...and The Loomers

Dear Mr. Cahill, 

It has come to my attention that you wish to rehearse in Canton from September 29, 1998 through "the first two weeks in October and beyond." This phraseology concerns me.

By saying "the first two weeks in October and beyond," you are implying that we may be rehearsing in Canton ad infinitum, which I am quite sure none of us want to do. Why? Well, for starters, seeing each other ad infinitum would more than likely cause a collapse in the infrastructure of the interpersonal oeuvre which has so far been established amongst the five parties involved. In simple in English, we would kill each other inside of an hour or two towards this "beyond." We would maul each other, maim, harm, deceminate, decapitate, and probably call each other names. In short, I think it is safe to presume that we should set up a few dates to adhere to and commence with rehearsing.

Thursdays are best for me, Wednesdays are fine too.

Locquaciously yours, 

J. M. Svetkey

If you have not seen any of the "Don with The Loomers" shows, let me explain as best I can. I have never had any desire to have a band just sort of playing behind me. I always felt that this would simply distance me - and the songs - from the audience. The goal for me is to increase, not diminish, the connection. I have, however, always wanted a band that was capable of expanding the theatrical nature of my solo shows. The Loomers are the perfect group for me to work with for several reasons. First, they are a great band with superb vocals and a musical style that is always conscious of what is best for the song. Each of their original songs (written by Jon Svetkey) is approached with a team effort to determine what music best accompanies the spirit and tone of the lyric. This challenges the band to constantly grow musically and to maximize the impact of each song individually. Secondly, there is an extraordinary amount of wit and mischief here. The first time I rehearsed with them they were "dissing" each other with such speed and accuracy that I actually felt like I was at a family gathering with my Irish relatives.
 

I must admit that when I told them that they would have to wear costumes, become the characters in some of my songs, and recite dialogue in character, their trepidation was palpable. But almost immediately they responded as if they had been in the theatre all their lives and the natural wit and humor that caused great laughing episodes at rehearsals was unleashed in all it's glory upon my unsuspecting audience. The response has been tremendous. We have been fortunate enough to have played to several sold out shows in the past year and I am very grateful to them for bringing their unique talents and personalities to my shows. Check out The Loomers homepage at www.loomers.com
 
 
 
 

Don and I became friends after being aware of one another for about five years. We'd hung out and played in the same places, and even had some mutual friends, but we never chatted. One night at the Open Mike at The Old Vienna Kaffeehaus, we were hanging out and got to talking about Bob Dylan and Rhythm & Blues and Telecaster guitars and rock & roll music. We discovered we actually had things in common. At some point, I remarked that I wished I could go back in time and re-introduce myself to people from my past - people I'd offended or insulted or bored-to-death or annoyed - now that I had grown up and matured a bit. I had just written a song along those lines ("If I Met Me At A Party") and I didn't think much of what I had said. Well, the evening wore on and it got late and Don decided to leave. We said our goodbyes and I stayed to chat with some other friends. About five minutes later Don came back into the bar, where I was standing, walked over and said, "It was really nice meeting you tonight Jon," and left. From that moment on I knew that Don and I would be good friends. A few months later I asked Don to perform a song with me and the band at my 30th Birthday Concert at Johnny D's. When I told Don he had to pick a 70s cover, he cringed, but decided to be subversive and perform a Frank Zappa number. I think it was Don's participation in the rehearsals for that concert that gave him the idea to use The Loomers as a backing band. He liked our intelligence and musical ability and overall j'oie de vivre/esprit de corps. We thought Don was funny. In the past couple years of playing with Don we've made some wonderful new fans and played in rooms we couldn't have played in as merely another folk-rock band. His audiences have been gracious and generous and effusive in their praise. They like us despite all the hair and loud noise. Plus, it's just plain great working with Don. He gives us just enough leash to choke ourselves with before the joke goes too far and someone loses an eye. What else can I say? Don Rules. (Besides, he paid me to say that.)