slender, Tender and Tall, they got the message – big time. Tork became a musical historian who is willing to stick his neck out and go back in time and unleash a catalog of Americana that still exists in small pockets across the globe. Tork understands – deeply - the intellectual and sensuous appeal of those ancient rhythms whether its blues, country jazz or be-bop, boogie and jive.  It informs his craft and results in a performance that is simply spectacular in its scope and range. His rousing version of Hoochie Coochie Man is a tribute to a song that helped usher in a new kind of music. It brought us to the beginning, the very genesis of rock & roll - amazing!

At this point in the show the bass player Arnold Jacks starts to goof with Peter, calling him a” funky little white boy” -  a loving compliment to the leader of the band. This segued nicely to a faithful version of a Monkees standard A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You. Peter sings lead - though it was a vehicle for the late and great Davy Jones. Peter’s piano trill on the bridge is simply scrumptious. The band stomps back with a rockin’ boogie woogie masterpiece Wine/Texas Barbecue, a variation of Drinkin’ Wine Spo-Dee-O-Dee written by Sticks McGhee, with a little help from his brother Brownie McGhee…just to clean it up a bit. Joe Boyle hits it outta the park with his exceptional full bodied guitar work. The next song Molecular Structure is a great song from the Mose Allison Archives. It is a brief soiree on sexual politics and has a form of kidding on the square underneath the lyrical playfulness. Mose played my club and I loved him dearly. We were all snapping photos of him as he played when he suddenly stopped, looked me right in the in the eye and said quietly, “I’m not a model so stop taking pictures.” Anyway, Tork did this brief ditty some moral justice, great version! The first huge Monkees hit, Last Train to Clarksville was re-imagined as a slowed down 12 bar blues. Nice. Clarksville was one of the best anti-war anthems ever written in a pop format. It was released in 1966. Take a closer listen.

Tork fashions some tasty slide guitar on an obscure bossa nova tune. It has some delicious jazz notations that are irresistible. The next song is another obscurity in which the protagonist learns about love the hard way. The lyrics tell the story;

She’s too hot to handle for a country boy like me

She’s a crash course in the blues

Tork rolls out another great Monkees hit, Pleasant Valley Sunday. At the time it was a courageous effort that revealed the bands emerging social consciousness. The song is an incredible statement about the false promises of a consumer culture and bourgeois pretensions. Plus it had a good beat and hooks galore. I believe its boldness was underappreciated back in 1967.

Play with your Poodle is a Tampa Red song from the forties. It’s salacious blues at its metaphoric best. The title tells the story. Tork and his band are in a groove at this point. The slow blues format is a perfect backdrop for some tasty guitar licks. Tork & Boyle are up for the challenge. They play some sweet licks with tonal perfection. They are so good it reminds me of Junior Watson’s guitar work with the Mighty Flyers, Canned Heat and as a solo artist. Boyle even looks like Junior Watson. After a spectacular jam with Boyle and Tork trading off fat bodied licks like ringing a bell, Tork turns to the audience and exclaims, “The blues are not funny”!!!!

Tork shifted to another great Monkees song, Daydream Believer complete with the piano riff he created for the song. It was Davy Jones in his finest hour. The song, written by John Stewart, was a wistful remembrance of young love. There is a hint of longing and regret. They don’t have much money and they are struggling but the chorus is upbeat and provides a sense of hope. It seemed to be Tork’s bittersweet tribute to his dear friend. Peter led a sing-a-long with just him, the piano and the audience. Very touching.

Tork follows with Sometimes Even White Boys Get the Blues. It is a sorrowful tale of the down and out blues of the bourgeoisie. It recounts the protagonist’s woes in chilling detail e.g., getting arrested for drunk driving, flunking out of Harvard, divorcing his wife in order to pay the mortgage etc etc etc - whew, a nightmare indeed. I can barely breathe. Oh, the horror.

The show ended with the old blues warhorse I Got My Mojo Working. I first heard it played by British Invasion stars Manfred Mann in 1964. It is written by Preston Foster and made famous by Muddy Waters. Tork uses a different arrangement that incorporates a shuffle beat and some delicate and tasty slide guitar. Tork sings from his center and the band provides a stellar sepia-toned backdrop that gives the song additional warmth and energy.

The show ended on a high note and the audience gave Peter and his band a well-deserved standing ovation. It was a great show.

 

Peter Tork; Scenes From A Lifescape

 

It’s been quite a ride for Peter from leading the charge in those halcyon days in Laurel Canyon. He was friends with future superstars such as Steven Stills, Van Dyke Parks, and Neil Young. They were just kids on the move and nobody thought of fame and fortune as much as making music and pursuing alternatives to the life and values of their parents. It was a time of free love and experimentation. The Hippie movement was created in Laurel Canyon and Peter was the guru. Tork was the first to make it big when he landed a role on the new television sitcom entitled the Monkees. The show was a mixed blessing for Peter and he would carry his ambivalence for the rest of his life.

Now on the eve of his gig @ the State Theatre, Peter is looking back in time. He finds that he is always looking back even as he is coaxing out a plan for the future; when all he really wants is to be in the moment.

This is his vision quest. He is becoming more reflexively aware and understands the pointlessness of figuring things out. Theories and dogmas now sound empty. There are times he wonders how much time he has left. He knows it’s the end of his capacity to reproduce and the beginning of thinking about life’s end. Though he doesn’t trust easily he is more connected to others and less alienated. Peter feels a tension between a universal consciousness and being an animal and has a sense of “I don’t know who I am.” Sometimes he despairs about his need to fill the shoes he wears and walks in the shadows of his spiritual longing. The mundane is a comfort especially when he grouses about his own limitations, “I don’t like my voice. I can’t keep pitch.” In truth, Peter is beginning to let go and find his awakened self.

 

Peace

Bo White