A week and change after the Ted's birthday gig - and two days before the Ronkonkoma Day show - we return to the Nightingale Bar. Now why, you ask, are we right back at the Nightingale Bar, so soon after the Ted's Birthday gig?
Tom, from the Nightingale Bar, had accidentally double-booked us; he had booked the Ted's Birthday show....but he had also penciled us in for the 26th. We thought he just liked us and were giving us two gigs!
Close to the night of the show, Tom called and explained it was an accident - that he had accidentally double-booked us, and that he already had a show booked that was going to include members of The Spin Doctors and Blues Traveler (two bands that were having some success at the time....and that had gotten their start at the Nightingale Bar).
Rather than giving Tom a break - we insisted on playing the show. After all....we had sent out flyers! I'm not sure, but it might have even been me who dealt with him; for a time Ward was away, and I, of all people, took over our bookings! Because by this point we had a well-oiled machine, and a circuit of venues, it was just a matter of picking up the phone and seeing what dates were available. I'm not sure if the reason we insisted on playing was because we were afraid some soul would get our flyer in the mail, and show up at the gritty East Village club, pay the cover, and not get a LOOB show.....or if it was because we just wanted to play as much as possible! I think it was the latter!
Ironically, the flyer was a picture of a big fat hog of a guy (looking not unlike Mike circa 2015!)...we were that guy...greedy to play!
I actually remember much about this show!
For one: it was Gillian's birthday!!! Happy Birthday, Gillian!!! Normally, we would have done a big thing on stage about it - but we had just had this big Ted's birthday gig a week before, in the same exact club....the balloons from Ted's party were still listlessly hovering around the jukebox.....did we want to be known as "the Birthday Band"? At this, the grimiest of all clubs? We didn't even have that many of our own people in the audience. I remember we debated this pre-show, and settled on a tasteful shout-out during the intro of "Thundersong". But let it be known: Gill deserved her own birthday cake at this show! We all loved Gillian and were genuinely happy for Hubie's good fortune. And of course, Hubie and Gill are still together, with a beautiful family....so definitely June 26 is a date on the calendar that's worth celebrating!
Because he had this extra band (us) on the bill, one thing Tom had specifically requested of LOOB was to make it a quick set. (and remember how long it used to take for us to set up....ESPECIALLY at the Nightingale Bar?) We went on at about 1:00 in the morning - the place was crowded. Because he had asked us to make it short, we wrote out a set that we banged through with minimal breaks. Afterwards, Ted's sister came up to me and berated me (I was the setlist guy) for not giving the audience a chance to clap!!! "You don't understand, Mike...you have to give the audience a chance to clap!".
Poor Steve, though! My enduring memory of the show itself is the very end of it! We're crashing and dragging out our big "Gimme Fun" ending (and dragging out "Gimme Fun" in general, not our best version...one might say it's a very inconsiderate version!).....all of a sudden, Tom jumps in front of the band, waving his arms - "Achtung!" - and GRABS Steve, yelling at him to stop the show!! We were getting the hook big time! Steve - who had just performed a percussion solo and was "in the zone" - and who probably was the band member least likely to know the backstage gossip and instructions from the club-owner - was....traumatized! Perturbed! That's all I can think of when I hear this "Gimme Fun"! By now, it's about 2 in the morning....and the main band that packed the place is still waiting to play! And we're dragging out "Gimme Fun" as if we were getting paid by the minute!
Oh well. No harm done. We went on to play the joint many more times, so obviously Tom didn't hold it against us!
As far as the tape: this show is better than the Ted's Birthday show, a much better listen.We're way more together. I wouldn't say this is our most "beautiful" show, we're a bit aggro and cocky and maybe even obnoxious - especially if you know the back-story...this was hardly a "quick" set...and Hubie loses his voice at the end. But we put on a show, have to say that!
So see how you like Life Out Of Balance at their naughtiest....on 13th and 2nd....all those years ago...!
Nightingale Bar 6/26/92
I Owe ->
It's All Right ->
Thundersong
It's Warm Outside
Caveman ->
Smile ->
Someone's In My Head
Gimme Fun
Hubert Poole - guitar, vocal, percussion
Ted Schreiber - bass, vocal, percussion
Lawrence Krauser - electric piano, synth, trumpet
Michael Goodman - drums, vocal
Steven Goodman - percussion, accordion
recorded by Chris Ivers
download here
http://www.mediafire.com/download/xesf7d780e4qu55/1992-06-26+Nightingale+Bar.zip
or if you prefer Dropbox, this link will expire in a week or so:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/hc9vopksqluizb6/1992-06-26%20Nightingale%20Bar.zip?dl=0
