Holme Theatre - 1/12/06

Before I recount my latest Holme sighting I have to tell you I received the greatest surprise a week a so ago – an email from Danny Gralick!  Just when I think this Blog has gone stale something exciting happens.  Danny read my Blog and responded to my last entry.  He wrote:  “Wadaya mean, oh Puggy?  What about MEEEEEE?  Don’t you miss me?”

He’s married to a woman named Ellen and is currently engineering & producing a Southside Johnny album with LaBamba’s big band.  On top of that he’s used Alexis in his work.  I told him there appears far less than 6 degrees of separation in this world and to be sure to email me if he even thinks about showing up one night.

 

I decided to go to Clancy’s in as much as I hadn’t seen Alexis since the summer & the Asbury Park Press would also be there.  Kathy K, Camille & I always took newspaper articles written about Holme and turned the wording around to goof on the band.  We called our little faux newspaper The Aquagian after the music newspaper The Aquarian & the band’s slang for gays “quagans”.  I thought the Press’ article might be fodder for us to recreate The Aquagian.  The car I parked next to had the swellest license plate “Luckytwn”.  I hoped it would be for me.  This time I took noteof all of thestores in the strip mall.  Luigis was the pizza joint. There was also a hair & nail salon, an NFL store, a Radio Shack, Subway, UPS & Curves.  A Burger King is next door and there’s a BP gas station across the street.  Could you ask for more?  I had forgotten to tell you there is Sushi bar inside Clancys in between the stage and Chard’s sound system.  Above the sound system is a touch tunes jukebox on the wall.  I couldn’t believe someone even took the fun out of that machine.  No pages to flip and no buttons to press.  Ugh.

New songs added to the list:  Maybeline – Harry.  (Their poor kids on long car rides!)  Cruel to Be Kind (yeah) & Pump It Up – Harry (finally!) Harry still has to master the words and hopefully once he does that – the moves.  They’re also doing Jumpin’ Jack Flash and sharing the verses.  1) Kip 2) Billy 3) Joel and 4) Peter.  It’s too bad Frank hasn’t taken the chance to be front man.  He likes to sing.  Since I know him he’s always sang to me.  Old songs and Broadway tunes like Getting to Know You and if you remember he always sang while playing I Love You More Today than Yesterday.  As you know lately I’ve been mesmerized by Kip’s playing and I have to say he looks 10 years younger to me particularly when he’s playing a Stones song.  I only stayed 2 sets.  There were 2 young guys constantly jumping on and off the stage filming them for what Kip deemed aHolme reality show (could you imagine?)  They were sticking the camera up next to their faces and into the crowd.  I have no clue why they couldn’t use a zoom lens or tape the band during practice.  God knows the photos I post aren’t good but I’m using a regular camera and most of my photos have been taken when we’ve been drunk.   It was too annoying to bear so most of the night I watched snowboarding that was playing on the TV above the bar.  TV’s in the bars are another pet peeve of mine.  You want to watch sports or news you stay home.  Frank Sementa snowboards.  Maybe not since he busted his ankle though.  I’ve always wanted to skateboard but just never tried it.  I did not speak to any of the band that night.  Alexis was a no show.  I heard she was sick.  I have no clue whether the Asbury Park Press showed or whether an article was printed about The Holme phenomena (Kip’s word).  I hope they write about what Holme means to us.  We finally have a place to go where people are our age, where we have reconnected with old friends and our innerselves.  Where you can be overweight and not feel out of place.   Where you know the words to the songs.  Where you don’t feel funny dancing even though you haven’t learned any new moves since the 80’s.  And why no one can really put their finger on why you feel so happy and carefree seeing them.  That’s the true Holme phenomen. It’s notreally about a band reuniting and drawing the same crowds they did 25 yrs ago.  Superstar rock bands do that all the time.

Next stop Edgar’s.  Girls night out birthday bash for Camille.  Camster, Sharon & rare appearance by Kathy K.  I’ve also received word that Marissa and beautiful Barbara will be there.

I also heard they're doing GSP Boogie @ D.a.r.e. event so start practicing the words.

Note to MaggieMaisey76:

You’re right, entries have not been up to par lately.

Clancy’s Christmas time photos still in camera.

I always include friends, old faces and musicians on the scene.

For Sharon ♥ Joel update come see for yourself on Saturday.

Before I partake in too much party juice Saturday I will try to get an update on that “secret” I mentioned months ago.  It may be there has been a change in plan.

Transmission went on car.  Car has been replaced.

Sorry Connie’s girl had a conniption.   To me your inquiries meant you were really following my saga.

HO HO HOLME - 12/22/05

I felt like a kid on Christmas morning.  I was given a roomy 2006 model car with sunroof by the rental company and the first place I headed was to see Holme at Clancy’s.  I arrived a little late.  Sharon was already there and had made friends with Barbara, a very beautiful woman who reads this Blog and who cooked and cleaned for Frank & Kip years ago.  Barbara recognized Sharon from her photo.  I came wearing this year’s Santa hat – red glitter.  I brought live mistletoe with me that I had purchased @ Woolworth’s years ago (sticker still on wrapping & still alive).  I also wore a belt with a battery operated lighted ticker tape like buckle which I programmed to read “Holme for the Holiday”.  The S had been left off because I purchased the belt the day before and had not yet learned how to program it.  It took at least 10 tries just to get it to say that.  I wore the belt backwards with the buckle over my rear-end.   It was a hit but more about it later.

Clancy’s is the ideal bar for multi-taskers.  It is located in a strip mall.  There is a laundromat next to it.  At some point I just know I will do my laundry while seeing Holme.  There is also a pizza joint & a Krausers.  Both close early but you can grab something to eat & load up on gum & condoms beforehand.  It is also one of those bars with a liquor store attached with entry through the bar so you always have the opportunity of purchasing package goods and continuing your party afterwards at home.  Clancy’s also serves food and there are booths for eating or private moments.  It’s tight inside with only enough space for 3 couples to dance.  The stage butts up against the bar in one corner so you cannot completely circle the bar or pass in front of the band.

The lineup was different at Clancy’s probably for technical reasons.  From left to right it was Billy, Harry, Kip, Joel & Peter with Frank in back.  Actually it was backwards.  Frank was using a different drum set – his blue one.

Sharon & I stood with Barbara on Peter’s side.  Sharon had purchased rhinestone letters to spell HO HO HO (as in Santa’s laugh not his thought) which she wore on a black strap around her neck.  It was a great necklace. To set the mood Holme handed out Santa hats, Reindeer Antler headbands and Christmas tree hats to the crowd.  The Christmas tree ones were the most popular.  The only band member to wear a hat was Peter,a Christmas tree.  Kip said his head was too big for a hat and someone said Billy’s head was huge.  These comments got our attention!

The band sang 4 Christmas songs:

Blue Christmas – Harry

Jingle Bell Rock

Rocking Around the Christmas Tree – Kip

Run, Run, Rudolph – Harry

There is a small TV screen on the wall behind the band.  I think Clancy’s should play the “Yule Log” on the screen during the holidays.  D’Jais should too on their Christmas theme night.

Honky Tonk Women has been added to the songlist.  As a way back Stones freak I was thrilled but wish they’d chosen a less mainstream tune like Monkey Man or Its Only Rock & Roll.

Speaking of Stones tunes it is a pleasure watching Kip play.  To think he was the holdback in reuniting the band (because he thought his playing was not what it had been).  When he plays Gimme Shelter you can see how into playing he is and he plays so seriously!  He played so hard he put his foot up on the bar presumably to steady himself.  They’re also now doing “Tired of Towing the Line” – an old Kip favorite which sounds like it was written for him.

Back to the belt… remember I was wearing it backwards…. I had taken a few photos during the night and Peter took my camera and photographed my buckle and my fat rear-end.  Chard said the funniest thing to me at the end of the night.  He came up behind me and said “I see your landing lights are on”.  Sharon & I were cracking up.

I recently received an email from Howie Stein telling me he is alive and well and has been to see the current Holme.  So now it’s just Debbie French, Maureen Maureen, Kathy Moore, Geralyn Guerra & Phyllis Fox who haven’t been.  Oh yeah, and Puggy.

Happy New Year.  Love, M.