In this week’s New Year’s Eve edition of Saturday Night Shut-In a prednisone-fueled Mr. Moderator makes up for any previous episode in which you wished he would have talked more. He covers some of his favorite releases of 2011, reveals Pete Townshend‘s career path not quite taken, and announces Rock Town Hall’s 2011 Townsperson of the Year. This is the ultimate shut-in edition. Listen at the risk of your own sense of self-esteem!
[audio:https://www.rocktownhall.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/RTH-Saturday-Night-Shut-In-60.mp3|titles=RTH Saturday Night Shut-In, episode 60]
[Note: The Rock Town Hall feed will enable you to easily download Saturday Night Shut-In episodes to your digital music player. In fact, you can even set your iTunes to search for an automatic download of each week’s podcast.]
Popular music discussion blog Rock Town Hall has awarded one of its very own Townspeople, andyr, its second annual Rock Badge of Courage for his live vocal performance of Pink Floyd’s “Comfortably Numb” at a recent show by the Narberth, Pennsylvania–based cover band extraordinaire Narband.
You may recall our initial Rock Badge of Courage recipient, Bruce Springsteen, for his performance of “Born in the USA.” The Rock Badge of Courage is the highest artistic decoration awarded by Rock Town Hall, even higher than induction in the Hall’s Foyer of Fame. It is bestowed on musicians who distinguish themselves “conspicuously by gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her artistic cred above and beyond the call of duty while engaged in an action against The Man, apathetic bandmates, or any other enemy of The Power & Glory of Rock.” Springsteen’s award required little explanation, but andyr’s may require some context.
I’ve counted andyr as a “close personal friend” for 40 years. Not once, in all those years and countless musical discussions and experiences has he ever expressed even the slightest admiration for anything related to Pink Floyd. Trust me, he’s a cool guy and typically has great taste in music, but he doesn’t even care for the Syd Barrett stuff or the song “Wish You Were Here.” He even finds the good in stuff a lot of us might think is crap, provided it has cool drum and bass parts, but he may be the only music lover I know who hasn’t at least acknowledged that “Floyd has some cool album covers.” Even E. Pluribus Gergely would grant the band a cool album cover or two. The man has been steadfast in his refusal to enjoy a single thing about Pink Floyd.
Then, no more than 2 months ago, a musical mission was hatched that would test andyr’s rock courage like no test before. He and Townsman Sethro, another one of my longtime bandmates and close personal friends, were asked to join Narband, led by another Townsman, ace guitarist Buddy Whelan and a mutual friend of Whelan and our Rock Badge of Courage recipient who lacks, as far as I know, an RTH handle. Andyr was a little anxious but excited to cram for 2 sets’ worth of mostly Classic Rock and early ’80s new wave hits—especially with his trusty drummer buddy at his back—but one song on the proposed set list caused beads of sweat to form on his brow even as he discussed it with us at rehearsal one night: Pink Floyd’s “Comfortably Numb.”
There’s a cool Italian restaurant Philadelphia called Osteria. It’s one of our favorites, on a local list that includes chef Marc Vetri’s other two restaurants. Check it out if you find yourself seeking a fine, pricey meal in Philadelphia. However, as a regular in the Halls of Rock you may be distracted by the off-the-shelf AAA music in the background. It cheapens the hand-crafted food they serve. It’s like the waiter tossed a bag of Harry & David breadsticks on the table. I’ve been meaning to talk to them about this.
Today I’m in NYC, at a Miyazaki film festival. Between movies I ate a bowl of pho at a Vietnamese place playing a Jackson Browne album in the background. What’s wit dat?
Today we seek songs featuring radio broadcast sounds, either real or created and including the sound of someone turning the dial. You know this device. I will start with The Beatles’ “l Am the Walrus,” featuring some broadcast of Shakespeare’s King Lear.
This week’s edition of Saturday Night Shut-In features the behind-the-scenes gift-wrapping skills of Mr. Moderator on Christmas Eve. Early on there’s the world podcast premiere of Townsman Hrrundivbakshi‘s brand-spanking-new Christmas classic, “I Want.” Then. about 20 minutes in he launches the Hall’s first-ever live-broadcast Mystery Date. Play along throughout the week! Then, help director Ron Howard cast the remaining actors in a planned live-action Charlie Brown film, starring Paul Giamatti as a grown-up Charlie and Edward Norton Jr. as his loyal friend Linus.
[audio:https://www.rocktownhall.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/RTH-Saturday-Night-Shut-In-59.mp3|titles=RTH Saturday Night Shut-In, episode 59]
[Note: The Rock Town Hall feed will enable you to easily download Saturday Night Shut-In episodes to your digital music player. In fact, you can even set your iTunes to search for an automatic download of each week’s podcast.]
Next week, after the holiday break has had a chance to settle in and Townspeople have begun fulfilling social commitments we will resume play in our tournament to determine—once and for all—rock’s greatest backing band ever.
The first two rounds have been completed. The attached grid shows where we stand as we prepare to enter the Regionals: REGIONALS 12/23/11
Because the selections from this point forward are so crucial to future generations’ understanding of rock history, play will follow a different course of action in this round. Before any voting can take place, Townspeople will be encouraged to post YouTube clips of the backing bands you support in the coming round. You may begin launching your campaigns now, in this thread, or await the posting of the individual brackets. Then, after a few days of lobbying and counter-lobbying the polls will open. Dig?
And more importantly, of course, what musically relevant gifts did you give?
