12/24/1997

First Set

• Not Fade Away->
• Going Down The Road->
• Not Fade Away
• Shalom Aleichem
• Friend of the Devil
   

Second Set

• Birdsong
• Rudolph the Red Nose Raindeer
• Dancin in the Streets
• Uncle John's Band
• Music Never Stopped
   

While it was the eve of the holiest day for most of the western world it was it was not so for Deadstein.  We took advantage of this not so odd juxtaposition of Christmas and the second night oh Hanukkah to throw a Deadstein holiday party for all the those kids who don't wake up on Christmas morning to a tree full of presents and parents preparing the traditional feast of jellied ham and white bread with the Kraft Mayonnaise waiting in the pantry.  This was a night where all the chosen freaks had a place to bring their chosen brethren to come and enjoy the merriment that can only come from the one and only "Home of the Freak."

There were many guests who came to experience the festival of lights and the miracle of freak.  In total, about 50 chosen freaks, including couples and kids showed to party.   In addition, about a half dozen non-chosen freaks chose to party with Deadstein on Christmas Eve.  That is the spirit!.  Peter, the heavy left handed substitute drummer, and his clan were among those whose light hair and eyes stuck out in the predominantly brown hair-eyed and olive skinned colored crowd.  Finally, there was some white haired, muscular, goteed looking English mod guy who was strutting his stuff throughout the room.  During the wrap up of the night the Three Wives Club of Debbie, Natelie and Lisa were yentaing about how sexy that guy was when Debbie had the best line of the night saying, "Yea, but Jewish guys don't have bodies like that."  Johnny and I laughed at the line, it was true and funny and I managed to tastefully not respond with some truly insulting comment about Jewish women.  Nevertheless, as I was still laughing down came Larry B., schlubbing toward us, and I realized Debbies words were quite true.

Another funny line of the night happened at the end of the first set when Mollie Gibson screamed "Hey Freakboy" and Mathew expanded by stating, "They call him Johnny the Freakboy because he is a freak."  Kids today just have no respect for their freaky elders.

Also in the crowd as best as I can remember and know include my brother's family (Jay, Jaimie, Rachel & Lauren) by Sisier-in-law's bother's family (Jon, Laura, Josh & Sarah).  Also there was Andrew the flute player and his family who played with us for the first set.  Johnny Spillboy was there.  Other Gibson wannabee's who I don't remember were also there.  Conspicuously missing was Kevin and his family and no so   conspicuously were the Brotmans.

• We were going to start the night with an acoustic set, as a matter of fact we were tuning the acoustic instruments when we looked up and realized there were 20 kids in front of us all banging on the drums Scott strune throughout.  We made the wise choice and put down the acoustic stuff and played a very nice Not Fade Away.  With Andrew on the flute we a a pretty full sound.  Of course the low end was missing but the music was plenty scoppy.  The Not Fade was very long, we just enjoyed the bat and let the kids have their fun.  It seem to go one forever.  You know just seeing my neice Lauren with her elbows on the monitor in fornt of us gazing up was woth the price of admission.  The Not Fade was great and the right choice.
• The Going Down the Road was also well done as the kids kept rolling along.  We then went back into another pretty long Not Fade Away to let the kids get their agressions out.   It was alot of fun, especially if you were a preschooler with a drum stick and a drum.  In, standard Deadstein fashion we took a little food break here that turned into a big one.
• We were going to start the acoustic set, me on mandolin and Larry on Acoustic guitar, when we were told it was time to light the candles.  We played a fitting Shalom Aleichem during it which was well done.  Miking the mandolin proved to be ineffective.
• The acoustic Devil with the mandolin had its moments.

Chicken wings, good latkes, pigs in the blanket, salad, cake, soda, beer in the filing cabinet, Krispy Kremes just to name a little.   Scott and Lisa deserve a lot of credit for putting the whole thing together.   It was a beautiful time.

Weater

• It was so hot inside the basement it was a proverbial sweat-fest.