The
Sit 'N Bull Pub - Maynard, Massachusetts, 8/10/2000
Tonight Peter Bochner, the co-owner of the Sit 'N Bull and mastermind behind
Dave's appearances there, introduced the show by acknowledging the fans who
had traveled exceptional distances to see Dave during this tour. Fans from Germany,
Hungary, Switzerland, England, Michigan, Florida, California, and other places
were acknowledged. It was a nice tribute to the effect that Dave Davies' music
has had on us fans and how much a part of our lives being a fan of his has become.
Sal Baglio opened again for Dave and was just as good as the night before.
He played a very funny song called "Teen Idol" in which he spoofed rock and
roll stardom with lines like: "Did you have to change your name -- did it
end with a vowel?" Is this a Baglio original or did he pull it out of his
vast mental storehouse of rock and roll hits and obscurities?
Dave pulled an immediate surprise to start the show -- the band was clearly
expecting to open with "Till the End of the Day," but instead Dave tore into
the opening notes of "Rats." Jim Laspesa looked truly surprised behind his
drum kit, and Kristian hurriedly turned pages in his music book to find the
song. That's a great song -- what a riff!
This was a better show than the night before, up to the extremely high standards
that we hold Dave to when he plays at the S'nB. He tucked "Susannah's Still
Alive" back into the set, after having dropped it since the first show, with
guitar tech and part-time guitarist Jonathan Lea playing the harmonica. (It
was inaudible, but that's to be expected -- I always used to make David Nolte
laugh by cupping my ear in his direction during the alleged harmonica parts.)
Yet
another dedication: Kinks-fan-since-the-beginning, the intrepid Jill Brand,
had prepared a truly perfect five-course Indian meal for Dave. Well, they
*do* say the way to a man's heart is through his stomach, and Dave dedicated
"Please Help Me I'm Falling in Love With You" (the same country tune he played
at Mohegan Sun) to Jill, making eyes with her the entire time. (Jill: who's
Ray again?) It was a truly great show. We got a joyful "This Man He Weeps
Tonight," we got an improved, more confident "True Phenomenon," we got about
a minute of "Phenomenal Cat" preceding "Fortis Green," we got "Some Enchanted
Evening." Yes, you heard that right; Dave played the old lounge standard while
flirting outrageously with numerous women in the audience. To tell the truth,
I didn't notice if he sang it *well*; I was too busy rolling in the aisles
holding my sides laughing.
Upon the instigation of a certain RDF who will be nameless (but she has
followed Dave for a very long time and lives in NY), the regulars decided
to modify our meowing routine during "Fortis Green." Normally everyone meows
at the line "put the cat out" and Dave reacts in various ways ranging from
managing (just barely) to ignore it, to completely breaking up and having
to repeat the line two or three times.
Tonight we gave him the silent treatment. Instead of meowing everyone up
front held up signs and paper plates saying MEOW. Dave cracked up, more so
than usual, and addressed us as "you bastards" as he continued the song.
But
an even better prank was yet to come. After "Fortis Green," Dave played "All
Day and All of the Night," and then as he started "I'm Not Like Everybody
Else," Jim Laspesa pulled a platinum blonde wig out of a concealed place by
his drums and played the song wearing it. He was stunning, darling! Jim the
drummer truly is NOT like everybody else and this night he proved it!
All in all this was probably the most fun show of the tour, or maybe it
was tied with the final Sit 'N Bull show that was to come two days later.
- Joanne Corsano
