Gig Review Celebration Of The Life Of Commander Cody
Troy, New York, The Hangar On The Hudson
A Celebration Of The Life Music and Art of Commander Cody
Sunday 21 August 2022
The Hangar on the Hudson Troy New York
(The Old Commander AKA George Frayne)
Hunger hit me as I sipped a beer in The Ale House just across from the venue for the gig this evening. After driving for 3 hours and not having lunch, these stomach noises needed to be suppressed. I ate a bowl of chili. I felt OK. Troy, New York, how did I get here?
You either understand that meal choice or you have not heard “It Should Have Been Me” recorded by the Commander and His Lost Planet Airmen back in the long ago and far away 1970s. George Frayne will always be known as Commander Cody and even though he left the building at the age of 77 in September 2021, his music and legacy will live on.
My discovery took place when I was deep into the cosmic country, rock and roll, and The Grateful Dead. Between the Dead and Cody, amongst others, they turned me onto artists like Bob Wills, Merle Haggard, and styles from Texas Swing to rockabilly. All these musical styles were thrown into one big ass cocktail shaker somewhere in Ann Arbor, Michigan in 1967. This was my perfectly made cocktail of music and joy, and I drank from it as much as I could.
Along with their buddies Asleep At The Wheel, they turned on the stoned generation to Texas Swing, and from that point on it was never the same. Both bands inhabited the heady days of San Francisco, and the acidity of the times added a bonus flavour to what they delivered each night.
The Commander’s life and art were on show tonight and friends, family and long-time fans were on hand. Talking to people throughout the night some had come from Massachusetts, New York City, Long Island, and even a couple I met from Tennessee. They had told me that they had met the Commander years ago and he was so sweet to them that they could not miss this event.
I understood. I felt the same way. Even though I knew nothing about this gathering before I left Australia, once I discovered this happening, there was little besides death that was going to keep me away.
On hand to make this incredibly special were 3 of the original Airmen. Truly it was going to be something historic with four Airmen to be on hand, but Buffalo Bruce Barlow could not make it due to some late-moment personal issues. Of course, this did not diminish the gathering of John Tichy (guitars/vocals), Andy Stein (fiddle and saxophone), and the Titan of The Telecaster Bill Kirchen, from the original line-up and it lit up the hearts and the room when they took the stage.
John Tichy, is truly a space cowboy, being the former head of Mechanical, Aerospace and Nuclear Engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic, and he brought along his son Graham to add the required pedal steel that a Lost Planet Airmen’s gig cannot live without. Mike Kelly filled in for the Commander on keys, Steve Barbuto on drums, and Mo filled in on bass.
Andy Stein escorted us into the halls of Cody with a bit of “Armadillo Stomp” an instrumental that kicked off their gigs quite often. People were drinking, there was the smell of weed in the air and it sounded and felt like the old days if you closed your eyes. With your eyes open, the years were evident in the faces and the hair of the band and most of the onlookers, but once this music kicked off, we were all young again. I put down my cane and I was saved.
Simply, the band did them all. “Too Much Fun” was one of the first cabs off the rank, probably because people would be yelling for it all night. Boogie Woogie was there with “Beat Me Daddy Eight To The Bar” and it was a good chance for everyone to get down and keep dancing. “Seeds and Stems,” a song the younger generation will never understand about being down to just the scraps of your dope bag, was well delivered and well received. What double album did you use to clean your weed for rolling and smoking?
Songs usually sung by the Commander like “There’s A Riot Goin On” and “Hot Rod Lincoln” only missed the manic and goofball delivery that only he could do, but besides that, they sounded perfect. Andy Stein and Bill Kirchen are masters of their instruments and each solo they offered up to us was a beauty.
This was one of those reunions that took place for a wonderful cause, Swan Songs, which fulfill the last wishes for humans with home concerts and enabled us to gather to celebrate George’s life and revisit the fun we had hanging out together, singing along and dancing. Getting a chance to give a warm hug to the Commander’s widow, Sue Casanova, and say some warm words melted my heart and warmed hers.
Personally, back in 2005, I had Bill Kirchen and his band Too Much Fun at a raucous party I hosted at the now defunct Rodeo bar in NYC, so it was fabulous to catch up and chat with him again.
For many of us here tonight this was the culmination of over 50 years of listening to the Lost Planet Airmen. There may be some reunions left in them, but this was a one-off to blast the Commander off into space. Rock That Boogie, George, may you be at rest and tinkling those ivories whenever you can.
Note: If you are on the West Coast the will be a another celebration at Sweetwater Music Hall on 12 September…..Rock That Boogie and take me away!
