CapitolFax.com - Latest Comments in Question of the day

Re: Question of the day

Rich Miller — Wed, 10 Jan 2007 07:20:58 -0000

Round One voting is now closed. Go to Round Two.

Re: Question of the day

Six Degrees of Separation — Tue, 09 Jan 2007 23:53:39 -0000

LC's been gone a few years. My dad and I used to eat there when we were in town, but I don't make it back there too often these days. BTW, I'm meeting with a local official from the county tomorrow, I'll ask him if he knows when LC closed.

But...every Kankakee native should know the story. Here it is, from da man himself:

"We had been on the road for about three months when (a female lounge singer) was offered a job in the musical "Sweet Charity." We decided she should take it because it paid well and since the show was winding up in Chicago, we made plans to meet there."

"I found myself an agent and waited for a call as pianist in a bar in Chicago. Hal, the agent, called and said that before he could book me there, he'd have to try me out in a smaller town. I tried to tell him he should just trust me, that I had done this kind of thing dozens of times, but he didn't buy it."

"Truth was I had never played solo in a piano bar. So Hal booked me into a piano bar in Kankakee, Illinois. The Little Corporal Lounge is in a shopping mall, the clientele is local and they usually get roaring drunk. They had put me in a dismal motel across the street from the Lounge, and I was nervous, I had never ever done anything like this in my life. I had always worked in the backround; behind the lead singer, never, ever as a soloist."

"I put on my new tuxedo in this dreary motel room, slicked back my hair and walked to the bar with my attache case filled with music. The piano was on a platform behind the bar, so I could look down at all the people drinking and they could talk to me and request tunes."

"When I walked into the club on that first night, I felt numb. I had never felt quite so numb. It was like being in a coma with none of the advantages. I climbed up to the piano as if a dream. When I sat down on the piano stool, I found it was too low and I couldn't see anybody, so I asked for a bar stool."

"I still sit on a bar stool when I play piano. As far as the customers were concerned, I was invisible. I remember starting off with Meditation, a bossa nova. Very timidly. It was as if I weren't there at all. Nobody looked up. Nobody reacted."

"Somehow I got through the first hour set. When I returned after my break, there were a few people around the piano and they were complimentary. I was surprised. But then the strangest thing started to happen to me. Every time I went back to the piano, I felt a little stronger; when I left it I became invisible."

"By the end of the evening, I was joking with the patrons, playing as they sang, and I even sang a few songs myself. But then every time I left the piano, I became invisible again."

"At the end of my first week there, I would walk into the place feeling invisible, climb up to the piano, click on the spotlight with my foot, and I would become attractive, worldly, witty. Woman started coming on to me, guys bought me drinks. I realised that the piano player is always the most attractive person in a place."

"By the end of my two-week stand at the Lounge, the transformation would begin in my awful little motel room. There I'd stand in front of the mirror, like John Travolta in Saturday Night Fever, combing my hair, putting on my tux, changing from Invisible Barry to Barry Manilow at the Keyboard, like it said outside the club."

Re: Question of the day

Rich Miller — Tue, 09 Jan 2007 23:43:12 -0000

I didn't know that about Manilow. Weird.

Also, how long ago did the Little Corporal close? I went by there last year some time and noticed it was defunct.

Re: Question of the day

Six Degrees of Separation — Tue, 09 Jan 2007 23:41:27 -0000

Barry Freaking Manilow, whose first professional gig as a solo entertainer was at the (now gone)Little Corporal in Bourbonnais. He could retire from showbiz in the same state he started in.

Re: Question of the day

Missing Springfield — Tue, 09 Jan 2007 23:16:01 -0000

this is my first post. i have been a subscriber and reader for a while, but it took this to bring me out. i love the alt country lists and am totally on board with vanilla man and archpundit's recommendations. I'd add:

The Hold Steady (for Rod)
Spoon (too bad we all
need to be fed)
AC Newman or Neko Case (in case all the New Pornographers are are pushing the envelope)
Dressy Bessy (Women's Leg Caucus)
All Girl Summer Fun Band (we could all use a laugh this session)
Calexico (Latino Caucus)
Star Room Boys (for those who like their country strait up)
Ted Leo and the Pharmacists (Pharmacy Refusal folk)
The Raconteurs (aren't we all?)
M. Ward (for me)
Portastic (fun)
OK Go (fun)

Re: Question of the day

Gettysburg Address said — Tue, 09 Jan 2007 23:06:26 -0000

Westerberg has injured himself - too bad.

Wilco, Bottle Rockets & Cheap Trick just make sense.

Foo Fighters, Green Day, +44 would be dreamy

Artic Monkeys & Pink Spiders too

Can't advise as to pop country, 'don't like it!

Re: Question of the day

Sarge — Tue, 09 Jan 2007 22:53:50 -0000

I've got to ditto several mentioned above: Chicago, Huey Lewis, Diana Krall, Mellencamp. Also would love to hear crooners like Steve Tyrell and Harry Connick, Jr.

Re: Question of the day

Anon Again — Tue, 09 Jan 2007 22:07:58 -0000

How about the Gov doing Elvis singing Happy Times Are Here Again(at least for us)

Re: Question of the day

values matter — Tue, 09 Jan 2007 21:54:54 -0000

John Cougar Mellencamp
Sting
Rolling Stones
Jackson Brown
Neil Young
Cold Play
Bob Seger
Green Day

Re: Question of the day

Establishment Republican — Tue, 09 Jan 2007 21:22:58 -0000

Skynyrd....definitely Skynyrd.

Re: Question of the day

gknif2 — Tue, 09 Jan 2007 20:59:06 -0000

Van Halen, with David Lee Roth and Wolfie!

Re: Question of the day

Stuck with Sen. CPA — Tue, 09 Jan 2007 19:37:48 -0000

Another vote for the Flaming Lips here although they just played the latest Lolla to mixed reviews.

Wilco is the logical choice.

Re: Question of the day

senior fairgoer — Tue, 09 Jan 2007 19:20:27 -0000

The Twilight Ballroom needs a shot in the arm. Attendance has been dropping because of the choice of bands and switching to a DJ format during the week. Bring back Sentimental Journey and the Johnny Kaye Orchestra for two of the weekend dates. These big bands will boost turnout.

Re: Question of the day

Whoof-Whoof — Tue, 09 Jan 2007 19:14:12 -0000

George Harrison, or if he can't make it, John Lennon.

Re: Question of the day

Drjazz — Tue, 09 Jan 2007 18:57:18 -0000

Steely Dan
Dianna Krall
Ben Folds
Jamie Cullum

Re: Question of the day

Saluki Yayhoo — Tue, 09 Jan 2007 18:44:37 -0000

Uncle Tupelo reunion!!! including Jay Bennett
Shawn Colvin
My Morning Jacket
Modest Mouse
The Roots
Neil Young
Woodbox Gang (my homer choice)
Lucinda Williams
Raconteurs
Be Good Tanyas
Dwight Yoakum
Soul Rebels Brass Band (or any good NOLA band)
Old 97s
Reverend Horton Heat

Re: Question of the day

Jake from Elwood — Tue, 09 Jan 2007 18:28:15 -0000

Paul Westerberg
Elvis Costello
Saw Doctors
Cake
David Byrne
Smoking Popes
John Hiatt
They Might Be Giants
Fountains of Wayne
Soul Asylum
Ben Folds
Ryan Adams (not Bryan Adams)
George Thorogood
Great Big Sea
Matthew Sweet
The Bens
or any combination of the above-mentioned.
Or . . . best of all . . . the rumored reunion of The Police (like that's going to happen)

Re: Question of the day

The Horse — Tue, 09 Jan 2007 18:21:02 -0000

oh, yea, .. I almost forgot... do you think they could get the chicago symphony?

Re: Question of the day

Papa Legba — Tue, 09 Jan 2007 17:31:15 -0000

Lonnie Brooks and his kids, Bernard Allison, Lonnie Mack, Canned Heat, Fabulous T-Birds and Savoy Brown.

If Buddy Guy was to play the fair, I would eat a dozen deep fried Snickers. He don't do fairs.

Re: Question of the day

Anon — Tue, 09 Jan 2007 17:16:16 -0000

Second for Eddie from Ohio. www.efohio.com

Re: Question of the day

HappyToaster — Tue, 09 Jan 2007 17:11:46 -0000

Agree they have cater to local tastes and the budget isn't much. So they end up with acts on the casino\state fair circuit. .38 Special, Lynard Skynard, Molly Hatchet, Alabama, UFO, Hank Jr., Whitesnake etc.

FREEBIRD!

I hadn't realized Dan Fogelberg has advanced prostate cancer.

Poi Dog Pondering are working on a new album and occasionally playing local. Forty bucks a pop for the New Year's Eve show at The Vic.

Re: Question of the day

B Hicks — Tue, 09 Jan 2007 17:10:17 -0000

She needs to book the band from last night's party. They were great!

John Fogerty would fill the place.

Re: Question of the day

Angie — Tue, 09 Jan 2007 17:07:14 -0000

Cake. With the offbeat lyrics, they could write something about politics just for the event, and then it would end up being a radio hit. lol

How about a song for Rod about all of his program proposals called "How Do You Afford Your Illinois Proposals?"

: )

Re: Question of the day

Reality Check — Tue, 09 Jan 2007 17:03:24 -0000

Bottle Rockets, Earle, Son Volt, Gourds, DBTs??

Cap Fax comments section = alt-country convention c. 1998? Who'da thunk it.

At any rate, who needs that stuff at the fair when Springfield folks can just make the short trip to this?

Re: Question of the day

cool hand claudio — Tue, 09 Jan 2007 16:59:10 -0000

my dream ticket: rosie ledet (the zydeco princess), shakira, pretenders, evanescence, blue man group.