#Whaddup for June 29, 2022

 I had every intention of writing up some stuff, but my head hurts (weird weather + sinus infection). Instead, I'll just invite you to join me for Saturday Night Karaoke, live from the Iron Horse Tavern this week.

Yes Virginia, there will be Saturday Night Karaoke this week.

(I still can't create events on Facebook, so...)

Get ready for Saturday Night Karaoke this weekend at the Iron Horse Tavern in historic downtown Norcross.

Join the madness (and the inevitable chaos) and thrill us with your vocal chops- or just find a spot to take in the fun.

With our ever-expanding songbook of 20,000+ selections, there's bound to be something you like. We've got the classics, current hits, and the standards you love to sing. They're all here!

While you're there, sample the fine selection of spirits, draft beers, a menu full of tasty treats from the Iron Horse- and the hottest karaoke action in Historic Downtown Norcross.

*** Please note: To insure your health and safety, as well as that of our hosts, our songbook is now 100% digital. There will be NO songbooks or slips available, and hosts will NOT take verbal requests.

You must log in to our online portal and fill out a digital slip. It's still free to sing, and you don't need to sign up for an account unless you want to.

Also, microphones will be sanitized with medical grade alcohol between each singer, and disposable microphone covers will be used for each performer.

#Whaddup for June 19, 2022

Even on days off, I still wake up around (or, more often, before) the alarm would normally sound. I don't think I've slept more than about 30 minutes late (other than when ill or on medication) in something like 20 years. So, yep, as of 10:00 am this sunny Sunday morning, I've been awake for better than 8 hours now. In fact, were it a weekday, I'd be just a couple of hours from heading home for the day.

My plan for the day was to head over to the theater and catch a movie. Not just any movie, but one of the best creature features ever made: John Carpenter's 1982 version of The Thing. Here's "the thing" about that, though- checking online, and there not all that many unsold seats (looks like the theater is at 70% or so) and I'm just so not cool with that- plague or no. Maybe I'll still be alive in 10 years for the 50th anniversary screening.

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Saturday Night Karaoke will return to the Iron Horse Tavern this weekend. Join me for the fun from 9:30 until 12:30. 

As usual, we'd like to remind you that sign-ups are all digital, as is our songbook. The sign-up portal is active on show nights from 30 minutes prior to the start time.

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I've been working on the songbook, attempting to correct errors and repeats that I come across. If you notice any, please drop me a line and let me know.

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Wait, what? I mean, I get rerecording the originals with the actors in the roles of the original performers providing the vocals, but... why use new (modern) songs in Baz Lurhman's Elvis Presley movie? Eminem and CeeLo? Really?

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YouTube rhythm sensation Nandi Bushell will join Foo Fighters when they take the stage at Wembley Stadium in September to honor Taylor Hawkins. She previously played with the band at a gig in LA last year, joining them onstage at The Forum for a performance of Everlong while Hawkins sat back and watched.

Performers announced for the London show include Brian May and Roger Taylor of Queen, Rush's Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson, Josh Homme of Queens of the Stone Age, Mark Ronson, Stewart Copeland of The Police, Wolfgang Van Halen, Jane's Addiction's Chris Chaney, the incredibly talented Omar Hakim, Chrissie Hynde of Pretenders, Liam Gallagher, Supergrass, and Hawkins' cover band, Chevy Metal.

When the show hits Los Angeles, performers will include Miley Cyrus, Joan Jett, Alanis Morissette, Kiss’ Gene Simmons, Motley Crue’s Nikki Sixx, the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Chad Smith, Struts singer Luke Spiller, Queens of the Stone Age drummer Jon Theodore, Weezer drummer Pat Wilson and Rage Against the Machine drummer Brad Wilk.

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Tennessee Secretary of State Tre Hargett was arrested in Tullahoma Friday night and charged with DUI after leaving that evening's Bonnaroo performances.

While not exactly denying the charge, he didn't exactly admit guilt, either, saying he regretted "the circumstances regarding (his) arrest" in a statement released yesterday. He added that he would "trust the legal process" as the case moved forward.

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Didn't Motley Crue do a farewell tour a few years ago? Anyway, I know some folks who went to the show here in Atlanta last week- which kicked off their tour. It was in the upper 90s when the concert started. And that is the big reason why I've not seen Earth, Wind, and Fire or Chicago, Steely Dan, or Boz Scaggs in concert: the concerts they've performed since I've been here in Atlanta have all been outdoors during Chastain's summer concert series. I'm too old and too fat to sweat that shit out.

I did, however, make exceptions for Blondie and Pat Benetar, Duran Duran, Sheryl Crow, and the Eagles. To (poorly) paraphrase Patrick Henry: Give me air conditioning, or give me death.

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Kate Bush’s Running Up That Hill is in the top spot of the singles' charts in the UK, Australia, New Zealand, and Switzerland this week (and #4 on the Billboard singles' chart- Bush's best US showing), thanks to its use in the latest season of Stranger Things.

In a statement about the songs' use in the show, Bush said she saluted series' creators "the Duffer Brothers for their courage – taking this new series into a much more adult and darker place. I want to thank them so much for bringing the song into so many people’s lives." 

She added she was "overwhelmed by the scale of affection and support the song is receiving, and it’s all happening really fast, as if it’s being driven along by a kind of elemental force. I have to admit I feel really moved by it all. Thank you so very much for making the song a number one in such an unexpected way."

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Birthdays today include: Ann Wilson of Heart (72); Marty DeBarge of DeBarge (63); Paula Abdul (60); Brian Vander Ark of The Verve Pipe (58); Head (Brian Welch) of Korn (52); Anita Wilson (46); and Macklemore (39). #MusicalBirthdays 

Early Sunday Morning (which actually turned into Sunday afternoon)

Well, not so early for me...

Anyway, let me kick it off by saying "thanks" to everybody who joined us last night for Saturday Night Karaoke at the Iron Horse- and an extra round of huzzahs to everyone who was patient through the long wait between turns to sing. I know it can be a pill, but- as I've said many times before- my goal is to make sure everybody gets an equal chance (well, almost everybody- at least at the beginning of the night). And, having so many folks wanting to play along is a good "problem" to have- it means that the venue is making money, and that means it's worth their while (be realistic, okay- they have to make money) to keep bringing us back (because we all know it's not my sunny disposition that keeps me around!).

Reminder, though- no karaoke next week (the 11th) because of the city's "Jazz in the Alley" concert, nor the following week (the 18th) because of the "Blueberry Festival". We'll be back on June 25th.

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So, last year(?) there was a fellow who came in and got mad that he couldn't just tell me what he wanted to sing- that I actually had the nerve to ask him to do what everyone else was doing and use the online portal to sign up. (Whereas some people think this is because I'm an asshole- a designation I'm not disputing- most of you realize that it's simpler and it minimizes contact, which means that there's less chance you catch anything I might have, or that I catch anything that you might have- 'cuz, you know, the goddamned plague and all.) It was this guy's considered(?) opinion that the online portal was too confusing/difficult to use (I mean, is it? That's a honest question), and that I was (and I quote) "deplorable" for not making an exception. I'm pretty sure I relayed this story before, because I found it funny, because "deplorable" was one no one had used on me before, and I'm weird like that.

Anyway, I had to laugh last night when the guy came back in and- had not only (evidently) realized the futility of arguing with me- used the portal (mostly) successfully and ended up hanging out all night. I think he had a good time, anyway. He certainly seemed to be having fun making out with one of his dance partners.

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I posted this to my personal FB page, but I thought it bears repeating here: Should you ever see me post something that's so goddamned stupid and ill-informed that you feel you need to "verbally" go upside my head, PLEASE DO. It *literally* makes me queasy (and is more than a little infuriating) when I see otherwise intelligent people post/sharing shit that's just flat out divorced from reality- or just plain, goddamned ignorant.

I fully believe that ignorance- particularly willful ignorance-

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I mean, it's really pretty- but I'm sure (just like the original) it'll be crazy overpriced.

The DeLorean Alpha 5 concept car.

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Speaking of the plague (see above), the Doobie Brothers have been forced to cancel shows this week- including Tuesday night's gig at the amphitheater in Alpharetta- after "(several) members of (their) touring party came down with COVID." The shows have all been rescheduled.

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Anyone else think Diana Ross and Andrea Bocelli were sort of "odd" choices for the Queen's "Jubilee Concert"?

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The Instagram account for Sequential says that company founder Dave Smith has died. Smith was a major player in the development of synthesizer technology in the 70s and 80s, and was co-inventor of MIDI, and inventor of the Prophet-5- used in creating such milestone recordings as Thriller and Like a Virgin.

Smith was 72.

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The Sex Pistols' God Save the Queen was the top selling single in the United Kingdom yesterday (June 4th) after being rereleased on Friday- 45 years after its original release.

In an interview with TalkTV last month, John Lydon said the song was "anti-royalist, but it’s not anti-human... Everyone presumes that I’m against the royal family as human beings, I’m no. I’m actually really, really proud of the Queen for surviving and doing so well. I applaud her for that, and that’s a fantastic achievement. I’m not a curmudgeon about that."

HRM Queen Elizabeth II and (part of) the British Royal Family.

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Birthdays today include: Laurie Anderson (75); Freddie Stone of Sly and the Family Stone (75); Nico McBrain of Iron Maiden (70); Richard Butler of Psychedelic Furs (66); Kenny G (66); Brian McKnight (53); Claus Noreen of Aqua (52); Pete Wentz of Fall Out Boy (43); P-Nut Wills of 311 (48); Sébastien Lefebvre of Simple Plan (41). #MusicalBirthdays

Coming up this weekend...

I'm here to remind you that we'll have Saturday Night Karaoke this weekend at the Iron Horse Tavern in historic downtown Norcross from 9:30-12:30.

Join the madness (and the inevitable chaos) and thrill us with your vocal chops- or just find a spot to take in the fun. With our ever-expanding songbook of 20,000+ selections, there's bound to be something you like. We've got the classics, current hits, and the standards you love to sing. They're all here!

While you're there, sample the fine selection of spirits, draft beers, a menu full of tasty treats from the Iron Horse- and the hottest karaoke action in Historic Downtown Norcross.

*** Please note: To insure your health and safety, as well as that of our hosts, our songbook is now 100% digital. There will be NO songbooks or slips available, and hosts will NOT take verbal requests. You MUST use our online portal and fill out a digital slip. It's still free to sing, and you don't need to sign up for an account unless you want to. Also, microphones will be sanitized with medical grade alcohol between each singer, and disposable microphone covers are used for each performer.