Hot August Night
Discover more from From The Mixed Up Files of Mr. Matthew T. Schindler
How do, Faux friends?
The first record album I ever fell in love with was Hot August Night by Neil Diamond. It was recorded on August 24, 1972. I was 3 and a half on that day.
When I was four and a half, I‘d ask my mom to put it on while she worked in the garden or did housework. I’d look at Neil and pretend I was playing along, and she could leave me alone except to come and flip the record every so often. It is etched in my mind (Though the “Porcupine Pie” side gets less play.) for real.
And now, 49 years after that recording and 43 miles south-south-east of the Greek Theater in Los Angeles where it was recorded, I am going to try to make my own Hot August Night happen. (#hotFauxSummer?)
In Irvine, California, the new headquarters of Faux Jean Int’l.
All this to say: I am so very excited to play a show this Saturday, August 14, 2021.
In public.
My first time dangling the ego-slash-muse since March of 2019.
That’s a long time with no stage time for a ham like Faux Jean.
Vulnerable.
My last scheduled show was January of 2020 and that was canceled because it was 25 below for an entire week in Madison, WI. (Brien, correct me if I’m wrong.)
And then the pandemic.
And then the mid-pandemic move to California.
Saturday August 14, 2021 will not be 25 below in Southern California.
It could rain. (Not terribly likely, but, you know…)
There could be a fire or an earthquake. (Locusts?)
But this gig will not be canceled due to extreme cold.
I’m going to try to capture it digitally and share it somehow, but I’m not overthinking it.
You’ll be among the first to know.
Here’s the poster for the gig:
I am an artist in captivity.
I have deputized a few Fake Journeymen to play some of the set with me. Nelly Jean will play beatbox (cajon) for a few selections, and Scruffy Gene Squire will be playing harmonica on them there songs too. (That’s Zach Nelson of the Clef Hangers, a group from UNC, and Kurt Squire, formerly of the Mary Janes from Bloomington Indiana.
I am quite excited.
Here is the set list that got out of control. I’ll probably only play 50 songs, realistically, but this is the vibe we’re working with.
O Listen!
You Are A Machine
My Gift for You
This land is your land (Guthrie)
Corinna Corinna (Trad/Dyan)
Poopy Pants
Leitmotif
My Greatest Sin *
Gotta Get Up (Nilsson)
As Long As We’re Alive
I’ll Waste Away
Set the World On Fire (Ink Spots)
Jaded/Believe
4 seasons
Act Naturally (Buck)
Bye Bye Love (Everlys)
Nature
Drop D
Powderhorn Park
The Way You Say Goodnight (MAG Fields)
What’s not to love?
Halloween dance
You were the one / Big Believer
Be Free and Do Not Die
I willingly submit to your Tyranny
The Boy from New York City (Ad-libs)*
BumbleBee
Street fighting man (stones)*
It’s a free Country
Go get fixed
Mediocre Gatsby
Laptop excursion (every breath (Police))/30k feet
Couldn’t Believe it’s true (Willie)
When You Were Mine (Prince)
Androgynous (Replacements)
When Will I be Loved (Everlys)
I Want You To Want Me (Cheap Trick)
59th Street Bridge Song (S&G)
There She Goes (La’s)
What goes on (velvets)
Oh Yoko (Lennon)
Fisherman’s Blues (Waterboys)
Blowin’ in the Wind (Dylan)
Like A Rolling Stone (Dylan)
Jackie O (Coug)
Fake Blood and Sweat
Dü the Watüsi
KLOTL
Get up
You can sing in your underwear
Let it rain
Summer of hate
Dream about Sharks
O! Canada
She Comes from Money
Everyday / well all right (Holly)
You make lovin fun (MAC)
File it away
Chartreuse
Her movie
Mrs Jean
Race-baiting jailbait race
Pillow Talk / A hole in my Ozone
Hey!
Winter’s So Long
She’s my Baby
We used to kill the communists
Get With That
The Moon is a Dead Lover
File it Away
Unintouch
Can we stop the war machine
Did she have a dream?
The normal way
Another Day In Paradise
Higher Ground (Wonder)
Satisfaction (stones)
I know it’s over (smiths)
Grapevine (Gaye)
Girl From the North Country (Dylan)
I had an idea and it was all wrong
House on Fire
The Good fight
Long Dissed
C’mon now
Giant Robot
Bane
Martha
Stranger to the Blade
Fatal Bert
Steppin’ Stone (monkees)
Down to the well
Haircut
That don’t mean that I love you
Hey Mom! Wake Up!
100.Let it rain
101.Let’s Have some fun!
102.I think that it’s apparent
103.If at the time
104.I’m so mad at myself
105. Alone (and so)
106. Pisces
107.Rene
108.P.O’d City
109. I think about you all of the time
110. This might sound odd
111.Love is in the Air
112.Waiting on the 17
113.Of the fruit
114.Sitting in the dark
115.Various Expectations
116.Tired of trying blues
117.Lasto
118.Lazy
119.Ballad of the Man Ray Quints
120.Jean Duluth Jenny
121.Girlfriend Again
122.Fast friends
123.Everybody Dies
124.Come and Get your 45s
125.Too Shy to Ask
126.This is a song
127.Sophisticated
128.Thrift
129.Don’t walk away from love
130.Drama club
131.Lachrymal
132.I’m so mad at myself
133.Girlfriend Again
Sometimes you change your mind
Alrighty then, you like lists too, eh?
I hope to see you on Saturday, and then maybe again sometime at another public place where I share my art and you participate somehow, possibly by sharing your art or energy. Gosh, maybe people will dance even.
Art is therapy.
Promenade home.
OX&C,
Hot August Night
It was an honor to join. I was really into Cracklin' Rose in my youth. It may be time to do a deep dive on lesser known Neil Diamond tunes.