A Little Help From our Friends

Olde Leon "Stinkeye" Strokes has been gone to California for less than a week, so we're still in a little bit of withdrawal. Fortunately for Coles', FtH will not be missing a beat, due to a helping hand from a couple of good friends.

Andy Oloffson, who has been spotted playing Fender Rhodes for The Sweats, will be handling bass duties tonight, and we are thrilled to welcome him to the stage.

Also, you know how I promised you a beautiful and talented special guest for tonight's show? It's not Andy. He's a heck of a player, but he's also a dude. No! Meet your special guest for tonight! Returning to the FtH bill for the first time in a year! Come on out to Cole's to hear FtH with Maria Wojciechowski! (That's pronounced "Wojciechowski"). Here is a picture of Maria that I found on her Facebook page. Quite a looker, eh? But, she also plays Ukulele, Accordian, Kazoo, singing, dancing, song writing, and dressing up like a ghost.

We promise much, but we always deliver. Don't we?

Get to Coles' tonight at 9:00! I don't care if you have Doug Stanhope tickets! Come and see FtH instead. Like I sez - we start at 9:00; the hosts get your juices flowing at 9:30; and a hot list of cool comics will make you scream ALL... NIGHT... LONG.

Musique de les Cygnes

Or something like that.

Hey, you morans! Tonight is Olde Leon "Musicfish" Strokes last show with Foz the Hook (for the time being as far as we know who knows). What the hell else do you need to know.

Get up off your lazy American asses and come to Cole's for FtH at 9:00, and the Great List of Comics when we feel like finishing!

It will be swell. Then start buying Leon drinks, but save your money to buy Foz lots of drinks.

Gawd knows he'll need it.

Next week will have a beeeeyouuuuuteeeful guest, but until till then, let's send Leon off with some laughs!

You losers.

More Pics - Maybe Recordings

Who knows, Kittens?

Last year the fabulous fave comic photog, Erin Nekervis took a bunch if fantastic photos of Your Pals that we have been able to use as publicity pics ever since. There wasn't a single bad shot among them, although there were a number of shots of three chaps looking like idiots. As I am sure you are assuming, the dashing trio pictured here were captured by Erin.

Pretty soon Erin will be joining us again to record the look of the act as we close out this lineup (see last post for details about Leon "Fishface" Strokes' departure for California). We look forward to working with Erin again, and we recommend her to anybody who needs terrific shots. As you have seen from our shots, Erin has a talent for really capturing everything that is just wrong about you. All of us need such a photographer in our lives.

We will also make some attempt to record another show before Leon takes off. Maybe shoot some video... Who knows?

Be at Cole's tonight at 9:00 to see FtH rock Cole's Comedy Open Mic. Cameron Esposito and Adam Burke begin burining through The List at 930. If you're a comic, sign up. If you aint, enjoy yourself.

Closing Time for Olde Leon

As a few of you may know by now, Your Pals and New Favorite Band, FtH, will be experiencing dreaded, dreaded change in a couple of weeks.

Olde Leon “Cuttlefish-Starfish-Anglefish-Catfish-Dogfish-Lungfish” Strokes will be pulling up stakes and heading for the gold fields of California. Olde Leon, a student of history and a man of Letters, has carefully studied the lessons of The Donner Party and determined not to leave too close to Winter, and risk getting stuck in the snow and eaten by wolves or neighbors.

Why would he do this to his fans and bandmates? For the same reason, the only reason, any of the blighted souls who haunt Cole’s on Wednesday night leaves our little comedy cult-house. He fell in love and is getting a life.

I’m just sick about it, so if you want any of the adorable details (ladies), you’ll have to pin Leon in a corner tonight and demand it. Olde Foz will be at the bar drinking away my sorrows and scheming about luring some lovely pierced-and-tattooed hipster lady-bassist onto the stage. Maybe one of those willowy cello players you see going in and out of The Whistler, carrying an instrument that is clearly too big for their pale and petit frames? Yes, that would be nice too.

So, my Darlings, look for a few changes in the lineup this Fall. Don’t be surprised if you see some big talents and pretty faces subbing-in during October – Maybe Maria Wojo…. or Marilyn Summers? Who knows?

If you want to see FtH with our current lineup one more time, you will have to come out to Cole's Comedy Open Mic this month!

In the meantime, buy Foz a drink(s). He’ll be needing it.

Congrats to Leon! It couldn’t happen to a nicer fellow!

On Themes

All right, kiddoes.

We’ve left Simon’s review up here for a few weeks, just so you don’t miss a chance to buy Unholy Town. The rest is up to you. But before we move on, plan on seeing Simon play this coming Labor Day, Monday, September 5 at 7:30, at the Double Door in Chicago. Your Pal Foz will be there in his not-on-the-bill costume while Your Other Pal, Leon “Cuttlefish” Strokes, will be playing bass.

Love is All Around, my friends, and last night at Cole’s FtH celebrated that by inserting part of Paul Williams’ great theme song to The Mary Tyler Moore show into our Coles’ Theme, theme music. It was quite a theme. We will do more of that kind of stuff in the future, maybe. It depends on if we still think it’s a good idea sober.

What would definitely be a good idea would be catching the next four FtH shows at Cole’s during September. They will be the best shows ever, for reasons that will be made clear hereafter.

Until then think about this: Last night Coleman Brice posed this question to me (as best I can remember it), “If Cole’s Theme is the possessive for the theme song for his bar, then if it is also HIS theme, do we call it Cole’s Cole’s Theme?”

Whoa.

The Mule Would Be Proud

Hey everyone, look at me! I'm trying my hand at music criticism! Posted at Simon Flory's CD Baby Page.


With Unholy Town, Simon Flory has released a remarkable, and remarkable sounding album. The songwriting and the production of this Arkansas-written and Arkansas-produced effort rival anything issued from the well-appointed studios of Nashville.

The veteran lead man of the late and lamented Merle the Mule (Chicago) has spent the last few years in Arkansas, writing good Country songs that evoke – according to this web site – a “Mythical Red-State Americana.” Lest the potential listener suspect Flory’s work of creepy right-wing political nonsense, rest assured that whomever wrote that blurb had to be referring to the aching ambivalence of people living in places like Arkansas regarding strict adherence to a presumed set of white-picket-fence values. Flory paints rhymes that drive home the disappointment of lost places, and of times that probably never existed.

From the first track his melancholy sound references Gram Parsons, and the overall feel of the project will satisfy any Parsons zealot – like this reviewer. But Flory’s themes also depart significantly from Parsons’ “hippie country” vibe. Songs like the ballad Shelby Bridge spin tales of specific times, places, and stories that the hippies eschewed in favor of deeply felt, but vague emotion. The misty moral wavering in Crazy With the Heart betrays hardly a hint of regret as the hung-over morning-after hero investigates the mystery of an empty bed and a missing car.

Flory also demonstrates a firm grasp on Honkytonk, the strength of Merle the Mule. Ghost Woman Blues and the title track, Unholy Town, both swing admirably, driven by the solid drumming of Bill Brown. Here the sound departs from Parsons, and one cannot help but hear the solid West Texas swing of Joe Ely.

The collection closes with the soaring Country gospel sound of Up Yonder. If a nod to Red-State Americana requires that the artist demonstrate the ability to blow down the clapboard walls of a whitewashed Delta chapel, then Flory deserves a seat in the front pew of new Country artists.

I never knew what the term “Alt-Country” was supposed to mean, but have been informed that it applies to Parsons and Ely. I doubt if either of those artists do (or did) think of themselves that way. Perhaps the same applies to Simon Flory. If this album is accepted as Alt-Country, it is not. It is Country Music. Really good Country Music.

Did you like that? Buy Simon's album now, after you buy Foz the Hook's Gin-Soaked Yankee and Other Disgraces.

Your Pal,

Foz

A Sunday of Funnies

Last Sunday night your Olde Pal Foz had himself a wonderful time at Cole’s. Yes. I know that I always have a great time at Cole’s, and I spend a lot of time there. That is because of the unique intersection of art and booze that Coleman Brice provides his customers.

Sunday was the conclusion of the fabulous annual Milwaukee Avenue Arts Fest, and Cole lined up an unbeatable bill for the evening. It started with some terrific deejay types spinning vinyl Jazz discs. These Frisky Grannies DJ’s had quite a collection of classics, and spending the hottest part of the afternoon swinging to great music in an air conditioned bar was a definite first choice for me.

The second round of entertainment was silent movies, with live music provided by the same dissipated piano player who is writing this blog – right now! Cole gave me three DVD’s to choose from, including the Murnau’s 1922 masterpiece, Nosferatu. We did not see Nosferatu on Sunday, but might in the future. I chose to go with a “B” feature starring the that great Edwardian Hottie, Gloria Swanson. The Danger Girl (1916) was “supervised” – which I guess is old timey movie talk for “produced” – by the first great comic film maker, Mack Sennett. In this 18 minute slapstick old Gloria cross-dresses and indulges in some hot, sweet, girl-on-girl action to win back her wavering fella.

The feature film was a 25-minute Charlie Chaplin flick called Shoulder Arms (1918). In this story from the early (or earlier) part of Chaplin’s career, he plays a bumbling Doughboy who accidently captures Kaiser Wilhelm and wins World War I for the allies. I wonder if Quentin Tarantino thought he was doing something crazy and unusual when he changed the end of World War II for Inglorious Basterds?

Playing piano for silent films was a new experience for me. I could have done it better, but I look forward to trying again. I was surprised at how much easier it was to score the Chaplin film, because of the brilliance of his physical comedy. Sennett’s more narrative style didn’t provide as many opportunities for the music to interact with the action. If I am going to play piano for silent movies involving romance I am going to have to learn more Stephen Foster tunes. Knowing how to play and improvise around When Johnny Comes Marching Home proved valuable for Shoulder Arms, while The Danger Girl could have used some Beautiful Dreamer.

After the silent films the evening continued with a comedy show hosted by Cameron Esposito, and then wrapped up with a truly wonderful couple of sets by Chicago’s Patsy Cline tribute band, The Weepin Willows.

Check out the Weepin Willows Performance here, but be advised that You Tube does not come close to capturing how completely Natalie Jose fills the room with her strikingly powerful voice.

Later, I woke up in my bed, and found the refrigerator door open.

Must have been a good night.

Our accompanying picture features either Cameron Esposito, Natalie Jose, or Gloria Swanson. Leave your answer in the comments section. Correct answers earn a kiss from Foz.