LIKEHELL and Run Westy Run

In the late 90's I loved festival concerts. I could go to Edgefest in Sommerset, WI and see all of the popular bands for the price of one ticket. At Edgefest 4 in 1997 I got to see Beck, Rollins Band, Iggy Pop, Local H (remember them?), and a handful of others who were popular at the time. One band that played early in the day was a local band called Likehell. I'd never heard of them, but I was there.

Usually the bands early in the day just ruin your conversations, harsh your mellow; but I loved Likehell from the first note. They played good, albeit simple, rock and roll with hard rock undertones. The lead singer, Nick Eldorado, didn't play an instrument, but he was a show in himself. I couldn't take my eyes of his stage antics. He strutted around like they were the headliners for the night.

I made a note to catch them next time I could, which was easy since they're a Minneapolis band. I saw them again at the 7th Street Entry, and Eldorado was full of as much energy as he was at Edgefest in the intimate venue. I loved it. I tried not to miss a show when I saw they were playing. I saw them at The Uptown Bar, The Quest, The Fine Line, Lee's Liquor Lounge, and First Ave. Probably more places too, but I don't remember.

It was at the beginning of my drinking career, so I was pie-eyed most of the times I saw them, but I enjoyed every performance. The liquid courage made me approach each member of the band in the various clubs before and after shows sometimes. They probably knew me as "that drunk guy." I learned that Eldorado and the drummer, Tony Baloney, are brothers. Eldorado once told me that their dad would be playing Christmas music before their next show at The Uptown, so I was there early to see Mr. Oliveri (their real last name) playing a keyboard.

I felt cool, and still do, that I had a local band that I knew about and could take friends to see. They either stopped gigging, or I found new drunken interests in the mid-00's, and stopped seeing them. I 'like' their Facebook page, and knew about a show they did last year around this time at The Entry. Ozzie was only 6 months old and I couldn't get out to see them. They recently advertised that they'd be opening for a band called Run Westy Run on 12/26/14. Mommy and Ozzie were going out of town, so I knew I had to go to this show.

This New Year's Day will mark 4 years sober for me. I was excited to see them sober for the first time since 1997. I had heard the name Run Westy Run, but had never seen them. There's a guy at work with whom I talk music, and I brought them up. He said they had some legendary shows in the 90's. When I told him I'm actually going to see Likehell he told me that he played with them in the early 90's, before I got into them. He advised that I not miss Run Westy Run.

I walked into First Avenue for the first time since 2006 when I saw Ray Davies with my dad. I've been to a lot of shows there, but obviously not recently. It hasn't changed much. I walked around familiarizing myself again with the legendary club. I know that they'll sometimes post a trivia question on Twitter for a chance to win a seat at a table for the show, so I looked at Twitter. Sure enough there was a question there that no one had answered. I Googled it, posted the answer, and won the table.

A server showed me to my table, which was upstairs right on the edge. A great seat, and I had been worried about standing for the whole night. I ordered a Diet Coke and awaited Likehell. I had almost forgot that it was always fun to see how Eldorado would take the stage. The band starts playing first, and he has come out in a dress and combat boots, or decked out in all-white with a boat Captain hat (that he threw into the audience and I scored) before. This show was no different. He shakily walked to the mic wearing a long white wig, a robe, and using a walker. I thought Likehell is here!

He shed the get-up after the first song, donning a silver lamé suit. They played all of the favorites that I remember, and a few new tunes in a 45-minute set. Eldorado shimmied and shook as he did back in the day as the nightclub slowly filled. I was happy to be at a table, and happy to be sober.

Eldorado did the worm to the mic stand before the last song

A band called BNLX was on next. They were good. Solid rock and roll. I missed some of their set when I had to go move my car from the meter I parked at right outside. It turned into a tow-away zone at 11:00, and I had only paid until 10:00. I moved it into the ramp behind the Target Center and was back in time for the end of their set. The nice server informed me the table and chair were mine for the night. I was glad I didn't have to say jack-jack-seat-back.

Run Westy Run took the stage at 11:00, and First Avenue was almost full by then. Their lead singer was also fun to watch. Not playing an instrument, he bopped and weaved all over the stage. After about four songs I thought to myself this IS a great band. Every song sounded different in the way The Pixies mix up their sound. Their 90-minute set was an excellent way to end the night. I drove home with a few of their songs I had just heard for the first time in my head.

RWR doesn't play much anymore, so unfortunately I don't know if I'll get a chance to see them again. We celebrate a new year in a few days. If you think of bands as "friends," I got to make new friends, and keep the old. One was silver and the other was gold. 

My evening of theater

Almost 20 years ago I joined an improv theater going by the name of Comedy Olympix. That was my "college" experience. I made friends who are still my friends to this day, several of whom were in my wedding. One friend I made there was actor Zach Curtis. He didn't have a car, and I would give him rides home occasionally. We started hanging out more and more, and eventually were joined at the hip. He lived in his parent's basement at the time, and I remember sleeping over once. We stayed up in the dark, he in bed and me lying on the floor, joking and laughing (and farting) until the wee hours of the morning; like a couple of kids in junior high.

We eventually lived together for a while in what my friend Jim affectionately called the "Den of Debauchery." During that time I would go see Zach in shows, and I knew that he was theatrically gifted. We eventually grew apart, and Facebook brought us back together. I haven't seen him in a show since 1998, but every review I read for his latest, The Whale, is better than the last. I was able to get out of the house for the evening to catch my old partner-in-crime in the show, and I'm so glad I did.

In The Whale Curtis plays Charlie, a 600-pound shut-in who teaches writing online (through audio, too ashamed to show his students his obese stature). Charlie grunts and wheezes for breath simply adjusting himself on the sofa, where he spends the majority of his time. His only friend is a nurse, Liz, who enables Charlie's unhealthy lifestyle, and gives him on-the-house nursing treatment (checking blood pressure, listening to his chest, etc.)

The cast is only five people, but every one of them gives a stellar performance. I don't want to give away the plot, just go see this show. I got a $10 'economic accessibility' ticket, so I saw it for cheaper than a movie on a Saturday night. Curtis's performance is so good that I felt uncomfortable watching him struggle to stand up from the couch to use his walker. I forgot that he was my old pal, and saw a 600-pound whale of a man.

The Whale A

After the show, I had time to speed to the Bryant-Lake Bowl for the sold out A Very Die Hard Christmas. I asked the box office if they had room for one more, and they did. After the dark subject matter of The Whale, I'm glad I went to see some comedy, and Christmas is funny. 

It's a vulgar parody of a lot of Christmas specials we all know, and look forward to, wrapped around the Die Hard plot; written by, and starring, Josh Carson, who I know by directing him in 48-Hour films. We don't really know each other, but we kinda do. The script for this show proves what a talent Carson is. 

The whole theater is used for the show; they even cast the entire audience as holiday party-goers. They happened to pull me on stage as Mr. Nakatomi, the Japanese president of the building overtaken by terrorists. I stood tongue-tied on the stage where I've performed dozens of shows. Rusty after years away from the stage, I couldn't form Japanese gibberish. It was fun to be onstage again, if only for a minute. They even called me back up at the end for a bow. 

The show features songs, and puppets, and blood. A lot of blood. It winks at the audience several times throughout, and some jokes hit hard. I belly laughed several times, and when I wasn't laughing I was smiling. It's a great show with a talented cast. Tom Reed stands out as antagonist Hans Gruber. Others are cast in several different roles, and they have fun with that too. The audience is in on all of the jokes, and it plays to the top of its intelligence. 

A Very Die Hard Christmas A

Dance Break