Show Report

Show Review: Open Mike With Mike Bullard
October 16, 1998



Okay, so it's not really a show. The guys only did one song (Suffer Me), but I hiked all the way to Toronto to see them play it, so I'm including it!

The last time the guys were on Open Mike, I (and you if you watched the show) had to sit through the worst 50 minutes of talk-show hell you could imagine, to see the guys play "Big Blue Devil". So it was quite the leap of faith to go see their next appearance in person, no less.

But, as it turns out, I was pleasantly surprised. This was the first TV show taping I'd ever been to, and it's quite different than watching at home. And overall, the guests were good, and the jokes were funny. And after working on a wiring problem with Mark's drums for about 10 minutes during a commercial break (TV people know nothing about being roadies), the Rusty Nails blew the roof off the place.

My hilights of the show:
- Ron and the band were the only guests to actually mingle with the common people in the pre-show lounge
- Ron's hair is now red, for those of you keeping score at home
- the house band didn't have the sax players sit in this time like they did on the first appearance
- with all the prompting to clap and cheer, seeing a talk show in person is quite the phoney experience

Transcript of Ron's brief 'interview' with Mike:


Mike - Here we are with Ron Hawkins of Ron Hawkins & the Rusty Nails, thank you very much for coming tonight Ron

Ron- Thank you, Mike

Mike- Now a lot of people don't have the intense knowldge of music that i do, but i couldn't help but make note of the fact that you have two baritone saxophones. Why??

Ron - (Pauses) Double the booty!

Mike - (To house band) Right, ok, you fellas see me after the show, I'll explain 'booty'.

Now, you guys have been on tour a lot since you were last here. You were here last year, we enjoyed you, that's why we had you back.

Ron - Yeah, we've been busy, we just finished this record, and we're ready to go back on tour again October 17th to November 7th right across the country

Mike - Across the country in 4 weeks... what an age we live in!

Ron - More like 3 weeks.. yeah, we don't mess around!

Mike - And you're happy with the success of the CD?

Ron - Yeah, it's been going along great so far.. distributing it on my bike, you'll see me out there on the streets on my bicycle..

Mike - It's on an independent label?

Ron - Door to door... It's no label right now, we're going to 'court the masses' when we get back.

(Mike thanks show's guests)




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