Tim Lydon Of The Hootenanners

Since joining in 2003, Tim has been a part of the evolving Live Band Karaoke collective.  Conceived just a year before by founder Scott Shell, this combo was a reaction to a vist by Shell to the seminal Punk Rock Live Band Karaoke at Arlene’s Grocery on the Lower East Side of New York (a summary of which is brilliantly captured in Brian Raftery’s karaoke tome Don’t Stop Believing:  How Karaoke Conquered The World And Changed My Life).  Shell’s simple thought was taking the punk aesthetic of that scene and translating it to all sorts of music.  Soon, weekly residencies were established here in Chicago and it only gained momentum from there.

Lydon looks fondly at the weekly gigs in the city, which have helped shaped the band in more ways than one.  “Performing at our residencies helps establish a great rapport with the clubs, the patrons, and we get to hone in on what works for everyone,” he says. “Plus, we get to try out new songs we’re adding for warmups and soundchecks, depending on the gig. Two of our residencies have been going for 5+ years now and we’ve met people from all walks of life that, in some instances, became close friends of ours.”

Building on this foundation has taken the band to some interesting places. “No crowd is ever the same,” Lydon explains.  “We’ve done everything from crackhouses to arenas.  The bar crowds are always fun, but when we do colleges and it’s packed to the back of the room; those are our favorites because we were those same kids losing our minds at shows too. It reminds you that you’re forever eighteen!”

One recent college gig stands out.  While The Hootenanners played on the road at Amherst College in Massachussets, a group of students requested to perform  “Shoop” by Salt-n-Pepa.  In true “anything can happen” karaoke fashion, these kids had practiced moves from the video, had coordinated outfits and absolutely nailed the vocals (not any easy song to sing).

Okay, so not every performer comes to play like that, but Lydon suggests “there haven’t been too many train wrecks to be honest”.  Unique interpretations of the material is all part of the experience, though not every request can be replicated by the band.  “We are all really particular about sounds and representing the recorded songs as close as possible. Although, we have done songs like ‘The Lion Sleeps Tonight’ as a special request and all signs point to a disaster, but it came off quite well actually.”  Ditto for requests for songs from bands like Chicago and Earth Wind & Fire.  “We simply aren’t equipped with a full horn section…unfortunately!”

Despite that, the band updates its song lists regularly.  They have have a message board on their website where audiences can post song requests, or they can be delivered in person at shows.  They also encourage community participation through their facebook page.

I asked Tim if the tables were turned, and he was able to perform drumming karaoke with any live band, who might he choose to sit in with.  “For me, personally, it would have to Van Halen or Rush,” he quips.  “Drumming karaoke to ‘Hot For Teacher’ or ‘Tom Sawyer’ would be five hysterical minutes of beautiful rhythmic chaos.”  He loves the rock anthems (he considers Springsteen, Van Halen, Oasis and Iron Maiden his “go to” bands), and through his drumming and backing vocals with The Hootenanners, he is giving everybody the opportunity to connect to the music they love in a satisfying and highly participatory manner.

When asked for advise for those who might feel intimidated by getting on stage with a live band, Lydon doesn’t hestitate.  “Our motto is… once you go live, you never go back!”  Now THAT is some advice to take to heart.

I think it sums up our town quite nicely — a cozy village with cosmopolitan flair.   Glad The Barn can be a part of it.

The Barn is proud to announce that The Hootenanners will be performing the role of musical jukebox for Live Band Karaoke on Saturday, March 13 at The Mambo Room.  With that announcement, we are pleased to a present a complete songlist that will be available — the backing track to your vocal adventure.  This list is long and varied, so we’re also presenting a little user’s guide that’ll help make sense of it all.

The Classics – The local radio stations have worn deep grooves into these tunes.  You know you’ve got the words memorized so you can’t go wrong.  The Hootenanners feature songs from all your Classic Rock heroes, including The Beatles (9 tunes), Rolling Stones (7 songs),  Credence Clearwater Revival,  Led Zeppelin, The Who, U2 (4 songs apiece), Tom Petty, The Doors, The Kinks (3 tunes a piece), The Boss , The Police, Bob Seger (2 tunes a piece) and more

A Little Metal – It’s been a long work week.  Are you ready to blow off some steam and shout Ozzy Osburne’s “Crazy Train” at your friends?  LBK is ready to provide an outlet for your aggression, with tunes from the pop side of the spectrum (KISS – “Rock and Roll All Night”, Motley Crue – “Home Sweet Home”) to some heavier duty material from Iron Maiden (“Run To The Hills”) and Metallica (“Whiplash”)

Group Sing-a-longs – Nervous about your vocal performance?  Looking for some support from the audience?  You know the crowd will be happy to sing-a-long with Garth Brooks’ “Friends In Low Places”, Neil Diamond’s “Sweet Caroline”, Van Morrison’s “Brown Eyed Girl”, or Kenny Rogers’ “The Gambler”

I Love The 80’s - If you still can’t get out of this decade, LBK is happy to oblige.  The repertoire includes  Nena’s “99 Red Balloons”, Rick Springfield’s “Jessie’s Girl”, The Human League’s “Don’t You Want Me” among other 80’s blockbusters.  Warning:  you may sing Night Ranger’s “Sister Christian”, but please try not to replicate the coked out tweaking from the film Boogie Nights.

Less than 20 Words – Who needs a bunch of lyrics to feel like a real performer?  Just select James Brown’s “I Feel Good” or The Troggs’ “Wild Thing” to get a feel for the stage without actually singing much.

Hip Hop – Want to try out your MC skills for your suburban friends?  Coolio’s “Gangsta’s Paradise”, Outkast’s “Hey Ya”, Sir Mix-a-lot’s “Baby Got Back” (please oh please somebody pick this tune!), or my personal favorite Young MC’s  “Bust A Move” (tip of the hat to Oscar nominated film “Up In The Air”)

WTF -  We love these tunes, but they are just not screaming karaoke to us.  Nonetheless, they’re on the songlist and you’re welcome to try your hand at any of them.  Flaming Lips – “She Don’t Use Jelly”, Fugazi – “Waiting Room”, Misfits – “Last Carress”, X Ray Spex – “Oh Bondage, Up Yours”,  Smiths – “Bigmouth Strikes Again”

If You Can Pull It Off… - It takes some pretty big stones to duplicate what the original artists have done with these songs.  Hats off to you if you can make them your own:  Janis Joplin “Piece of My Heart”, Queen – “Bohemian Rhapsody”, REM – “It’s The End Of The World As We Know It”, Rush – “Tom Sawyer”, Jackson 5 – “I Want You Back”

Karaoke Staples -Last but not least, those same songs that bring down the house at “regular” karaoke are available here:  Journey – “Don’t Stop Believing”, Lynryd Skynyrd -  “Sweet Home Alabama”, Ben E. King – “Stand By Me”,  Frank Sinatra – “My Way”

Have fun selecting.  Let us know what you’re going to choose!

Complete Song List

It got the juices flowing… just how seamy is the underbelly of the karaoke world?  It’s well known that folks get wild at karaoke — I’m certainly hoping our audience cuts loose and loses some inhibitions at Live Band Karaoke at The Mambo Room on March 13 — but tales of murder, violence, sex, corruption and drugs take it to a whole new level

So, The Barn is proud to present our favorite wild Karaoke stories from around the globe.

Are You Ready For Porn Star Karaoke? Okay, maybe not as risque as I imagined when I first saw the headline, but it is interesting to know that karaoke is the backdrop for some of the most influential power brokering in the porno industry.  Just remember the next time you sit down for a viewing of “Video Voyeur” or “Nurse Sadie” that its production was likely worked out to the tune of one of its stars warbling karaoke at Sardo’s.

Do you recognize these Porn Stars?

Karaoke Rage – When Innocent Singing Turns Violent This piece catalogs the sometimes unanticipated reaction when red-hot musical passion and self identification meets exhibitionism and potable social lubricants.  The author posits that the things that make karaoke fun (wacky personalities, bombing, the social experience, our deep connection to the music, getting blotto) also make it unpredictable — I guess there is a sense of drama and danger knowing that your performance could end in a bar-clearing brawl.  In any case, I feel like I’m a better person for having read a sentence that contains the phrase “watch a drunken Polish man deflower Starship’s ‘We Built This City’”

Karaoke Nuisance Jailed For Drunken Cream Bun Attacks On Police Officers Karaoke loving.  Check.  Anti-authoritarian.  Check.  Style points.  Check.  The perpetrator lists his interests on his website as “drinking and singing but mostly drinking.”

The Fuzz Snuff Karaoke Drugs I guess one way to quell violence associated with karaoke and alcohol is to swap the booze for ecstasy.  Not sure what the club owner was planning with the 13 jars of ketamine, but he is awarded bonus points for somehow including counterfeit cigarettes in the booty.  Something to think about while serving his 25 years.

Boston Needed A Lead Singer, Found One Online – Plucked From Obscurity, Man Joins Favorite Band After Karaoke Wows Founder More inspiring than wild, I can’t believe this one slipped by me when it happened two years ago.  This story happens to be a karaoke twist on the tribute band lead singer who replaced outed Judas Priest frontman Rob Halford, famously fictionalized in the Mark Wahlberg so-bad-its-good classic “Rock Star”.

A tailor made Good Morning America tale of triumph, Tommy DeCarlo sold his keyboard in 2006 (to pay for Christmas presents for his kids!) and therefore used karaoke to share his singing with the world via MySpace. By chance, this performance was viewed by the band, and Boston’s leader Tom Scholz snatched Tommy away from his day job as a credit manager from Home Depot when the band tragically lost its lead singer Brad Delp.  The first time DeCarlo ever sang with a band on stage IN HIS LIFE was with Boston at a tribute concert honoring Delp; he joined the band on tour the following year.

Here’s hoping you all can get some practice at The Barn’s Live Band Karaoke event before you get the big call.  Tickets are on sale now!

Ark Band Plays To A Packed House

The sound was absolutely dialed in from the beginning.  Three songs into the show, we got our first taste of Marley on his birthday, as the Ark Band cranked out a riff-filled and rollicking version of I Shot the Sheriff that clocked in at almost 9 minutes and got the crowd totally locked in with the performers.

The band used that focus and energy to segue into their sonic secret weapon, the exotic and uptempo rhythmic assault of soca music.  The dance floor was packed and moving en masse as some fans seized this opportunity to throw down and boogie.  Who knew that the people of La Grange could move like this?

By the set’s end, the band introduced their friend Evan from Jamaica as a guest drummer and Terry Bobb took center stage for some shared lead vocals on a set closing take on Stir It Up (with a little reprise of that infectious I Shot The Sheriff lick to send the crowd into the set break).

Terry Bobb Steps Away From The Drum Kit For Some Lead Vocals

A short time later, the band returned to deliver a set which had most folks believing that the Ark was the Energizer Bunny of reggae bands, cranking out nearly two hours of music for their second act.

Set two continued the Caribbean party, but also hearkened back to some of The Ark Band’s rock and pop influences, interspersing some choice covers into the mix with some reggaed-up versions of Men At Work’s Land Down Under, Eddie Grant’s Electric Avenue, Steve Miller Band’s The Joker, and a clever take on Marc Cohn’s Walking In Memphis, recast as Walking In Kingston.

Inevitably, we also got treated to a little reggae style Happy Birthday.  Of course, for Bob Marley, but also for Friend of the Barn Mike Neagle, who was in attendance celebrating his special day with family and friends (though we hear he was in the can for his on stage tribute).

Maybe so Bob didn’t feel overlooked, the band cooked through even more Marley tunes in set two, featuring Three Little Birds, Jamming, No Woman, No Cry and ending the show, as as the rest of the band broke their gear down, with a moving, soulful rendition of Redemption Song with just guitar, keys and vocals.

Exhausted from a long and fun-filled night of music, the remaining crowd engaged with the band, slapping high fives, exchanging hugs and taking advantage of photo ops.  You’ve got to hand to these guys, they are super photogenic and love to play it up with smiles for the camera.

I’d say we did the spirit of Bob Marley proud and in doing so brought a lot of joy to the crowd.  Amid shouts of “Rastafari!” and lessons about the holy herb, we were able, in our little way, to continue to his legacy,  remember his message of unity, and celebrate the incredible music he gave to us in his short time here.

The Ark Band - Live

In a career that has spanned decades (the band formed in 1987), these guys have seriously been everywhere, from their homeland on the Caribbean island of St. Lucia, to their adopted home of Columbus, OH and all points in between, The Ark Band has brought its infectious combination of roots reggae, calypso and soca (“soul calypso”) music to stages across the US, Canada and the Caribbean.  Terry Bobb, drummer, vocalist, and co-founder of the band, recently provided some insight into the band, its longevity and what inspires them to continue making the music they love.

Breaking it down into its base elements, Terry describes the band’s philosophy as “designed to enlighten, educate and entertain all types of people.”  Their music is inspired by at least one major influence — Bob Marley (which conveniently falls right in line with Saturday’s celebration) — but also music of their formative early years.  The soca style, in particular, gets audiences on the dance floor, with its unique combination of Caribbean and Indian (yes, you read that right) rhythms.  In addition, Terry reminds me that “they grew up listening to rock and roll”,  so the music reflects that approach in many ways as well.

“I am an optimist, and I believe that a smile is a very valuable asset.” – Terry Bobb

Although Columbus may seem like an odd base of operations for a reggae band, Terry and his brother Eustace (bass, vocals) relocated there from New York to help another brother who was already established in a band.  I guess it stuck, since The Ark Band is still gigging regularly across the Midwest in 2010.  Regarding the longevity of the band, Terry provides some trademark humor and shrugs.  “We wouldn’t know what else to do at our age,” he explains.  “The three older guys in the band range from 45 to 61.  Go figure.”

Over the course of its career, the band has been honored to share the stage with some of the top names in the reggae world, including Alpha Blondy and Burning Spear.  They have even appeared with The Beach Boys, so they are no stranger to the big show.  Terry points out that the name of the band is inspired by “Noah’s Ark, transporting the music to the people”.  There is no doubt that the people of Chicago will have the music transported to them this Saturday — both the band and The Barn look forward to an amazing show.

I did some googling around looking for ideas and I kept coming across reference to a bootleg, recorded in Chicago on June 10th, 1975, and fairly widely circulated as “Jah Joys and Rainbows”, “Live In Chicago” and “Downtown Trenchtown”.

A Cover For the Live In Chicago Bootleg

Apparently, this gig was recorded as an XRT Sunday Night Concert  at The Quiet Knight Cub.  There are some samples of the tracks included below.  Its still not clear what Marley had with the city, but he certainly put on a hell of a show here!  A friendly bootleg-liberator uploaded the the entire show here; it is much higher quality than the samples provided here and is definitely worth a listen.

Natty Dread:  Download audio file (Bob-Marley-Natty-Dread.mp3)

Trenchtown Rock:  Download audio file (Bob-Marley-Trenchtown-Rock.mp3)

The lineup on this night featured:

Bob Marley - Lead Vocal
Al Anderson - Lead Guitar
Aston "Family Man" Barrett - Bass
Carlton Barrett - Drums
Tyrone Downie - Keyboards
Alvin "Seeco" Patterson - Percussion
Lee Jaffe -  harmonica
The "I Threes":
Judy Mowatt - Backup Vocals
Marcia Griffiths - Backup Vocals
Rita Marley - Backup Vocals

I had never heard of The Quiet Knight before, but a little more research and I found that this was a 60’s and 70’s era folk and jazz club owned by Richard Harding that originated on North Wells and moved briefly to West Belmont toward the end of its run.  Many superstars got their start here including Bruce Springsteen (as opening act for the Persuasions).  Blues legend Muddy Waters even had a weekly gig at the club.

It is only fitting that the biggest reggae legend in the world also took the stage here.  We are lucky to have the recording to enjoy 25 years later.  Enjoy the tunes and hope to see you on Saturday!

No matter what your pre-show plans are, don’t miss this next event!  By all accounts, La Grange will be the place to be on Saturday night.

“My music will go on forever. Maybe it’s a fool say that, but when me know facts me can say facts. My music will go on forever.” – Bob Marley

1. Everybody knows Marley was a champion for African culture and identity, but did you know that his father was a white British naval captain?   He passed away when Bob was 10, but Norval Marley did support Bob and his mother financially.  Regrettably, he may have also given a gift that was not so welcome (see #10).

2.  The name Bob Marley has become iconic and synonymous with reggae music, but did you know this was not his given name?  Apparently, Norval Marley insisted on the first name of “Nesta”, but the origin of this moniker remains unknown.  His original middle name Robert, was adopted as his first name when a Jamaican immigration official suggested that “Nesta” sounded too much like a girl’s name.

3.  Everybody knows that Marley was a much honored and beloved the world over, but did you know that despite sellout world tours and multi-platinum albums, he never won a Grammy while alive?  Of course, this was rectified with a posthumous lifetime achievement award in 2001.  Even more impressive, Time magazine named Exodus the album of the century.  In life, Marley was bestowed with the UN Peace Medal of The Third World and Jamaica’s third highest honor, the Jamaican Order of Merit.

Marley - A Most Honored Citizen of the World

4.  Everybody knows Bob was a man of integrity and honor, but did you know he performed a free concert for 80,000 attendees in Jamaica days after a politically motivated attempt on his life?  In December 1976, Marley survived an armed assassination in his own home, bearing minor injuries in his chest and arm, and leaving others in the attack (his wife Rita and manager Don Taylor) with serious injuries.  While the rest of The Wailers remained in hiding, Bob took the stage with an apolitical backup band and proclaimed:  “the people who are trying to make this world worse aren’t taking a day off.  How can I?”

5. Everybody understands Bob as a cultural ambassador for Jamaica, but did you know he spent some time in the US before his music career took off?  At the age of 21 he lived with his mother in Delaware for seven months.  The song “Night Shift” was based on his experience working at a Chrysler plant, and he was even employed as a laboratory assistant for DuPont Chemical.  I’m sure his infamous work ethic was much appreciated at these jobs –  in later years, he often led his band through rehearsals in marathon sessions that lasted all night and into the next day.

“America is pure deviltry, dem t’ings dat go on there. Dem just work with force and brutality. Dem lock out the punk thing because they see something happening. So the oppressors bring another man to blind the youth to the truth, and dem call him-John Tra-vol-ta.” – Bob Marley

6.  Everybody knows that Bob was a devoted Rastafarian, but did you know that the roots of the religion are based on devotion to the Old Testament, and its most prominent features are taken from its text?  The distinctive dreadlocked look of Rastas is a reference to Leviticus 21:5: “They shall not make baldness upon their head.”  Their notorious celebration and promotion of ganja is sourced from Psalm 104:14, that says: “He causeth . . . herb [to be grown] for the service of man . . . .”  Rastafarians even keep kosher.

7.  Everybody knows that Bob was no nonsense and tough, but did you know exactly how he backed up his image in action?  Pity his manager Don Taylor, who found out for himself… the hard way.  Never one for the material rewards of success (Marley claimed the only reason he owned a BMW was that the acronym also doubled for Bob Marley and the Wailers), it was a while before it was revealed that Taylor had entered into some unsavory deals and had embezzled a good sum of tour revenues.  Legend has it that, despite taking a bullet for Bob (see #4), Taylor suffered quite a beating as retribution and even “renegotiated” the terms of their arrangement at gunpoint, before actually being fired.

8.  Everybody knows that Marley was an electric performer, but did you know the type of jealousy his dynamic stage show incited in his fellow artists? In July 1973, the band opened a week of gigs for Bruce Springsteen. A legend in his own right, Sly Stone invited the band along with them on a 17 city tour as a follow up later that year.  Unfortunately, four shows into the tour, Sly dismissed them.  The reason:  they were too good and crowds went away talking too much about the opening act.

9  Everybody knows Bob had exceptional talents as a musician, but did you know that music was only a part of his elite talent? Bob was so good at soccer he probably could have played professionally.  Rumor has it that his table tennis skill was world class, as well.

10. Everybody knows Bob was taken from this world way before his time, but did you know the circumstance of his death and burial?  He suffered from a form of skin cancer called “acral lentiginous melanoma”, a form of cancer that is very uncommon within black people — but remember, Marley was of mixed race.  Diagnosed in 1977, he continued to write, record and perform until his death on May 11, 1981.  In one day, 40,000 people filed past his coffin as his body lay in state in Jamaica’s National Arena.  Marley was buried in a crypt with a guitar, a soccer ball, a cannabis bud, and a Bible.

Happy birthday, Bob! Thanks for an incredible life and legacy.  The Barn is proud to be hosting a celebration on Saturday, February 6th featuring The Ark Band; we’ll be toasting to Bob with reggae and positivity.  Hope to see those that love and respect Bob Marley, his music and his message on hand for the celebration.

With thanks to Little Big Fat and Mr. Blotto, the eager crowd was entertained well into the night, with plenty of smiles, hugs and handshakes to bolster the room and raise the energy levels to previously unseen heights (for La Grange, that is). Drinks were flowing, the folks were dancing, and the bands were in top form.

When LBF stepped up to christen the stage at the Mambo Room, the official journey of The Barn had begun.  Opening with the original tune The Man From Bakersfield, LBF tore through a number of tunes that will be featured on their forthcoming debut album and a crowd pleasing, improv-heavy take on The Pretenders’ My City Was Gone.  This set also featured the debut of Royal Chair, a mellow and soulful tune that evokes My Morning Jacket and a hint of R&B. By the time the band had closed their set with the one-two punch of the jammed out Monroe and a wicked cover of Zeppelin’s The Lemon Song, crowd was fully primed and ready for the forthcoming Blotto throwdown.

Following a rousing introduction from WDRV/The Drive’s Carla Leonardo, Blotto went old-school with with the opening strands of Sail Away Virginia which brought many in the crowd back to their days of Blotto shows past.  True to its Grateful Dead inspiration, Blotto cranked out three tunes in The Dead’s repertoire (Hey Pocky Way, Estimated Prophet and Fire on the Mountain), delighting the Heads in the crowd, and even featuring a bit of reggae freestyle during FOTM (perhaps a psychic nod to The Barn’s upcoming Bob Marley birthday celebration?).  Ending the first set with a scintillating Kiss Me In The Morning segued beautifully into an upbeat and fun rendition of Widespread Panic’s Tallboy, we went into the set break eager for what was to come.

The second set featured some sweet performances of Blotto original material, culminating in a frantic, fevered 13 minute take on Movie Star, with Paul and Mark weaving guitar lines in and around each other in the tune’s long instrumental passage.  Most of the late night crowd would agree, the set peaked with an incredible run of Talking Heads’ Psycho Killer sandwiching an improvised, Blottofied take on The Twelve Days of Christmas (“…three pizza pies, two pints of Harp and a Guinness in my tree”).

And so, the crowd went home happy into the cool, misting night. From the perspective of The Barn, this was an incredible concert to host.  It felt great doing this for the community and as a showcase for others to see what our town has to offer.

We know a lot more about what to expect for future Barn events: these are certainly fun, the crowd brings an incredible amount of energy, and they are popular! Regrettably, we had to turn a few unlucky folks away after we had reached our capacity. We apologize for any inconvenience, but I guess we know something else, too… buy your tickets early for future events. We are ready for another go!