Liberace's Piano

The Liberace Museum in Las Vegas, located in two buildings on opposite ends of a parking lot in the heart of Liberace Plaza, is forever shutting its doors in a couple weeks. So when the lady at the gift shop from whom you're buying a diamond-encrusted gold-plated piano ring asks you if you're a pianist, and you say yes, and then asks you "would you like to play Liberace's Piano?," you do it. After, of course, filling out all the requisite paperwork, including signing a statement that you're a virtuoso and that you'll wash your hands. The rhinestone-bedazzled and mirrored Baldwin (previously featured on this blog here) was the last piano Walter played, in his 1986 Radio City Music Hall shows, and sits on a pedestal in a room surrounded by all his capes, including the pink turkey feather cape seen behind the piano, and you can bet it'll be the most nerve-wracking performance you'll ever put on.

Later, you might run into Liberace's wheelchair-bound personal dog groomer of 16 years, who will confirm that the man "sure had a lot of crap."

Showtime

Note that we play at 7 pm sharp tonight in SLC and at 7:45 on the button tomorrow in Denver. Oh, and Saturday at 7 at the Eagle Rock Music Festival in LA too. Had considerable luck with 7 in Vegas, so figured hey, let it ride. Don't be late.

TOUR

Time for our big annual fall tour! With Delta Spirit. We play, and then they play. It's a damn good bill.

Nov 15. Lawrence, KS. Jackpot Saloon
Nov 16. Columbia, MO. Mojo's
Nov 17. Rock Island, IL. Speakeasy
Nov 18. Madison, WI. High Noon Saloon
Nov 19. Milwaukee. Turner Hall
Nov 20. South Bend, IN. Legends of Notre Dame
Nov 22. Buffalo. Tralf Music Hall
Nov 23. NYC. Webster Hall
[HAPPY THANKSGIVING]
Nov 26. TBA
Nov 27. Pawtucket, RI. The Met
Nov 29. Baltimore. Ottobar
Nov 30. Pittsburgh. Brillobox
Dec 1. Covington, KY. The Mad Hatter
Dec 2. Asheville, NC. Grey Eagle Tavern & Music Hall
Dec 3. Nashville. Mercy Lounge
Dec 4. Chicago. Metro
Dec 7. TBA
Dec 8. TBA
Dec 9. Santa Barbara. Soho
Dec 10. San Diego. House of Blues

Highlights to include winter-home shopping in Milwaukee, visiting Rudy's grave, Thanksgiving dinner at Rob's folks' house and then going to Foxwoods (it's the world's largest casino), driving thru the Tim Hortons by Foxwoods, playing in a college town over Thanksgiving Break (hint hint), finding the brothel whose services Mayor Jerry Springer paid for with a personal check and then eating at the chili parlour next door, and playing (ahem) The Elite Club. Oh, and driving.

the results are in

Behold the fruits of our labor on KCRW's Morning Becomes Eclectic yesterday! If you stick around long enough, you'll hear a brand new song called "Rain Down South," and another song that's not quite new but which you've probably never heard before.

Set list:
1. Backseat
2. Split Minute
3. New America
4. Maple Day Getaway
5. Trail the Line
[interview]
6. Dear Author
7. Cry On Me Woman
8. Rain Down South
9. 'Tis a Great Art To Saunter
10. June Bloom

Seriously huge thanks to everyone there for having us in - they're so important to us, in fact, that they're the only broadcast entity to have their own keyword on this blog. It was a real joyous occasion for us, which we topped off with our first (!) trip to Canter's on Fairfax, which not only has Babe Ruth's favorite pickles, and is not only where Saul Hudson earned the nickname "Slash," but has the only reuben in town you can eat and not feel like a zeppelin after. Legend'ry.

And yes, Jason Bentley talks like that all the time.

DML on Morning Becomes Eclectic tomorrow!

Turn on, tune in, drop out, roll over, etc. Wednesday Sept. 15, 11:15 a.m. PDT. KCRW 89.9 FM in L.A.; watch and listen at kcrw.com worldwide.

We'll play some songs, get smoothly interrogated by the velvet-throated Jason Bentley, and then we'll play some more songs, kinda like last time. We have to wake up really early.

we gotta move these refrigerators

What with the economy what it is and what not and what have you, combined with the imperativeness of you owning our music, our bros at Dangerbird are having a whaleuva sale over on iTunes, now thru September 21. So, lookit:
• Alive As You Are for $8.99!
• 2 (the album) for $5.99!
• The "Two Ways Out"video for 99¢!

And you can (still) even download our first record for free.

God bless us, every one.

relaxed fit

Last Friday, we cruised over to the (ahem) Dickies Lounge, and, in exchange for some gratis coveralls, played some songs, and lo and behold it turned out pretty alright. See?



And there's a little more over on their site. Thanks, Dickie.