The DFFD Blog

by Thunderbolt Patterson | August 30, 2010 · 10:54 am

Thunderbolt Patterson: Viva Las Vegas Shakedown!

Newark Airport, 8/13/2010, 8:00 am EST:
Well, the air train at EWR works like a champ, and I would recommend it to anyone who has to fly. Of course, flying sucks these days, so WALK. Seriously. Lovely Bloody Mary at “Dick Clark’s American Bandstand Bar and Grill,” gate 37. Nice footage of the O’Jays.

Dallas Airport, 8/13/2010, noon, CST:
No Shiner Bock? Wait, I always make connections through Dallas FOR the Shiner Bock … and no, I don’t want a Bud Light. I NEVER want a Bud Light. Is this because I’m in the American Airlines terminal? I definitely had a Shiner Bock at the very same airport on the way to SXSW in February. OK, Miller Lite will be fine.

American Airlines: Suck, but not any worse than the other flying buses. I prefer train travel, but Vegas might have been a bit of a haul.

Las Vegas Airport, 8/13/2010, 2:00 pm PCT:
Nothing says “welcome” like a bank of slot machines right inside your arrival gate. Even better, a scant 10 minute drive to my hotel, the lovely…

Continue reading →

2 Comments

Filed under Live, Thunderbolt

by Salvi C. | August 25, 2010 · 11:44 pm

I Get a Thrill When I Look at This Billboard

(Photo courtesy of Gene Suttle)

We’re still waiting for BackToAfrica.net to be used by the Nigerian Tourist Bureau, and MinnesotaStrip.edu to be claimed by the Greater St. Paul branch of the Bada-Bing.

Link: iStandTall.com

— Salvi C.

“How Ya Doing, Chicago!?”

As we documented in the last post, the Summer of 1991 had our heroes on the road again. This revamped juggernaut wiped out Chicago on this date in 1991. The boys played the Avalon with the Lunachicks and Spinout in support. Here are some memories of the gig from our Senior Midwest correspondent, Robbie Q:

The Avalon was formerly known as The Quiet Knight, a truly legendary folk/rock/blues/comedy club. It was located on the second floor of a building at Belmont & Sheffield, just a bit south of Wrigley Field.

Many future stars played there in the ’60s & ’70s. Springsteen, Jackson Browne, Bob Marley, Bonnie Raitt, Warren Zevon, the Kinkster, even Jimmy Buffett played there before they were stars. But by the time punk hit, the place was declining, as was the neighborhood, and it finally closed, reopening as “Tut’s,” becoming a cornerstone of the Chicago punk scene, then finally becoming the Avalon. I don’t believe it stayed open as the Avalon very long, either. Too bad, it was a cool and historic room. The building is still there. Last time I went by, several years ago, the second floor was now occupied by a beauty/barber college. I wonder how many future cosmetologists knew the real history of the place?

Continue reading →

4 Comments

Filed under Archive, Dictators Assembled, Live, Live Review

by Salvi C. | August 20, 2010 · 2:26 am

1991: Out of Traction, Back in Action!

Photos courtesy of Kris Quaedvlieg

The summer of 1991 once again found the band with time on its hands. Manitoba’s Wild Kingdom had been dropped by the geniuses at MCA, the Del-Lords had broken up, and our heroes were left with the choice of scattering into the wind (again) or putting the band back together. To quote Manitoba, “We could stay home for the summer and lose money, or go on the road and lose money.” So, in best DIY, 3-to-a-room-at-the-Motel-6 fashion, the road was the choice. The Dictators played 20-plus dates over the course of the summer, the most since the “Bloodbrothers” tour in 1978.

I saw the first three shows from 1991. The 4/27 Palladium show was fun and exciting, but overall a shaky affair. Andy sat this one out, and RTB and Scott both did great jobs carrying the backing vocals. They obviously had worked their tails off rehearsing, but guitar cues were missed left and right, and it took until encores for things to really jell. The Uptown Horns were special guests on a surprise version of “Looking for a Love.”

The first weekend on the road, 5/31 in Providence and 6/1 at the Channel in Boston, were much improved shows, but it still felt like they were playing it safe. The set lists were identical to those from the 1981 shows, and they still seemed tentative. They were still short-arming their throws.

Continue reading →

3 Comments

Filed under Dictators Assembled, Live, Live Review, The Cincotta Archives

by Salvi C. | August 16, 2010 · 5:08 pm

Long Live the King!

On the 33rd anniversary of the death of Elvis, let us quote the immortal words of the Bard, Sir Scott of Kempner, which are from the Dictators’ Palladium show on 8/24/77:

“For the first time in a long time, rock & roll is without a King. The Dictators want to hereby commemorate, and dedicate, this set and every set from now on, to the King, Elvis Presley. Now, and forever.”

— Salvi C.

5 Comments

Filed under Live, Top Ten

by DFFD123 | August 12, 2010 · 11:38 am

The Dictators: Always on My Mind

Sign hanging inside the Beekman Arms, “America’s Oldest Continually Operating Inn” (est. 1766), Rhinebeck, N.Y.

— DFFD123

August 5, 1977: On the Road Again

On August 5, 1977, the Dictators opened for Bob Seger at the Merriwether Post Pavilion in Columbia, MD. To hear band members talk about it, the 1977 opening slots were nothing but horrible experiences. No one was ever there to see them, and they were basically just a 30-minute cock-block. Not to explode a myth, but this show stands as evidence to the contrary. Sure, the sound quality is horrible, but the band is totally smoking, obviously having a fine old time for themselves, and the show is enjoyably flavored by the disgruntled comments of the startled patrons who were being pinned to the back wall by the extremely loud Dictators. It’s lots of fun, and one of my favorite bootleg shows.

The set list:

1.        Science Gone Too Far
2.        The Next Big Thing
3.        Young, Fast, and Scientific
4.        Disease
5.        Two Tub Man

Bob Seger, Handsome Dick Manitoba

— Salvi C.

2 Comments

Filed under Dictators Assembled, Live, Live Review, The Cincotta Archives

by Salvi C. | July 31, 2010 · 1:00 am

One of the Top 5 45s of All Time

Let’s face facts: 45s are practically antiques, artifacts from another era. My nieces were in my apartment last week, and upon seeing a stack of singles, asked, “What are THOSE?” It’s a shame that the youth of today is missing out on the single greatest format for recorded music ever. The best song goes on the “A” side, the throwaway on the “B.” No fat, no filler. The format is all but dead now, reserved only for major-label vanity pressings, and otherwise kept alive by fans that double as indie label owners.

On this day in 1997, the Dictators recorded what not only might rank as their best track, but what might also stand as the last desert island tune to ever see release as a 45.

Since you asked, my top 5 45s ever would be, in no particular order:

1.        She Loves You
2.        Surfin’ Bird
3.        Rockaway Beach
4.        Glad All Over
5.        Who Will Save Rock and Roll?

It’s still available from Norton Records (www.nortonrecords.com), in case you’ve worn your copy out. But if you bought 5 copies like I did, the go dust off your turntable, set the volume on stun, and spin it a dozen times in a row. It’s the American thing to do.

— Salvi C.