Mike Gordon Fathers Day Hijinks & Talking Heads Cover
By Scott Bernstein Jun 25, 2015 • 10:35 am PDT
Also, Listen to audio of the impromptu “Burning Down The House” cover debut that Mike Gordon and his band served up in Northampton via taper jeenash:
Mike Gordon’s June Tour continued on Sunday night at the Academy of Music Theatre in Northampton, Massachusetts. The Phish bassist and his solo band had an eventful night that included a Father’s Day “gag” as well as the debut of a Talking Heads cover.
The Father’s Day hijinks took place during a jam that came out of “Take It As It Comes,” a new Mike Gordon/Scott Murawski original debuted early on in the tour. Robert Walter suddenly stood up at his keyboard and put on an apron. He then proceeded to pull out a grill on stage, grabbed some tongs and a spatula and started flipping burgers and hot dogs. Percussion Craig Myers put on a suit coat, grabbed a brief case and walked off stage. All the while drummer John Kimock kept the high hat going, while he sat back with an old pipe and read a newspaper. Murawski’s son Ian was rolled out in his wheelchair and both he and Scott put on baseball hats and waved “555” pennants as they feigned cheering for a game. Then, Gordon’s daughter Tessa came out and they put on gloves and played catch, capping off each member participating in a typical fatherly activity.
At one point Tessa asked the crowd if anyone minded if she gave her father a gift. She then handed Mike a rolled pink shirt that when opened contained the phrase “Papa Loves Mambo.” Mike asked if anyone knew any mambo and his band soon launched into “Papa Loves Mambo” with Ian and Tessa each singing verses. Gordon thanked all of the kids for participating in the “gag,” including Walter’s son who’s also named Robert. While the younger Walter wasn’t able to attend, Mike introduced him as “Robert Junior The 7th.”
The Father’s Day stunt wasn’t the only craziness last night as a fire alarm went off during set break that led to an evacuation of the entire venue (band included). After firetrucks came and eventually gave the all clear, Mike and his band quickly learned “Burning Down The House.” The Talking Heads hit, which was played once by Phish in 1998, kicked off the second set.
Mike Gordon’s tour resumes on Friday night at Boarding House Park in Lowell, Massachusetts.
