Country Blues > Saturday Night Fish Fry

Obese Journeyman Bluesman as Superhero: Paul Geremia at Jalopy

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Mr.OMuck:
Just got back.
First of all Paul who is 68 played for a solid THREE HOURS STRAIGHT! You try it sometime. I used to do it regularly in my teens and twenties but now?....I don't know.
Do you have any idea how many fucking songs that is? I wrote down most of them in a fit of amateur journalistic enthusiasm.


Pony Blues-Patton
Stockin' Feet Blues - BLJ
Arrangement for me (?) _ Bo Carter
Writin' Paper Blues -BWMc
Lost my mind in a wild romance-Percy Mayfield
Statesboro Blues-BWMc
Come on in my kitchen - RJ
From Four until Late - RJ
Risin' River Blues - Barbecue Bob
Jivin' Woman Blues(?) - Scrapper Blackwell
I'm Goin' Away- Libba Cotton
Love my Stuff- Charlie Patton
Stones in my Passway-RJ
When You Got a Good Friend-RJ
Don't sell it don't give it away - Oscar Woods
Dyin' Crap Shooter's Blues- BWMc
Piano
Careless Love-?
The Rocket Ship- Ray Charles
Fallin' Through My Heart- Paul Geremia -hitherto PG
Geremia's Railroad-PG
One More Last Time-PG
Farewell Sweet Rag - PG


And as I said I didn't get them all. There were a couple of more Pattons in there and a story about how Howlin' Wolf showed Paul how to get at playing Patton correctly.


Unfortunately, once again there were only 14 people in the audience two of whom were loud obnoxious refugees from a biker bar drunks who fortunately were Paul's biggest fans, knew his oeuvre really well but were a total drag for everybody.


I don't know how else to put this..I mean every time you see a comment posted on a blues video someone opines "Thanks for keeping the music alive" and I always interpret that to mean "better you than me, don't expect me to give any serious attention to that old shit."


Folks if you don't start showing up at performances in the company of several friends, this thing is fucking OVER!


How was Paul's playing? Depending on the song as good or better than Ry Cooder's or Ari Eisenger's or Ernie Hawkins or Frankie's or mine or yours or anybody's.
And frankly his range of material is greater than all of the above leave Cooder. Is he the most charming performer? No, but he's no longer surly, in fact I thought he exhibited saintlike patience and professionalism in the face of drunks I might have had to kill if they were in my audience. So what's the deal? Can't we do something together in a concerted manner to get out a descent sized audience when someone of this caliber performs?
Euro Weenies you all know people stateside, can't you rouse them into attending? Likewise Ameri-Weenies I have friends in London I can try to mobilize.


Before I end i wanted to mention that while I have been down on the whole singer-songwriter genre for quite a while now (most of it is intolerable to me), Paul's original songs were really moving , musically interesting, uninfected by cleverness or cuteness and really straight shooting, straight from the heart light years better than most of what passes as good songwriting.


I've been playing with thumb and index finger for so long that I forget the advantages of three finger playing, but Paul gets an absolutely awesome steady rolling cadence going with his right hand that I haven't heard anyone else equal.
 

Adam Franklin:
14................

Truly disheartening. In the UK, it would probably be less.

I once saw a really good and well known singer, picker, writer, play to 3 people at a UK festival. Still put on a great show mind. Probably why many fewer US acts come here now.

It's just hard getting people out. The music/entertainment business has changed a lot in the last few years, the way people view music as entertainment has changed along with it.

Looking forward, Adam.

uncle bud:
And sadly, the Jalopy is a beacon for this music (OK, said beacon is in a location that's as easy to find and get to as Elvis's current hideout), and still only 14 people for one of the best players out there. I know Paul would have similar stories to tell from other gigs.

Thanks for the review, M. O'Muck.

Mr.OMuck:
I had a serious heart to heart with one of the owners of Jalopy on how to arrange transportation from the NYU (Village) area and the LES (east Village) to put asses in the seats. If anyone reading this knows a bus or limo company in the NYC area that would freelance, so to speak with individual fares as payment let me know. As i told her "Right now there is a small bus operator paying to have their bus sit in a lot that would welcome the chance to ferry people from downtown manhattan to Redhook and back for a few bucks over gas costs." I'll be workin' on it. Jalopy really is a unique place, that deserves to survive being the only venue in the NYC area that continues the now long tradition of this city's preeminence in the folk -Blues-Old Time revival movement,.

cheapfeet:
Wow that is ridiculous! . . . and I'm always noticing the low turnout for these shows in the videos & etc.
It's such a lesson for a guy like me who lives in butt-fuck nowhere to think that in NYC a player like Paul only draws 14 people!!!!
It's funny, I live in a province/state of about 150, 000 souls. In the past I've moved to urban centers with hopes of getting
more work as a musician only to find that I did better back home. I put on house concerts somewhat irregularly, usually me & a local friend & we routinely draw 60-80 souls paying $10 to get in. There are friends & family members in the audience, sure, but there's a lot of strangers too. Makes me realize how lucky I am.
I think I'll keep plugging away in my little corner of the globe  :(

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