Cloaca Melodia

Lynah Rink, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY..... This was one of the best concerts I've ever attended. Me and the people I went with--my girlfriend Alyssa, and Tim and Chris--were all Elvis fans, and we had heard that he was doing a tour with a Spinning Songwheel: audience members would be brought up on stage to spin the wheel, and whatever song it landed on, Elvis would perform. Nick Lowe first came on solo (it was officially called the "Elvis Costello Almost Alone" tour, since it was just Costello and Lowe solo--at least according to the t-shirt I bought), and did a great smattering of his songs. Then Elvis came out, announced "Welcome to my world" and opened an umbrella with a map of the world printed on it. He then launched into "American Without Tears" and a bunch of new songs from the King of America album. After a decent-length set, he departed, came back for an encore with Nick to do a duo version of Lowe's "(What's So Funny ...

The Haunt, Ithaca, NY.....   add your own comments if you were also there!    

The Haunt, Ithaca, NY..... Such a great concert. Richman was performing as a trio with the Modern Lovers, and that really made this performance head and shoulders over all all of the other times I've seen Jonathan . (I've seen him in a guitar + drums configuration, and you might not think simply adding a bass would really flesh out the sound, but it did.)   Jonathan was touring in support of his latest album It's Time For , which featured one of songs that illustrates some of Jonathan's core principles that are foundational in his music: "Corner Store" (he re-recorded the song four years later for Jonathan Goes Country , but it was originally from  It's Time For ). "I know it costs more money to shop there but this was love, this was love," Jonathan croons on the song's bridge. "I know you had to pay more money, I'll pay money, I'll pay more. I don't care what the mall has got, I want back that corner store." Modernity ...

Colemans, Rome, NY...... My hometown friend Dave was attending Hamilton College in Clinton, NY, while I was at Ithaca College. He told me that The Beat Farmers were going to be playing near in in Rome (where my mother's side of the family is from). I didn't have a car, so I took a Greyhound to Utica and Dave picked me up. I've never been to the bar before or since, but it was a pretty standard type of wood-panelled bar with a lot of 4'x4' tables in front of the stage and standing area around the perimeter of the room. The band was just like the title of their later live album: Loud 'n' Plowed . Jerry Rainey and Buddy Blue were somewhat memorable, but it's hard to compete for brain-space when you've got a guy in the band like the late, legendary Country Dick Montana. Montana, the big guy dressed in a duster and cowboy hat behind the drum kit, punctuated his percussion with frequent shouts of "Hah!" He came out from behind the drums to ta...

The Haunt, Ithaca, NY..... The band's latest release was the "All Shook Up" single as their follow-up to their 1985 debut full-length Who Betrays Me...And Other Happier Songs . We were playing their Elvis cover heavily at my college radio station, WICB. In fact, we gave a lot of their songs heavy airplay! I don't really remember much about the show, except that they did indeed play "All Shook Up." But I recall having a good time, as well as having a conversation with singer Deena Shoshkes after the show.  

Ithaca College, Ithaca, NY I haven't written about this show, but here's a review of it from The Ithacan by my WICB colleague Scott Murphy.

Hangar Theater, Ithaca, NY Siberry's second album No Borders Here was causing some kind of a sensation at WICB. We started off playing "I Muse Aloud," and then moved to the album's epic "Mimi on the Beach." Eventually, we would also play "The Waitress" and "Extra Executives" a bit as well. post continues.... So it was cool that she was playing live in Ithaca. I don't remember how this came up but the concert promoter was looking for people to work security for the concert, and the word went out to us at the college radio station. I agreed to do it, thinking I could see the show for free. Of course, I got posted at the back door/artist's entrance at the end of long corridor from the actual stage, so I wasn't able to see any of the opener. (For years, BTW, I thought it was Peter Case who opened the show, but I asked him once about it and he couldn't recollect ever opening for Siberry; turned out the performer's na...

Nowhere City, Syracuse, NY I had always remembered this as being the the first real rock concert I ever attended (not counting things like seeing the Vienna Boys Choir in 4th grade). However, I have ticket stubs from both this show as well as a U2 concert in April of '85 . So I guess the U2 show was my first. post continues.... Either way, this concert was at a juice bar. New York State was raising its drinking age from 19 to 21 years effective December 1st, so some establishments (well, this one at least) jettisoned the alcohol entirely to preserve its patronage by college students. This one turned into a "juice bar"--just like a regular bar, except you could order overpriced orange juice instead of overpriced beers. I didn't care either way; I would have gone if the show was in a castor oil bar with a two drink minimum. I had really dug O.M.D.'s 1984 album Junk Culture , and their latest ( Crush ) was growing on me as well. I was very curious to see how their sy...

Hartford Civic Center, Hartford, CT I don't remember who was organizing the road trip from Ithaca to Hartford to catch U2 on their Unforgettable Fire tour, but two of my fellow DJs at our college radio station ( WICB ) were going and I wasn't about to pass up the opportunity. post continues.... Kevin wore his Irish-American heritage on his sleeve, even calling himself "The Leprechaun" on the air, and was naturally a huge fan of the band. Glenn, meanwhile, was a lyric-oriented music listener and future songwriter, and was inspired by Bono's freewheeling yet passionate and meaningful approach to his words. They, plus myself, and two other guys who I didn't really know--friends of Kevin, I think--piled into the car (not mine, of course, I didn't even yet know how to drive) and made the five hour trek to Hartford. U2 setlist: "11 O'Clock Tick Tock," "I Will Follow," "Seconds," "MLK," "The Unforgettable ...

The Haunt, Ithaca, NY This was a birthday show for John Webber , organized by his girlfriend at the time. As I recall it was supposed to be a private soiree but there was a danger of not having enough attendees to sell enough beverages to appease the bar owner, so it was opened to public admission in a flurry of last-minute promotion. The Haunt was aptly named for those of us DJs at Ithaca College's WICB. The venue was like a second home to many ICB'ers. Not only because of the many great shows there , but the bar and the station partnered for a number of activities: a weekly dance night, station DJs to act as MC for some shows , a couple of live-on-tape broadcasts , and other joint ventures of various stripes. The New York Breaks were a local band; they eventually relocated to Boston and changed their name to Circle Sky. Later, the band's Matt Keating had a solo career of note. We used to play a song by The Breaks called "The Main Thing" (from a cart!). John W...