Amazing performances…

So you all know I that have an obsession with Michael Jackson. To deal with my A.D.D. has a child, my parents showed MTV, as I suppose it was more stimulating than Sesame Street, and from there I was hooked. I knew every band and song by the age of 3, not to mention the camera angles in the video and what the outfits were. Of course, as a child of the 80’s watching MTV, Michael was a god. I think I took my obsession with Michael quite far. I own somewhere in the field of $30,000 worth of Michael Jackson memorabilia, and at one point, my bedroom became a shrine and museum. There was literally not an inch of space left anywhere on my walls (or ceiling) that wasn’t covered in something related to the gloved one.

Anyway, before this gets into a therapy session, I wanted to share with you some videos that were a part of my childhood. Of course Michael was famous for his music videos, but to me, he was always more interesting to watch as a live performer. Any award show that he was appearing on was always an event in my house, and I taped every single one. I have piles of VHS tapes locked up in storage, all labeled by appearance, but of course, with the magic of YouTube, those days are done. I used to trade tapes with people as far away as Germany, and now they are all online, floating in cyber-air. So below are some of my favorite Michael performances. Watch them, and prepare to be amazed.

The first one is in 2 parts. It was Michael’s mega-performance at the 1993 Superbowl. He takes the half time show to a new level with this performance of Jam, Billie Jean, Black Or White and Heal The World.

From 1991, here is Michael with Guns & Roses guitarist Slash, performing Black Or White and Will You Be There on the MTV 10th Anniversary Special.

This one is quite amazing. From 1988, its Michael performing The Way You Make Me Feel & Man In The Mirror on the Grammy Awards. His performance of Man In The Mirror is not to believed. Michael goes from Fred Astaire in the first song to Gospel Preacher in the 2nd. I don’t know how he did this one.

Here is some vintage Michael from the Jackson’s 70’s Variety Show. Here is Michael performing “Get Happy,” but the standout here is his dancing. Did you ever think you would see MJ doing a time step?

From the 1993 Soul Train Awards, here is Michael’s performance of “Remember The Time.” Due to the fact that Michael twisted his ankle during rehearsals, Michael decided to sit in a chair for the song. He has a few moments where he decides he just cant sit down anymore, but other than that, he is limited to his throne. Odd performance, but great nonetheless.

In 1995, while promoting his HIStory album in Germany, Michael performed on the German game show “Wetten Dass?” It was the performance of it’s kind on the show, and to manage the crowds, the show installed 2 giant screens outside the studio so people could watch from outside. Michael performed 2 songs, including the live premier of “Earth Song.” Michael manages to turn the small TV studio into one of his concert arenas with this epic performance.

Michael famously burned his hair shooting a 1984 Pepsi Commercial with his brothers, but that didn’t stop him from teaming up with Pepsi again for a series of commercials in 1988 to promote the Bad Tour. I warn you, these commercials reach a level of 80’s excess that might make your head spin.

From the 1995 MTV Video Music Awards, here is Michael performing “Dangerous.” The dancing on this one is insane!

And finally, my favorite performance, in 1989, before he passed away, Sammy Davis Jr. was given the ultimate tribute in a TV special featuring his friends and fans paying tribute to him. Michael’s original song, “You Were There,” stole the show. Watch Sammy’s face and you will see what this song meant to him.

There you have it. This is how I fill my time.

The power of music

As I mentioned previously, this summer was a rough one for me. However, it was also this summer that I re-discovered music. Actually, I should say that I discovered music in a new way. Music has always been one of the most important parts of my life, if not the most important. But it was this summer that I turned to music for a new reason. I turned to it for healing, for comfort, to feel not alone. I always had music in my life, but not in this way. All of a sudden, the lyrics were more important than what keyboard was being used, or what the music video was for the song…I suppose that’s the result of being a child of the 80s.

I found myself turning to music just to get through the day. It was this period that brought me back to the piano for the first time in a while. This time, instead of playing other people’s music, I started writing again. I suppose you need to go through pain to create art, right? Of course, now, that painful summer has turned into an amazing time in my life, recording my first album. The weather has changed, (it’s now freezing here in Vegas), and a new part of life begins, thankfully.

But for a second, I wanted to go back, and share with you the songs that got me through the summer. Some of them are quite corny, but try if you can not to listen to production of the record, or in some cases who is singing them, but the lyrics and melody of the song. Listen to them with headphones on, like me, in bed, before you fall asleep. It’s amazing what it can do for your dreams. The list is below, and if you click the link, it will bring you to the iTunes store, where you can buy them.

Missy Higgins – Where I Stood
John Mayer – In Your Atmosphere
John Mayer – I’m Gonna Find Another You
Anne Murray – The Great Divide
Donna Summer – In Another Place & Time
Daniel Bedingfield – If You’re Not The One
Barry Manilow – Somewhere Down The Road
Sara Bareilles – One Sweet Love
Clay Aiken – I Survived You
Nick Lachey – I Can’t Hate You Anymore
Michael Jackson – Don’t Walk Away
George Michael – Something To Save
Don Henley – The Heart Of The Matter

I would love to hear your thoughts on what songs help you in rough times, or rainy days.

Be back soon.

Another preview…

Hey guys,

Here’s another look at a song from my upcoming album. This one is called “I Hope You Know.” In this case, I have posted the full song, however, this is not even close to the finished project. Not to mention, none of the instruments are real. Just wait till I get this one in a real studio with a real string section.

I would love to hear your thoughts.

Back to the show

I go back into the show tonight (Monday, the 6th). I still have a lot of jaw tension, post surgery, and not to mention 2 gaping holes in my mouth. After almost a week of not singing, I stopped by the The Composers Showcase last night at the Liberace Museum to premier “Wasted Time.” The song is one of the cuts (I feel so music-savvy when I say that) off my new album. I posted a very early demo of part of the song here on the blog recently, and I think it’s gonna end up sounding much more like that on the album, with more electronic instruments and beats. It was quite odd to play a song written for synths and computers on a grand piano. Anyway, below is a video of the performance, giving you an idea of the full song. Just a reminder, it was my first day off Vicodin and first day singing. Forgive the off notes.

Make sure to also come by The Composer’s Showcase. It’s really a fantastic get together once a month (I think) featuring some really amazing local talent.

On the couch…

Reports have my demise have been greatly exaggerated. 

The other morning, I woke up to numerous phone calls, from my employers, co-workers, and people I haven’t heard from in years, asking if I was ok. Apparently, a rumor was posted on the internet that I was in a car accident, and that there was a chance I had not survived it. I have no clue how such a thing got started, or why it got started, but it couldn’t be farther from the truth. I have been in no car accident and I am alive. It has been said that if you listen to the Jersey Boys cast recording backwards, you hear someone say “Erich is dead,” but I haven’t listened myself yet.

It should be noted however, that I am out of the show for a few days recovering from having my wisdom teeth removed. Those suckers on the bottom of my mouth have been causing hell for well over a month now. One of them was infected, and the infection was dripping on my vocal chords. I’ve had a bad cough for about a month now as a result, so I finally had to do something about it. I got them out yesterday morning, and so now I am in recovery mode on the couch at home. It was my first time under anesthesia, and it was hilarious. The chair that they put you in looks a little like an electric chair, with straps on the arm rests and everything. Once they put the IV in, I kept thinking that I was too aware and awake to fall asleep. Of course, the next thought I had was waking up. So I guess it worked. I’m going to install an anesthesia machine at home, so I can sleep better at night. 

I can’t say that I am in a lot of pain, it just feels like a lot of pressure on my mouth and jaw. I haven’t really been able to eat anything other than soup and coffee. I am looking forward to solids again.

This time on the couch has allowed me to catch up on TV watching, especially Gossip Girl, my new favorite show (don’t judge me…). I tried to watch the VP Debate tonight, but I really just couldn’t. Palin was reading from a script and Biden wasn’t doing enough to call her out. I gave up after about 25 minutes. I popped in a DVD that I have been wanting to watch for a while, John Mayer: Where The Light Is. It’s a wonderful concert, shot beautifully on film, instead of tape, and showcases his incredible talent. I’m watching it on Blu-Ray making the audio and video even that more beautiful, but regardless of what set-up you have, check the film out. It’s great. I’m recording one of his songs on my new album, though I’m not ready to reveal which one just yet. He also does an amazing cover of Tom Petty’s “Free Fallin” which you can see here:

Lastly, a new club has opened up at the Palazzo that is fantastic. It’s called LAVO and it’s from the creators of TAO. When in town, you must check it out. While I haven’t tried their food yet, if it’s anything like the food at TAO, it will be quite amazing. The club upstairs is great too, but frankly, the best part is the the staircase up to the club. Along the way up, you pass by bathtubs, installed in the wall, that women are bathing themselves in. Sometimes there are 2 women and they bathe each other. I just have to wonder how the job description for that is written. Hmmm… Anyway, Tuesday is industry night at LAVO, and the cast of Jersey Boys usually pops in after our 2nd show. Here, from the other night, are a couple of shots.

 

The beautiful Natalie Bradshaw and I

 

Me, Joyce Chittick, Rick Faugno, Jeff & Melody Leibow

I’ll be back t’mow with some more musings from the couch.

Back in the day

It was obvious from an early age that I was going to be a performer. Either that, or I would simply just suffer from A.D.D. for my entire life. Thankfully, my parents found a place in the back of The New York Times Magazine that was a perfect place for me. That place was Stagedoor Manor.

I was never into theater. I wanted to be a rock star. I wanted to be on MTV, that was all I knew. In the spring of 1996, my Mother took me to my first Broadway show, Big: The Musical. It changed my entire world. It made me see that being on stage, on Broadway, was where it was at. That summer, my parents sent me to Stagedoor Manor, a summer performing arts training center (not a summer camp!) up in the Catskill Mountains of New York. My first summer there was only 3 weeks long, but in those 3 weeks, I found my true passion, and true focus. I credit Stagedoor with giving me all the tools that I still use today on stage. Even in the most professional settings that I find myself in these days, I often think that I was prepared for these events, strictly because of my training there. There is a reason that I am ready to perform a show only 2 weeks into rehearsal, and that’s because at Stagedoor, you had to put on a full show with only 2 weeks of rehearsal!

Anyway, you will probably find me talking about Stagedoor much more, (I could go on for hours), but I wanted to share with you some highly embarrassing footage. This is the first show that I ever did at Stagedoor. It was Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. It was in the now gone Barn Theater, directed by Jeff Murphy, and Musically Directed by Rachel Kaufman. Playing the Narrator is Taryn Glist, and playing Joseph is Blair Late. The first video is “Jacob & Sons,” the opening number. See if you can spot me in the ensemble with the bowl cut.

The 2nd video is of the song “Those Canaan Days.” Why this is worth watching is because of who is singing it. Playing the role of Reuben, Joseph’s brother, is none other than Mandy Moore. Yes, that Mandy Moore. Before she was a pop superstar, she shared the stage with me. She actually had a fantastic voice. Though, in this video anyway, don’t her arms seem oddly long? I think it’s the high waisted shorts with the vertical stripes, but still…

The final video is the scariest. I played the role of Pharaoh, who in the show, is written to be an “Elvis-like” performer. Somehow, my Elvis impersonation came out more like Michael Jackson, but that’s not the point. All I remember is how excited I was to make my entrance. For a kid who was obsessed with 80’s theatrics and everything MTV, my entrance on stage was, at the point, the most exciting moment of my life. When you watch the video, you will know why. Enjoy this:

In progress…

As I mentioned the other day, this winter will bring the release of my debut album. I have been knee-deep in writing music as well as writing arrangements for strings, guitars, etc… I thought it would be fun, from time to time, to give you all a peek into what I’ve been working on. So I thought I’d start today with giving you all a little preview of a new song called “Wasted Time.” Below you will find a an MP3 sample of just the first verse and chorus of the song. 

All of the instruments on this are computer generated, played by me, through the computer. This is just a very early on scratch demo, to show you what I’m going for. There are tons of moments when my vocals are off-pitch, and nothing has been mixed. This is a small demo done in my apartment. This will be brought into the recording studio with a real string section and real musicians. All that being said…here is a sneak peek of “Wasted Time.”

Day off

How is it that on days off I end up doing more things than I do on my days on? I’ve already done more today than normal by just getting out of bed, so that’s good.

Yesterday I took a tour of the recording studio where I am going to start recording in November. It’s a really beautiful set up, very homey. Something about being in a recording studio is the ultimate sensation for me. I guess it comes from growing up on MTV and VH1 and seeing so much studio footage. My favorite of course was the “We Are The World” video, which was shot in a big giant recording studio. I think, since then, I’ve wanted to walk around at all times with headphones and a giant mic with a popper stopper. I can’t wait to get in there and have the band play these pieces I’ve written. I know it’s going to be surreal. 

On the way to the theater from the recording studio, I decided I was in the mood for New York style Deli food, so I stopped into Treasure Island, across the street from my hotel, and went into Canter’s. Now, for those who don’t know, Canter’s is the ultimate Jewish deli in Los Angeles. It’s the West Coast version of Katz’s. It’s on Fairfax right near The Grove. I first discovered it back in the winter of 2005, when I was doing White Christmas at the Pantages, and my friend Darrin Baker brought me there, for a little a piece of New York. I fell in love with it right then, and when I got back to LA last summer to do Jersey Boys, it became an almost weekly destination. My ex and I used to go out there after the show, and have Corned Beef sandwiches. Even though we were living right near the theater, it was well worth the trip from Downtown LA and back. It was even worth waiting for a spot in the cramped Canter’s parking lot. 

So I go into Canter’s, order my Corned Beef sandwich, and go sit down. The food is great, almost as good as the one in LA, and the design is sort of 1950’s space-age, which creates a fun atmosphere. But I looked to my right, and on the wall is this giant portrait of the original Canter’s on Fairfax. I caught myself looking at it, staring at it, for a few minutes. I had such memories of that place, and as I looked at this photo, I began to realize how bizarre this all was. Here I was in a big city, doing Jersey Boys, eating at Canter’s. Yet, I wasn’t in LA, I was doing Jersey Boys with all new people, and it was a different Canter’s. Topping it off was the fact that I’m no longer with the person who I shared all those memories with. It wasn’t a sad feeling as much as it was “wow…look, my old life, and my new life.” And while it was weird to see that old life in front of me, it was even more bizarre to see how little life has actually changed in the big picture. It seems no matter what happens, people will come and go. The two things that will always remain the same, are Jersey Boys, and Canter’s.

 

Canters Deli in Vegas

Santa Fe & The Fat City Horns

Tonight, I checked out Santa Fe & The Fat City Horns at the Palms here in Vegas. Man, I gotta tell you, this was one of the greatest live music events I have been to in a long time. FIrst off, the sound quality at the Lounge at the Palms is fantastic, and with this band going through the speakers, it was unreal. This is what live music is all about. This group is huge, literally. At one point, there were 12 people on stage, just jamming with each other. Don’t get me wrong though, this is no jam band. This is a well-oiled machine of funky, soulful and spine-tingling music. They blew the roof off the place with some great covers as well a bunch of original material. I went just to support some of the guys in the horn section, who are horn players in the Jersey Boys band, and I left as a fan of this incredible band. They have been doing this forever, and while you can tell, they still have more raw energy than any band at the top of the charts today. 

Check em out, if you can, every Monday night at 10:30pm at the Palms Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. Not only is it one of the best music events you can go to in Vegas, but it has a great price attached to it…FREE. That being said, you won’t be able to leave without picking up one of their CDs. Below are 2 videos of them live at the Palms, but I must warn you, the video does no justice to what these guys sound like live. The second video, their cover of The Beatles’ “Come Together” has some incredible vocal arrangements that got lost on this video. It hopefully will still give you an idea though. Check them out!

No, really. I’m back.

So, I totally lied when I wrote that I was going back to blogging for good last time. I didn’t intend to lie, it just ended up being a lie. Please forgive me. This time however, it is my full intention to be back, and better than ever. It’s funny, a few years ago when I started getting into this blogging thing, then the podcasting thing, I was the tech guru in the family. Then my mother went along and started Craftcast.com, a Podcast dedicated to all things crafty and artsy. What started as a little side project has now turned into one of the top arts-related indie podcasts. As I let go of my podcast, Green Room Radio, my mother’s has become a full time job. Watching her starting to post video and pictures, along with podcasts, made me want to jump back into the virtual world again, and so I am here. As with any new post in a long time, I have to catch you up on some things. 

So I moved here to Las Vegas, back in March, to be part of Jersey Boys at the Palazzo Hotel & Casino. After being on the road for over a year with the show, the idea of sitting down for a while was a great thought. The first few weeks were very bizarre for me. First off…who were all these people? What happened to Deven, and Chris and all the rest of the people that I gotten used to? Here I was, saying the same lines, singing the same music, wearing the same clothes, yet when I looked to my left or right, different bodies were filling old clothes. It was strange. After I got over the initial shock of it all, it was great to get to know this new cast and how brilliant they all were, and are, in the show. Very little of the show here in Vegas is different from the show elsewhere. We have not done the usual Vegas-ized version by cutting it down to 90 minutes. We have cut a few lines here and there, and shortened the intermission, and that’s it. The show is still Jersey Boys.

Once we got out of the very small rehearsal room in downtown Vegas, we headed over to our brand new Jersey Boys Theater at the Palazzo. While the dust was certainly still settling, it was gorgeous. Our new home was a beautiful 1,800 seat house, built just for the show’s specifications. Everything from the lobby to the dressing rooms were stunning. We went through the tech process (the 5th one for me in total), and then it was time to start performing. We had a month of previews, starting on April 4th, before we opened officially. I’ll never forget that first performance. All the Jersey Boys fanatics were out in full force, and from the moment the pre-show announcement started, you could tell this was a crowd hungry for the show. I walked out on stage, and it felt like years since I had done the show, yet somehow, at the same time, it felt like just another day at the office. It was great to be back in Gaudio’s technicolor shirt.

That first month of previews was such a learning experience for all of us. We all learned what Vegas audiences were like and how different they were from cities across the country. It was truly an international crowd. Jokes that were gaurenteed to land every night on Broadway would sometimes just not land, and sometimes they would. Other jokes that had never gotten a response were all of a sudden show stoppers. It was very odd, but great to learn. The real Gaudio was here for that entire first month, living upstairs at the Palazzo. Due to his close proximity, he and I got to spend a good amount of time together which was fun. We are similar in so many ways, except for the money thing. He has more than I do. I’m just guessing. 

While this was an exciting time for everyone, our minds were also consumed with the health of our dear friend, John Altieri. John had started the tour of Jersey Boys with me, back in October of 2006. We were friends on the road (I don’t think anyone could ever not get along with John), but grew very close in December of last year, on our final stop of the tour. John and I were both joining the Vegas cast, but taking 3 months off first. In that final month, in Seattle, John and I shared a dressing room together, and bonded over our love of Christmas albums. I was excited to have a great friend come with me to Vegas. When we left for Vegas, on March 17th, John was not feeling well. He had come down with what he thought was a flu. He was eventually diagnosed with Bronchitis, and put on antibiotics. He made it to a few rehearsals, when he felt well enough to get out of bed, and was able to make it to one day of tech, on a day when he felt a lot better. That night, after his one day on stage, he checked into the hospital, as his body had crashed again. He was diagnosed with pneumonia. He remained in the hospital, and all of us remained in constant contact with him. On the phone, he sounded great, like normal John. He often said “I’m just trying to figure out when they will let me out of here.”  I cat-sitted for him, at his apartment, just a few steps away from mine. I couldn’t wait for him to get back to the show, and give the performance that so many people had enjoyed over the past year. 

That never happened, however. I was given information just a few days before our opening that John had gotten very, very sick in the hospital and it didn’t quite look as though he was going to make it. When I read that email, I thought it was a joke. I knew he wasn’t well, but, John Altieri…was dying? It wasn’t something that my brain could understand. Within hours of getting the information, the Jersey Boys family came together like none other. Everyone who had known John, especially his family in the “Sherry” tour of Jersey Boys, were on the phone with one another trying to find out information, flying to Las Vegas to be by his side, or praying for his health. Our final few previews in Las Vegas, while exciting, were bittersweet. Our dear friend was dying, and there was nothing we could do but go on with the show. On with the show we did, and in true John Altieri form, he made sure everyone had a good time. John died in the early hours of May 4th, 2008, the day after our opening night. It was so like John to let us party first. It was utterly surreal. Within 24 hours, I was on stage, with Frankie Valli, then attending the greatest opening night party in the history of theater, then mourning the loss of a dear friend and fellow cast member. John should have been at that party with us.

I’ll never forget getting the call from Nate Klau that Johnny had passed. It was one of those moments that will replay over and over again in my mind. It wasn’t until his memorial in Los Angeles, a month later, that I really got to let out all the emotions I had about John. Until then, I still had to do the show every night and act like all was fine. Thankfully, the brilliant John Salvatore stepped in to the role, and did so beautifully. His performance, while all his own, also borrows, in tribute, some of Altieri’s iconic “isms.” He does such a wonderful job of making the role his own, honoring John Altieri, and making the audience die of laughter all at the same time. If anyone had to take over for John, it’s, well, John. 

John’s passing was only one part of a very difficult summer for me. Many things happened over the course of this past summer that I wish had gone differently, but it was an amazing learning experience, and I have come out of it on top. It’s funny, that through all the high’s and lows of the past 2 years (94% high, btw), the one thing that has always been there is Jersey Boys. The same thrill that audience members get from watching it, I get performing in it. Every night the show has been my escape, and it’s the thing that has helped me stay grounded, even at times when it felt like I was anything but.

I’m looking forward to this fall. It will mark 2 years since my first rehearsal on October 23rd, and believe me, the nostalgia has already kicked in. Not a day goes by that I don’t think about San Francisco, and the magic that lives in that city for me. Not a day goes by that I don’t think of all the people I’ve met because of this show and the places it has brought me physically and emotionally. As much as I try to live in the moment, I think about these things every day. It’s been amazing. This fall will also mark the launch of something I have been wanting to do for a long time.

The crap that I went through this summer brought out a lot of creative energy, an energy that I hadn’t had in a while. One night, I sat down at the piano in my apartment and started to write music. It was something I hadn’t done in 3 years. WIthin a week, I had 15 songs written. It sparked my brain, which has not stopped moving since. I’m writing this blog on my brand new computer, part of the recording studio that I have just installed in my apartment. So the big news is, next month I start work on 2 projects. The first is something that I haven’t done in a while, which is a live concert. I’ve done it in New York many times, but this fall will bring the premiere of “Erich Bergen…Live In Las Vegas.” (I’m working on a better title.) My second big project is my debut album. WOOOH!

Currently titled “Based On A True Story,” the album will hopefully see a release by the end of the year, at least digitally. If we can’t get the album out by the end of the year, we will at least get some tracks on iTunes, just as a tease. I’m working with a great team out here in Vegas, including some legendary music makers. I will of course have more info in the coming weeks. 

Sorry if I scared any of you with writing about the crap I was going through this summer. I am fine. Really. Honestly. I’m really great right now. We all have to go through crap to see the light. I’ve seen the light, and now I’m standing in it. You’ll be hearing from me real soon. I promise. For reals this time.