Are You Dave?

Sorry to say that this gig was rained out tonight! I met Erin Lee and Marci at the Shipyard at about 5:30 for a quick run-through. By 5:45 is was POURING and we’d retreated into the nearby playroom. By 6:00 it was clear that, even if the rain stopped, the stage and field were going to be utterly soaked.

We’re working with Geri Fallo to reschedule it, maybe for Tuesday Sept. 2. Watch this space for details!

Thanks,
Dave

Six years ago, when I first tumbled into Music Together, Erin Lee Kelly and Marci Applebaum were among my new co-workers. Erin especially took me under her wing and showed me how much fun it could be. (Before then I’d only ever held desk jobs. Ick.) I remember her telling me that one could even teach Music Together hung over, if need be. She’s that kind of cool. (I’ve tried it, and it’s not recommended, but it can be done.)

She and Marci had already been best friends and singing buds for just about ever, and now they’ve got a whole band with CDs and videos and the whole deal.  We’ve kept in touch, and I was able to put in a good word with Geri Fallo at City Hall, and now I am thrilled to announce that Erin Lee and Marci will be bringing their special brand of musical zaniness back to Hoboken on Tuesday at the Shipyard! Even better, they’ve invited li’l ol’ ME to join them on stage for a couple of songs! 

(Erin’s e-mail to me said “we would love to have you, the Bodhisattva of Hoboken, sit in with us on a few tunes.” I googled ‘Bodhisattva’ to make sure it wasn’t an insult of some sort, and according to Wikipedia it either means ‘a person whose aim it is to become fully enlightened,’ or ‘a being that compassionately refrains from entering nirvana in order to save others.’  Cool. Perhaps in a later post I’ll explore my relationship to either/both of those definitions. One thing’s for sure: The Fuzzy Lemons will have to find a way to show our thanks once we hit it big!) 

We’ll see how it goes Tuesday–we’re throwing together a last-minute 5:30 rehearsal for a 7:00 show, and I’m slightly out of my comfort zone playing mandolin and banjo instead of guitar–but it sure is flattering to be invited to share the stage with them. Seriously, they’re creative and funny and I wish I had half of their energy and talent!

Come check out the show, and ask Erin what it’s like to have Hugh Jackman bring his kid to her Music Together class.

See you there,

Dave

Two weeks after the Fuzzy Lemons performed at the Shipyard, I was back—this time with my cohorts in Music Together. Lisa Orinn, Catherine Moon and Anne Jacobs are each wonderful singers and entertainers (and Music Together teachers) in their own right, and when we all get together it can be magical.

Lisa and I have performed together at all sorts of Hoboken venues, with a whole batch of talented Music Together teachers. This particular line-up was a good one: Moon plays guitar and Anne plays mandolin, so in addition to four voices we were able to add lots of instrumentation.

And we had extra instruments standing by—when I broke a string on my guitar, I was able to borrow Catherine’s for a song, while her talented husband Josh quickly slipped a new string on mine. That was awesome. I love having guitar techs around. That’s my big dream for when the Fuzzy Lemons get big—someone to carry my gear and keep it in proper working order.

Dave, Anne, Lisa and Catherine. Photo courtesy of Marco Ambriz.

I think we performed very well. We’d put a lot of effort and intention into our rehearsals before the show, and we had great energy from the big crowd that gathered. Granted, it was laid-back, sunset picnic energy, but there was a lot of it.

Once again Scott Altizio did a great job getting us up and running. Granted, he had an easier time this week, with only four folk singers instead of six Fuzzy Lemons. And we still found ourselves wrestling for the monitors. But overall I think it was a fun night, people had a good time and of course Lisa got good exposure for Music Together. 

We’re getting another group of singers together at the end of September for the fall Arts and Music Festival. So far we haven’t finalized anything, but Music Together songs aren’t very complicated. As long as we can get a couple of rehearsals in, we’ll be fine!

Dave

Hoboken’s “Summer Enchanted Evenings” program brings great music to town all summer long. I’m scheduled to perform in a total of five shows for the town this summer!

Tuesday nights are Family Fun Nights at the Shipyard, the big complex of high-rise apartments on the northeast end of town. Shipyard Park is a little grassy quad overlooking the Hudson River, with a nice fountain in the middle and an open-air stage on the western end.  The Family Fun series has featured all kinds of acts, from Rebecca Frezza to Princes Katie & Racer Steve. Now we’re proud to say that the Fuzzy Lemons have joined those illustrious ranks.

This was our first gig with the town since the May Arts & Music Fest. Since then, Geri has hired a new sound guy, Scott Altizio, who also works at Water Music, Hoboken’s big-deal recording studio. He’s another young hipster, a worthy successor to Scott Wiener, who has since gone on to run a pizza-tour company.

There were the usual delays with set-up—it’s a rough job, unpacking and building a sound system, then setting up and sound-checking a six-piece band, all in about 90 minutes. Scott and his crew did a great job, considering that he was still familiarizing himself with the gear.

While the band waited we mingled with or crowd. The Shipyard shows are great because EVERYONE comes out, the whole quad from the fountain to the stage is covered with picnicking families. Kids are running and shrieking everywhere, with parents making half-hearted attempts to chase them between bites of Uptown Pizza. It’s festive.

I think the show itself went great. On stage we wrestled each other for more mix in the monitors, a common struggle, but as a band we’ve rehearsed often enough that we’re comfortable performing our material even when we’re not 100% happy with the gear. I think that’s a real sign of maturity. In fact I’ve never seen any evidence of “Spinal Tap”-style drama relating to equipment or scenery (but that may change this fall, as we’re starting to talk about getting a big backdrop to take around to shows).

People are starting to come up after shows and ask for CDs. Our home-recording project is in full swing but we have a long ways to go. Our goal is to have a CD ready for the big Tenafly gig in September (on the theory that we can ALWAYS sell CDs in Hoboken, but we may only get one shot to do so at the big JCC up the Hudson). Watch this space for details.

Meanwhile, I’ll be back at the Shipyard in 2 weeks with Music Together, see you then!
Dave

My first solo show in ages! This was a sing-along as part of the Hoboken Historical Museum’s Family Day celebration. The Museum has been great, I honestly don’t even remember how we first hooked up (Pamela or someone gave them my name) but in the past three years they’ve hired me for summer sing-alongs, holiday shows, even drum workshops! 

A solo Dave show isn’t a major spectacle; it’s about one step up from the birthday party entertainment I typically provide. This particular set took place in “the Tunnel,” the covered alley that houses the entrance to the Hoboken Historical Museum at 13th and Hudson streets. Families passed through on their way to and from the Family Day celebration, and some of them stopped to sing “The Wheels on the Bus” with me before seeking refuge in the air-conditioned Museum.

It was HOT that day! I sat totally still on my stool (the Museum provided a stool! I felt like a real folksinger!) and still managed to sweat buckets. I felt it running down my face and shirt as I sang. The good news was, with my audience passing through so quickly I found I could stretch my set by playing the same songs over and over. 

After the set the family was looking forward to a dip in the Shipyard pool with our friend Ted and his kids. But as I was packing up my gear, a mom came down and said the pool was closed because someone had pooped in it! ARGH! 

(Fortunately, they cycled the water—or whatever it is they do—and had the pool reopened about a half an hour after we got there, and we had a nice afternoon swim.)