Thanks to solid response, Spec's is extending its Saturday voter registration drive through October 3. You can sign onto the machine at any of the chain's stores.
I'm sick and tired of all the chaos swirling around our community radio station, WDNA-FM. As you know, two "boards of directors" are fighting in court over control of the station. Have been for a year now, probably will be for some time to come. Dunno what they're fighting over, as WDNA doesn't exist any more -- it's been off the air for weeks. Even so, Howard Gross, appointed by the court to settle the control dispute, has recently asked for $5000 in pay due him. Apparently the two "boards" are each responsible for half that fee. The group that is trying to toss out the old board is conducting a fund raiser at the Cactus Cantina tomorrow (Thursday) at 8:00 p.m. The evening begins with a jazz jam -- including Roger Wilder on keys and Be-Bob Grabowski on bass -- then moves into a Latin/jazz blowout headed by Dario Rosendo. There'll also be a drawing for prizes, and your donation will be appreciated.
Robbie Gennet, rested after providing keyboards for Saigon Kick on their tour, will play some of his own stuff at the Musicians Exchange on Saturday.
For a long time we missed out on the hyped ride of Dramarama. Duh. Then one day Rooster Head's Michael Kennedy sent me an eclectic tape of songs he finds therapeutic. It certainly helped me get through a few tiresomely funky days. One song especially stood out, but I had no idea what it was or who it was performed by. "Do kittens die on Christmas/Do monkeys like the zoo/I haven't got a clue" sung over driving traditional rock instrumentation -- wowser. Turned out to be Dramarama, and after obtaining their Vinyl cassette, it all makes perfect sense. Besides gut-check rockers, the band delves deep into acid-washed psychedelia a la Dukes of Stratosphear ("Tiny Candles") and unself-conscious ballad-essays ("What Are We Gonna Do?") spiced by bizarro sound bites. In the diversity and the passion, Dramarama is similar to Rooster Head. And here's the rub. At least two local clubs have told the Roosters they wouldn't be booked to play live unless they lose the country songs from their repertoire. Their loss, your loss, 'cause I'd bet the farm the Roosters won't compromise their music for anybody. That's just one reason Rooster Head is the best rock band in the nation right now. With Dramarama right on their tails.
Maybe it's just age. "I don't know how old you are," says Zeta-4 program director Pete Bolger, "but I remember when radio stations would devote whole weekends to nothing but, say, Bob Dylan songs. But today there's less and less interest in specialized programming, listeners have less tolerance for deviations from what the station usually plays. A lot of our special programs that we used to have had their fans, but it was a small group." So it's not Zeta-4 that's changing, it's the whole world. And while the station did cancel Kimba's blues hour, for the above cited reasons, it did not kill Dr. Demento. "The syndicator canceled it," Bolger explains. "Not enough stations were running it, and there wasn't enough advertising to support it. This is part ofthe continued shake out." Block programming is passe. As for Kimba's show, Bolger notes that the DJ has plenty to do since taking over morning drive a few weeks ago, and that the station will integrate mo' blues into its regular programming. The station is retaining one block show, the Grateful Dead Hour (Sundays at 11:00 p.m.). And while we're on the Zeta-4 frequency, let's offer congrats to publicist Toni Shreffler, who's on maternity leave, and kudos to DJ Mike Lyons for relentlessly pursuing the details of Bruce Springsteen's fall concert appearance at the Miami Arena. (Note to Mike: If that series of shows is moved out of the Arena for a bigger venue, I'll buy you a beer and let you say anything you want in this column. Bet.)
Carl "Kilmo" Pacillo is off to New Yawk, as is Peter Betan. The former has split from most of the members of the Killers and is teaming with some new players to tour the Northeast. The latter has finished up his new album and is off to play some hot Manhattan gigs and meet with some biz bigshots before returning home. Wish 'em both well.
Volunteer talent is needed for PSA's on behalf of Citizens Against Pet Overpopulation. Eight million cats and dogs are put to death every year because human beings are such a shit species. Yes, kittens die on Christmas. Chuck Avery and Lisa Hutt are contributing their production abilities to fight this holocaust, and, if you have the skill, your help is needed. Send your acting or voice-over qualifications to 7740 NE 50 St., #504, Lauderhill, FL 33351.
Butthorn of the week: Metrobus. The jitneys are gone in protest, and we're left with the incompetence of Dade County. For example, the Number 11 bus that runs straight down Flagler Street. The 11 loops onto Biscayne and stops on Third Street. Depending on the driver, it then stops right across from my office, or right next to my office, or a block away from my office, or a few blocks from my office. All is whimsy. But the other day the 11 stopped a block short of Biscayne and the driver ordered all passengers off.
Customer: "Don't you go to Biscayne and turn left?"
Driver: "This is the last stop."
Customer: "When did the route change?"
Driver: "Here's a transfer."
Customer: "But where are you going, why can't you take me to Third Street? What the heck's going on with you clowns?"
The emptied bus then drove on to Biscayne and turned left.
The media circus: L.A. publicist Phyllis Pollack, with whom I've enjoyed dozens of lengthy conversations about her friend Ice-T, wants me to clarify something I wrote in a recent "On the Beat" article: That she has never represented Ice-T on an official performer-flack basis.
Pet corner: From the irony-enigma-riddle file: The Peterson Foundation is looking to give away a quarter of a million dollars to IRS-qualified animal protection organizations in Florida. The late Folke Peterson, whose foundation is giving away a million bucks this year, was a dairyman. The reasoning behind his will was that he made his fortune off animals, so animals should benefit from his fortune. The irony hardly ends there, however. While giving $250,000 to Broward's Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, the Foundation simultaneously grants the same amount to the University of Miami, a notoriously cruel torturer of animals. Oh well. Requests for application forms should be sent to Trustees of the Folke H. Peterson Charitable Foundation, c/o Sun Bank/South Florida, N.A. Trust Department, PO Box 14728, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33302, attention Howard L. Usher.
Greg Brown lyric of the week: From One More Goodnight Kiss: "The big picture's insane/The whole country's on cocaine/And the idiots still ask/Why it's come to this.
