Could we Squeeze by?

How many times have you been watching a musician or group and a questions pops into your head that you'd love to have answered? And you can't, because there's separation of church and state (make that separation between musicians and ears with feet).

Well Friday night was the night for question-and-answer. Just about anything Park had on their minds was brought up with the musicians and then answered. But the first question of the night actually came from the artist. In this case, Glenn Tilbrook. And not really him, but the woman leading him up a crowded staircase after they arrived as the audience was starting to file into the Highline Ballroom.

"Could we squeeze by?" It was almost too precious. I was laughing so hard, I almost couldn't get out of the way to let the fomer-turned-once again sometime lead singer of Squeeze into his own gig. "Hey Glenn," I finally managed. "Hi," he replied affably.

The chain continued with other members of his band. And there's Stephen Large, the slim, affable and energetic keyboardist in Glenn's side band, The Fluffers. Earlier that week, I had been talking with a fellow fan who remarked that it was interesting that Stephen and bassist Lucy Shaw were married and wondered if they had met while playing with Glenn or if they previously knew each other.

I said hi to Stephen too and queried whether I could ask him a quick question. He said sure and I asked about him and Lucy. He said they had known each other before they got into the band. One question asked and ahn-swered (I'm affecting Glenn's Brit accent, hey, if he can call himself Hendrix's son, I can do that.)

So we're at the very front of the Highline stage and the gear is set up for the opening band, The Spring Standards. 'Ark notices a dollar bill taped to the guitarist's pedal and wonders why that is. Stay tuned...

The Spring Standards hit us like a breath of fresh air. To start off with, they're intriguingly set up at the front of the stage, and each of the three members (James, Heather and James) have a piece of the drum kit in addition to their other duties. I wonder if the name James is a precursor to being hired by Glenn ... Alternative band James (BORINGLY!) did the honors at Radio City last year. The two Jameses and Heather proved to be the opposite.

The Jamesi even switched guitars and positions on the stages during the show. Very multi-faceted this crew, whose music ran the gamut of possible influences. As 'Ark aptly put it, they didn't have any filler. Put even more simply, it's the best opening band Park has seen to date.

And we got to tell them so! Another of the burning questions that came up while watching them was how they got into each playing a different piece of the drum kit. As James (of the high hair) told me, it was very organic. They're campfire musicians used to just trying different things. Well, it all worked Friday. And ... wait for it ... the dollar bill was given to James (high hair again) by fluffer drummer Simon Hanson. He taped it to his pedal to remind him that the business isn't just all about money. (He and the other two didn't seem to need to be reminded it, as their infectious enthusiasm carried them along as much as the quality tuneage.)

Other James (dressed like a geography teacher -- his words -- for the New York show) kept that gag running by choosing to doodle a palm tree and a blazing sun on the vinyl he signed for us, admitting that frankly that was all the geography he could draw. All three of them were as gracious as they could be to hear nice words about their music, to make a sale, just to be engaged in conversation.

Even before Glenn and The Fluffers took the stage, the opening act seemed very complementary to Glenn and Co.'s style. With Squeeze taking a break, Glenn's crew has been on a brief 16-stop tour (reminds us of Lindsey Buckingham's own mini-tour, but pretty much there is not much that doesn't remind us of him one way or another right now). And they're rolling on all cylinders too, not surprising for a band that's been together for about six years. Glenn in particular looked in very good health and was a sharp-dressed man (minus the beard) in a black pinstripe suit with Fluffer t-shirt underneath it to boot.

The new songs got a real boost from being played live (as all the best ones do, when performed by quality musicians). During the tour, Glenn had different guests fill in for the Johnny Depp's album vocal. On this night it was Heather's turn to utter "Too Close to the Sun" every time Glenn nodded in her direction as The Fluffers manically interwove notes and chords around her.

Of course Squeeze hits ("Slap and Tickle", "Pulling Mussels from a Shell", "Up the Junction") and by now Glenn standards ("Unbreakable", "Parallel World") fared very well. On one of his solos, he wound up "Too Close to the Park and stepped on our newly acquired LP (no harm, no foul).

"Take Me I'm Yours" seemed to have the show wrapped on a high note, but Glenn brought "The Kids" -- as he put it and we now deem them -- back to the stage for the final encore. His new CD is named "Pandemonium Ensues" and it definitely seemed like that was on his mind. His first order of business was to declare that everyone had to switch instruments.

He played the drums and eventually got a hold of Lucy's bass, and then rang out the first few lines of "Rhiannon" -- we can NOT escape the Mac!!! Heather sang it most capably too. Then it was on to one of 'Ark's favorite songs "Funkytown." And lastly but so not leastly, the band's usual ode to Minnie Riperton's "Lovin' You."

There was a little variation on it this time. As Stephen plinked out the notes, the stage -- so up close and personal as to be surreal -- became a slow-motion view of the remaining musicians just tearing up the joint. They were mock-punching other out (Glenn particularly caused laughter by plunging face first into a wayward cymbal) and just wrecking the stage to the ever-sweet sounds of "Lovin' You." And then he started to sing and the band lined up behind him like chorus girls waving their arms slowly like the Rockettes (see above photo). When it came to "that high note," instead of sweetly going up an octave or four, they held a low piercing scream instead. Check out the video here -- the melee starts at about 2:25 of the way through. I can't even do it justice. Even the YouTube doesn't quite capture it.

Got that setlist too! This one right off of Stephen's keyboards and into my waiting arms.

While waiting to meet Glenn for the first time, The Kids came out and mixed and mingled with attendees. 'Ark went over to get his EP CD signed, and he mentioned that I had met Stevie Nicks earlier in the week and we both enjoyed her version of "Rhiannon." She looked across the room at where he was gesturing, I gave her the thumbs-up and she gave it right back to me. "Great job!" She seemed both happy and maybe a hint of relieved? She told 'Ark she messed it up a little bit, don't worry, even Stevie trips over her lyrics and she's known for "drownding in the sea of love" as well.

'Ark had this idea of telling the musicians that a live album of the proceedings could be called "Pandemonium Ensued." When we told Stephen the idea, he mustered up a little chuckle and not much more enthusiasm. But 'Ark thought it would be better received by Glenn and, boy, was he right. Glenn threw his head of tousled hair back and chuckled heartily. A more appreciative response there could not be.

With the Fluffers' tour in the books, I wanted to ask Glenn about whether he was going to do one of those wondrous acoustic shows again. And since it was the day for asking, I did! In a way not dissimilar from Mick Fleetwood's response during the Meet and Greet, he said he was not not planning one and added he wanted to do all of it. I told him we would be there in any form or fashion.

Getting a Nicks Fix

Time for another mid-week blog. This one is brought to you courtesy of my MiLB colleague Daren, Barnes & Noble and the indefatigable Miss Stevie Nicks. As we look up on the tote board, we see the Pai count is three-fifths of modern-era Fleetwood Mac accounted for autographs, two-fifths in face-to-face meetings.

We take up the action midday Tuesday. I knew Stevie Nicks would be doing her first-ever in-person signing at the Barnes & Noble in Union Square. She released a live CD and DVD on the same day, and already heard that people would be allowed to get only those signed (there went the Rumours cover with Mick and Stevie on it). Also heard that she was a bit squeamish about hundreds of people flashing photos in her face, so cameras were prohibited (but obviously snuck in by others despite her wishes as you can see here).

When I left for work at around 3, the 300-person seating capacity was just about filled. But then we got word that they would reseat those with people who waited in ... and wait for it EC fans ... the queue. Well I didn't really have time to wait in the queue. ;) I had to get to work for a meeting (which said colleague graciously offered to have happen an hour earlier so I could at least make an attempt at the signing).

When I heard about how many people were out there, I almost didn't go, but Daren had made his effort on my behalf so off I raced after the meeting. I got my flier, got on the line out the door. People were still being brought in for standing room only on the fourth floor, they were to pay for two items at the register and that receipt gained them entrance to the Stevie level.

I was standing sort of perpendicular with the store, but a guard moved us parallel to it. When that happened, a man got ahead of me. Now I didn't think much of it at the time, 'cause well we were far away from the action. But he actually wound up being the last person able to purchase. The guard let five of us up to the register -- I was the first on this line. And there we stood for about 90 minutes waiting and hoping that this would happen.

I didn't have much hope, until the clerk -- poor thing forced to stand with us all that time and basically do nothing as we whined and questioned her about previous book signings to figure out our chances -- said that usually the fourth floor doesn't have the chairs in there and holds more for the signings.


Made some nice acquaintances on the line. Caustic Jenna was definitely a highlight. She had just been at the Izod show too, so we were trading comments about that one. Melissa had been to the Madison Square Garden show and the friend she had come with -- low and behold, another Gina! -- actually was stuck back at the door, the guard wouldn't let them both through together. There was a really sweet other woman as well, and I forget her name right now but she and her daughter have been sharing the Stevie love. She later said she would have bowed out at 6:30 if we hadn't kept her so occupied.

The most notable discussions were sordid mom tales (To even out the balance, I countered with my "best mom" story, saying if Mom lived in New York she woulda willingly sat upstairs all day for me) and life with "grey shirt" (a woman who actually had a receipt, but came back downstairs to try to buy another when the clerks were trying to convince her that she had a guaranteed autograph upstairs, and no guarantee if she was behind us).

So 90 minutes later, they let us purchase. And I got the magic receipt and up to the fourth floor I went. There was a looooong way to go. We got put in a couple different areas (one of which rearranged us so people who came after us actually wound up going before us ... sigh), but ultimately we did get seated in the main area. And the people just kept coming. They refilled the rows as soon as people went up for autographs. We got to watch "Grey Shirt" flitting around aimlessly a couple times, we did fear a little for Stevie when she got up there. But that moment seemed to pass without incident.

And then finally, our row got to stand and get in the line to the dais. It really sped up when it came to the big moment. You give your items to an assistant, who moves them over to Stevie. I started talking while she was signing. "How are you holding up?" I said. Her hand cramped a little and she hesitated, but said she was doing all right and just wanted to be able to sign for everyone. I said how much we all appreciated that and she said thanks for saying that. I added that I thought the band was playing fabulously right now. She grasped my hand in hers, made sure to make eye contact and said "Thanks very much, that means a lot to me."


















It was insanely sweet of her to be like that with everyone -- maybe 1,000 people. It made reflect on being a fan of hers ... back to 1982, when her special was on HBO and I cried because we couldn't get home for the start of it. (Don't bust my chops, there was no VCR back then, let alone a DVD!)

Oh, one tiny note, I've always sort of thought she had a remarkable resemblance to Carrie Fisher. That's really brought home in the above picture.