Show 72 "Psychedelic Oklahoma" FRI. Oct 9,1998 @ MinderbindersAlley
Show 72 "Psychedelic Oklahoma"
FRI. Oct 9,1998 @ MinderbindersAlley
SONGS:
"MEDLEY: People Will Say We're in Love/I'm Just a Girl Who Can't Say No"
"Oh What A Beautiful Morning"/ "AFRAID OF THE SUN"
"I'M LIVING IN A CHANGED WORLD"
"A TOAST FROM DJ SMOKE-A-LOT"
VIC's Original Playbill Comments: "Rodgers and Hammerstien - now there were two songwriters way ahead of their time. Not only did they write the entire score for Psychedelic Oklahoma on a two week road trip fueled by duty free Tequila, mescaline and blotter acid PLUS perfect a way of freebasing Comet Cleanser that people still haven't figured out yet, but they returned the rental car a day and a half early! Unfortunately, when they played this new show for horrified investors back in New York, they realized that most of their quirky psychedelic references had to be cut. Had the original Psychedelic Oklahoma! opened, it would have indeed blown minds. Imagine what changes the world would have embraced if Tin Pan Alley had turned on twenty three years earlier than the hippies did. Sure, Cole Porter got his kicks from cocaine and Irving Berlin shot up every spare moment he wasn't writing something for Ethel Merman to screech but this Psychedelic Oklahoma was about as far as far could go in 1942.We're proud to present selections from Rodgers and Hammerstiens' Psychedelic Oklahoma! as well as familiar tunes that made the final fuddy duddy version."
Of note: Vic continues his foray into songwriting via computer samples with "I'M LIVING IN A CHANGED WORLD". Dj Smoke-a-Lot's poem is a reprise of his miming to William Shatner's "Spleen".. The "PSYCHEDELIC OKLAHOMA" song is actually an older Vic masters' tune "4 Collectors Only" that hadn't been performed live since Serene & the Semi-Detached dropped it from their live swt. Ditto for "AFRAID OF THE SUN". Although the set was marred by sound problems (and the only instance yet where the mini-disc was accidentally unplugged, it was a most enjoyable show, climaxing with "SWISS SON OF MAN" , complete with Swiss Army Knife costume. Although Vic loves the score for the real RodgerS & Hammerstein show, he developed a healthy dislike for the movie which he sat through three times. Originally, Vic was going to perform Windigo's "Wobblies" during the show but performed it during their set which followed, climaxing a very trippy "Night of 1000 Drugs".
Vic's original show script:
"Thank you ladies and gentlemen. I'm Vic Masters and this here feller by m'side is DJ Smoke-a-Lot. Together, we're Vic Masters and DJ Smoke-a-Lot n' we're here to sing you selections from Rodgers and Hammersteins' Psychedlic Oklahoma. Here's just two of the tunes that made the final cut and survive today."
Song "Overture"
Rodgers and Hammerstein -now there were two songwriters ahead of their time. Not only did they perfect a way of freebasing Comet Cleanser that people still haven't figured out yet, but they wrote the entire score for Psychedelic Oklahoma on a two week road trip fueled by duty free Tequila, mescaline, blotter acid and Witch Hazel. Even more amazing, they returned the rental car a day and a half early!
Unfortunately, when they played this show for horrified investors back in New York, they realized that most of their quirky psychedelic references had to be cut. Had the original Psychedelic Oklahoma opened, it would have indeed blown minds. Imagine what changes the world would have embraced if Tin Pan Alley had turned on twenty three years earlier than the hippies did. Sure, Cole Porter got his kicks from cocaine and Irving Berlin shot up every spare moment he wasn't writing something for Ethel Merman to screech but this Psychedelic Oklahoma was about as far as far could go in 1942.
Song "Psychedelic Oklahoma"
Now if some of you saw the movie, you'll remember that the hero of the story was Curly, a cocky cowhand imbued with a glorious feeling everything was going his way and singing what a beautiful morning it was to every cow and goat that'd listen.
Sing verse of "Oh What A Beautiful Morning".
That went on for about eighteen or nineteen minutes, not counting the drum solo. But in the original text, Curley ingests a few hits of brown sunshine and convinces himself that the sun was a raging ball of fire spiralling towards earth, ready to scorch him and every stalk of corn that's ever been growed.
"Afraid of the Sun"
The story finally picks up steam when Curley asks Laurey if she'll come to the dance with him. In order to tip the scales in his favor, he tells her he's gonna pick her up in a fanciful buggy with the fringe on top that doesn't exist. After the dance he promises he'll take her to his magical fortress outside the city which also doesn't exist.
"Citadel"
Laurey is of course incenced that Curley's waited till the last day to ask her out so she's already accepted an invite from Jud, the brutish and downright scary ranch hand. He may not be Mister Right, but he's got a giant hypno-wheel in the back of his truck that no one's yet been able to resist.
"Mr. Maybe"
Another girl who can't say no is Will Parker's gal Annie Carnes. She falls victim for the sleazy charms of the Peddler who sells her a bad bill of goods. With Annie temporarily impaired by the amyl nitrate, the Peddler takes full advantage of the situation and tries completing the deal by insisting that he and Annie get highonlove!
"High On Love"
Curley comes to regret his vainglorius boasting when it means he must take Laurey's elderly aunt to the dance instead and bares his hallicinating soul in this number:
"I'm Living In a Changed World"
Meanwhile at the dance, somebody's spiked the punch and everyone's worrisomely tipsy
"Wobbles"
Maybe it was the punch but everyone swore that once Curley and rotted Jud get theyselves into a knife fight, Curley, the hero of our tale, mutates into a Swiss Army Knife and slices poor Jud to ribbons.
"Swiss Son of Man"
"Oklahoma"
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