The boatclub

Last night on the Shaman's Den was the Boatclub, a band made up of four aging guys who play rock music, have a deadpan humor, and say that they aren't that hip. While listening to their music Frank said that the word Groovy came to mind. When Frank would make comments about their songs the guys were really touched that Frank was listening to the words in their songs. Frank said that he is always listening, not like most hosts. They reminded Frank of Bob Dylan, George Harrison, half of the Traveling Willberries. Frank said he always thought that when you get old things slow down, but that is not his experience. That is not the Boatclub's experience either who are just coming out with an album and playing more gigs this year than ever here in the bay area as well as in Seattle and Portland.

During the interview Frank asked them how they came up with the name Boatclub and they said that they couldn't think of anything worse! Frank told them about his band The Cherotic All-Stars and how he had come up with the word Cherotic and that 70% of a band is the name. They said that they are far from hip. When Frank asked them why they keep playing music they said because they love it! They never thought of not doing it! When they talked about they met and how long they have been together they said that they are like the Beatles only not as good. They thought of coming out with a double album like the Beetles White Album, and Frank said, "The Grey Album". They all met through mutual friends and a couple of the guys have known each other since they were teenagers. We later learned that they had another band member who recently left. Frank wanted to know if he left or they kicked him out. They said that it was mutual but it was not quite a full answer. Frank is always good at getting to the dirt in his interviews.

The Boatclub really enjoyed hearing about The Outrageous Beauty Review and how Zappa and Robert Fripp came to the show. Linda talked about how Frank tried to do a bad band. All these really good musicians wanted to be in it because the OBR was getting press all over the world. They auditioned all these musicians and Frank wanted them to play badly. Most of them couldn't do it so eventually they just did it themselves. People started playing instruments that they had never played before and learned on the stage. Then when a song started getting too good/polished they stopped playing it. That was the time period that Zappa came to The Outrageous Beauty Review and really loved it! Frank said that there are thousands of technically good bands but they are boring. The people who were in the band didn't get what Frank was going after and when the band started to get good everyone wanted to have a real band and ended up quitting to try to join a "real" band. Frank and Linda talked about when they were in LA doing Sony and Cher in a punk club. They went to Sony's restaurant and met him and told him they were doing Sony and Cher. He loved it! They invited him to come be in the show with them but he said that he did not do that anymore. Linda said that the punk's didn't know what to do with us, they were really uncomfortable!

The Boatclub is not that band from Sweden. They say their boat is a blow-up dingy with a yellow submarine compartment underneath it. They may change the name of their band by tomorrow and they may restart or replay one of their songs in a set and they say they aren't that hip!

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mmmmmmmmm... If they are aging guys, I am an extremely aged guy!. We are all aging! They are seasoned, but still crazy dangerous and making great music! and they kept saying they are "boatclub"..... One word with a small "b"!

In Freedom,
Frank Moore