Saturday, April 11, 2020

PHIL OCHS cover song

(to When I'm Gone)





Covid-19 version

Oh my god your hair is getting long
People jogging in the park with
Whatever they've got on
The shut down has the unemployed writing stupid
little songs
I can't believe we gave up all our Rights

No freedom to assemble
No freedom to talk
No freedom to go drinking
No freedom to walk
No freedom to sit shiva
No freedom to fuck
I can't believe we gave up all our Rights

No Easter No Passover
No time clocks being punched
No spinning yoga Pilates
No ladies who do lunch
No concerts no baseball
No going out for brunch
I can't believe we gave up all our Rights

Come writers poets congressmen
Musicians heed the call
My kin Folk need to save the world
As soon as there's a lull
The death rate (0.03%) is coming down
While the rest of us climb the walls
I can't believe we gave up all our Rights

Twelve hundred bucks was all it took
To take away our jobs
Phil Ochs would shit a golden brick
Of the extent that has been robbed
He's looking down hoping I'd
Stop butchering his song
I can't believe we gave up
I can't believe we gave up
I can't believe we gave up all our Rights

(Apologies for misspeaking in the video saying 'while I'm here' instead of When I'm Gone)

PANIC IS OVER IF WE WANT IT

Thursday, April 9, 2020

GERDES FOLK CITY 60TH Anniversary Concert footage

Including the audience! Left to right we have James Maddock, Paul Metsa, Richard Barone, Drummer Konrad Meissner (out of view), Amy Blume, Willie Nile, Karla Blume, Carolyn Hester, Rob Stoner, Terre Roche, some random dude, Johnny Pisano

GERDE'S FOLK CITY 60TH ANNIVERSARY CONCERT- Full concert (almost)

Question: How much music have you listened to during the CRISIS?
Bob's answer: Some, not much. To drown out the news, I've played dozens of hours of 'cleansing' sound on YouTube. 
528Hz on Youtube. Michael Keaton might say ''529,530, whatever it takes.''

There has also been some looking back on the concert I hosted in January of THIS year. It’s hard to imagine that people used to just sit there and listen to music without masks on!!!!

Of course, I kid. I’m wearing a mask for a few more days then f%ck that. The virus is real but this panic is a manmade pothole. Let’s work and drink and be merry. Eat balls, Fauci and Cuomo. My work is ESSENTIAL.

Once my upload speed got out of the slow lane, I was finally able to post all of my personal footage to my YouTube channel. 

Question: Of what?
My answer: Of the GERDES FOLK CITY 60TH ANNIVERSARY CONCERT!

JANUARY 24, 2020

It's all I got. It's every second recorded that I was able to grab between Green room and main room travel. Doesn't look too bad. Sound is from the camera mic and turned down a bit for this video.




ENJOY IT!!!

(Apologies for not capturing much of James Maddock. But he captured the room and back hall.)

It’s quite a unique time here on Earth.

I’m in Manhattan. It’s quiet. Lots of masks. Lots of hope, too.

The park is full of people getting air and exercising. Don’t be a hermit! If you look back at my March 26 youtube video, you’ll see me suggesting getting quinine, sunshine, zinc and vitamin c. The suggestion stands today. It’s Springtime!!! Get OUT.

When the Lords of Flatbush declare us all alive enough to live life, I shall go back to work, get my wartime paperwork together and start frequenting MUSIC shows.

I mentioned above that I haven’t listened to a ton of music. (Murder most foul notwithstanding) 
I’ve tried to PLAY more since the vibration is what it’s all about. All the musicians I know already know this. They play everyday and that’s their therapy, coping mechanism, medicine, happy place, resonating way to live. In the East it’s called Tao. 

I’m not a good player but good enough to rattle through several songs. The G chord over and over is also good. Eleven days of G so far! Working on chiming along for the days ahead.

Stay safe, Peoples. Know that our Rights to work and assemble have been wrestled away only temporarily. Can you imagine the return to the real world? Very exciting.

Here you have some details on the oft advertised 60th Anniversary Show:

The 60th 2020 Hindsight Rear View Mirror Revue

The set list!

Thanks, Michael Perlin's FB post:
1. Terre Roche : Face Down at Folk City (The Roches)
2. Terre Roche & Richard Barone: When I’m Gone (Phil Ochs)
3. Paul Metsa (from the Iron Range in Minnesota, his home town 20 miles from Hibbing, and the only name I had not known before): Walking in a Woman’s World
4. Terre Roche & Richard Barone & Paul Metsa: Shoals of herring (Clancy Brothers, I think)
5. Rob Stoner (in Dylan’s band for years; listen to the bass guitar solo at the beginning of One More Cup of Coffee; that’s him): If I Can Dream (Elvis Presley)
6. Rob Stoner: Forever Young (BD, in the mode of Elvis)
7. Rob Stoner: It’s a Man’s World (James Brown)
8. Rob Stoner: You’re a Big Girl Now (BD)
9. Rob Stoner: Cryin’ (Roy Orbison)
10. Rob Stoner: Blowin’ in the Wind (BD, but in the mode of Frank Sinatra)
11. Rob Stoner: Been A Long Time (Led Zeppelin)
12. Carolyn Hester: Lonesome Tears (Buddy Holly, whom she said, used to live around the corner from her in the Village (!))
13. Carolyn Hester (with her daughters) on bass and piano: Summertime (Gershwin)
14. Carolyn Hester (with her daughters?) on bass and piano: Get Together (Jesse Colin Young)
15. James Maddock: I Can’t Settle (his)
16. James Maddock: Another Life (his)
17. James Maddock: Beautiful Now (his)
18. Willie Nile (with Johnny Pisano on bass, of course): Seeds of Revolution(his)
19. Willie Nile (with Pisano): American Ride (his)
20. Everyone: One Guitar (Willie Nile)
21. Everyone: The Times They Are A-Changin’ 


Folk City was the epicenter of the Washington Square Folk and Blues Revival It was known for being the first paying gig for a constellation of Folk and Rock legends. Gerde’s became the premiere showcase for America's most critically acclaimed singer-songwriters, Bluesmen and traditional Folk artists from around the Country. Folk City ultimately hosted acts as far and wide as Gospel matinees on Sunday in 1960 to Sonic Youth in the ‘80s.  Hear songs from the vast music catalog of Greenwich Village come to life. Our All Star house band will pay tribute to the anthems of American music history. Solo performances by Texas Songbird Carolyn Hester- Folk City’s first ever Act! Multi dimensional song craftsman James Maddock Terre Roche of the Folk Rock pioneers, The Roches Worldwide Mod Rocker Willie Nile Bandleader extraordinaire, Rolling And Rockin’ Rob Stoner 

Paul Metsa is a legendary musician and songwriter from Minnesota. Born on the Iron Range, he has been based in Minneapolis since 1978. The drummer is class act Konrad Meissner  Your show’s Hosts:  Richard Barone of The Bongos Original proprietor, Mike Porco’s grandson, Bob Porco