Our favorite rink-rockers, the
Zambonis, were in town this weekend to rock
Freddy's in Brooklyn before the joint's razed to build an arena for that
other winter sport.
The Zambonis are always plenty tight and a lot of fun, but this show was especially good, since the set featured a generous helping of newer songs (about hockey, natch) to augment the 'Boni standards. Many of these new numbers are on their newest self-released, limited-edition CD, "Chippy Sessions," which you should
buy if you like these guys at all; it's very good.
Two true facts that came to light on Saturday night:
1 - At New York shows, the Zambonis are often accompanied by a guy in an ape suit for the Zambonis/
James Kochalka number "Hockey Monkey." He was unavailable for Saturday's show, but word is that the guy inside the Hockey Monkey suit is the same guy who plays the Islanders' mascot,
Sparky the Dragon. That's a lot of hours in animal suits for anyone who isn't a "furry." Not that I'm saying he isn't; he could be. What do I know about it?
Check out the Zambonis' fumetti interview with Sparky
here.
2 - The chord progression for "Bob Marley and the Hartford Whalers" is also that of "Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite."
I harangued Zamboni Dave a little after the show about this song, because the lyrics have always bugged me a little.
Imagine New York without the Rangers
Philly without the Flyers
No Detroit Red Wings
So go to games, support your team
and while you're there you buy ice cream
Let 'em know you care
If everyone does their part
the team won't break your heart
It's easy to imagine how an erstwhile Whalers fan would feel this way, but I think it's unhealthy to suggest that it's fans' behavior and not owners' perfidy that determines whether a sports franchise moves away. It's a real mendacious scam the owners have going, chasing down whatever rube municipalities will give them the most gigantic corporate welfare handouts and extravagant free arenae. For a fan to blame himself and his peers for falling victim to this shell game strikes me as being a little like laid-off textile workers wishing they'd only worked for less pay, like those kids in Indochina.
But hey, I'm harshing the buzz. Click "read more" to see more photos from another excellent Zambonis rocktacular.
Zamboni Dave Schneider, who says he's not really this "obsessed" with the Whalers -- "I just like to match."
Zamboni polyinstrumentalist Jon Aley
Kevin from the aforelinked site
Inside Hockey guested on keyboards for a couple numbers, and donned a lion mask to sub for the Hockey Monkey, who was M.I.A.