Tuesday, September 25, 2007
AN ACT OF PERSUASION
An honest-to-God famous person that you've probably never heard of came to my gig at Fiddler's Dream the other night!
Nancy Freeman!
Well, okay, at least I know who Nancy Freeman is, and you should too by buying her new CD, "Stardust County," on which I play absolutely no musical instruments, so it sounds great!
But really, I had a famous person come to my gig -- or at least a semi-famous person.
He's Jerry Lawson, former lead singer of the Persuasions! The Persuasions were around for over 30 years and in all that time they never had a band. They were the foremost a capella group in the world. Jerry's now fronting another a capella group, called Talk of the Town, and you should definitely go find and buy THAT CD, too!
I'd met his wife, Julie, about a year and a half ago and she had been trying ever since to get our calendars to sync so Jerry could come see my show.
He's a nice guy. Had a few Zappa stories for me, since they toured with Frank in the early 70s and Zappa signed the Persuasions to their first record contract.
I made him laugh.
------
Tonight I'm playing at an awards dinner for the Desert Rose chapter of the Romance Writers of America. This should be interesting. I got the gig almost a year ago when Jennifer Ashley, a fine, FINE writer of such type books, asked me if I'd be interested in performing there. But of course, I said! So tonight I will be entertaining! They're even PAYING me, AND feeding me! Am I lucky or what?
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This Saturday is your LAST chance for the rest of the year to experience the foolishy, fleshy fun that is Romantasy Cabaret, a burlesque special put on by my wife's belly dance troupe in their alternate guise of Diabolique. I will be performing twice during the show. Special guest strippers include the amazing Myryka (I have yet to put a coherent sentence together when I am around this woman) and the ever-enticing Lolita Haze. And more! It's fun, it's funny, it's different! It's gonna sell out! So go to www.trashcityentertainment.com right now and reserve a ticket. (There will be a few available at the door, too.) It's at the Paper Heart, at Grand and Polk, at 8 p.m. How can you resist when one of the ladies in the troupe bills herself as Wilma Topkomov?
------
Now, if that's NOT your cup of tea, I'm going to tell you what the alternative is, and you REALLY SHOULD GO TO THIS if you're not in the mood for burlesque: For the fourth straight year, Tom Chapin is performing in the big building at Fiddler's Dream on Saturday night at 8 p.m. If I were not already booked, I would be there to see it. I've missed all but his first-time performance at Fidd's, due to being a giggy guy myself, but I can tell you that you will have a FINE time with Mr. Chapin. You grew up watching "Make a Wish" with him (three years ago, we actually got him to sing the song!), you probably missed his solo albums in the 70s, but you probably bought his kids' CDs for your kids in the ensuing years. He also throws in a song or two from his late brother, Harry. This is not a kids show, per se, although your kids can certainly come. They'll be thoroughly entertained, for sure. (He's also doing an all-kid show at the Scottsdale Center of the Arts earlier in the day.) Check out the particulars at www.fiddlersdream.org.
------
Speaking of Fiddler's Dream, apparently there are still people who don't know this, so spread the word; I am NO LONGER on the board at Fiddler's Dream. I have not been on the board since April. I am not responsible for the remodeling going on. I have no idea when it will be done, or what it will look like.
In addition, I am no longer hosting the Thursday night open stage at Fidd's. I haven't hosted it or attended it since April. My goal is to continue not hosting it for at least as long as I hosted it (nine years). I am still volunteering at least once a month on a Friday or Saturday. My next coffee-pouring gig there is Friday, Oct. 26.
To that end: I don't care how the open stage is run now. I don't care who runs it. I don't want to hear anybody, anymore, complain about how awful it is now. Nor do I want to hear anybody, anymore, tell me how much better it is now. All I want you, as musicians, to do is keep going there and keep making it the big moneymaker it was when I left.
OK?
TT
An honest-to-God famous person that you've probably never heard of came to my gig at Fiddler's Dream the other night!
Nancy Freeman!
Well, okay, at least I know who Nancy Freeman is, and you should too by buying her new CD, "Stardust County," on which I play absolutely no musical instruments, so it sounds great!
But really, I had a famous person come to my gig -- or at least a semi-famous person.
He's Jerry Lawson, former lead singer of the Persuasions! The Persuasions were around for over 30 years and in all that time they never had a band. They were the foremost a capella group in the world. Jerry's now fronting another a capella group, called Talk of the Town, and you should definitely go find and buy THAT CD, too!
I'd met his wife, Julie, about a year and a half ago and she had been trying ever since to get our calendars to sync so Jerry could come see my show.
He's a nice guy. Had a few Zappa stories for me, since they toured with Frank in the early 70s and Zappa signed the Persuasions to their first record contract.
I made him laugh.
------
Tonight I'm playing at an awards dinner for the Desert Rose chapter of the Romance Writers of America. This should be interesting. I got the gig almost a year ago when Jennifer Ashley, a fine, FINE writer of such type books, asked me if I'd be interested in performing there. But of course, I said! So tonight I will be entertaining! They're even PAYING me, AND feeding me! Am I lucky or what?
------
This Saturday is your LAST chance for the rest of the year to experience the foolishy, fleshy fun that is Romantasy Cabaret, a burlesque special put on by my wife's belly dance troupe in their alternate guise of Diabolique. I will be performing twice during the show. Special guest strippers include the amazing Myryka (I have yet to put a coherent sentence together when I am around this woman) and the ever-enticing Lolita Haze. And more! It's fun, it's funny, it's different! It's gonna sell out! So go to www.trashcityentertainment.com right now and reserve a ticket. (There will be a few available at the door, too.) It's at the Paper Heart, at Grand and Polk, at 8 p.m. How can you resist when one of the ladies in the troupe bills herself as Wilma Topkomov?
------
Now, if that's NOT your cup of tea, I'm going to tell you what the alternative is, and you REALLY SHOULD GO TO THIS if you're not in the mood for burlesque: For the fourth straight year, Tom Chapin is performing in the big building at Fiddler's Dream on Saturday night at 8 p.m. If I were not already booked, I would be there to see it. I've missed all but his first-time performance at Fidd's, due to being a giggy guy myself, but I can tell you that you will have a FINE time with Mr. Chapin. You grew up watching "Make a Wish" with him (three years ago, we actually got him to sing the song!), you probably missed his solo albums in the 70s, but you probably bought his kids' CDs for your kids in the ensuing years. He also throws in a song or two from his late brother, Harry. This is not a kids show, per se, although your kids can certainly come. They'll be thoroughly entertained, for sure. (He's also doing an all-kid show at the Scottsdale Center of the Arts earlier in the day.) Check out the particulars at www.fiddlersdream.org.
------
Speaking of Fiddler's Dream, apparently there are still people who don't know this, so spread the word; I am NO LONGER on the board at Fiddler's Dream. I have not been on the board since April. I am not responsible for the remodeling going on. I have no idea when it will be done, or what it will look like.
In addition, I am no longer hosting the Thursday night open stage at Fidd's. I haven't hosted it or attended it since April. My goal is to continue not hosting it for at least as long as I hosted it (nine years). I am still volunteering at least once a month on a Friday or Saturday. My next coffee-pouring gig there is Friday, Oct. 26.
To that end: I don't care how the open stage is run now. I don't care who runs it. I don't want to hear anybody, anymore, complain about how awful it is now. Nor do I want to hear anybody, anymore, tell me how much better it is now. All I want you, as musicians, to do is keep going there and keep making it the big moneymaker it was when I left.
OK?
TT
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