Glen Burtnik’s 10th Xmas Xtravaganza
Dec 8 and Dec 9, 2000 – The Bottom Line, NYC – Four Shows
Tickets $20
This year’s Xtravaganza posed a new challenge, one that made me even more nuts than usual. This time I had to organize the show FROM THE ROAD due to my busy touring schedule as bassist with Styx. I have a distinct memory of barreling down a highway somewhere in the God-Knows-Where of America aboard a tour bus in the middle of the night, feverishly making cassette copies of Christmas songs to be Fed Ex’d to musicians to learn.
Luckily, I did get home in time for a chance to visit Vin Scelsa’s IDIOT’S DELIGHT with my partner Tony Shanahan on Sunday night, December 3rd (which was one of Vin’s very last broadcasts over WNEW-FM). I should take this opportunity to mention the program’s terrific Producer, Kara Manning. Kara has worked for MTV and Rolling Stone Magazine and has been instrumental in helping promote the XX.
The Xtravaganza went wonderfully, at least from the audience’s perspective. Backstage there was some drama and I certainly bottled up alotta crap (assertiveness is not one of my stronger qualities), but the show was as fun as ever. People are always telling me that they really feel the holiday spirit after seeing it and this Xtravaganza was no exception.
ENTER VICTORIA HIBBS
A long time ago, on an evening after a show playing in Marshall Crenshaw’s band, a woman gave me a bag full of tapes. These tapes contained perhaps a dozen volumes of a homemade compilation of tons of Christmas recordings by tons of artists. I’ve never quite gotten over that gesture. Anyhow, for the year 2000 XX, Victoria volunteered to decorate the Bottom Line. She did a wonderful, creative and generous job of it. God Bless her!
A word about the XXY2K band: Plinky played Hammond organ, Mark Muller returned to play guitar, fiddle, mandolin and pedal steel along with Bernie Brausewetter who played on guitars. The bassists included Tony Shanahan and Kasim Sulton. Amazing young pianist Tom Brislin (You Were Spiraling) joined the band along with drummers Mark Sacco & Pat Petrillo. Harmonica wiz Rob Paparozzi also accompanied the team along with my wife’s tuba playing cuz Jeff Tomberg. And of course (because we can’t forget) Wonder Boy Beau Burtnick who chimed in on vocals, guitar, bass and drums.
Background singers included Barbara Hahn (Slaves Of New Brunswick), Dee McGowan, Sally and Darla Rose Burtnick. And two other ladies...
ENTER KATIE BURTNICK
I asked my niece Megan to join the show (once again) which she did and at the same time, asked if there was room for her big sister Katie. I didn’t think there was at first, but by the time Katie showed up, everyone was very glad she came and she did a great job.
ENTER PAT ROBINSON
As in 1999, accordionist Charlie Giordano was unavailable. After a few calls I found Pat Robinson who happily joined us on his ‘squeeze box’. A really talented accordionist and the friendliest dude, Pat fit right in and was a pleasure to work with.
Quick side note: Special kudos go to Alan Pepper’s assistant Jessica and stage manager George Miller.
ENTER FRANK ROBBINS
I met Frank while touring with Marshall Crenshaw. He was the guitar tech and we hit it off instantly. I asked Frank to come help keep the guitars in tune at the Bottom Line to which he generously agreed to do, gratis. What a guy.
At each of this year’s 4 shows I opened by singing the beautiful Victor Herbert song TOYLAND (with the bittersweet lyrics "While you dwell within it you are ever happy then...Once you leave it's borders you can never return again"). At the end of that song the band kicked into the opening of THE CHIPMUNK SONG as little girls Erika Muller, Dylan Muller (Mark’s daughters) and Sally Burtnick took the stage. We went thru the usual arrangement with me taking the role of Dave Seville and teeny tiny Dylan in the role of Alvin. After that we did our rocking version of MUST BE SANTA with the extra crew of background singers joining the little girls in screaming the responses.
The band then left the stage and all the singers followed me in singing THE 12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS behind Jigs’ mime. The house, as usual, went ape.
ENTER IDINA
The band returned to backup Idina Menzel, original cast member of RENT, singing Stevie Wonder's SOMEDAY AT CHRISTMAS (which happens to be a fave song of mine from way back). I met Idina while she was writing in preparation for her solo album. The girl is a powerhouse of talent.
Next came Carlton Brown (a big crowd favorite and a charming guy) singing the Otis Redding tune MERRY CHRISTMAS BABY.
ENTER ANTONIQUE SMITH
And then there’s the SHOW STOPPER!
I cannot explain young Antonique Smith's singing of O HOLY NIGHT any other way than that the entire audience wound up with goose bumps followed by tears followed by a standing ovation in all 4 shows. This girl is overflowing with specialness.
Tom Brislin (who, among other things, is Meatloaf's pianist) then led the band in NUTROCKER, a hyper-drive instrumental ELP version of the Nutcracker Suite with Paul Weber sitting in on drums. Mark Pender (trumpet player from Max Weinberg 7/Conan O’Brien) did SANTA CLAUS IS BACK IN TOWN. He blew everyone away as usual. The band featuring harmonica player Rob Paparozzi did Donny Hathaway's THIS CHRISTMAS (another one of my personal faves), then the entire band got to jam out on BOOGIE WOOGIE SANTA - a jump number where everyone gets a solo.
ENTER SAGE
Renegade poet Sage took the stage and positively KILLED us with his spoken word piece about that season’s commercial bastardization of Dr Seuss by Ron Howard and Jim Carrey. It was hysterical.
ENTER 14K SOUL
Energetic five-piece black male a cappella singing group 14 Karat Soul sang a few numbers. I’ve known these guys for years. They opened for me in 1987 at my Heroes & Zeros unveiling party aboard a boat that left the South Street Seaport & went around the Statue of Liberty. I hadn’t seen them in quite awhile but then bumped into one of them in a theme restaurant where we were both doing the family hang.
Following them were more wonderful performers. Everlounge one upped their usual classic rendering of THE GRINCH by reenacting a scene from the goofy RUDOLPH THE RED NOSED REINDEER animated 60’s children’s TV production, FAME AND FORTUNE with special guest Mary Ann Farley (who had appeared in the ‘97 Xtravaganza). Soloist Curtis Stigers then sang his HOME FOR CHRISTMAS. After that, The Rebel Angels (an impressive 16 member vocal group) sang THE ANGEL GABRIEL. To the best of my knowledge the names of the singers are: Emily Bendinger, Sarah Brooks, Angela Capelli, Margaret Dorn, Keith Fluett, Diane Garisto, Gavin (I forget his last name), Leon Gruenbaum, Tony Jarvis, Danny Lewis, Machan, Janice Pendarvis, Catherine Russell, Maggie Ryder, Diane Scanlon, of course Joy Askew (flapping her arms around conducting), Xmas Xtravaganza alumni Kati Mac and Mary Lee Kortes...and Curtis King (who I’ve been trying to get down to do the show for years).
Joy wrote this about the group: “I just remember being mightily impressed that so many top session singers (ney- legends!) turned up to perform and rehearse! This would never have happened in the eighties - a couple of them sing with Sting and one of the tenors actually came rushing over from a Michael Jackson session to make the gig. There were no divas- just old friends. All of them wanted to be there and loved it and I felt a renewed spirit in the reason for singing in the first place!”
And the show of course wouldn’t have been complete without our annual visit from comedic actor Chuck Buck working his typically politically incorrect humor, this year appearing as Santa Patel, the Asian Santa. This year, we got our communication screwed up & Chuck had a mere few days to throw his bit together. Nevertheless, he was fabulous as ever.
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