Are You Dave?

And now for a complete change of pace: The Gordys!

I LOVE doing these shows. The rehearsals leading up to them can be murder (and I apologize to the whole band for losing my cool more than once), but the shows themselves are always magical. Barbara recalls: “We had the best weather ever, Pier C park wasn’t a construction site, and the sound guys were awesome.”

This year’s line-up included Rob Harari, Joe Harari, Pamela Strell, Howard Olah-Reiken, Donna Coney Island, Barbara Arnett, and Justin Michael, with guest star Dave Plotka making a special appearance. The Gordys: The Next Generation also joined us, as Genevieve Harari sang a Plain White T’s song with Coby Strell on piano, and some of the other kids singing backups.

This year’s biggest challenge: “Paradise by the Dashboard Light.” We pulled it off!

Local mom Susan Chait designed this year’s t-shirt and it looks fabulous.

The full set list:
Girlfriend - We opened with Matthew Sweet’s 3-chord rocker, and I dedicated it to Geri Fallo.
Is She Really Going Out With Him? - Howard rocked this one.
Paradise by the Dashboard Light - Still can’t believe we nailed it.
No One Is To Blame - A gorgeous ballad from the 80s, sung by Pamela.
Shipping Off To Boston - Barbara led this scorching instrumental form the Dropkick Murphys.
Something So Strong - I led this folk-rock classic from Crowded House.
Nowhere Man - Howie led us in this song’s thick, rich harmonies.
The Only Living Boy in New York - Barbara didn’t know when she picked this song that it’s one of my favorites from Simon and Garfunkel.
Down on the Corner - A classic jam tune, hard to believe we’ve never done it before!
Walk Like an Egyptian - More 80s grrrl power!
Ziggy Stardust - I didn’t nail all the lyrics but we had a lot of fun blasting this one out.
Here Comes Your Man - I busted out my electric 12-string for this alt-pop gem.
Wanderlust King - Joe led us on this wild journey a la Golgol Bordello.
Rat Race - Anti-establishment ska (is there any other kind?) with Rob on lead vocals.
Isn’t She Lovely - Rob again, singing a stripped-down Stevie Wonder classic.
I Wish - More Stevie Wonder, a workout for bass hero Justin.
1, 2, 3, 4 - Genna led this gorgeous little Plain White T’s ditty.
Shadows In The Rain - Justin’s other selection, a rocked-up Sting classic featuring Pamela.
Just Won’t Burn - Pamela ripped this Susan Tedeschi blues number to shreds.
Plus, we did a quick version of our ever-popular Klezmer set, let by Barbara and her rockin’ accordion.

After the show we had drinks and food at Hudson Tavern, where we proclaimed Donna an official member of the Gordys. I’m already hearing tunes that I want to try next summer….

My summer calendar is really filling up, now the Lemons have some dates in PA as well!

April 9: The Fuzzy Lemons at the Autism fund-raiser at the Rue School, Hoboken
April 10: TFL at Congregation Beth Elohim, Brooklyn
April 11: TFL at the Jersey City school event
April 16: TFL at Earth Day at Liberty State Park, Jersey City
April 17: TFL at Knitting Factory, Bklyn
April 30: TFL at the Tribeca Family Festical, NYC
May 1: TFL at Hoboken Arts & Music Festival
May 15: TFL at Knitting Factory, Bklyn
May 28: TFL at MayFair, Allentown, PA
June 4: TFL at Riverfest, Red Bank NJ (pending)
June 21: TFL at Make Music NY in Manhattan
July 9: TFL at Kids Kingdom in Rahway NJ
July 18: TFL at Family Fun Night in Manhassat, NY
July 26: TFL at Shipyard Park, Hoboken
August 2: Music Together at Shipyard Park
August 6: TFL at the Bickford Theater, Morristown, NJ
August 7: TFL at Victory Park, Rumson, NJ
August 8: TFL at MusikFest, Bethlehem, PA
August 11: The Gordys at Sinatra Park, Hoboken
August 13: TFL at Kids Kingdom in Elizabeth, NJ
August 17: TFL at Riverhead Library, Riverhead, Long Island
September 18: TFL at UC MusicFest, Clark, NJ

In addition, I’m doing a dozen Music Together classes per week, “Sonic Uke” ukulele classes at Guitar Bar Jr. on Mondays, and playing for the All Saints’ sunday school on weekend when I’m available. Whew!

It’s summer in Hoboken, and that can only mean one thing: The Gordys are on the loose! That’s right, the Mile-Square City’s hottest Klezmer outfit did its thing again this year at Sinatra Park, and as always, it was a blast. It was a gorgeous night, featuring a lovely moonrise over our Manhattan backdrop. Big thanks to Geri Fallo, Tom Sweeney and sound-guy Chris “Gibby” Gibson.”

This year’s Gordy line-up featured:
Dave Lambert, guitars, mandolin, vocals, percussion and harmonica
Howard Olah-Reiken, guitars and vocals
Pamela Strell, vocals and percussion
Adam Laden, guitars, mandolin, vocals and woodwinds
Barbara Arnett, accordion
Rob Harari, keyboards, vocals and percussion
Joe Harari, drums, vocals
Justin Michael, bass guitar
And two special guests:
Donna Coney Island, vocals
Gordy Haas, vocals and guitar

That’s right, Gordy himself, after whom the band was named, made his stage debut with us tonight! He rocked that Bon Jovi country tune, “Who Says You Can’t Go Home?” And the hilarious and talented (and patient) Donna Coney Island stepped in on several tunes, notably “Time Warp” and “We Got The Beat.”

Also, the night featured some VERY special guests, as the Gordys: The Next Generation took the stage. Rob, Howard, Adam and Barbara’s kids all came up to sing that inescapable Train song, “Hey Soul Sister,” and they did a heck of a job.

We even got asked to do an encore! Stunned, we stumbled our way through “Angel from Montgomery” to the delight of the synagogue crowd. Then we went to the bar at 10th and Willow for afters, already planning the set list for next year’s show.

The photos on this page are by Joe Epstein. Bill Benzon also took some great shots of the night, you can see them here.

-- Weather When Posted --

• Temperature: 81°F;
• Humidity: 54%;
• Heat Index: 82°F;
• Wind Chill: 81°F;
• Pressure: 30 in.;

Ah, the legendary annual Shipyard concert. I won’t bother repeating a lot about how great these shows are; you can read last year’s entry and get a good idea of the crowd and the energy.

This year there were a few minor differences. First of all, Hoboken had managed to go a year without any more arrests at City Hall, so there was no politicking. Also, I’d had a great meeting with Sibel, the wonderful lady who runs the local Ben & Jerry’s, and she was sponsoring the event and selling ice cream over by the fountain. Let’s see, what else happened that was different from last year… oh yeah… We got rained out midway through!

That’s right, for once the weather people got it right. The sound crew, Randy and Tom, arrived at the Shipyard and started setting up gear, so we figured Geri had decided the threat of rain was minimal. Kipley was pretty sure it was going to rain halfway through our set and he was dead right (as he pointed out more than once during the hurried tear-down afterwards). Oh well. We went for it, put on a great 30-minute show, then spent an hour back at the studio, toweling off our gear.

Joe Epstein got some great shots of us before the skies opened up. Thanks Joe!

A typical week in the life of the Fuzzy Lemons can include anywhere from 75 to 200 e-mails. Buried in among the discussions of set lists, copyright issues, technology, marketing and general hoo-ha are actual announcements of gigs that we’ve booked.

In an effort to keep my schedule (and my head) straight, I’m trying to cull all of my events from the e-mail torrent and get them all listed in one location. And wow, turns out it’s quite a list:

• April 11 11:00 a.m. TFL @ The Knitting Factory, Williamsburg, Brooklyn
• April 11 TFL @ Room 84 in Hoboken
• April 30 - May 2 Kindiefest (a cool conference I plan to attend, though I haven’t yet registered!)
• May 21 PENDING TFL @ Jersey City Family Fitness Fair (they haven’t returned our e-mail so we’re not holding our breath)
• May 22 11:00 a.m. TFL @ the Knitting factory
• May 22 HOPES Spring Fling, 7:00 at the Rue building
• May 23 PENDING Southpaw (A cool Bklyn alt-country bar)
• June 5 11:00 a.m. TFL @ the Knitting factory
• June 20 TFL @ Father’s Day festival in Nutley, NJ, time/stage TBA
• June 21 TFL at Make Music NY at Richard Tucker Square, NYC 4:00 p.m. (this is a cool city-wide music festival and we’re thrilled to be rocking this park on the Upper West Side!)
• June 22 TFL @ Shipyard Park, Hoboken 7:00
• June 24 Gordys at Sinatra Park, Hoboken
• June 26 & 27 TFL @ The Bronx Zoo!
• July 10 11:00 TFL @ The Knitting Factory
• July 27 Music Together at Shipyard Park
• August 8 TFL @ Rumson Recreation Ctr 7-8 p.m.
• August 9 TFL @ Waterside Plaza NYC 7:00 p.m. (pre-show for a movie night overlooking the East River, should be fun!)
• August 14 TFL @ Kids Kingdom, Elizabeth NJ (thanks to our friends at This Is It! Productions)
• August 22 PENDING Morristown
• September 11 and/or 12 TFL @ Union County MusicFest, Clark NJ (Psyched to do this festival again!)
• September 26 TFL @ Hoboken Art & Music Fest
• October 9 TFL @ Clearview Cinema Hoboken (rain date Oct 10)
• Oct 17 Barnes & Noble Lincoln Triangle

Whew! That’s a BUNCH of road trips around NJ, a crop of outdoor shows right here in Hoboken (a favorite), a mind-blowing conference with the biggest names in the business, and jaunts to Brooklyn, the Bronx and NYC. And we haven’t even booked our Knit gigs for the 2nd half of the year yet. I’m exhausted just thinking about it, and eager and excited to rock so many places. The week of June 20-27 promises to be extra crazy… and extra fun! See you there!

~ Dave

[Concert number three, band number three...]

Once again, the Gordys dodged bad weather and slogged through last-minute rehearsals to pull another delightful sunset show out of our collective hats. This year’s line-up:

• Howard Olah-Reiken: electric and acoustic guitar, vocals
• Adam Laden: acoustic guitar, mandolin, clarinet, saxophone and vocals
• Pamela Strell: vocals and percussion
• Rob Harari: keyboards, percussion and vocals
• Dave Lambert: electric and acoustic guitars, banjo, vocals
• Barbara Arnett: Accordion
• Justin Michael: Bass
• Joe Harari: Drums and vocals

We were pleased to welcome Rob’s teenage son Joe to the fold, and even more excited when he took lead vocals on a song, “Pizza Day” by the Aquabats.

It was another magical night, once we waded through our first few warm-up numbers. Every year, once the sun goes down and we get the audience revved up with the Klezmer set, it really lives up to the title of a “Summer Enchanted Evening.”

Hats off as always to Randy Taber and Tom Sweeney, and to Geri Fallo and Wendy Setzer for their hilarious performance. Every year they outdo themselves. Watch this space for photos, I hope…

The Fuzzy Lemons have booked a BUNCHA gigs in the last few days, which is nice. I hope it keeps up! Here’s my music schedule (not counting all the private birthdays and Music Together classes I’ll be doing):

• July 12: The Fuzzy Lemons at the Great South Bay Music Festival in Patchogue, NY, 1:45 p.m. Also appearing: Paul Helou, Dr. Planet and Marla Lewis
• Week of July 27: Recording the Fuzzy Lemons at Garden Street Music
• July 28: Music Together at the Shipyard, 7:00 p.m.
• August 4: TFL at the Shipyard,  7:00 p.m.
• August 6: The Gordys at Sinatra Park,  7:00 p.m.
• August 11: Sitting in with Erin Lee and Marci at the Shipyard,  7:00 p.m.
• August 12: TFL at Church Square Park,  7:00 p.m.
• September 13: TFL at Union County MusicFest, Clark, NJ, 3:00 and 4:00
• September or October: TFL unplugged at the Harlem Flea Market (tentative)
• October 10: TFL at a private event in either Hoboken or Spring Lake, NJ
• October 18: TFL at Jubilee Day (Jubilee Center Benefit), time and location TBD
• December 6: Dave’s Annual Holiday Show with Howard Olah-Reiken at the Hoboken Historical Museum, 3:00

Wow, the calendar has been gig-free for a few weeks, and I’ve neglected to check in! But that doesn’t mean nothing is happening. Last week, for example, The Fuzzy Lemons had a great session with Dan McLoughlin in our rehearsal studio–he gave us copious pre-production notes to help us prepare for our next sojourn into the recording studio.

On a personal note, I had two awesome weekends in a row–first I got to go to a ManKind Project bonfire, the first I’ve been to in a whole year, and it was fantastic to connect with some old friends again. Then, last weekend was Memorial Day and I got to take my li’l family up to CT to visit my folks, my sisters, and assorted spouses, nieces and nephews. I even got a waterski run in, as my aching shoulders will attest 2 days later.

And now it’s time to gear up for a whirlwind of activity: I have 5 gigs in the next three weeks!

• May 30: The Fuzzy Lemons at the Waterfront Museum, which is a way-cool restored barge. I’m excited to play there but concerned because ticket sales seem low.
• June 4: Pete Seeger 90th Birthday tribute, featuring some of Hoboken’s top musicians! This is the first of the town’s Thursday-night summer concerts, and it’s an honor to have been invited by Geri Fallo to be a part of it. My original fantasy of doing a duet with Jim Mastro fell through (he’s out of the country apparently) but I’ve been in touch with The Demolition String Band and they’ll be backing me up on a song, it seems. Also, the New York Times asked for photos of the performers for an article on the event. Below is the photo I sent. Exciting!      
    

  Photo by Fred Eisner

• June 6: June-A-Palooza in Jersey City: We just got confirmation that we’re on for 2:30. We’re not getting paid but it’s a big deal in Jersey City and we’re hoping to sell some CDs and build our fan base outside of Hoboken.
• June 7: TFL at the OLG Fun Fest at Church Square Park. Outdoor show #2 of the summer; we’ll be in the gazebo at Church Square (you last saw us there in August).
• June 14: TFL at Kiddiepalooza on Pier A. Outdoor show #3 of the summer! We’ll do three big sets.

 

Then we’ll enjoy some time off until we’re back at the Shipyard in August (and I have sets with Music Together, Erin Lee & Marci, and the Gordys around the same time–everything happens at once!)

For those of you keeping track:

April 24: The Fuzzy Lemons at All Saints’ spring bash
May 1: TFL at HOPES Father’s Group Dance (tickets available now!)
May 9: TFL play a private party
May 30: TFL at the Waterfront Museum
June 4: Pete Seeger 90th Birthday tribute, featuring some of Hoboken’s top musicians!
June 6: June-A-Palooza in Jersey City (tentative)
June 7: TFL at the OLG Fun Fest at Church Square Park
June 14: TFL at Kiddiepalooza on Pier A
July 28: Music Together at the Shipyard
August 4 : TFL at the Shipyard
August 6: The Gordys at Sinatra Park
August 11: Sitting in with Erin Lee and Marci at the Shipyard
December 6: Annual holiday show with Howie at the Hoboken Historical Museum.

Yes, that’s three Shipyard Tuesdays in a row. Awesome. Meanwhile the Lemons are putting together our mailing to try to book festival gigs all summer long, watch this space for details!
~Dave

A very truncated version of the Gordys played at the United Synagogue of Hoboken’s Purim festival tonight. Instead of our usual sprawl of 8 or 9 players, we were pared down to just Adam on clarinet, Barbara on accordion, me on guitar and Justin on bass. Not even a drummer! But we did a pretty good version of our world-famous Klezmer set, as Adam and his wife led lots of circle dancing on the floor in front of us.

Highlights included:

• Seeing Pamela, a fellow Gordy who has been AWOL in Weehawken with her brand-new baby while the house in Hoboken is pretty much rebuilt from the roof down;
• Seeing several young kids in Star Wars costumes (Purim has been described as a kind of Jewish Halloween);
• Doing an encore for an enthusiastic crowd;
• For our encore, playing Barbara’s Freilach, a brand-new original tune written by our very own Babs!

I missed out on the upstairs festivities, which apparently featured Adam as Plaxico Burress. Really.

— Dave