Rocked Rodeo Like a Bronco, DBT, Bye to a Journalism Legend
Monday, March 31, 2008

Oh baby, if playing a gig at Manhattan's Rodeo Bar was like a REAL Rodeo, then the New Heathens took home the top prize on Saturday night.

People danced so hard it was as if New York didn't HAVE a cabaret law. Fans shouted out requests, yowled along with me, and bought up New Heathens CDs and t-shirts like they were Rodeo Bar margaritas. They even danced all the way to the back of the Winnebago. A couple people even threw roses at us!

Our friend Dusan Sekulovic, director of the movie "Pussyfoot" said, and I quote, "I feel like somebody just made love to my ears."

I'm 90 percent sure that's a compliment.

I forgot my camera, but NH Superfan Anne Scatto sent me this picture:


Yes, I was totally blissed out.

The band rocked like a damn bucking bronco. Domenick's slide guitar turned my head around, literally. I've never seen a crowd go monkey-crazy like when Butch tore into Pig Pen. One of my favorite ever New Heathens moments came during our last tune, "Rockin' in the Free World" when Butch and Dom stood toe-to-toe trading licks.

You shoulda' heard the rhythm section! Brandy's shot the songs full of sick sounding low-to-high bass note runs (all while wearing shiny gold shoes and at times dancing the Riverdance). The word "rock" applies to Eric, not as a verb, but as a noun because he played as hard, heavy and solid as a great big one.

I even sang pretty good thanks to my good friend Charlene McPherson . Charlene gave me my first ever singing lesson on Friday. She showed me how to sing scales and be conscious of my breathing. Her most important lesson: warm up for 15 minutes before going onstage.

The only problem with warming up is that in the divey, rock 'n' roller bars we play there aren't any backstage areas, nor are there, say, dark corners where a dude would feel safe singing, "Fish and chips and vinegar, pepper, pepper, pepper, salt!" So before our Rodeo gig I wandered into some alleyway and sang my "Do-Re-Mi's." And nobody kicked my ass.

On Wednesday night Butch, Dom and I all went to see the Drive By Truckers. Great band. Great show.



Patterson Hood of DBT

On a sad note, my friend Dith Pran died of cancer on Sunday. Pran worked as a photographer for the New York Times and was a living journalism legend. The movie The Killing Fields was based on Pran's life and his escape from Cambodia during the genocide in the 1970s. Pran spent most of his life campaigning for human rights.

I don't think I've ever met a nicer, friendlier, more upbeat guy. It was a honor to call Pran a colleague and a pleasure to call him a friend. I said goodbye to him in the hospital last week.


Dith Pran

Anybody kept up with the body count on this blog? To everyone who knows anybody in the New Heathens I am hereby putting you on notice: you are not allowed to die. Nope. Sorry. Gotta' keep living. To Drew, Jonathan and Pran, I salute you brothers...

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Ours Go Up To 11(th Street Bar)
Thursday, March 20, 2008

Singing with beautiful & talented Brooke Lunde, mastermind behind the Newville Sessions

Kenny, the unflappable chieftain of the 11th Street Bar told me a funny story on Wednesday night about a police officer, concerned about neighborhood noise ordinances, paying him a recent visit.

Officer: "Kenny, do you ever have bands here at the 11th Street Bar?"

Kenny: "No officer."

Officer: "I see online that a band called the New Heathens is scheduled to play here on Wednesday."

Kenny: "Thanks for reminding me."

Half hoping for a Blues Brothers-esque scene ("And we would especially like to welcome all the representatives from New York's law enforcement community,") we barnstormed the 11th Street Bar last night and had a great time. Charlene McPherson joined us to sing Gram Parsons', "100 Years,", and for the first time Brooke Lunde, my good friend and founder of Banjo Jim's cool Newville Sessions, joined us on "Proud Highway."

Butch sang the heck out of "Pig Pen" and Domenick and I shared a microphone on his new song "Responsible." Brandy, in her t-shirt that read the two things she loves most about the south are Jack and Charlie, sang wonderful backup harmonies. And Eric played with a maestro's touch on drums that were half his, and half superstar drummer James Wormworth's.

Brooke Lunde's band played after us and they tore it up. Good thing there weren't any cops around...


New Heathens with wooden instruments AND Brandy Wood at the 11th Street Bar

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The King And His Throne: The Waterfront Hotel
Sunday, March 16, 2008

Eric, our drummer, is the most organized and meticulous dude in the band. We needed microphones and stands for our gig at Baltimore's fantastic Waterfront Hotel on Saturday night, so I called Eric. When it came time to get out of there, I followed Eric because he knew the way.

Uncharacteristically, he totally airballed one vital thing Saturday night: the bottom part of his drum stool.

(I joked that's better than forgetting the top part.)

We borrowed a thick, wooden chair from an upstairs office for Eric to sit in while he played. Based on how he laid down a groove fatter than Elvis in decline, I think we may insist that he always sit in a chair while he plays.


Eric, sitting in THE chair, surrounded by New Heathens.

The only bummer part of the gig came when a dude grabbed my microphone mid song and shouted into it. I pushed him off the stage (note: I did not shove.) He walked with his middle finger in the air to the back of the bar, then marched all the way back to me to tell me (still mid song) that he'd kick my ass if I ever pushed him again.

Does this guy realize I'm doing a job? I mean, how would HE react if I staggered into his workplace drunk and grabbed his mop?

The rest of the set was nothing but highlights, par normal at the Waterfront Hotel. People were Saint Patty's partying and they danced and sang with us by the dozens. We got to visit with our great friend Jewels, plus my friends Heather and Rick. Butch and Domenick went back and forth trying to out-channel-Neil Young each other. It sounded amazing. Domenick would coax some tortured wail from his black telecaster only to have Butch cut him with shrieks from his black Gretch. Brandy nailed basslines on brand-new songs she's never even heard before. She sang a killer version of Bad Company's "Rock Steady" for our encore, and she actually did the Riverdance jig while playing her rave-up bassline to Butch's song "Pig Pen." Incredible.

We stopped at the Broadway Diner on our way out of town.

Butch ordered the awesomest looking stack of blueberry pancakes I've ever seen in my life.

It's 7:45 a.m. Time for bed.

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Don' Hill's
Thursday, March 13, 2008

Brandy called us late on Tuesday asking if we could play a last-minute gig at Don' Hill's. Factoid: Domenick Tiziano's first ever gig in NYC was at Don Hill's opening up for none other than Norah Jones.

He had a rockin' little homecoming, plugged through a Marshall Stack. Butch plugged his big, bad, black Gretch into one too. Eric was up high on a drum riser surrounded by a cloud of fake smoke.


Eric, on the drums, through a cloud of smoke

The band was rocking along beautifully until...the PA system cut out. "You will get a show!" Brandy hollered to the crowd. I strapped on my wooden guitar and belted out tunes a-capella with Brandy and Domenick chiming in with harmonies and Butch bashing out badass licks. Gotta' love a band that's got 'yer back when the power is down!

Once the PA was up and running again we romped through the rest of our set. Butch set fire to Pig Pen, and we ended with "When She's Wasted." Miss Brandy says it's the best she can remember us sounding (and if someone in the band is happy, I'M happy!)

Afterward Brandy joined the house band and sang the holy smoke out of Humble Pie's 30 Days in the Hole and the Faces' Stay With Me.


Brandy, channeling Steve Mariott & Rod Stewart

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Carter Family Tribute
Friday, March 7, 2008

The Demolition String Band did it again on Wednesday night. Elena & Boo put on a tremendous tribute to the Carter Family at Banjo Jim's.

Here's some pix, courtesy of NH superfan, Anne Scatto.





Mighty fun time!

Watch out, the flu is going around...

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Goodbye Blue Monday
Monday, March 3, 2008

New Heathens at Goodbye Blue Monday, 3/1/08

The New Heathens played a funky little antique store called Goodbye Blue Monday in the Bushwick section of Brooklyn on Saturday night. We were joined by our friends Spanking Charlene and Joe Cassady & the West End Sound.

Domenick (left) just got back from a Caribbean cruise in which he gave a rock (the sparkly, "I'm gonna' love you forever" kind) to his girlfriend Agatha. Then he gave the rock to everybody at Goodbye Blue Monday. He didn't get vaccinated before he left on vacation so somewhere down in the tropics Domenick caught a severe case of slide guitar. Watch out! Dude is sick!

Big thanks to all our friends who came out, especially Minerva and her crew of New Heathens superfans who trekked across two rivers, all the way from Jersey City, to whoop it up and show Joe Cassady's pretty wife how to dance. Minerva, you're the best and we can't wait to check out a BoDeans show with you in April.


Charlene, emoting, during her badass new song (my adopted themesong) "Stupid Stupid Me."

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