Natural 9

I was at Fat Dadddy's in York Saturday night to hear Natural 9. They are quickly becoming Central Pennsylvania's (and the triviaguy's) favorite band! The rule of thumb with a cover band: If you are going to cover someone, protect them with a solid interpretataion of the song. If a song is a copywright, then copy it right. From the time Natural 9 opens the mic with a the Black Eyes Peas "I Gotta Feeling", you truly get a feel the band is something special. Shawn Boksan's tenor-plus range is Perry-esque. It is a sound few front men can carry. (At least not without cracking a few high ones.)

Natural 9, altough not scientific in nature, seems to have s 'natural selection' of what to play appeasing all audience members. Transitioning from 80's hits like Billie Jean, (in which Shawn seems to hit every Michael falsetto flawlessly), to Whitesnake's "Here We Go Again"... to Journey classics "Faithfully" and "Don't Stop Believin'", the group plays with accurracy, accented with a cool confidence on stage. (Even daring to play..."Jessie's Girl?")

Tom on drums is steady with a cadence of pure nosatlgiac fun and fervor. Sean (the other white 'beat') on lead guitar bellows out riffs from the likes of Gun's n Roses and Bon Jovi. He plays rhytym to Kyle's kickin' bass on dance patterns like Akon's "I Wanna Make Love na na na na" Wyclef Jean's '911', Montel's "This is How We Do It"... and the energizing tune "Let Me Clear My Throat." Natural 9 finds a steady groove all night and does not let up.

Eric on keyboard is superb. His keyboard take on Toto's "Africa" is so dead on, you feel like it is 1982 all over again. The synth sounds of other 80's classics like "Jump" come to life like an MTV remote control on auto pilot.

And if retro doesn't get the feet tappin', there's always a Keith Urban medley to get the boots and booty hopppin'.

The key to Natural 9's success is their inate ability to relate to their audience. At one point Shawn even offers up audience requests. "If we don't know it...we'll do our damndest to make it close," he jokes. During breaks the band mingles with their fans and gives them a glimpse of the personal touch that sets them apart. They are truly naturals at making music fun all over again.

Harvey

I saw the play "Harvey" recently. It was staged at my Alma mater Warwick HS. I played Dr. Sanderson my Senior year, and was anxious to see it for the first time since. It was a classic movie from 1950 starring Jimmy Stewart. It features Elwood P. Dowd, who gets thru his days with his beat friend-- a six foot tall invisible rabbit name Harvey. It was well done by Warwick Thespians! Nowadays, the shows at high school level are incredible with their sound, high-tech sets, and bigger budgets!

Some rabbit test trivia~

1.) What was the fitst film that featureed Bugs Bunny and Mickey Mouse together?
2.) White Rabbit by Jefferson Airplane makes references to what tale?
3.) The character of Harry "Rabbit" Angstrom is from what novel?
4.) In 1980, Eddie Rabbitt hit #1 with "I love A..." What?
5.) What rabbit was the first soft toy patented in 1901?


1.) Who Framed Roger Rabbit
2.) Alice In Wonderland
3.) Rabbit Run, by John Updike
4.) Rainy Night
5.) Peter Rabbit
Fun fact!
Spielberg is re-making the classic! It is a rabbit's tail worth re-tellng. However, Stewart is forever etched as the aloof Elwood. He will be hard to replace.

Halloween at Flavers ELVIS in the house~

The 'Beards' Went Wild with Cool Costumes at Flavers~

Random thoughts and odd jobs

Is it just me or does Jason Werth look like the guy in the Geico ads?


Rush Limbaugh buying the Rams? Was going to buy the Blues hockey team, but they have a left wing.

Michael Jackson co - wrote a song in 1983 with Paul Anka called 'This Is It?'
Is this the guy that had hits in the 70's "I don't Like to Sleep Alone", and "You're Havin' My Baby?" Who knew???

I saw some people are receiving "new" lungs from people that have died from smoking.
Good idea. Is this part of the new health care system? "Well, it was the best we could do on such short notice. Next?"

Barbara Streisand is selling a lot of her stuff. Geez, I can't even part with a
pair of converse I bought in 1995.

I don't hate the 8, I just hate Jon and Kate. Please Dear God, make them go away.

I saw a report recently the best paying jobs are anesthesioloist, gynecologist, and a pyschiatrist....Boy, if that doesn't sum up life! We are born into this world to be numbed all over again, while trying to find our way back into the womb... only to have to get a prescription to help deal with the consequences of all that.
No wonder they are in demand!

Ever list what jobs you have had in your life? Here are some of mine:

Bingeman's Restaurant---best one there was when Bingy said "put six gallons of milk on ice, we are catering a party." I dumped the milk in a bucket on top of the ice~! oops!

Worked as a bar boy at Landis Valley Inn...I brought ice to the Bartenders all night. It was during the disco era so I loved the nightlife~

Chicken Lickin'. I dreseed as the proverbial Chicken and waved people in one afternoon. I couldn't cook, so they put me in the suit.
$2.50 an hour not bad.

Piano and organ salesman, I couldn't play, but I sold a few.
(3x I did that)

Armstrong...during college summers, was on the Yard Crew. Managed to spend a whole morning on a riding mower and forgot to put the blades down! oops~

Quality Inn....busboy...once cleared a whole table as they went to salad bar, I didn't realize they were not finished... I was fast~ Even dumped their martinis.

Sweep Left DJ in Lincoln....Now that was cool! Under disco lights, you're name will be seen, you can fulfill all your dreams~!

Misty's House DJ, Nebraska Gamedays were awesome~

Bobbie Jean's DJ in KC They liked two types of music country and western~

Christian Sports Network-- KC. Didn't make any money, but had fun covering Royals games.

Radio Stations KISS FM, KJ-95, WNZT, WAHT, WHP, WLAN, Kids Radio Network, and WSBA. Hosted talk shows, sports, news, sold advertising, (yes I sold AIR!!!)

Temp jobs to include delivering specimens to hospitals, working a pretzel line, and putting stickers on paint tubes.

TRIVIA GUY!!!!!! Quite a journey through towns and sounds, hires and fires, and now down to questions and answers. Life is good. I'm now doing what I want on my terms.

my top 10 list

David Letterman being extorted for 2 million?

My top 10 List of things that make me go hmmmmmm:


10.) Will new evidence point to Dave sleeping with Paul the night his bandleader wrote "It's Raining Men," come out?

9.) Will Madonna now admit she slept with Dave the night she couldn't say the F word enough.

8.) Will Conan get any bright ideas?

7.) Will it be revealed a shih tzu had sex backstage with a poodle during a stupid pet tricks performance? Letterman covering up the birth of the shiht-poo. The puppy Max, now is in hiding in a Max shelter, founded by Max Weinberg.

6.) Will evidence show in paternity tests... Dave knocked up Sarah Palin's daughter?

5.) Will Ball State offer internships to fill World Wide Pants positions anymore?

4.) Did Bud Melman know about this? And is that why he left the show at 81? He was still in his prime!

3.) How late did Dave stay out after a Late Night?

2.) Why did Dave really enjoy those cigars so damn much? (can you say Clinton?)

1.) Did Ed Sullivan ever hav sex with his crew? Really big sheeeeew~

Note: A little known fact: The Beatles had sex with Sullivan's staff after their American debut in 1964. Some staff memebers say there were even some dancing bears in the room.

Some random Letterman trivia:

My Mensa from Sunday night~

Two actresses on Late Nite have called Dave an asshole. One was a witch in 'Witches of Eastwick,' and one was a witch in 'Bewitched' the movie! Name them!



ANSWER: Cher, Shirly MacLaine

Lititz~

I moved back to my hometown in June. Lititz is a quaint town in Lancaster County (pop. 41,554) I live within a fews steps of the square. The General Sutter Inn is just around the corner. General Sutter founded Sacramento, California. He was a resident of Lititz from 1871-1880, and is buried in the Moravian Church cemetery.

I can walk across the street to my bank. Down the street to the post office. My insurance company is across the hall from me. Lititz was founded in 1757 by the Moravians. At one time, you had to be a Moravian to live in Lititz. Now the composition is just white. (97.23%) I took a walk today and observed the history along Main. The Mueller House, a 1792 house offers a glimpse into the Moravian way of life. The Pretzel House, the oldest commercial bakery in the US, and the Wilbur Chocolate factory where Wilbur buds and chocolate sweets permeate thru the town's charm.

I pass by the Linden Hall, 1746, the oldest girls boarding school in the nation. They proudly display a sign proclaiming the "Highest SAT scores in the County."
The gift shops are brimming with antiques, along with trinkets from today. Tourists slowly make their way to each window's eye candy. Cafe chocolat features chocolate dipped strawberries in the window. It is fall and the leaves are starting to drop. Lititz is postcard perfect. Or...is it?

Today the Chief Operating officer of the Ambulance Fund was arrested for embezzling nearly half a million dollars of investments the association had made. He is in jail in lieu of the same amount of money in bail as he stole.

In 2005, a Mayoral candidate and church leader pulled out of the race because of inappropriate relations with a pre-teen.

A Warwick HS teacher was arrested in 2007 in a Blazer for having sex with one of his students. A music teacher and band director, he was part of a HS that had a long proud tradition of marching band. I was a part of that in the 70's and I was sad to hear that. Talk about marching to the sound of a different drummer!

In 2008, an Assistant Band director was arrested. Same tune.

A Warwick basketball coach, not long before those incidences was arrested. Also, Foul on the play. I think it is called crossing the line.

Last year, shot glasses were given out to students at my Warwick HS as prom party favors.


"In my little town
I grew up believ--ing
God keeps his eye on us all
And he used to lean upon me
As I pledged allegiance to the wall
Lord I recall
My little town"

paul simon

Where has my little town gone?

random thoughts on recent stuff~

....I hate golf. Played over the weekend in a scramble. I was busy most the time scrambling in the brush for balls. I lost five balls, a glove, four tees, and my patience for ANY golf etiquette. I did not yell four, because my ball did not come close to hitting anything but the trees. I chose other four letter f words.
My handicap was I had not swung a club in 10 years. A.A. Milne who wrote Winnie the Pooh once wrote: "Golf is so popular, simply because it is the best game in the world to be bad." I was bad. Soooooooooooooo bad!

....I watched some of the VMA's....the MJ tribute for Michael was great featuring Janet. A Jackson concert featuring Janet singing Michael's part would be cool~

....Kanye West's interruption of Taylor Swift moments was still yet another embarrassment for the not so Sharpest tongue in the West. This is the same guy during Katrina that commented that George Bush doesn't care about black people. Well, apparently , Kanye you don't care about 19 year old white country singers. Incidentally, I still have not heard a Kanye song I like. When Jay Leno asked Kanye what his mother would have thought about his Beyonce behavior, I thought he was going to cry like a baby. Way to 'dig' for a 'gold'en question Jay, throw on a lil dead mom guilt, works every time~ ! Even Obama got into the act by calling Kanye a Jackass. You go Obama~!


....I caught a bit of the Oprah interview with Whitney. The 'Stand by Your Man' thing just doesn't cut it with me. This isn't the Patsy Cline era. Patsy sang about 'sometimes it's hard to be a woman' and went down in a tragic plane crash. Whitney crashed and burned on her own, soon after singing 'I'm Every Woman.' She always had good people around her. Eight years ago when crack was whack, the people were there. She chose to hole up with Bobby. She waited with baited breath to inhale daily. She had the 'greatest love of all'... the drugs, and liked it. Looked to me like she had a new set of pearly white teeth too~! (Where do broken teeth go?) When Oprah questioned her about how she took the drugs... she looked at Oprah like "Wat?"... "You don't know? Well lemme explain it....." So hard for me to feel sorry for people that are surrounded by bodyguards, million dollar bank accounts, and choose to feed dealers families. As far as Bobby? She married a man who had kids with other women, was known for not being able to "Cool It Now" (or then) with other women. Did Whitney really think he was a good guy? A good New Edition to her life? He is currently in back child support payments of $45,000 to his array of kids. Gee, where has that child support gone?...To support other selfish habits perhaps? 'Don't Be Cruel' Bobby...you sucked Whitney dry, so grow up and take care of your kids. It's your perogative, but grow up!!!! Get over yourself. You had one #1 song.
You literally stopped a woman from flourishing. Damn Shame.