A Meeting of the Minds

Oh to be a fly on the wall at this get together! I can only imagine how amazing the conversation must have been - we're talking about Sha Na Na and the Unknown Comic here. In other words, this is a powwow between two of the most significant artists in the history of American popular culture. Don't agree with me? Did you forget that Sha Na Na not only had their own television show, but also performed at Woodstock (where I'm sure they blew the mind of more than a few smelly hippies)? Also, do I need to remind you that the Unknown Comic was a regular on The Gong Show (where, I'm willing to bet, he had Jamie Farr rolling in the aisles), and starred in Night Patrol with Linda Blair? That should be proof enough for anybody who doubts their importance. Well, maybe not…

In all honesty, I loved Sha Na Na's television show when I was a kid. The first time I ever saw the Ramones was on that program, so that should count for something. Like many young hipsters, however, I didn't like them after Bowser left. "Man, when Bowser was in the band it was all about the music. They've totally sold out since he left."

Speaking of "Good Times and Great Oldies" ™, I caught the Vibrators last Wednesday at the Lion's Lair. Not wanting to see the local warm-up bands I didn't leave the house until 11pm, maybe the latest I've ever left for a show on a school night (I still managed to see most of Self Service, a particularly miserable act that seems to play support for every old punk act I catch at the Lair). This is being billed as the "Knox Turns 60" tour, an indication that these guys have been around the block a few times (they've been around since 1976, with only one year off in all that time). This is the fourth time I've seen the Vibrators, and surprisingly enough they've gotten better each time. Needless to say, they stick with the oldies that the fans want to hear (with a few newer numbers mixed in). They hit their debut Pure Mania pretty heavily (a must have for fans of the first wave of British punk), as well as their second album V2: Bad Time, Pure Mania, I Need a Slave, 24 Hour People, Troops of Tomorrow, Automatic Lover, Whips and Furs, Judy Says, Disco in Moscow, and their most famous tune Baby Baby. They encored with a cover of Brand New Cadillac (“for Joe Strummer”) and Amphetamine Blue. A couple of girls kept calling out for You Broke My Heart, which prompted drummer Eddie (the other original member of the trio, along with singer/guitarist Knox) to apologize “sorry, but we haven’t played that one in about 25 years.” The show was nothing earth shaking, but it was fun and I had a good time, and sometimes that’s more than enough reason to get out of the house.