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Saturday, February 28, 2009, 10:10 AM
February 28, 2009Crazy Donkey, Farmingdale NY (Long Island)
Good morning babies! This show had so much to write about that I'm actually posting this one from the road! (and here I was, so worried that I wouldn't have anything to write differently from the last Bent Brother/Stay Hungry show!) so of course, I must oblige by giving all the facts you want to know…. and plenty you don't!
First things first: Crazy Donkey. Now the real reason is revealed as to why Bent Brother played and not Twisted Sister: If the boys wore their costumes including those boots with heels, they would have had to cut a hole in the ceiling to fit the band! Dee must have hit the duct work at least three times. I believe Dee very succinctly, put it best: "Shithole." The tasty food and scantily clad erotic dancers was barely enough to make up for the equipment malfunctions, leaky roof (in the center of the stage, no less) and a very cranky security guard in the front pit. This club was quite small too--I was a little worried when the place was empty for the first few acts, but by 9:30pm, the line outside had wrapped around the building!
We were all worried when we saw that there were four--oh lord--count 'em--four warmup acts. First on the docket was a band called Savior: I must admit that for the opening act, they were actually good. In fact, when you see folks from the back of the bar coming running up to the front, where it was empty, that says something. Good job!
Constricted came on 2nd—a speed metal band that looked like 3 of them came from the same mother. The lead singer, I swear, was the spitting image of a young Jackie Gleason. (Go ask your parents if you don't know who that is..."To the moon, Alice!") Musically, I was bored silly.
Third up was Wild Streets. Their lead singer was a cross between Anna Nicole Smith and what happens when Pat Benatar goes to Poison's hair stylist: Bent Brother didn't need to wear any makeup tonight because this boy had enough pancake on to count for all five of 'em! Hey, at least there were NO FRO'S on any of the bands tonight. Anyone who went to the Twisted Sister show with Z02 remembers…. Wild Streets was very entertaining--they played tightly, the lead singer sounded a bit like early Joe Elliott if you closed your eyes. Overall, a very good band, excellent stage presence and very talented. And they even had plenty of cowbell. And I could have sworn that was a member of Twisted's road crew as their guitarist--I think his name is Keith--missed the last name. (help me out someone!)
Then we had an interlude with some lovelies wearing next to nothing shaking their money makers. It was, ummm. nice. thank you ladies. Boy, I felt old. And a little dirty.
And then a special treat. It wasn't hype folks: American Beauty! It's what happens when members of Skid Row, Ratt and Alice Cooper merge with Danny Stanton fronting. Folks, this was complete entertainment! They played all covers, but they were amazing--it was like a heavy metal juke box---anything you could throw at 'em, they can play! I am so used to seeing Danny in his subdued, dapper black jacket, cool, calm and collected--this was a whole new Danny. A wild n' crazy Danny, a dare I say it? A sexual Danny! And damn he can sing.... I wish I had written down the whole set list but we heard everything from Cat Scratch Fever to a club shaking rendition of Balls To the Wall. (Eat your heart out Udo, he kicked this one's ass good) I would go see American Beauty again and again. What a total treat.
Next: the Boys. Which, by the way, 10 pm sharp at the Donkey is closer to 10:25pm but who's counting? (we were.) They had some pretty serious sound and equipment issues--and it was LOUD. I think Mark's bass destroyed something--halfway through the show we heard sounds coming out the speakers that resembled a jet landing. My theme for the night: ask and ye shall receive. we asked for a mixed up, better setlist and they delivered. Here ya go: (and I counted this time)
1. Stay Hungry
2. Don't Let Me Down
3. We're Not Gonna Take It
4. Captain Howdy
5. Street Justice
6.The Price
7. Burn In Hell (then drum solo)
8. SMF
9. The Beast
10. I Wanna Rock
11. I am, I'm Me
12. Shoot 'em Down
13. It's Only Rock and Roll
14. Under The Blade
15. You Can't Stop Rock n' roll
Bent Brother introduced the band tonight as let's see, ZZ French, O.K. Pero, Free Snider...you get the picture. During the equipment repairs, Jay Jay did a little impromptu question and answer with the audience, with a history lesson about TS with props to the Old Schoolers. Leading to these quotes of the night:
Jay Jay: "It's not the club, it's the people"
Dee's response: "It's not the club, it's the fucking equipment!"
They again reminded us that the new 25th anniversary release of Stay Hungry will have 17 bonus tracks, including one completely new song.
I think they would have actually played longer last night but the Donkey turns to a Disco after midnight. Say no more. Fortunately, they did keep spinning heavy metal to keep the crowd from running for the exits. Other highlights: we learned why ONLY the drummer should throw the sticks out into the audience. Eddie actually apologized--he beaned some poor guy in the noodle when he tried to throw a stick!
You know, there was so much good stuff last night—“I am I'm Me” just ROCKED the house! Loved hearing Shoot 'em Down, AJ's drum solo was particularly off the charts. During “It's Only Rock N' Roll”, Dee and JJ had a sidebar, trying to remember the first time they played that song...followed by a moment of enlightenment: 25 yrs of singing that cover, and Dee realizes he doesn't LIKE rock and roll, he LOVES it. And that's how we sang it for the rest of the song.
I'd go on and on, but I've got to duck out and buy my Merriweather Post ticket for May, and a 5 hour drive home awaits me.
Armadillo, trotting off to find a Cracker Barrel....