That Green TV Band

OK. Let's talk about the show Killer sez is "Without a doubt my FAVORITE Otis gig I played!" This really was an exceptionally fun show. Wesley Foundation June 24th 1988. Chicago's GREEN with Blue Green God and, for one night only, That Green TV Band.

(Special thanks to Jason Jerde and Tom Rose for coming up with this flier!)

When I was asked about performing on this show, my second guitarist told me he couldn't make the gig. I probly realized this could be the last chance I would have to perform in Dekalb, at least while I was a resident. Which turned out to be true. So I really didn't want to turn the show down. On top of that, we had given up our rehearsal space in Sycamore. I accepted knowing that I was gonna have to be creative.

With that in mind, I decided to put together what would end up being the first in a long string of one night only special performances. So as long as we gotta switch things up, let's start from scratch. What would be a whole lotta fun? Maybe an all covers show. Done. How bout a theme? Even better. Hmm. All science related songs? Don't think there are enough good ones. Gospel hymns? Not enough singers. Well, how bout TV songs? YES!

So we were a four piece. Me and Killer, Leslie Franks on keys and guitar, Kathy Howard on drums. Right around this time I ran into an old friend from high school and college, Jennifer Hunt. We were both music majors at Illinois State. Spontaneously, I asked her if she might want to play a show. I knew the answer before I asked. She was a vocal major who studied and sang choral voice, but she loved Pat Benatar and was dying to rock. Needless to say, she was in. This was when the show started coming together.

So if we're doing all covers with a second lead vocalist, this could hardly be called an Otis Ball show. Well, hell. If we're a TV band, let's just be That TV Band! Done. So if it ain't Otis Ball & The Chains, well, why the hell do I gotta be Otis Ball? No reason. Now it's show time.

One of my first favorite TV shows was Lancelot Link, Secret Chimp. A live action saturday morning series about a government spy organization. And all the spies were chimpanzees. Oh. Also, they had a rock band.

Screw it. The front man for That TV Band is Lance.

So we had to learn a show from scratch. Or damn near. Killer and I had done a couple TV songs together over the years, but outside of a handful of goofin' around rehearsal moments with The Chains and a Partridge Family song or two, we had an entire set to learn. And nowhere to do it. Enter James Patrick Moran. The Patrick stands for Potwora. Mister Moran offered up his living room for a couple rehearsals cuz he's a good guy. And I think he was pissed at his neighbors.

Somewhere in here we were told the other two bands on the bill would be the band Green from Chicago and Dekalb's own Blue Green God. Well, far be it from us to leave a running theme blowing in the wind. (Or a kiss, for that matter.) Which is when we became That Green TV Band. The plan was, I would be Lance, the jerk band leader who berated the band. And they would bite their collective tongues until just before the end of the show, at which point they couldn't take it any longer. I think Killer was employed to fake smack me or sumthin. Anyways, right before the end, Lance would be run off at which point Otis Ball would show up to save the day and the set with a closing performance of Charles Manson's Birthday. Cuz we wanted to play it and it didn't fit in with the show's theme.

And that's the story. Two months later I would be off to Jersey to record an album and come up with the rest of the stories that will be filling up this blog in the months to come. Good thing I saved all this crap.

Grab yerself some That Green TV Band right hyah.

THIS JUST IN! Greg Dunlap came up with a copy of the set list!