Mr. Moderator

When not blogging Mr. Moderator enjoys baseball, cooking, and falconry.

Last Man Standing: Song Title Q&A

Dec 012009

Many moons ago Townsman sammymaudlin had an idea for Last Man Standing centered on song titles in the form of questions and answers. We’d since forgotten all about it, but luckily I found a reminder that I scribbled on a piece of scrap paper all those years ago. Posts must follow from the previous song title, so that a song title in the form of a question must be followed by an entry in the form of an answer. You may only post ONE song title at a time. You cannot just list a bunch of song title questions or song title answers in a row because you’re smart. The goal is to create song title dialog. Answers should be at least somewhat related to the questions. You’ll be standing especially tall if you can ask a question that builds off the previous answer.

I’ll start things off with a song title in the form of a question:

Q: “What’s New Pussycat?”

The first comment that anyone posts here, therefore, should be a song title that answers this question.

Who’ll get the last word in, someone posting a song title in the form of a question or someone posting a song title in the form of an answer?

Hear Factor, deux: No-Name Movie Soundtrack

Posted by Mr. Moderator

Dec 012009

Before the year is up I plan on running all of the Hear Factor, deux contributions that I received way back when. Here’s a contribution from a Friend of a Townsman… That’s right, even a would-be Townsman wants to play along, so why don’t you show him how it works and see if our efforts can’t encourage this blogger in his own write to simply put in some time with us directly? We don’t bite, at least not to the point where we’re breaking skin. Thanks, Friend of a Townsman!

No-Name Movie Soundtrack (~57 MB)

What’s Hear Factor?

Black Friday at Rock Town Hall

Posted by Mr. Moderator

Nov 292009

It’s that time of the year, the beginning of the holiday shopping season. Year-round Rock Town Hall supports the music, film, and publishing industries with our humble RTH store, Amazon search portal, and other links and suggestions for possible pick ups. When you’re ready to begin shopping for rock-related products, we ask you to consider making an online order through our Amazon links. Along with the search portal on the right side of our page, you’ll some suggestions in the RTH store links that kick off our RTH Approved Links, on the left side of our site. It may be a place to get a few ideas cooking. Every order contributes a few cents toward the maintenance costs of running Rock Town Hall. Thanks!

While you’re shopping for musical goodies, consider these additional vendors (after the jump) and their Townsperson-produced goods and services! Your support of their works also keeps this place strong.
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All-Star Jam

Posted by Mr. Moderator

Nov 292009

What’s super awesome in your musical world?

In Defense of American Idol, Too

Posted by Mr. Moderator

Nov 272009

Although it’s Saturday, not Friday, the recent passing of Philadelphia singing and tv legend Al Alberts necessitates revisiting the following topic.

This post initially appeared 3/25/07.

True confession time: I envy the contestants on American Idol. For that reason alone I cannot stand to watch the show. That doesn’t mean I don’t secretly respect the show and all the good it puts forth.

Few of you know this, but I was a child talent show contestant.

Performing under the stage name James Meara III, I appeared on the legendary Philadelphia talent show Al Alberts Showcase. That was me, all right, Contestant #22. That day, on the air, I told Mr. Alberts I wanted to be a doctor, but that’s what my parents wanted to hear. In fact, there was nothing more I wanted to be than an entertainer: a singer, a dancer, a drummer, the works.

Mr. Alberts was so encouraging. He told me after the show that he thought I “had it.” Within weeks of that performance, however, I was kicked off the set of another children’s show, Romper Room. I can remember it like it was yesterday: I was sitting behind the set with a few other kids during a commercial break. One of the boys took my red, plastic stegasaurus and wouldn’t give it back to me as soon as I asked for it. In response, I did what I often did when confronted with such situations: I turned over the table, threw my chair at the boy, and then hit him with a left hook. When Romper Room came back from the commercial break, I was mysteriously missing from the cast, having been quickly escorted with my mother out of the studio.
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Thanks for the Fantasies

Posted by Mr. Moderator

Nov 262009

Chances are we’ve all used rock ‘n roll as a vehicle for working out some taboo desire. Whether you’d like to think you’re deep into black coffee, brown sugar, white honey, or simply wanna be black – or a boy or a girl or a male model or what have you – what’s a song that’s helped you unlock a rock ‘n roll fantasy? No joke. It can just as easily be a nice fantasy. And sure, you’ll have to share something about yourself, but ultimately that’s the point of this place. Happy Thanksgiving!

Stations of The Boss, 5: Shayne Fontayne Carries the Axe

Posted by Mr. Moderator

Nov 252009

Few details and eyewitness accounts remain of former Lone Justice guitarist Shayne Fontayne‘s stint accompanying The Boss on His controversial albums and tours following a move to LA and the dumping of His E Street Band. Even fewer free images survive on the Web of Fontayne alongside The Boss, with Fontayne’s knees bent, guitar slung low, and bandana tied around his thigh, as the scriptures describe him. For our fifth work of art in the Stations of The Boss series, mixed-media artist Cam Sutton, of Shelby, North Carolina, worked from stills of the live clip that introduced this piece.

“I had little choice,” says Sutton, “His people must have scrubbed the Web clean of photographic evidence of this collaboration.”

According to a document that Sutton uncovered identified only as “presskit_bio.pdf,” Fontayne was merely a passerby, compelled to serve The Boss at the request of producer Jimmy Iovine.

In January 1992, Shane received a call from Jimmy Iovine who said, “Hey Shane, a friend of mine wants to know if you want to go out on the road.” “Who’s your friend?” Shane responded. “Springsteen,” Jimmy replied. Bruce had just seen a rerun of Saturday Night Live on which Shane had performed with Lone Justice. Springsteen had taken a departure from his E-Street band and was looking for a different set of musicians to take out on the road. The only guitarist asked to audition, Shane was invited to join the band. To start, there was a small industry show at The Bottom Line. Then there was an appearance on Saturday Night Live. “Bruce had never done network television before. He asked my opinion on whether or not he should do Saturday Night Live and I told him it was one of the biggest rushes I had ever had.”

Although Fontayne is barely remembered by His fans, the video clip demonstrates the support he provided the beaten, weary Springsteen. Sutton premieres his work of art and explains his thinking behind it following the jump!
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