Holme Opener - 5/6/06

I arrived around 9:00.  I knew it was crowded before I walked in because I had to park 3 blocks away.  I used my courtesy card a/k/a VIP card at the door.

Nearly all of the famous were there.  It appears the party dragnet had been cast.  There were the boys - Red, Playwright, Star Ledger Mike & his friends.  The Staff - Jen, Ashton, Charlie, Bill, the Annoying Photographer, Pete (xmgr) AJ (Clancys).  The Diehards - Beautiful Barbara, Marissa, Cathy, Marianne, Howie Stein.  The Gueststars - Sean Schulle, Bobby Banderia.  The Family - Mrs. Conner, Aunt Pat, Theresa Sementa, Gail Sementa.  Us - Kathy, Sharon, Charlotte & her husband Mike, Jane & Mike’s relatives Holly & Ricky.  Just to name a few.

It was D’Jais opening day & 1st smoke free day. 

I miss Joel big time.  The consensus seems to be Chris Daughtry looks like Joel.  Kathy thinks we may have the beginnings of a Holme tribute band – Chris Daughtry as Joel & Stanley as Puggy.  Was it coincidence that Holme did Suspicious Minds during Elvis week on Idol?  They have performed the song in the past but not for awhile.  Stanley sang Chris Isaak’s Wicked.   I could see him singing Brian Ferry/Roxy Music.  Holme has also added the Rolling Stones’ The Last Time to their repertoire.  They keep missing the boat on the Stones. They’ve lost sight of the fact that they kick ass on the hardcore stuff (Sympathy & Gimme Shelter) and as such should be doing Monkey Man & the like.  I guess I should just be happy they’re not doing Emotional Rescue (yet). 

Bobby Banderia arrived during their 1st set.  Stardom has been good for him.  He’s never looked so great.  Not even 25 years ago.   He offered to buy me a drink & let me take photos.  He asked where Kathy was & for gum.  I declined his offer.  When his drink came he said it was a big drink & that it had a big straw.  He also said the bar was packed.  I found Kathy.  I knew she’d have gum for him & she did.  She told him she had seen  him with Bon Jovi when they played @ Continental Arena in Dec. & had tried to get his attention but apparently he didn’t see her.  He asked her “Did you try & throw your panties on stage?”  Kathy said he was funny in his usual way.  

Later poor Bobby had to play I’m a Believer and poor Michele had to listen to him play Mustang Sally.

When Harry did Wully Bully Sharon said it was Harry Gone Wild.  Charlie the dj sang My Girl.
Beautiful Barbara pointed out to me that Kip was pulling his pants up the whole night.   The words were not even out of her mouth when I saw him do it!  Barbara brought up Peter Gagen.   Both of our brains were foggy about him.  In the end we thought he was the drummer in Cats.  Someone please correct us if we’re wrong.  By the way, Barbara’s husband’s band Jersey Central will be playing the Columns next Saturday – 5/20.  Camille & I used to see Jersey Central before we ever saw Holme.  

The sax player du jour was a Sopranos look a like.  Steverino must have had a gig with his band Celebration.  How can we bond when he’s only there ½ the time?

Ashton’s now running the food concession @ D’Jais.  He told me all of his ex-girlfriends were vegetarians.  I’m hoping they’ll be some new items on the menu for vegetarian me.  He’s very excited about the menu he’s chosen for Friday afternoon buffet.  I had my favorite D’Jais food – French fries (crinkle) with mustard & ketchup.

Sharon & I left around 12:00.  My left foot was swollen & I was really tired from Susan’s wedding festivities.  She tied the knot on Cinco DeMayo.  I was Maid of Honor.  Kathy & I had contemplated not going to D’Jais because we were so tired.  In the end Kathy was really glad she dragged herself out and I was too.  Sharon & I stopped @ Dunkin Donuts before heading home. I had astrawberry frosted.  Sharon had a variety of kinds.  Lastly, I wanted to update you on Marianne.  She sprained her ankle at Bar-A last month – dancing I assume - and had to use crutches the first couple of days of her vacation. 

Love, M

P.S.  Everyone's been weighing in about how Kip spells his name.  It's 2 p's on the Holme website.  But apparently Kip was a big letter writer 25 yrs ago and signed his letters with only 1 p.  This wouldn't even be an issue if he used his given name!  It's never spelled with 2 s's!

And I assume Sean Schulle played with the band their last set. 

Would You Like Holmefries With That? - 4/8

The weather was horrendous.  Torrential rains.  I had a 75th birthday party to go to for my (deceased) boyfriend’s mother in Toms River before going to see Holme.  My friends had hemmed & hawed over going to Bar-A.  Originally there were plans to celebrate my 50th birthday there but they were nixed.  My sister had thrown a surprise party for me but you know the girl thing - you still go out with your friends to celebrate.  In the end it was me, my sister Kathy & Sharon.  My friend Charlotte went too with 2 of her friends from her neighborhood in Pennsylvania & her sister Jane.  Jane looked marvelous.  I wore a business suit to the party I had to attend.  It seemed like a wise choice.  I only have 1 top, 1 pr of socks, 1 pr of shoes & 1 purse to go with it.  By wearing it I saved a lot of time getting ready to go out.  My friend Marian stole a birthday cupcake balloon from the party.  I wanted it to take with me to the bar.  I left the party early hoping to get to Bar-A by 4:00.

The parking lot was full when I got there.  I parked in the lot on the adjourning property not knowing or caring who owned it & tied the balloon to my purse.  When I opened the door to get out of the car the balloon took off into the sky.  I got drenched for the umpteenth time that day walking from the parking lot to the bar.  At that point I thought I had made a mistake going out.  To my surprise I was the 1st one of my group there.  The band was on break when I arrived.  Holme was playing that day to benefit the Sons of the Shillelagh & their bagpipers were playing when I walked in. 

The 1st person I spoke to was Sementa.  He told me he was working 24/7 @ D’Jais.  Then I went out to the back bar where Pete from D’Jais & Harry Filkin were sitting.  The back bar floor was flooding.  The tarp covering the bar was leaking.  Pete & I were rolling our eyes watching the floor be swept of the water.  We were Sementa thinking.  The topic of the day was Joel. 

The day wasn’t going well for me.  I was melancholy because my boyfriend wasn’t alive to see his mom turn 75, I was in a pants suit, I was soaked, hot, concerned for Joel & sad for Sharon.

So break’s over & the band is playing.  Peter Schulle takes a photo of me & Kathy with his cell phone.  At least I think it was of me & Kathy.  I have no idea why.  A guitarist named Stanley has replaced Joel in the Holme line-up.  I don’t think he’s a permanent replacement, however, he may be playing with them for quite sometime to come.  The whole time we were there we couldn’t figure out whether his name was Stanley or Sammy so I had to ask Kipp.  He told me Stanley does a lot of session work, has been around a long time & is well known locally.  Stanley looks like Puggy.  I thought so right away.  While the band was playing I motioned to Kipp, looked at Stanley & said only one word: “Puggy”.  Kipp cracked up.  Then I motioned that Stanley’s glasses were like Puggy’s rose colored ones & Kipp laughed more.  Before the next song began Kipp said to Frank (over the microphone) “Michele is still the smartest person in the world. She said Stanley looks like Puggy.”  I loved hearing him say it.  I’m going to use that sentence every chance I get.  In fact, Kathy gave me a hard time about my suit.  She thought I looked frumpy & should have changed into jeans in my car.  Right away I told her smart people wear suits!  Anyway Stanley seemed very friendly.

Some new songs!  One of Kathy’s favorites “No Matter What” by Badfinger, The Temptation’s “My Girl” which was sung by Kipp, Fleetwood Mac’s “Don’t Stop” & Rod Stewart’s “Have I Told You Lately.” 

Peter Schulle’s son Sean played a couple of songs with the band.  He’s HOT and a great guitarist too.  He’s Peter’s younger son.  The older one is 39!

Steve Meyers the saxophone player a/k/a Steverino found my Blog & wrote to me to tell me he was terribly upset he wasn’t mentioned on it.  I wrote him back that there’s basically 2 ways to get me to mention you in the Blog:  1)  You sleep with someone (preferably some I know) 2) You do something outrageous.  He wrote back that it was a good deal and his new goal was to sleep with everyone @ Clancy’s!  From the stage at Bar-A he told us he had slept with 3 maybe 4 women from Clancy’s.  He’s really very funny.

The band went on break again.  Sharon was hanging out with AJ a bartender from Clancy’s.  He’s a 29 yr old cutie.   Sharon & I admired Kathy’s pendant.  It was a rhinestone letter K.  She told us she had found it on a bus.  How lucky is that finding you’re a necklace with your own initial?  I wasn’t dancing.  I wasn’t in the mood.  A woman named Marianne came up to me & told me she reads my Blog and loves me!  The band returned to the stage & Kipp announced it was my birthday and someone else’s whose name I can’t remember (sorry).  The band sang the traditional Happy Birthday song and then went right into the Beatle’s Birthday song.  I was pretty blown away that Kipp had remembered it was my birthday 30 days after Kathy spoke to him about it.  However, did Kipp not notice that the rest of my posse was missing?  Would I be out celebrating my birthday without Susan, Marian, Camille & Donna?  By now you realize Kipp can do no wrong by me.  He’s always saying nice things about me from stage & he really catapulted me out from under my black cloud.  Kip has evolved into my John Lennon.  What I mean is at first you fall for Paul McCartney then later you find that John Lennon is way cooler.  During Birthday Marianne came over & told me I was a star.  She wished me a happy birthday and kissed me about 15 times.  At that point Kathy went to her car to get some of the birthday tee shirts she had made up for me & handed out a few.  It was then I wished I had changed into my jeans in my car and had danced a little.  A short time later Marianne twisted her ankle & sat out the rest of her time there.

I tried really hard to leave without criticizing one of the band’s song choices but failed to do so.  The last thing I did before leaving was to go up to Kipp.  I apologized for what I was going to say to him & then said “Drop the Fleetwood Mac song from your song list!"

A few quick notes….. I just found out that for 30 years I’ve been spelling Kipp’s name wrong.  I think I’ve always spelled it with one P.   I apologize to him & to everyone else.   Be sure to read Pattie Holmefries’ comment posted on March’s Blog Entry.  Also, dig out your old Frank/Kip birthday tee shirts and wear them to this year’s birthday bash – May 15th @ D’Jais.  Thanks for reading.

Love, M.