Monday, July 31, 2006
Beatles Summer
The summer of 2006 could very well be remembered by me as that great Beatles Summer. With two major events behind us and two major events right around the corner, I think this is the perfect time to share my Beatles Summer with you. America’s unofficial start to summer is Memorial Day weekend, which usually falls on my birthday and this year was no exception. I celebrated my new year and the new season in Louisville at Abbey Road on the River, a mostly outdoor Beatles Tribute Band Festival. On June 18, Paul McCartney finally got his big questions answered (Will you still need me? Will you still feed me?) almost 50 years after he wrote "When I’m 64." I celebrated the old geyser’s birthday at The Wise Fools Pub in Chicago, where Eric Howell threw probably one of the coolest Paul birthday bashes on the planet. The 2 events coming up are Chicago’s Annual Fest for Beatles Fans (August 11-14) and The Old Town School of Folk Music’s Brendan Hedges Scholarship Night on Friday, August 18. I will be performing at both events. Read On!
**Abbey Road On The River -This was my first year attending AROTR and what a great time I had! I was just attending as a spectator which is often hard for me considering how much I like being on stage! It didn’t take long before I became the official camera man for both The Yellow SubMorons and The Johnny Doughnut Experience In fact, I just went to the AROTR site and saw that my footage is posted on their site. Duncan Doughnut posted a video clip on July 9. I have my first YouTube video and it’s from BEHIND the camera. There’s also a great 5-minute video clip posted on July 22 by Jason, the AROTR web and video guy. Check it out. Chicago bands dominated the Festival with 8 bands and lots of other Beatle people we know from The Fest for Beatles Fans like The Jukebox from Puerto Rico and Gavin (George, Harry’s Son) who played with British Export in Chicago for a spell. Instant Karma always had a packed dance floor and special thanks to Jay Goeppner for convincing the Security Guard that I was with the band so I could be in the reserved seating section. There’s no way you can see all the bands so I can only report on the ones I did see. There was this band from Portland, OR called The Bad Dates. They did really good rockabilly versions of Beatles songs and the band was headed up by Col. Sanders! The lead singer bleached his hair and goatee, put on a white suit and horn-rimmed glasses and was a dead-ringer for the KFC founder. Nicole Nigh (as heard on many Danny Donuts recordings) served up wacky British humour with her Rutles tribute band, The YelowSubMorons. They drew an interesting crowd! I was proud of them for doing so great in their debut. And I felt like my Beatles family multiplied exponentially as I was immediately adopted into the Johnny Doughnut Experience family. The Louisville band had fun pointing me out as their cousin from Chicago. Johnny and his cousin Duncan (who has the COOLEST doughnut bass) along with drummer, Freddy Krueller and background singers Sprinkles and Jelly totally rocked out. They were a band I would stop and watch even if we didn’t have similar last names. They won the "We hope we passed the audition contest" last year. This year Chicago’s Apple Scruffs acappella trio (Wynona’s pregnant so they’re really more than a trio) made it to the top 3. I had to leave on Sunday afternoon to get back for Monday’s Cubs game so I missed the huge rainstorm and Woodstock-like mud fest. I’ll have to get more time off next year! Geez, I sound like a Cub fan- "Wait 'til next year!"
** Paul McCartney’s 64th Birthday Bash- My promotion idea for Eric Howell was to once again rent Trader Todd’s party bus, the Tiki Transit, except this time I would drive him out to the Rosemont Theatre and when Beatles fans exited the Ringo Starr concert, Eric could start his own rooftop concert from the roof of the bus and promote his Paul McCartney Birthday Bash the next night. Eric was out of town, so we can only wonder how long it would have been before he got arrested. And we can only wonder what the atmosphere would have been like at a packed Wise Fools Pub. Maybe it was because it was a Sunday night, maybe it was because it was Father’s Day, but the spectator turnout was fairly low. It was still an awesome night. I guess I could say "Baby, I was amazed!" I heard stories how The Rolling Stones would show up at a Chicago blues bar and they would lock the doors and whoever was in the club would get treated to an unforgettable intimate performance as The Stones would get up on stage and jam with their blues heroes. This was the closest thing I’ve experienced to something like that. Eric advertised it as Eric and The Implants with Casey McDonough sitting in on bass and other special guests. I knew we were in for a treat when Phil Angotti showed up with a guitar strapped to his back. And moments later Tony K walked in followed by Scott Ligon. This wasn’t going to be the typical Eric and The Implants show. It turned out to be an awesome McCartney and Beatles jam session. Tony, Scott and Casey play together in The Federales and they are all multi-instrumentalists who often switch instruments, sometimes even in the middle of a song. They were all over the stage taking turns at the keyboard, bass, guitar, and lead vocals. Perhaps it was Tony K with the most memorable moment of the evening when he pulled out the clarinet during "When I’m 64" (See Clip #5 at EricHowellMusic.com ) Eric has video footage posted on his website so check it out to kind of get a feel of how we celebrated in Chicago!
**The Fest for Beatles Fans- This will be number 10 for me! It all started back in ’97 in the pre-Danny Donuts days when I did "Lucy is Disguised as Linus" in the Sound-Alike contest and ended up in the finals, playing on a huge stage in a packed ballroom. It was like, "Toto, I don’t think we’re in Ludington anymore!" Well, after 8 appearances in the Sound-Alike finals and 5 Battle of the Beatles Bands appearances, I have chosen to remove myself from both contests. I’m making that choice because I’m moving up to something more insane! I sent a proposal to Mark and Carol Lapidos and they liked it enough to say "yeah." So Fest attendees will get a chance to see me on the main stage each night! On Friday I will be musically welcoming folks (back) to the Fest, Saturday will be my musical tribute to the special guests, and on Sunday the not-to-be-missed Fest wrap-up. I can’t even start writing that song until the Fest because the lyrics are going to be about what actually went on over the course of the weekend! Each year I’ve been challenging my creativity at the Fest and this year, I’m taking that to a much higher level. I invite you all to be there with me. I’m thrilled that the pool I get to play in will no longer be structured around competition. That opens up huge avenues for creativity, collaboration and sharing. I hope to see you there!
**Old Town School of Folk Music’s Brendan Hedges Scholarship Night- Friday, August 18. One week after the Fest for Beatles Fans will be another huge Beatles night. A few years before I started going to The Fest, Brendan lost his life on the" L," Chicago’s Public Transportation Train System. He was shot by someone who wanted his guitar. He was just a kid, but had already become a Fest regular and had a real love for music and The Beatles. Although I never met him, I’ve gotten to meet his family over the years. Every other year, the Beatles community comes together to put on a words-can’t-describe-it kind of evening lead by WXRT’s Terri Hemmert. They created a scholarship in Brendan’s name that allows kids from low-income families to be able to take guitar lessons. I performed there in 2002 and in 2004 made a special appearance as a bulldog during Eric and The Implants’ "Hey Bulldog" rendition. (Eric kept that surprise from everyone- including his band!) I’ll be doing a couple songs. Buy your tickets in advance. It could sell out.
This Beatles Summer is just beginning to warm up. See you at the Fest!
Peace, Love and Donuts,
Danny Donuts
**Abbey Road On The River -This was my first year attending AROTR and what a great time I had! I was just attending as a spectator which is often hard for me considering how much I like being on stage! It didn’t take long before I became the official camera man for both The Yellow SubMorons and The Johnny Doughnut Experience In fact, I just went to the AROTR site and saw that my footage is posted on their site. Duncan Doughnut posted a video clip on July 9. I have my first YouTube video and it’s from BEHIND the camera. There’s also a great 5-minute video clip posted on July 22 by Jason, the AROTR web and video guy. Check it out. Chicago bands dominated the Festival with 8 bands and lots of other Beatle people we know from The Fest for Beatles Fans like The Jukebox from Puerto Rico and Gavin (George, Harry’s Son) who played with British Export in Chicago for a spell. Instant Karma always had a packed dance floor and special thanks to Jay Goeppner for convincing the Security Guard that I was with the band so I could be in the reserved seating section. There’s no way you can see all the bands so I can only report on the ones I did see. There was this band from Portland, OR called The Bad Dates. They did really good rockabilly versions of Beatles songs and the band was headed up by Col. Sanders! The lead singer bleached his hair and goatee, put on a white suit and horn-rimmed glasses and was a dead-ringer for the KFC founder. Nicole Nigh (as heard on many Danny Donuts recordings) served up wacky British humour with her Rutles tribute band, The YelowSubMorons. They drew an interesting crowd! I was proud of them for doing so great in their debut. And I felt like my Beatles family multiplied exponentially as I was immediately adopted into the Johnny Doughnut Experience family. The Louisville band had fun pointing me out as their cousin from Chicago. Johnny and his cousin Duncan (who has the COOLEST doughnut bass) along with drummer, Freddy Krueller and background singers Sprinkles and Jelly totally rocked out. They were a band I would stop and watch even if we didn’t have similar last names. They won the "We hope we passed the audition contest" last year. This year Chicago’s Apple Scruffs acappella trio (Wynona’s pregnant so they’re really more than a trio) made it to the top 3. I had to leave on Sunday afternoon to get back for Monday’s Cubs game so I missed the huge rainstorm and Woodstock-like mud fest. I’ll have to get more time off next year! Geez, I sound like a Cub fan- "Wait 'til next year!"
** Paul McCartney’s 64th Birthday Bash- My promotion idea for Eric Howell was to once again rent Trader Todd’s party bus, the Tiki Transit, except this time I would drive him out to the Rosemont Theatre and when Beatles fans exited the Ringo Starr concert, Eric could start his own rooftop concert from the roof of the bus and promote his Paul McCartney Birthday Bash the next night. Eric was out of town, so we can only wonder how long it would have been before he got arrested. And we can only wonder what the atmosphere would have been like at a packed Wise Fools Pub. Maybe it was because it was a Sunday night, maybe it was because it was Father’s Day, but the spectator turnout was fairly low. It was still an awesome night. I guess I could say "Baby, I was amazed!" I heard stories how The Rolling Stones would show up at a Chicago blues bar and they would lock the doors and whoever was in the club would get treated to an unforgettable intimate performance as The Stones would get up on stage and jam with their blues heroes. This was the closest thing I’ve experienced to something like that. Eric advertised it as Eric and The Implants with Casey McDonough sitting in on bass and other special guests. I knew we were in for a treat when Phil Angotti showed up with a guitar strapped to his back. And moments later Tony K walked in followed by Scott Ligon. This wasn’t going to be the typical Eric and The Implants show. It turned out to be an awesome McCartney and Beatles jam session. Tony, Scott and Casey play together in The Federales and they are all multi-instrumentalists who often switch instruments, sometimes even in the middle of a song. They were all over the stage taking turns at the keyboard, bass, guitar, and lead vocals. Perhaps it was Tony K with the most memorable moment of the evening when he pulled out the clarinet during "When I’m 64" (See Clip #5 at EricHowellMusic.com ) Eric has video footage posted on his website so check it out to kind of get a feel of how we celebrated in Chicago!
**The Fest for Beatles Fans- This will be number 10 for me! It all started back in ’97 in the pre-Danny Donuts days when I did "Lucy is Disguised as Linus" in the Sound-Alike contest and ended up in the finals, playing on a huge stage in a packed ballroom. It was like, "Toto, I don’t think we’re in Ludington anymore!" Well, after 8 appearances in the Sound-Alike finals and 5 Battle of the Beatles Bands appearances, I have chosen to remove myself from both contests. I’m making that choice because I’m moving up to something more insane! I sent a proposal to Mark and Carol Lapidos and they liked it enough to say "yeah." So Fest attendees will get a chance to see me on the main stage each night! On Friday I will be musically welcoming folks (back) to the Fest, Saturday will be my musical tribute to the special guests, and on Sunday the not-to-be-missed Fest wrap-up. I can’t even start writing that song until the Fest because the lyrics are going to be about what actually went on over the course of the weekend! Each year I’ve been challenging my creativity at the Fest and this year, I’m taking that to a much higher level. I invite you all to be there with me. I’m thrilled that the pool I get to play in will no longer be structured around competition. That opens up huge avenues for creativity, collaboration and sharing. I hope to see you there!
**Old Town School of Folk Music’s Brendan Hedges Scholarship Night- Friday, August 18. One week after the Fest for Beatles Fans will be another huge Beatles night. A few years before I started going to The Fest, Brendan lost his life on the" L," Chicago’s Public Transportation Train System. He was shot by someone who wanted his guitar. He was just a kid, but had already become a Fest regular and had a real love for music and The Beatles. Although I never met him, I’ve gotten to meet his family over the years. Every other year, the Beatles community comes together to put on a words-can’t-describe-it kind of evening lead by WXRT’s Terri Hemmert. They created a scholarship in Brendan’s name that allows kids from low-income families to be able to take guitar lessons. I performed there in 2002 and in 2004 made a special appearance as a bulldog during Eric and The Implants’ "Hey Bulldog" rendition. (Eric kept that surprise from everyone- including his band!) I’ll be doing a couple songs. Buy your tickets in advance. It could sell out.
This Beatles Summer is just beginning to warm up. See you at the Fest!
Peace, Love and Donuts,
Danny Donuts
Sunday, July 09, 2006
Dress Like Me-Get On TV
Before the USA-Poland Game, Summer 2004, Soldier Field, Chicago.
I had this same outfit on when the TV cameras came into Ginger's Bar during the USA- Czech Republic game. My interview was aired on Comcast SportsNet later that evening.
I had this same outfit on when the TV cameras came into Ginger's Bar during the USA- Czech Republic game. My interview was aired on Comcast SportsNet later that evening.
The Whole World Is Watching
It’s the eve of the 2006 World Cup Soccer Championship game. Sad to say the good ol’ US of A did not advance out of their group. The longer a team stays alive, the longer the country is united and has something to cheer about. It was exciting to see the surprise teams of Ghana, Australia, and Ecuador make it to the second round. The excitement and passion on the faces of the players, coaches and fans say it all. This is what this tournament is all about. Even though American fans had little to cheer about, I’ll still be watching until the end. I’ll not only be watching because of my love for the game and the tournament, but because I have something at stake. At the onset of the tournament I got in a pool. Now, this isn’t an office pool or one amongst a big group of friends. This pool has only two participants, me and my dad.
I came up with my own rules, where before Game 1, we pick the winner of every game in the first round, then pick the final 16, the final 8, the final 4, the third place winner and the champion. It’s based on a 500-point system. You pick the winners and sit back and watch. My dad also came up with his own rules. His is based on a 1,000-point system and required us calling in our predicted winners at the start of every round. He did take what he liked from my proposed rules and incorporated that into a complex bonus points system. So complex in fact, that I haven’t quite figured it out. I just keep picking the winners and he keeps letting me know that I’m still in the lead.
We both invested a lot of time into this. I would get up and turn on Univision, the Spanish television station, to see who was winning the 8am game. I paid attention to teams representing countries I’ve never heard of before. I would check the scores online and figure out the next match ups. According to my mother, my dad has had newspapers, crayons, color-coded charts, and an adding machine cluttering up the entire living room for the past month. She assists him in watching the newscasts just in case they mention something about soccer. My parents are living up in the Wisconsin Northwoods with no cable, Spanish stations or computers. I’m living in one of the biggest melting pot cities in America. Every country in the tournament probably has a community in Chicago and I can go to their viewing parties and experience their passion. It’s funny. With this much involvement, which at times borders on obsession, you would think we have something big riding on this: large amounts of cash, a trophy, an “if I win you get to be my personal servant for a week” wager. But no, there’s been no mention of any of that. We don’t even have a dollar riding on it. I guess there are bragging rights, but that will get old after about 30 seconds. Neither one of us had to be talked into playing or talked out of betting on it. We both just jumped in and went for it. No amount of money, prizes, or glory can equal the fun of playing, and yet we’re both playing to win. As the tournament progressed we paid even closer attention to the points and Dad had to develop some risky strategies to stay in the running.
Our involvement of viewing the game and cheering loudly feels like we’re contributing to the outcome. Watching soccer can be a mood-altering drug. People around us are actually affected by our competency of picking the winner. Our moods will affect their moods which will affect others. Our seemingly harmless soccer pool has the power of an epidemic and there’s no turning back. And yet there’s something magical about bonding through a shared interest. For my dad and me, it’s been soccer. He coached me from 3rd grade all the way through high school. We attended games during the ’94 World Cup and the ’99 Women’s World Cup. In 2003, we watched the US and Mexico national teams play to a scoreless tie in a sold-out Houston stadium. So when the World Cup came around, we didn’t think twice about putting our everyday lives on hold for a month. For us, it’s about connecting with each other and the world. For the past month, along with the rest of the world, we’ve watched the colors, the flags, the fans, the goals, the saves, the yellow cards, red cards, the penalty kicks, the jubilant celebrations and the brain-numbing disbelief that hits both fans and players alike when it’s all over for their country. It’s all passion and I feel richer for having shared in that collective passion. The way both our pool and the tournament is designed is that there can only be one champion. It’s just a matter of hours before the captain for Italy or France hoists the trophy for the whole world to see. But even the coveted trophy can not even hold a candle to the real prize… Connection. One Game, One World, Oneness.
Peace, Love and Donuts,
Danny Donuts
© 2006, Danny Donuts, dannydonuts.com
I came up with my own rules, where before Game 1, we pick the winner of every game in the first round, then pick the final 16, the final 8, the final 4, the third place winner and the champion. It’s based on a 500-point system. You pick the winners and sit back and watch. My dad also came up with his own rules. His is based on a 1,000-point system and required us calling in our predicted winners at the start of every round. He did take what he liked from my proposed rules and incorporated that into a complex bonus points system. So complex in fact, that I haven’t quite figured it out. I just keep picking the winners and he keeps letting me know that I’m still in the lead.
We both invested a lot of time into this. I would get up and turn on Univision, the Spanish television station, to see who was winning the 8am game. I paid attention to teams representing countries I’ve never heard of before. I would check the scores online and figure out the next match ups. According to my mother, my dad has had newspapers, crayons, color-coded charts, and an adding machine cluttering up the entire living room for the past month. She assists him in watching the newscasts just in case they mention something about soccer. My parents are living up in the Wisconsin Northwoods with no cable, Spanish stations or computers. I’m living in one of the biggest melting pot cities in America. Every country in the tournament probably has a community in Chicago and I can go to their viewing parties and experience their passion. It’s funny. With this much involvement, which at times borders on obsession, you would think we have something big riding on this: large amounts of cash, a trophy, an “if I win you get to be my personal servant for a week” wager. But no, there’s been no mention of any of that. We don’t even have a dollar riding on it. I guess there are bragging rights, but that will get old after about 30 seconds. Neither one of us had to be talked into playing or talked out of betting on it. We both just jumped in and went for it. No amount of money, prizes, or glory can equal the fun of playing, and yet we’re both playing to win. As the tournament progressed we paid even closer attention to the points and Dad had to develop some risky strategies to stay in the running.
Our involvement of viewing the game and cheering loudly feels like we’re contributing to the outcome. Watching soccer can be a mood-altering drug. People around us are actually affected by our competency of picking the winner. Our moods will affect their moods which will affect others. Our seemingly harmless soccer pool has the power of an epidemic and there’s no turning back. And yet there’s something magical about bonding through a shared interest. For my dad and me, it’s been soccer. He coached me from 3rd grade all the way through high school. We attended games during the ’94 World Cup and the ’99 Women’s World Cup. In 2003, we watched the US and Mexico national teams play to a scoreless tie in a sold-out Houston stadium. So when the World Cup came around, we didn’t think twice about putting our everyday lives on hold for a month. For us, it’s about connecting with each other and the world. For the past month, along with the rest of the world, we’ve watched the colors, the flags, the fans, the goals, the saves, the yellow cards, red cards, the penalty kicks, the jubilant celebrations and the brain-numbing disbelief that hits both fans and players alike when it’s all over for their country. It’s all passion and I feel richer for having shared in that collective passion. The way both our pool and the tournament is designed is that there can only be one champion. It’s just a matter of hours before the captain for Italy or France hoists the trophy for the whole world to see. But even the coveted trophy can not even hold a candle to the real prize… Connection. One Game, One World, Oneness.
Peace, Love and Donuts,
Danny Donuts
© 2006, Danny Donuts, dannydonuts.com
