Stormin' Norman Nardini Show

songsmith · Post by **songsmith** » Saturday Nov 27, 2004

Last night marked the triumphant return of Norman Nardini to Al who?...Altoona! Let me break it down for ya... if you are a musician who plays ANYTHING in front of an audience, you need to attend when he comes back early next year. This is an education, my friends. He's a frontman of the highest caliber, who reaches from the stage and grabs his audience by the short-curlies, and there is nothing you can do about it. In a way, I'd love to open for him, because it'd be so much fun, and in another, I'd be apprehensive, because he'll steal your effin' lunch.
The Professor and I had the plaesure of hanging out with him after the show, and his war-stories are every bit as entertaining as the show, and you can really get an idea of his passion for the art of entertainment as well.
A $5.00 cover was all I paid to see someone who has more influence on rock and roll than you'd think... I could hear a Springsteen vibe, but he predates The Boss. You do the math. There was also an instant realization that he had no small amount of influence on The Clarks. He also told some heckler to "stop yelling in my face" in a way that the heckler actually liked. Jeezus, I've always wanted to do that, but don't relish the thought of a donnybrook bar-fight.
I'd love to see some sort of Rockpage participation in the next show. I promise you all, no matter what type of rock and roll you play, if you pay attention, you'll learn more than any seminar can teach.
Thanks to JP, and to all who brought this show to fruition. Great night of original music from the White Trash Warrior.---->JMS

313 · Post by **313** » Saturday Nov 27, 2004

I missed Norman last night, but would love to see him again. I am a huge admirer of his work with Diamond Reo. Many consider their "Dirty Diamonds" album (circa 1976) to be one of the best hard rock albums of all time. I agree.

Banana Fandango · Post by **Banana Fandango** » Saturday Nov 27, 2004

What's funny, is that my friends who appreciate music, and are fans of norman n. who have seen him before in concert, and also post on this page quite frequently, showed up at my house last night about 45 minutes after it started, and said it SUCKED. I said, what the hell do you expect from the acoustics at the bavarian club!!! for chrisssakes, its supposed to suppress the noise of the drunken revelers...not enhance the quintesscential (spelling????) nardinieque. Next time I order a drink, it's not going to be a cosmopolitan, it's going to be a nardini~! hee hee hee biggus dickus hahahahaah

ZappasXWife · Post by **ZappasXWife** » Monday Nov 29, 2004

Actually Banana, I was one of those friends and I never said it sucked (that was those other bozos, one of which is a little 'picky'). I probably would have hung on a little longer but they wanted to leave. I thought his performance was good, but I guess the overall lethargy I sensed from the crowd was a downer, even Norman was lookin at everyone like "WAKE UP!" This was an older crowd (those dogs were old Randy) because they are the only ones who remember Stormin Norman, and I guess there's something to be said for the dynamics of a mixed crowd. Yes, the music itself is THE most important part for me, and the other objection was that the acoustics in the Bavarian are not very good and the very loud THUMP THUMP combined with the not-loud-enough guitar was not...well, it wasn't like seeing him in the Coaches. This is not a neg critique on live music in this town (or Norman, I'd go see him again he's awesome), believe me you'll see me out digging live music every chance I get. Matter of fact, I will be using those addresses/phone numbers that were provided on RP to try to help change the ridiculous noise ordinance situation. And, yes, I really do follow thru on those things.

songsmith · Post by **songsmith** » Monday Nov 29, 2004

I think the whole originals vs. covers thing applies here, too. It's Altoona, and we all know how that goes. As the evening wore on, it got much better, IMHO. Eventually, Norman started playing old 60's pop covers (which I personally tend to dislike) and the Boomers started boomin'. He worked the crowd like a master... it was pretty dead at first, I admit, but that wasn't his doing. It's the nature of the beast... the Altoona-sit-on-your-ass-and-dare-somebody-to-entertain-you beast.---->JMS

ZappasXWife · Post by **ZappasXWife** » Monday Nov 29, 2004

Well I personally had no problem with the originals, I love his originals. It is too bad it takes the same old crap to get people movin. Just please don't tell me he did Old Time RnRoll (why do people like that hideous song!?) No, my beef was the acoustics in that place.

lonewolf · Post by **lonewolf** » Monday Nov 29, 2004

AHHH! Forgot all about it. Mark (Whitey) Cooper (drums & vocals) and I are old friends and classmates. I remember when he and Nason Gieg (RIP) joined Norman and formed Norman Nardini and the East Side Tigers back in the late '70s. Apparently, Hollidaysburg was the "East Side", lol.

Post by **Jim Price** » Monday Nov 29, 2004

As Norman told us after the show, he likes those smaller venues where the crowd is right up in front of him; it makes it easier for him to grab them by the souls and pull them in. The Bavarian Hall crowd was at least responsive and seemed to enjoy the show, they just weren't pounding the dance floor until Norman broke out a few select Stones and 60's favorites, and brought a few of the Mannish Boys up to jam at the end.

Norman was Norman, and I thoroughly enjoyed this show! I didn't think the room acoustics were that bad; it is a big room, and can sound cavernous if there aren't a whole lot of bodies inside to soak it up. More people would have been nice this night, but Norman seemed happy with it, and he sold a few CD's. And he wants to come back this way sometime early next year.

It was a fun time, and YOU should have been there - take it from yours truly, the Norman Nardini-designated "Voice of White Trash America!" LOL!