Ryan Welton

Othello's Gig Post-Mortem: Jan. 24

It’s been a busy, busy four days at work with the Oklahoma ice storm, so much so that I hadn’t a chance to revisit my recent gig at Othello’s on Campus Corner in Norman.

For those unfamiliar with me — most of the world — my solo gigs are a combination of instrumental jazz, campy cover songs and original compositions. The point of it all? Fun.

Had a great crowd in Norman on Jan. 24, including some colleagues from the station (who were very fun), Toad and Joey (my managers and therapy duo) and a Web colleague and his wife (who were very kind to come out). Any musician loves it when friends come out. It’s like a sports team playing a home game: You know the audience is friendly.

And, the first hour of the gig went swimmingly. C’mon, I’m just reading music and playing the standards, many of which I had played a billion times before. Songs like “Alfie” and “Take Five” and jazz classics from Herbie Hancock and Bill Evans.

These are like comfort foods from a playing perspective. Musicianship is mostly muscle memory, and many piano players can mimic finger movements even in the absence of keys.

But at about 8 p.m., the vocals began, and those required a bit more. They require focus, for example.

Like I told a friend who showed up on Saturday, “There are times when something catches my eye — a person walking, a fly buzzing, a picture on a nearby TV — and throws me off completely.”

Because I try to learn so many songs, in the off chance that somebody requests something, I don’t really have a chance to master many. And, I about crawled under the bench when I butchered Marc Cohn’s “Walking in Memphis.” Not only did I completely lose my place, it was like I had been attacked by a rhythm virus, afflicting my fingers with an inability to move at proper tempo.

It was truly hideous, and I wouldn’t have blamed anybody for walking out right then.

Other songs went really well, and I’ve determined that songs with more of a rock tempo fit my style really well. “Army” from Ben Folds Five continues to be a staple, and “Banditos” by The Refreshments went well.

My TV show theme set went OK, too. I debuted a version of the theme from “Cheers” as well as “Welcome Back” from John Sebastian, which I did not credit properly.

What makes the adrenalin flow is when I’m able to play a request from out of the blue. While my rendition of “Werewolves of London” was painful (Hey, he paid his buck in advance. I **had** to try. I will **always** try.), my attempts at some Dionne Warwick and Captain & Tennille went fairly well.

The thing I take away from this gig most though is that I have to make it a priority to take some breaks during a live show. My philosophy about entertaining is that if there is momentum, I don’t move. If you’re still there attentive, I don’t break.

Unfortunately, after 3.5 hours, I get up for the first time and am moderately paralyzed from not having moved my legs or back in that long.

I’d really like to find some 2-hour gigs, where I can focus on a really strong, long set. And, I’m hoping to get involved in some songwriting groups across the state and do some singer-songwriter gigs at coffee shops.

As for another gig at Othello’s, I’m not sure. They’ve got a renown Norman musician doing the bookings now, and I am pretty sure he’s never heard of me. I love playing there because it’s so laid-back and the staff/ownership is super friendly.

There are a lot of singer-songwriters and musicians and bands in this and any college town or city who gig for the purpose of stepping upward, making it to “Hollywood,” if you will.

That’s not my thing. The bottom line is that I think most folks had fun, and frankly, that is priority No. 1.

I’m going to take the weekend to get reorganized, and then I’m going to plan the spring. I’d like to play 3-4 times a month at various venues across central Oklahoma. As soon as I’m booked, I’ll let you know.

Set List For Saturday Gig @ Othello's

I know it’s late. I’m sleeping in. However, I had to get my set list tweaked and final because I like to post ‘em online just in case anybody’s on the fence about coming out to the gig.

All 10 of you who read this.

The entire first set is instrumental jazz for the dinner crowd. I never like to get too loud while people are eating … but once they’re done and the drinks start flowing, the musical emphasis changes.

For the record, I bring several books with me, and this isn’t nearly the number of songs I have at least partially worked up in my gig book. Several of these are new from the last gig, which means two things: My repertoire is expanding, and — uh, well — these could be interesting. ;-)

My originals are marked, and the ones with asterisks by them are contingent upon folks who request them showing up. I’m only breaking out the Patrick Swayze if you show up, buster.

OTHELLO's SET LIST -- Jan. 24

SET 1:
1 - My Funny Valentine
2 - What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life
3 - When Sunny Gets Blue
4 - Don't Get Around Much
5 - Feel Like Makin' Love
6 - Killing Me Softly
7 - Girl From Ipanema
8 - Waltz for Debby
9 - Someday My Prince Will Come
10 - Foggy Day
11 - Body and Soul
12 - I've Grown Accustomed To Her Face
13 - Alfie
14 - All The Things You Are
15 - Devil May Care
16 - Misty
17 - Moonlight In Vermont
18 - Dolphin Dance

SET 2:
1 - Lost (original)
2 - Get Your Own Damned Cloud (original)
3 - Hot and Cold
4 - Black and Gold
5 - Walking in Memphis
6 - Rockford Files
7 - Bob Newhart Show *
8 - WKRP in Cincinnati
9 - Welcome Back
10 - Cheers
11 - Them Eyes (original)
12 - Love on the Radio (original)
13 - Lonely People (original)
14 - New York State of Mind
15 - Margaritaville
16 - She's Like The Wind *
17 - Make A Move On Me
18 - Downtown (original)
19 - Dear OG&E (original)

SET 3:
1 - Banditos
2 - Army
3 - Lithium
4 - I'm Still Standing
5 - Fame
6 - Wonderful
7 - Brown Eyed Girl
8 - Blister In The Sun (w/ Sesame Street)
9 - Don't Stop Believin'
10 - Private Dancer
11 - Obsession
12 - Isn't She Lovely
13 - Higher Ground
14 - Tightrope
15 - My Old School
16 - Arthur
17 - I Is All That You Got (original)
18 - Different World (original)
19 - Piano Man

EXTRA: Hit Me Baby One More Time

LIVE MUSIC: Norman, Okla., Saturday Night @ Othello's

This is your official, last-minute invitation: Come see me play Saturday night (Jan. 24) at Othello’s in Norman. I’ll start between 6:30 and 7 p.m. and play until 5 in the morning non-stop.

Kidding.

But I will be gigging at Othello’s on Campus Corner until about 10 or 10:30. For the first hour, hour and a half, I play instrumentals mostly — jazz standards, pop hits, a couple originals.

And, then I break out the piano bar act.

Admittedly, I shy away from most Piano Bar 101 material except for some Billy Joel and Elton John. Unlike a lot of “piano bar” acts, I try to work in 10-12 original songs, including my hit single, “Dirty Pierre.”

OK, so it’s not actually a hit.

I checked Look @ OKC and the Oklahoma Gazette to see if my gig was even listed, and it wasn’t. (Boo!) However, it’s not like I’m some household name in the OKC area. I’m not even a household name in my neighborhood.

In fact, besides leaving Othello’s full of great food and drink on Saturday night, you’re likely to leave not asking, “Why has this guy not been signed by a major label?” but instead asking yourself, “How is this guy not in a mental ward?”

Among the songs I plan to include on Saturday are:

• Lithium - Nirvana
• Blister in the Sun - Violent Femmes
• Private Dancer - Tina Turner
• Fame - Irene Cara

Not that those are bad songs, but I’m betting you won’t hear that combination anywhere on Earth Saturday night.

When I first recommitted to gigging, I found myself conflicted by two schools of thought: Either I could go the singer-songwriter route and take myself all seriously, or I could just have a good time.

I’ve opted for the latter.

Part of that means doing whatever is necessary to ensure folks have a good time when they come to see me play. No, that does not mean I’ll play shirtless. There is food involved, and nausea is not fun. Seeing my man-boobies bounce while I play would only serve to sicken the masses.

On the other hand, I do take requests, but I do have to warn you: I have no shame.

If I know it, and you ask for it: I’ll play it. I’ll sing it. My only rule is that if you ask me to play anything by the Commodores that you protect me from the fruit and vegetables that get thrown my way by Toad, who will be making an appearance. You’ll know who my buddy is when the red pears start flying.

He believes Lionel Richie is, in fact, the devil.

Now, gigging is nothing new for me, but I’d never even attempted solo performance until last year. When I played with bands in Dallas, I wouldn’t even sing backup; that’s how self-conscience I was.

The first couple of times I gigged solo, I’d dread “gig day” because I’d be a nervous wreck, hoping I wouldn’t forget a song in the middle of it.

Now, I’ll just start the heck over.

See, no shame. I have none.

If you don’t know where Othello’s in Norman is, it’s just north of Brothers on Buchanan Avenue on historic Campus Corner, just north of the beautiful University of Oklahoma campus.

And if you’re nowhere near here, get out and see somebody play this weekend, I guarantee you’ll make their day.

gran torino

Watched “Gran Torino” this afternoon, and it lived up to the trailer.

Not only was the movie exciting, it was also powerful. I don’t want to give anything away, but the metaphor to be had in this movie is obvious, even though lots of folks missed it. Reading reviews and blogs, you’d think “Gran Torino” was primarily about a culture war or racial disharmony or vengeance.

That’s part of it, but none of these was the central premise of the movie.

Like “Crash,” “Gran Torino” will be one of the most talked about movies over the next couple of months, and a surprise Best Picture nod is not out of the question.

Here’s the trailer:

kurt warner, still amazing

Anybody who knows me knows who my favorite quarterback of all time at any level is: Josh Heupel.

The Oklahoma quarterback from 1999 through 2000 was hardly as gifted as Jason White or Sam Bradford, physically, but he is matched in OU history only by Jack Mildren in terms of sheer will, smarts, guts and importance to the Sooners program.

Yet there is a close second in my book in terms of favorite overall quarterbacks. Kurt Warner.

In 1999, my buddy and I lucked out and picked Warner up as our fantasy football quarterback one week into another NFL season. Warner had taken over for Trent Green in the preseason and had a terrific first week for the St. Louis Rams. It’s not so much that we recognized Warner’s “fantasy worth,” it’s that we needed a QB.

All Warner did was win the league MVP and the Super Bowl MVP.

Heck, I was pulling for the Tennessee Titans in the Super Bowl because I was also a big fan of Steve McNair, and the Titans had been the Houston Oilers.

However, in 10 years, Warner has won two league MVPs. He’s been cut from the Rams, released by the Giants and revived his career with the Arizona Cardinals, who will be in Sunday’s NFC title game against Philadelphia. The Cardinals are the worst franchise in football, and their appearance in a conference title game isn’t a miracle when compared to that plane in the Hudson River this week — but it’s a sports wonder nonetheless.

Warner is MY age, a veritable ancient by NFL standards.

What has converted me from a mild Warner fan to a rabid Warner fan is his ability to do what nobody believe can be done. He is the underdog of underdogs, the everyman who got a shot in the NFL, a guy who was a stock boy at an Iowa grocery store back in the 1990s who has a chance to play in his third Super Bowl with a win on Sunday.

And like he did in 1999, he’s made me look good again in 2009.

Back in November, I e-mailed a former colleague about this odd sports hunch I had, that Arizona was going to surprise the world and play in a Super Bowl. My friend laughed it off.

Another colleague scoffed in the break room when I told him about my hunch, and I seriously believe he questioned my sanity. When asked for a reason why I thought the Cardinals would get to a Super Bowl this year, I said: Kurt Warner.

I had seen this movie before.

Truth is, the Cardinals have a pretty stout defense, a running back playing inspired in Edgerrin James and the best receiver in football in Larry Fitzgerald, who is un-freaking-real when it comes to one-on-one catches.

But Warner’s entire career — from stock boy to the Arena League to NFL champ — has been like a Hollywood script. Why wouldn’t this be a perfect ending?

Laughter. Scoffing. Chuckles abounded.

I’m not even a Cardinals fan, really. But I am this Sunday and will be when they play Pittsburgh or Baltimore in the Super Bowl.

Sure, Philly is hot right now, and — yes — everybody is picking the Eagles to win on the road. However, Philadelphia is 1-4 in conference title games with Donovan McNabb, and Brian Westbrook is ailing.

Plus, all of a sudden, University of Phoenix Stadium (a.k.a The Big Toaster) isn’t merely a solid home-field advantage for the Cards, it’s a nightmare for opponents.

But Arizona has the old man, and his story is just as compelling today as it was 10 years ago. For people to speculate on whether Kurt Warner is a hall of famer, to me, is nutty. He’s first-ballot worthy.

And if the Cardinals WIN the Super Bowl this year, Hollywood might as well get the movie ready. His career has been highly unlikely, but a title at age 37 for Warner would make it unreal.

Doubt this guy at your own peril.

bradford, gresham, oh my!

There will be yells of “Pay Attention, Jermaine!” this fall when Oklahoma kicks off its 2009 season.

While Jermaine Gresham, Gerald McCoy and Trent Williams all announced their intention to return to OU for another season, it was Sam Bradford whose announcement warranted ESPN to cut in with breaking news.

Sam will be back in 2009.

What’s extraordinary about the way things have transpired since OU lost to Florida is that all these football players decided to stay. We don’t know about Chris Brown and DeMarco Murray, but it very well could be that each guy who had a legit shot at millions decided he wanted to stick around in li’l ol’ Norman, Okla., another season.

Sam said he didn’t feel the need to cut his OU experience short.

You do realize this guy would have been a millionaire in two months, no?

But he’s so right in the mature, big picture arena. There is no need to cut youth short. There is no need to cut short the OU experience, which I believe is a college experience second to none when you take everything into account.

Why leave Norman, where you’re king of the universe?

When Stoops said, “If it’s all the same again to you, we’ll try again next year,” I swear I think it brought the fan base together. That these guys are passing up millions to stick around another, to try to finish some business …

I’m not naive. The offensive line will be suspect. We’ll have young receivers. We have some pieces in the secondary to fill.

However, the core of the Oklahoma Sooners’ team is returning.

I didn’t think we stood a chance to win the Big 12 next year, much less win a national title. However, today changed everything.

Like it or not, America, there’s a good chance you’ll have the Sooners to kick around next year.

demarco murray: will he go pro?

One of the players I failed to note in my post yesterday about Oklahoma football draft entrees was running back DeMarco Murray.

He’s fast and exciting on the field but has a propensity to get hurt when it counts most. His injuries have come in or near Texas games, Big 12 title games and lasted into bowl games.

Not saying his presence would have made a winning difference against Florida, but the NFL values health when assessing draft picks.

There is NO way he should leave early. This would be a mistake at the level of De’Mond Parker.

sooners: who's gone after 2008?

Will he or won’t he? That’s the question relative to Oklahoma QB Sam Bradford and the NFL Draft.

Sure, we’d like him to stay. However, if projections land him in the first round of the draft, as I think they will, doesn’t he owe it to himself and his family to go?

Yes. C’mon, kid. The future owes you nothing, and financial security for generations awaits. Besides, Oklahoma is losing these senior offensive linemen next year:

• Branndon Braxton
• Jon Cooper
• Phil Loadholt
• Duke Robinson
• Brandon Walker

Among juniors, it looks like Trent Williams will opt for the draft. He probably should. Millions await, and he might be among the first Sooners taken. Bradford’s protection next year won’t be nearly as good as it was this year, and can Sam really afford that risk?

We’re going to lose Jermaine “Pay Attention” Gresham. That’s the nickname my friends and I gave him because it seemed, early in his career, like he would drift off into daydream land. But he’s terrific and will be a terrific pro TE.

We’re losing Juaquin Iglesias and Manny Johnson to eligibility. Quentin Chaney, too.

That means Ryan Broyles and Adron Tennell head up our WR corps next season, and — again — for Bradford, that’s scary. Broyles is terrific, but he can’t be the only go-to-guy.

And as for Iglesias, what can I say? Juaquin is one of my favorite OU players of the Stoops era, probably the best possession receiver we’ve had. He wouldn’t burn you for yards, but his hands were terrific.

Defensively, we’re losing guys like Nic Harris and Cory Bennett, and Lendy Holmes, too. Call me an idiot, but I think Holmes is one of the more underappreciated players of the past five years at OU. His catch-up speed was terrific, and he improved significantly from his first year until his last game. Early on in his career, he was terrible.

But for me, Nic Harris is the primary loss among defensive seniors. Unfortunately, I fear we may lose Gerald McCoy to the NFL Draft, as well. Early projections have him as a second or third-round guy, but he’s of strong enough character and has enough ability that he’s a sure pro.

I’d recommend one more year for Gerald but wouldn’t blame him a bit if he went now. What you don’t want to do is to pull a De’Mond Parker, Oklahoma’s premier running back of the late 1990s, who opted out as a junior, right as Stoops was coming in.

Worst draft decision I can remember at OU. Parker never caught on with Green Bay, and Parker would have soared in his last year under Stoops.

And, we lose Joey Halzle, who never even got his Nate Hybl day-in-the-spotlight outside of a gutsy performance against Texas Tech in 2007. Halzle was a competent backup, and I would not be surprised to see him at least attend an NFL camp or two. It makes me wonder if Keith Nichol is up in Lansing wondering if he made the right call transferring to Michigan State, a team that won’t sniff a national title chance in the near future.

Who knows. But I am of the mindset that these kids owe nothing to the university in terms of staying an extra year just for the chance at a national title. If you have a chance at a multi-million dollar contract in the NFL, you MUST GO.

Oklahoma will be OK. Go make some $.