The Wheezer Society

John Lennon 1940 - 1980

Found In Cyberspace

Wheezer Steve Lindstedt was surfin' and found this poster from several years ago. Steve did the cartoon of Portland musician Jim Mesi for his album cover, repurposed here for the poster.

The yPod

from 2007 when speculation the started

The Beatles And Steve

Geez... Finally!

The Beatles Tour August 19, 1964

artwork by the wheezer society

Article from History.com The Beatles took America by storm during their famous first visit, wowing the millions who watched them during their historic television appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show in February 1964. But after the first great rush of stateside Beatlemania, the Beatles promptly returned to Europe, leaving their American fans to make do with mere records. By late summer of that same year, however, having put on an unprecedented and still unmatched display of pop-chart dominance during their absence, the Beatles finally returned. On August 19, 1964, more than six months after taking the East Coast by storm, the Fab Four traveled to California to take the stage at the Cow Palace in San Francisco for opening night of their first-ever concert tour of North America.

Although in retrospect it would seem a laughable underestimation of their drawing power in America, Beatles’ manager Brian Epstein chose venues like the 17,000-seat Cow Palace for the 1964 tour expressly because he feared that the Beatles might not sell out large sports stadiums like San Francisco’s Candlestick Park, where they would play their final official concert in 1966. Suffice it to say that the Beatles had no difficultly filling the Cow Palace, which was packed with 17,130 screaming fans when the group bounded to the stage shortly after 9:00 p.m. on this day in 1964 and launched into "Twist And Shout."

The Beatles’ set that night and throughout the tour that followed featured only 12 songs, most often in this order: Twist and Shout, You Can’t Do That, All My Loving, She Loves You, Things We Said Today, Roll Over Beethoven, Can’t Buy Me Love, If I Fell, I Want to Hold Your Hand, Boys, A Hard Day’s Night, and Long Tall Sally.

At other stops on the tour, the Beatles' performances would last approximately 33 minutes, but the show that night in San Francisco lasted some five minutes longer—not because of any difference in the Beatles’ performance, but because of police intervention to stem the growing pandemonium. Within the first few seconds of the first song that night, at least one radio journalist traveling with the Beatles had been trampled to the ground along with a young female fan who broke a leg in the melee. And thanks to an offhand comment by George Harrison about the group’s favorite candy in the days leading up to the show, the Beatles themselves were pelted with flying jelly beans throughout that night’s set. Though John, Paul, George and Ringo were uninjured, they left the Cow Palace that night by ambulance after their limousine was swarmed by berserk fans. It was a scene that would become familiar to them as they continued on their first historic tour of America in the months ahead.

Whiter Shade of Pale - The Box Tops

As I was cleaning up my iTunes Library this weekend, I ran across a gem that I'd forgotten about. It's The Box Tops version of Whiter Shade of Pale.

When Procol Harem released White Shade of Pale in May of 1967, did very well, reaching #1 in the UK and #5 in the US. A classic that can't be touched.

The Box Tops version was on their first album, The Letter/Neon Rainbow, which was released in November 1967. I think I actually like The Box Tops version better.

You can find it on iTunes, do search for Box Tops > The Letter/Neon Rainbow. Give it a listen.

Phantom of the Paradise

I've been digitizing old 33-1/3 RPM albums the past few weeks. One I ran across that surprised me was the original soundtrack from Brian DePalma's Phantom of the Paradise. DePalma directed (and wrote) this movie right after "Sisters" with Margot Kidder and a one movie prior to "Carrie" with Sissy Spacek. De Palma also wrote the screenplay. I'll leave an analysis of the film to more able film critics (like Wheezer Jay Amicarella) but in listening the the soundtrack once again after 30 years, I thought it was pretty entertaining.

HIlhi Class of 73 & Class of 73 Album

Back in 1972, the Hilhi Concert Choir recorded an album. I've digitized the album and uploaded to YouTube as two separate tracks, since YouTube will not allow uploads larger that 10 minutes. The first two tracks are The Creation (A Rock Cantata) both Parts 1 and 2.
The Creation (A Rock Cantata) Part 1
The Creation (A Rock Cantata) Part 2

Wild Space A Go Go - A Musical Space Adventure

Longtime personal friend and friend of The Wheezers, Kurt Misar (40+ years) has been up to something of note (yes, pun intended). Kurt is a talented composer and musician. He's been buried knee-deep in writing a new musical theatre project the past few years. He's just announced that the World Premiere of his latest creation, will be Friday, April 23rd, 2010 at The Embers Avenue, 110 NW Broadway in Portland, OR

Best described as a parody of 60s Franco-Italian sci-fi films, WILD SPACE A GO GO! embodies 60's Playboy Sex-In-Cinema and the swinging 60's sexual revolution in a delightfully provocative sexual identity farce and musical play. Tickets go on sale March 1st at Brown Paper Tickets.

Featuring a cast of ten, with seven wild and sexy space women and three mixed-up Earth men, they're joined by a live, five member rock band, multi-media video and animation, stunning lighting, fog and laser effects and a full bar - serving pub food and a huge assortment of drinks - this fully costumed, choreographed, two act musical is certainly going to be unlike any musical you have ever seen or heard.

Happy New Year 2010

KISN Radio Weekly Good Guy Survey from January 1967