debbiehoran

Top 10 Tambourine Songs

Posted on May 17, 2015March 3, 2018 by debbiehoran

The tambourine. Always the bridesmaid, never the bride. Not a featured instrument by any stretch of the imagination. Search for top 10 tambourine songs on the internet and you come up with a number of sites. Here is my list:

10. Wheels by The Foo Fighters This is the only song included on the list from the last 30 years. I don’t know much about the Foo Fighters, but I know this song because Day Ja Voo covers it and I really like it. When you finally hit the ground, there ‘s another chance to get it right.

9. Elenore by The Turtles This song was meant as a satire of Happy Together; the powers that be wanted more of the same, so The Turtles gave it to them. “You’re my pride and joy, etc.” What is included in etc., anyway? I think the song is swell.

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American Pie

Posted on May 11, 2015March 3, 2018 by debbiehoran

It was another night at Johnny’s Pub and Grill. “OK, Pat, as long as we have the words…” Brian said into the mic as he flipped through his binder. After a moment we heard, “A long, long time ago…”, as Brian looked over at Pat and smiled. The crowd sang and swayed to the Don McLean song. Lyn and Mike’s mom asked for this song because it was one of their dad’s favorites.

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Cover bands are terrific because every song that comes up is familiar and easy to sing along to. It is fun to see The Earthtones because they have a woman singer, which is so different from the other bands I follow. Eva does such an amazing job with Stevie Nicks and Joni Mitchell, just to name a couple of artists. Brian carries most of the other vocals and the guitar and bass. And of course there is Mike on the drums, the same Mike I have been following for 30 years now.

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Cybershot Heard Around the World

Posted on May 2, 2015July 23, 2015 by debbiehoran

Fireball. It’s not just a Pitbull song. It is also the official drink of the Band Sisters. Well, not all the Band Sisters. And some of them may never drink it again, to hear them tell it.

It all started at my birthday party. I had tried Fireball and thought it was delicious. It tastes just like the candy and doesn’t even have an aftertaste. It is a Horan family staple at all the pomp and circumstance ceremonies, like graduations and weddings. It doesn’t really taste like whiskey, which is what eventually became part of the problem. I had some left in a bottle, and brought it to the party.

A couple of hours into the party, the son of the host, a SUNY Oswego college student, found the bottle and thought some shots were in order. He found some proud SUNY Oswego alumni among the partygoers to participate and we found some shotglasses, We raised a glass to Oswego and to graduating and after a while, any excuse would do.

Let me get something straight. The band wives are all 50 something women who do not party. We are responsible adults who lead full, productive lives without partying like rock stars. But no one would have known it that night. There was one point in the night when one of the band members looked out at the crowd and realized that the wives were drunk. It was a friendly gathering and all the principal parties had designated drivers, so there was not immediate danger. And then there was the incident.

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Move It On Over, Mobius Jones Is Movin’ In

Posted on May 1, 2015July 23, 2015 by debbiehoran

Move over little dog, a big old dog is movin’ in! I saw the first performance of the Mobius Jones reboot, with a new band member. Me! The roadie! Just kidding. They have a great new talent in Bryan Rubenau, who has joined the band with keyboards and vocals.

The banquet room of Barbagallo’s slowly filled with partygoers as we did our first sound check. I was given a quick lesson in how to work the soundboard, but even then I knew I would be too scared to actually touch it during the show. There were things I could handle, like moving bags and crates from the cars and unraveling cables and cords.

There was so much to learn, this first time as a roadie. I had gone to so many shows previously, in the stalker and grouple role, but this was my first roadie gig. i transported the speaker for the bass, and helped them unpack all the equipment. I talked with the drummer while he set up, and found out my first new thing…drums need to be tuned. I also helped hook up some XLR cables and helped set up the mic stands. Are you impressed yet?

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Lonelyville

Posted on April 24, 2015March 3, 2018 by debbiehoran

Last Friday night was the perfect night for outdoor music, outside in the Pavilion of the Greenwood Winery. The warmth and sunshine brought out some fun lovin’ rockers and they were rewarded with an amazing show from this band out of Jersey City, NJ!

“When the war is over, and banks don’t steal…”

“When life is fair, and 5 makes 10…”

How could you not love a song with lyrics like this? They are from Lonelyville, my favorite of the original songs that The Gully Hubbards perform. Another great song, a trucker-singing-about-a-woman-done-me-wrong song, includes the lyrics “18 reasons, baby, why I’m telling you goodbye.”

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G-L-O-R-I-A

Posted on April 16, 2015March 3, 2018 by debbiehoran

Another Friday night at Johnny’s Pub and Grill in Rochester, where I am waiting anxiously for the next song from The Earthtones. The trio is standing on the stage under a street sign readling, ‘Penny Lane’; the owner Johnny loves The Beatles,

The opening notes to Landslide are heard over the roar of the happy hour crowd. Most of the bands I follow are all male, so I am enjoying Eva’s take on the classic Fleetwood Mac song. Brian Regan, Eva Regan, and Mike Walker are The Earthtones. Brian is a genius with both guitar and bass, Eva dazzles on the keyboards, and Mike is amazing on the drums and other percussion. They have playing together at least 14 years. I remember this because they came to Syracuse and played my 40th Birthday Bash at Highland Forest in 2001 (yes, I know, you can do the math, I am over 50).

I try and to see them as often as I can. It’s tricky driving to Rochester and trying to get there in a reasonable time for happy hour. During the winter months, about half of my planned trips are cancelled due to bad weather and snow. But when I do get there, it is so worth it!

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Meeting Scott from the Goo Goo Dolls

Posted on April 12, 2015August 15, 2017 by debbiehoran

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A couple of weeks ago, I was at Dublin’s to see Day Ja Voo. I went to get a couple of drinks for the band and started a conversation with the guys sitting there at the bar. Wanting a ‘man on the street’ perspective, I asked them what they thought about the band. Scott and his friend said they were really enjoying the music, and then Scott went on to talk about how he loved 80’s music. We both graduated from college the same year (he went to UB, I went to SUNY Oswego) and we discussed our favorite music from that era. Eventually Mike returned with my beers and I delivered them to the stage.

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With A Little Help From My Friends

Posted on April 5, 2015July 23, 2015 by debbiehoran

Day Ja Voo meets Mobius Jones. This is how it all started. On New Year’s Eve a few years ago, I first heard Mobius Jones, a band my friend John was in, along with two other guys named John, and the drummer Eric. I asked John if the band would play at a fundraiser my family had been planning, and they graciously agreed.

I had also reconnected with my friend Vinnie and had been following his band, Day Ja Voo to several venues out of town. I asked Vinnie and my friend Bryan (now a member of Day Ja Voo) if they wanted to perform a few songs there also.

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Video Killed the Radio Star

Posted on March 25, 2015July 23, 2015 by debbiehoran

I reconnected with an old college friend I hadn’t seen in a few years. We had a great dinner, one where there were no breaks in conversation, just like the old days. Afterwards, he asked me to listen to a demo CD that was recorded with a band he had joined called Mobius Jones. It only took one song, a cover of The Cars My Best Friend’s Girlfriend, to hook me.

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This Gleek Will Always Be a Daydream Believer

Posted on March 21, 2015March 3, 2018 by debbiehoran

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I am a Gleek and I am not ashamed to admit it. I totally get sucked into the lives of those glee club members and their fearless leader, Mr. Shu. It is always the talk of the breakroom with all of my younger coworkers the next day (or there are shouts of, ‘No spoilers! I haven’t seen it yet!”) I even watched The Glee Project, Season 2 and cheered when my favorite contestant, Blake Jenner, won (he won the role of Ryder Lynn, for those of you who are wondering.)

The rich tapestry of songs during the six seasons of the show is like no other list of music anywhere, from classic rock to Broadway to rap to soul. With all those covers and mashups to choose from, I would not have been able to choose which one was my favorite. That is, until tonight. Without any reservation, Kurt and Blaine’s duet Daydream Believer will always be the Glee anthem for me.

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