Butch Walker Converts and Halloween Costumes

Talked to a prospective Butch Walker convert today and amazing how it energized me. He asked me to name my favorite song. Had to go with She Likes Hair Bands on the spur of the moment. But, then emailed him the link to LFDH, episode 54, along with the mp3s of Here Comes the… , and Synthesizers. Really didn’t like being limited like that. How to introduce someone to Butch's range with one or three songs?  It’s like being asked to name your favorite AC/DC song. Impossible. Plus, made me realize that I hadn’t had an infusion of Butch Walker music in a few days. Recently have been immersing myself in Hall & Oates in preparation for the office costume extravaganza on October 26. Actually, already a bit disappointed in this upcoming extravaganza. The name has been changed from the ever-hip and au courant Fall Festivus to the boring although more predictable Fall Festival. What that hell is that?

Anyway, to sustain my belief in the transcendence of my costume, thought that listening solely to Hall and Oates would guide me to a more meaningful John Oates characterization. Along with the costume, not smiling so much, looking a bit annoyed and put upon, and singing only back up sections of the song.


This is hard because one of the key tenets of singers-along, we sing the lead, right? My thought on this is that chances of triumphing over the other lame costumes are vastly enhanced if I’m in character as much as possible, so I plan to sing only the background stuff while I'm strumming the PaperJamz guitar. Selection of the appropriate song has shifted, as well. Wanted a song that didn’t have a long lead-in (to better capture the attention-span-impaired audience) and had some substance in terms of the back-up part of the song. First, it was going to be Rich Girl: it has a short intro AND Butch likes it well enough to have included it in some performances, but am kinda sorta leaning toward Kiss on My List—possibly more recognizable to the general public—and it might make the point about John Hall being in the background of the partnership more emphatically. He doesn’t get to sing until late in the song. Or maybe, Private Eyes or I Can’t Go For That. Since every time I hear Say It Isn’t So, I tend to sing the Butch version (ha, ha, the butch version of Say It Isn’t So), don’t intend to go for that, as some might say.

While I was selecting the two songs I sent to D today (still protecting the names of the innocent and/or unaware), found some YouTube videos I hadn’t seen—Butch singing Sweethearts in Napa and at some other live performances last October—and it occurred to me again: Butch is chameleon-like in his fashion choices and personal looks. Huge fan worry:  I might not recognize him in the off-chance (in a billion light years) that I'll ever be in the same geographical location with him. Currently, he’s going through a plaid shirt, slicked back hair phase. The tight jeans and work boots thing are a constant. Brougt to mind the Seinfeld episode about the woman who looked scarily different, depending on the lighting, situations.  Of course, Butch always looks good, so whatever; just the inane concern about being able to recognize him.

Blogs--another way to encourage people to blather on and on about…nothing…but the smidgens of thoughts in their little squirrel brains.
So, for at least awhile today, listened to The Butch Walker Mixtape II.2, which  includes Freak of the Week—what a cool song! Did I ever hear that song, back in the day?  What radio station would it have been on?  Hmmm....late 90's release...the 90's were a tough time for me.....nothing comes to mind on this, so guess I never heard it.  The intro grabs you right away—reminds me 8 Miles High and some other song from the past--the repeated riff throughout, a lot of reassurance and identification for the listener hearing it. With Butch, there’s that AND the memorable, repeatable lyrics: He thinks it’s all about culture and art/…Can you make me a promise?/…Tell me I sold out…tell me I sold out…(a mantra to hold on to)…tell me I sold out, go ahead.

Freak of the Week video
Butch doesn't really like this video, but what a great face--the camera loves him!

ain't no geeks that look cooler than him, then or now