Bob Writes a little Dinner Music

There were at least ten of us sitting around the restaurant table. It was an impromptu dinner, decided upon on a whim. No vote, no forethought, just a bunch of like-minded people who found themselves together and decided they were hungry.

There was Steve Lalor, a guitarist from Seattle who was in a band we were all sure was going to make it, called the Daily Flash. There was Chris Ethridge, multi-talented bassist for the Flying Burrito Brothers and studio cat who had played with a lot of our favourite artists. Chris was a good old boy who lived in the canyon and whose door was always unlocked, always inviting.

Roxanne Tellier – Politically Incorrect

In the mid nineties, my husband and I decided to do a West Coast trip. We were looking forward to reconnecting with a special family, and enjoying the beauty of California.

But there was one special stopover I was determined to make, one that I had pre-planned and booked as soon as we had decided on the holiday.

I wanted to watch a taping of an episode of Bill Maher’s Politically Incorrect.

In Los Angeles, people beg you to come and be a ‘live audience’ for the shows being taped. But I’ve been on a ton of game shows, a reality show, and some comedy shows, so none of that appealed. But, Bill Maher, on the other hand …

I’d never missed an episode. Every week I waited anxiously for Friday night to come around, and was sure to be planted in front of the telly the moment it began.

That series, Politically Incorrect, ran from 1993 to 2002, first on Comedy Central, and then on ABC.  Ironically, the show was cancelled due to … political incorrectness.

Is that not the most delicious irony?

Roxanne Tellier – What’s That In Your Pants?

If anyone had said to me, even a couple of months ago, that in July of 2017 the President of the United States would suddenly decree, apropos of nothing, and via Twitter no less! to “please be advised that the United States Government will not accept or allow Transgender individuals to serve in any capacity in the U.S. Military” I’d have snorted like an outraged donkey.

Roxanne Tellier – The Eye of the BeHearer

MTV, and then Canada’s own Much Music, changed the musical playing field. Whether you loved it or hated it, suddenly being able to SEE musicians, actually playing, dancing, emoting, in living  colour or sepia and in unfortunate eighties fashion choices, and all in the comfort of your own home, impacted on the decades to follow.

Segarini: David Anderle

There were at least eleven of us sitting around the restaurant table. It was an impromptu dinner, decided upon on a whim. No vote, no forethought, just a bunch of like-minded people who found themselves together and decided they were hungry.

JAIMIE VERNON: AT SEVENTEEN

As you read this I suspect that I am recovering from what would have been a rather eventful 17^th anniversary with my wife. As an anniversary gift, we were invited out to see Lighthouse in Oshawa by the very charitable Skip Prokop who has led the band since 1969 and is currently the subject of a biography I’m co-writing. As it turns out the current singer, Dan Clancy, has been an acquaintance of Sharon and I as well. He did double duty as a music teacher at Durham College and a judge at the school’s annual songwriting competition for which I volunteered as co-judge for half-a-dozen years as well. He’s also been on a number of recording sessions with artists that once graced my record label.

Darrell Vickers: How Bob Dylan Spoiled Me For Other Concerts and Turned Danny Devito Into My Bitch

The Easily Off-Track Intro:

I’ve lived in Los Angeles for almost 30 years now.  To quote Donny Osmond, “And that’s a long, long time.”  Consider, when I moved to The City of Angels, curling still used actual brooms instead of those ultra-high-tech sweepy things.  Am I the only traditionalist left on God’s rapidly-warming Earth who misses the majestic “Flappa Dappa, Flappa Dappa” of the mighty besom as stalwart men of iron will guided their beloved “rock” (I really know the lingo) to its date with other rocks of a different color and destiny?

Segarini: The Big Mudslide of 1969

Just firming up the new Friday lineup of writers. Until I do, you’re stuck with me on Fridays, at least this week anyway.