Don’t you just hate it when rockers feel the need to inject their political views instrumental versions of songs from West Side Story? Stick around ’til the end—and don’t miss the go-go girls practicing their dance steps during the hosts’ set up for this performance, before any music is playing!
What’s the most unexpected political comment you’ve heard from a rock ‘n roll musician?
Tools of the trade!
Do The Kidz still go out the night before Halloween and wreak mild havoc for Mischief Night? Remember that? Kids would rub eggs on car windows, put toilet paper on neighbors’ bushes, and so forth. I assume Mischief Night was “celebrated” all across America. (Now that I think of it, I have no idea what our ex-US Townspeople do for Halloween, if anything.)
I was a goody-two shoes as a kid and only went out for Mischief Night one time. I took my little brother, who was way more badass than I’d ever be, even when he was 7, down the street from us, where I went to catch my bus to school each morning. First we broke eggs on some guy’s car window and rubbed them across the glass. That was fun. Then I had the bright idea of placing an empty beer bottle on the side of the road right in the middle of the road, where an unsuspecting car was likely to run over it. Then I had the even brighter idea of convincing my brother that we should sit back from the road, beside a shrub, and wait for the sparks to fly, so to speak. Within a minute I got my wish. A car ran smack over the bottle, which shattered. I’d never felt so mischievous in my life! I thought I could get used to this way of living.
Then, what I did not wish for or ever stop to consider happened: the driver slammed on the breaks, pulled over, and quickly spotted my brother and I giggling in the bushes. We tried to run, but he got us. He gave us a wicked tongue lashing and threatened to tell our Mom. Luckily his tire did not suffer a flat, and he took mercy on us. That was the first and last time I would celebrate Mischief Night.
Anyhow, I was wondering what a Rock ‘n Roll Mischief Night might look like. What mischief could rock nerds like ourselves create if we decided to hit our local clubs and record stores and music stores and friends’ music collections? Based on my history with this holiday, I would be wise to sit this one out, but tell me what I may be missing. Feel free, too, to share your personal stories of Mischief Night, which I hope you’ve moved past celebrating.
Someone asked me recently, “Mr. Moderator, if there was one thing you could do to make Rock Town Hall even better than it already is, what would that one thing be?”
Don’t take this the wrong way, but I’ve been thinking about this question for the last few days. As great as this place is, who says we can’t make it even better? Today I believe I have settled on an answer: We need a few Townspeople who know a shitload about any of the following bands to step forward and make their mark.
Sure, I want facts, but I also want a sense of your passion for any of these bands. I had no idea any of these bands existed, but they stumbling on the following Birth Control performance had led me down a rabbit hole of obscure hard-rockin’ bands representing fans with lifestyles I can barely imagine. I want to get to know these people. Check out the ancient worlds I have unconvered:
First, Birth Control, a band that seems to have captured the essence of Eric Burdon‘s psychedelicized Peace Warrior ravings and mixed in Krautrock and the heavy organ noodlings of Deep Purple. I know you’re gonna want to clap your hands when this number gets going!
Next up is Epitaph…
If you held a gun to my head prior to stumbling across this lip-synched performance of Mouth and MacNeal’s “How Do You Do” you would have been forced to pull the trigger. Until the song ran for about a minute I had no memory of ever having heard it. Then I realized I had heard it when I was a kid. It’s one of those songs from my youth like Melanie‘s big hit: I can’t hum a lick of it until I hear it. Then I remember too much, and too much about the times in which such songs existed in the Top 40. This is from a time I’d forgotten ever existed. I kind of like remembering it, though.
What’s a song from your childhood and/or a time that you forgot ever existed until recently?
On the other side of the coin, following is a song I wish I’d never remembered. Yet another number from a time I forgot ever existed…
Halloween is a big deal in our house. We have a black cat called Salem and the wife has years of decorations we cart down every October 1. We also have a large playlist of spooky-themed songs. Beside the typical ones — “Monster Mash,” stuff by The Zombies, “Black Magic Woman” — I think Donovan‘s “Season of the Witch” might be my favorite. I really dig the organ and the snaky guitar fills. Anyone else have suggestions for the old playlist?
Long considered (by myself, if no one else) perhaps England’s “most American” rocker, former Bad Company/Free vocalist Paul Rodgers was sworn in today as a Canadian citizen.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
*PAUL RODGERS SWORN IN AS A CANADIAN CITIZEN*
October 26, 2011 – At a public ceremony in Surrey, B.C. last Friday October 21st The legendary *Paul Rodgers* was sworn in as a Canadian Citizen.
A statement from Paul:
It may not be my native land but Canada is surely now my home. While I’ll always be an Englishman, Canada has given me so much for which I am grateful. My wife, your former Miss Canada Cynthia Kereluk, a new and extended family and the chance to be truly free in a country that with its quiet strength combines the best of so many worlds.
I’m proud to be a Canuck.
Thank you, Merci.
Paul Rodgers
I don’t know about you, but I’m hurt—and a bit pissed. Bad Co and Free were totally aimed at Americans! Any sales in the UK or Canada were a bonus. Bad Co so badly wanted to be American it wasn’t funny. I bet Rodgers was jealous of the English guys in Foreigner, who presented such a Corporate American Rock image that they could slip across our border without use of a passport. Play me one ragged Canadian chorus in any Bad Co song! Johnny didn’t travel to Toronto to become a shooting star, did he? Have you ever suspected the slightest sense of humor from any Bad Co recording? Canadians are funny, man! Everybody knows that. And what’s with the “Merci?” He’s gonna try to convince us he speaks French after 40 years touring the world with his brand of Goon Rock?
Surely Rodgers has been suffering through an identity crisis since his stirring induction speech for Bob Seger‘s entrance to Rock Town Hall’s Foyer of Fame. He thought he could replace Freddie Mercury in a reformed Queen. Wasn’t that like casting Clint Eastwood as the transvestite singer in The Crying Game? I know, Canada gave ’70s arena rockers around the world hockey sweaters, and as he mentions, he plucked his beautiful wife from their land, but still… I’m more Canadian than Rodgers. If Rodgers was going to defect he should have defected to the US of A.
Here’s hoping our Canadian correspondents will check in with their thoughts on this stunning news. I really don’t mean to take anything away from your great country. Everything Rodgers says about it is true. I just don’t like the fact that he chose you over us.
We here in the Halls of Rock Town are sometimes taken to task for being overly negative, snarky, hyper-critical, and all too often, just downright rude. As part of our collective efforts to bring a bit of sunshine and light to the world wide web, we occasionally make an extra effort effort to find something good to say about, you know, stuff that is clearly godawful.
It is in that spirit that we embark on yet another effort to bring some positivity to our proceedings. Please spend some quality time with the video above, then — if you can — please find something nice to say about it. You’ll feel a whole lot better, I promise you.
I look forward to your comments. Just remember, if you can’t say anything nice about this video… please don’t say anything at all.
