Line-Ups for Loser's Lounge Salute to Dolly Parton

This weekend's Loser's Lounge salute to Dolly Parton looks promising. Thursday night's line-up includes Ellen Foley and Laura Cantrell. Friday night you can catch Martha Wainwright and Lianne Smith and Michael Cerveris as well as the countrified raunch of Tammy Faye Starlite. And Nick Danger. On Saturday, you can see the return of Wainwright, Smith, Cerveris, and Cantrell. And Nick Danger.

You have been warned.

Here's Tammy Faye Starlite.

Here's a profile of Laura Cantrell.



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And here's Laura Cantrell singing "Bartender's Blues" with Elvis Costello (or vice versa).



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LOSER'S LOUNGE: A VERY SERGE BASTILLE DAY

Here, straight from Loser's Lounge Central, is the lineup for the Serge Gainsbourg tribute at Joe's Pub at 7:00 and 9:30 on Saturday.

Michael Cerveris
Ed Rogers & Amanda Thorpe (Bedsit Poets)
Pierre De Gaillande (Melomane)
Kerry Kennedy
Kristofer Wydholm (Morex Optimo)
Sean Altman & Sue K
Patti Rothberg
Boshra Alsaanti (Looker)
Nick Danger
Joanna Choy
Lianne Smith (7:00 pm only)
Joe Hurley
Stan Harrison
Mike Fornatale
Flaming Fire
Adira Amram (9:30 pm only)

And here's must-see footage of a performance of Gainsbourg's Comic Strip. Can you identify at least one of the two singers?



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Illustration: Cliff Mott

LOSER'S LOUNGE: FLEETWOOD MAC

Having enjoyed many Loser's Lounge events (come Bastille Day there'll be another Serge Gainsbourg tribute at Joe's Pub at 7:30 and 9:30), I've found that there's a thin line between brilliant covers and covers that could come from just another cover band. Of course, I go to Loser's Lounge seeking the brilliance, which often comes from inspired musicianship or inspired spoofing or an inspired combination of both. Without the inspiration—the passion—well, we're talking cover band. Routine music, routine routines.

The Thursday, June 7 Loser's Lounge ventured too close too often to cover band land, but one performer made a huge difference. As far as I was concerned, it was Tricia Scotti's night. In number after number she sang backup and played guitar and other instruments with an eerily intense focus...and she had her spotlight moment with "Rhiannon," one of those special performances that bring me back to Loser's Lounge again and again. Almost everything she did fell into the "inspired musicianship" category, but at one "classic" moment in the evening she held a candle aloft and thus scored points in the "inspired spoofing" category—even if she was totally serious about that gesture, too.

It says in the program that Scotti "met the Losers when they did Fleetwood Mac the first time, after asking Joe to be part of the back-up crew because of her 'big love' for the Mac—and is thankful for the chance to do it again, and especially for the friendships and music made since then." That's the spirit—and it's appreciated! And, as you can see via Scoboco, I'm not the only one who noticed.

Here are highlights from the following evening—footage of Lianne Smith (with Scotti on guitar), The HoHos (with Scotti singing backup), and Scotti (soloing). Smith and The HoHos weren't there on the night I attended.



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And here's total HoHo video.



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LOSER'S LOUNGE: FLEETWOOD MAC

Here's the roster of guest performers for this week's gigs:

Thursday
Alison Pierce
Jana Peri
Mark Rinzel
Mike Fornatale
Wendy Ip
Cid Le Seac'h
Nick Danger
David Foster
Mary Lee Kortes
Joanna Choy

Friday
Lianne Smith
The HoHos
Christine Smith
Victoria Liedtke
Ed Rogers & Amanda Thorpe
Mike Fornatale
Julie Klausner
Katia
Nick Danger
Eddie Skuller
Julia Greenberg
Joe Hurley
Joanna Choy
Natalie Weiss

Saturday
Lianne Smith
The HoHos
Michal The Girl
Mike Fornatale
Wendy Ip
Katia
Nick Danger
David Mosey
Erik Paparozzi
Joe Hurley
Joanna Choy
Natalie Weiss

And here's a glimpse and an earful of Fleetwood Mac c. 1969!



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Illustration: Cliff Mott