For those of you who are Cadillac Moon fans, for those of you who are admirers, followers, friends, groupies or Moonies and have been enjoying the band’s brand of blues-funk for the past several years….if you were not at their "Cure For The Winter Blues" gig at Vail Levitt Hall in Riverhead on December 9th, you missed a good one. It was truly an outstanding show.
It all started with veteran comedian, and friend of the band, Jackie Martling. What can we say about Jackie’s routine, besides Hilarious?: How about, "Spicy Sauce - Adults Only!" He tells two-liners, not stories. The jokes are short! The punch lines, fast! The laughs, continuous! Moan and groan at the punch line and, in the next moment, laugh your head off about it and get ready for the next joke which might start with: "A duck goes into a bar…" or "A man says to his wife…" See what I mean? Anyway, a very large Thank You to Jackie Martling for his mad and robust contribution to "A Cure For the Winter Blues." Check out his site:
http://www.jokeland.com/Far from mad and certainly robust is the much-awaited appearance of the band on stage. We are sitting patiently in our seats between acts when, suddenly, the lights dim, the crowd hushes and the announcer says, "Would you please put your hands together for Cadillac Moon!" The audience cheers as the band comes out and begins to play. A few moments later, Miss Leslie prances out from behind the curtin and stops the show. She is wearing a short, black leather strapless mini dress with matching high boots and a top hat. Take a look at the photos. Ah, nothing like performance art!
Nugent begins with that familiar 6-note lead, and Leslie sings "Well, now Three Strikes You’re Out, Baby! No I aint’ gonna scream and shout no more…..Give ya one last chance, darlin’, Before I walk out the door. I know ya love me, I know you do, I know ya love me, you just can’t be true. Ya had to hurt me, ya had to lie…..I’ll give ya one last chance darlin’, before I walk out the door." We cheered. Leslie has never sung it better. And then it’s Mike again with that terrific twangy intro and she’s singing, "Well I got my motor turnin’, but the car won’t run. And I get too tired for talkin’ when the workday’s done..…Ain’t no good news baby, til ya come back to me, ‘til ya come back to me, ‘til ya come back to me." And everybody identifies with the sadness in her soulful rendition of "Back to The Neighborhood". We believe her when she sings, "When I go back to the neighborhood, Oh lord, it fills my heart with pain……Well, I said a train used to stop here baby, but now it passes a-right on through. A huh oh, oh, And I remember all the times I sat here waiting, oh, oh, ah, Baby, I was waitin’ just for you." Great lyrics.
But there was something else in the air this night…..Energy! Performance! Showmanship! The solos are extraordinary. Mike Nugent’s guitar work is clean, creative, complex and as fast as we’ve ever heard. And George Bitzer, remember this name, the band’s newly acquired keyboardist, simply dazzles everybody with his virtuosity. We’ve heard George for a while now but at no time did he ever choose to showcase his talents the way he does this night. Bravo sir George Bitzer. George Bitzer.
Towards the end of the show, and to the great appreciation of the audience, Leslie comes back out dressed in a tantalizing Santa Clause outfit. Wow! Well…Tis the season! And then, in the closing songs Jackie Martling, still cracking jokes, comes back on stage with his acoustic guitar and has the band follow him. What a riot and what a joy to watch. What follows is a tremendous display of musicianship, a superior jam session, as Jackie calls on each member of the band to do a solo. And they all fly as high as they can. It is as if the night has no end. Tonight proves that, with music, the most important elements are heart and soul and love. Cadillac Moon had it all tonight.
And as for the Winter Blues?…..We are cured! The memory lingers on. A tremendous thank you to Ray Hornosky for putting this outstanding evening together. By the same time next year, we’ll be ready for another cure. Good Show! And to all you folks who missed it, well, take a pen and scribe the date in on your calendar for next year.
