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Once again, I’m faced with the reality that upcoming shows need to be promoted, so once again I’m forced to put down my books and crossword puzzles long enough to throw one of these things together. I hope you’ll take the time to read about the upcoming shows before moving on to the other riveting content. That’s about as aggressive as I get with self-promotion. It’s been almost two months since my last show, and I still have a month before I return for my upcoming May shows. I find plenty to occupy my time and mind during these long stretches off, but I always miss all of you and my bandmates. What I love to do, how I pay the bills, and my social life are all wrapped up together, so it’s not surprising that I become melancholic when I have long stretches of time off. I’ll eventually adjust, but in the meantime, I’m going to enjoy every remaining opportunity I have to make music and hang out with my friends.
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On Saturday, May 2, the Neil! gang will be taking the music of Señor Diamond on the road to the Chateau Theater in Rochester, MN. Interesting aside: Nic and I saw a movie at the Chateau Theater together in elementary school. There’s always been a disagreement over whether it was Chitty Chitty Bang Bang or The Incredible Mr. Limpet. Thursday, May 7th, will mark my maiden performance at The Dakota in downtown Minneapolis. I’m excited (and a little nervous) about the show's stripped-down, storytelling format. I’ll be concentrating on some of my favorite songs, as well as songs I consider important in my development as a songwriter. I’ll tell the stories behind each song and explain why I consider them personally important. I’ll also be performing covers by artists that I consider essential musical inspirations. It’s an early show, so come on down for an evening of dinner, drinks, and music. On Friday, May 8, Wilson and I will be performing at the St. Croix Falls Historic Auditorium in St. Croix Falls, Wisconsin. You can expect something similar to the format used at my Dakota show the night before. On Saturday, May 9, the Gear Daddies will be at Treasure Island Casino in Welch, MN. You’ll likely find me in the bingo hall before or after the show. Quite possibly both. Then it’s another month of sitting around before kicking off my slightly busier summer schedule in June. You can always find details and ticket links for my shows under the SHOWS section at martinzellar.com. As always, I sincerely hope to see you out at a show.
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I spent a lot of time online yesterday reading about Michael Jackson’s chimpanzee, Bubbles. Afterward, I spent a lot of time trying to trace the train of thought that set me off on that journey. Whatever the reason, it was time well spent. I realize many of you have busy schedules that don’t allow the luxury of this sort of research, so I thought I’d pass along the more important points: Bubbles is alive and well, 46 years young, and living at the Center for Great Apes in Wauchula, Florida
According to Michael, Bubbles routinely helped with household chores like dusting and cleaning windows. Despite the help he provided around the house, Michael’s housekeepers didn’t care for Bubbles. They especially disapproved of his habits of hurling feces at the bedroom wall and tearing off his dirty diaper before crawling into Michael’s bed.
While recording a duet with Freddy Mercury, Michael insisted that Bubbles sit between them. After each take, Michael would turn to Bubbles and say things like “Don’t you think that was lovely? Or, “Do you think we should do that again?” Mercury finally stormed out of the studio, saying, “I’m not performing with a fucking chimp sitting next to me”.
Bubbles does not like to be photographed and will occasionally spit water or throw sand (with amazing accuracy) at strangers La Toya is the only member of the Jackson family who has visited Bubbles since Michael’s death The National Enquirer once claimed that Prince had used extrasensory perception to turn Bubble’s crazy.
That is pretty much everything worth knowing about Michael Jackson’s faithful simian companion, Bubbles.
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OUR DAUGHTER’S FIRST CONCERT
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My wife and I just took our 16-year-old daughter to see her first real concert, Mitski, at the National Auditorium in Mexico City. The concert was a very big deal for her. Mitski is her favorite artist, and her own thing (at least amongst her friends and classmates). Adding to the thrill, the concert fell on a weeknight, so she got to skip out of school for a couple of days. I’ve grown somewhat jaded after so many years making my living as a musician. I still love what I do, but things change when it becomes your job. Some perspective is lost, and you start taking things for granted. The idea of going out to see live music on your nights off loses some of its appeal. As a result, I often forget how magical and transformative music can be, especially live music. Watching our daughter’s face as she experienced the concert brought tears to my eyes (it didn’t help that she was teary most of the night). She sang along to every song and kept repeating, “I can’t believe this”. She was mesmerized from start to finish. Witnessing that was beautiful. And it was a fantastic show, visually and sonically. Mitski didn’t speak a lot, but when she did, she was thoughtful and articulate. The fact that the National Auditorium in Mexico City is one of the most beautiful venues I’ve ever set foot in put the experience over the top. Our daughter plays a lot of Mitski around the house, but I had never paid close attention. After the concert, I can honestly say I’m a fan. She’s a captivating performer, but more importantly (for me), she’s a masterful songwriter. I will always be grateful to Mitski, not only for the joy her music brings to our daughter, but also for reminding me that what I’ve been doing for the past 48 years has value.
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The first concert I attended was Sha Na Na, at the Riverside Arena in Austin, MN. Needless to say, my daughter’s first concert experience (described above in case you're skimming) ranked a wee bit higher on the cool-o-meter than mine. I wasn’t a Sha Na Na fan, but I was bored, and I took advantage of any opportunity for diversion that came along. Fan or not, I will never forget that show. As I type this, 48 years down the road, the memory still brings a smile to my face. Most unforgettable was that magical sequence when the music faded out, the house lights went black, and the band, barely discernible, took their places on stage. And then the payoff: Bowser, suddenly framed in a spotlight, sleeves rolled up, biceps flexed and mouth a-gape, belting out the opening ba-bom-a-bom-bom, a-dang-a-dang-dang of Blue Moon. It was thrilling. Those opening moments of a concert are still magical to me. The show was lethargic, poorly lit, and the sound was abysmal. Still, it was absolutely fantastic. It’s worth noting that the second concert I attended was also Sha Na Na at the Austin Riverside Arena. A few years had passed, but I was still looking for any opportunity to alleviate the boredom. And there weren’t a lot of acts that bothered to make stops in Austin, MN. God bless Sha Na Na. Fun Fact: Sha Na Na performed at Woodstock.
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FULL DISCLOSURE: A reminder that on the rare occasion that I’m having difficulty coming up with fresh and engaging content, I will lift an observation or story from Sammy Davis Jr. and claim it as my own. Otherwise, rest assured that everything in my newsletters and blog posts will come directly from me.
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Photo/artwork credits: First photo of Martin by Carolyn Beaudot Second photo of Martin by Davin Brandt
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