Still not sure how all this online sorcery works, but I believe that if you convert today’s post to an RSS feed, a link I’ve embedded will magically appear, and you will be able to either listen to, or download Part One of a three-part podcast series.

Today’s link will be my chat with musician and actor Gerrad Everard, one of the talented cast members kicking musical butt in Stage West’s production of “British Invasion”.

However, if sorcery affinity is not something you can readily claim proficiency in, just click this link below:

http://thatdanguy.libsyn.com/

These will all be available on iTunes as well (still the closest I am coming to working in an Apple environment – sigh…) – free for you to download, my friends!

Oh yeah, and scroll back down to the November 14 post for a review of that show.

Chow for now!!

Chicken Scratch

COMING THIS DECEMBER!!

It’s the brand-new album from “Crew-Cut Chuck & The Gristly Chicklets”!

Following up on their ill-advised cover album of Celine Dion hits, this time Crew-Cut takes on the beloved songbook of legendary pop star Neil Diamond. Offering their own wacky take on well known hits, the gang will pluck at your music bones with:

“Sweet Caroline Corn Pellets”

“I Am, I Pecked”

“Beak Turned Blue”

“Cacklin’ Rosie”

Your ears will tingle with delight as Chuck and his Chicklets put their own clawprints on”

“Forever In PinFeathers”

“You Don’t Bring Me Gravy Anymore”

“Holly Holy Pluck”

“Love On The Rocks, Seeds On The Gravel”

Relive the dazzle of re-interpreted Diamond with:

“Solitary Chicken”

“Yesterday’s Songs (Don’t Crow Very Long)”

“Red Red Wine (My Cluckin’ Head…)”

Coming This Decemeber:

Crew-Cut Chuck & The Gristly Chicklets: “The Diamond Sessions”

Clear a place in your roost for this treasure!

Cluck for now!!

Stage West Calgary - "British Invasion"

The Saturday Morning “Nobody-Asked-Me-To, But-Here-I-Go-Anyway” Review: Stage West Calgary’s “British Invasion”.

I suppose I’m going to have to start rethinking that title – I HAVE been asked to do this review, and will even be writing one officially for The Calgary Herald again (link to be posted here when that runs). I will also have interviews with the three stars of the show (pictured above from left Gerrad Everard, Melissa O’Neil, some old guy, and Terry Hatty) – available for free downloading over the next few days. What a great group!

OK, so…

Paul McCartney, Herman’s Hermits, Tom Jones, The Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton, Graham Nash, Rod Stewart, The BeeGees, Elton John – all British icons of pop music over the last few decades – all artists I’ve seen perform live. Although technically, I believe The BeeGees are Australian, but I will admit they do sound British…

The above are just a few of the artists who rode the waves of the original British Invasion back in the mid-60’s, and whose songs are included in this terrific retrospective, arcing over the past 40 years.

Buoyed by exceptional performances overall, with loads of laughs injected throughout, this production will appeal to both theatre-goers, AND fans of this swath of musical history – music that really changed the North American landscape. I might be closer to the actual demographic that lived through that generation than most of the cast members last night, but the effort put into recreating the era was ultimately entirely convincing.

Top-billed stars Terry Hatty (originally an East Coast music scene staple whom has even spent several years fronting The Guess Who), Melissa O’Neil (Season Three Canadian Idol winner), and Gerrad Everard (billed as a “local favourite”, but like Hatty has seen the world as a musician) were indeed standouts. Hatty killed on several solo performances, notably covering Clapton, Eric Burdon of The Animals, Robert Plant, and Freddie Mercury. This gentleman makes first-time listeners instant fans.

Charismatic Melissa O’Neil hit several home runs of her own, notably a trio of Dusty Springfield nuggets – “old soul” has become a cliché describing younger singers that interpret material with such compelling insight, but lacking any newer or better clichés, I’ll stick with that one.

And as for Mr. Everard – what a hoot! Adding comic dimensions to his ample vocal range for his roles, the man was a stand-out alone in his Mick Jagger sequence.

None of this is to suggest that the rest of the cast had any trouble keeping up with their top-billed colleagues. Sure, there were a few less-convincing covers of some songs, but there were far too many knock-outs to quibble. Some were rubbing shoulders with the headliners.

If you enjoy music and entertainment with your dining, and especially hearing some of the biggest hits and artists from 1964 forward, you will absolutely want to catch this production, running here in Calgary until January 24, 2010…

And check back here in the coming week, for that link to the Calgary Herald review, plus the interviews that will be available for your listening pleasure.

Chow for now!!

Egads!

We are rapidly heading to not only Christmas, but a new year as well!!

I ain’t ready!! I need more 2009, and I need more November for that matter!

I probably need to end at least one sentence in this post without an exclamation mark!!

OK, just because you use TWO exclamation marks, that DOESN’T mean you’ve broken the pattern!! You’ve actually made it worse!!!

Oh no!!!! THREE exclamation marks???? I’m losing all control!!!!!!!!

AAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Chow for now!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

See, now this is what I'm talking about, people!

Last night, we were watching the newest episode of "Big Bang Theory", on 11 11.

Turned out to utilize what Chuck Lorre refers to as Card #111 - oddly enough a card about not having anything to write, something I've done myself in this space many, many times (more often than not, some might say...).

EGADS!!!!

Back off, #11 - back off I say...

Chow for now!!

11 11…whooo-ooooo……
Which reminds me, we were seating in Row 11 for three of our four flights to and from Atlantic City – does anyone else out there find certain numbers following them around? Constantly?

Hey, it’s always great to be traveling out of the country, and hear your fellow countrymen on the radio, or blaring out of different venues. This trip was no exception – we heard Nickelback along the famed Boardwalk, Michael Buble while we were window-shopping, and Simple Plan in a casino – those are just the ones I picked up on.

Viva la musique, Canada!!

Don’t forget to wear your poppy today (the flower, not your grandpa)!

Chow for now!!

Whew!

Great to get into that familiar bed here at home last night, after our “adventure” returning from Atlantic City. As this is a new, experimental flight for Westjet, the airline is only running a few flights back from the city, but they are evening, flights, with no connections until the next morning.

However, the connecting flight doesn’t leave you enough time to leave the airport and get a room, so we had to wander the Toronto airport overnight/morning for about 7 hours, before we boarded a plane packed with bright-eyed, bushy-tailed business executives. With no sleep, we were unshaven zombies, shuffling amongst the Blackberries and business suits. We fit in rather well, actually…

Back home now, and life, such as that may be here, returns to normal. Lots of TV to catch up on, and Cheezies with our names on them.

Chow for now!!

(PS - special thanks to our niece, who loaded a browser onto my phone that allowed me to actually post from the airport - too cheap to pay for wi-fi...)

65 bottles of beer on the wall,
65 bottles of beer,
Ya take one down,
Ya pass it around,
There's still a lotta bottles of beer on the wall....
Chow. For now...

OMG!
In Toronto, our connecting flight back to Calgary doesn't leave until 7:15 AM!!
I see three Mrs. That Dan Guy's - and we still have to kill almost 5 hours before we can check in.
This will not be pretty...
Chow, for now!

The Sunday Morning “Nobody-Asked-Me-To, But-Here-I-Go-Anyway” Concert Review: Bob Newhart.

Well, here’s the entire, single solitary reason we made the trip to Atlantic City. A chance to see the legendary Bob Newhart, live and in his element – performing stand-up to an adoring audience. If the Music Box Theater in the Borgata Hotel wasn’t entirely sold out, it was darn close. An all-ages affair, even attracting the stand-ups that perform in there throughout the week.

Let’s just preface this by saying that I used to listen to Mr. Newhart on the radio, back when the only things worth listening to were Hockey Night In Canada broadcasts, and the odd track from one of his iconic “Button Down Mind” albums. His routine about the U.S.S. Codfish, and Sir Walter Raleigh introducing tobacco to the Americas just slayed me, even as a pimply youngster. Over the years, I loved his two hit TV series, and innumerable guest spots on everything from Dean Martin’s show, to Carson’s Tonight Show. Huge fan- as is Mrs. That Dan Guy, just maybe not going back quite as far as myself, being the young whippersnapper that she is, compared to me.

The show exceeded expectations. Performing his trademark observational humour interspersed with snippets of some classic bits (the one-eyed bullfighter, flying “happy” airlines), Newhart lampooned televangelists, football fans, country music fans (we winced a few times there…), and even modern wedding songs (cross LL Cool J’s song about big butts off your list of possible options…).

The picture I loaded late last night (in error – it was actually almost 2 AM when I wrote this post – damned cursed Windows computers…) was from an updated version of his driving instructor bit – totally hilarious to see live.

Mr. Newhart even added in some video clips from his lengthy career, before he left the stage, to return for a short encore.

Making the whole night mesh was opening act Gene Ferrari – an old-time powerhouse vocalist with just a hint of Humperdinck in his styling – Humperdinck on steroids. As you might suspect from his name, he was tres Italiano – hey, that’s not a bad stage name – Tres Italiano!!

An awesome night of entertainment – well worth the trek to get out here…

Chow for now!!

Whoops! This is for tomorrow's post!!

Chicken Scratch

“Lonely..

I’m Mr. Lonely…”

BUK-AAAAWK!!!!

WAHOOOO!!! Free at last, free at last!

The humans are away, an us chickens is gonna PLAY!!!

Well, maybe just a bit – we still gotta worry about this swined flu thing, so I ain’t invitin’ any strange chicks over. A bird’s gotta stay alive, ya know…

BUK-AAAAWK!!!!

Hey, maybe I should rifle through a few drawers and cupboards here. Ole Banjo Boy might have sumthin’ embarassin’ stashed unner his socks and boxers! I could export him, for big bucks, to keep it (anythin’ embarassin’) outta this space!

BUK-AAAAWK!!!!

Well, if we wanna party here, we better get ta plannin’ – I can always send Corny out ta pick up the booze and snax – keepin’ my own system germ –free!

Yeah, I know – brilliant…

Cluck for now!!

A trip that we booked some time ago has finally arrived, and this post today reaches you from the lovely seaside hamburg of…Atlantic City, New Jersey! We’re here to see a show, and then it’s back to Reality-Burg, Canada.

Quite the trip – we left our home around 7:30 AM, and eventually arrived here in AC around 9 PM – I think it may be shorter to walk to Thailand than it is to fly to New Jersey from Canada. Go figure…

Some fun – we were worried about traveling in this current climate of H1N1 virus hysteria, and managed to have some young gentleman sit behind us in the departure lounge that had a healthy, robust, wet and messy cough, which he felt entirely unnecessary to cover whilst projecting said bacterium into the open air. Mrs. That Dan Guy was fit to be tied (which is not exactly something she hasn’t tried, but that’s a story for another day…).

We couldn’t wait to get on the airplane, and away from Virus Man, but wouldn’t you know our luck – he sat BEHIND US, on the airplane, hacking all the way along.

We sprinted off the plane as soon as it landed, hoping to gasp some fresh, viral-free air. I’m not sure about the general commerce observations of the local cab drivers’ organizations here in Atlantic City, but there were none to be seen, at a major U.S. airport, after a load of passengers had arrived, eager to spend money on over-charged fares to the Boardwalk.

We were directed t0 a mini-van that offered shuttle services, and thought with much relief that we wouldn’t have to hop a city bus to get to our hotel.

However, that relief soon gave away to sheer, stunning regret, as the mini-van continued to fill with people, all set to be shuttled along with us. Including…you got it…Hacky Magoo. In a closed, contained van – essentially a petri dish with wheels.

And Hacky had help in his quest to inoculate us with disease and pestilence – two ladies behind us were sneezing, wheezing, and sniffling. We pretty much wanted to jump out of the flipping window.

Oh well, we’re here now, and ingesting profuse amounts of COLD-FX. Hopefully the housekeeping staff we hearing coughing outside our room right now are brief when they make up our room later…

Chow, for now!!

You know, there is some logic with respect to installing a giant gong in our living room.

1) I could use it to awaken Mrs. That Dan Guy in the mornings, as the low-level din of a gong crash would probably penetrate those heavy slumberland snores of hers.

2) Meals could be more effectively announced throughout the day, just like they used to do in the old west, with a little triangle, or cowbell. Just (as Tim Taylor used to be fond of saying): “More Power”!

3) Announcements of some such random daily accomplishment could be brought to MTDG’s attention – like when I install a fresh roll of toilet paper, or kill a spider. Although, so as not to be confused with meal gongs, I might have to use a couple of whacks on the instrument.

4) On occasion, I could just use it to recreate parts of songs, such as many of those by famed Canadian rockers Rush.

5) When ever I need a fresh beer…three gongs…

I’m sure there’s WAAAY more uses, and perhaps you all can let me know a few – but those would certainly be reason enough to me for justification of a purchase.

Chow for now!

Once upon a time, there was a blogger, a blogger who sat before his keyboard one morning, and found his mind completely blank.

Now, you may say that just by sitting in front of a keyboard might indicate that a person’s mind couldn’t really be TOTALLY blank, but this fellow’s mind was indeed quite blank – as blank as a snowflake in a can of ecru paint.

The more he sat in front of his keyboard, the less his mind was able to formulate even the simplest thoughts. And this was a man quite capable of simple thoughts…

He thought, and he thought, and he thought – all to no avail. His mind was a barren wasteland, devoid even of tumbleweed. Devoid of spider webs, devoid of cotton batten.

Surrendering, he left his keyboard, put on his James Blunt cds, and lived happily ever after.

Until tomorrow morning…

Chow for now!

I could’ve been Astro Boy, the cartoon hero now back in movie theatres everywhere.

No, no jokes – just a statement of fact.

Although, just because my feet are on fire after half an hour of walking in my sandals, that probably isn’t quite the same as his jet propulsion feature.

Chow for now!

You’ll probably have to click on the photo above to see the faint grey type below the headline – but this random web page I clicked on the other day happened to highlight my ongoing affair with wacky numbers (1:11). This was a weekend full of 11:11’s, 12:34’s, etc. I was seeing them on clocks all weekend.

We were watching something on TV, and there was a comment about Curb Your Enthusiasm, which is having a Seinfeld “reunion” this season throughout the show – 11 years after that show came off the year.

11 – I’m watching you, and your other buddy 11 as well. I don’t know why you twits are stalking me, but keep it up, and there WILL be repercussions. I don’t know, maybe a dead calculator or something – I’ll put more thought into that.

At any rate, I’m on heightened alert – you should be too…

Chow for now!!

To avoid giving out candy last night, Mrs. That Dan Guy and I went shopping, had dinner out, and caught “Law-Abiding Citizen” – the new action/drama movie starring Gerard Butler, and Jamie Foxx. Hey, if Jamie had appeared onscreen dressed AS a fox, there would have been some Halloween tie-in there!

He did not…

However – GREAT FLICK! OK, a tad on the violent side, but overall – a great potboiler, even though you know the whole way through that Butler as the vigilante is responsible for all the onscreen mayhem – it’s in the curves and twists that the storyline takes that makes it all so dang enjoyable. Foxx plays a convincing role as the high-flying D.A. Butler is trying to affect by his actions – the D.A. whom by the way we should be rooting for as the audience, but we were both cheering for the vigilante.

Hey, the movie is set in Philadelphia, which we got to spend some time in a few years back – and the Phillies just happen to be taking on the New York Yankees for the World Series Cup, or whatever it is they give away for baseball champs. Coincidence? I think not…

Anyhow, can’t say much about the movie itself without giving away the farm, but if you like Charles Bronson-styled vigilante movies (Charles Bronson was a big movie star back in the 1970’s…sheesh…), you’ll love this inventive take on the genre.

Chow for now!!

Chicken Scratch

“Halloween Apples!!”

“Trick Or Treat!!”

“Cash Or Gift Certificates – Keep Yer Cluckin’ Sunflower Seeds!!”

BUK-AAAAWK!!!!

Howdy, humans! Ole Charlie is here today, ta letcha preview his Halloween costume. I’m the pluckin’ Mummy – how bout THEM apples?? Spoooooooky…and quite skritchy, honestly...is this one-ply???

BUK-AAAAWK!!!!

Yeah, me and the little cluckers are lookin’ forward ta hittin’ the streets when the sun goes down. I for one am hopin’ it ain’t rainin’ or snowin’ – this toilet paper is gonna get mighty clingy if THAT happens…

BUK-AAAAWK!!!!

I had planned on goin’ as a turkey, but we already got one here in this house!

Ba-Doom-Boom! Here all week folks, try the veal…

BUK-AAAAWK!!!!

I better not fall asleep before all the trickery and treatery starts. Some big bonehead aroun’ here might mistake me for a roll a sumthin’ – and that could get ugly.

I’d hafta drop, cluck and roll pretty pronto!!

Better skitter – see what the cluckers are up to.

Cluck for now!!

Is it just me, or is it damn-near impossible to get “Use Somebody”, by The Kings of Leon out of your head???

Chow for now…