Drew Redmond, Josh Styles, Sophie Thunder, Mr. Vacation and Gary Scopitone swing at Utica Club!

On Friday July 22, the WANG DANG DOODLE presented UTICA CLUB at The Commodore of Williamsburg. This event was entitled “Utica Club” because special guest DJ was Drew Redmond, who hails from Carthage, New York. Where is Carthage, you may ask? It’s about 70 miles north of Utica, New York, home of Utica Club lager. Plus, there is a cool record of the Utica Club theme song that Mr. Redmond played that night.

Drew Redmond recalls his days in Utica, NY!!!

Drew Redmond came to Brooklyn several years ago, and quickly became one of the most popular DJs on the reet music front. He was co-host of Finger Lickin’ Fridays with our pal Charles Gaskins at the Grand Victory until that club closed for good on July 31. He swings at Midnight Offerings, a night of American garage rock records that he co-hosts with Josh Styles and he hosts his own Sleaze to Please—both at the mighty Bootleg Bar. Plus, he is often found DJing at all kinds of events all over town. It’s always a gas to dig what he is putting down.

At the UTICA CLUB, he presented a program of wild, rockin’ R&B and garage rock records that got the room chewing the fine Commodore fried chicken in rhythm with the records! It was magical.

In order to keep up to speed with Mr. Redmond, UTICA CLUB host Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus played nine chicken records—six of them in a row!

Several of our pals dropped by to dig the scene, including Josh Styles, Sophie Thunder, Mr. Vacation and Gary Scopitone. All night long, The Commodore was jumpin’. By the end of the night, beer was spilled, bottles were broken, fun was had and the DJs were paid—which is all we really care about, anyway!

Here’s a list of every record played by Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus at UTICA CLUB:

• Jessie Sailes and the Crypt-Kickers–The Jog (Garpax)
• Gatemouth Brown–Summertime (Cue)
• The Gems–Crazy Chicken (Mercury)
• The Surf Breakers–Hang Ten (Mercury)
• Dave Appell and the Applejacks–Bongo Beach (Cameo)
• Hatti & the Heavywights–Chicken Shack (Hirl)
• Billy Bland–Mamma Stole the Chicken (Old Town)
• The Red Ryders–Do the Dog (Mercury)
• The Elgins–We’re Gonna Have a Good Time (Congress)
• The Persuaders–Tijuana Surf (Original Sound)
• Frank (Dual Trumpet) Motley and His Motley Crew–Honkin’ at Midnight (DC)
• Jon Thomas with Orchestra–Flip Flop and Fly (ABC-Paramount)
• The Blendells–La La La La La (Reprise)
• Hal Singer and His Orch.–Hounds Tooth (Savoy)
• Otis Spann–Walkin’ (Blue Horizon)
• The Mersey Men–I Can Tell (Wild Woods)
• The Pretty Things–Get a Buzz (Fontana; UK)
• Tormentors: Lee – Dan – Mark – Tim–Black Coffee (Royal)
• The Fleshtones–Screamin’ Skull (I.R.S.; UK)
• The Dave Clark Five–Doctor Rhythm (Epic)
• The Cherokees–I’ve Gone Wild (Go!!; Australia)
• Tony Roman Cinq–Hey Hey Hey (Canusa; Canada)
• Noel Deschamps–Bumble Bee (RCA Victor – Canada International; Canada)
• Johnny Watson–Hold On I’m Comin’ (OKeh)
• Ernie Fields–Teen Flip (Rendezvous)
• Eddie Bo–Baby I’m Wise (RIC)
• Bo Diddley–Bo Diddley Is Loose [from EP Eddy Mitchell Presente Les Rois Du Rock: Bo Diddley] (Barclay; France)
• Joe Mayfield–I’m on the Move (Excello)
• Tarheel Slim and Little Ann–Security (Fire)
• The Blenders–Everybody’s Got a Right (Witch)
• Charlie White formally with the Clovers–Little Mama Don’t Leave Me (Winley)
• Shelley Du Pont & the Calendars–Stop Driving Me Crazy (Tribune)
• Emmet Davis–How About It Baby (M and B)
• Wild Child Gipson with Freddie Tieken and the Rockers–Uncle John (Hit)
• Frankie Brent Revue featuring Little Linda Lou–Rip It Up (Epic)
• Red Prysock–Twistin’ n Bendin’ (Mercury)
• Ba Ba Thomas–Miss Shake It (King)
• Sandra Kay Tucker–I Got a Good Thing (Peacock)
• Bobby Comstock and the Counts–The Chicken Back (Lawn)
• The Gay Jays (with the Doles Dickens Orch)–Chicken Back Part II (Josie)
• Tony Harris–Chicken Baby Chicken (Ebb)
• Charlie McCoy–Rooster Blues (Cadence)
• Chess and Checker–Chicken in the Logo (Chicory)
• The Radars–Finger Licking Chicken (Yew)
• Bobby Sax and Orchestra–Sock It (DePlace)
• Freddy Cannon–Let Me Show You Where It’s At (Warner Bros.)
• Jon & Robin and the In Crowd–Love Me Baby (Abnak)
• The Elite–One Potato (Charay)
• Harvey & Doc–Oh Baby!! (Annette)
• Lilly Russell–I Caught the Flu From You (S.P.Q.R.)
• James Brown and the Famous Flames–That Dood It (Federal)
• Louis Jones–The Birds Is Coming (Decca)
• Al Catraz & the Bird Men–Do the Big Bird (Vulcan)
• Shadow Lake 8 Orchestra–Power (Em Kay)
• Eddie Blues Man Kirkland–Chill Me Baby (Prestige)
• The Continentals–Cool Penguin (Penguin)
• Sandy Paget with the Sophisticates and the Thunderbirds–Ditty Wah Ditty Workout (Ebony Foundation)
• Xavier Cugat and His Orchestra–Gesundheit (A-Choo! Cha-Cha) (RCA Victor)
• Doc Jazrock–Fish & Chips (Warner Bros.)
• Ludaway–The Pig (Duel)
• The Gladiolas–Run Run Little Joe (Excello)
• Aki Aleong and His Licorice Twisters–Ya Ya Twist [from EP Twistin’ the Hits] (Reprise; France)
• Happy Teens–Cha Cha Boots (Paradise)

None of these records are for sale.