I had a chance this summer to catch, maybe for the last time The Asylum Street Spankers. I missed the first half of the show having just come in from the airport to catch the second set.(we'd been visiting my sister and her family in California).
I was surprised to not see Wammo, one of the constant founding members on stage. The band made no mention to his absents but I did find out later from his blog that they parted on less than wonderful terms.
They still put on a hell of a show and I'm glad to have caught them as this appears to be their last spanking tour.
It's funny (or tries to be).
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Zappa Day Festivities
It's been a while since the actual event but I would like to give a capsule summary of the Frank Zappa statue dedication.
I thought I would miss the ceremony completely because my boss's wedding was September 18th, the original date for the dedication but they moved the statue dedication back to September 19th, the 25th anniversary of Frank's testimony before congress for the record labeling bill. This is also the day the Zappa Family Trust chose to release a CD of Frank's testimony as well as some related interviews.
Weather wise you couldn't have asked for a better day. Clear blue skies and a pleasant temperature ensured a good turnout for the dedication. This show has been 2 years in the making and only came to light when it happened across the right desk in the Baltimore bureaucracy.
An estimated 3500 people came out for the ceremony at the east branch of the Pratt Library and Kathy and I were glad to be two of them.
"This is history. I like history"
-Kathy Bolton on why she attended
Because I was as eager as a kid on Christmas morning, we got an early start to the event. We arrived there around noon and found the area around Highlandtown to be decorated with banners hanging from the light posts in anticipation of the days festivities. Since there was nothing more that setup for the event going on we went to lunch at a local sports bar which had welcoming signs for Zappa fans. It was here that I noticed the wide variety of Zappa related t-shirts and decided to make that the major theme of my would-be slide show.
Almost all the fans in shirts I approached were proud to be flying their Zappa colors and more than happy to pose for a picture. I was surprised and pleased to note that fans were both young and old, male and female. Of course the largest part of the demographic was older men (a lot of them looked like me) but it was nice to see many youngsters and women sporting Zappawear.
Kathy established a great viewing spot along the railing just outside the VIP area early on and held it as I mingled through the crowd snapping photos and talking with like minded Zappa fans. When the 2:00 hour approached I was glad Kathy had staked out the spot she did because it was right near the spot where the VIPs (including the Zappa Family) entered. I was able to get some decent shots of Frank's kids as well as the Lithuanians who donated the statue.
The ceremony was moving as well as historic. It started with a bagpiper marching up to the stage playing a Zappa tune which was enough to bring a tear to the eye of even Dweezil. The mayor of Baltimore and the head librarian both spoke glowingly of the magnitude of this event and how please they were to be part of it.
Gail Zappa, Frank's widow, spoke of how he never cared about how he would be remembered but that she cared and he would have been pleased of this dedication. She quoted Frank as saying: "If you want to get laid, go to college, If you want an education go to a library" which explains the placement of the statue.
The unveiling was met with predictable fanfare as we were all there for one reason. Perhaps the most touching moment was when Frank's youngest daughter Diva spoke and in a genuinely choked up voice, and said " Thank you for loving my Dad". What's not to love?
Following the unveiling ceremony there was a free concert by Dweezil's band Zappa plays Zappa. As the band was taking the stage Kathy beckoned me to follow her and I found myself in the VIP section and had the opportunity to get some photos of the statue up close as well as one with me in front of it (but Kathy cut the statue off, nothing that can't be fixed in Photoshop). I had no idea that we had gate crashed and was surprised to be asked to leave because we didn't have the necessary VIP passes.
The rest of the afternoon was filled with Frank's music played with precision and feeling from Dweezil and his band. I never thought I would get Kathy to a Zappa concert but she was only to happy to attend and bask in the history of it all.
The event was free but I wasn't getting out of there with out spending a fair share of money. I "had" to have a poster commemorating the event (signed by the young artist who designed it) as well as a t-shirt ("What's New in Baltimore?"}. Money was also spent on various food and drink and that helped to make the event a success but I heard from one of the promoters that the event ended up in the hole to the tune of about $15,000. Even at a reduced rate the price of hiring the band was excessive, but I'm hoping that this will become an annual festival and will go on to flourish and put Highlandtown on the map. It's sure to be a stop for me when I have any friends who come for a visit.
You've been warned.
I thought I would miss the ceremony completely because my boss's wedding was September 18th, the original date for the dedication but they moved the statue dedication back to September 19th, the 25th anniversary of Frank's testimony before congress for the record labeling bill. This is also the day the Zappa Family Trust chose to release a CD of Frank's testimony as well as some related interviews.
Weather wise you couldn't have asked for a better day. Clear blue skies and a pleasant temperature ensured a good turnout for the dedication. This show has been 2 years in the making and only came to light when it happened across the right desk in the Baltimore bureaucracy.
An estimated 3500 people came out for the ceremony at the east branch of the Pratt Library and Kathy and I were glad to be two of them.
"This is history. I like history"
-Kathy Bolton on why she attended
Because I was as eager as a kid on Christmas morning, we got an early start to the event. We arrived there around noon and found the area around Highlandtown to be decorated with banners hanging from the light posts in anticipation of the days festivities. Since there was nothing more that setup for the event going on we went to lunch at a local sports bar which had welcoming signs for Zappa fans. It was here that I noticed the wide variety of Zappa related t-shirts and decided to make that the major theme of my would-be slide show.
Almost all the fans in shirts I approached were proud to be flying their Zappa colors and more than happy to pose for a picture. I was surprised and pleased to note that fans were both young and old, male and female. Of course the largest part of the demographic was older men (a lot of them looked like me) but it was nice to see many youngsters and women sporting Zappawear.
Kathy established a great viewing spot along the railing just outside the VIP area early on and held it as I mingled through the crowd snapping photos and talking with like minded Zappa fans. When the 2:00 hour approached I was glad Kathy had staked out the spot she did because it was right near the spot where the VIPs (including the Zappa Family) entered. I was able to get some decent shots of Frank's kids as well as the Lithuanians who donated the statue.
The ceremony was moving as well as historic. It started with a bagpiper marching up to the stage playing a Zappa tune which was enough to bring a tear to the eye of even Dweezil. The mayor of Baltimore and the head librarian both spoke glowingly of the magnitude of this event and how please they were to be part of it.
Gail Zappa, Frank's widow, spoke of how he never cared about how he would be remembered but that she cared and he would have been pleased of this dedication. She quoted Frank as saying: "If you want to get laid, go to college, If you want an education go to a library" which explains the placement of the statue.
The unveiling was met with predictable fanfare as we were all there for one reason. Perhaps the most touching moment was when Frank's youngest daughter Diva spoke and in a genuinely choked up voice, and said " Thank you for loving my Dad". What's not to love?
Following the unveiling ceremony there was a free concert by Dweezil's band Zappa plays Zappa. As the band was taking the stage Kathy beckoned me to follow her and I found myself in the VIP section and had the opportunity to get some photos of the statue up close as well as one with me in front of it (but Kathy cut the statue off, nothing that can't be fixed in Photoshop). I had no idea that we had gate crashed and was surprised to be asked to leave because we didn't have the necessary VIP passes.
The rest of the afternoon was filled with Frank's music played with precision and feeling from Dweezil and his band. I never thought I would get Kathy to a Zappa concert but she was only to happy to attend and bask in the history of it all.
The event was free but I wasn't getting out of there with out spending a fair share of money. I "had" to have a poster commemorating the event (signed by the young artist who designed it) as well as a t-shirt ("What's New in Baltimore?"}. Money was also spent on various food and drink and that helped to make the event a success but I heard from one of the promoters that the event ended up in the hole to the tune of about $15,000. Even at a reduced rate the price of hiring the band was excessive, but I'm hoping that this will become an annual festival and will go on to flourish and put Highlandtown on the map. It's sure to be a stop for me when I have any friends who come for a visit.
You've been warned.
Beer Bottle Brush
Is it too much to ask for a beer with the benefit of fluoride? I mean if your going to drink to excess then don't you think you should at least do your body the favor of protecting your teeth? And why not tarter control beer to keep down the build up between dental visits? I believe that every vice should have a virtue and I can't think of anything better than an alcoholic with a perfect smile. There may be no better way to get someone into a bed that you're too drunk to preform in.
Right now I'm enjoying a malt beverage with guarana and taurine as well as caffeine so if I'm still blogging after midnight you'll know why. I would just feel more secure if I knew when I passed out that my teeth would be protected by a generous dose of fluoride as well as the dose of alcohol that caused me to pass out without brushing in the first place.
Is that too much to ask?
Right now I'm enjoying a malt beverage with guarana and taurine as well as caffeine so if I'm still blogging after midnight you'll know why. I would just feel more secure if I knew when I passed out that my teeth would be protected by a generous dose of fluoride as well as the dose of alcohol that caused me to pass out without brushing in the first place.
Is that too much to ask?
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)