2005 Show Review

Introduction!

Hi everyone, hope you enjoyed last years show as much as I did.  All my friends had been tapping me on the shoulder asking, “When are you going to play some Boingo tunes?”  After ten long years, I figured it was time.  With the flurry of tribute bands in every category out and about, I felt in essence that Boingo drive was yet to be tapped.  I knew that there were Boingo heads out there but I just never realized that I was standing right next to one!  I was jamming with dudes from USC, Bear McCrery and his brother Brendon.  We worked on original tunes for about a year; it never had a chance to get anywhere, but from that relationship, came Bt4!  I was discussing my need for a lead singer to perform some OB music with Bear and he mentioned his brother Bt4.  I went to a Bt4 gig and saw these beautiful babies drooling over this guy performing his music. Now that’s the kind guy I’m talking about!  Bt4’s energy and insight into Boingo, along with Steve, John, and Sam, inspired me to proceed.  I wanted to make this as pleasant as possible for Steve Bartek as an arranger so I was fortunate enough to have Bear available and willing to do the arranging work.  So for Bear, Bt4, and I it was our second band together.  Oh yeah, here’s a good one!  First I was in Bear’s band, then he was in my band, now were in Bt4’s band. 

The Stars of the Show

Let’s start with Steve Bartek.  Here is a guy who has never stopped to amaze me.  Steve and I go back way before Biongo.  Right out college I ran into Steve subbing for David Crigger with Don
Ellis band.  Some of the most complicated crap I had played to date.  Steve breezing right threw it.  We later played club gigs and he would mention “The Mystic Nights of the Oingo Biongo”.
I saw them perform on PBS special back in the 70’s man!  That was my idea of great time. 

I really don’t know how He and Danny met, but he hired me as a studio musician to play on the
“Forbidden Zone” movie.  To quote Sluggo “the work was hellish, but oh the results!”  A few weeks later Steve and Danny saw me play with Tony Basil at the old Venice Fox Theater.  They wanted a drum pig like me so Danny asked me to join the band.  I immediately called Steve to see if this was a worthy venture, with his assurance I accepted.  

Steve writes and arranges like no other!  He was a great assistance to Mr. Elfman’s ability to write and arrange.  Steve was the only really schooled writer/arranger in Boingo.  With an open non judgmental creative mind he seems to make all work for me. We all owe plenty to this MoFo!  I feel very fortunate to have a working relationship with Steve.  The Land of Next is a lonely place.  Were still playing!  It is hard to get to where Steve, John and I get to go when we play together.  Many years, many miles, lots of work and so many smile in the process.

John Avila, geeze, Mr. Guy Gone Mad II on bass.  John is an old neighborhood monster a bad
Mother….  When Kerry Hatch left the band I told everyone about the guy, the guy to end all guys.  They said what do you know?  He’s just a friend you’re trying to get in the band.  I said John doesn’t know it yet but he’s the best thing that could happen to this band.  He plays his ass off and sings like a bird.  Danny and Steve said sure buddy, and proceeded to make us addition everyone in Los Angeles.  When we started that month from hell I told them, John will be here when the smoke clears.  Sure enough I was taught by the best to see them coming John was in the band.  John is like that brother I never had.  Every note he plays sings through my hands!!!!!!

Sam Phipps Mr. Hard Core!!!!!  I played saxophone growing up and love the instrument.
Sam plays Jazz, I love Jazz.  There was a lot of Jazz with the “Mystic Nights.”  Sam would play these solos that would make my skin crawl.  I’d say hey Sam great solo; he’d say shut up kid!
He was cruel but fair.  It took years to warm up to Sam, I am truly honored to be playing again
with him.  He has people he plays with all the time hopefully I can get back on that list.  I have a fear of the land of next, that place that separates you from the thing that matters the most in life to you.  I have sent people there, people have sent me there……  When we moved on from the “MYSTIC NIGHTS” day to just the OB Sam’s solos were always the highlight on any track.  Each record showed such an understanding of rock, blues, soul, and an orgasmic jazz full-release found in any legendary performance!  Sam the MAN!!!! 

Mike Tovar, “Food For Feet”…  Before John Avila was in Biongo we played with FFF. The first time Mike, John and I played together we played for two and half hours without playing a song, a groove, a form, nothing!  We howled, screeched, played more notes that day than anyone should be allowed to play.  One of Mike’s big influences is his uncle KIKI the drummer hero
in his life.  Mike has played drums in the past so he appreciates a drummer willing to take the plunge.  He’s a guitar master ready to fly high beyond style and good taste.  We have over the cliff and come back many times!!  It take’s three to create a dust devil of musical energy, Mike,
JOHN, and VATOS; FOOD FOR FEET!!!!

THE CAST OF CHARACTERS

The cast of characters for the show is also so inspirational.  (I’m speaking a lot about inspiration because I have cable, and all the distractions to keep me busy.)  Let’s start with Freddy Hernandez my son. Let me tell about my temperament around show time.  I can be cruel and not so fair. One of my favorite lines is its only MUSIC MOTHERF*&^$ER.  I know Freddy has chosen his own path so I threw him into the fire, he was brilliant.  Carlos De La Paz, the great Carlos De La Paz, standing next to Steve Bartek was unabashed brilliance, a guitar summit of unbelievable scale to me.  Two guys’ that know every kind of stink and smell that can come out of their instruments.  Carlos was like the ghost of Steve.  He shadowed, harmonized, and pounded out leads standing right next to Steve.  I’m begging to froth just talking about it.  Paul Cartwright….like Freddy is family.  Paul almost brings me to tears to be in his presence.  His late father Tim auditioned for Boingo when we were looking for a guitar player.  Tim was a wonderful guitar master, Warren Fitzgerald was a contortionist/guitar player (that’s Hollywood) Paul came out of the womb reaching for instruments.  He play’s violin, mandolin, bass, guitar, drums, sings, writes and performs all over world.  I asked Paul to sing “Help”; he loved that song and sang it with his dad.  I love that voice!  Paul, and Freddy, my family hero’s!
Both of them are classically trained monsters able to leap tall buildings with a single bound!
We all play in can play bars, but these boys can play Carnegie Hall at the drop of the hat.
Doug Legacy another great talent, Keyboards, Accordion, Tuba, and powerful vocals.
We actually opened the first part of the show with an arrangement of “Try to Believe”.
Steve, John, Sam, and I played for a while with Doug’s band “Doug and the Mystics”
We played this arrangement with that band.  This song was an important part of my dating
time with my wife Marie.  We were working on this great Saturday afternoon classic movie
“Midnight Run”. I was falling in love again, tweet, tweet!
Speaking of the first set I wanted to give it the “Vatos”party touch.  I sang “Eve of Destruction”
I love that Hippie classic, I cow punked it, nothing new under the sun aye.  I sang “Blast of Love”, a tune I wrote about a friend of mines divorce, and from shit came a flower.  With the limited rehearsal time I tried to pull off, Whole Day Off and Nothing Bad.  I would sing at a party so I sang it for you.  I had fun!