Man, it seems like we've lost more than our fair share of music people so far this year, as E Street Band stalwart Danny Federici passed away on Thursday after succumbing to his battle with melanoma. While I'm not a huge Springsteen fan, I was well aware of "Phantom Dan" (great nickname, btw) and his contribution to Bruce's music over the years on the organ and even the accordian. Former Pat Benatar keyboardist Charlie Giordano filled in for DF on the current E Street Band tour, although Danny appeared sporadically, including his final appearance on March 20th. R.I.P., Phantom Dan...
SPLATTERED ALL OVER MANHATTAN
More bad news from the Jersey side as my boys the New Jersey Devils went down in a heap to the New York Strangers last night in Game 5 of the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. The Devils used to own the "Blue Shirts" in the postseason, but this year was different, for some reason. Wait 'til next year, I guess...
OUT WITH THE OLD, IN WITH THE NEW...
Speaking of New Yawk, I thought I'd share a couple cool pics of the new beisbol emporiums under contstruction in the Big Apple. Click these pics to enlarge them—they're both pretty detailed. At left is the Mets' new joint, Citi Field, which is modeled loosely after Ebbets Field in Brooklyn, being built adjacent to Chez Shea.
And this would be the new (and now-shirtless) Yankee Stadium going up in Da Bronx right next door to the old one. One thing I'm pleased to see is they're bringing back the old façade from the original configuration of the House That Ruth Built, ringing the top of the stadium like it used to be prior to the mid-'70s renovation. I can't wait to see these behemoths in person when I invade Gotham City in August.MY LONG NATIONAL NIGHTMARE IS OVER!
Regular readers to my blog may recall a few entries about a rather unsavory female co-worker of mine who struggled with her personal hygiene in the vaginal region. Well, I'm delighted to report that she is no longer my co-worker, as the powers-that-be at my employer finally rid us of this office cancer on Wednesday. While I normally don't rejoice over anyone losing their job, this was a long time coming for numerous reasons—well beyond just the obvious olfactory benefits—as this person was given numerous second-, third-, and fourth-chances to get her collective shit together and failed to do so.
Just to recap, this person is 31 years old with three kids by three different fathers—none of whom she ever married—and the oldest child is 15 (do the math). In just under two years of working with us, she and her kids had to move at least three times because of evictions caused by her youngest son, who apparently is totally out of control. Same said child has also been kicked out of school numerous times as well, and recently this boy was involved in a tussle that resulted in another kid having his front teeth knocked out. But of course, his mother refused to take any responsibility for his actions and didn't help pay the other kid's dental bills. Meantime, this woman had the nerve to try to mooch off the government by applying for Section 8 government housing because she recently broke up with her live-in boyfriend/sugar daddy and had no place to stay. Yet, she could still afford to maintain her funky fingernails and shellacked multi-colored hair extensions, not mention her monthly $500 cell phone bill. Basically, we're talking human train wreck, here...
Okay, if her personal life didn't interfere with her performance at work, then I wouldn't be writing this, but she was chronically late for work (always claiming that the time clock wasn't working that morning), and exceeded the allotted number of excused absences within a six-month period because she constantly had to take time off work to deal with her incorrigible kids getting in trouble at school or for her numerous court appearances involving her various car accidents—she was NOT an excellent driver. And even though she's an able-bodied person, she thought nothing of parking in the handicapped spaces all day long instead of walking her lazy fat ass another ten feet to park in the regular spaces. For that last reason alone, I have no respect for this woman whatsoever! Good riddance to an asshole, I say...
CLASSIC MISHEARD LYRIC #77
"Mexican Radio"—WALL OF VOODOO (1983) "I'm on a Mexican Radio..." I originally thought Stan Ridgway was singing "I bought a Mexican Radio..." Is there such an animal?!?
"WHAT NOT TO WEAR"—VH-1 EDITION
What can brown do for you? It can make you look like a bunch of disco gingerbread men—just ask the dudes from Heatwave in their "Boogie Nights" video! I have to admit, though, that this is one of the better disco songs of all-time. Every time I hear it, it reminds of the big 1977 flood here in Kansas City, because that song was high on the charts as I was squeegee-ing water out of my basement bedroom...
GET 'EM WHILE THEY LAST!
Only in Raytown would you see something like this. Ah yes, those spiritual blank t-shirts are just sooo uplifting!
3 comments:
A few thoughts on Danny Federici
When I heard the news that E Street Band keyboardist Danny Federici had died on Thursday at age 58, it took quite a few minutes for the reality to sink in.
When it did, there was only one thing to do: Call the biggest Springsteen fan that I know, my old pal and former colleague Nancy Pate. Here at the newspaper, Nancy and I were like family, which is the same context in which I have always viewed the E Street Band.
Even more than the music, the band represents the noble idea of sticking together, through thick and thin, forever. That's a pretty lofty notion to take in, especially if you've run into a bad relationship, bad marriage, single-parenthood, health issues or any of the myriad struggles that make life so challenging.
So, anyway, Nancy picked up the phone and we started reminiscing about the band's history and then our own. She and I have been to a few Springsteen shows together and through more than a few adventures at work. Without her presence, I never would've had a chance to do what I love.
After the shock wore off, she got feisty:
"This pisses me off," she is telling me, "because these guys are the good guys. Hey, tramps like us..."
The E Street Band didn't do drugs, didn't carouse irresponsibly. They don't fit into the new tabloid mentality. Federici's three-year battle with melanoma had been kept so low-key that attentive fans such as Nancy and I weren't aware of it.
He had joined the band in 1969, according to the biographical information in the forward to a new Springsteen volume, For You: Original Stories and Photographs by Bruce Springsteen's Legendary Fans.
Federici played with the Boss in the seaside juke joints with Child and Steel Mill. "In Danny's case," the Chicago Tribune's Louis Carlozo writes. "greatness is understood, measured in the sublime flicker of his organ-playing hands."
After 40 years in the band, Federici's hands are still, but I'm optimistic that, like all families, the E Street Band will find a way to persevere. It gives hope to the rest of us.
Your future team, the Predators, also went down over the weekend, and are now 0-10 all-time in postseason road games.
If you're not a Bruce fan, you should be...
I didn't say I wasn't a Bruce fan--I'm just not a BIG Bruce fan. I like some of The Boss's stuff, but I still think he's a tad overrated at times...
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