[Dixielandjazz] Weird Gigs

[Russ Guarino]

About 15 years ago, in Hollywood, I got a hurry up quick call for a band for a
birthday party in a private residence in the Hollywood hills.  The birthday was
for a sheikh or some sort of potentate.  The audience was all male.

We assembled and began playing in the home and about 1/2 hour later some
handsome muscular "Chippendale" type guys show up who change into G strings.
They proceed to dance.  We adjusted our music to some "bump and grind" tempos to
accommodate their show. They then began disappearing into back rooms from time
to time.

When we packed up after the gig, one of the muscle guys came over to me and said
something like "We're not gay, this is just business".

Russ Guarino

Kurt wrote:

> Being located in Des Moines, Iowa my band has had the opportunity to play
> for almost every presidential candidate at one time or another over the past
> 20 years.  Iowa hosts the first in the nation caucus and other major
> political events leading up to the primary and general election.
>
> One time we were a featured band at the Iowa Straw Poll event held at Hilton
> Coliseum in Ames.  Every candidate was there and was given strict
> instructions to limit their speech to not more than five minutes to keep the
> show on time.
>
> There was a main podium from where the candidates spoke, and my band was
> located on a lower platform (a few steps down from the main platform) just
> to stage right of the podium.
>
> Bob Dole gave his speech and as he approached the five minute mark it was
> obvious that he was not going to finish in time.  At six minutes, the floor
> director was giving him the cutoff sign, which he ignored.  Then they shut
> his mic off mid sentence.
>
> When this happened, he walked over to the platform my band was playing on
> and grabbed one of the front line mics and started talking again.  At that
> point, the band got a cue to start playing, which we did.
>
> Dole finally got the hint and left the podium.  The thousands in attendance
> went nuts.
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: dixielandjazz-bounces at ml.islandnet.com
> [mailto:dixielandjazz-bounces at ml.islandnet.com]On Behalf Of Charlie Hull
> Sent: Wednesday, December 17, 2003 1:19 PM
> To: Robert S. Ringwald; DJML
> Subject: Re: [Dixielandjazz] Wierd Gigs
>
> Not the weirdest, but certainly the most boring:
>
> During the Ross Peirot presidential campaign, my K Street Ramblers JB was
> hired to play at a Ross rally at the local Holiday Inn.  We were seated
> on-stage next to the speaker' podium, played trad while the audience was
> assembling, and 'California, Here I Come' as Ross came down the aisle and
> mounted the Podium.  He began to speak immediately and we had no chance to
> leave without disruption.  We were trapped during his dazzling 45-minute
> speech.  Try looking awake and interested through that!
>
> We weren't scheduled to play any more, and managed to sneak off after Ross
> finished and was basking in his standing ovation.
>
> Charlie Hull
>
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