Weird Gig No. 3 - The Aryan Nation & Monkopotomus

By Polly O'Keary

These Weird Gig tales were written by NW bassist/singer/songwriter Polly O'Keary (left). She fronts the band Polly O'Keary & the Rhythm Method, appearing soon at a nightclub near you.

Wanna Play a Party?

I started out in Eastern Washington when I was 17, and that region at that time was not noted for its hip embrace of diversity. I had a black drummer back then, a great guy named Dave Bell. We were doing an outdoor festival in a park in Omak and after our set a biker with a long black braid came up and said, "You guys are great!" It’s those pats on the back that keep me going, so I decided I liked him. I soon changed my mind.

"Hey, you guys want to play a party? I can you get you $500!" Great! But I'll never know what the guy was thinking as he went on: "It’s an Aryan Nations get together, you guys will have a great time, there’s a barbeque, all you can eat, and a keg, free beer…" I just stood there, unable to find words.

The Short Career of "Monkopotomus"

The mother of all weird gigs was a pickup gig I played when I was still working with Colonel up north in a band called Colonel and Doubleshot. I was gigging my way through college and I was always broke, so I’d do pick-up work with just about anybody, so long as they played blues.

I got a call one Wednesday from a friend that worked at Manna Music in Bellingham, saying that some drummer had been in that day looking for pick-up musicians to fill in at a gig in Blaine. I thought that was weird, a drummer with no other players whatsoever, but whatever. I called the guy. He said he was traveling through from LA, where he’d played with just about everybody including David Bowie.

He needed a guitar player and a bass player to do a gig at a club that was just getting started with music. He promised $100 a player. I was broke, so I called Colonel and we agreed to meet the guy at his hotel the following night to talk about the gig. When we got there the room smelled absolutely horrid. Between the guy’s feet and the god-awful malodorous hound he had, the air was barely breathable. We stayed just long enough to pencil out a set list on the back of an envelope, mostly Stevie Ray Vaughn stuff and standards. We figured we had enough material to do the gig and agreed to meet the following night at the club.

Right before the gig the next night, the guy called to ask if I’d pick up his rented drum set at Manna Music. Now irritated, I swung by to load the stuff, only to find it hadn’t been paid for yet. I told them I’d bring the guy’s money the next day and headed north. I got there and loaded in at seven for a nine o’clock gig. The drummer was there and extremely tense. "This band’s name is Monkopotomus," he said. "It's a cross between a monkey and a hippopotomus. Cool, huh? Now, what’s your band’s name?" "Colonel and Doubleshot," I replied, non-plussed. "Not tonight, it isn’t" he said. "Its Monkopotomus. Now what's your band's name?" I could see I wasn't going to get out of it."Monkopotomus, whatever, Jesus," I said.

Colonel was going to be there soon, and he is well known for his temper. I started to have a bad feeling. Colonel showed up a few minutes later. Once we’d set up, the drummer announced to us that we were going to play a song every fifteen minutes until the start time, an hour and a half away. I said I didn’t think that was a good idea, given that we barely had enough material to get through the night as it was, and went to the bar for a much-needed brew. The man then got on the microphone and started doing what he thought was stand-up comedy. He tried to get everybody to chant "Monkopotomus" to no avail, then started razzing the local high school basketball team.

About then, the clubowner drew Colonel into his office. A moment later, Colonel came out and pulled me aside. "The club owner said we’re not getting paid," he said. "She said this guy came in a week ago, asked if he could do a gig here, said he’d promote it, and said we’d take a dollar a head for everyone who shows up." I looked around. There was no way this club could hold 300 people even if this guy was a promoter like Bill Graham. But we decided to see the gig through, mostly because neither of us had ever walked out on a gig in our lives, which was a point of pride. Also, someone was going to have to pay for the drum rental.

At that point the guy came over and demanded again that we play a song to "warm up the crowd," which at that point was four old guys in ball caps, drinking Miller Lite at the bar and pointedly ignoring us. We grimly said we could use a sound check and struggled through an old Bonnie Raitt tune while the guy’s tempo wandered all over the map. We still got a nice round of applause. In light of the horror of what the audience had just heard, I wondered if any applause I’d ever gotten in my life had meant anything.

I went and hid in the women’s bathroom, where I thought I’d be safe. The drummer barged in after me, begging that we play every fifteen minutes. I snapped. "Man, I don’t know where you came from, but I suggest you let us do this the way we do it, God damn it. Now get out of the bathroom." He relented, went back to the mike and started in on the stand-up attempt again while I sat down by Colonel and desperately chugged a second beer."Shut up!" someone yelled. He gave up, plopped down at my table, put his hand on my leg and asked me to give him a ride to his hotel room to "get something." "Listen, fucker, get your hand off her leg," Colonel said. "Sorry, dude," the drummer said, holding up his hands.

I figured the only way to defuse the situation was to start playing so no one could talk. It was only eight, but no way was this gig going to last till midnight anyway. We walked up to the stage. "Hey, can we not play any fast shuffles?" said the drummer. Well, that was half the set list gone. "And I promised somebody we’d start out with ZZ Top," the guy continued. "I only know one ZZ Top tune and it’s a fast shuffle," I replied. "Take your pick, ZZ Top or no fast shuffles." "No fast shuffles," the drummer decided. This was the guy who the day before said he could play any tune Stevie Ray Vaughn had ever recorded.

We got ready to play "Sweet Home Alabama." Just as Colonel counted it, the guy shouted "ZZ Top," and started flailing away at his cymbals. Colonel put down his guitar and leaned over the drums. The whites of his eyes were visible all the way around. "Don’t ever do that again," he said. "If you do, I’m going to walk right out of here, right now." The guy put his sticks down and nearly broke down and sobbed. "Alright, okay," he said. "There’s 300 people coming. I’ll do whatever you say. Please don’t go." "I’m not kidding, I’ll split, and you can tell everybody what a dick you are," Colonel continued, gathering steam. I nervously eyed the gear, half of which I owned.

"You sit there and shut up," I said to the drummer. "And you, Colonel, don’t say a word to him. Nobody talk to nobody. Let’s just play a god damn tune. You want ZZ Top, it’s a fast shuffle. You want ZZ Top? Just nod your head." He nodded. I called "Tush" and counted it in. He came in too fast, immediately slowed down, and started hitting his cymbals so hard the air off the ride moved all the hair on my arms three feet away, then crashed to a halt. Colonel put his guitar down again and spun around. "Look, you fuck…" "I’m sorry!" he wailed. "I told you I can’t play fast shuffles! Let’s play something else! There’s 300 people coming! I paid a hundred dollars for the posters!" I set my bass down and shut off the PA in the nick of time before the obscenities Colonel began to utter got picked up on the mikes.

It was clear Monkopotomus had played its last note. "I’ll sue you!" the drummer said. "I’ll sue you, motherfuckers! For breach of contract!" "I’ll kick your ass," said Colonel. "I’ll do it right now." The guy, who had a good six inches on Colonel, fled for the door. "I’m calling the cops!" he bellowed and vanished. Meanwhile, word of our plight, including the cost of the drum rental, had circulated among the 10 or so people there. They formed a line and started pressing money into our hands. "You guys were good," they said. "Sorry it didn’t work out." We gratefully accepted the donations and split. I brought the drums back to Manna Music the next day and told the story to the horrified delight of the staff. They didn’t charge us for the rental. We counted the donations. $300. We made more than we would have had the gig gone well.

Comment Moderation

I will not allow any further anonymous slagging of people associated with the local blues scene to be posted on the Jet City blog. If you feel that you've got to vent against someone here, but are unwilling to take responsibility for your comments, then your comments will not appear on this blog. There are other blogs available that appreciate this type of behaviour - go there if you must, I'm sure that your traffic will be appreciated.

Mike Lynch

The Man Behind the Curtain speaks!

By Steve Sarkowsky

When blues musicians get together in the Jet City, there is occasionally much bitching about the current state of the club scene. The voice always missing from this discussion is the club owner's. Well, no more! Steve Sarkowsky (below), the Man Behind the Curtain at Seattle's Highway 99 Blues Club, gives us his perspective on this issue here.

I am the founder, investor and house drummer of the Highway 99 Blues Club. I do all he booking, marketing, ads and such for the club. I have been a working musician (yes, drummers are that!) for many years, and have played/recorded with a long list of bands and continue to enjoy music as much as ever. I am currently playing with the Highway 99 All-Stars and also with Portland's Robbie Laws in his Bigger Blues Band. My reason for writing this article is to shine some light on the nightclub business by speaking from the club/booking perspective. Maybe this will provide some insight, inspiration, or just some direction for artists and bands that continue to complain about (not) getting work. Here then are my thoughts...

Have you been to the club you are trying to get a gig in? Do you know that they book the type of music that you play? Have you gone into the club and met the staff, supported other acts, introduced yourself, had some food, and dropped off your promo package? Are you being realistic about your chances of being booked into the venue? Do your homework; spend some time and figure out what the club does and why you should be a part of it.

You have a CD now - big deal...everyone does! Make sure that it is a good product; if you have to defend it, don't bother. Bad CD's = no gig. Want to send a copy? Great, label it and make sure that Mott the Hoople’s greatest hits have been erased! Most importantly, is this actually you and your band? If what you send is not what you are going to bring, that is no good. Clubs want truth in advertising.

Does your family come to your gigs? Do you know and willingly embrace the art of promoting your band? Let's face it, when the club is empty it is always the band's fault, but when the club is full, it is because of the club. Truth be told, it is a little of both. If you don't promote your gig at the club you won't be back. Be progressive; take advantage of technology and develop your audience. It's shocking, but clubs don't really like having no one show up for your gigs.

The Clever Factor – Or, why is that band working and we're not? Do ya have it? Good promo, nice merchandise, strong CD's, cool giveaways (SWAG), and a show....that's right kids, you gotta entertain the troops. How do you and the band look? Is the set list the same since '84? Do you just call some players up that day and get together and jam? Who is actually in the band? Will they be on the gig? Do they know your material, or is it gonna be shuffles in G all night?

Show you the money? Show me the money! Stop bitchin' about the money today being the same as 15 years ago. You’re right and you're wrong. It is the same because you have not raised the bar on what you do. Good bands get good money. If you have fans come to your shows then you and the venue can prosper. You want the same money as a 25 year veteran of the Chicago blues scene who is on a label and tours every spring and summer? Guess again. You want the kind of money that a band that is rehearsed, consistent, entertaining, does those things previously mentioned here and works at getting better as a band? No problem. Work at your craft, love the music, cherish the time you get to perform and the people that play with you. Appreciate the gift of your musical talent, challenge yourself to be creative and to strive to improve. It will make a difference.

Some final thoughts: Remember, if there were not places that presented live music, you would have nowhere to play. Clubs are at best a risky, expensive, potentially life altering experience. They require your support as a musician and as a patron. It means a lot to a club when the musicians hang out there on their off nights. We are in the entertainment business. Each time a person visits our club, we have to try to make sure that they have a memorable experience - the service, the food, the drinks, the staff, the atmosphere, and of course the music. We are doing our part, don't let us down. Bring your best or stay at home. Music is its own universe. It needs to be fed, supported, and thrilled every day. Will you…just do it?

Musings from Mr. Solid

By John Lee

I’m a big fan of radio. When I was growing up in Alaska we didn’t have TV and radio was our main source of entertainment. I still prefer using my ears.

In Western Washington we are blessed with great public and community radio stations, many with blues shows. Here are some:

All Blues on KPLU 88.5 fm (6 pm-12 am) on Saturday and Sunday (www.kplu.org).

Fridays on KBCS 91.3fm there are two blues shows: The Nightshift with Dave Samson, (7-9 pm) and from 9-11 pm, Night-Train (www.kbcs.fm).

KEXP 90.3 fm has Preaching The Blues on Sundays (9 am-12 pm). Also, The Roadhouse with Greg Vandy (6-9pm) on Wednesdays is a great roots music show, and Fridays (6-9pm) is a good time with the rockabilly show Shake The Shack (www.kexp.org).

Thursdays KSER 90.7 fm out of Everett has three blues shows: Clancy’s Bar and Grill (8-10 pm), Blues Odyssey (10 pm-12 am) with 2005 “BB” award winner Leslie Fleury, and Pacific Blues (12-2 am) (www.kser.org).

KSVR 91.7 in Mt. Vernon has a blues show Thursdays (8-10pm) with Mojo Mike (www.ksvr.org).

Check it out. Half the fun of radio is to be surprised at what tunes they play.

Next time in this space I’ll be reviewing the recent re-release of the great R&B/Soul singer James Carr’s Goldwax sides. This cat could really chirp!

February Blues Birthdays

Sam Meyers - February 19, 1936
Johnny Winter - February 23, 1944
Magic Sam (Sam Maghett) - February 2, 1937 (died 1969)
Johnny "Guitar" Watson - February 3, 1935 (died 1996)

Electric bassist John "Mr. Solid" Lee was born in Alaska and has been active in the Seattle blues scene for about 30 years. He currently plays with the Crossroads Band. Photo by Mike Coyote.

What I'm listening to this week.

Still Bad
Denise LaSalle
The Malaco Music Group

I haven't listened to this CD for quite a while, but it has been in steady rotation in my car player for a couple of weeks now. The following is a review I wrote about this collection for the Caldonia web page in 1995 - it still accurately reflects my opinion, so here it is again.

This CD is a big hit in my neighborhood right now. I brought it home just in time for our annual Blues & Barbecue party. After a couple of million drinks, we put this CD on the box and had a ball dancing in the living room until the wee wee hours. Now I've got to make tapes of "Still Bad" for everyone...

Nobody does the in your face, nasty, soul/blues woman show better than Denise LaSalle. Born in Leflore County, Mississippi in 1939, Denise is a well respected song writer and singer. She specializes in clever, humorous tunes about the battle of the sexes. In fact, Barbara Mandrell's hit, "Married, But Not To each Other," was written by her.

An R & B singer for most of her career, Denise La Salle has successfully concentrated on the soul/blues genre since signing with Malaco Records in the early 1980's. She is supported on this recording by the crack Malaco studio staff. Many of the cuts utilize a full horn section, backup vocalists, and an actual string section (!). The production is very good; funky and not too slick.

Five of the songs here were written by LaSalle. My favorites are "The Sweeter The Man," a bittersweet ballad about lost love, and "Risky Business," a tune about the dangers of messin' around with sex in the '90s.

There's a whole mess of great tunes here by the Malaco songwriting staff. In "Three People" Denise wonders who her man is thinking about during sex (“Three people in my bed/me, my man, and the woman in his head..."). And by the way, why should men always get it for free, she wonders in "1-900-Get-Some," a great tune about phone sex. The real rocker on this set is "It Ain't Over Until The Fat Lady Sings," a tribute to female orgasms ("It ain't over 'til you make my bell ring/it ain't over 'till the fat lady sings!"). I'll bet Denise tears up the concert crowds with this one!

A terrific set, great production and songwriting, and a sense of humor throughout. Highly recommended.

Becki Sue & Her Big Rockin’ Daddies
Raging River Café & Club – Fall City, WA
January 14, 2006

Becki Sue & Her Big Rockin' Daddies

I drove out to Fall City last night to check out Becki Sue & Her Big Rockin’ Daddies, and I’m here to tell you that they had the Raging River Café & Club rockin! If you haven’t seen these guys yet, do yourself a favor and get down to the nightclub to do so – you won’t be sorry!

The band (Becki Sue – vocals, Tom Boyle – guitar/vocals, Jim King – tenor sax/harp/vocals, Les White – acoustic bass/vocals, and Jeff Hayes – drums) did a cool mixture of all types of blues, original tunes, and an occasional old rock tune, such as Don and Dewey’s “Farmer John.” These guys have got it goin’ on – the band is very good as a four piece with both Jim and Les very good on lead and harmony vocals, and plenty of smokin’ leads offered up by Tom and Jim.

The rhythm section was kicking, proven by the full dance floor on practically every song. And Les, to me, has this amazing facility on the acoustic bass. Most bands that feature this variety of tunes would have a bass player that doubles on electric and acoustic bass, but Les does it all on the acoustic. Oh yeah, and for good measure, he occasionally plays it horizontally or behind his head, like a guitar player.

The band did a few tunes at the beginning of each set, and then brought vocalist Becki Sue to the bandstand. I dig Becki Sue’s thang – she has a tough, aggressive style, but avoids the full-throttle Janis Joplin shouting that many female blues vocalists get caught up in. The band was very supportive when Becki Sue was on stage, and some of the song she did featured three-piece harmony parts. What a concept!

Part of my mission this night was to check the club out because my band has a gig there next week. The new owners (Bo and Nina) have done some remodeling, and now there is more seating in the nightclub. The club was full of music fans that were having a blast listening and dancing to the band, on a night when it was threatening to snow outside. I’m looking forward to my band’s gig at the Raging River next week.

Becki Sue & Her Big Rockin’ Daddies – Great musicians, great material, great show. Go see ‘em!

The Raging River Café & Club is located at 33723 SE Redmond - Fall City Road in Fall City (425-222-6669).

Weird Gig No. 2 - Blues eyes cryin' in the rain...

By Brian Butler

Note: This story, written by Seattle guitarist/singer/songwriter Brian Butler (left), was originally published on the Caldonia web page around 1996. Funny, both of the Weird Gig stories published on Jet City Blues so far are related to county fairs - what does it MEAN?!

South of Seattle near the foothills of the Cascade Mountains lies the small town of Puyallup. That's where this weird gig story starts. Normally an uneventful hamlet, the town roars to life each September when the Puyallup Fair cranks up and dominates the life of its citizens. In a far corner of the huge fairgrounds, past the bungee-jump and the dime-toss, is a performance arena built somewhat like an early Western fort. It was there some fifteen years ago that the Brian Butler Blues Band started its peculiar descent into weirdness.

Live music shared equal billing with the chainsaw artists who were noisily engaged in turning Douglas fir into totem-like poles depicting bears, salmon, eagles, and other wildlife figures. Before the last note of a band's set slipped beyond the range of hearing, the mighty chainsaws were fired up and for the next 45 minutes, primitive art-making was king.

During one of the breaks in our show, a lanky fellow in his fifties (we'll call him Jack) approached, and, talking loudly over the din, expressed a desire to hire the band. "We have get-togethers where we always hire country-western bands, and I'll tell ya, even drinking doesn't make them sound better. I'm in charge of hiring the band for our next party and I wanna hire you guys!" His association was a group of CB enthusiasts (Citizens Band radio). "No sweat", I thought, "just another gig."

Jack needed a little more support from his colleagues before he took the big step and hired a blues band, so he brought a group of friends to our next gig in the area - the Engine House No. 9 in Tacoma. The four couples seemed to enjoy themselves that night, talking boisterously while the number of empty beer pitchers accrued on their table. The final sign of approval came at the end of the night, when one of the women in a fit of wild laughter, fell over backwards in her chair. Jack and I confirmed the date and dough and the gig was on.

On the chosen night we rolled south to the countryside outside of Gig Harbor. The parking lot of the meeting hall was a forest of antennas. This being a CB club, each vehicle bristled with a soaring communication appendage. Inside, the activities were getting started. Folding tables lined the perimeter of the dance area and machinery for making plastic badges was set up on them. The CB folks wore vests and denim jackets covered with these badges or "handles", the use and display of names and aliases being a ritual of the members. We noted all of this while we rolled the gear in and set up on the stage.

We started playing and whipped into our proven, crowd-pleasing blues as the audience watched impassively from their chairs. When the third or fourth song was over, a woman sporting a huge cowboy hat yelled out, "Play some country!" These people were used to country music and that's what they wanted. We went into a huddle and scratched out a list of all the country songs we vaguely knew, padded with country's second cousin, classic rock songs.

The next song that crowd was up; stretched across the dance floor and they were two-steppin', natural as can be! I remember playing "Blue Eyes Crying In The Rain" several times that night. We enlisted audience members to help us sing a couple of numbers and somehow we limped through the night. We entertained that crowd and they went home happy, although they probably stripped Jack of his entertainment planning responsibilities.

The final surprise came when we were paid. There were a couple of twenty-dollar bills and the rest was in a huge bag which Jack proudly dumped out on the table; quarters, dimes, nickels, and pennies-more change than a Carson City slot machine!

We need more Weird Gig stories! Do you have one that the readers of Jet City Blues might enjoy? If so, write it up in an MS Word document and e-mail it to Mike Lynch at slapbackslim@yahoo.com. Thanks!

What I'm listening to this week.

You Need It - Anthology
Johnny Guitar Watson
Sanctuary Records Group

Here's another CD I snagged at Tower Records this last Christmas. I am a BIG Johnny "Guitar" Watson fan. I was actually looking for a compilation of his older stuff that might have "Cuttin' In" on it, a tune I used to sing with my old band Nightlife. I had no luck finding that tune, but found this compilation instead that features Watson's funky sides that were released in the '70s and '80s.

Funny - I was thinking about this later material of Watson's after watching the movie "Roll Bounce" with my kids over the holiday weekend (good show by the way- check out Charlie Murphy, the hilarious neighborhood garbage man). This movie featured many '70s tunes including Watson's "Superman Lover," which I had never heard before, but really enjoyed.

There are lots of great tunes on this inexpensive double CD set. Besides "Superman Lover," the hits "Ain't That A Bitch" and "A Real Mother For Ya" are also included on the first CD. I also enjoyed "It's About The Dollar Bill," "You Can Stay But The Noise Must Go," and "What The Hell Is This?" There is also an oddball version of "Gangster Of Love" that features a straight ahead shuffle beat and eliminates the break-time arrangement of the original tune.

The cool thing about these tunes is this: Watson may have reinvented himself as a funkmeister during this period but his great sense of humor is evident throughout, and his guitar playing, while not as raw as his earlier blues sides, is still smokin'! Hey, we even get some extensive liner notes with this collection for a change, so what's not to like - check it out!

Musings from Mr. Solid.

I think the best music show dedicated to roots music is the radio show from New Orleans, American Routes. In the Seattle area, American Routes is broadcast on KUOW 94.9 fm. In the Olympia area, is it simulcast on 1340 am, and in Bellingham, you can tune in to 90.3 fm. American Routes airs Sunday evenings from 9:00 to 11:00 pm. If you cannot get the show on any of these stations, you can go to their website and see the internet broadcast sites and times. Check it out…..I hope you dig it as much I do.

January Blues Birthdays

Etta James - January 25, 1938
Bobby ‘Blue’ Bland - January 27, 1930
Charlie Musselwhite - January 31, 1944
Earl Hooker - January 15, 1929 (died 1970)
Eddie Taylor - January 29, 1923 (died 1985)
Sleepy John Estes - January 25, 1904 (died 1977)
Elmore James - January 27, 1918 (died 1963)

Electric bassist John "Mr. Solid" Lee was born in Alaska and has been active in the Seattle blues scene for about 30 years. He currently plays with the Crossroads Band. Photo by Mike Coyote.

What I'm listening to this week.

Live
Donny Hathaway
Atlantic Records

I picked up this old favorite a couple of weeks ago at Tower Records. Inexpensive at $12.00, this CD includes the original vinyl album artwork but is missing the liner notes.

I'll bet it's been 20 years since I've heard these recordings by the great singer/keyboardist/songwriter Donny Hathaway and a terrific band that included guitarist Cornell Dupree and ace bassist Willie Weeks, plus another guitarist, conga and trap drums, and Hathaway on acoustic and Wurlitzer electric piano. The album was recorded before very enthusiastic fans at the Troubadour in Los Angeles and the Bitter End in New York, and was released in 1972.

These recordings are great fun and Hathaway, the band, and the fans are all having a ball! The first tune is a fine version of Marvin Gaye's "What's Goin' On," followed by Hathaway's "The Ghetto" which features smoking piano and percussion solos. The crowd helps out with the vocals on Carole King's "You've Got A Friend" by singing the choruses for the band leader. There's even a cool version of John Lennon's "Jealous Guy" here where the band helps out with some vocal harmonies on the chorus. The final tune, "Voices Inside (Everything Is Everything)," is a 14-minute jam that features the famous 3+ minute-long solo by electric bass maestro Willie Weeks.

This is a terrific record by one of the premier soul artist of the time, and I recommend it highly. Play it loud!