Well, it's finally happened

The move to pub cover music

Punk rockers often have far more eclectic taste in music than you might expect. While some of them get in the van and literally put on the noisiest shit they can find, apparently engaging in some kind of group competition to see who can put on the punkest shit man and be crowned the band’s Alpha Punk, many of us actually rarely listen directly to the genre we play. I know a fairly famous singer of a Fat Wreck punk band who admitted to listening to Enya a lot on his earbuds during long drives. I’m the same. During the outro song “Elizabeth” (and I use “song” very loosely, as we play it in such a way that it can barely be described as music) I always launch into some bizarre cover that the band doesn’t see coming; Macy Gray, Tori Amos, REM, or Bobby McFerrin’s “Don’t Worry, Be Happy.” My recent plays on Spotify would definitely get me demoted from Beta Punk all the way down to Epsilon Punk.

And so this, well, this was inevitable. The other night at an open mic at An Beal Bocht in the Bronx, a hyper tuned up Irish fella sat down next to us at the bar and told me he’d loved my set and that he could get me a gig singing at his bar. I’d done a pretty weird set; “As Long as I can See The Light” by CCR, "Hungry Eyes” from the Dirty Dancing soundtrack and a Tom-Waitsy version of “Chim Chim Cheree” from Mary Poppins. I was like: “Oh, you don’t really need me doing cover songs at your bar.”

Then he mentioned how much money I’d be paid and I said: “Gosh, you know, just now I’m feeling like I’d really like to play cover songs at your bar.”

So I’m doing it. I even made a poster:

But unless our hordes of NY-based fans show up (ha! ha ha ha.) I probably won’t be doing any Dreadnoughts stuff. My lyrics sheets are heavy on CCR, Springsteen, Waylon Jennings, Ray Charles, Dire Straits, Sam Cooke, Nirvana, some 80s ballads, some 90s alternative. No traditional folk or sea shanties or anything of the kind. I’m selling out. It’s fun.

But I do have rules. No “Wagon Wheel”. No “Take it Easy”. No “I’m Yours” (barrffff). No “Sweet Caroline”. No “Country Roads”. No Ed Sheeran. Nothing recorded after 1997 actually.

So who’s the Alpha Punk? The crusty skid mark with no overdraft protection sitting in his van making his mates listen to ear-splitting noise? Or the 40something cover song balladeer with a fat stack of bills in his bulging wallet? HUH??? Yeah, that’s what I thought. Don’t worry, kid. You’ll get here someday.

And for paid subscribers, hey, here’s the actual somewhat embarrassing set list… maybe it has Enya on it…