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December 31
- 2004
Map
Moondog's: 378 Freeport Rd, Blawnox, PA (412)
828-2040
10:00 p.m. - 2 a.m. - Friday
NEW
YEARS EVE BASH!!!!
"Boilermaker", "Rock N Roll
City", "White Trash Tragedy", "Graceland". Powerful
startup for a great Norm Years Eve show. Enter Phil
Brontz, ace tenor sax with 8th Street Rox. "T-Bird"
followed by "Weekend", Phil really sounded at home with
Norman & The Guys. Next up, "Lovedog" and "That Girl"
from the "Redemption" CD. The first set closed out with
Phil blowin' "Burnin Up" and "Friend Of Mine". Short
break gave way to a great instrumental version of
"Bulldog" with Phil and Norman lickin' it up real
strong. Enter Mark Stutso of Jimmy Thackery & The
Drivers on lead vocal. Stutso proceeded to rip up 6 or 7
Norman songs. "Million Tears", "Victoria's Secret", "You
Go Your Way", "Just Like A Woman", "Three Times Your
Fool", "Heartbreak Shake", then a great cover of the old
Wilber Harrison tune "Work Together". Norman tried to
count down the seconds to the New Year but he couldn't
seem to get it right so he shut up and let the audience
take over. Food Break! Moondog laid out some good lick.
Pork & Sour Kraut with Kolbassi, pasta and potato salad,
hoagies, meatballs & rigatonis, veggie tray and a
serious selection of cookies. The last set kicked with
Norma wailin' "End Of The Line". Stutso came back up
and crooned "Bow Legged Woman" which featured hot solos
by Phil & Norman. Enter Whitey "Clyde" Cooper up front
to soul shout with Stutso now playin' drums.
"6-3-4-5-7-8-9", "Shamalama Ding Dong", "My Baby Caught
The Train", "Mojo", then a chillin' version of James
Brown's "Try Me". End of show. Encore?! Norman sings
Chuck Berry's "Round N Round". Chucky Koehler came up
and sang "Hand Jive". Up to the stage came Ronnie "Moondog"
Esser to join in on "I Shall Be Released", which ended
with everyone singin' and no instruments playin'. Nice
touch! Norman said "I think 2005 is gonna be a great
year! Hey! Maybe he's right!
December 18
- 2004
Map Driving
Directions
Penn Monroe Grill: 3985 William Penn Hwy,
Monroeville, PA 15146 412-373-1180
10 p.m. - 2 a.m. - Sat.
Norman said he thought that people partying for the
Saturday Steeler game might have hurt the crowd a little
as the Penn Monroe is usually packed. A good performance
of "Just Another Christmas Song" stood out early in the
first set. Harry shined doing lead vocals doing "Pots N
Pans". Norman did a kick ass version of "Bow Legged
Woman" that had the whole place hootin' and hollerin'.
"Victoria's Secret" opened the second set and sounded
strong. "Theree Tmes Your Fool" and "Red Hot Lover" both
sounded good as Norman doesn't often do those songs.
"What the F*&%" let everyone know that when you're
dealin' with double N, you're dealing with a crazy man!
December 16
- 2004
Map
Rex Theatre:
1602 E Carson St
Pittsburgh, PA 15203
(412) 381-6811
8:00 P.M. Start
Norman will be opening the show
for Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes! Don't miss it!
What a beautiful room to see a show! Peanuts,
the host of the north coast cried out "The Hottest Thing
From The Hills Since The Steel Mill...Norman Nardini!"
Whitey Cooper kicks the drums, Harry Bottoms bangs the
bass and double N screams out "Dearly Beloved, we are
gathered here at the church of rock n roll" Bam! Rock n
Roll City! "White Trash Tragedy" was the chaser. Norman
broke a guitar string so he changed to his Tiger guitar
and performed "Gettin' It". He then talked for a minute
how you can't hear his beloved Pittsburgh rock n roll on
the radio. He then sang "It's A Long Way To Pittsburgh
PA". Applause..Applause...Applause... "Who Dat Do Dat"
and a smokin' version of "End Of The Line" with a very
convincing slide guitar solo. How bout a soulful version
of "Burnin' Up" with a great rap and a powerful guitar
solo. "Help Me Make It Through The Night" closed out the
show. Norman got up and introduced the evening's
headliners, Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes who did
a tireless two hour set.
December 11
- 2004
Map
Excuses: 2526 E. Carson St. (South Side),
Pittsburgh, PA (412) 431-4090
10:30 p.m. - 2 a.m. - Sat.
Makin' it look easy! That's what this chilly Saturday
night was all about. "Bulldog", "Boilermaker", "Rock n
Roll City", "White Trash Tragedy". Norman's bull crap
flowed like a raging river. Laughter was the thing. At
the end of a song, Norman blew a ping pong ball out of
his mouth. He said "That's a power move!" "Smoke Two
Joints", closed out the first set. Norman said that as
the high priest of the church of rock n roll, he is
sometimes called upon to perform special services. He
then pointed to two people standing by the ladies room
door and then said he would like to know if Tami would
like to marry John? Tami yelled out "Yes!" and the guys
played "I Can't Help Falling In Love". Everybody had a
tear in their eye. It was a very romantic moment. The
night closed out with a serious version of "End Of The
Line". Makin' it look easy!
December 10
- 2004
Crystal II: 300 Water Street, East Brady, PA
724-526-3746
10 PM - 2 AM - Fri.
Not everybody got it right away, but by teh end of the
night, everybody was on the same page. Norman said he
liked traveling up to East Brady, PA. But he imagined
that a lot of other rock n rollers might not be man
enough to make the trip. Harry was drinkin' beer outta
the biggest beer glass ever! Local celebrity, Spike, an
old World War II Vet, seemed to have the best time. Lots
of old covers and b.s. Norman said he took a leak in the
river to before he arrived to bless the night. Whatever!
December 9 -
2004
Map
Moondog's: 378 Freeport Rd, Blawnox, PA (412)
828-2040
8:00 p.m. - 12 a.m. - Thursday
CHRISTMAS PARTY BASH!!!!
Norman will be appearing with Glenn Pavone
& The Cyclones!!!!!!
A Christmas Party & an
announcement celebration from Ron "Moondog" Esser and
his club "Moondog's" for
for winning The Blues
Foundation's 2005
"Keeping the Blues Alive" award.
What a great night! Glenn Pavone & The Cyclones played
the first set and just kicked ass! After the set,
Moondog let out a great buffet! Good, good lick! Then
Norman got up and did about 10 minutes of b.s. about
Moondog and Moondogs, it was hilarious. When Norman
announced the award, everyone stood up and
applauded...how cool! Steve Rohan of Radio 97 Rock also
spoke and gave away T-Shirts and Cds. Then Norman played
wit The Cyclones followed by Bill "The Sauce Boss"
Wharton, Zack Weissinger, Chuck Koehler and Moondog
himself. About 2 hours of straight unrehearsed jammin',
what a treat! Nobody wanted to go home. Yeah it was one
of THOSE nights! Merry Christmas!
December 3 -
2004
Map
Starlite Lounge & Moondog's: 364 Freeport
Rd (Starlite is 2 doors down from Moondog's), Blawnox,
PA
412-828-2040.
10:00 p.m. - 2 a.m. - Fri.
Norman was insane tonight, just talking out of his mind.
But crazy as it sounds, everyone in the room was on the
same page. Norman said Harry Bottoms is starting a new
band called "Lobotomy". The Hanful kept talkin' about
being the black sheep of the dysfunctional Pittsburgh
rock n' roll family. Somebody asked why he wasn't at the
Pittsburgh Flood Relief concert with Joe Grushecky &
Bruce Springsteen. He answered very calmly, "I wasn't
asked". Everyone in the club was yellin' crazy stuff up
to the band the whole night. It was truly an audience
participation night. Chucky Koehler jumped up and sang
"Hand Jive" & "Can't Help Falling In Love" and sounded
especially good tonight. Norman told a story about
giving a guitar lesson to a young kid and scaring the
innocent boy and his parents. That was the last guitar
lesson he's given. A rarely played version of "Latin
Shuffle" really lit up the room. Very appropriately,
Chucky closed out the night singin' "For The Good
Times". |
