Drew-Who.com: Feelin' it With Joe Ely

Tuesday, March 11, 2008

Feelin' it With Joe Ely

Ely Tellin' Texas Tales as Tall as a Ten-Gallon Hat

One of the best gigs I ever had with the Derangers was in 1997 at Mama Kin on Landsdowne, when we opened for the great Texas Balladeer, Joe Ely. Joe Ely Homepage

We got to hang with him back stage and got his autograph. He signed my (vinyl 12") copy of Lord of The Highway, writing, "Beware of El Tarantula!" Bern and I had recounted to him the story of how we had just moved to a new apartment, and how I had gotten produce boxes from a local grocery store, and how when I opened the banana box, now containing CDs, there was a giant hairy tarantula in there. Ely was like, "Didja keep 'im? What didja name 'im?"

Times They Were a-Twangin' with The Derangers and My 1961 Stratocaster!

The best part was, we were to play first of three bands, but the middle band didn't show up, so we got bumped up to right before Ely. By the time we went on, like ten-ish, the place had filled up with Ely fans, who really dug what we were doing. We were at the top of our game by that point, so that was a really good night for us.

And Ely and his band were amazing, of course.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...: Hi Drew,

I'm really enjoying these stories here.. keep 'em coming!

I work in produce up here in Maine now and have yet to find a tarantula in a banana box...yet. Gulp.

-kate
(we've met through Kevin & Nancy); March 23, 2008 at 9:54 AM

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Bern's Turn!

I used to call Drew “The Absent Minded Professor”. Yeah. His keys? He never knew where they were. More often than not, they were in his pocket – in his pants – on the floor. Wallet? Forget it! Found it in the trash a couple times. Then there’s the time we found his checkbook – after looking for days – in a snow bank across the street from our apartment on River Street in Hyde Park. One time our new kitten went missing. Drew had been home alone with the kitty, and when I came home she was no where to be found. Until we opened the refrigerator. Yep! There she was, cold but OK, after a three hour “vacation in the arctic”. The only harm done was that she ate our tuna salad that was in there. Naturally!

Muthah Effin Theresa, that’s me! You have to have the patience of a Saint to hang with this dude.

And dogshit? The bottom of Drew’s foot was like a magnet for the stuff. There could be one pile in the whole Sahara Desert and he’d step in it. Later, we’d be driving along and we’d both smell something foul and he’d go, “Oh crap! Fucking A! There’s shit all over my fucking boot!” Then there’s Drew-time versus actual time. Maddening! He’s on about a sixteen minute delay from the rest of the world. I am one who likes to show up a half-hour early, even to work. Drew is not, never was and never will be a morning person. He’s accident-prone beyond belief, and can and will spill every liquid he touches. Because he talks with his hands – sometimes very animatedly – he smacks the full beer on the table and guess where it goes? That’s right. All over me! We’re talking an entire pint!

But in the end, I love the big dope. He’s the funniest, most charming, and most handsome guy in the world. He’s also a pretty fucking amazing guitar player. He may be a bull in a china shop, but he’s my bull, dammit! Without his endless shenanigans and Tom-Foolery – and I will report on these events from my point of view – my life would be far less entertaining!

Drew Who, right?

I showed up here on a hot late-summer day in 1985 with a hundred bucks and big major-label dreams. The reason? Well, there’s no way around it; I followed a girl. My girlfriend and band-mate from Dallas, Lisa Traxler, had become a WBCN Rock-Jock and was already swimming in the deep end of the rocking mid-eighties Boston scene. She had arrived in late ’84 and kept calling me, saying, “Get out of Dallas, it’s nothing. Boston is hot! Boston is on fire. There are so many great bands and clubs and live music is everywhere. You’ll have plenty of work as a recording engineer and we’ll start our own band. Everyone’s getting signed. So get your lazy ass up here!” Being a ‘BCN air personality, she was well-connected. ‘BCN was important then. ‘BCN was on top. And she was right; in 1985 Boston was a city on-flame with rock and roll. So I came. I remember the incredible energy Boston had; I felt it the second I pulled my little pickup in to the Fenway. It was undoubtedly the biggest decision I ever made. There are times when I do question that choice. There are days when I rue that day. Was coming here a blessing or a curse? Sometimes I think, “I gave Boston everything I had and more, and in return, Boston kicked sand in my face. Cold, dirty Dorchester Bay sand. Boston gave me nothing. Boston doesn’t even know my name.” Boston can be hard -- Whitey Bulger hard. Even though I worked my arse off, I never ended up with the success of a Slade, a Kolderie, a Giordano or a Deneen. My band never got signed. I never won The Rumble. Back in Dallas, I had just worked with—heck, pretty much had discovered—a band called New Bohemians (later re-named Edie Brickell and New Bohemians). I wonder what would have happened if I had stayed there and played-out that hand?

So, what did I contribute, really? Was it a valuable time? Did I do good things? Did I make good friends? Did I make good records? Did I influence people in a positive way? Did I leave my mark? Did I rock? Did I actually accomplish anything at all? And perhaps most importantly, do I have much to show for all that?

Looking back, I think the answer to those questions is yes. In truth, it was a prolific venture. When I see what’s behind me, it surprises even me. I can say this for sure; I met some great people and had a helluva lot of fun!

What Bern and I would like to do is recall, recount and reminisce about the last twenty-plus years. I’ll tell a story of a gig, or a session or a funny thing that happened. I’ll talk about favorite characters from the scene. I can’t do it all at once, but every so-often I can jot down an experience, and it need not be chronological. She'll add a sidebar about what is was like to be caught up in my crazy life. We’ll call it “Drew Who: Boston Rock Stories, 1986 – 2006 "

Drew, Bernadette and Drew-bear, June, 2007

Artists I’ve worked with at one time or another (in no particular order):

Peter Wolf, Gang Green, Seka, Cobalt 60, The Vic Morrows, Trona, Heretix, Tribe, Anastasia Screamed, Band of Planets, Bison, Aimee Mann, Scarce, Delta Clutch, Digger, Hank, Jon Brion, Delusions of Grandeur, The Swinging Steaks, TH and The Wreckage, Serum, Nisi Period, The Raindogs, The Cavedogs, House of Joy, Hothouse Flowers, Roger Waters, The Bags, Stu Kimball, Bim Skala Bim, Jehova Starbelly, Mistlethrush, Tanya Donnely, The Uninvited, Mick Mondo and Streaker, Muck and The Mires, Sidewalk Gallery, The Next, Treat Her Right, Sleepy Hollow, Doug Thoms/Fleshflower, The Moors, Common Ailments of Maturity, Sleep Chamber, Patty Griffin, Laurie Geltman, Ronnie Earl and The Broadcasters, Duke Robillard, Greg Piccolo, Roomful of Blues, Bobby Radcliffe, Micki Honeycut, John Lincoln Wright, Luther “Guitar Junior” Johnson, Vision Thing, Delta Clutch, The Ray Corvair Trio, The Strangemen, Tidal Wave, Ten Star General, Underball, Scratch, The Speed Devils, The Fathoms, Charlie Chesterman, Miss Xanna Don’t, The Derangers, The Nines, The Voodoo Dolls, Angelo Petraglia/The Immortals, Vibralux, The West End Blues Band, The Blue Hornets, Sugar Ray and The Blue Tones, Walston, Lucky 57, The Tullamores, Grand Evolution, Young Rust, Mike Gendren, Jeff Pitchell/Texas Flood, RSO Crew, Still Home, Dogzilla, Grand Evolution, Adam Steinberg, Billy Conway, Jim Fitting, Paul Simon…and more more more…Drew’s On-line (partial) discography:
DrewDiscs

Bands I've played in:

LP/CD Releases I have appeared on:

House of Joy, “A Kick at The Cat” 1987; House of Joy' “Slings and Arrows” 1989; Various Artists, “North by Northeast:Roots Rock, etc” 1990; Various Artists, “Boston Gets Stoned” Rolling Stones Tribute 1991; Various Artists, “Son of Godzippah” 1992; Various Artists, “Rock for Wood” Walden Woods benefit 1993; Various Artists, “Crush” 1994; Various Artists, “Thirteen” 1995; Various Artists, “Tube: Atlantic Surf Essentials” 1996. In addition to appearing on these CDs with bands like House of Joy and The Derangers, I also produced some or even all of the content. The “Tube” surf CD is the highlight of my career, having recorded the majority of the tracks and producing the compilqtion itself. It was released in May of ’96 on Cherrydisc, and as far as I know is the only document of the Boston surf-revival scene of the mid 1990’s.

Places I've played:

Club Bohemia aka The Kirkland Café, The Hard Rock Café, The Kendall Café, The House of Blues, The Channel, The Tam, Necco Place, The Paradise, The Rat, The Rat Balcony, Avenue C, Bunratty’s, Bill’s Bar, Axis, DV8, The Linwood, TT The Bear’s Place, The Causeway, Chet’s Last Call, The Middle East (all rooms), Jack’s, Catch a Rising Star, Jacque’s, E.M. Lowe's Theater (opening for B.B. King!), The Plough and Stars, Nightstage, Sally O’Briens, O’Brien’s, The Abbey Lounge, The Lizard Lounge, Venus de Milo, Mama Kin, Dodge Street, The Wellfleet Beachcomber, The Living Room, The Ocean Mist, The Stone Church, The Iron Horse, The Sea Note, The Met Café, The Century Lounge, Lupo’s Heartbreak Hotel, Ralph’s Diner, The Blackstone Tavern, Joe’s American, Toad, Toad’s Place, CBGB, Under Acme, The Rodeo Bar, Club 3, Johnny D’s, Edible Rex, The Overdraught, The Rockpile, 24-city US Tour, 1996…

Tuesday, March 11, 2008

Feelin' it With Joe Ely

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