Sunday, November 27, 2011

FRAT PARTY! With SPECIAL GUEST!!!

LYTID was released in early January of 1990 and I spent the next few months promoting the album with live shows, radio appearances and print interviews, all the while booking a mid west tour for March. The band was in heavy rehearsal mode. Our repertoire was large. Sometime in February I was approached about a fraternity party at Steven's Technical Institute in Hobroken. The timing worked out, in that it would give us a low key warm up show about a week before we left on tour. Also too, I had always wanted to play a frat party. Seemed like the perfect gig for the show I was doing. I was correct.

Butler, Grula and I arrived at the frat house a few hours before show time and discovered the "PA" was a mishmosh of bits and parts. I think a boombox was powering the set up. Luckily Rich lived in town and was able to get a ride back to his pad to grab what we needed to turn it into something resembling functioning.

Powered by pitchers of red liquid and cigars, we plowed through almost every song we knew. And then some. And we were very happy when the SPECIAL GUEST I invited actually turned up and played a number of songs with us in the first and second set. After the show he told me that this was the first time he had ever had fun playing a live show. In addition, we had The Maries and Nancy along for moral support. It wasn't our tightest show, it wasn't our best show, but it remains my favorite OB&C show of all time. All our stage tricks, the request bucket and the longest Charles Manson's Birthday ever.

And though I didn't know it at the time, it would be seen by more people than any other OB&C show ever. Someone asked us before the show if they could videotape it. I never had a problem with bootlegs. All I ever asked for was a copy. Well, I got that and more because a few weeks after the show, Stevens Tech started broadcasting the entire show on their low powered campus TV station.On an endless loop. For about 3 weeks.

And so it is my pleasure to bring you Otis Ball & The Chains' FRAT PARTY! With SPECIAL GUEST! The set lists are posted in the comments for those that prefer no spoilers.

FIRST SET

SECOND SET

THIRD SET

2 comments:

  1. FIRST SET
    Like A Rolling Stone
    Amy
    Ana Ng
    Under A Rock/Show Me The Way
    Innocent (with Special Guest)
    Dianamal
    Fun Ride (with Special Guest)
    Should I Stay Or Should I Go
    Love You Til I Don't
    Academy Fight Song
    Artists In Day Jobs
    She's Not Dumb
    Just May Be The One

    SECOND SET
    We Will Rock You
    Peace, Love & Understanding
    Do Ya
    Walk On Water (with Special Guest)
    I Wanna Be Sedated
    Cry
    Crashing Your Wedding
    Louie Louie medley (with Special Guest)
    The Kids Are Alright (with Special Guest)
    Ticket To Ride (with Special Guest)
    Hey Blues Singer (with Special Guest)
    More Than Nothing

    THIRD SET
    Luke/When You Were Mine/Used To Love Her
    Can't Get Enough
    September Gurls
    It's A Small World
    You May Be Right
    Fourth Of July
    Charles Manson's Birthday

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  2. Otis - I was part of the group that organized that show/party. I had a set of the VHS tapes that I think were the originals, that disappeared in my last move. I was so happy to have found you put your copy up, and have a bunch of other Alumni who were at that party discussing it on Facebook right now. Tried to tag you in but it wouldn't take.

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