David, it was a terrific show, and as it does each...

2009-08-27T13:07:04.213-04:00

David, it was a terrific show, and as it does each time, I left Joe's Pub feeling a whole lot better. You guys always lift me, and I've passed this prescription on to dozens of friends.

be well, Tom

The most difficult task in preparing for the Loser...

2009-08-27T12:06:57.482-04:00

The most difficult task in preparing for the Loser's Lounge Neil Young vs. Eagles show was selecting a song. I knew I was going to be on Neil's side, but with a catalog as vast as his, I knew I was in for a tough decision. I started listening to Neil records early and settled on Powderfinger or Rockin' In The Free World as possibilities. However, I wasn't feeling entirely confident, so I turned to my good friends Bob and Patty Lenartz (Patty has been the LL's stage manager for almost as long as I've been in the show). Bob is an ardent Neil fan, and he immediately suggested another song I hadn't considered. "I think you should do Cinnamon Girl." He pointed to the end of the song and build up to the classic one note solo - "You see your baby loves to dance, yeah, yeah, yeah," followed by a perfectly placed "woo!" It is a magical moment, and I was immediately convinced.

My brain now fully focused on Neil (sorry, but the Eagles just don't move me the same way Mr. Young does), I listened to his music every day just for the pure enjoyment. As I was playing "After The Gold Rush" I heard When You Dance You Can Really Love. My confidence in performing Cinnamon Girl was slightly shaken. I could hear myself singing When You Dance, but I missed the big ending of Cinnamon Girl. As I played the songs in my head, I thought, "Aren't these two songs in the same key?" Then I heard a transition that made me realize that I could have my cake and eat it, too. Moving from the vocal break "I can really love..." into the Cinnamon Girl riff sounded perfect. But was my brain hearing the songs in the right key? I nervously played the two on my iPod and... yes! A perfect match.

During our first night, the sad news of Michael Jackson's death began to circulate backstage. It was very confusing - he had died, no, he was in the hospital, no, he was really gone. After the show ended, we spontaneously broke into I Want You Back with Tricia Scotti taking the lead. We ended every show of the run that way.

Of the five shows, Neil took four and the Eagles took one. I always enjoy the voting part of the "battle" and hearing our manager Chris Dellolio's basso profondo as he stretches out the final verdict. Our investment in the many sophisticated sound measurement devices placed throughout Joe's Pub was well worth the effort.

Watch When You Dance You Can Really Love/Cinnamon Girl at
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5jADRnfslAI

Comments on Loser's Lounge Archive Blog: Loser's Lounge: The Eagles vs. Neil Young, June 25...

David, it was a terrific show, and as it does each...

The most difficult task in preparing for the Loser...