School for the...Wait Who is This Now?

I had this chest cold, see? I had it for over a week. All that week, I'd been keeping an eye on my healing progress with the knowledge that School for the Dead had this concert coming up. When it was getting close, a day in advance or so, and my health wasn't improving at all, I asked Lesa if it might be possible for us to do a Fawns show instead. My head was so congested and my chest was so on-the-verge of coughing that I couldn't foresee being able to sing a whole set of music.

Saturday rolled around and I was as sick as ever. We confirmed with the rest of the band that this School for the Dead show was now a Fawns show.

The Diamond Junction Bowling Alley in Palmer, Massachusetts its a real peach of a place. It's incredibly friendly and welcoming. It's colorful and retro-cool without intending to be. It doesn't have that cynical cloud hanging over it that many venues in my home town have. The guys from The Shed, from The Olde Store, book shows there and they've developed a real symbiotic relationship with the place. Each band member gets two free strings of bowling.

The bands set up in a room that's slightly elevated above the bowling lanes. The "stage" is a corner of the room skirted by arcade games. A P.A. is set up and a few clip-on flood lights are aimed at the band and it's a nice little DIY rock club.

On this night there were three acts, Dark Oars, Leisure Colony, and us. Before the show started, six of us, bowled. Maybe "bowled" is too kind a word. We rolled balls into gutters and laughed. I was still in crazy feeling-sick mode and the whole game was a bit dream-like, especially with the crazy disco lights pulsing overhead.

Dark Oars filled the place with an ominous drone of dark music. It added to the surreal quality of the decor and I sat in the back corner watching the shadows move across the old tin ceiling. The Leisure Colony were peppier and fun with nice strange poppy songs and bizarre vocal effects. We played last and did a Fawns set with two SFTD songs thrown in: Periscope and Omnivore. I struggled through singing them and did better than I expected, but it was still pretty strained. My voice sounded very removed from the rest of me.

Our friend Debbie was kind enough to snap the pictures here. There are other pictures, too, that Sarah took, on Facebook. I bet each time that I see them, I'll want to go back and visit Diamond Junction.

Video - Disgruntled Lover by School for the Dead (HD)

Max and I made this video for Disgruntled Lover. Hope you enjoy it.

Bowling With School for the Dead

Ah the Diamond Junction Bowling Alley.  I had such a great time last time I was there.  When I grew up, I played Candlepin bowling.  I still prefer it to those giant finger-hole balls.  With Candlepin, you can chuck the things like you mean it.

And I mean it.

Well, now not only do I get to bowl tomorrow night, I also get to play music.  School for the Dead is playing in this bowling alley along with Dark Oars and Leisure Colony.  For more details about the venue please go here: http://www.theoldstore.org.

The Changing Fortunes of the Four Headed Monster: a review of Rhino Handmade's Reissue of "The Birds, The Bees and The Monkees"

I stole this review Brian wrote on Facebook and I posted it here without permission.  You're welcome.

Brian says: As a 13-14 year old absorbing the mid 80's wave of Monkee Mania, The Birds The Bees and The Monkees (originally released in early-mid1968) was never on my list of top three Monkees albums. That list did, and always will, consist of "Headquarters", "Pisces Aquarius, Capricorn and Jones" and the Head soundtrack. (Missing Links Vol 2 is amazing as well, but is a collection of tracks from 1966-69 that went criminally unreleased until 1990.)

So, The Birds, The Bees and the Monkees (hereforth referred to as "BBM"). First off, after two consecutive albums that had kicked off with hip Nesmith tunes, this one started off with Davy Jones schmaltz, telling me to "get out of (my) dream world". What is he, my mom? Furthermore, I didn't need to hear Daydream Believer one more time, I was disappointed to learn that the flamenco guitar in Valleri was not played (only mimed on the show) by Nesmith, Dolenz hardly registered on the album (and played zero drums) and Tork, besides the piano lick he wrote in Daydream Believer, wasn't on the album at all.

Thus, my cassette copy was constantly being fast forwarded and rewound to the sonic, surreal oases that were the four Mike Nesmith songs: Tapioca Tundra (psychedelic latin jazz pop--?--), Auntie's Municipal Court (country psych blues right out of Notorious Byrd Brothers), Magnolia Simms (a catchy, scratchy, in-one-channel-only pastiche of 1920's 78 records) and lastly, Writing Wrongs, which vies for strangest song in The Monkees' catalog: Two slooow verses of opaque queries, a 3 minute breakneck instrumental that could be the soundtrack to a guy on acid running around crowded city blocks being chased by a robot, and then one final slow verse that somewhat answers the questions posed in verses one and two.

Now, Rhino Handmade has released a 3-CD expanded version of BBM and it's a whole new world. An alternate universe where, if the bonus/unreleased tracks are arranged effectively, one can envision an amazing album that still may not have won over the over-14 crowd, but at least would not have been such a bipolar mishmash of dead-in-the-water pop trash and forward-thinking pop art. And, which would have included several gems penned by Peter Tork.

So what happened? Well, despite their 1967 power-play of "more artistic control", the Monkees circa 1968 were still being marketed to the teenies, despite their shelf life nearing its end, and at least half the band just dying for artistic recognition.
Their individual personalities were worn on their (no longer matching) sleeves, and this, combined with knowing the TV show was going to be canceled and that they were about to start filming a very un-Monkee-like movie (Head), contributed to a chaotic scene in Monkee-land.

Individually, the four reacted in suitably different ways. Davy Jones sort of seemed unaware, or in denial of the fact that his perfect smile was being replaced by someone else's in girls' bedrooms everywhere. Micky Dolenz thought (in the immortal words of The Minutemen), "maybe partying will help", and hosted/attended endless parties in Laurel Canyon, running alongside David Crosby, Eric Clapton, Harry Nilsson, various Beatles and Jefferson Airplanes. But he forgot about improving his drumming and songwriting skills, both of which had developed at an alarming rate the year before; Peter Tork was at the same parties as Dolenz, but was never without a guitar or banjo, thus getting himself on George Harrison's "Wonderwall" movie soundtrack, and getting Buddy Miles and half the Buffalo Springfield to play at his Monkees studio sessions; Mike Nesmith didn't socialize much. Apparently he popped Ritalin, bought cars, put on his shades and psychedelic tie, wrote a million songs, fathered two kids in the same year--one not to his wife--made some laugh while royally pissing others off with his wit and arrogance. He went to Nashville and recorded an album's worth of songs (that should've been his first solo album, but he was still under Monkee chains) with the same musicians that Dylan and the Byrds used on their country albums..what he didn't achieve was respect from his peers and journalists as a musical force to be reckoned with in the fast growing world of sophisticated pop music. Zappa, McGuinn and Nilsson were all admirers, but few others.

So this box set. Why is it worth shelling out and then waiting weeks for it to arrive?
Let me compile an alternate Birds Bees and Monkees and then insert it into rock's alternate history as one of the best albums of 1968 alongside Beggars Banquet, John Wesley Harding, Anthem of the Sun, Bookends, Ariel Ballet, Big Pink and the White Album. All these songs were not on the original BB+M, or if they were, I've mostly chosen alternate mixes. I've also stressed songs that featured the last of the Monkees' collaborating with each other before they became completely a band in name only. This album would have blown some minds.

• Side One:
• Seegers Theme- Peter Tork's take on Pete Seeger's goofy instrumental. Featuring Buddy Miles (future Hendrix drummer) on drums.
• Tear the Top off my Head (dolenz vocal)--one of Tork's best ever songs. Very Lovin Spoonful. Buffalo Springfield's Dewy Martin on drums, and Stills on guitar.
• Tapioca Tundra (alt. mix)--one of Nesmith's trippy best. Fancy chords, straying from his usual default country folk progressions. This mix features some heroic drums not heard on the released version. His weird vocalizing at the end is equal parts singing, yawning and orgasm. Must have freaked out the 12 year olds.
• War Games (first version)--we'll throw Davy a bone and include this anti war song he co- wrote. Nesmith produced and plays rhythm guitar.
• Carlisle Wheeling--a lovely 3 verse Nesmith country tune, with Tork on banjo, in which he apologizes to his lady for not wanting to have sex quite as often as they used to . Or something like that.
• Merry Go Round--a short Tork piano dirge lamenting lost youth. Scott Walker he is not, but it comes off ok.
• Writing Wrongs--ok, this is the same version as on the album. But I just love this song. It's in its own world. It's almost 6 minutes long, Nesmith plays piano, organ and guitar and the middle bit is just pure repetitive, pre-Kraut rock weirdness. Should have been recognized in its time.
• Side Two:
• Auntie's Municipal Court--(dolenz vocal, alternate mix)--basically a 12-bar, 12-string Nesmith country blues with acid lyrics. ("solid brass statuary guards the door/used to come as one, now comes as four/somebody here just sent for more/red and yellow cartoons saying 'we need two more than you'"). Gotcha, Mike.
• P.O. Box 9847--alternate mix with Micky's Moog. This fact is never circulated outside Monkee camps, but Micky Dolenz bought the third Moog synthesizer in existence, and put it on a Monkees album immediately ("Daily Nightly" and "Star Collector" from Pisces Aquarius..). He used it again on this song, but it was mixed out of the official release. This is a cutesy Boyce and Hart song, but not horrible. I like the added Moog.
• Long Title: Do I Have to Do this All over Again--this may be Tork's best song. It's on the Head soundtrack, but was slated to be on BB+M. I remember someone once saying the guitar solo, when it goes into 3/4 sounded like the Dead and I was offended. But now I know, it does kind of sound like The Eleven.
• My Share of the Sidewalk--Nesmith wrote this obviously Nilsson-influenced song. Davy sings, a little weakly, but it's in 5/4 and above his vocal range. He had a tough job. But it's a groovy number.
• Lady's Baby--not the version with the annoying baby noises. This is not a great song, but Tork recorded it about 10 times, trying to perfect it. Apparently the sessions would end with people tripping, screwing, drinking and smoking, and the engineer turning off the machines and leaving. He's got his buddy Buddy and other buddy Stills on this one.
• Magnolia Simms--Nesmith's faux 1920's megaphone song. I'd use the 2010 stereo remix. It makes one appreciate the song more. Earl Palmer on drums.
• Zor and Zam--yes, this is a dated anti war song, and a bit embarrassing. But Dolenz sounds more like Grace Slick than Grace Slick.
  
  AND, I'd include an EP of acoustic demos:
  Nesmith's Tapioca Tundra, Little Red Rider, Magnolia Simms and St. Matthew;Tork's Seeger's Theme, I Prithee, Lady's Baby and Merry Go Round and Dolenz's 4-aborted takes of the first verse of Shorty Blackwell (for comic effect).

Softrock in Hardwick

Well, ok, School For the Dead isn't soft rock, but when else am I going to be able to use that? (we're proudly mediumrock).

Hey look, it's Klon from Klondike Sound (on the right) with Bill Friggin' Clinton!!! Dayamn!!

Well then, what happened at this show? I'll tell you what happened, that's why I'm here sweatin' my ass off tellin' you what happened!

Ok, I think we got off on the wrong foot. I'm counting to ten and starting again.

I picked up Henning and Max at Wrongways HQ on a Saturday marked by heavy drizzle. Heavy drizzle makes one thankful for intermittent windshield wipers. Not having intermittent windshield wipers because for some reason, one's wipers just decided to only work on the "superfast" setting, also makes one appreciate the intermittent setting. (note: since then, as mysteriously as they stopped working on all 3 speeds, my wipers started working just fine.)

So I pick them up. We stuff everything into the car sausage. It's delicious. I put the iPod on shuffle, and we're off. Damon Rd. Rt 9. Rt 47. Bay Rd. Rt 9 again. A stop to pee at the Sunoco. No bathroom. Henning buys a snack nonetheless. Directed to Dunkin Donuts. Pee. No snack. Running late. Through Belchertown, through Ware, take that left off rt 9 that leads to Hardwick. It's colder in that direction, and they seemed to have gotten slush snow when Noho just got rain.

We find our way to the familiar grounds of Eagle Hill School, where Mr. Westcott teaches. The brand new student center looks great. We're met by Tony, some of his students, and Klon from Klondike Sound. He's famous. He's a cooperative, soft-spoken man who's been around the world and back again thanks to his sound expertise. He loves what he does and understands that he, the room, the audience and the musicians are all parts of a whole, and if we all are harmonious, everyone goes home happy.

After loading in, we were shown a green room where we could hang. Ain't no time to hang. Barely time to sound check, woah oh... but we did. Come hear Uncle Ning's Band.
The room is small-ish, with about 20 round tables, and a balcony/catwalk type thing, from where, Henning sang "Dayjob". A gimmick, logically challenged, but it was fun.
We had two full shows ahead of us: one for students, one for the general public. First, the kids. A sold out extravaganza.

Max (I think) had the idea to go on one by one, but I was a bit wierded out by the thought of walking on and starting the beat, knowing the others weren't there. So Max and I went on first, started the "Thinking of a Time" intro, and waited for Henning and Tony. And waited.
After 3 hours of that intro, Max and I stopped and had dinner and broke up the band.
The End.

Joshing. I josh.

Show went quite nicely. The kids loved it, the Westcott offspring danced the night away, the Soup of the Moment survey was a hit, and yadda yadda.
When Henning introduced the band, he got to Tony and said "and I'm not even going to introduce this guy..."
"Henning!" an angry little voice yelled from 20 feet away. Hannah Westcott sat frowning, furrowed brow, arms folded. She didn't think that Henning ignoring her Dad was very funny at all. So Henning grounded her for 2 weeks.

Breaktime. Dinnertime at Green Room. Klon joined us and we talked and had a fun time. The food, the food. Amazing rolls, cheese tortellini, salad, asparagus, and some sort of steak tips or meaty some such. Cake that "tasted like Christmas", said Henning. He's so cute. I should just write down all the cute things he says.

Klon complimented us on our tightness and vocal arrangements. That's pretty high praise coming from him.

I drank a can of Coke. I probably drink one can of Coke every year and a half. Tonight was the night. I had coffee too.
I was desperately trying to rid myself of a dull sinusy headache that I'd had for about 24 hours.
Lo and behold, somewhere just before the second show, it went away.
Maybe it was the beer.

There was a bar set up in the foyer for the second show. max and I had a quick brewski and got ready to rock for the adults. (instapoll: do you say A-dults or a-DULTS?. I'm the latter.)

Second show was less nerve wracking. It was not quite sold out, but very close.
We did 2-35 min sets for the people. In between sets, a woman said "you know, you should try to look like you enjoy playing drums a litle more.." (sarcastic, because I was pretty smiley that second show, as I suddenly snapped out of headache/bummed out-ville)
I don't think we did the Dayjob balcony trick the second show, did we?

Show ended, we set down, hung around, and retired to the green room for a night cap and some further conversation.
I went to get my car and saw that it was disgustingly slushy, windy, rainy, you name it. Henning was gonna drive home to be safe.

We got paid, Henning took some cake, I took some beer and the ride home was slow and steady. We talked about literature and politics and sports.

Rub Wrongways Gets An Update.

Rub Wrongways Studios is about to go through some changes.  I've got a new computer coming my way to replace the ten year old buddy that has been responsible for helping out with so many of our recordings.  With it, I will also be changing my recording software. 

Tomorrow I have my final session on the old system, if everything goes as planned.  But don't fret, old computer lovers, I'll still keep the champ around in case I need it.

Once I get the new system running and I learn how to use it, I plan on getting us started on the new School for the Dead record.  Also, be ready for a wave of videos coming your way.

Last Night's Open Mic at WWII

Last night I hosted the third World War II Club open mic in Northampton, MA.  The WWII is not known for being a music venue.  It has a few pool tables, an inexpensive bar, a collection of older regulars and a very casual and no frills decor.  On Thursdays, the WWII has the excellent trivia night by Chris Bigelow, which I frequent.  On Fridays and Saturdays, Chris hosts his famous karaoke nights.  Those nights were part of my reintroduction to the Pioneer Valley.  The place holds a lot of memories for me.  It's not set up to be a music venue, but with a few well placed candles and some table re-arranging, it has great potential for nights like last night.

The open mic is on Sunday nights.  Sign-up starts at 8:00.  The host or featured artist plays at 9:00 for about half an hour and then people can sign up for fifteen minute sets.  There is a very nice PA and it has been sounding excellent.

Last night, the sign up sheet and tables were a bit light.  Maybe people weren't coming out because of the depressing weather or the sleep deprivation time change this weekend.  Things move in waves.  We did have people perform, though.

Abby Connolly was the featured performer and she kicked off the night.  She was followed by Dave who played a few covers and an original.  He was followed by Jim on electric ukulele and then Paul on the left-handed version of my guitar, the red Guild.  After Paul's great little poppy ditties, was Sir Cecil, a first time WWII open mic artist.  I hope he comes back, I particularly liked his original song.  Also, he used a phrase that stuck with me for some reason, "I'm gonna play a few covers, since it's raining."

After Cecil, I played a couple of songs while A Nice Try brought in some equipment.  The WWII Open Mic is meant to be an acoustic or at least quiet event.  The original phrase told to me was "no drums".  Part of the deal with the club, I believe, was that it was too be a somewhat mellow night in that the half of the room with the music wouldn't effect the part of the room without and vice versa  But last night was so dead, we decided to give the amps and snare drum a slot.  A Nice Try managed to keep the volume at a pretty good level and swaggered into a few Velvet Underground songs.  I always like hearing VU.  I caught their first two songs but then it was time for me to head out.  I'm usually only there until 11:00 or so, though the night can continue on if there are people signed up or hanging out.

I'll be back again next week.  You should come out and see what it's like, it's a very non-pressure environment.  It's not judgemental, it's not cynical, it's just people hanging around, listening to and playing music

School for the Dead at the Kresge Theatre

School for the Dead is excited to be playing this Saturday (March 13) at the new Cultural Center at Eagle Hill School in Hardwick, MA. It'll be a different sort of show for us. Actually we are doing two shows. The first is one for students only, the second is for people twenty-one or older. Both shows take place in the Kresge Studio Theatre, which is sort of like a black box theatre. You can see pictures of it here: Kresge Theatre. It's all brand new and super fancy.

It's a different sort of show for us in that: 1.) It's not in a bar. 2.) It's not in a grungy run-down dark room 3.) People will be sitting and listening 4.) People will be able to hear everything that we do.

I'm excited. I love playing in dingy bars and back-rooms of bowling alleys or rented out VFW clubs, but its nice to once in a while play places where the music really has to shine. I'm looking forward to creating a memorable night for those that chose to come out and see us. I've played in theater settings before with Mark Mulcahy, Winterpills, and School for the Dead. There's a different sort of feeling. There is a back-stage hush and rush. The nights feel very prepared and focused. I think I might be made for that scene. There's nothing better than that feeling you get when people start filing in and taking their seats and your peering secretly from behind a curtain or a stage door. It's like the sound of an orchestra tuning up in my gut.

Want to see School for the Dead in this setting? I think you should. And you still can, I believe. There are still some tickets available. You can get them here: Tickets and Info

It's in a beautiful new building on the hilly campus of a school in the middle of nowhere.

The First Flower 2010

Each year this flower comes up a little bit earlier. Climate change? Impatience? Maturity? Coincidence? I don't know. All I know is, there's a light at the end of the tunnel. Spring doesn't even seem possible, but this flower says, not only is it possible, it's unstoppable.

First opened on March 8, 2010:



First opened on March 14, 2009:



First opened on March 24, 2008:

New Inspiration

I've been concentrating a bit more again on songwriting.  These things come in waves. Generally, I find myself with a few new songs anytime that a season starts changing.  This time, though, things seem a bit more planned out.  I've got a new challenge for myself.  It's a new project.  I don't want to talk about it yet.  I'm two-and-a-half songs in.  When I have eight or nine, maybe I'll start talking. 

It's fortuitous that during this same time, I've hosted this new open mic down at the World War II Club in Northampton.  I've got a lot of years of weekly open mic hosting under my belt.  I give those experiences most of the credit in my development at a performer.  I hosted the last two Sundays and was once again reminded how much I enjoy playing my songs for people, even if it is just me and my guitar on the stage. 

I've had a few nice discussions with people on those nights and have been complimented on my songs and my lyrics.  One nice gentleman even told me that he could tell I spent time on my writing.  It's nice to know that people are really listening and thinking about what I am doing.  It's inspired me a bit to keep on writing and trying to really finish this new project. 

But songwriting is a slow process for me.  I don't want any throw away lines or any rushed arrangements.  Each verse is a new challenge.  But thanks to all this new inspiration, these are challenges that I'm excited to approach.

The Rub Wrongways Caravan of Stars Goes To Somerville

The Rub Wrongways Caravan of Stars is hitting the road again tomorrow.  This time we are steering our adventure into good ole Somerville, MA.  The Caravan of Stars Supergroup will perform at P.A.'s Lounge.  Max, Jason, Ryan, Lesa, Brian, and I will be playing songs from School for the Dead, The Fawns, Bourgeois Heroes, Sitting Next To Brian, and The Salvation Alley String Band.  Doors open at 8:30 and we start at 9:00.  After our set, Ryan Power and The Rockerfeller Fortune will play.  You must be twenty one or older to enter and the cover charge is 10 dollars.

Open Mic at World War II

There is now an open mic night at the World War II Club in Northampton, MA. It happens on Sunday nights. Sign up is after 8:00. The ever-changing host plays from 9:00 - 9:30 and then the mic is open.

I hosted the first one last week and it was really nice. I am also doing it THIS Sunday. After that, different hosts will take over. You should stop by this Sunday. Play a couple of songs or just hang out.

I took that picture with my phone and then had to boost the brightness a lot, it's nice and dark in there.

The Black Moon, A Recap

The Rub Wrongways Caravan of Stars Night at The Black Moon in Belchertown, MA was a great success on Saturday.  More people than I expected showed up.  The weather-heads on the TV and the interwhat had been forecasting snow and sleet and slush and meteorites, but the day proved to be just fine. 

That room up there in the Black Moon is very comfortable and welcoming.  The lights were dim and the music playing through the speakers, when we arrived, was mellow and smooth.  The Caravan arrived early with plenty of time to set up the stage, work out the schedule for the night and arrange the game prizes nicely on the piano.  Matt Silberstein kicked off the show and he was followed by, in order, Sitting Next To Brian, Paper Piano, School for the Dead, and The Fawns.  School for the Dead was a four piece since Tony was there for a change.  The Fawns were occasionally a five piece because Jason joined us on about half the songs.

The School fr the Dead set was certainly not one of our best.  We tried to play a few songs that we weren't ready for and there was no magic in that.  Max, had prepared a nice set list, but I somehow managed to lose it on the stage, so we just kind of took requests and played songs that came to mind.  It didn't gel as well as most of our shows, but I still think it was pretty good. 

It was a very friendly night.  We played Wrong!, our version of Bingo and we had four winners about half-way through the evening.  Prizes were distributed and included things like, mix CDs, stuffed animals, chocolate flowers, candy and cupcake mixes, and 100 CDs.  We also did a MadLib throughout the evening.  The words were yelled out by the audience and they did a good job of picking funny ones.  There was the one somewhat inebriated fellow at the bar who kept yelling out the wrong kind of word.  When I said "adjective" he says "manifests".  On that one, I though, oh man, you had a verb and a plural noun there, so close.

At the end of the night, I read out the MadLib while a sampling of musicians improvised a nice musical backdrop.  That was a good moment for me.

...Next up:  The Rub Wrongways Caravan of Stars Super Group at P.A.'s Lounge in Somerville.  THIS Friday!  We are the first act.  More info to follow