The O-town Scene - Oneonta, NY
Issue link: https://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/29770
Continued from Page 14 Do you ever find yourself hating a song after playing it by request hundreds or thousands of times, or is it a feeling you just get over after years on the road? Which songs, if any, get on your nerves after a while? Absolutely not. A request is a beautiful thing, no matter what the song. It’s like saying: “I love you.” You probably say it to someone you love 1,000,000 times. Sometimes it feels a little more special than others, but the point is that you do love the person and want them to know it. Playing “Piano Man” or “Sweet Caroline” is like saying “I love you” to the audience. It’s like saying: “I want to do something for you because it’s not about me.” What was the most ridiculous experience you’ve ever had while performing in a foreign country? I’ve got three: Flying into Krakow, meeting my band (some of them for the first time), getting 20 minutes to rehearse, then performing for two full hours. The crowd made us do three encores and we sold so many CDs that we had to run back to the hostel to get some more. Performing in Wexford, Ireland, for Imelda May at her big show’s afterglow. She’s an absolute legend and it was an honor. Playing at a really cool hippie place called the Dojin Bar in Nishio, Japan. After the show, the owner seated my label’s president Takuya, my tour manager Kaz and myself in a traditional dining area. He then proceeded to unload platter after platter of the best seafood I’ve ever had in my life. I was in heaven for a brief moment. _ Sam Spokony Join us for two days of challenge, determination, brute strength and fantastic fun April 29-30 at the Cobleskill fair- grounds as we present the STIHL® TIMBERSPORTS® Series, the nation’s premier lumberjack competition and the original extreme sport. The professional competition includes six disciplines: hot saw, single buck, springboard chop, standing block chop, stock saw and underhand chop. Plus, watch SUNY Cobleskill students vie with top lumberjacks and jills from regional schools in the Northeast Collegiate Challenge as ESPNU captures all the heart-pounding excitement. State Route 7 Cobleskill, New York 12043 518.255.5700 www.cobleskill.edu SPONSORED BY April 21, 2011 O-Town Scene 15