One man's favorite Berserk songs on video
I was doing some Fall cleaning on my computer last night and dug up these videos gathering dust in my hard drive. They represent my favorite songs by Dave Cawley, erstwhile bassist in my favorite Baltimore band from the '90s, Berserk. Giant robots! Ultra 7! These are the songs that defined a generation of otaku pop-punk-purists - at least in Dave's Cawley's mind.
Watch the Berserk - "Giant Robots" music video.
Baltimore's Berserk play their classic '90s anthem, "Giant Robots" - Dave Cawley's love song to a boy's best friend.
Now watch Berserk play "Giant Robots" live at Ottobar (2005).
Grand finale number from Berserk's Reunion Show at Ottobar, February 7, 2005.
Watch the Berserk "Ultra 7" music video.
Unfortunately, this great song is only available on a Go Kart records compilation record, Go Kart Vs. the Corporate Giant. Forget Wall Street - Occupy the Corporate Giant and seek it out!
Now watch Beserk play "Ultra 7" live at Ottobar (2005).
Dave Cawley continues his love letter to Japan ("How do I love thee, let me count the ways...") with his sonic celebration of Ultraman (and, for vegan Brent, burritos that contain no meato). From the Berserk Reunion Show at the Ottobar, February 7, 2005.
Showing posts with label Dave Cawley. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Dave Cawley. Show all posts
Friday, October 28, 2011
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Shonen Knife Cuts Thru Baltimore
Cutting Edge J-Poppers Finally Take a Stab at Charm City
Believe it or not, Shonen Knife had never visited or played in Baltimore in the course of their 30-year career. Like most big name J-pop bands touring the U.S.(Pizzicato Five, Puffy, even Kahimi Karie), they made the obligatory stop in the nation's capital, typically at the 9:30 Club, before bypassing Charm City to traipse up the East Coast to Philadelphia, New York, and other major ports of call. In fact, the last time I saw them was back in 1997, when they performed at the 9:30 Club in support of their album Brand New Knife (Baltimore's powerpop trio Splitsville opened for them).
That all changed October 24, 2011 when founding guitarist Naoko Yamano and the "new" Shonen Knife girls - drummer Emi Morimoto (2010-present) and bassist Ritsuko Taneda (2006-present) - visited Atomic Books in Hampden to sell their new all-Ramones-covers CD Osaka Ramones (Good Charamel Records, 2011), sign memorabilia, and hang out with fans, before jumping in their tour bus to motor down the street and rock out later that night at the Ottobar as part of their 30th Anniversary North American Tour. And so, "Baltimore, the city that reads" officially became "Baltimore, the city that bleeds" - for Shonen Knife!
Watch Shonen Knife arrive at Atomic Books.
Shonen at Atomic: a rendezvous with history?
As an added bonus, Naoko's sis Atsuko (Shonen Knife's original drummer) was also on hand to roadie for the band; though Atsuko left the band in 2006 when she got married and then moved to Los Angeles, she filled in during band's 2007 tour and, being Naoko's sister, continues to be involved with the musical family she created with Naoko and Michie Nakatani in Osako back in 1981. (Original bass player Michie Nakatani left the band in 1999, with Atsuko moving from behind the drumkit to replace her on bass guitar.)
Dave Cawley, Ichiban: "The early bird catches the worm," Dave smirks as he informs latecomers that the line forms BEHIND him. "Watch me and learn, minions - and please, DO envy me!"
Dave Cawley was the very first fan to arrive at Atomic Books (all the better to genuflect before his idols), which is somewhat fitting, as Dave used to correspond with Atsuko Yamano dating back when he was in Baltimore's pop-punk band Berserk. (Dave poses with Atsuko Yamano in pic at right.) Amy and I were the second to arrive and Atomic Books owners Benn Ray and Rachel Whang were greatly amused to see that Dave and I were both wearing the same 1997 Shonen Knife Tour shirts, the ones we got when last we saw the band at the 9:30 Club and interviewed them for Atomic TV (as seen on ATV's "Turning Japanese, Part 1" - check 'em out at the 54-minute mark of this episode). Rachel Whang captured the "Misfits-in-Matching-Outfits" photo op, below:
Tom: "Dave, this is kinda gay!" Dave: "Ya think?"
Dave and I loved Shonen Knife from the moment we discovered them - he first, of course, via his Pan-Asian Pop Cultural Studies (an ongoing obsession), me rather late in game thanks to Sassy magazine's championing of "Twist Barbie." We both agreed that they were the nicest band we'd ever met, and regretted that we hadn't seen or listened to Shonen Knife in a long time; in fact, 1998's Happy Hour album (my personal favorite and the last to feature original bass player Michie Nakatani) was the last CD either one of us had purchased. We decided it was time to make amends for that criminal oversight, and we looked forward to meeting the new "Brand New Knife." We learned that the first cut may be the deepest, but the new Knife cuts a pretty sharp figure as well!
Meet and greet the Brand New Knife!
First-in-line Dave Cawley strikes a Kamen Rider pose with Shonen Knife
Dave Cawley gives Shonen Knife his personal seal of approval
The fans behind Dave "I was first!" Cawley wait their turn at Atomic Books
Tom Warner makes peace with Shonen Knife
Amy had never heard Shonen Knife, but bought their "Fun! Fun! Fun!" LP as an introduction to the fun, fun, fun
Amy enjoys Shonen Knife's autograph doodles: Emi (cat), Naoko (bunny), Ritsuko (dog)
Shonen Knife's cute critter doodles
Our Facebook pal Gary Razorpop poses with The Knife
Shonen Knife really seemed to enjoy looking through the shelves at Atomic Books - where Naoko's book Shonen Knife Land was also available for purchase; they also explored the vinyls bins at Celebrated Summer Records next door (who splurged for donuts and other edibles).
Emi lets the cat out of the bag at Atomic Books
Just as fitting as Dave Cawley being first in line at Atomic Books was Shonen Knife's decision to release an all-Ramones song album, for Shonen Knife is basically an all-girl Japanese version of the Ramones. Both work from a foundation of simplistic punk rock buzzsaw guitar and lyrics celebrating everything that's good dumb fun in life - whether it be sniffing glue, getting kicks and scoring chicks for the Ramones or eating all that food ("Cookie Day," "Banana Chips," "Hot Chocolate," "Brown Mushrooms," "Froot Loop Dreams," "Ice Cream City," "Gyoza") that Naoko sings about in countless Knife songs. Osaka Ramones contains all the classic Ramones songs you'd expect to hear championed ("Blitzkrieg Bop," "Rock 'n' Roll High School," "Sheena Is a Punk Rocker") as well as an inspired surprise cover of "Scattergun," a rockin' tune written by Dee Dee's replacement C.J. Ramone (Christopher Ward) and taken from their last studio album ¡Adios Amigos! (1995). And it's not just Naoko handling all the vocal duties: Ritsuko lends her voice to "Sheena," while Emi gets to sing "The KKK Took My Baby Away." The album was recorded in Osaka and Buffalo, NY, with Goo Goo dolls bassist Robby Takac producing five tracks at his GCR studio in Buffalo and mixing the final album. (Attention collectors: The US album features a Road To Ruin-style drawing by Miyoka Hayakawa, while the Japanese release features a black-and-white photo of the band that mimics the first Ramones album.)
Watch Ritsuko sing "Sheena is a Punk Rocker."
Watch Emi sing "The KKK Took My Baby Away."
I enjoyed meeting the new (to me) Shonen Knife rhythm section. I quickly learned that sexy long-haired bassist Ritsuko Taneda used to sing and play guitar in the J-Pop bands Keihan Girl and Denki Candy (where her nom de stage was "Marilyn"). And I discovered that super-kawaii drummer Emi Morimoto (whose Louis Brooks-style haircut reminded me of Scott Pilgrim's girlfriend "Knifes Chau" from Scott Pilgrim Vs. the World), used to bang the skins for Ni Hao!, Ultra Jr, mamastudio, and NASCA CAR.
But I really enjoyed chatting briefly with Atsuko Yamano, Naoka's sister who helped set up the merchandise table and assisted with other tour details as needed.
Atsuko helps set up the merchandise table
"Excuse me, aren't you Big Dave Cawley?" Atsuko (far left) asks a bespectacled fanboy
Atsuko now resides in Los Angeles, where she has plenty of time (and sunny weather) to indulge in her latest passion of tennis. Both of us are Federer fans, and I told her I was equally impressed with Kei Nishikori who, at age 21, is currently the highest-ever ranked Japanese player (#30) on the ATP Tour. Alas, like Kei, Atsuko also favors a two-handed backhand, though I tried to convince her of the benefits of the one-handed slice. (Maybe next tour?)
Tom Warner bonds with Atsuko over tennis and their shared adulation of Roger Federer and Japan's own Kei Nishikori
I can't say enough about how sweet and friendly these gals are. They even indulged me when I went back for yet more merchandise for them to sign - and they signed everything, for everybody. Benn Ray joked that I had forgotten to get my '97 tour shirt signed, but I'm too much of an anal-neatnik (as far as fashion, at least, if not housekeeping!) to go that far.
Tom's Shonen Knife cache: Sign here, please!
"OK Mr. Warner, last one - our hands are cramping now!"
Alas, Amy and I did not join Dave Cawley later that night at the Ottobar show, as the prospect of having to wait through three opening bands on a Monday night (doesn't anybody in this town work?) didn't gibe either with our schedules or our aging bones. (Yes, we're old!) I'm sure somebody will post some video of the Ottobar show shortly, but in the meantime, here's what the girls looked like live when they brought the "Blitzkrieg Bop" to London's Windmill club back in August:
Watch Shonen Knife play "Blitzkrieg Bop."
And here they are rocking the Asia Society in NYC with non-Ramones ditties back in September 2010:
Watch Shonen Knife rock the Asia Society.
Shonen Knife's first-ever trip to Charm City, coming less than a week before Halloween, was definitely a treat for all Baltimorons!
***
Postscript (10-26-2011):
As anticipated, videos of Shonen Knife's show at the Ottobar turned up a day later. Herein is what went down as recorded by serenab4 and motionrotarytoad.
Watch serenab4's "shonen knife @ the ottobar (10/24/11)"
Watch motionrotarytoad's "The KKK Took My Baby Away/Rock 'n' Roll High School"
Watch motionrotarytoad's "Blitzkrieg Bop/Beat on the Brat"
Watch motionrotarytoad's "Konnichiwa/Bear Up Bison"
Watch motionrotarytoad's "Banana Chips"
Watch motionrotarytoad's "Devil House"
Believe it or not, Shonen Knife had never visited or played in Baltimore in the course of their 30-year career. Like most big name J-pop bands touring the U.S.(Pizzicato Five, Puffy, even Kahimi Karie), they made the obligatory stop in the nation's capital, typically at the 9:30 Club, before bypassing Charm City to traipse up the East Coast to Philadelphia, New York, and other major ports of call. In fact, the last time I saw them was back in 1997, when they performed at the 9:30 Club in support of their album Brand New Knife (Baltimore's powerpop trio Splitsville opened for them).That all changed October 24, 2011 when founding guitarist Naoko Yamano and the "new" Shonen Knife girls - drummer Emi Morimoto (2010-present) and bassist Ritsuko Taneda (2006-present) - visited Atomic Books in Hampden to sell their new all-Ramones-covers CD Osaka Ramones (Good Charamel Records, 2011), sign memorabilia, and hang out with fans, before jumping in their tour bus to motor down the street and rock out later that night at the Ottobar as part of their 30th Anniversary North American Tour. And so, "Baltimore, the city that reads" officially became "Baltimore, the city that bleeds" - for Shonen Knife!
Watch Shonen Knife arrive at Atomic Books.
Shonen at Atomic: a rendezvous with history?
As an added bonus, Naoko's sis Atsuko (Shonen Knife's original drummer) was also on hand to roadie for the band; though Atsuko left the band in 2006 when she got married and then moved to Los Angeles, she filled in during band's 2007 tour and, being Naoko's sister, continues to be involved with the musical family she created with Naoko and Michie Nakatani in Osako back in 1981. (Original bass player Michie Nakatani left the band in 1999, with Atsuko moving from behind the drumkit to replace her on bass guitar.)
Dave Cawley, Ichiban: "The early bird catches the worm," Dave smirks as he informs latecomers that the line forms BEHIND him. "Watch me and learn, minions - and please, DO envy me!"
Dave Cawley was the very first fan to arrive at Atomic Books (all the better to genuflect before his idols), which is somewhat fitting, as Dave used to correspond with Atsuko Yamano dating back when he was in Baltimore's pop-punk band Berserk. (Dave poses with Atsuko Yamano in pic at right.) Amy and I were the second to arrive and Atomic Books owners Benn Ray and Rachel Whang were greatly amused to see that Dave and I were both wearing the same 1997 Shonen Knife Tour shirts, the ones we got when last we saw the band at the 9:30 Club and interviewed them for Atomic TV (as seen on ATV's "Turning Japanese, Part 1" - check 'em out at the 54-minute mark of this episode). Rachel Whang captured the "Misfits-in-Matching-Outfits" photo op, below:
Tom: "Dave, this is kinda gay!" Dave: "Ya think?"
Dave and I loved Shonen Knife from the moment we discovered them - he first, of course, via his Pan-Asian Pop Cultural Studies (an ongoing obsession), me rather late in game thanks to Sassy magazine's championing of "Twist Barbie." We both agreed that they were the nicest band we'd ever met, and regretted that we hadn't seen or listened to Shonen Knife in a long time; in fact, 1998's Happy Hour album (my personal favorite and the last to feature original bass player Michie Nakatani) was the last CD either one of us had purchased. We decided it was time to make amends for that criminal oversight, and we looked forward to meeting the new "Brand New Knife." We learned that the first cut may be the deepest, but the new Knife cuts a pretty sharp figure as well!
Meet and greet the Brand New Knife!
First-in-line Dave Cawley strikes a Kamen Rider pose with Shonen Knife
Dave Cawley gives Shonen Knife his personal seal of approval
The fans behind Dave "I was first!" Cawley wait their turn at Atomic Books
Tom Warner makes peace with Shonen Knife
Amy had never heard Shonen Knife, but bought their "Fun! Fun! Fun!" LP as an introduction to the fun, fun, fun
Amy enjoys Shonen Knife's autograph doodles: Emi (cat), Naoko (bunny), Ritsuko (dog)
Shonen Knife's cute critter doodles
Our Facebook pal Gary Razorpop poses with The Knife
Shonen Knife really seemed to enjoy looking through the shelves at Atomic Books - where Naoko's book Shonen Knife Land was also available for purchase; they also explored the vinyls bins at Celebrated Summer Records next door (who splurged for donuts and other edibles).
Emi lets the cat out of the bag at Atomic Books
Just as fitting as Dave Cawley being first in line at Atomic Books was Shonen Knife's decision to release an all-Ramones song album, for Shonen Knife is basically an all-girl Japanese version of the Ramones. Both work from a foundation of simplistic punk rock buzzsaw guitar and lyrics celebrating everything that's good dumb fun in life - whether it be sniffing glue, getting kicks and scoring chicks for the Ramones or eating all that food ("Cookie Day," "Banana Chips," "Hot Chocolate," "Brown Mushrooms," "Froot Loop Dreams," "Ice Cream City," "Gyoza") that Naoko sings about in countless Knife songs. Osaka Ramones contains all the classic Ramones songs you'd expect to hear championed ("Blitzkrieg Bop," "Rock 'n' Roll High School," "Sheena Is a Punk Rocker") as well as an inspired surprise cover of "Scattergun," a rockin' tune written by Dee Dee's replacement C.J. Ramone (Christopher Ward) and taken from their last studio album ¡Adios Amigos! (1995). And it's not just Naoko handling all the vocal duties: Ritsuko lends her voice to "Sheena," while Emi gets to sing "The KKK Took My Baby Away." The album was recorded in Osaka and Buffalo, NY, with Goo Goo dolls bassist Robby Takac producing five tracks at his GCR studio in Buffalo and mixing the final album. (Attention collectors: The US album features a Road To Ruin-style drawing by Miyoka Hayakawa, while the Japanese release features a black-and-white photo of the band that mimics the first Ramones album.)Watch Ritsuko sing "Sheena is a Punk Rocker."
Watch Emi sing "The KKK Took My Baby Away."
I enjoyed meeting the new (to me) Shonen Knife rhythm section. I quickly learned that sexy long-haired bassist Ritsuko Taneda used to sing and play guitar in the J-Pop bands Keihan Girl and Denki Candy (where her nom de stage was "Marilyn"). And I discovered that super-kawaii drummer Emi Morimoto (whose Louis Brooks-style haircut reminded me of Scott Pilgrim's girlfriend "Knifes Chau" from Scott Pilgrim Vs. the World), used to bang the skins for Ni Hao!, Ultra Jr, mamastudio, and NASCA CAR.
But I really enjoyed chatting briefly with Atsuko Yamano, Naoka's sister who helped set up the merchandise table and assisted with other tour details as needed.
Atsuko helps set up the merchandise table
"Excuse me, aren't you Big Dave Cawley?" Atsuko (far left) asks a bespectacled fanboy
Atsuko now resides in Los Angeles, where she has plenty of time (and sunny weather) to indulge in her latest passion of tennis. Both of us are Federer fans, and I told her I was equally impressed with Kei Nishikori who, at age 21, is currently the highest-ever ranked Japanese player (#30) on the ATP Tour. Alas, like Kei, Atsuko also favors a two-handed backhand, though I tried to convince her of the benefits of the one-handed slice. (Maybe next tour?)
Tom Warner bonds with Atsuko over tennis and their shared adulation of Roger Federer and Japan's own Kei Nishikori
I can't say enough about how sweet and friendly these gals are. They even indulged me when I went back for yet more merchandise for them to sign - and they signed everything, for everybody. Benn Ray joked that I had forgotten to get my '97 tour shirt signed, but I'm too much of an anal-neatnik (as far as fashion, at least, if not housekeeping!) to go that far.
Tom's Shonen Knife cache: Sign here, please!
"OK Mr. Warner, last one - our hands are cramping now!"
Alas, Amy and I did not join Dave Cawley later that night at the Ottobar show, as the prospect of having to wait through three opening bands on a Monday night (doesn't anybody in this town work?) didn't gibe either with our schedules or our aging bones. (Yes, we're old!) I'm sure somebody will post some video of the Ottobar show shortly, but in the meantime, here's what the girls looked like live when they brought the "Blitzkrieg Bop" to London's Windmill club back in August:
Watch Shonen Knife play "Blitzkrieg Bop."
And here they are rocking the Asia Society in NYC with non-Ramones ditties back in September 2010:
Watch Shonen Knife rock the Asia Society.
Shonen Knife's first-ever trip to Charm City, coming less than a week before Halloween, was definitely a treat for all Baltimorons!
***
Postscript (10-26-2011):
As anticipated, videos of Shonen Knife's show at the Ottobar turned up a day later. Herein is what went down as recorded by serenab4 and motionrotarytoad.
Watch serenab4's "shonen knife @ the ottobar (10/24/11)"
Watch motionrotarytoad's "The KKK Took My Baby Away/Rock 'n' Roll High School"
Watch motionrotarytoad's "Blitzkrieg Bop/Beat on the Brat"
Watch motionrotarytoad's "Konnichiwa/Bear Up Bison"
Watch motionrotarytoad's "Banana Chips"
Watch motionrotarytoad's "Devil House"
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Happy 50th Birthday Dave Cawley!
World's Oldest Pre-pubescent Hits Half-Century Mark!
(September 6, 1961 - Present)
Last Year's Model: the 49-yr-old Dave Cawley was a "Page 3" tabloid beefcake featured in Style Magazine
Tuesday, September 6, 1961: a day that will live in infamy! Yes, now it can be told! Two score and 10 years ago, in a little log cabin in the verdant suburban sprawl of Lutherville, little John David Cawley was born as his awe-struck parents cried, "For what we are about to receive, may we truly give thanks!" And they did - truly, deeply, madly. As did the rest of the world (with only a few exceptions - like his nemeses the International Cilantro Growers Association, Frank Zappa, Joe Strummer and The Clash, "Rob the Bully," hippies, the National Football League, The Michael Bolton and Dave Matthews Anti-Defamation Leagues, etc., etc.). The rest, as they say, is History. And what exactly is his story, anyway?
Like Freddie Mercury, Dave Cawley warns Father Time: "Don't stop me now, yes I'm having a good time!"
We know the man-child now known simply as David Cawley (he dropped the J.D. nickname to avoid confusion with fellow musician/know-it-all J.D. Considine, as well as the abbreviation for those potty-mouthed Juvenile Delinquents he so detests!) as a lover of This TV, Mod, The Beatles, Buzzcocks, James Bond, Yukio Mishima, Dragnet, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., Twilight Zone, The Outer Limits, The Nutty Professor, Universal horror movies, pulp fiction, Modesty Blaise, true crime stories, film noir, Mickey Spillane, chicken teriyaki, any recipe involving duck, Vanilla Coke, heavily sweetened bladder-buster-sized cups of hot coffee, unsweetened ice tea, Gin & Tonics shaken 'n' stirred by the Club Charles' buxotic bartenders, Batman, Spider-man, Zatoichi, Godzilla, Ultraman, Kamen Rider, Mazinger, Gigantor, Astroboy, Johnny Sokko, giant robots, giant monsters, classic Marvel and DC comics (especially Steve Ditko and Jack Kirby), classic Little Lulu and Tubby comics, clothing with "clean neat lines (like My Three Sons)," vintage automobiles unspoiled by such "modern" contrivances as air conditioning or heat or horsepower, and basically All Things Japanese - especially his muse Kumi Mizuno, who Dave calls "The kind of woman men like!"
Kumi Mizuno with friend
But what do we really know of this man of mystery, this enigma, this anomaly who could pass as a doppleganger for Jerry Lewis, Project Runway's Vincent Libretti or Dublin Bohemians soccer coach Pat Fenlon (or - in Dave's dreams - Harrison Ford)? For isn't he a mild-mannered insurance claims adjuster by day who transforms into a ring-a-ding-a-linger swinger by night, a go-go tyger tyger burning bright in the cities of the night, one who's out dancing up a storm and tripping the light fantastic at Baltimore hipster hep-spots like the Sidebar's Reaction! parties and Lithuanian Hall's Soul Night - that is, when he's not defying gravity and all known laws of Newtonian and Quantum physics with his skyward leaps whilst plucking his Hofner bass with such rock bands as the Nu-Beats, Berserk and Garage Sale?
Dave Cawley dispenses the sweet rock with Garage Sale
How, you rightly ask, can one ever know the true workings of a mind that reads former Three Stooges stooge Joe Besser's autobiography More Than a Stooge not once, not twice, but thrice?? Yet verily it is the same cerebellum that is versed not just in Stan Lee comic word balloon vernacular ("Nuff said," "It's clobbering time!," "I envy you, dear reader,") but also fluent in Russian and Japanese? The guy who can explain everything you want to know about Futurism but doesn't own a computer and isn't on Facebook? The he-manchild who once arm-wrestled middle-aged action star Tura Satana (Faster Pussycat Kill Kill!, Astro-Zombies) to a hard-fought standstill at the Chiller Theater Convention (see "Freaks, Geeks & Scream Queen Peeks" for a blow-by-blow account) yet couldn't manage to wash his own dishes without lacerating his hands.
Dave arm wrestles Tura Satana at Chiller Con
Ah, these are but broad strokes of the paintbrush, gross generalizations about the man-child who is David Cawley. For I know him as a dear friend who at his core is kind, polite, humble, selfless and self-effacing. The kind of guy who'd give you his coveted copy of The Dylan Dog Omnibus, come back from the Belgian Comic Museum with treasured Tintin tchokes for his friends, and give away his beloved Inframan special issue of Oriental Cinema to help spread the gospel of Hong Kong-interpreted, Japanese-style tokusatsu vs. kaiju eiga.
Dave Cawley and his fellow heroic man of mystery, Batman
No, the secret meaning of the ageless "kid at heart" Dave Cawley is this: he's The Boy with the Biggest Heart in the World. (So move over Amazing Colossal Man - you've got competition!) If it sounds like one of the films Turner Classic Movies is running today during it's sci-fi/monster movie marathon in unwitting homage to sci-fi/monster movie-loving Dave Cawley (The Thing from Another World, The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms, Them!, The Black Scorpion, Forbidden Planet, etc.), it's no accident. For Big Dave Cawley is truly bigger than life itself in that department. (That's just my opinion - but accurate!)
"What's 50 down? Wait - oh my God it's me!"
OK, this tribute is starting to sound a little homo-erotic (like that gay scene between Laurence Olivier and Tony Curtis in Spartacus!), so enough of this nonsense and on to some pics and videos I humbly offer up to celebrate Big Dave Cawley's Big Semicentennial Birthday Celebration!
Dave Cawley Celebrity Lookalikes:
Was Dave Cawley separated at birth from these celebs? Only his Style magazine stylist knows for sure!
Jerry Lewis?
Jerry says: "That's my boy!"
Vincent Libretti (Project Runway)?
Vince says: "I'm a younger, hipper Dave Cawley!"
Watch this videoclip and decide: is it Vince or Dave?
Pat Fenlon (Irish soccer coach)?
"Stop the game, there's cilantro on the pitch!"
Tura Satana?
Dave Cawley: Queen of Men?
"Oh Tom, I see NO similarity at all to these poseurs - except to Harrison Ford!"
Harrison Ford?
Harrison says: "In your dreams, Dave!"
Dave Meets Buzzcocks & His Idol, Steve Diggle:
Dave: "Pete Shelley's OK, but you're the man Steve-o!"
Tom & Amy hover while Steve and Dave have a heated debate over whose jacket is more mod: Diggle's leather or Dave's Ben Sherman windbreaker
Dave tells Steve Diggle the correct way to play "Autonomy"
Photogenic new 'cocks Chris (L) & Danny (R) ugly up to try & make Dave Cawley (center) look good. They failed.
Dave Cawley Videos:
Watch DC make fun of Rob Hornung's sax playing.
Watch Garage Sale play DC ditty "I Suppose."
Watch "Dave Cawley and the Art of Modern Prance" (YouTube)
Watch Dave Cawley Go-Go Dance with Monsters from the Surf
Watch Berserk play DC's "My Love Is So Big." (a Skizz Cyzyk video)
Listen to Berserk play DC's anthemic "Giant Robots."
Watch Berserk play DC's "Ultra 7".
Final Birthday Wishes:
Hats off to Big Dave Cawley, King of Men!
Addendum:
A week after his 50th birthday, a contemplative Dave Cawley finally understands it all. "Older, yes," he muses, "But also wiser, my friends. Just my opinion, of course - but accurate!"
Related "Dave Cawley Semicentennial Celebration" Links:
Happy Birthday Dave Cawley! (2010)
Happy Birthday Dave Cawley, King of Men (Baltimore Or Less)
The Dave Cawley Songbook
"Project Cawley: Flying Under the Way-dar"
Is Dave Cawley really Pat Felon?
Garage Sale @ Honfest 2008
Geeks, Freaks & Scream Queen Peeks
Dave Meets the Buzzcocks! ("It's the Buzz, Hon!")
(September 6, 1961 - Present)
Last Year's Model: the 49-yr-old Dave Cawley was a "Page 3" tabloid beefcake featured in Style Magazine
Tuesday, September 6, 1961: a day that will live in infamy! Yes, now it can be told! Two score and 10 years ago, in a little log cabin in the verdant suburban sprawl of Lutherville, little John David Cawley was born as his awe-struck parents cried, "For what we are about to receive, may we truly give thanks!" And they did - truly, deeply, madly. As did the rest of the world (with only a few exceptions - like his nemeses the International Cilantro Growers Association, Frank Zappa, Joe Strummer and The Clash, "Rob the Bully," hippies, the National Football League, The Michael Bolton and Dave Matthews Anti-Defamation Leagues, etc., etc.). The rest, as they say, is History. And what exactly is his story, anyway?
Like Freddie Mercury, Dave Cawley warns Father Time: "Don't stop me now, yes I'm having a good time!"
We know the man-child now known simply as David Cawley (he dropped the J.D. nickname to avoid confusion with fellow musician/know-it-all J.D. Considine, as well as the abbreviation for those potty-mouthed Juvenile Delinquents he so detests!) as a lover of This TV, Mod, The Beatles, Buzzcocks, James Bond, Yukio Mishima, Dragnet, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., Twilight Zone, The Outer Limits, The Nutty Professor, Universal horror movies, pulp fiction, Modesty Blaise, true crime stories, film noir, Mickey Spillane, chicken teriyaki, any recipe involving duck, Vanilla Coke, heavily sweetened bladder-buster-sized cups of hot coffee, unsweetened ice tea, Gin & Tonics shaken 'n' stirred by the Club Charles' buxotic bartenders, Batman, Spider-man, Zatoichi, Godzilla, Ultraman, Kamen Rider, Mazinger, Gigantor, Astroboy, Johnny Sokko, giant robots, giant monsters, classic Marvel and DC comics (especially Steve Ditko and Jack Kirby), classic Little Lulu and Tubby comics, clothing with "clean neat lines (like My Three Sons)," vintage automobiles unspoiled by such "modern" contrivances as air conditioning or heat or horsepower, and basically All Things Japanese - especially his muse Kumi Mizuno, who Dave calls "The kind of woman men like!" 
Kumi Mizuno with friend
But what do we really know of this man of mystery, this enigma, this anomaly who could pass as a doppleganger for Jerry Lewis, Project Runway's Vincent Libretti or Dublin Bohemians soccer coach Pat Fenlon (or - in Dave's dreams - Harrison Ford)? For isn't he a mild-mannered insurance claims adjuster by day who transforms into a ring-a-ding-a-linger swinger by night, a go-go tyger tyger burning bright in the cities of the night, one who's out dancing up a storm and tripping the light fantastic at Baltimore hipster hep-spots like the Sidebar's Reaction! parties and Lithuanian Hall's Soul Night - that is, when he's not defying gravity and all known laws of Newtonian and Quantum physics with his skyward leaps whilst plucking his Hofner bass with such rock bands as the Nu-Beats, Berserk and Garage Sale?
Dave Cawley dispenses the sweet rock with Garage Sale
How, you rightly ask, can one ever know the true workings of a mind that reads former Three Stooges stooge Joe Besser's autobiography More Than a Stooge not once, not twice, but thrice?? Yet verily it is the same cerebellum that is versed not just in Stan Lee comic word balloon vernacular ("Nuff said," "It's clobbering time!," "I envy you, dear reader,") but also fluent in Russian and Japanese? The guy who can explain everything you want to know about Futurism but doesn't own a computer and isn't on Facebook? The he-manchild who once arm-wrestled middle-aged action star Tura Satana (Faster Pussycat Kill Kill!, Astro-Zombies) to a hard-fought standstill at the Chiller Theater Convention (see "Freaks, Geeks & Scream Queen Peeks" for a blow-by-blow account) yet couldn't manage to wash his own dishes without lacerating his hands.
Dave arm wrestles Tura Satana at Chiller Con
Ah, these are but broad strokes of the paintbrush, gross generalizations about the man-child who is David Cawley. For I know him as a dear friend who at his core is kind, polite, humble, selfless and self-effacing. The kind of guy who'd give you his coveted copy of The Dylan Dog Omnibus, come back from the Belgian Comic Museum with treasured Tintin tchokes for his friends, and give away his beloved Inframan special issue of Oriental Cinema to help spread the gospel of Hong Kong-interpreted, Japanese-style tokusatsu vs. kaiju eiga.
Dave Cawley and his fellow heroic man of mystery, Batman
No, the secret meaning of the ageless "kid at heart" Dave Cawley is this: he's The Boy with the Biggest Heart in the World. (So move over Amazing Colossal Man - you've got competition!) If it sounds like one of the films Turner Classic Movies is running today during it's sci-fi/monster movie marathon in unwitting homage to sci-fi/monster movie-loving Dave Cawley (The Thing from Another World, The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms, Them!, The Black Scorpion, Forbidden Planet, etc.), it's no accident. For Big Dave Cawley is truly bigger than life itself in that department. (That's just my opinion - but accurate!)
"What's 50 down? Wait - oh my God it's me!"
OK, this tribute is starting to sound a little homo-erotic (like that gay scene between Laurence Olivier and Tony Curtis in Spartacus!), so enough of this nonsense and on to some pics and videos I humbly offer up to celebrate Big Dave Cawley's Big Semicentennial Birthday Celebration!
Dave Cawley Celebrity Lookalikes:
Was Dave Cawley separated at birth from these celebs? Only his Style magazine stylist knows for sure!
Jerry Lewis?
Jerry says: "That's my boy!"
Vincent Libretti (Project Runway)?
Vince says: "I'm a younger, hipper Dave Cawley!"
Watch this videoclip and decide: is it Vince or Dave?
Pat Fenlon (Irish soccer coach)?
"Stop the game, there's cilantro on the pitch!"
Tura Satana?
Dave Cawley: Queen of Men?
"Oh Tom, I see NO similarity at all to these poseurs - except to Harrison Ford!"
Harrison Ford?
Harrison says: "In your dreams, Dave!"
Dave Meets Buzzcocks & His Idol, Steve Diggle:
Dave: "Pete Shelley's OK, but you're the man Steve-o!"
Tom & Amy hover while Steve and Dave have a heated debate over whose jacket is more mod: Diggle's leather or Dave's Ben Sherman windbreaker
Dave tells Steve Diggle the correct way to play "Autonomy"
Photogenic new 'cocks Chris (L) & Danny (R) ugly up to try & make Dave Cawley (center) look good. They failed.
Dave Cawley Videos:
Watch DC make fun of Rob Hornung's sax playing.
Watch Garage Sale play DC ditty "I Suppose."
Watch "Dave Cawley and the Art of Modern Prance" (YouTube)
Watch Dave Cawley Go-Go Dance with Monsters from the Surf
Watch Berserk play DC's "My Love Is So Big." (a Skizz Cyzyk video)
Listen to Berserk play DC's anthemic "Giant Robots."
Watch Berserk play DC's "Ultra 7".
Final Birthday Wishes:
Hats off to Big Dave Cawley, King of Men!
Addendum:
A week after his 50th birthday, a contemplative Dave Cawley finally understands it all. "Older, yes," he muses, "But also wiser, my friends. Just my opinion, of course - but accurate!"
Related "Dave Cawley Semicentennial Celebration" Links:
Happy Birthday Dave Cawley! (2010)
Happy Birthday Dave Cawley, King of Men (Baltimore Or Less)
The Dave Cawley Songbook
"Project Cawley: Flying Under the Way-dar"
Is Dave Cawley really Pat Felon?
Garage Sale @ Honfest 2008
Geeks, Freaks & Scream Queen Peeks
Dave Meets the Buzzcocks! ("It's the Buzz, Hon!")
Sunday, August 21, 2011
Deconstructing Archie Meets KISS
The Archies Unmasked at Balto-Con!
At this weekend's Baltimore Comic Con at the downtown Convention Center, I spotted Dan Parent selling this poster for the upcoming Archie Meets Kiss comic (slated for November 2011 release) written by Alex Segura and illustrated by Parent. This mash-up between America's Favorite Teenagers and the Knights In the Service of Satan was just too cool to pass up, so I bought copies for both my Archies-fanatic-friend Scott Wallace Brown and my KISS-fanatic-friend Scott "Unpainted" Huffines.
As Alex Segura explains, "The idea of having KISS come to Riverdale is the perfect mix of fun and off-the-wall. It's two pieces of Americana coming together for the first time, which should be fun and entertaining for readers of Archie and members of the KISS Army." While the pairing of the wholesome redhead with the Twitter # sign permanently embedded in his scalp with the oft-unsavory KISS crew may seem an unlikely teamup, it's certainly not without precedent, as Casey Seijas points out in his "Six bizarre music/comic book mashups" blog post (which profiles historic teamings between Lois Lane and Pat Boone, Eminem and The Punisher, Springsteen and the Transformers, New Kids on the Block and Richie Rich, the cast of Saturday Night Live and Spider-Man, and Dethklok with The Goon).
Too Marvel-ous for words: The Boss' alter-ego "Brick Springhorn" meets The Transformers
But while Archie is obviously taking on the Gene Simmons role (his tongue hanging out and his orange locks tied in a Kabuki-style knot), there's more than meets the eye to this poster. Upon closer inspection, comics-and-KISS otaku "Big" Dave Cawley corrected Scott Wallace Brown and I when we mistakenly assumed Jughead was fulfilling the Peter Criss role on drums.
"No way!" Dave exclaimed excitedly (a redundant adjective when it comes to the natural-caffeinated Mr. Cawley), "Look at his face - that's Ace Frehley's Spaceman makeup. Trust me, I know my KISS!"
He was right! How unobservant we were. And Veronica, incongruously playing keyboards instead of guitar, was donning Paul Stanley's solo eye star makeup. I started to see Dave's point that there was more thought put into comic covers than meets the casual glance: for wasn't flakey Jughead really a "Space case" (like Space Ace)?; wasn't girl-crazy Archie a natural fit to fill Simmons' devilishly horny big boots?; and wasn't Veronica the true band leader (like Paul Stanley) who holds it all together with her flexible keyboards (able to play both rhythm and lead riffs) adding the melodic hooks to what would otherwise be a bass-and-drums ensemble? At least Betty was thematically linked to the original KISS percussionist by bang-shang-a-langing her tambourine in Criss' Catman-'do face paint.
That Dave Cawley: always an OCD-ish eye for comics-and-music detail! No wonder Kevin Keller, the openly gay Archie character (who just got his own spin-off comics line) goes for Dave's anally-compulsive type - not to mention the open-minded Scott, as shown below:
Kev's type is partial to the Davids and Scotts of the world
Related Links:
KISS meets Archie? Six bizarre music/comic book mashups
At this weekend's Baltimore Comic Con at the downtown Convention Center, I spotted Dan Parent selling this poster for the upcoming Archie Meets Kiss comic (slated for November 2011 release) written by Alex Segura and illustrated by Parent. This mash-up between America's Favorite Teenagers and the Knights In the Service of Satan was just too cool to pass up, so I bought copies for both my Archies-fanatic-friend Scott Wallace Brown and my KISS-fanatic-friend Scott "Unpainted" Huffines.
As Alex Segura explains, "The idea of having KISS come to Riverdale is the perfect mix of fun and off-the-wall. It's two pieces of Americana coming together for the first time, which should be fun and entertaining for readers of Archie and members of the KISS Army." While the pairing of the wholesome redhead with the Twitter # sign permanently embedded in his scalp with the oft-unsavory KISS crew may seem an unlikely teamup, it's certainly not without precedent, as Casey Seijas points out in his "Six bizarre music/comic book mashups" blog post (which profiles historic teamings between Lois Lane and Pat Boone, Eminem and The Punisher, Springsteen and the Transformers, New Kids on the Block and Richie Rich, the cast of Saturday Night Live and Spider-Man, and Dethklok with The Goon).
Too Marvel-ous for words: The Boss' alter-ego "Brick Springhorn" meets The Transformers
But while Archie is obviously taking on the Gene Simmons role (his tongue hanging out and his orange locks tied in a Kabuki-style knot), there's more than meets the eye to this poster. Upon closer inspection, comics-and-KISS otaku "Big" Dave Cawley corrected Scott Wallace Brown and I when we mistakenly assumed Jughead was fulfilling the Peter Criss role on drums.
"No way!" Dave exclaimed excitedly (a redundant adjective when it comes to the natural-caffeinated Mr. Cawley), "Look at his face - that's Ace Frehley's Spaceman makeup. Trust me, I know my KISS!"
He was right! How unobservant we were. And Veronica, incongruously playing keyboards instead of guitar, was donning Paul Stanley's solo eye star makeup. I started to see Dave's point that there was more thought put into comic covers than meets the casual glance: for wasn't flakey Jughead really a "Space case" (like Space Ace)?; wasn't girl-crazy Archie a natural fit to fill Simmons' devilishly horny big boots?; and wasn't Veronica the true band leader (like Paul Stanley) who holds it all together with her flexible keyboards (able to play both rhythm and lead riffs) adding the melodic hooks to what would otherwise be a bass-and-drums ensemble? At least Betty was thematically linked to the original KISS percussionist by bang-shang-a-langing her tambourine in Criss' Catman-'do face paint.
That Dave Cawley: always an OCD-ish eye for comics-and-music detail! No wonder Kevin Keller, the openly gay Archie character (who just got his own spin-off comics line) goes for Dave's anally-compulsive type - not to mention the open-minded Scott, as shown below:
Kev's type is partial to the Davids and Scotts of the world
Related Links:
KISS meets Archie? Six bizarre music/comic book mashups
Monday, June 13, 2011
Transporters @ Honfest 2011: Satisfaction Guaranteed
Sunday, June 12, 2001
Honfest (TM), Hampden
Transporters freak the beat @ Hunfest
The Transporters are:
Joe Stone: Guitar & Vocals
Joel Denolt: Guitar & Vocals
Steve Caplan: Drums & Vocals
Nick Sypniewski: Bass
OK, I admit it: I went to Denise Whiting's Attila the Hunfest (officially known as Honfest) on Sunday - but only to support those land-of-pleasant-living troubadors, The Transporters. The Transporters play righteous retro rock of the classic Sixties variety, specifically British Invasion, Brit Beat, Merseybeat, Garage, Mod, Psychedelic and/or Nuggets-friendly songs that are sometimes called "Freakbeat" by retro CD compilers. We're talking Stones, Yardbirds, Kinks, Beatles, Love, Who, Small Faces, Byrds, Pretty Things, Them, Doors, The Seeds. Whatever you call it, it is the music Baby Boomers like Amy and I grew up with, so we're as familiar with these musical chestnuts as our AARP Membership card numbers. And from their opening Stones number, "Satisfaction" was guaranteed to one and all in attendance.
Starting at 4 p.m., The Transporters played two sets this day (one before and after a crowd-scattering rainstorm) and were introduced by their unofficial fanboy/mascot/stage dancer, Dave Cawley - yes, the same well-dressed "Man About Town" and dedicated flower of fashion you've seen featured in Urbanite magazine, tripping the light fantastic on the dancefloor at Soul Night and Reaction, and defying gravity whilst plucking his Hofner bass with local surf-rockers Garage Sale. Dave not only introduced the band, but also did some onstage dancing with the freakbeatin' foursome on their opening Rolling Stones number "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction," replete with fey Jaggeresque hand-clapping. The Transporters might want to consider adding Dave as a full-time dancer - the "Fifth Member," as it were - a la Mancunian madcap Bez's role with The Happy Mondays.
Helter Swelter: "Memo to McCartney: you may be a lover but you ain't no dancer - not like me, baby!"
Like-minded musicians tend to gravitate toward one another like a band of, well, a Band of Brothers, and soon after spotting Dave Cawley, we ran into Skizz Cyzyk and then John Irvine - representing 3/4 of the mostly instro/all-mental Garage Sale (and we were sure GS guitarist Dave McDonough was somewhere in the Honfest crowd - probably "refueling" at the beer truck!). Skizz and John were there to support their other band bandmate, Joe Stone, who also plays in The Jennifers. Plus John Irvine was soon to join the Transporters on stage to add some brass to their Sixties sass. (More on that later...)
Slaughter on the Avenue: Joe Stone and Joel Denolt's twin-guitar opening salvo
The Transporters really had the crowd grooving with their opening guitar onslaught of "Satisfaction" (Stones), "I Need You" (Kinks) and "I Feel Fine" (Beatles), as shown in the video clip below:
Watch "Transporters @ Honfest, Part 1."
"That last song sounds really obscure," Dave Cawley commented. "Wonder if it was one of those little-known Liverpudlian beat groups?" Um, yes...
Joe Stone feels a whole lot better playing his Vox Phantom 12-string
Then the ever-observant Dave Cawley, noticing Joe Stone strapping on his 12-string guitar, shouted out, "Play some Byrds!" - to which six-string Transporters plucker Joel Denolt replied, "You've been looking at at set list, good sir!"
"Play some Byrds!" Dancin' Dave demands, spreading his wings to fly across the dancefloor
The band then obliged with Gene Clark's classic "I'll Feel a Whole Lot Better," followed by The Outsiders' "Time Won't Let Me," as recorded in the video clip below.
Watch "Transporters @ Honfest, Part 2."
Joe "Heart of" Stone and Joel "Never a Wrong Note" Denolt essay the parts of Roger McGuinn and David Crosby during their Byrds homage
The one-man Transporters Glee Club continued to rally the troops as he called out for more retro rockers.
"Please sirs, can I have some more of your tasty licks?!" Dave beckons, his freakbeat appetite unsated
The band obliged, with a bevy of Boomer-friendly beats and sizzlin' Sixties sounds, as captured in the photos below. And note guitarist Joe Stone's uncanny resemblance to Jason Stratham of the Transporter action movie franchise; could it be the band is named after the movie and not in homage to the global transportion industry (am I smart or what?)?
There are but four Transporters, but on this day they had celebrity guest musicians sitting in with them, among them trumpter John Irvine and singer Jeni Jones.
Hey Chum, It's Time to Come Blow Your Horn!
You see, besides playing guitar in Garage Sale and The Jennifers, John Irvine is a Munsingwear Penguin spokesmodel and part-time trumpet player. John attended Hunfest with his photogenic girlfriend Kelly (as shown below)...
Cute Couple: John & Kelly
...and later hit the stage to blow trumpet on several numbers with The Transporters. That John: he's flexible, just like Munsingwear casual apparel! Clearly John's horn-iness wasn't sated by playing "Lonely Bull" with Garage Sale during last weekend's Tunes @ The Tower gig up the street at the Roland Water Tower. And while I was disappointed that the Young Man with a Horn didn't play any selections from the Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass songbook (despite my repeated shout-outs for "Lonely Bull"), he did the Transporters proud with his sassy brass on the Arthur Lee & Love classic "Alone Again Or," aided and abetted by Jeni Jones shaking her maracas.
John Irvine: "I should warn you: I play a mean 'Little Spanish Flea'!"
Joe Stone: "Ladies and gentlemen, I give you John Irvine. And take it from me, this guy really blows!"
The sound of trumpet and maracas filled the air - and still no Herb Alpert songs!
John thinks to himself: "All those years of listening to Chuck Mangione records is finally paying off big time!"
John Irvine: "Hey guys, I also blow a mean 'Tijuana Taxi'"
Jeni Jones just wants "Somebody to Love"
After shaking her maracas during "Alone Again Or" (as shown above), Jeni Jones rested her wrists and proceeded to stir the crowd with her voice when she essayed the role of Grace Slick to sing Jefferson Airplane's "Somebody To Love" with the Transporters.
The crowd was shaken, then stirred by singer Jeni Jones
At this point, Dave Cawley decided to rest his legs, taking his place in the VIP seating area in front of the stage, where he took a seat next to Joe Stone's girlfriend Sarah.
"I go out with the dreamy guitar player!" Sarah Hilton gushes
"Oh yeah?" Dave Cawley retorts, "Well, I go out with the Utz Potato Chip Girl - see?" "Ha! Everyone knows she's seeing Mr. Boh," Sarah snorts.
"I find their work very pleasing, aesthetically that is," Dave Cawley muses from his perch in the plush VIP Seating Area (far from the maddening crowd). "They have a very appealing weltanschauung."
Cooling off with a cold libation, Dave strikes his most suave "I'm Harrison Ford - get to know me!" pose
Then, the Transporters really turned up the heat in their "Soul Kitchen" (The Doors), before "Pushin' Too Hard" (The Seeds) as they neared the end of their first set, as shown in the following video clip.
Watch "Transporters @ Honfest, Part 3."
Near the end of the Transporters' first set, the first drops of rain started to come down, which forced us inside to Woodward's Antique Collectables, where I busied myself debating whether to buy another very clean-looking copy of The Raspberries' Fresh LP for $4 (you can never have enough Fresh Raspberries!) while Amy looked for yet more vintage clothing.
"I like shopping for clothes!" says Amy, in her 9th Life Plumbing Skirt
By the time we looked out again, a torrential rainstorm was pouring down and we had to wait it out as we watched nervous vendors frantically move their wares inside or pack up for the day.
Apres les Deluge
After the deluge, we ventured out again just in time to see the start of the Transporters' second set. Much of the crowd had scattered, thinking the gig was a washout...
A dedicated few in raingear stuck around
...but for those who stayed, the highlight was cleary the Dave Cawley Dance Party. Usually seen only in the Midnight Hour at the Sidebar's Reaction! parties and Soul Night at the Lithuanian Hall in SoWeBo, Dave's terpsichorean twinkle toes were on full display for all to see in the suddenly bright-again late afternoon sunshine, as the Transporters' musical missives seemed to trigger an almost Pavlovian urge in Dave to put his body into frenetic motion.
Watch Dave Cawley and Sarah Hilton tear it up dancing to the Yardbirds' "Over Under Sideways Down" and The Who's "Run Run Run."
Dave goes Over...
Under...
Sideways...
and Down, dancing to the Yardbirds!
Will he go round in circles?
Following Dave's lead, girls in the audience went wild, dancing in the streets like crazed maenads!
At the conclusion of the Transporters post-deluge set, Dave and Sarah gave the Transporters a standing ovation.
"Well played sirs!" Dave bellowed. "I raise my cup to thee and drink thy health!"
Also Observed: Hons, Nuns and Buns
Girls just wanna have...nun???
"These sisters thought today was Nunfest," cackle some Honfest Hons
The Sisters were having Nun of those lascivious short skirts: "Spread yer cheeks and take your bun-ishment!"
This babe - in taut form-fitting lycra - obviously thought it was Bunfest
And that, music lovers, is the Living End of this tale.
Thank you, Transporters, oh timeless jingle-jangling troubadors of yore! Like the Pied Piper, you led us on a musical journey down Memory Lane to Happy Days and Good Times.
Related Links:
Transporters66 (MySpace)
Transported (Accelerated Decrepitude)
Honfest (TM), Hampden
Transporters freak the beat @ Hunfest
The Transporters are:
Joe Stone: Guitar & Vocals
Joel Denolt: Guitar & Vocals
Steve Caplan: Drums & Vocals
Nick Sypniewski: Bass
OK, I admit it: I went to Denise Whiting's Attila the Hunfest (officially known as Honfest) on Sunday - but only to support those land-of-pleasant-living troubadors, The Transporters. The Transporters play righteous retro rock of the classic Sixties variety, specifically British Invasion, Brit Beat, Merseybeat, Garage, Mod, Psychedelic and/or Nuggets-friendly songs that are sometimes called "Freakbeat" by retro CD compilers. We're talking Stones, Yardbirds, Kinks, Beatles, Love, Who, Small Faces, Byrds, Pretty Things, Them, Doors, The Seeds. Whatever you call it, it is the music Baby Boomers like Amy and I grew up with, so we're as familiar with these musical chestnuts as our AARP Membership card numbers. And from their opening Stones number, "Satisfaction" was guaranteed to one and all in attendance.
Starting at 4 p.m., The Transporters played two sets this day (one before and after a crowd-scattering rainstorm) and were introduced by their unofficial fanboy/mascot/stage dancer, Dave Cawley - yes, the same well-dressed "Man About Town" and dedicated flower of fashion you've seen featured in Urbanite magazine, tripping the light fantastic on the dancefloor at Soul Night and Reaction, and defying gravity whilst plucking his Hofner bass with local surf-rockers Garage Sale. Dave not only introduced the band, but also did some onstage dancing with the freakbeatin' foursome on their opening Rolling Stones number "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction," replete with fey Jaggeresque hand-clapping. The Transporters might want to consider adding Dave as a full-time dancer - the "Fifth Member," as it were - a la Mancunian madcap Bez's role with The Happy Mondays.
Helter Swelter: "Memo to McCartney: you may be a lover but you ain't no dancer - not like me, baby!"
Like-minded musicians tend to gravitate toward one another like a band of, well, a Band of Brothers, and soon after spotting Dave Cawley, we ran into Skizz Cyzyk and then John Irvine - representing 3/4 of the mostly instro/all-mental Garage Sale (and we were sure GS guitarist Dave McDonough was somewhere in the Honfest crowd - probably "refueling" at the beer truck!). Skizz and John were there to support their other band bandmate, Joe Stone, who also plays in The Jennifers. Plus John Irvine was soon to join the Transporters on stage to add some brass to their Sixties sass. (More on that later...)
Slaughter on the Avenue: Joe Stone and Joel Denolt's twin-guitar opening salvo
The Transporters really had the crowd grooving with their opening guitar onslaught of "Satisfaction" (Stones), "I Need You" (Kinks) and "I Feel Fine" (Beatles), as shown in the video clip below:
Watch "Transporters @ Honfest, Part 1."
"That last song sounds really obscure," Dave Cawley commented. "Wonder if it was one of those little-known Liverpudlian beat groups?" Um, yes...
Joe Stone feels a whole lot better playing his Vox Phantom 12-string
Then the ever-observant Dave Cawley, noticing Joe Stone strapping on his 12-string guitar, shouted out, "Play some Byrds!" - to which six-string Transporters plucker Joel Denolt replied, "You've been looking at at set list, good sir!"
"Play some Byrds!" Dancin' Dave demands, spreading his wings to fly across the dancefloor
The band then obliged with Gene Clark's classic "I'll Feel a Whole Lot Better," followed by The Outsiders' "Time Won't Let Me," as recorded in the video clip below.
Watch "Transporters @ Honfest, Part 2."
Joe "Heart of" Stone and Joel "Never a Wrong Note" Denolt essay the parts of Roger McGuinn and David Crosby during their Byrds homage
The one-man Transporters Glee Club continued to rally the troops as he called out for more retro rockers.
"Please sirs, can I have some more of your tasty licks?!" Dave beckons, his freakbeat appetite unsated
The band obliged, with a bevy of Boomer-friendly beats and sizzlin' Sixties sounds, as captured in the photos below. And note guitarist Joe Stone's uncanny resemblance to Jason Stratham of the Transporter action movie franchise; could it be the band is named after the movie and not in homage to the global transportion industry (am I smart or what?)?
There are but four Transporters, but on this day they had celebrity guest musicians sitting in with them, among them trumpter John Irvine and singer Jeni Jones.
Hey Chum, It's Time to Come Blow Your Horn!
You see, besides playing guitar in Garage Sale and The Jennifers, John Irvine is a Munsingwear Penguin spokesmodel and part-time trumpet player. John attended Hunfest with his photogenic girlfriend Kelly (as shown below)...
Cute Couple: John & Kelly
...and later hit the stage to blow trumpet on several numbers with The Transporters. That John: he's flexible, just like Munsingwear casual apparel! Clearly John's horn-iness wasn't sated by playing "Lonely Bull" with Garage Sale during last weekend's Tunes @ The Tower gig up the street at the Roland Water Tower. And while I was disappointed that the Young Man with a Horn didn't play any selections from the Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass songbook (despite my repeated shout-outs for "Lonely Bull"), he did the Transporters proud with his sassy brass on the Arthur Lee & Love classic "Alone Again Or," aided and abetted by Jeni Jones shaking her maracas.
John Irvine: "I should warn you: I play a mean 'Little Spanish Flea'!"
Joe Stone: "Ladies and gentlemen, I give you John Irvine. And take it from me, this guy really blows!"
The sound of trumpet and maracas filled the air - and still no Herb Alpert songs!
John thinks to himself: "All those years of listening to Chuck Mangione records is finally paying off big time!"
John Irvine: "Hey guys, I also blow a mean 'Tijuana Taxi'"
Jeni Jones just wants "Somebody to Love"
After shaking her maracas during "Alone Again Or" (as shown above), Jeni Jones rested her wrists and proceeded to stir the crowd with her voice when she essayed the role of Grace Slick to sing Jefferson Airplane's "Somebody To Love" with the Transporters.
The crowd was shaken, then stirred by singer Jeni Jones
At this point, Dave Cawley decided to rest his legs, taking his place in the VIP seating area in front of the stage, where he took a seat next to Joe Stone's girlfriend Sarah.
"I go out with the dreamy guitar player!" Sarah Hilton gushes
"Oh yeah?" Dave Cawley retorts, "Well, I go out with the Utz Potato Chip Girl - see?" "Ha! Everyone knows she's seeing Mr. Boh," Sarah snorts.
"I find their work very pleasing, aesthetically that is," Dave Cawley muses from his perch in the plush VIP Seating Area (far from the maddening crowd). "They have a very appealing weltanschauung."
Cooling off with a cold libation, Dave strikes his most suave "I'm Harrison Ford - get to know me!" pose
Then, the Transporters really turned up the heat in their "Soul Kitchen" (The Doors), before "Pushin' Too Hard" (The Seeds) as they neared the end of their first set, as shown in the following video clip.
Watch "Transporters @ Honfest, Part 3."
Near the end of the Transporters' first set, the first drops of rain started to come down, which forced us inside to Woodward's Antique Collectables, where I busied myself debating whether to buy another very clean-looking copy of The Raspberries' Fresh LP for $4 (you can never have enough Fresh Raspberries!) while Amy looked for yet more vintage clothing.
"I like shopping for clothes!" says Amy, in her 9th Life Plumbing Skirt
By the time we looked out again, a torrential rainstorm was pouring down and we had to wait it out as we watched nervous vendors frantically move their wares inside or pack up for the day.
Apres les Deluge
After the deluge, we ventured out again just in time to see the start of the Transporters' second set. Much of the crowd had scattered, thinking the gig was a washout...
A dedicated few in raingear stuck around
...but for those who stayed, the highlight was cleary the Dave Cawley Dance Party. Usually seen only in the Midnight Hour at the Sidebar's Reaction! parties and Soul Night at the Lithuanian Hall in SoWeBo, Dave's terpsichorean twinkle toes were on full display for all to see in the suddenly bright-again late afternoon sunshine, as the Transporters' musical missives seemed to trigger an almost Pavlovian urge in Dave to put his body into frenetic motion.
Watch Dave Cawley and Sarah Hilton tear it up dancing to the Yardbirds' "Over Under Sideways Down" and The Who's "Run Run Run."
Dave goes Over...
Under...
Sideways...
and Down, dancing to the Yardbirds!
Will he go round in circles?
Following Dave's lead, girls in the audience went wild, dancing in the streets like crazed maenads!
At the conclusion of the Transporters post-deluge set, Dave and Sarah gave the Transporters a standing ovation.
"Well played sirs!" Dave bellowed. "I raise my cup to thee and drink thy health!"
Also Observed: Hons, Nuns and Buns
Girls just wanna have...nun???
"These sisters thought today was Nunfest," cackle some Honfest Hons
The Sisters were having Nun of those lascivious short skirts: "Spread yer cheeks and take your bun-ishment!"
This babe - in taut form-fitting lycra - obviously thought it was Bunfest
And that, music lovers, is the Living End of this tale.
Thank you, Transporters, oh timeless jingle-jangling troubadors of yore! Like the Pied Piper, you led us on a musical journey down Memory Lane to Happy Days and Good Times.
Related Links:
Transporters66 (MySpace)
Transported (Accelerated Decrepitude)
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