Category Archives: Roy Orbison

Today Up On Christmachine Audio Reference Music Server :

Ok, I’m going to see what I can get to in this piece. The reason I say that as some parts will be satisfied with this one pass. With that said, their are parts that require more than one post. So let me see what I can jam into this first one, the rest will be to come in the future. I will touch on all of the parts of the title, however I will let you know as we go along what will take more than one post to cover them in their entirety.

One of my favorite shows running right now is “Sons Of Anarchy” on FX. I can think of only one other show that is in the same league at the moment and that would be “Vikings” on the History Channel. I am planning to get my saga fix through “Vikings” as “SOA” is soon to end its epic seven season run in all it’s bloody glory. Yes there are other great shows like “Homeland” and “House Of Cards”, among others, but I’m talking about top two here.

Katey Sagal who plays the lovingly destructive matriarch of the Teller Family, Gemma Teller Morrow and by default “SAMCRO”, the popular fictitiously violent “Sons Of Anarchy Motorcycle Club Redwood Original” outlaw biker gang set in modern day California. It’s interesting to me that I got to meet Katey somewhere around twenty plus years ago at one of the clubs I worked for. I was not working that evening, but had gone to see the band Blues Traveler to a packed house in the city. After I made my way to the front row of the crowd with my bottle of Jack Daniels and a pint glass of coke to chase the whiskey, I staked a small claim of space so that I could smoke some weed before the band came on. I had taken some Dexedrine caps an hour earlier so I was racing to go and get things started. I was fired up!

So check this, as I’m smoking some Kush, the lights on the stage were low and I see a woman walking out to center stage right in front of me. Once she got to the microphone I could tell exactly who it was, it was Peg Bundy from the show Married With Children. Wait a second…not really her, her facial structure was the same but she did not have the bu font hair from the show or the exaggerated makeup that Peg Bundy had on the show. I thought to myself, was it possible that Peg Bundy was not a real person, that there was a normal actor playing that role on TV? That was how I processed it for many years up until I grew to love & hate her on Sons Of Anarchy. Yup good drugs…definitely good drugs. Actually I did not watch Married With Children, but popular culture was steeped with it in the late 80’s and 1990’s, and I did NOT know at the time what here real name was.

So again “this woman” takes the microphone and proceeds to introduce Blues Traveler. The crowd was screaming at her, and they would stop somewhat when she would say something to us. I could tell by her voice that it was who I thought it was, I was sure of it. At some point in her introduction there was a momentary hush of the crowd and what do I yell out at the top of my lungs for everyone to hear, “Hey Peg”, the timing was just right and everyone in the crowd began to laugh…and then cheer louder. Peg paused with a cross look and a smile, held up her hand and chuckled as well. She said something like ‘Now, Now, hold on”, and after a polite bow she continued to introduce the band. I realize now that she was being Katey Sagal for a moment, but I was trying to have fun, and she rolled with it without being smug.

Anyway Blues Traveler played an amazing show, if you’ve never seen them, it’s a must. Their guitarist Chan Kinchla blew me away with his wild, heavy, and frenzied guitar attack for the full length of the set. It was not a psychedelic sound as some would imagine, it was more hard rock jamming, while fronted by a bluesy groove for a band. John popper is an amazing front man with his assortment of mouth harps strapped to his chest, with the now deceased lovable Bobby Sheehan holding up the bottom end. This would not be my only encounter with the band, more on that in a bit.

Soon after she fired up the crowd, I went backstage and ran into a really sweet Katey Sagal. I apologized for not knowing her real name but she was really nice about it and told me her real name. I mentioned that I did not watch much TV at the time but I knew the character she played. She said that she is a musician herself, and did not think much of it at the time. What I’ve come to find out is not only is she an amazing actor but an accomplished guitarist, pianist, and singer. Her voice is a refreshing breath of fresh air with an alluring sound reminiscent of a female Roy Orbison, crossed with the vibrato and depth of Heart’s Nancy Wilson, finished off with the gentile touch the likes of Emmylou Harris. Yep she’s quite good, not surprising…I found out hard not to judge a book by it’s cover with that experience. It’s surprising to me because I usually am so open minded, but I can see now how actors can be typecast quite easily. Katey is the real deal, multidimensional and a real talent, but you already knew that. Katey Sagal plays an actor on TV, but she’s a musician in real life. Cheers Katey, congrats to you and the cast for seven amazing seasons on Sons Of Anarchy, now we can all look forward to all your music as well.
Katey Sagal – “Goodbye”

I cannot be positive if that was the first of the many times I saw Blues Traveler, there was so much drugs and drink in my head at the time. I did end up working on the H.O.R.D.E. tour one year with them and The Black Crowes,  among many other amazing artists.  My years are jumbled, I could pin down the years if I Google the specific tours, my dates with the Black Crowes on tour separately as well. I would rather go with my memory of the actual specific events of that time rather than order. There are many other remembrances for another time. Again, I will get to some of it here.

So I think that as it was my first time seeing Blues Traveler, It was also my first time meeting Bobby Sheehan. We did some coke and there was a lot of jabber jaw, high purity Peruvian flake. I had a very good connection and we went through a good sixteenth in about fifteen minutes. It may not sound like a lot but it wasn’t street coke. It got you much higher, and you could tell it was quality because there was little post nasal drip…that’s how Keith Richards (and others) attest to why they are still alive after so much drug use because they knew the “Chemical Rules”, rules of mixology and purity are paramount. As a result you do much less and get to the extremes of euphoria without the feeling of chasing the dragon during use. Some people can see where I’m going with this, others can’t but you will catch on. So that was it, I met Bobby, blew some rails, and thought it would be the last time I would run into him. Who knew?

So as I said I went to see Blues Traveler again this time in New York City. It was a New Years Eve Show, I think at the Limelight. Clubs moved around a lot in New York because of the Liquor license crackdowns in the 80’s and 90’s. A friend and I decided at the last minute to fly there on a shuttle flight, which pre 9*ii was cheap and quick. We got to the gate seconds before the “Trump Shuttle” was to take off and basically bought our tickets and ran onto the plane with the door waiting to close behind us.  We had a fifth of Jack Daniels which we drank in it’s entirety on the hour flight…it’s safe to say we were sauced. Before we got on the plane we split up the drugs and hid them in our pants, he had the Magic Mushrooms, I had the pot, hash, and pills. I thought we were well behaved on the plane, I know we did not make a scene with our Coca Cola chasers, there was nothing notable about the trip except euphoria….so I thought.

Well we disembarked the plane laughing it up, when we realize we are being separated by plain clothes cops…they said we were “suspicious” because we did not have any luggage. Well they searched us separately right out on the city street, no back room deal or anything. They let us go after about fifteen minutes…the officers told us to wait and after they conferred, we were let go because we had the same story, we were going to see a New Years Eve Concert at the Limelight. It was the truth, simple as that. They did not even ask us if we were carrying any drugs, but we were not going to argue against the search even on a trumped up reason. Now days they search the inside of the pants, back then they did not thankfully. I always carried my drugs in my crotch and fortunately they never were found. Glad I don’t have to do that anymore, those were the days. Again, the show was awesome, we ate mushrooms, smashed bottles with a thousand other people on Bleeker Street in The Village early morning and chilled out on benches in Washington Square Park  before catching a Greyhound home at the break of dawn.

It seems like it was not more than a year later when a friend and I were kicking it in a popular college watering hole, and who is there getting sauced as well John Popper and Bobby Sheehan. We hung out for a few hours till last call and just when we were about to walk out the door Bobby runs up to me to see if we can score some blow…he’s says ‘we’ll give you the cash if you want to run to the ATM with me’. I told him that the money was not necessary, that we could split it later. He wanted us to come back to the Hotel and hang out with them and some girls for the night, he was adamant that they wanted to party. My coke dealer was supposed to be out of town but I said I think I can hook up anyway. So he gave me a piece of paper with all the info of the Hotel location and I said we would call them when we copped. Well I made the phone calls, beepers (yeah…remember them), tried backups…I think it was the first time I was not able to score in a moments notice. After a while we called them at the hotel and let them know it was not going to happen…it was all good he said. I told him call me when you come to town again. Laterz!

So as I look back on it it was probably a good thing that I could not score when I think of what was to come. While I was on the H.O.R.D.E. Tour I told Bobby that I had cleaned up and he seemed bummed out but he said it was fine with him. I did my job and I still had a great time as things were suddenly clear after years of debauchery. I remember thinking I could do drugs and still do my job as I had done for years but something inside said no, and not only that, I saw with some of the bands I worked with over the years what drugs could do to destroy relationships that were part of money making machines. As I’ve said before so many lives were lost and careers destroyed. Being clean helped me to avoid situations on the gut level and although it was going on around me everywhere….I could party as hard or harder without the drugs, I think people thought I was on drugs. That was just the ADD talking since I had given up any speed that was working to calm me down. I still broke stuff and jumped out of  the balconies of hotels into the pool and people thought that was cool so. Se la vie! Eso si’ que es!

The Black Crowes were awesome guys as well, but I will not get too much into that now. It warrants it’s own article. It is ironic to me that these two bands are connected by the past, but out of respect for the Crowes not wanting to be associated with Blues Traveler, it is what it is. The reason that I bring them up on the short now is because certain members of both Blues Traveler and the Crowes have a notorious feud I will not get into why, but lets just say certain members have said publicly that they hate the other. One band calling the other band not worthy to be in their presence because the other band are basically crap. I have nothing against either of them, they were cool to me. The Crowes were at their peak then when Johnny Colt, Marc Ford, and Ed Harsch were in the band…they were magic onstage. They’re still great today but it’s different…it just is, and that is not a bad thing as all things run they’re course.

One night after the Crowes got off stage…in the same room as I met Katie Sagal I walked into catering and sitting there was Marc Ford and Pauley Shore. Mindfuck….check! Chillin’ with the weasal…check! That was an interesting conversation we had for sure. It got better once the Jack Daniels spiked my blood. Pauley shore is a funny guy, although some might say his moment has passed, he is inextricably linked by blood to comedy royalty in Los Angeles.

A sad end to this chapter was me finding out that Bobby Sheehan had died of a drug overdose in 1999 at the age of 31. The interesting thing is that I never hear anyone talking about him, and I found that quite sad. Bobby was a kind guy and is truly missed by those who knew him and it sounds cliche, but he really would give you the shirt off his back. Because, as I said, I have not heard much about him after his passing, I thought it high time to make mention of him here. Some might say well it’s not very flattering to talk of him in light of the drug use but it was his flaw. That does not make him a bad person. As you know some of us souls live for the thrill of everything life has to offer, even if it means our time here on earth is short. The thunder of bass coming out from below his cap still resonates outward for all the storms yet to come.

Bobby Sheehan ~ 1968-1999 (Age 31)

Blues Traveler – 1995 Grammy Award – Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group,

Title: Run-Around     (Brendan Hill, Chan Kinchla, John Popper, Bob Sheehan)

==============

CORRECTION: I Think???***The New Years Eve Blues Traveler Show referenced in the above article was held @ The Roseland Ballroom, New York City, in the early 1990’s, as opposed to the Limelight Club??? Again, I think…If my memory serves me right. Thanks <3

==============

Again thank you for all your support…Keep your head up!

COMING TOMORROW: Today’s Favorite Videos Series #20

Cheers and Bless Bless!

CM ☕

☠

Please do not reproduce this article either all or in part without the expressed written permission of the author who can be reached via the “Contact” section in the header menu. You may link to the article if you wish, all that we ask is that you give credit to the respective author…”Christmachine” wherever you post a link. Thank you.

Copyright © 2015 Christmachine. All Rights Reserved.

©2014 – 2020 Christmachine ☕