More Glory Days

So many songs came to mind after my blog post Glory Days was published a few weeks ago that I just had to do a part 2. The only group missing is the parody band Tone Deaf from SUNY Oswego. These guys made anything an instrument and the goal was to be bad on purpose. They deserve a whole post all their own. In the meantime, enjoy some of these classics!! And share some of your favorites!!

 

Play That Funky Music White Boy by Wild Cherry

One day Jenny’s roommate came home all excited about the new song she found out about while shopping downtown. None of us had the heart to tell her it had come out almost 10 years before. Maybe we should have. That may have kept her from torturing us with it over…and over…and over…and over again. 30 years later, whenever Mobius Jones plays this song, I see her face.

Continue reading “More Glory Days”

Almost Famous, Band Wives Edition

First of all, let me say that the Band Wives need a tour bus. There are details still to be worked out, like full-time jobs and families and children, and how the two bands would tour together, but Mobius Jones, Day Ja Voo, and more importantly, the Band Wives, need a tour bus.

Ever since everyone started joking about how I have been stalking Day Ja Voo and Mobius Jones three years ago, people have told me I needed to watch the movie Almost Famous. There is actually an entire list of movies I have never seen, and we are working through it slowly, one by one, so I just put this one at the bottom.  Then I caught the pilot episode of Roadies, the new series on Showtime this summer by the guy who wrote Almost Famous, Cameron Crowe.  After watching this very engaging and electric first episode on Netflix (where they try to get you sucked in to try their Showtime app), I decided to put Almost Famous at the top of the list.  This morning I caught the movie, and I now see what the hype is all about.  This movie entertained me like no other in my recent movie watching history. And I want  to be Penny Lane (Kate Hudson’s character), but without all the sex. And the drugs.  OK, maybe just for Halloween.

Continue reading “Almost Famous, Band Wives Edition”

Top 10 Favorite Cover Songs

It’s no secret I love my bands!  I think that in some cases their covers of these songs rival the originals.  Here is the list of my top 10 favorite songs that they cover.

10. Shambala by Three Dog Night

I have seen these guys at a couple of festivals and boy, they can still rock after all these years!!

9. Born On The Bayou by Creedence Clearwater Revival

When Mobius Jones and Day Ja Voo get together to play this song, it’s beyond amazing!! All I have to hear are the first few guitar riffs and I am in heaven.

Continue reading “Top 10 Favorite Cover Songs”

Move It On Over, Mobius Jones Is Movin’ In

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.

10997489_10153151752927888_8521092332578470502_o

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?

11148613_10206118443147674_8943097479984818058_n

Continue reading “Move It On Over, Mobius Jones Is Movin’ In”

With A Little Help From My Friends

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.

100_1613 - Copy

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.

73930_391710517567333_1386053339_n

Continue reading “With A Little Help From My Friends”

Video Killed the Radio Star

1235513_441161672669901_1682468539_n

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.

Continue reading “Video Killed the Radio Star”

Rock This Boat!

I am not one for reality shows and have never tuned into Survivor or The Bachelor, but today when I  was channelsurfing I found a reality show called “Rock This Boat.” This show (which I found on Pop, the recently renamed TV Guide channel) is about 3000 New Kids on the Block superfans on a cruise with the band.  Grown ass women acting like raving lunatics for a band they swooned over 20+ years ago.  What a train wreck.

Embed from Getty Images

The tears that have already been shed on the first four episodes don’t compare to the woman crying in episode 5.  In an effort to try and obtain some VIP party passes, she gets the idea to flash her breasts to one of the Kids with the party question written in sharpie marker.  The Kid looks and then just turns and walks away.

Continue reading “Rock This Boat!”

Three Chords and the Truth

For my birthday, my band friends got me a guitar which I have been learning how to play for about 6 months now.  The ‘music’ that I make is very slow and stilted.   One of my very talented musician friends, John, shows me some really great things, but I have a hard time remembering some of them once I get home and practice.

Embed from Getty Images

I look at my written notes and try to recreate the chord or sound that we are working on.  It always sounds different, a bit off.  Inevitably, I go back to play the same song I started with, using the chords C, G, and D.  I strum around awhile with that and it has helped me to feel more comfortable with the instrument.  It is a slow process but at least I am trying.

Now I am also taking lessons from a second talented musician friend of mine (I have lots of those!),  Jeff.  I tried to show him my three chords and make a joke about how all I need to be a good musician is ‘three chords and the truth’ (actually I think they say that is what you need to be a good country musician, but you get the drift.)  He showed me how to make those three chords a new way from how I learned the first time, shaking my confidence a bit.

In the interest of full disclosure, I started guitar lessons so I can go visit these guys and drink with their wives.  Now I have the guitar and I need to earn my keep, so to speak.

Now I am beginning to realize that there are just no absolutes.  Just like life.  My truth is that I will keep trying to coax music out of this beautiful guitar (it won’t be “For Baby For Bobbie” forever) and continue to spend time with my friends, willing to learn whatever I can take into my brain and then let it flow out of my fingers.

All it takes is three chords and the truth (and more chords, and bar chords, and variations, and riffs, etc.)