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IN THIS ISSUE:
A Pat on the Back / DVD & Live CD Travis Speaks - The Bootlog What You Did & Didn't See At the Show BTE Trivia
Contest Winners TTOY Hall of Fame BTE Impressions
Volume 2
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FROM WASHOUT TO WONDERLAND: Baltimore was not a good scene. Fans got to stand for 4 hours or more in the rain waiting for BTE to play. We did get to see the opening act Wes McDonough who put on a spirited opening set. But, as they left the stage, the skies really opened up and after a long delay the gig was ultimately canceled. Some people seemed to think BTE had some responsibility for this, you could tell that the decision (preceded by indecision) was the promoters. Realistically when a show is billed as "rain or shine" that doesn’t mean a band will play in a major downpour with tornado warnings and lightening. However, having stood for so long in the rain, I definitely understand the disappointment everyone felt. On to scenic Ortley Beach. I hadn’t been to this part of New Jersey since my wayward youth. I must say it was a pleasant surprise. Driving through massive puddles, my cohorts and I pulled into the parking lot of Joey Harrison’s Surf Club in time for happy hour. The club is a giant beach bar, not unlike the Bottle & Cork in Dewey Beach, Delaware where BTE has also played.
After the previous night’s washout, it was fun to hang out with good friends, play some pool, and watch the sun (yes, by early evening it had reappeared) set over the ocean view from the back of the place. As happy hour ended, we all traipsed outside to take our positions on line. Spirits were high as Baltimore veterans talked about the previous night’s debacle and how we REALLY were ready for a good club show (with a roof!). The longest roadtrip award went to Kimberly from Ontario, Canada and her relatives from Indiana. One thing that struck me waiting in line was how unexpectedly friendly the staff were. One gentleman in particular, whose name I failed to catch, was setting up the opening bands and he came out and spoke with fans and generally made us feel very welcome.
As the doors opened we rushed in to stake front and center positions. We soon realized that Jim Payne’s "rock station" was not set up as we usually would see. Apparently Jim had a family emergency and could not be there that night. While we hope very much that things worked out OK for Jim, fans did get to see BTE play a more raw, less polished set as a consequence. The guys had to work really hard without Jim and we all came to appreciate the tremendous contribution he makes to the BTE live show. There were two opening bands this night – Stereo Soul and Golden Seal. Both did pretty good jobs and kept the crowd entertained before BTE took the stage. Everyone seemed to enjoy Golden Seal’s cover of Tom Petty "Mary Jane’s Last Dance." During one of Golden Seal’s last numbers, the crowd let out a huge roar as Kevin, Tom and Travis sneaked into the club and ascended the staircase to their waiting area. I think lead singer thought he was getting unexpected applause until he turned to see BTE hurrying up the staircase and he politely acknowledged them with a nod and a smile.
At 10:30 pm, the witching hour, BTE came onto stage to thunderous applause. The house wasn’t full, but it was a considerable crowd nonetheless. I think the thunder was largely provided by the Baltimore veterans in the front row. Our time had come. The guys kicked off with "In the Blood." I don’t know about you, but whenever a show starts with this tune, I know I am up for a great concert experience. It’s amazing how Travis can play the drums so hard without any warm up, isn’t it? Never missing a beat, the guys segued right into "Allison Foley" which featured a very nice Travis drum solo. Next up was "Misunderstood" which was punctuated by the trademark KG kick (usually reserved for other songs) and a falsetto shoutout to this reporter at the end, along with Outkast’s "Ms. Jackson." Tom and Travis shared a private joke between songs and were giggling merrily.
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The new song "Good" followed. Has anyone else noticed how sometimes KG sneaks up to the mic to begin another chorus? This night he was sneaking way down low. As the song ended, KG told the crowd about how Baltimore was a washout, how the DC show was canceled due to a promoter bankruptcy, but how "tonight, we’re playing on the beach in Jersey!" According to Kevin, Tom had trouble finding Ortley Beach on Mapquest but "he’ll have no trouble finding it after tonight!" "R3wind" was the next of the night’s offerings. Always a rocker, always on the money. "In a Little While" followed. Before he began to play, Kevin told the audience that it was written in the "key of B" because "it’s a well-known fact those songs sell more records, right Tom?" Tom took this opportunity to hype the new DVD. KG interjected that the DVD would rival the DVD release of "Jurassic Park" because of the "BTE Gone Wild" footage. He proudly proclaimed that this portion of the DVD had lots of "pixilated naughty parts."
"Extra Ordinary" came next. As Jim was not there, KG invited up Kevin from Philadelphia (aka "Tom’s Little Brother") and a lady friend to sing Jim’s parts. KG added a little extra oomph to the song by holding the high guitar notes. The couple did a really nice job. Props! KG next told the crowd how they missed playing with Jim. He said they cannot replace Jim because he provides those essential "sex scenes on stage." As he got ready for "King of New Orleans," Kevin recounted how the guitarist from Skid Row (a Jersey band!) Once told him it was one of his favorite songs of all time. As the band ripped into the song, Tom did a very unexpected kick for emphasis.
During the "break down" portion of the song, KG pointed to Michelle (AmEmPbdy) and delivered a "sexy m*therf*cker" and the "call me" gesture. This part of the song also contained a rendition of Biz Markie’s "Just a Friend" which the crowd seems to enjoy singing as much as Kevin. "At the Stars" was the next offering. Kevin introduced it as a "fictional account of meeting someone and running away with them." For some reason, the inherent romanticism of the song caused 2 fans (who shall remain nameless) to toss a giant pair of "granny panties" on stage. The giant bloomers sailed through the air and landed between KG and Tom. Following BTE protocol, the offending undergarments found there way onto Tom’s mic stand and, ultimately, onto Travis’ drum kit.
You could tell the guys felt really bad about the Baltimore debacle, so when a couple of fans held up signs saying "We got pneumonia in Baltimore last night" and "Play Hollow!" they were happy to oblige. Kevin said the song would "probably" be on the next album. Maybe it was because Jim wasn’t there, but I detected some added guitar flourishes in the mix. "A Lifetime" soon followed with the addition of "uncle Mike" on guitar. This has become a real sing-a-long song for fans, hasn’t it? During the song, the two massive bouncers stationed at either side of the stage had fun identifying the "granny panty" throwers. Not to eject them, of course, but to give them silent props. I guess it’s not everyday undergarments get thrown at Joey Harrison’s!
As Kevin switched guitars. He started playing the opening chords to "coyote" and gave the crowd a perhaps one minute teaser. "This Time of Year" then began. This time the song did not include a guest guitarist, but Tom did a spirited toss of the football only to have it thrown back at him. In fact it missed him and scattered some of his amp top trinkets. Not to be outdone, he deftly retrieved the ball and lateraled it to a young lady in the front row (accompanying her relative from Canada). KG thought this was a pretty slick move and proclaimed: "Tom, that was smoove, that’s smooth, but with a ‘V’!" Outkast’s "Whole World" was also thrown in during a break down. And Kevin complimented the light man for doing a good so far and requested the multiple disco balls be lit up (which they finally were) as he repeated several times the disco lyric: "One more time..." And at some point he crouched down and teasingly whispered to a young lady "music sounds better with you, baby." TTOY then rocked back up and ended furiously (Continued on next page). |
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