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….

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.;

I had such a blast last night at my friend Howard’s, I just had to write about it a little. Every year for his birthday Howard throws my favorite kind of party: a jam session! Musicians of all stripes gather in his comfy living room to caterwaul into the wee hours.

This year was no exception. I got to the party at 9:00 p.m. and the first “set” was already winding down! I had time to grab a beer and say hi to some folks, but Howard was already itching to get back to the music — he’d specifically waited to play “Mystery Train” until I got there. It’s one of our old favorites.

I had a ball. it was 1:00 a.m. before I knew it. I got to lead the crew in some of my favorite jam tunes, including “Riot In Cell Block Number 9″ and “The Road Goes On Forever.” I also did some wandering, musically — the amp I was using was misbehaving, so I set my guitar down and did some percussion, eventually sitting behind the drum kit for a song or three. I noodled on the bass and even banged on the keyboard a little for “Johnny B. Good.”  Not that I can PLAY the keyboard, mind you…

It was a great night and reminder of everything I love about Hoboken.  Happy Birthday, Howie!

My annual set with Howie at the Museum is always a nice change of pace from the rock-n-roll lifestyle I normally lead. We get to kick back and play winter favorites, from Hanukah songs to “Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer.” We’ve done the show a few times now, and we’re at the point where we slip easily into the pocket and have a good time jamming. This year featured an exciting new addition to our set: Howard’s son Avery got up and played and sang on two songs! It made me itch for the day when my own offspring is old enough to shove me out of the way and grab the mic.

Hi everyone! It’s been almost a month since my last post… mainly because August is vacation month! I haven’t had any gigs or classes in over 3 weeks. It’s been a lovely time. I got to do some waterskiing in CT on my dad’s boat, and the Fuzzy Lemons have used the time to write a new song or two.

Now, refreshed and ready, we’re launching into the Fall of ‘09. First order of business: FINISH THE CD! We’ve booked two more 10-hour days at Garden Street Music, for Dana, Kipley and myself to record guitars, vocals, keys, accordions, mandolins, woodwinds, and gosh-knows what else. Meanwhile, we’re starting to bounce ideas around for album artwork. The goal is to be able to put the thing in people’s hands on Dec. 1. I love seeing all of this creativity come together!

At the same time, we’ve got a bunch of gigs coming up, including some road trips!

• September 12 - Concert for the Mustard Seed school in Hoboken
• September 13 - Union County Music Festival, Oak Ridge Park, Clark NJ
• September 20 - 2nd Annual Long Island Pirate Festival, Farmingville, NY
• September 21 - Studio day
• September 28 - Studio day
• October 11 - In-Store concert at Barnes & Noble, Lincoln Triangle, NYC
• October 18 - Jubilee Day - Benefit for Jubilee Center
• October 24 - private party in Hoboken
• October 30 - Halloween party for Garden Street Music (in exchange for studio time!)
• December 4 - Fuzzy Friday
• December 5 - Dave and Howie’s annual holiday show at the Museum
• December 11 - Fuzzy Friday
• December 16 - Garden Street Music holiday party
• December 18 - Fuzzy Friday/HFA holiday concert

That’s a decent list. Playing shows, recording albums… that’s how I want my life to be!

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

For the fourth year in a row, the Hoboken Historical Museum asked me to lead a holiday sing-along, and for the third year in a row I invited my good pal Howard Olah-Reiken (of The Gordys) to join me. It’s just more fun to do a duet, I think. Howard and I harmonize well together, and he does great guitar solos, and he spends a lot of time worrying about mics and mic stands and amplification, so I don’t have to. Plus, he knows lots of Hanukah songs, so when we play together we can make the show truly multicultural: We sing in English, Spanish (Feliz Navidad), Hebrew and even Ladino, a Spanish version of Hebrew.

Watch this space for a photo or two from the event. We had a nice crowd, though it was a cold, drizzly Wednesday evening. There were many, mnay friendly and familiar faces in the crowd, though we did catch a few people reading the exhibits on the walls rather than singing along with us. (One great thing about the last couple of years as that I have stopped worrying so much about making every single audience member like me.)  

Only three more peformances between now and the end of the year. Whee!

Dave

After seven months of doing children’s music, it’s always a treat to get together with the Gordys and play some old-fashioned grown-up Rock’n'Roll. The Gordys are a rag-tag collection of local folks like me who love to sing and play when the kids are otherwise occupied. Over the years we’ve managed to accumulate guitarists, bassists, keyboardists, sax players, singers, even an accordionist. And we’ve managed to put together a nice repertoire of tunes that we’ve played up and down the lengths of Hoboken (plus one show in Bayonne).

This was our fourth annual concert at Sinatra Park on the banks of the Hudson River. We went with a “greatest-hits” set, rehashing some of our greatest tunes rather than wasting valuable rehearsal time on new material.  

 

This year we had a one-hour set following local rock star Bill McGarvey. He did two songs that I’d been thinking of bringing to the Gordys—”American Girl” by Tom Petty, and The Pixies’ “Here Comes Your Man.” Thank goodness I didn’t push for those tunes—that’s the musical equivalent of wearing the same dress as the hostess at a party.

 

 We did our best Beatles, Springsteen and even the Partridge Family, in front of a huge crowd (I think the entire congregation of the Synagogue comes every year). This year’s band was made up of Howard Olah-Reiken (guitar, vocals); Rob Harari (keyboards, trumpet); Adam Laden (guitars, sax, vocals); Pamela Strell (vocals, percussion); Barbara Arnett (accordion); Christopher Speich (drums); me (guitars, harmonica, vocals); and new member Justin Micheal on bass, replacing the semi-retired Jorge Fernandez.

 

We only had three or four big rehearsals before the set. I think the combination of talented musicians playing the songs they love made for a beautiful, entertaining night. The two big highlights were the ever-popular klezmer set, and a guest appearance by Geri Fallo and her friend Wendy Setzer. We’d been badgering Geri for an entire year (literally, we began about an hour after we finished the 2007 Gordys show) to get up and sing with us, and finally she relented. Not only did she agree to sing with us (provided she could bring a friend for moral support), she surprised the whole band by choosing a They Might Be Giants song, “The Sun is a Mass of Incandescent Gas.”

 

Thus are legends born.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photos courtesy of Jeffery Vock