Columnist Spencer Patterson: Gimme Gimmes raise bar with comedic release

Spencer Patterson

Friday, Feb. 18, 2005 | 8:26 a.m.

The latest album by Me First and the Gimme Gimmes is titled "Ruin Jonny's Bar Mitzvah."

If that sounds like a joke, it isn't, though it's definitely one hilarious live disc.

Punk rock's premier cover band actually did play a bar mitzvah -- for Southern Californian teen Jonny Wixen -- in October 2003 and recorded the performance for prosperity and potential future commercial release.

The finished product, 14 audio tracks and 7 1/2 minutes of CD-Rom-enabled video footage, finds the Gimme Gimmes playing to a room of appreciative youngsters and confused adults.

"It was really awkward," guitarist Joey Cape said, laughing. "I think a lot of people had no idea ... They thought they were just going to a bar mitzvah, and expected a really lightweight version of 'Hava Nagila.' "

Wixen's guests got "Hava Nagila," but not the typical bar mitzvah rendering. Instead, the Gimme Gimmes -- famous for their punk-rock assaults on material by Barry Manilow and Billy Joel -- made up their own lyrics, while playing the tune to "Feliz Navidad."

Like so: "I wanna wish you a Rosh Hashana / From the bottom of my heart."

The reaction?

"There were some old people in the back plugging their ears," Cape, 38, said.

Though the Gimme Gimmes' approach is always lighthearted -- Cape calls them "good to drink to" -- the Bay Area quintet is actually composed of five serious musicians, all with "real" jobs in the business.

Cape and drummer Dave Raun are members of punk-rock group Lagwagon. Bassist Fat Mike plays in veteran punk outfit NOFX. Vocalist Spike Slawson fronts the Swingin' Utters, another punk band. And guitarist Chris Shiflett (aka "Jake Jackson") is a full-time guitarist for rock powerhouse the Foo Fighters.

As you might imagine given those outside responsibilities, scheduling Gimme Gimmes gigs with all five members in attendance can be tricky. But they will all be onstage Saturday night when the group headlines "Tales From the Gutter" at the House of Blues at Mandalay Bay.

Also on the bill: Bouncing Souls and the Briefs. Doors open at 6 p.m. for the all-ages event. Tickets are $13.

The show is part of the annual "Punk Rock Bowling" weekend, during which hordes of punk bands -- including the Gimme Gimmes -- will battle it out on the lanes at the Gold Coast's bowling center, beginning at noon Saturday and 1 p.m. Sunday.

En route to Las Vegas, the Gimme Gimmes stopped off to play a Thursday night engagement party for a couple they'd never met.

"It's levity," Cape said. "If being in a band is what you do all the time, then this is a nice little break from whatever it is that's serious about our other bands. We don't practice. Band practice is onstage, and whatever happens, happens.

"And we often get pretty intoxicated before we play. So it's sort of a free-for-all."

Among the Gimme Gimmes' repertoire: Manilow's "I Write the Songs," John Denver's "Country Roads," Stevie Wonder's "Isn't She Lovely" and Blondie's "I Am a Rock."

On the "Bar Mitzvah" CD, they even tackle the Beatles' "Strawberry Fields Forever," after this deadpan announcement by Slawson:

"This next song is written by one of the most overrated bands of all time. We took kind of a crappy song and made it great."

A few attendees laughed at that crack. Most stayed silent. According to Cape, that wasn't the half of it.

"We edited a lot of the stuff, because it was so ridiculous," he said. "Like, 'All right!' and then silence. And that doesn't go over so hot on a live record, five minutes of silence."

So what can the Gimme Gimmes possibly do to top that five-star spectacle? Cape said the band's bassist, and head of high jinks, has some ideas.

"What motivates Fat Mike is, the stranger the scenario, the better," Cape said. "I don't know how much weirder it can get than a kid's bar mitvah. He keeps saying a funeral or a briss or something.

"It's not my department. I just show up and play the sweet licks."

Grammys go south

Just when I thought the Grammys were getting it ...

A year ago, it seemed as though music's long-out-of-touch awards show might be coming around. Prince opened the night with a hot performance, and OutKast closed it with a deserved win for Album of the Year, the first-ever for a hip-hop act.

Then on Sunday night, the Grammys took a giant step back, with a set of unbelievably poor award choices, not to mention a long, unwatchable 3 1/2- hour broadcast.

Firstly, I'm wondering why they didn't just retitle this year's event "A Tribute to Ray Charles." Because that's what it was, with the late, great singer/songwriter/pianist picking up eight trophies, including Album and Record of the Year.

Don't get me wrong, I like Charles' music, and respect his contributions. But even his most ardent fans readily admit "Genius Loves Company" does not rank among his best works.

Passing over current, relevant artists such as Kanye West, Alicia Keys and Usher to dole out career achievement awards only undermines the Grammys' claim to be anything other than a stodgier, longer-winded alternative to MTV's "Video Music Awards."

As for this year's umpteen performances, only Melissa Etheridge made an indelible mark, putting Joss Stone to shame with her roof-rattling screech at the end of their tribute to Janis Joplin.

Otherwise, it was painfully slow and boring, and another sad reminder that those who vote for the year's best music apparently have the world's least interesting record collections.

On sale

Three Dog Night founding member Chuck Negro and Felix Cavaliere's Rascals team for a May 14 bill at The Club at the Cannery. Tickets are $9.95 to $19.95 and are on sale at the Cannery, by phone at 617-5585 and at www.cannerycasinos.com.

Lenny Kravitz plays The Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel on May 21. Tickets are $103 and $128 and go on sale at noon Saturday at the Hard Rock box office, at Ticketmaster outlets, by phone at 474-4000 or at www.ticketmaster.com.

Las Vegas' the Killers return for a hometown show at The Joint on April 15. Tickets are $35 and go on sale at 1 p.m. Saturday at the Hard Rock box office and through Ticketmaster.

Kenny Chesney has added a second night at Mandalay Bay Events Center on June 11 with opening acts Gretchen Wilson and Pat Green. Tickets are $52.50, $73.50 and $94.50 and go on sale at 10 a.m. Saturday at the Mandalay Bay box office and through Ticketmaster.

Motorhead rolls into the House of Blues on April 5 with support from Corrosion of Conformity. Tickets are $22 to $30 and go on sale at 10 a.m. Saturday at the House of Blues box office and through Ticketmaster.

My Chemical Romance stops at the House of Blues on April 3. Tickets are $13 and go on sale at 10 a.m. Saturday at the House of Blues box office and through Ticketmaster.

Crossfade plays the House of Blues on April 4. Tickets are $13.40 and are on sale now at the House of Blues box office and through Ticketmaster.

Tickets are also on sale now for an April 16 KC & The Sunshine Band show at the House of Blues. Tickets are $30 to $50 and are available through the House of Blues box office and Ticketmaster.

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