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Favorite Artist Fun

Edgy MD Sep 07 2012 09:51 AM

My boss's wife also works here, and in fact has worked here longer than him. His favorite artist is Steve Earle, and when you're a Steve Earle-head, you're a head. So we can bond over that some. His wife, though, is the first person I ever met who lives for that one weekend a year that Boz Scaggs is coming to town. He's her favorite act and there's no two ways about it. There's nothng wrong with that, of course, it's just, you know, I think of folks who might like Boz Scaggs a lot and would imagine that even they would list him after Steve Miller among their favorite acts --- maybe below Todd Rundgren and Fleetwood Mac too. 10cc even. Sort of like nobody lists Jerry Vale as a favorite act. If that's what you're into, you'd typically go for Bennett first. I have to say, though, there's no more fun than taking a chance and seeing what you regard as a second-tier act and being seated next to the ultimate head. Like going to see Andrew Gold (before he died, of course) and expecting to see a handful of slumming Billy Joel fans, but instead sitting next a guy with an encyclopedic knowledge of Andrew Gold b-sides and setlists, a regular contributor to GoldIsGod.com, carrrying on with a tirade of [list]"'Lonely Boy' is really kind of bullshit. It's so a-typical of Andrew's best work. And he'd be the first to tell you. The mid-period stuff from All This and Heaven Too to Whirlwind --- that's TRUE ANDREW. Gold's Gold is what we call it. Billy Joel stole it all from Andrew. ALL of it."[/list:u] And then the show begins and he goes into estatic reverie with each song, scribbling down the setlist variations in his tattered "Goldbook," lighting up anew with each selection (including "Lonely Boy"), only occasionally remembering you were ever there, except for one or two sidelong glances that say to you, "Do you see? Did I tell you what kind of evening this was going to be?" Anyhow, so, yeah, Boz Scaggs. What surprising favorite acts have you encountered?

Swan Swan H Sep 07 2012 11:16 AM Re: Favorite Artist Fun

On our trip to Italy in March I swapped iPods with a fellow from Australia while on a long bus ride. He had over 300 Chris Rea tracks on his, including at least five or six full concert bootlegs. I pretty sure that now that R.E.M. is disbanded my three favorite groups are ones that few, if any of you have ever heard of (We're About 9, Barnaby Bright and Pesky J. Nixon).

Edgy MD Sep 07 2012 11:40 AM Re: Favorite Artist Fun

Hey, I know We're About 9. (Probably from around here.) But beyond obscure favorites like that, which we should all have, I'm more fascinated by the favorites who are folks everyone knows about, but nobody thinks about. Chris Rea certainly applies. When I was in Ireland there was a minor crisis, as beloved model citizen Chris Rea got outed as a cad in the newspapers, reportedly boinking the babysitter. This was extra embarrassing to me as the family I was staying with had their home wrecked by a babysitter-boinking dad.

Swan Swan H Sep 07 2012 11:51 AM Re: Favorite Artist Fun

Edgy DC wrote: Hey, I know We're About 9. (Probably from around here.) But beyond obscure favorites like that, which we should all have, I'm more fascinated by the favorites who are folks everyone knows about, but nobody thinks about. Chris Rea certainly applies. When I was in Ireland there was a minor crisis, as beloved model citizen Chris Rea got outed as a cad in the newspapers, reportedly boinking the babysitter. This was extra embarrassing to me as the family I was staying with had their home wrecked by a babysitter-boinking dad. They are from the Baltimore area, so relatively local.

seawolf17 Sep 07 2012 12:44 PM Re: Favorite Artist Fun

Pretty sure everyone already knows my two contributions to this thread. [youtube:31t1lst8]xQsOaZ8vfnc[/youtube:31t1lst8] [youtube:31t1lst8]94b3gMZGorc[/youtube:31t1lst8]

Vic Sage Sep 07 2012 01:51 PM Re: Favorite Artist Fun

when i was a teenager, my big brother was in love with The Wild Tchoupitoulas and their one album (of the same name) of Mardi Gras Indian music. Later, i became a fan of the Neville Brothers, and was surprised to learn they'd gotten their start on that album.

batmagadanleadoff Sep 08 2012 10:31 AM Re: Favorite Artist Fun

[youtube:1ve4zm1t]Vt_kFK_W900[/youtube:1ve4zm1t]

Edgy MD Sep 08 2012 03:35 PM Re: Favorite Artist Fun

Favorite Acts That Would Raise My Eyebrow: Player Glass Tiger Aldo Nova Young MC Katrina and the Waves Dogstar Samantha Sang The Outfield Billy J. Kramer and the Dakotas Colour Me Badd Bush

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Sep 08 2012 03:56 PM Re: Favorite Artist Fun Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Sep 08 2012 04:16 PM

I worked with a guy once-- in a record store, no less!-- who lovedlovedLOVED Incubus; he'd been to four shows on three tours. When I asked him why them and not, say, System of a Down or Disturbed or any of their Ozzfest ilk, his response was, "Because they mean something." He couldn't-- or wouldn't-- elaborate. (But then, he WAS a bassist.) Which, y'know, says it, I guess. To me, that something is "high school poetry married to nu-metal and a frontman with glass-cutting cheekbones," but to him... it's something.

Edgy MD Sep 08 2012 04:13 PM Re: Favorite Artist Fun

That's the stuff.

Mets – Willets Point Sep 08 2012 04:42 PM Re: Favorite Artist Fun

I can't remember when or where I met this person, or her name, but I do recall talking to a woman who said her favorite band is Better than Ezra.

Frayed Knot Sep 08 2012 05:09 PM Re: Favorite Artist Fun

Lunchbucket's comment* on first hearing them was to opine that Ezra must really suck * or maybe he stole the line from someone else

John Cougar Lunchbucket Sep 08 2012 07:18 PM Re: Favorite Artist Fun

I'm not sure if that was me (cuz I kinda liked Ezra!) but it sounds like a joke I'd make. uh-oh, they were good!

Edgy MD Sep 08 2012 07:49 PM Re: Favorite Artist Fun

Yeah, I kind of thought they were OK, too. Never met a BtE true believer, though. Good one.

TheOldMole Sep 09 2012 05:44 PM Re: Favorite Artist Fun

I have a friend whose husband is nuts about Herman's Hermits. I'm not making this up. He knows all the guitar solos from all their records, and a couple of years ago went to hear them in Vegas and did an impromptu audition for Peter Noone. Sad to say, Peter was not impressed. Can that mean he meets a lot of guys like this?