tBS: Live at the Haunt

[Torgo]

"A Christmas Wish"- The Brain Surgeons- LIVE. 12/26/97

Once upon a time, many many years ago, when I had a bit more hair and less
of it was graying, I must have made a wish. I don't remember doing it, but
I certainly must have walked out into the cold air late one night and
released a wish into the heavens, expecting nothing in return. And on that
night I might possibly have wished that there were TWO Blue Oyster Cults,
because I loved my favorite band so much that one of them was not nearly
enough to keep me satisfied.

Or maybe I just stepped out to take a leak. I don't know, it was so long ago.

But anyway, on December 26th, with my head and belly still full to bursting
with Christmas cheer, I popped into a little club in Ithaca NY called "The
Haunt" to watch former Blue Oyster Cult drummer Albert Bouchard and THE
BRAIN SURGEONS perform live. I had seen The Brain Surgeons live before when
they were the sole performers doing several long sets, but I had never seen
them perform just one standard set, sharing the stage with other bands. Two
other bands set the mood for The Brain Surgeons and warmed up the crowd. A
local band WEEP opened things up, and then HELEN WHEELS took the stage.
Helen has written many a Blue Oyster Cult and Brain Surgeons tune, and if
you ever get the chance I HIGHLY recommend catching her live, though the
diminutive Helen has enough on-stage chutzpah that "catching" her might be
a poor way to word it.

The Brain Surgeons are guitarists Billy Hilfiger and Peter Bohovesky,
bassist David Hirschberg, drummer/vocalist Albert Bouchard, and
vocalist/guitarist (and part-time drummer) Deb Frost, a woman with a voice
that can swing effortlessly across many extremes. The five members took the
stage last and opened up with "St. Vitus Dance", a severe little rocker
that set the mood and got us all up and cavorting. The quality of sound was
just perfect, and even at point blank range to the amps the music never
became painfully loud as it blew my hair back. The band played 14 songs in
total, with a nice mix of Brain Surgeons and Blue Oyster Cult material from
BOC's "Albert Era". Although the song order probably isn't even close (I
was too busy hooting and howling to write down a proper set list) the set
consisted of:

St. Vitus Dance
Laura's Plastic Swords
Baby Ice Dog
Gun
A Kiss is a Promise
Needle Gun
Dominance and Submission
I Play the Drums
My Civilization
Gimme Nothin'
Donkey Show
Death Valley Nights
Cities on Flame/ Ciudades Y Navidades
The Red and The Black

Highlights include "Laura's Plastic Swords", a favorite of mine from the
BOX OF HAMMERS album, and a song that is just so much fun live, with the
band exaggerating the slow, drawn out pauses in the song's structure. Most
Brain Surgeons songs, both in lyrics and overall mood, dive head-first into
gloomy and murky depths, and at the very least dangle their toes in it. But
on-stage the Brain Surgeons are out to have fun and to make sure the
audience does as well. When a band is having a great time, it's very
obvious to a crowd cheering them on. Regardless of whether you are a fan of
their music or not, you can't possibly come away from a Brain Surgeons show
without a smile on your face. It did my heart good to see Guitarist Billy
Hilfiger, an incredible performer who is currently battling some health
problems, on-stage and just ripping it up. The vibes from the rest of the
band and the smile on Billy's face is more proof that someone doing what
they do best and enjoying every second of it is the best possible medicine
there is.

During the crowd-pleaser "I Play the Drums", Albert Bouchard slapped out an
incredible drum solo that was born on his drum kit, and had a long and
rhythmic life on every hard object in and around the bar. Table-tops,
barstools, glasses, bottles, floors, support beams, and every other item
that got in Albert's way came alive with rappings and tappings and
poundings. A one-man version of STOMP, there was no stopping Albert as he
wandered drumming about the place like a madman possessed, and certainly
nobody wanted to see him stop. A bit winded and bubbling with sweat when he
finally made it back to his  throne, he needed no breaks as he stormed and
bashed his way through the rest of the song.

The band showed off a new song "Needle Gun" from their latest album
MALPRACTISE, and it was an instant favorite. Loud and thundering enough to
crumble sidewalk slabs, "Needle Gun" was intense enough that I'm sure
somewhere the late Rob Rudich, whom the latest album it appears on is
dedicated to, was
tapping his feet and clenching his fists. "Donkey Show" found Guitarists
Peter Bohovesky and Billy Hilfiger on vocals doing a wild & crazy version
of this hilariously warped little ditty, and they make as good a team
comically as they do musically.

And so, standing amidst the other happy fans, I couldn't help but think how
wonderful it was to have this band. Blue Oyster Cult was such a powerful
force at one time, and now it seems like there are two bands on this planet
that can equally please this fan of theirs. Whether I am watching BOC
perform "Don't fear the Reaper" or the Brain Surgeons play "Dominance and
Submission", I know that a wondrous thing that was born in BOC many years
ago is still alive in this universe, and existing in two places at the same
time. And with my Christmas wish of long ago having come true, I smile and
look forward to my next Brain Surgeons show, which can't come soon enough
for me.

Feliz Navidad con Rock & Roll!

Robert (Torgo) Sedler
torgo at norwich.net