What a great week for music! I caught three live performances last week. Each show was great in its own right and none of them include my usual bands. Sometimes I just love my life! There is so much to say, this will be a three part series. Here’s Part 1,
On a perfect summer night, I ventured out with my camp chair and bottle of water to Johnson Park in Liverpool, NY to see my friend Bryan perform with Jamie Notarthomas and Jungleland, a recently formed Bruce Springsteen tribute band. Jamie has been a part of the Syracuse music scene for around 30 years and I’ve never seen him perform. I was away for many of my formative music years, so only recently had I been able to check out people like Jamie Notarthomas, Dave Hanlon, Isreal Hagan, and Todd Hobin, just to name a few of Syracuse’s best.
My friend Bryan is a true renaissance man, with so many interests and so little time. Here is a link to his blog, which sometimes leans toward his day job in computer software, and other times touches on various parts of his fun life.
Bryan added his keyboard talents to Day Ja Voo last summer, and Mobius Jones took him on recently when they lost their lead singer and decided to regroup. He is a tremendous keyboard player and has recently also started singing! Apparently two bands were not enough and now, he had connected with Jamie and had been working on his Bruce for this concert at Johnson Park. I am constantly amazed at how he is able to jump in the middle of something and completely master it!
I didn’t imagine myself much of a Springsteen fan, but after living with my roommate Joanie (a huge fan) in college, I was able to sing along with much of what was played that night. I am partial to some of the old stuff, like Out In the Street, Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out, and Rosalita.
My favorite I think is Glory Days. A couple of our quadmates (Anthony and Tony) in Cayuga Hall at SUNY Oswego made a movie called Glory Days back in ’85 and since they were from New Jersey, they used that song as the title. I often wish it was available to see somewhere. The movie premiere was a lot of fun but I must confess, 30 years later, I do not recollect what the movie was about.
Jamie and Jungleland were immensely talented and I am hoping that they play out more so I can continue to develop my Springsteen fandom! Jamie has a great Springsteen voice and he is also a very talented guitarist. The horns are incredible, and the drummer keeps them all together. And they have a violinist, which brings a richness to their overall sound. Their covers span just about all of Bruce’s career and they will not disappoint. I don’t know whether Bryan will be continuing with Jungleland, but the rest of the band is simply amazing and you should check them out! I will keep you posted on my facebook page as other gigs get booked.
I'm With The Band Wives 