SOUNDTRACK: RHEOSTATICS-Fall Nationals, Night 9 of 10, The Horseshoe Tavern, Toronto (November 19, 2004).
The Rheostatics, live at the Legendary Horseshoe Tavern in Toronto, November 19, 2004. This was the 9th night of their 10 night Fall Nationals run at the Horseshoe. This is the final night with a recording.
I compared all of the setlists from the nine shows and was somewhat surprised to see just how much repeating they did (you can see the grid at the bottom with all of the songs for each night).
Kevin Hearn joined them. And this 2 hour and 45 minute show ended with a Twist competition and a “Whole Lotta Love” jam which went on for 19 minutes followed by Neil Young’s “Powderfinger.” Two versions are available – Mark Sloggett’s soundboard recording and 8-track files provided by Steve Clarkson. As with the other shows with these two recordings, the Clarkson one is audience recorded and louder, but with audience noise.
The show starts with a song by Martin and a song by Tim. There’s no Dave for a full ten minutes!
“Self Serve Gas Station” has loud keyboards that fill out the introduction. In the middle of the song, when Martin sings “worry about their son?” Tim asks “which one?” And Martin sings, “What went wrong with Johnny, is he dumb?” “What about Doug?” It’s followed by Tim’s “Soul Glue” which sounds great.
Tim seems to be having a lot of fun this night. When Dave sings “Me and Stupid” Tim is full of backing vocals, including chanting “Gabba Gabba,Hey!” when Dave mentions the Ramones.
“The Tarleks” has a bit of a rough opening, but after a quick tuning, all is well. “Claire” opens with some interesting washes of keys before the familiar guitars come in. Tim is still goofy this time singing “horrify me, Claire, roto-till my hair. Let me see you say a line that isn’t there.”
Tim says they’d like to send “Power Ballad For Ozzy Osbourne” to The Buttless Chaps. Thanks for coming and rocking.”
During “Four Little Songs” Dave says, “Kevin, Sing us a song.” He sings his song “This Is It” “There was fresh butter melting on a waffle…” As the song moves to the fast part Martin sings “who stole the kishka,” a nod to the previous night. It ends and Tim yells, “Someone call the cops” and Martin plays a siren on his guitar.
Dave introduces the Bastard Brass who will play with them for three songs. They are Brian on trumpet, Alexi on trumpet Alain on the ‘bone and good ol Seth on the saxophone. Unlike some of the horns they have play with them, these guys are the real deal and they sound great.
They bring a lot of depth to “P.I.N” and I love when they play the riff of “Mumbletypeg.” However, there is an interruption during the song, which I assume is real. Tim sounds very concerned, asking if “you know that guy.” Then he calls for Security. When the song is over, he says, “It’s okay to have a good time but don’t be gross about it.” Then… “This guy’s gotta go.” Then “Well okay, you can stay. But seriously mind the person next to you.” even Mike gets in on it: “You know you’re gonna get turfed it you keep it up, buddy.” Then quieter: “Granted not by me.”
Things must settle down, because they play “Marginalized” and Tim thanks the guys “that was worth listening to all the practicing in the dressing room.”
They play a beauty couple of songs: “Shack in the Cornfields” and “Try to Praise this Mutilated World.” Dave explains that “Pornography” is another song about America.
And then Martin says that they are the Rheostatics, but Tim says, “We are the Toronto casts of the Rheostatics. That’s Mike’s line. I thought it was good.”
They send “Making Progress” out to Mike Dunne who named the band back in Grade 11 (or earlier). Thanks, Mike its all your fault.” Mike: “very new wave.” Tim: “This goes out to the city of Bolton, Ontario.” Why is that? That’s where Mike lives.” “Well, somebody’s gotta.”
For “My First Rock Concert” they bring back Kevin Hearn. The Kevin Hearn Revival. Him and his fancy T-shirts. Dave says that Kevin and Dave will interweave their songs. This is Dave and Kevin’s journey of rock and roll awakening. Dave sings his parts and Kevin’s first shows include: Mr Dressup, Peter Appleyard; Then Santana (where the guys in front and behind him threw up). Then playing a gig between Bon Jovi and Cheap Trick. At the after party, the guys who sing “Everybody Wang Chung Tonight” showed up. Kevin sings a few choruses and then segues into “Surrender” (with nice harmonies from everyone).
Dave asks if Kevin has any Joe Jackson stories. Tim interrupts and says he took a full bottle of Heineken off of the stage at a Joe Jackson show, wondering whats in that green bottle.
Kevin follows that with: Once I went to Burl Ives’ house for chocolate cake and he looked out the window and it was almost a full moon and in that Frosty the Snowman voice he said, “Oh look someone’s taken a bite out of the moon. It’s true.”
When the song is over Dave says, “I imagine the UN General Assembly sitting together with the world on the brink of war and deferring to Kevin and he will tell that Burl Ives story and save the world.”
Tim continues, Dave and I, Bo Donaldson and the Heywoods, Disneyworld in Florida. Dave and I were both in the crowd. We did know each other but we were both there. My first show.” Dave: “Five seconds of complete bewilderment. What the hell is that guy going there?” Martin: “Who is Bo Donaldson.” Tim: “Remember ‘Billy Don’t be a Hero?’ The greatest protest band ever. Or was that The DeFranco Family?”
Tim continues, “We’d like to celebrate our ethnic heritage with this next song.” Jennifer Foster is back on accordion for “Who is that Man, and Why is he Laughing?.” It’s followed by “Yellow Days Under A Lemon Sun” with verses from Kevin, Tim and Dave.
They play “Aliens (Christmas 1988)” and before the final verse, when the song gets mellow, Tim starts singing “ABC, 123” and then Dave picks up “Michael Jackson.” But then he says, “Why don’t you just give us some “It feels good to be alive.” Tim asks what kind? Phoning it in?” Dave: “Oh no, big sale. ” And after doing some of the song in a slightly different way Martin says now I feel like doing the riff, so they rock out. At some point, Mike asks, “Are we still playing aliens?” They get into some jazzy chords–merch chords. Jazz and merch sales go together so well. Jazzy Swag. Martin comes out of the jazz with some blistering punk chords to open “RDA.” They’re having crazy fun now, Dave starts singing “They don’t give a fuck about anybody else.” After they wail, Mike asks, “Where’s the no solo sign?”
At the end of the song, they thank The Imponderables, and The Buttless Chaps.
After the break, they play “Legal Age Life” and jam it for 13 minutes. The middle of the song features the Fall Nat’ls annual Twist competition. Tim asks for gaffer tape to tape up “Wendell.” It’s gonna be a really great bit when it’s ready.” Tim: “I want to give Martin a laugh when he comes out.” When Martin comes out, Tim asks, “Martin is that a Steinberger hockey stick?” (It doesn’t seem to go over well).
When the Twist competitors come up, Tim asks, “You’re not obnoxious drunk guy, are you?” “No he knows all the words.” The audience votes for Ann. And Mike says, “Make that guitar talk for me Martin.” he does and they have a “conversation.”
Tim asks, Do you know “The Things We Do For Love?” I just wanna hear it. Is that Hall and Oates? It’s 10cc (Mike then explains the origin of that band name).
Martin starts “Record Body Count” by speaking the ending: “Joey stepped up on a block of ice, put a rope around his neck and fell asleep before he fucking died.” Mike: “What a goof!”
Dave says, “We’re here tomorrow for one more night. Good night!” And yet, there’s 25 more minutes of music! There’s some general jamming fun–in fact this jam (the Whole Lotta Love jam) runs about 19 minutes. Someone takes a “Vegas walk off.” And then Dave I think plays the Green Sprouts Theme, but there are washes of chords overwhelming everything. Then people just start jamming song riffs: “Cat Scratch Fever,” a Led Zeppelin riff or two, “Daytripper” “Tom Sawyer” Martin does the zooming sounds from “Bullet the BLue Sky” (or “Whole Lotta Love”). And then someone starts jamming “Whole Lotta Love.” About 7 and a half minutes into this, Tim says “We’re gonna do this all night long, so you might as well go home and gets some sleep.” While “Whole Lotta Love” is playing, Kevin begins singing “In Dreams” by Roy Orbison (“Candy Colored Clown”). Then Tim says, “I’m serous, this shit’s going on all night. Get the fuck out of here!”
Dave says, “On that note, Good night. I gotta go to St. Catherine’s Ontario in the morning. I’m reading in the mall.” Mike: “Two Vegas walk offs.”
There’s a sample played from Colonel Sanders “This is Colonel Sanders here to tell you about my exciting new chicken.. in addition to herbs and spices there’s shampoo and dish soap in it, so while you’re eating, you’re cleaning.”
At about 12 minutes, Kevin starts singing “Whole Lotta Love.” Martin mocks the “every inch of my love” part and Mike and someone else do the moaning. Then Kevin starts singing “I’ve Been Everywhere” while samples galore play. Finally Kevin sings a mellow version of “Like a Hurricane.”
And then a proper start to “Powderfinger” which makes up for the depravity of the previous night. When they finish someone asks, “Hey are you still here?”
It’s not the final night of the residency, but it’s a really fun and kind of loopy night. Some great playing mixed with some real silliness.
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The book begins with Little Brown Bat flying through the night sky. But he is lost. And he happens upon a group of people in the desert hoping to see the Mexican Long-Tongued Bat and the Lesser Long-Nosed Bat, two nectar eating bats who help to pollinate flowers.
While the nectar bats do their things and the people enjoy it, one of the bats talks to Little Brown Bat about whats’ going on. Finally the bat convinces Little Brown to dive down to eat all the bugs that the light is attracting–the humans won’t mind.
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