Kip told me Puggy will be playing with Holme on 8/4/08. He also told me he emailed Danny Gralick to let him know he is the only band member who has not made an appearance.
More good news - You can buy Lynn's photos of D'Jais (and notecards) at Artifacts on Main Street in Belmar (across from Dunkin' Donuts).
Today me and my aunts went to DJais for dinner saw justin then i wanted a sweat shirt and me and my aunt kathy went to see the shirts o sweatshirts they are selling and the bouncer said he knew someone who could help us with getting a sweat shirt on coindence he brought us to frank. so when we were finishing eating frank comes out with about 10 sweatshirts with 5-6 different colors in his hand. finally i found one and got and other memory of me and him.
love aunt michele niece Deanna
Like I've said before, Holme's Friday night gigs are hard for me to get to before the band goes on. So as I drove to pick up Donna I wrapped my birthday gift for Frank's girlfriend, Teresa. It was going to be a great night. Puggy was going to do a few songs with the band & he told me he was going to do Brass In Pocket - my favorite Puggy Holme song - just for me. When we got to D'Jais we met up with my sister Kathy. Kathy informed Donna where all the oil slicks were coming into Belmar. People informed me Puggy was looking for me & I saw him across the bar just before he took the stage. Stanley had gotten a short haircut that made him look like Elvis Costello so this night there was no mistaking who the real Puggy was. The 1st song Puggy sang was Brass In Pocket. I knew he would be fabulous & he was! He had the words written on paper in his pocket. Earlier in the evening he told my sister he had written the words down because he knew I'd kill him if he forgot them. I was disappointed he hadn't dedicated the song to me. Puggy also sang Pretty Woman (another of his trademark Holme songs) & Sweet Caroline. They were Puggyrific! Kathy, Donna & I spoke to Puggy at the snack bar before Holme's last set. His friend Lynn was with him along with his brother Bobby. Puggy said he was scheduled to sing Brown Eyed Girl during the last set but was leaving because "only the birds sing for free". I told him Brass in Pocket was excellent & Sweet Caroline was good too. He retorted "What do you mean good too?" Bobby DeRosa agreed Puggy was good but thought the band was off on Brass in Pocket. Donna declared Puggy was a real showman. I agreed. Puggy said he never thought he'd be jamming with Holme this Summer. He told me his friend Lynn was to his old band, Time Capsule, what I am to Holme. When I protested about his leaving, he said he was old & has kids. Alot of people leave D'Jais after Holme's 2nd set. Is it because they are old & have kids? We were driving home so I did not drink. There was no fake beer so I drank virgin Bloody Marys. The place was packed. Some of the attendees were: Beautiful (skinny) Barbara in a sparklie top & shoes, Marissa, Red, Todd, Jamie, Cowboy Bob, Fireman Glen, Roberta & her husband, Mrs. Filkin, Mrs. Conner & Mrs. Morrissey & The Big Bopper. We happened to learn that Cowboy Bob is a most intelligent man. Ask to read his business card sometime! Teresa was celebrating her birthday. My gift to her was a Lolita Birthday Girl wine glass. After opening it she immediately (without rinsing it out first) poured her drink into it. Later Kipp led the bar in singing Happy Birthday to her. We're always thinking up new D'Jais theme nights between ourselves. One night at D'Jais Kathy had joked it looked like we were there for Pimp & Ho's Night. And wouldn't you know, this night Holme handed out Pimp hats & boas & it really did appear to be Pimp & Ho's Night. I love it when Kipp gets funny on stage. Just before Holme started their last set of the night he said "Everyone is always complaining - Kipp, get on stage I have work tomorrow!" This struck me as pretty funny. I try to make Kipp laugh by writing on a napkin & placing it at his feel. The note I placed on stage had an arrow pointing toward Stanley & read "Mick, what'd ya do with Keith?" There are nights when I swear Kipp thinks he's Mick Jagger. Billy's hair was straightened. DJ Charlie sang a song & played some good music during the band breaks like Bon Jovi's It's My Life ♥. Holme did The Break Up Song by the Greg Kihn Band (another song I have pushed for). Harry's Viva Las Vegas is the new Mony, Mony. Which makes me wonder, whatever happened to Mony, Mony anyway? The Big Bopper sang Chantilly Lace & I was surprised to see Teresa knew the words to it. Fireman Glen was sitting at a table by the ocean bar surrounded by beautiful women. They were from Staten Island & it turned out Donna knew one of them. Glen lived in Staten Island before he retired & moved to Brick. His comment to us was "Can you believe I moved all the way to New Jersey to meet girls from Staten Island?" He said the Staten Island women had adopted him but he would like to be adopted by Madonna. It surprised me that Madonna could still be a man's fantasy. Glen asked where Marian was & when we told him she had stayed home with her dog Lucky he said Marian isn't going to get lucky staying home with Lucky. The night was living up to my expectation. We were having a great time. Kathy & I played the piano with Peter Schuelle when the band did Gloria. It was Kathy's night. She met lots of men & she had dirty hair! She read Holme's song list & told me Build Me Up Buttercup was on it. I said thanks for ruining my night. I loathe Buttercup after hearing Holme do it hundreds of times. I regret doing it now but I actually broke my 45 of Buttercup in front of Kipp one night at Foxes in Jersey City. At the end of the night I advised Fireman Glen that 2 police cars were parked nearby & he would probably be stopped by one of them when driving away from D'Jais. Glen quickly decided he would catch a ride with a non-drinking friend who was still in the bar. His car was parked up against the boardwalk & he asked me to move it a side street so it wouldn't be towed / ticketed in the morning. So Donna & I go to his car & get in. It's brand new and big which makes me nervous about driving it. Before I move it we look for his Insurance Card. We can't find it & we can't open the glove compartment so Donna goes back into the bar to ask Glen where it is. She finds him with a new beer in hand. When she gets back to the car we find the card but then I realize I don't have my Driver's License on me so now we walk to my car to get it. We get to my car & find I had left the overhead light on all night. I grab my License & a sweater & we head back to Glen's car. Now I am even more nervous. I never drove such a big car, it's new & the Police have watched Donna & I go in & out of D'Jais & in & out of the car a couple of times. I move it to 19th Ave & suddenly Glen is there directing me. There is much discussion about how far to pull up in the space. I manage to park the car without incident. Donna & I bid farewell to Glen & head home. Glen heads back into the bar. I never spoke to Frank Sementa. By the way, the Big Bopper did not leave after the 2nd set so apparently he isn't as old as Puggy or the the 2nd set departers.
P.S. Aerosmith Concert @ Borgota Casino - 9/22/07
My sister's favorite band is Aerosmith, not Holme. For her birthday Kathy & I went to see Aerosmith @ the Borgota. On the way into Atlantic City we saw an IKEA sign that read: Home (Holme) is the most important place in the world. Kathy played with Holme last week & this week she sang with Aerosmith. Joan Jett (a female Glen Burtnik look-a-like) opened for them. Jett still looks hot. It was her birthday & Steven Tyler brought out a birthday cake. Jett was great. I especially like Bad Reputation & Crimson & Clover. In fact, I told Joel I though Bad Reputation would be a good song for him to do - it also being tongue-in-cheek. Of course Aerosmith rocked! Tyler was his usual great self & Perry, well he was Joe F*ing Perry!
This was Day 2 of the worst vacation of my life. All I want to say about this night is:
Donna & I went to see Holme @ D’Jais. My brother met us there.
Frank told me how he started (bar) Bingo & how the Tropical Pub’s Breakfast Bingo started when a D’Jais worker suggested it to the Tropical’s owner, George.
It was Patty Spychala's 50th Birthday & we drank Jolly Ranchers.
New songs: It’s Not Unusual & You Shook Me All Night Long.
DJ Charlie sang ”I Love You More Today Than Yesterday”
Kip was very in to it all night.
Justin is a believer of Karma.
Peter, Justin & the horn guy are Yankees fans.
I should have left before the baseball game was over – with my brother.
Donna & I got no sleep.
Go to this website for a great gift or stocking stuffer for your D'Jais fan:
when visiting click on Gallery and then Belmar Note Cards and Prints.
Visit Puggy's website. It's been updated and is pretty awesome. Holme take note!
As I was driving down the parkway on my way to see Holme I came upon an overhead sign that read “Don’t Drink & Drive, Come Home Alive”. An instant Blog entry title! Kathy was staying at the Molly Pitcher in Red Bank & invited me to stay over. I had the shore house but a place to crash with pool privileges was too good to pass up. I dropped my bags off at the hotel, jumped into Kathy’s car & we were on our way.
Kathy wanted coffee so we stopped at D’Jais snack bar before going in. As he walked through the snack bar to his personal entry way into the bar I heard Kip tell someone he had just come from his wife’s birthday party at home & everyone was upset he had left it. Harry came by & hung out for a short time. We talked about good coffee. Harry said he likes his own best. He told us Joel had filled in for Billy for one of their non-Holme gigs. An older man came over to us & asked “Why don’t old Italians die?” when we said we didn’t know, he said because they “Just pasta on”. All the snack bar workers had Holme t-shirts on. I suddenly realized the snack bar workers always wore t-shirts related to the theme night they were working. Like a D’Jais pirate t-shirt on “Pirate Night”.
Inside the place was packed! Nearly everyone was there - all of the band’s wives & girlfriends, Cowboy Bob, Star-Ledger Mike, Beautiful Barbara (with a new cute short haircut), DJ Todd, my brother (a complete set of Koslow kids!) and Sharon (who only stayed for the 1st set). Stanley was (still) there also.
I had thrown up for 5 hours straight the night before so I was a little scared to be drinking but I sucked it up to suck them down.
It was Mrs. C’s birthday. Both of her daughters were there to celebrate (a complete set of Conners!). Her younger daughter had never seen her father play professionally. Her older daughter would be off to college soon. Both work at D’Jais. There was a birthday cake & Patty was kind enough to offer me a piece. It was strawberry shortcake & one of the most delicious cakes I’ve ever had. I was surprised to learn it was from Shoprite! I also discovered Mrs. C and I have something in common – we both love the Stones/Mick Jagger.
Billy’s hair looked like he crimped it. I noticed he sang love songs to his wife from stage. The Big Bopper did 2 songs, DJ Charlie 3. One of my favorite Holme songs now is Harry’s “Viva Las Vegas”. However, every time he does it I hear “Viva Viagra” (from the commercial).
It was a fun crazy night. Star Ledger Mike said it was the best night of the Summer and I concur! A woman asked Kathy if she was drinking a Cosmo. Kathy thought she said “Are you a Koslow?” and proceeded to answer her. Kathy thinks it’s more fun if you go out after work. I think there’s something to be said for showing up late and drinking to catch up.
At one point Kip from stage said “We’re having fun tonight, YEAH BABY!” Cowboy Bob was dancing like crazy. I look at Peter Schuelle and think he should do Rod Stewart, Emotional Rescue or Miss You. Frank uncharacteristically asked if we are hot. Kathy pled with Frank for a D’Jais camouflage hat for our niece. Frank told her they don’t have anymore but he’ll take one of Teresa’s from her – she has 3. Kathy tells Teresa of the planned theft. Teresa is very sweet & doesn’t mind. She tells us she just came back from Florida and the last words she said to Frank before she left was “Please don’t give away my clothes while I’m gone”. He gives her clothes away all the time. Because of the Belmar bicycle bell incident I tell Frank he should have the last song of the night, every night, at D’Jais be Ring My Bell (by Anita Ward). Frank nixes the idea by telling me he loves the Belmar police. Would ya think? There was football on the TVs - a sad sign Summer was coming to an end. The DJ was playing the worst music for such a happening bar (Toploader’s Dancing in the Moonlight, Frankie Valli’s Sherry). Something made me remember the time Kip had me thrown out of D’Jais by the bouncers. I had thrown a wet wad of napkin up into the DJ booth. It landed on the record playing at the time putting Kip into a tail spin. I later reminisced about it with my friends. It seems almost a lot of people have been thrown out of bar. Camille was escorted out of the Tropical once for throwing a drink at Tony Slater,Tropical bartender and friend of her husband Tom, because he thought he was so funny telling her Tom was in an accident when he wasn’t. Donna was asked to leave Martell’s Tiki-Bar. Apparently she broke their no kissing on the premises rule. On her 1st ever trip to Belmar, Kathy K got thrown out of Mary’s Husband’s Bar. She had gone there with her friend Debbie Simmons who the bar discovered, had fake ID.
Todd asked me to get drinks from Justin for him & my brother. Justin waited on everyone else but me. Todd thought he was purposely ignoring me. I said, no Todd, Justin loves me. When Justin finally took my drink order I told him to tell Todd he loved me. He did - loudly & clearly he said “I Love Her” and then with emphasis said “A LOT”.
When I use D’Jais ladies room I always think the Mexican girl is doing one job an American certainly would – tearing off a paper towel to dry your hands.
As photos will show/have shown, I've become obsessed with what happens to the air vent over the horn player;s head each night Holme plays..
And 6 days later......
It seemed all of the planets were aligned on 8/19/07 when on the same day: Holme played a benefit for a Sheriff running for election, Glen Burtnik & Joel Kraus were both playing at the Clearwater Festival in Asbury Park & Bobby played The Columns.
The 19th was the beginning of the worst vacation of my entire life (not counting the year my boyfriend died). I started the day off good by going to the Tropical Pub’s Breakfast Bingo. I made sure my friend Diane & I were on line early. The 2nd person on line was a cute curly haired guy named Rob who told us it was Bring Your Parents to Tropical Bingo Day. For those of you from Greenville - Rob was Blackshaw cute! He & his friends made the day up but actually brought their parents! Camille & her husband Tom came. Tommy thought we were nuts to be on line so early but changed his tune when he saw there were 144 people on the line when the doors opened. Tommy had worked at the Tropical in the 80’s & it’s the place he & Camille met. Diane won a round of Bingo, her prize a tee shirt. The owner, George, told Tommy he had sold the bar & the Tropical would be closing for good in November. Houses were going to be built in its place. I was truly upset to hear this. I love the Tropical – 2nd to D’Jais.
Later in the evening Kathy came down & Diane & I went with her to The Columns (a/k/a The Tombs) to see Bobby. It was raining hard & the place was somewhat empty. It’s a small world. Diane ran into a guy she knows a long time from Jersey City. Then Cowboy Bob ran into us. We had seen Bob earlier at Tropical Bingo. He seems to get around as much as we do. Anyway, he knows Diane’s Jersey City friend & after chatting a bit we find out he knows Maureen & Kathy Moore from St. Paul’s school in Jersey City (also mine & Kathy’s church growing up & where we attended Catechism). In the course of the night I had leave the bar & go out to my car 3 times. The 3rd time I had gone to get my camera. On the way back I fell flat on my face in a puddle. My camera & cell phone went flying. I fell so badly a car actually stopped to help me. I wound up with black & blues on both knees, 2 toes, on my shin & my hand was bleeding. In addition, my pants were soaking wet. When I got back to the bar Kathy told me people had lined up to speak to Bobby. She did too & told him she felt like a groupie. He said don’t. He looked very early Bob Dylan-ish. I got to say hello to him. His son was there too. We left shortly thereafter because I couldn’t take the air-conditioning & being wet.There were only a few more weeks to see Holme at D’Jais so Donna & I thought we should get our last licks in. Marian went with us. It was crowded. I wanted something different so I had Bloody Marys. I find them a good choice. I can switch to virgin Marys & still feel like I’m drinking.
Alot of the infamous were missing. Where are you Marianne? Barbara? Mike? Marissa? On the other hand Cowboy Bob, DJ Todd, Mrs. C, The Playwright & my brother were there. Billy was missing too & there was no substitute guitarist. I was disappointed Holme hadn’t asked Puggy to fill in. Billy was MIA because he was involved in a Bobby Banderia thing. There were 2 horn men and a bongos-tambourine-cowbell (btc) guy. I think the btc guy adds greatly to the music. Everyone else thinks the horn men do. It was a what you would normally expect Holme night. The band has added a few more songs to their song compilation. Stanley does “It’s Not Unusual” and Pete does “Bitch”. Both are good. Pete told me he is looking for other songs to do so if there’s any song you think he should do let him know! DJ Charlie added a song to his playlist too. He did “I Love Your More Today”. That song actually made my heart pang when I heard it. Back in the day Sementa used to sing it to me from the stage. Looking back now I’m not so sure he was singing it to me directly. You know the Holme’s golden rule: Make every girl feel like they’re number one. They really don’t enforce this rule much now but back in the day the concept really worked. Hundreds of girls followed the band and in turn guys followed the girls into the bars. As a result, the band brought home bigger “lunch money” for they were paid part, if not all, of the bar cover charge. The Big Bopper sang (what else) “Chantilly Lace”. At the end of the night DJ Charlie complied with our request and played “Save the Horse, Ride the Cowboy” for us. I was surprised more people didn’t dance to it. And speaking of dancing, I think the Playwright may be very infatuated with his dance partner. Have you seen him and her on the dance floor lately?
Love, M
P.S. Thanks KK for the push.
