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THE DR. DEMENTO SHOW
Featuring:
Special Guest Opener @ 7:30PM
ELVIS PRESTELLO & THE DISTRACTIONS
+ very special guests: Barry Mitchell * Tom Rockwell (of Sudden Death) * R. Stevie Moore * Kenny Young & The Eggplants & Christine Lavin
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Celebrating his 34th anniversary on radio, Dr. Demento's legendary show comes alive on stage with rare video footage and the Doctor playing all his favorite rare records and outrageous tapes from his extensive archives - some never heard before. He will tells stories and jokes and has a few surprises in store for everyone. It's sure to be an evening of madcap music and crazy comedy from the Doctor of Demented Musicology!
The Dr. Demento Show is a free-wheeling, unpredictable mix of music and comedy. Along with legends like Spike Jones, Tom Lehrer, Stan Freberg, Monty Python, and Frank Zappa, the Doctor plays new funny songs sent in by amateur and professional singers and comedians. That's how the world was introduced to "Weird Al" Yankovic, who went on to become rock music's best-known funny person.
Those who've listened carefully to the Doctor's show have undoubtedly realized that somewhere between his lively larynx and elegant top hat there resides the mind of a seasoned musicologist and dedicated scholar... a world-renowned record collector and music historian, whose lifelong passion for music of all kinds is reflected in his weekly selection of "rare records and outrageous tapes" for the Dr. Demento Show.
ELVIS PRESTELLO And the Distractions
You've undoubtedly seen an Elvis Presley impersonator. You may have seen a band perform an Elvis Costello song or two in your day. You may have seen Costello himself. But you never have---and never will again, we promise you---seen a musician/performer do Elvis Costello's 1977 debut album "MY AIM IS TRUE" note-for-note, dressed as the 1977 Las Vegas Elvis Presley--- cape, sunglasses, sideburns, sequins, and all. (Ed. note: unfortunately, he was NOT dressed as Presley77, just a Declan MacManus clone. Band was smokin though. They totally nailed it.)
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R. STEVIE MOORE BLOG.
Ok! So I was like, really proud of this blessed opportunity, I was like telling everyone it was such a historic day for me. Like, a milestone highwater mark in my long dumb career. Me as urban legend, come to life.
So I'll try to fill you in on my thoughts and reflections. There's also, like 20+ new screenshots linked below, so-so quality low-res stills taken from the 8mm VHS tape that my wife Krys_O filmed (alternate moviecams were rolling as well, watch this space for updates). Our little homevideo came out really good, it's like 33 minutes long. The mono audio soundtrack is like available to you as burned directly onto a fresh blank CDR.
rsm VIDEOCAPTURES PT. 1 (50 more to arrive in coming weeks.)
Ready? So, Sunday afternoon, I bought a tacky pair of cheapo $3.99 turquoise and yellow with white rubber sole house-shoe sneakers at CVS to wear during the evening's performance dd18.jpg
When Dr. Demento's show finally began (approx 8:30), there were all kinds of instant technical problems, getting all the channels on his DJ mixer to function. Soundmen kept rushing up frantically to try and resolve the unexpected chaos.
Earlier in the dressing room, it was pre-determined that I would be the first live performer to play LATER ON during his second set, right after a short intermission. So, like all of my guitar and costume set-up was still stored away in the back room... when suddenly onstage he announced me as the very first act! I was sitting out front with my peeps... Shit! So I bolted up outta my seat and ran up the side stairs, stage right, and naturally pulled my best Chevy Chase trip-and-fall-down, got a nice laugh (but banged up my knee!), and seriously tried to make a beeline to backstage and the dressing room. This is me after getting back up and running across the stage behind DrD. dd19.jpg (I reached the dressing room, only to find it locked! ...by which time, the tech probs were solved and all plans were back to the orig itinerary. Nevertheless, I then peeked my head back out visibly on stage, and yelled to him that "I was ready, but my alter ego was not!" ...and right next to my face I held up my Ray Stevens hand fan, so it looked like I had two heads! THAT got a lotta laughs too. dd20.jpg) Then I disrupted the eventual calm by running back yet again across the stage behind DrD back down to me table. dd21.jpg
The humorous show progressed onwards and upwards, Mister Demento ever the gracious host, running thru fascinating anecdotes from his illustrious career in radio and records, and playing choice bits from the world's most honored funny discs, rare videoclips, and other live guests spiced up the proceedings with their ha-ha novelty songs. The luxurious venue wasn't much filled, but the faithful few in attendance were obviously side-splitting with private delight. Intimate gathering of, say, a hundred? Two. Perfect. Just my style.
Finally, after an hour and a half passed, it was RShowTime! Demento introduced me with:
"Ah yes, here comes another special guest! This man made an earlier attempt to appear on this stage, but we're gonna bring him on for real now, and he's somebody really worth seeing! He doesn't make that many stage appearances, but... he has recorded over a thousand of the best pop songs that nobody has ever heard. Nobody, that is, except a few very dedicated fans. A lot of rock bands today make their own CD's and sell them on the internet. This was the guy who, back even before CD's were invented, pretty much invented that whole idea of making an entire album in your own studio, and then just selling it by a little mailing list to the true believers in what good pop music writing is all about, even if the major labels don't have a single idea in their head about what it really should be. Anyway, less talk more music. Let's bring on, I'm very proud to bring on R. Stevie Moore!"
Cheery cheers... and I sheepishly emerged from backstage, lyric page hanging from my clenched teeth. (The sheet of paper contained the unmemorized words to "But You Love Me, Daddy", which I'd definitely planned to do as an extra third song, my "encore" if requested... but I never did it. And really could/should have!) dd01.jpg Seconds later, positioning my sweat towel. dd02.jpg
So, I began. Very slowly and understated, getting various giggles and laughter. "I haven't even started yet," I mumbled. More laffs. "Checking one, microphone checking one..." Laughs. "I haven't even started yet!" Then I softly sang a straight 1st verse of "HUG ME", basically emotionless... suddenly, I abruptly stopped and loudly crowed: "Well, here we are at the zoo! I never been here before! Do you know the names of all o' these animals? Well, YEAH!?? But do you?? Well, let me see... THE WAY I SEE IT, BARRY, THIS WILL BE A VERY DYNAMITE SHOW!" (quoting the famous spoken introduction to Francis Vincent Zappa's "Lumpy Gravy" album) ...at which time, I launched into "HORSE IN STRIPED PAJAMAS".
(BTW, my gear set-up was quite unique: I'd fitted my little 9V battery-powered Fender Mini Twin amplifier right onto my belt on the left side of my waist! With the acoustic guitar pickup wire wrapped several times around my neck and behind my back into the amp jack. And I'd accidentally had the overdrive gain knob up too high, and it was dirty fuzztoned! So I adjusted it after saying "too much Eddie Van Halen!") dd03.jpg
Hey there, Doctor, do you see?
There's a horse in striped pajamas
No, that's not what it is at all
That's an animal people call a zebra, I see
But it still looks like a
Horse in striped pajamas to me.
(Here I removed my large dark solar sunglasses dd05.jpg
, and flung 'em behind me. They shattered against the back wall.)
Hey there, Lukeski, do you see?
There's a pig with polka dots on
No, that's not what it is at all
That's an animal people call DICK CHENEY, I see (uproarious laughter)
But it still looks like a
Pig with polka dots on to me. dd04.jpg
There's a fish with whiskers on
No, that's a seal, for real
There's a teddy with two black eyes
That's what they call a little panda...
Hey, Will Simpson, do you see?
There's a bird with his tuxedo
No, that's not what it is at all
That's an animal people call a penguin, I see
But it still looks like a
Bird in his umbrella tuxedo to me. (My close-up, here.) dd06.jpg 7th. (pauses, silence)
Dr. Demento: R. Stevie Moore! Uh...
There's a fish with whiskers on
No, I toldja! That's a seal, remember Seal??
There's a teddy (see over there?) with two black eyes
No, I told ya, that's what they call MIKE TYSON
Hey there Daddy, do you see?
There's a... horse with striped pajamas
No, that's not what it is at all
That's an animal people call a zebra, I see
But it still looks like a
Horse in striped pajamas to meeeeeeeeeee.
(Here I clumsily clunked the guitar into the microphone, causing an embarrassing and unprofessional loud noise. So I slapped my face hard.) dd07.jpg
I saw Jim McGreevey's bed
You saw Julia Child's birthday cake
I saw Bush's twin daughters drunk
You saw Bin Laden gettin' beheaded
And of course the horse, the horse, the horse is a horse of course of course, but in striped pajamas!
(Excrutiatingly loud applause)
Dr. Demento: R. Stevie Moore! I'm sorry to interrupt earlier!
(at which point, I flailed my arms, dd08.jpg, in faked resistance at the ultrawarm reception... then I moaned "Anybody can do that!" to which DrD & the crowd loudly disagreed "Awwww, no!") dd09.jpg
DrD: I wantcha to tell people where they can access, you have a very wonderful website, it's really great reading, and...
RSM: Check out rotten.com. R-O-T-T-E-N dot com.
(laffin out loud)
...continuing right back into...
Hug me, I'm a teddy bear
Love me, I can make you care
I have my ways of finding out
What it takes to steal your heart
Just in case you need someone
To give a hug.
Hug me, I'm a stuffed giraffe
Fuck me, I can make you laugh
(Loud laughter)
Told ya!
I have my ways of controlling you
Make your life seem brand new
Just in case you want a man
Yes I can.
Brainwash, scrub scrub scrub
Brainwash, rinse rinse rinse
(whistling refrain melody)
Hug me, I'm a teddy bear
Love me, I can make you care
I have my ways of finding out
What it takes to steal your heart
Just in case you want someone
To give a hug.
I saw Jim McGreevey's bed
(wild laughter... I nodded my head and in confirmation, exclaimed "I was in it!) dd10.jpg
You saw... what was the second line?
My father was Scotty Moore
(prompt from audience member)
You saw, you saw... Julia Child's birthday cake
I saw Bush's twin daughters drunk
You saw Bin Laden gettin' beheaded
And of course the horse in striped pajamas!
(Instantly walked offstage mid-singing.)
Dr. Demento: R. STEVIE MOORE!!!! R. Stevie Moore! That song "Hug Me" is on this little CD here, in addition to his own fine CD's. Dr. Demento's Basement Tapes comes out every year, and it's available only if you join the Demento Society, more about that at drdemento.com! Cause I'm not here to be a pitchman, I'm here to play some rare old video for you...
Finally, the legendary folksinger CHRISTINE LAVIN performed her brilliant show-stopping "Sensitive New Age Guys." Turned out, I'd earlier bumped into her backstage and was immediately starstruck by her overenthusiastic raves about my own hilarious set! She also asked if I knew Dave Van Ronk!? Mainly because her friend, DVR's widow Andrea Vuocolo was actually in the audience and was stunned at my uncanny resemblance to him! (CL later brought her back to meet me! I'm not worthy...)
So, anyway... Christine also somewhat proudly asked me if I would please come up onstage to assist on her song, singing in a planned spontaneous background chorus comprised of invited male audience members. Well, like, You Bet! So what did I do but to take off my shirt and stand there half-naked in a group of clothed dudes! Doh! A pure riot, the tune was absolutely a scream. Besides vocalizing, I took the prime opportunity to fake lighting a cigarette (pretending my lighter wouldn't ignite. It's alarmingly against the law!).
You have GOT to see this on the video.
Photongraphic evidence:
dd11.jpg ~ dd12.jpg ~ dd13.jpg
dd14.jpg ~ dd15.jpg ~ dd16.jpg
Sensitive New Age Guys...
Who like to talk about their feelings?
(Sensitive new age guys.)
Who knows that if you kiss a boo-boo, it will start healing?
(Sensitive new age guys.)
Whose dream car is a bubble station wagon?
(Sensitive new age guys.)
Whose favorite song is Puff the Magic Dragon?
(Sensitive new age guys.)
Who like to cry at weddings?
Who think that football is so very upsetting?
Whose favorite place to hang out is a shopping mall, at the movie Castaway?
Who cried for Wilson the Volleyball?
Ooh ooh ooh ooh, everybody do that!
(Ooh ooh ooh ooh.)
Everybody stop.
Whose last names are hyphenated?
(Sensitive new age guys.)
Who walked out of Long Dong Silver, a movie they hated?
(Sensitive new age guys.)
Who prefers clothing styles understated?
(Sensitive new age guys.)
Who thinks a full head of hair is overrated?
(Sensitive new age guys.)
Who thinks that red meat is disgusting?
Who's into UFO's channeling, adjusting?
Who wears sandals with black socks?
Who says John Tesh really rocks?
Ooh ooh ooh ooh, everybody do that!
(Ooh ooh ooh ooh.)
Everybody stop.
Who likes music that's repetitious?
(Sensitive new age guys.)
Who likes music that's repetitious?
(Sensitive new age guys.)
Who usedta be wild men but now are calm?
(Sensitive new age guys.)
Who now call their wives "Mom!"?
(Sensitive new age guys.)
Who carries the baby on his back?
Who thinks Dali Llama is on the inside track?
Who always sings on sing-alongs,
Even when they can't stand stupid sing-along songs?
Ooh ooh ooh ooh
Keep doing that, keep doing that!
Don't you love to see their lips in that position?
Let's see what else we can make them do!
You on the end in the green shirt, can you start the wave like at a baseball game? Start the wave, here we go.
Okay, R. Steve, send it back, send back the wave.
Can you sway back and forth? And snap your fingers?
Oh, they're white guys, aren't they?
I feel like Gladys Knight! These guys hate this song!
They only sang along, cause they didn't wanna hurt my feelings. Cause they know what that's all about. Cause they get their feelings hurt over and over and over 'n' over again. Why? Because they are so goddam sensitive, but we love them anyway, yes we do! Yes we do! Because they're sensitive. lavin1sm.jpg ~ lavin2sm.jpg
The end of the evening featured DrD "signing off" by singing his updated karaoke version of the classic Benny Bell demented hit SHAVING CREAM, to which I unexpectedly jumped back up onstage (not again!) to stand stiffly, while plunking a powered-off keyboard in rhythm. dd17.jpg
Deafening cheers ensued. And for one final attention-craving time, I spontaneously re-re-emerged from backstage to lovingly put my arm around DrD and plant a big kiss on his cheek... at which moment he was most likely horrified! And so he bumped me away with a subtle push-off. What the hell was I thinking? I then walked off while tossing a big handful of shiny colored confetti up into the air...
When the good doctor came back into the dressing room, I immediately confessed "My apologies, sir!!" He was okay with it all, I guess, I hope! But that's show biz!
Regardless, those foolish guerilla terrorist tactics of mine were totally beyond forgiveness. Sorry! :-) MY BAD!!
What a fucking unbelievable night! Pinch moi. Perhaps I've really made the big time now. NAHHH... "Outsider"? What the...?? Like, get out!!
Co-signed in india ink,
The insensitive new wave guy.
thanks to krystyna, barry, magic max and birthday bill, spike the beloved entertainer, christine, the nice club manager guy, the many autograph seekers, dd's manager arthur chadbourne, our sweet & lovely waitress, bill kelly, the far out hummin' factory, professor tom lehrer, the old codger, bolger, tammy la gorce, the eggplants, dominique leone, jon child, jonesy, mark griffey, breet, decamp buslines, nick lowe, yukio yung, whimsical will, jim d. pie, HP, jeff morris, fergs1, bronco billy, laura cantrell, john peel acres, doctor nicholopolous, ultravox, weirdo al, the homosexuals astral glamour, guitar center, poetinmo, jeremy wallace, zoo mpegs, the extended hansen family, angelfire, and lucille.
P.S. DON'T VOTE.
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(from rec.music.dementia usenet newsgroup)
From: P-Fay08
Date: Mon, Aug 16, 2004, 5:56pm (EDT+4)
Subject: Dr. Demento - Live at BB King's Blues Club (8/15/04)
First of all, let me start by saying that I've never been
to a place like BB King's before. I've always seen it from
the outside, but I've never quite understood what went on
inside. I found out tonight as I attended a performance by
Dr. Demento, a wacky radio DJ who unfortunately has not
been heard in the NYC Metro area since the 80's (not even I
have heard of him at that time), and he plays all these
comedy songs past and present, pro and amateur. Some of
the stuff is really funny, and after hearing him through
the Internet (gotta love streaming radio), and since I
didn't have to go into work on Monday, I got the chance to
see his show which wasn't as costly as I had thought it
was. Almost.
One thing about BB King's is that the real money is made by
the food and the drinks. I read somewhere that the food
wasn't all that good, but I couldn't tell, and that the
servers weren't too quick to serve (they seemed to deliver
my food fast enough, but I had to literally ask for
dessert, and the server gave me a strange look wondering
why I had to get her attention). I can tell you one thing.
The food is expensive. Then again, it's New York City.
All restaurants are expensive, but at least most
restaurants don't charge you for each individual drink you
order. They'll usually give you refills. Not so with BB
King's. I ordered two diet cokes at $3 a serving, and they
counted my second one as a separate order. That's where I
give them the thumbs down. Next time when you finish a
drink, just ask for water.
But what they lack in service, they make up for in quality
entertainment. I read somewhere that the cost of the
entertainment is also expensive. I didn't find $21 to be
that much money (then again, the least I have spent on a
musical performance is a $5 donation). I think the author
of this opinion has got their situation backward. But
enough about that. First up was this band who called
themselves Elvis Prestello. What they do is covers of
Elvis Costello songs, and the frontman even looks like him
with the glasses and fancy retro duds or something, and he
really knows how to rock that electric-powered fiberglass
thing with the strings. Naturally, being ignorant of Elvis
Costello and his music, I just sat through them not
understanding what they were singing about. They weren't
bad. If they had something to buy, I'd get it. I think
Derple might even like them since he's all into 80's music
like Devo.
Then came the Dr. At first, they had some technical
difficulties getting the sound up and the DVD player hooked
into the processor, but after a few minutes of sympathy
stroking, Dr. D. got his show rolling along. He showed
video clips from Weird Al, Monty Python, the Fish Heads
song, Spike Jones, Tom Lehrer, a Tiny Toons music video by
They Might Be Giants, some dude from England, and he played
songs from his show, including some that he's not allowed
to play on the air. The special treats were the live
guests that he had onstage, including Brian (?) Mitchell,
Sudden Death (a great substitute for Worm Quartet), some
guy who looked like he was high, Kenny Young and the
Eggplants, and Christine Lavin. That last one was extra
special as she invited me and a bunch of other men from the
audience to help her on a sing-along (it pays to sit by the
stage), and now I have to buy one of her CDs with that song
on it. An even bonus special thingie happened when the
audience started shouting requests. I requested Worm
Quartet, and guess what happened. He played it. I
couldn't believe it. I actually made a difference in the
show. I bet a bunch of listeners were finally relieved to
hear "Great Idea For A Song" uncensored, even if he cut out
the second verse and the part after the second verse,
although I was probably the only one mouthing along to the
words, but they did laugh when Shoebox sang about
retroactively giving his ex's parents a box of condoms.
Dr. Demento finished the show with a rousing rendition of
"Shaving Cream" that left the audience with a smile.
Later that night, Dr. Demento came offstage to greet his
fans and signed "prescriptions" that offered its "patients"
to "Stay Demented!". While on the line, I heard a familiar
voice chatting with the people behind me. Once upon a
time, I had hung out with a guy who played costumed mascots
for promotional dealies and hosted his own cable access
program. I was surprised to see him again, and even more
surprised when he remembered Dr. D. from his brief
appearance on the radio in NYC. He brought along his
friend who had a camera, and he took my picture with the
Doctor. I thanked him for playing Worm Quartet, recieved
my autograph, and I got a few gifties like a free demo CD
that satirized Bush and a CD that I bought for $10 from
Sudden Death.
It was 11:30 when I had left the club. I was on 42nd
Street, and the sun had gone down longtime. I felt so much
energy being out that late on a Sunday night, but I did
have to go home so I could sleep in tomorrow. I have so
much to think about in regards to that night with Dr.
Demento. The star, the music, the ambiance, and the young
lady I had shared a table with whose name I didn't get, but
told her about Worm Quartet. If you're out there, young
lady, please let me know that you're out there by
commenting to this message or emailing me from my website: http://members.fortunecity.com/pfay110705/index.htm
P-Fay
(Stayyyy Deeeeee-mented!)
(P.S. Who sang about a horse in striped pajamas tho'? You all didn't seem to know about that one.)
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stevie ray 1998
"NO YOU'RE NOT!" said Little Nicola.
THIS CLAIMER: YOU'RE NOW ON A HUMORFUL WEBPAGE. SO BEHAVE ACCORDINGLY AND DON'T GET OFFENDED, P.C. WUSSBALL!
some appetizer links for yer dessert:
DD Spins RSM ? Libertarian Party Party ? rec.music.dementia ? Krellan's DD Archive Info ? Another account
"Far Out", the upcoming new RSM album right here.
B.B. King Blues Club & Grill
237 West 42 St (212) 997-4144
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