Tag Archives: music

May the DO THE 45 be with you!

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Bella Bombora swings with her friends at Do The 45!

On Friday May 10, another Do The 45 rocked Quinn’s in Beacon. Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus joined DJ Pete Pop for another evening of super exciting rock’n’roll, R&B and other assorted reet music. Do The 45 swings on the second Friday of the month. If you live within five hours driving distance, you should make the scene every month!!!

Bella Bombora swings as DJ Pete Pop cues another hot jam!

The famous Go-Go dancer Bella Bombora was also on hand and at various times she had folks up on the stage dancing with her as she bopped around to the music–including Hudson Valley radio personality Amanda Lay. Miss Nancy made her signature vegan brownies, plus chocolate chip cookies. The cookies went fast!

MMMMMM!!! Vegan brownies and chocolate chip cookies!!!
DJ Pete Pop swings at Do The 45!

Pete Pop played his fabulous records all night long. Folks kept screamin’, “What was that?” and the answer is always, Pete Pop and his fabulous records!!

Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus and Pete Pop swing at Do The 45!

Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus tried to keep up. He started the night with a bunch of hot instrumentals. At one point he played two ‘dish rag’ songs in a row! In order to honor MC5 drummer Dennis ‘Machine Gun’ Thompson, who had recently passed away, a couple MC5 records were played during the night. Probably not enough! About a dozen recent acquisitions were spun along with many old favorites. A few hot doo wop jams really got folks excited. Toward the end of the night, Pete Pop and the Phast One alternated playing their respective discs.

The evening was a golden gasser and you may ascertain that fact by checking out the list of records played by Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus below…

The Astronauts–Baja (RCA Victor)
Danny Steel with Hank Farrell and His Rythm Boys–Chinese Twist (Solar)
The Rockets–Gibraltar Rock (Columbia)
The Spotnicks–Space Party (Polydor; France)
The Challengers–Moondawg (Vault)
The Atlantics–Rumble and Run (CBS; Australia)
Les Hot Jives–Walking With the Hot Jives (Trans Canada)
Howie and the Crystals–Rockin’ Hall (Fleetwood)
Willie Headen and His Orchestra–Fun on Saturday Night (Dooto)
Kai Ray–I Want Some of That (Norton)
The Dee-Lites (Kathy – Pat – Bev)–Lollipop (Britton)
Carol Cummings–Burning Rubber (Checker)
Johnny Flamingo and the Cleartones–I Got Loaded (Caddy)
The Summits–Hanky Panky (Rust)
Dion–Queen of the Hop (Disques Vogue; France)
The Supremes–Shake (Tamla/Motown; Netherlands)
The Lockets–Don’t Cha Know (Argo)
The Duvals–Ferny Roast (Prelude)
Nat Kendrick and the Swans–Dish Rag Part – 2 (Dade)
Joe Cooke–Dish Rag (Apollo)
Gil Hamilton–Move & Groove (Vee Jay)
Don Barber and the Dukes–The Waddle (Thunderbird)
The Dartells–Hot Pastrami (Dot)
Les Cooper and the Soul Rockers–Wiggle Wobble (Everlast)
Roy Hamilton–Tore Up Over You (RCA Victor)
Normand Knight–C’est Le Hipswing (Trans Canada; Canada)
Trini Lopez–The Blizzard Song from EP Trini Lopez Sings His Greatest Hits
King Coleman–Hang It Up (King)
Shirley Scott (vocal and organ)–Soul Sauce (Impulse)
David Duke–Gimme Some Lovin’ (Hi)
The ‘Rockin’ Ramrods–Jungle Call (Explosive)
The Takers–if You Don’t Come Back (Interphon)
Harbinger Complex–I Think I’m Down (Brent)
MC5–I Can Only Give You Everything (Modern Harmonic)
The Golden Cups–Baby Please Don’t Run Away (Capitol; Japan)
Diane and the Darlettes–The Wobble (Dunes)
The Marcels–Allright Okay You Win (Colpix)
Norman Fox and the Rob-Roys–Dance Girl Dance (Back Beat)
The Skatalites–Guns of Navarone (Island; UK)
Symarip–That’s Nice (Harlem Shuffle; UK)
The Magnificents–Let’s Do the Cha Cha (Vee Jay)
The El Torros–Doop Doop a Walla Walla (Duke)
Sheriff & the Ravels–Shombalor (Vee-Jay)
The Versatones–Bila (Fenway)
Velveteens–Ching Bam Bah (Golden Artists)
Yuzo Kayama–Black Sand Beach (Toshiba; Japan)
Herbert Hunter with band–The Twistin’ Party (Spar)
Betty & Rose (formerly The Teen Queens)–That Twistin’ Feeling (Press)
Bobby Moore and the Fourmost–Dance of the Land (Fantasy)
Bertha Tillman–(I Believe) Something Funny Is Going On (Brent)
Matti Jackson and the Blues Nighthawks Orchestra–I Want to Do It (Duplex)
Guitar Slim and His Band–Oh Yeah (Atco)
Dean Christie–Mashed Potato Twist (SWL)
Eddie Bo–I Got to Know (Ric)
Mundy Lee–Let’s Go (Seg-Way)
Tom Jones–Bama Lama Bama Loo (London; Japan)
R. Sayre – The Vacant Lot–Don’t You Just Know It (Ltd.)
The Tracers–She Said Yeah (Sully)
Chris Farlowe–Ride On Baby (Immediate; UK)
The Girlfriends–My One and Only Jimmy Boy (Colpix)
Jake Calypso & His Red Hot–Who Knocks on My Door? (Migraine; Germany)
MC5–Shakin’ Street (Atlantic)
Trade Martin–Moanin’ (RCA Victor)
The Versatones–Tight Skirt (Fenway)
The Puppets–Do the Robot (New Bag)
Los Rockin’ Devil’s–La Pequeña Lupe Lu (Little Latin Lupe Lu) (Orfeon; Mexico)
Eddie Cochran–Nervous Breakdown [from the EP The Unforgettable Eddie Cochran] (Liberty; France)
The Fleshtones–I Can’t Hide (Yep-Roc)
Tom & Jerrio–Boo-Ga-Loo (Jerry-O)
The Surfer Girls–Draggin’ Wagon (Columbia)
Los Teen Tops–Buen Rock Esta Noche (Good Rockin’ Tonight) (Columbia; Argentina)

Resurrection of Subway Soul Club!

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Subway Soul Club action!

A few months ago, Lady Dawn decided to bring back the Subway Soul Club.

There hasn’t been a Subway Soul Club event in about five years, so perhaps a little history is in order. In December of the year 2001, Lady Dawn, a colorful British music enthusiast, and two of her friends who are DJs, got the keen idea of starting a Mod-oriented Northern Soul dance party in New York City. The first few were held in locations in the Lower East Side that no longer exist. Then her buddies left town—one home to London, the other to San Francisco. Around this time, Lady Dawn lost her venue. In comes Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus. He was made the resident DJ of the club and he brought it to Rififi, a bar/comedy club/theater/video rental joint with a large back room on East 11th Street in the East Village. SSC lived there for several years, until Rififi closed down in 2008. SSC events took place erratically and bounced around to different venues in Manhattan and Brooklyn for a few more years after that—sometimes going a year or so between events. The last one was held in November of 2019. It took place at a beautiful club called Venus In Furs in Brooklyn.

Then life intervened. The pandemic happened—it took down Venus In Furs. The Phast Man moved to the Hudson Valley. Lady Dawn got busy with work. Everybody got older…

Then our pal Jon Weiss contacted Lady Dawn. He is booking a new joint called The Francis Kite Club, located on Avenue C in the East Village. Would she be willing to stage a Subway Soul Club event? We’ve dealt with Jon Weiss before and we like him. He was the genius behind the legendary Cavestomp events held during the nineties and early years of the new century. The Boog was called. “Do we want to swing?” said Lady Dawn. “Why not?” said the Phast Man.

A date was set: Saturday April 27… and it happened!!

The Subway Soul Club returned to action in fine form. Guest DJs were rounded up: Lynne K and Mikey Post. Lynne K has been a favorite guest DJ since the Rififi days. She was scheduled to work the gig at Venus In Furs, but was unable to do it due to personal matters. Mikey Post is the fine drummer of The Jay Vons and works at Daptone Records. Plus, Andrew Mair came up from Florida to play a special set. He is an English cat who is quite familiar with the Northern Soul DJ wars in his home country. Also, he used to live in New York City and was a regular at Subway Soul Club when it was at Rififi.

Andrew Mair
Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus
Lynne K
Mikey Post

That wasn’t all that made this event feel like a reunion. A ton of the Subway Soul Club regulars from years passed were able to attend. It was so grand seeing so many familiar faces out on the dance floor and hanging out at the bar. It was as if time stood still and we were all back at Rififi—the golden years of the Subway Soul Club. Lady Dawn wore a sparkly dress and flitted around the dance floor most of the night. If that is not enough, the night was further enhanced by the yummy treats baked by Boogaloo Bag photographer Miss Nancy: pecan tassies and vegan brownies. She baked a LOT of them and they were gone by the end of the night.

As expected, the DJs each played some fantastic records and there was not a single second when there wasn’t somebody on the dance floor. The night started early—8:00pm—and expected to go to some time after midnight, with luck 1:00am. The club kicked everybody out at 2:00am!! During the last hour, the DJs took turns playing two records each. That was a gas.

Everyone was so pleased the way the event took place that it looks like there may be another Subway Soul Club event before the end of the year—perhaps in September. If so, do not miss out!

Here’s a list of all the records played by Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus at the resurrection of the Subway Soul Club:

None of these records are for sale.

Rock ‘n’ Ramen on a Saturday Night!

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DJ Pete Pop and Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus hang in front of Quinn’s after another successful DO THE 45!

April’s Do The 45 was a unique one. Host DJ Pete Pop called for a mostly fifties music hustle: rockabilly, R&B, doo wop, blues, twist, etc. He called it The Shake ’n’ Twist Edition. Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus, who has somehow become a regular DJ at these events, was able to dig deep into his boxes and pull out some choice biscuits.

This Do The 45 was scheduled for Friday the 12th. However, due to some technical difficulties in the Quinn’s kitchen, the establishment couldn’t open that night so The 45 had to be moved to the Saturday. DJs Pete Pop and Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus had to wait twenty four hours before they could deliver their explosive sounds at Beacon’s favorite rock ’n’ ramen joint. Right as the Quinn’s folks were ready to call it a night, a bunch of folks walked in and Mr. Pop and Mr. Phast ended up going an extra hour, alternating record playing. Go-Go dancers Bella Bombora and Sheba Shake were lined up to exhibit their fabulous dance moves, but Miss Sheba was already booked that night for a gig in Newburgh and couldn’t swing—so Miss Bella danced alone.

The electric Bella Bombora swings at the DO THE 45!

Although some folks still came out for the gig, many of the regulars couldn’t make the scene. The many folks who came for Quinn’s famous ramen noodles stayed extra long to dig the boss sounds. Miss Nancy made her signature vegan brownies and a new dish—chocolate chip cookies! Those things disappeared pretty quickly.

Speaking of sweet things, while at Quinn’s, The Boog sampled a desert item: Choco Monaka. It’s a sort of vanilla ice cream sandwich in a waffle crust with a thin layer of chocolate. Yummy!

Here’s a list of all the records played at the April Do The 45 by Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus:

None of these records are for sale.

Astro Girl swings at Funky Kingston!

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Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus and Leah Beth (Astro Girl) swing at The Funky Kingston

The Funky Kingston takes place on the fifth Saturday of the month. In the year 2024 there are four. The first one fell on March 30. For a guest DJ, host Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus rounded up an old friend from the DJ Wars in New York City—Leah Beth. She used to be a regular guest DJ at the Subway Soul Club, Smashed! Blocked! and other fine DJ nights. Plus she was in such cool bands as The Dancettes, The Nouvellas, PMS and the Mood Swings and Habibi. Also, she has worked as a back-up singer for various Daptone acts. She’s very hip and has been involved with some fabulous stuff so we like to call her “Astro Girl.” Not only that, but she’s got great records and she brought a box of them to the Salt Box and played them for The Funky Kingston faithful. Leah Beth has a place up in the Hudson Valley somewhere, so we hope to see more of her.

Leah Beth swings at the Funky K!

For this occasion, Miss Nancy baked some vegan brownies and pecan tassies. By the end of the night, all of them were gone. We were also happy to see many of our local Hudson Valley friends drop in to hang out for a spell—and eat Miss Nancy’s vittles!

Some Hudson Valley pals swing at The Funky Kingston!
More Hudson Valley friends!!
Miss Nancy digs the Bat Signal as her vittles await to be devoured at The Funky Kingston!

Without a doubt, The Funky Kingston is the bossest event happening in Ulster Country. Folks come from all over to dig the hot rhythms laid down by The Boog and his guest DJs. The next fifth Saturday is June 29. If you live in the area, mark it on your calendar on your iPhone, iPad, iBook or whatever iCrap you have so you don’t miss out. If you live far away, come up to Kingston and make a weekend of it. Kingston has some excellent restaurants, art galleries, antique stores and record stores. June would be a great time to do so.

Here’s a list of all the records played by Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus at The Funky Kingston:

None of these records are for sale.

190 Jump!

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On Friday March 15, DJ Pete Pop was enlisted to provide music for a Friday night at the 190 Bar in Newburgh, NY. Pete Pop then enlisted Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus to aid and abet his activities (although his name was left off the poster!).

Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus and Pete Pop swing at 190 Club.

The 190 Club, for some reason, is located at 190 Broadway in downtown Newburgh. It was the site of the super successful New Year’s Eve party that also had audio stimulation by Pete Pop and The Boog. However, for this particular Friday night happening, Pete Pop decided against a recreation of his Do The 45 in order to present a special evening for the elite crowd that comes to drink at 190; he called for cumbia, boogaloo, soul and funk. Knowing Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus, we knew he would throw in some mambo records as well.

Miss Nancy and Phast Phreddie at 190
DJ Pete Pop at 190

The music was originally meant to provide a soundtrack for the nice folks who get together at the club to socialize and swig frosty beverages, but a of couple hours into the night, these nice folks were dancing in the aisles, movin’ and groovin’. It wasn’t New Year’s Eve, but it was a gas.

Here’s a list of all the records played by Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus:

None of these records are for sale.

Crankin’ It At Quinn’s!!

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This year, Pete Pop’s spectacular rock’n’soul dance party takes place on the second Friday of the month at Quinn’s, the rock ’n’ ramen establishment on Main Street in Beacon, NY. On March 8, his guest DJs were Peter Aaron and Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus.

Pete Pop
Peter Aaron
Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus

Peter Aaron has been mentioned in the Boogaloo Bag before. Suffice it to say, after having been in a cool rock band (The Chrome Cranks) in the nineties, writing some books and hosting a radio show for several years, he’s got fantastic sense of what makes a party rock. Pete Pop asked him to bring some of his boss seventies and early eighties glam, punk and new wave records to spice up the night. Mission accomplished.

Pete Pop has incredible records and played them all night long. Folks were dancing; folks were falling down and drinks were spilled—a super successful party!

Go Go dancers Bella Bombora and Sheba Shake swing at Do The 45!

Also, this year, Do The 45 features two fabulous Go-Go dancers: Sheba Shake and Bella Bombora. Miss Sheba has been getting some dancing gigs down in The City and at local surf music concerts. Bella Bombora, when she’s not on stage, is the official photographer of the Boogaloo Bag as well as baker of treats for DJ gigs when Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus is involved.

Speaking of the Phast One, here’s a list of all the records he played at the March 8 Do The 45:

None of these records are for sale.

This event did not happen!

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On Saturday February 10, DJ Pete Pop and Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus were invited to DJ at a Secret House Party held at an undisclosed location in Newburgh, NY. Bella Bombora and Sheba Shake were invited to Go-Go dance. For all intents and purposes, this event did not happen. Even if it did, the Boogaloo Bag writers would not be at liberty to discuss it.

Suffice it to say, the venue was indeed in the basement of someone’s house somewhere in Newburgh, in an unassuming building that was easy to miss. Everyone in attendance was asked not to take photos or discuss the details with anyone outside of those who were there. However, the Boogaloo Bag writers have been assured that posting such information as what a gas it was would be fine. The party room was full of folks and the two DJs had them dancing the entire time, encouraged by the two Go-Go dancers. As usual, DJ Pete Pop played some fantastic records and The Boog tried to keep up! In order to secure the privacy of the event hosts, no other information may be disclosed at this time.

The following is a list of records played by Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus at this event. Shhhh… don’t tell anybody!!

None of these records are for sale.

Double the Go-Go at Do The 45!

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The first Do The 45! of the new year took place on January 12 at Quinn’s—the rock ’n’ ramen joint in Beacon, NY. This was an especially exciting Do The 45! because host DJ Pete Pop added another Go-Go dancer: Bella Bombora. She and Sheba Shake were up on the dance floor doin’ the watusi nearly all night. Man, those girls can move!

Another thing that made this Do The 45! special was the addition of DJ Benny Trokan. Mr. Trokan has played in such bands as Spoon, Reigning Sound and The Jay-Vons. Plus, he’s toured the world as a member of Lee Fields’ band. He’s got some pretty darn good records and at the Do The 45!, he showed everybody that he knows how to play them. Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus was invited along for the ride; he started each of three sets with “The Batman Theme.”

DJ Pete Pop played his usual assortment of garage, R&B and Latin stuff that always keeps the party going. Miss Nancy baked some banana cupcakes with peanut butter icing and these almond-flavored, star-shaped things that were excellent.

Above: Benny – Phast – Benny – Pete Pop

Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus played these records at the Do The 45!:

None of these songs are for sale.

Stooges and Shumba for the New Year!!

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The expectations for a New Year’s Eve party are always very high. People expect the event to be so totally fabulous that you’ll be talking about it for the rest of the year. On the New Year’s Eve that went from 2023 to 2024, our friend Sterling Knight put together one swingin’ affair. The Boogaloo Bag writers met her when she was the guiding light of Mama Roux, the fabulous eatery in Newburgh, NY—now defunct. She has recently taken her Mama Roux brand and become a professional event planner in the greater Newburgh area. 190 Bar, a new joint in Newburgh, came to her and asked her to produce a New Year’s Eve happening, the first for the fledgling club. Ms. Knight knows how to swing. She enlisted a tarot card reader; a tattoo artist; Go-Go dancers Sheba Shake and Bella Bombora and the Hudson Valley’s bossest DJs, Pete Pop and Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus.

“Magnificent revelry” was promised… and delivered!!

190 Bar, as noted above, is a brand new establishment and it is located at 190 Broadway. It is beautifully appointed with artful paintings on the exposed brick walls and sparkling lights hanging from the ceiling.

DJ Pete Pop
Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus

The hero of the evening was DJ Pete Pop. Earlier that day, he DJ’d at the Jet Set for the monthly drag brunch. Then, by 6:00 PM, he was setting up his equipment at 190 Bar and soon after started playing records as folks were already showing up.

Sheba Shake!
Bella Bombora!

Phast Phreddie and Miss Nancy dropped by around 9:00 PM or so—still dragging a bit themselves; recovering from the Funky Kingston the night before. But Pete Pop’s records were so boss that rejuvenation was instant. Sheba Shake showed up and Miss Nancy got into Bella Bombora mode and the two Go-Go danced on the groovy platforms that were built just for the occasion. Soon the club was filled to the brim, with folks dancin’ and jumpin’ around and drinkin’ and making merry in all sorts of ways.

Miss Nancy’s yummy treats!

How fun was this New Year’s Eve? Pete Pop called it the best New Year’s Eve he’s ever experienced. The Go-Go dancing of Sheba Shake and Bella Bombora inspired everybody to watusi and frug! Folks were boppin’ to every record played—even “Egyptian Shumba!” At one point, a fellow showed his phone to Phast Phreddie and it said, “Stooges?” So a record by The Stooges was played! Best song request ever!!! The Boogaloo Bag writers were so enjoying the evening that few good photos were taken! Hostess Sterling Knight sure knows how to throw a wing ding! The merriment didn’t stop until the wee hours!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Sometime after four in the morning, the exhausted 190 Bar staff pleaded with the DJs to cut the jams. They had such a good night that some of them even helped Pete Pop carry his equipment out to his car!

Here’s a list of all the songs played by Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus at the 190 Bar New Year’s Eve Party:

None of these records are for sale!

Funky Kingston Swings Again!

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The Bat Signal at the Salt Box signifies that Funky Kingston is happening!! Stuart Millman of The Greyhounds and Miss Nancy dig it!

In 2023, the last fifth Saturday of the month fell on December 30—the day before New Year’s Eve! It was the perfect time for folks to celebrate the New Year without dealing with amateur drinkers. Some folks took advantage of that by attending Funky Kingston at the Salt Box in Kingston, NY.

Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus and Scott Boyko swing at Funky Kingston!

Funky Kingston is the groovy new DJ night hosted by Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus. It features all sorts of funky music (see list below) as well as special guest DJs. For this occasion, we were able to fly in Scott Boyko from south central Pennsylvania and he dropped some heavy, heavy funk and really righteous reggae jams. Mr. Boyko is a serious record collector and has been sharing his sounds at DJ events for more than 20 years. He once was a host of the Garden State Soul Club. Now he guests all over the place: Keystone State Soul Weekender (Lancaster, PA), Soul Finger (New York City), etc.

Scott Boyko in action!
Scott Boyko keeps the action going!

This particular Funky Kingston event went swingin’ly—with all sorts of friends showing up. Some friends even insisted on making this a sort of a late birthday party for Mr. Phreddie as he turned 70 two days before! 70! Wow! That means Phast Phreddie has been DJing for folks for about fifty years—since the early seventies when he worked at keg ’n’ Quaalude parties in San Pedro and Carson, California. Those were the days: trying to play records with one Garrard turntable hooked up to somebody’s guitar amplifier!!

Birthday cupcakes at Funky Kingston!

Anyway, the Funky Kingston had folks funkin’ all over the place. The historic stone building that houses The Salt Box could barely contain the fantastic rhythms that Mr. Boyko and The Phast One were letting loose! Miss Nancy baked some pumpkin/chocolate birthday cupcakes that were devoured pretty quickly.

These Funky Kingston happenings take place on the fifth Saturday of the month, when there is one. The next one will be March 30. Start planning now to make the scene for this fabulous party.

Here’s a list of records played by Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus at the Funky Kingston:

None of these records are for sale.