Who, me? Oh! No! No, no, no, no...hahaha...(laughs self depracatingly) Thank you so much, I'm flattered really...but I was actually referring to my lunch. I had this super, amazing, completely awesome tuna sandwich at the diner, ya know? It was life changing. I mean, what they did with mayo and celery was genius! What? You think I'm exaggerating? Allow me to explain myself. I'm In the Powder Room today giving my two cents. Or what the heck? Maybe a cool million?
This song and I have a history. I played it a lot in high school. If there was a talent show, a spaghetti dinner, a spare moment in my room...I was playing this. I felt like it was my theme song even though I hadn't yet come of age. I love the simplicity of the album version. I found the album at the same babysitting job I found the Tom Petty Hard Promises album. Our next door neighbors had a happening record collection. Thanks for that, you guys.
Hold me closer Tony Danza...
Count the head lice on the highway... Two words: "Almost Famous". Okay, four words: "Almost Famous" bus scene. Honky Chateau is a great album. My favorite of his.
I just want one stab at singing this at karaoke.
It's so damn much fun to sing. Sing it in the car.
Go ahead. Freak a few people out. I dare you. It's fun as hell.
And as I get older, the song means something to me too.
Win. Win.
I went through a Styx phase. In high school. And when I
was living in New York, Tommy Shaw played a solo show
at Max's Kansas City. I went. And I took the guitar that I
learned to play on. After the show, I marched backstage to
his little dressing room, barged in and walked right up to him.
He was sitting in a high backed chair surrounded by beautiful
women - Rock God Style. I walked up and handed him a Sharpie
telling him I learned to play their songs on that guitar and that
Fooling Yourself was my favorite. He replied "ALL RIGHT!!",
signed it and I was on my way, too nervous to even shake his hand.
Last summer I met him again in Atlantic City. I'm not stupid - this time I made sure I hugged him and planted a wet one on his face.
Rock n Roll! I still have the guitar. I get a lot of flack for it.
"Does that guitar have Tommy Shaw's autograph on it???"
Yeah. Bite me.
I "discovered" Joni while I was living in New York and playing
in the folk clubs of Greenwich Village. I played the hell out of
"Ladies Of the Canyon" and even though that record is all about
California, whenever I hear it - to this day - I think about New York and early mornings...the walk of shame in last night's clothes with a massive hangover and a cotton mouth heading back uptown to either go to work or sleep it off before going back downtown to do it all again. Days and nights in Washington Square Park, culminating in somebody's loft apartment with ten guitars and everyone singing - and this song...just one of many that will always be so visual to me.
