Port Rock City: Roy Orbison and Buddy Holly

I just got back from the Empire Dine and Dance and my head is spinnng. No, not because I had too many drinks, but rather because my friends blew my mind. I started out the evening with a chicken parm sandwich with Holly at Sianno's on Stevens Ave then went directly to play a game of soccer with team Local 188 (lost 4 to 5, good battle) then came home, showered and reported directly to The Empire for what would become 1 of the 3 times I have been moved emotionally by musicians I know.

King Memphis took the stage tonight performing as Buddy Holly. Buddy Holly is a favorite of mine, not only because Paul and John told me to love him, but because among many other reasons "That'll Be The Day" is an incredible song. They knew these songs in and out and played them with such ferocity and grace. It's quite a thing to watch musicians you love and respect play the music of an artist they truly adore.

Here's the deal with King Memphis. All 4 fellas are incredibly talented musicians (Kris Day, WTF?!?) Matthew Robbins among these greats stands out. Not only can Matt play the shit out of his guitar, but he can also build and fix vintage motorcycles, is an incredibly talented photographer, can decorate the shit out of his home and has a hot wife. You can read all about it in my book: Matt Robbins: If I Were Only So Lucky (aka: Life The Matt Robbins Way.)

I mean really Matt, lower the bar for Christ's sake.

Also performing tonight was the most of Dominic and the Lucid as well as two members of Phantom Buffalo performing the music of Roy Orbison.

Here's the drill. I think there was something special in the air tonight, because having put Dominic and Co. up against seasoned veterans like King Memphis really made them up their game. Their newness to this material, I feel, really made them step outside the box and perform the shit out of these songs. They bounced around, trading vocals between Johnny and Dom on all the classic Roy jams you'd hope to hear, as well as a couple you may have never heard before. That was, of course until their last song. The fellas got back up on stage and ABSOLUTELY DESTROYED a verson of the Tom Petty/Jeff Lynne penned "You Got It."

There have been exactly 3 times my friends have played songs by another artist that have absolutely ruined me. One time was when Zach Jones (yes, THE Zach Jones) and friends performed a number of ELO songs up against Kyle Gervais and pals' Supertramp (Tears? Of course!) The other time was when The Everyday Visuals from Boston, MA unexpectedly pulled out a letter perfect and beautifully performed version of The Beach Boy's "God Only Knows." I was simply wrecked and needed to go out back and cry it out near the dumpster.

When these men, all of which my friends, burst into this song, I was instantly transported to another place. My head filled with thoughts of how cool it was that a man who was primarily active in the late 50's and 60's suddenly found himself with a #1 hit in the late 80's and furthermore how incredibly cool it was for a pickup band to play this song and bring the entire house down to the foundation. Remarkable job fellas, really inspiring.

Otherwise, Holly and I are incredibly excited for the new Star Trek movie and I've recently learned that feeding my dog bananas could cut down on how much of his own shit he consumes.