Rock That Uke in Brookdale, CA
(for Ukulele Babylon!)

March 5, 2005

RTU co-director Sean Anderson's digital effigy in the Brookdale Lodge parking lot. The Brookdale Lodge, established in 1892, is alleged to be haunted with apparitions of people who aren't actually there. But Sean's effigy didn't see any during his stay.

 

Beau Vine, aka Dave Kearney, was the progenitor and combobulator of Uke Bab, aided by his wife "Kat Knipp," aka Peg (who also took most of these pictures). A rockabilly uker who performs original material, Beau's world view, psychopathologically speaking, is comparable to that of Heinous Rynes, with songs like Clap for Chlamydia, a first-person cautionary tale on the virtues of practicing safe sex. The song, which featured a joyous "clap-along" led by the trumpet-playing Kat, is a worthy addition to the obscure, but growing genre of ukulele songs devoted to infectious disease awareness, taking its rightful place alongside Denny "King Kukulele" Moynahan's post-El Niño, public service pop anthem to surfers, The Poop Song.

Andy Andrews, secretary of the Ukulele Club of Santa Cruz, performed a uke number in his role as the evening's emcee (left), and later sat in on conga drum for a number with the Uke-Aholics (center). Andy also helped to pack the Uke Bab audience by promulgating the event via the Ukulele Club of Santa Cruz mailing list with an ultra-groovy graphic (right).

Sir Ukulele Extraordinaire
Oliver Brown left yet another audience glowing with warmth, bemusement, and extreme aesthetic satisfaction. A couple of Mr. Brown's students were also in attendance at the event to see their history and psychology teacher perform such hits as The Alphaman, Parts 1 & 2, aka the "You Suck My Brain" song.

Ian Whitcomb and the silver-throated Regina brought the crowd to their feet during their set. Ian was particularly in his groove for Uke Bab, doing some very nice Cliff Edwards-style eefin' during one tin pan alley number and finishing up with a rock and roll medley that included his classic You Turn Me On.

Tippy Canoe, aka, Michele Kapel, performed sans Paddleman, whom we were informed "had a run-in with an oar." The reformed punker, the lovely Tippy performed her very distinctive brand of uke-driven, 20s-influenced, jazz-country-doowop-pop with a dash of sultriness thrown in.

The melifluous and engaging Uke-Aholics performed rock oldies in exquisitely rendered three-part harmony. They are, from left to right: Eric "Buddy" Conly, "Ukulele Dick" McKee, and Sandor "Ukulele Elvis" Nagyszalanczy.

 

We may be late to the party on this, but we'd never given Pat "Tiki King" Baron (left) a thorough listening before. As it happens, he's a really wonderful songwriter. Particularly under the arrangements of his band the Idol Pleasures (right), Tiki King's songs have a bumptious edginess to them that is at once celebratory and toe-tapping with just a touch of grit in the oyster. We dug him mightily. Our faves were We'll Dance, Drunk a Thousand Times and Ukulele, Ukulele, Ukulele. The Idol Pleasures (right) are, from left to right: Turk, "Wild" Kim Luke, Tiki King, Matt "Mad Man" Schreiber, and Jeff Kissell.