Farm Aid - It Was 25 Years Ago Today

Farm Aid came about when Bob Dylan (who else), performing at Live Aid, commented, "... maybe they could take a little bit of it, maybe... one or two million, maybe... and use it, say, to pay the mortgages on some of the farms and, the farmers here, owe to the banks..."


Willie Nelson, Neil Young & John Mellencamp
picked it up from there...












Live Aid was big. I had just moved from Philadelphia to Boston & Philly was one of the epicenters of that global event.... I was bummed that I had just left the home of the hoagie.














Farm Aid kinda crept up on me. I think I noticed it when
it was on one of the UHF stations for hours & hours.
(UHF... quizzical look from those born after Farm Aid)







In retrospect, Farm Aid was a direct descendant of the brand of liberalism that arose from the North Central states a hundred years ago. La Follette, the Progressives, the Wobblies and their ilk (as John Dos Passos informed) disabuse the notion that we in the cosmopolitan Northeast and our left coast brethren possess a monopoly on enlightened social values













A month or two ago, I referenced
the younger performers at
Studio 12 as being born
after the first Farm Aid.









Lou Reed
was at Farm Aid



all pics except Dos Passos from Farm Aid 1985

Tuneful Weekend

Wow! Whatta great weekend for local performers & music lovers.
So many shows that I've lost track....

Three that I managed to attend:

Friday night - Jan Loe's Birthday Jam at Jiggs in Butler
Jazzy Jan hosts Jiggs open mic Thursdays & Fridays











Jan & Bob

Saturday afternoon - Parents Who Rock's annual Outdoor Fundraiser

Alma Schneider is the straw that stirs the drink!
... apologies to Reggie Jackson




Our Hosts....
Alma & Brian

You guys Rock!!!




















Ed Carine who, in addition to performing, engineered the sound.

Also, as the T-shirt says,
Ed is the advisor to
Terry's Serendipity Cafe.










Studio 12
road trippin'












Sunday night - the Indie Music Circus at Luna Stage
Hosted by Michael Aquino



Andrew
Klewan

Meg
Beattie
Patrick

Laree
Hakeem
Cisco






Kudos to Jan, Alma & Michael for rockin' the weekend!
photo credits: Jiggs, Meg; PWR, Brian; IMC, Greg

Bazingen 5771!

No tsuris here....

No tref on the menu....
(salad, chicken & parve brownies)

Zukhn all klezmers & muzikers!

Parents Rock Again!!!!

Alma says, "Brush off your lawn chairs and pack up your picnic basket! The artists are all lined up for Parents Who Rock’s Annual Outdoor Festival."

Money raised will go to Youth Consultation Service, which helps to give more than 400 Essex County kids in group homes support so they can have a better chance at life. The fundraiser will help raise money to provide each child with a birthday gift card.

The event runs from noon to 6 p.m. on Saturday, September 11, at 72 High Street, corner of Cedar and High Streets in Montclair.

Jerry Lewis Show Cancelled

Jerry is a last minute scratch from his Studio 12 debut tonight due to an emergency tumblerectomy. Our thoughts and prayers go out.









Filling in will be Jerry's Kids aka 7 Circle Tangent

See Ya Later Phil

It's back to school for Studio 12's summer bartender, Phil Spinelli.

All in all a good summer.... made a few bucks at the Studio & in the catering division of the family empire... home & away visits with GF Sara... catching up with MHS friends... getting his brother Ben to start playing the bass again...hanging out with his family at Lake Hopatcong... and
(my personal favorite) judging this blog as "not stupid".

Have a good year at 'Cuse... see ya at Thanksgiving!

8/16/77 - Where Were You 33 Years Ago?

I was 20, home from college washing dishes at the Longhorn Ranch in Concordville, Pa.





During the dinner hour word got out that The King had passed from this world.





The steak house moaned to a halt as the entire posse of young middle-aged cowgirl waitresses wept all over their naugahyde vests. A few fainted.




The managers all freaked out.






Five years later Warren Zevon wrote
Jesus Mentioned.

Jazzy Jan Loe is the Godmother of Studio 12

Five years ago, in the afterglow of a Parents Who Rock show that crammed 130 people into & out of Church Street Cafe, a bunch of players - Alma, Ellen (in her soccer uniform), Ben, Ed D., moi & I forget who else (please forgive me) set out to create an open mic here on the second floor. Ben suggested that to make it work we needed a house band. We had some fun trying to grow the gig but, for various reasons, it failed to evolve.

As our fire was flickering out, Jan showed up & organized the remnants of our crusaders & recruited quite a few more. The gig was moved downstairs (Thurs night?), tucked in the front corner of the room between two booths. For months Jan patiently encouraged the varying cast of players until until it basically evolved into a trio - Jan, Carrie & me.

Then one night, Jan didn't show up. Carrie & I looked at each other with (at least for me) expressions of sheer terror. After a minute or two we started playing and didn't stop. Jan had pulled a Johnny Appleseed on us. Now Carrie & I were the house band. The stage was set for all of the music that has flowed from here since then (another story for another day).

Jan, of course, did come back and is a regular player at Studio 12. She currently runs the open mic at Jiggs's Tuesday & Thursday nights.

Adam

Adam & Christina

Adam & Not Christina...WTF!

The Baristovationfamous Tim Kennedy

Yesterday Baristanet, the arbiters of all that is worthy in our fair village, chose our good friend Tim Kennedy as the poster boy for an article recounting Adam Turbiner's recent efforts to spread the Gospel of Kaman into the garden spot of the Garden State.

Scribed by that delicious polymath Meg Beattie Patrick, the piece highlights how Adam has been tirelessly schlepping his Ovation guitars to Studio 12 and Tierney's open mics and generously allowing all comers to strum his wares.

Rumor has it that Adam will return tomorrow night, perhaps once again along with the lovely Christina.

Encore Ovation

As promised Adam Turbiner of Ovation Guitars Showed up with half a dozen acoustic electric beauties (seven, counting the lovely Christina who was totally electric). He let everyone play his guitars and captured the moments on video. Go to Adam's Facebook wall to see great vids of Jazzy Jan, Mike, Carrie, Bob, Jeff & Michelle.

Adam has threatened to return tomorrow night.

Michael Reitman will be at Montclair Public Library on Tuesday

Studio 12 mainstay Michael Reitman will be performing at Takeo Shugihara's open mic at MPL this Tuesday eve. For the full scoop check out Shelley Emling's Montclair Patch