by John Popper
jingles, 58
music in, 161
communal system, 58–59
“Conquer Me” (Blues Traveler), 155
corporate gigs, 271–272
Costello, Elvis, 175
Cotton, James, 24–25
crack, 54–56, 73
Crobar, 172
Crosby, Jason, 219
Crossroads, 194
Crow, Sheryl, 131, 132, 290
crowds. See also fans
captivating, 6–7, 52
reading, 53–54
Cruise, Tom, 57–58
Daltrey, Roger, 175
Danko, Rick, 90
Dan Lynch, 49–50
Danza, Tony, 153
Dave Matthews Band, 134–135
Dear Liza, 300–301
death, 207–208, 212
debt, 265
dedication, ferocious, 104
“Defense and Desire” (Blues Traveler), 155
Delana, 237–238, 294
Dell’Abate, Gary, 224–225
Delsener/Slater, 130
Democratic conventions, 272–273
Dempsey, Patrick, 294
detention, 16
diabetes, 117–118
diatonics, 182
Dicey, Bill, 22–23
dignity, 114–117
Dillon, Matt, 50
Dirty Heads, 265–266
“Divided Sky” (Phish), 96–97
DJ Logic, 258–259, 261
Dobkin, Dave, 155
donuts, 145
Drakoulias, George, 87
drugs, 54–56, 75, 87–88, 205–206, 247–248
dueling culture of harmonica players, 22–26
Dugger, Jerry, 43, 69
Dummies, 41, 42
Duskray Troubadours, 258–263
Dylan, Bob, 26–27, 60
Eldridge, Roy, 288
Ellman, Ben, 23–24
Escovedo, Alejandro, 263
Establishment, The, 28–29
“Fallible” (Blues Traveler), 225–226
fame, 159–160, 172–178
fans. See also audience
appreciation for, 310–12
connecting with, 168–171
interacting with, 277
fast food, 144–146
fatalistic thinking, 207–208, 212
fatherhood, 299, 315–320
Felicia, 31, 36, 119, 135, 234–235, 236–237
Fender, 182
ferocious dedication, 104
Fields, Kim, 187
fighting against indignity, 116–117
Fillmore, 123
film appearances, 194–197
Fine, Stu, 262
Fisher, 282
Fishman, Jon, 95, 123–124
flight attendants, 142
Foo Fighters, 309–310
Ford, Marc, 230
Forman, Miloš, 148
four (Blues Traveler), 119, 155–158, 189
four-leaf clover, 104
Fourth of July, 311
Fox, Michael J., 175–176
Freed, Will, 306
Frey, Dave, 85, 128–129, 134, 303
Frogwings, 201–202
fugues, 94–95
fun., 306
funds, pooling, 58–59
Gaines, Jim, 88–89
Garcia, Jerry, 84–85, 305
Garnett, Sandy, 105
gastric bypass surgery, 212–216
gay marriage, 296
Gehman, Don, 256
Geller, Dave, 260, 262
Gilligan’s Island, 109
Gina, 65–66, 117, 152, 299–300
“Gina” (Blues Traveler), 66
girlfriends, 232–239
“Girl Inside My Head” (Blues Traveler), 222–223
Gobel, Mr., 6
Goldberg, 319
gold records, 46
Goodman, John, 193, 194
Gordon, Mike, 95, 124
Gore, Al, 292
Graham, Bill, 21–22, 68, 76–84, 124, 304
Graham, Dave, 76, 79–81, 83–85, 164, 165–166, 198
Grammy Awards, 190–191
Grant, 120–121, 246
grappling hook, 62
Grateful Dead, 69–71, 84–85
Gray, Macy, 218
Green Bay, Wisconsin, 288
Green Berets, 282
Greene, Darren, 105
Grohl, Dave, 310
Gross, Chris. See Barron, Chris
Guantanamo Bay, 287
guitar lessons, 7–8
gun permits, 252–253
guns, 14–15, 187–188, 245–254, 291–292
Haas, Lukas, 173–174
hairstyles, 143
Hamilton, Chico, 46, 59
Hampton, Bruce, 95, 187
“Hand in My Pocket” (Morissette), 26
Hanks, Tom, 308
Hanson, 193
harmonica belt, 61–64, 214
harmonica case, 64
Harmonica Club, 21
harmonica(s)
and admission to New School, 2
aspirations regarding, 18–20
challenges and culture of, 20–25
changes Popper’s high school experience, 4–5
distributing, 179–184
less technically proficient players of, 25–27
Popper plays, in high school band, 13–14
Popper receives, 8
Popper sells, 58
Harrelson, Woody, 261, 262
Harvey School, 6
Hawaii, 107–108, 253
Haynes, Warren, 101, 229
healing, 115, 117–119
heart surgery, 202–203
Heffernan, Kevin, 181
Hefner, Hugh, 180
Hendrix, Jimi, 18, 19, 207
Herring, Jimmy, 131, 201
Hicks, Taylor, 24
high school
Popper plays harmonica in, 12–14, 185–186
Popper’s experiences in, 3–7, 14–17
Hill, Brendan
appearance of, 142
attends Grammy Awards, 190, 191
and beginnings of Blues Traveler, 28, 29, 31, 32, 33–34
Bill Murray on, 261
life in New York, 48–49
musical education of, 37–38
role in Blues Traveler, 52
self–control of, 206
stages intervention, 203
turns down Mitsubishi commercial, 161
walks red carpet of Official All-Star Café, 159
Hill, Sebastian, 28, 29
Hoffman, Dustin, 289–290
Hogan, Hulk, 319
Hohner, 181
Hollander, Sam, 264
homeless people, 73, 78–79
homework, 1–2. See also schoolwork
Hondamatic, 111–113
“Honesty and Love” (Popper), 35–36
“Hook” (Blues Traveler), 119, 158, 306
H.O.R.D.E.
banner for, 105
Blues Traveler returns to, 138–139
conception of, 122–124
end of, 140–141
first year, 126–128
hot air balloon, 136–137
main headliners and openers, 131–132, 136, 137–138
negotiations for, 124–126, 129–130
New York Ancients Fife & Drum Society and, 109
prank at, 96
second year, 128–129
success of, 132–134
trampoline gag, 127, 130–131
Horn, Mark, 43
Hosier, Tom, 50
hospitalization, following
motorcycle accident, 114–115
hot air balloon, 136–137
Housing Now March, 78–79
“Howard’s Turn” (Blues Traveler), 226
“How Could You Want Him (When You Know You Could Have Me?)” (Spin Doctors), 242–243
human fly musical suit guy, 163–164
hunting, 250
hypochondria, 309
ice cream, 146
Iceland, 288
IEDs, 285
Indian boil sucker joke, 77–78
indignity, 114–117
Iraq, 284, 285
Israel, 296
Jack Frost, 195–196
James, Nigel, 138
Jeremy, Ron, 82
jingles, 58
John Popper Project Featuring DJ Logic, 259
Johnson, Magic, 174–175
Jordan, Michael, 171–172
Jordan, Steve, 149
Jose, 75–76
Joy, 239
“Just Wait” (Blues Traveler), 168–169
Kellison, Daniel, 67
Kinchla, Chan
appearance of, 142
argues with Gregg Allman, 101
attends Grammy Awards, 190, 191
and beginnings of Blues
Traveler, 31, 32–34
on high school band, 13
H.O.R.D.E. and, 129–130
and Late Night with David Letterman, 147–148
life in New York, 48–49
musical education of, 37–38
repays twenty dollars, 213
role in Blues Traveler, 52
self-control of, 206
stages intervention, 203
throws harmonica, 183
on USO Tour, 285–286
Kinchla, Tad, 218–219, 221, 256, 259
King, B. B., 293
King Kong, 165–166
Kingpin, 196–197
Kravitz, Lenny, 135
Kristen, 238
Landsthul Regional Medical Center, 281–282
lateness, 46–47
Late Night with David Letterman, 147–153, 226, 293
Lawrence, Arnie, 2, 39–41, 42, 150
Led Zeppelin, 161
Le Locle, Switzerland, 108–109
Lemme, Steve, 181
Leno, Jay, 226
Lester, Rob, 67–68
Letterman, David, 147, 149, 152, 180. See also Late Night with David Letterman
Levy, Howard, 127, 181, 192–193
libertarianism, 293–94, 297–298
Little Walter, 25, 70
Lockn’ Festival, 301, 303
Loder, Kurt, 211
Lollapalooza, 123
love and relationships, 232–239, 242–244
loyalty, 104
lunch box, 61
Madison Square Garden, 162–167
Maher, Bill, 173
Mahoney, Bob, 258
Manhattan School of Music, 2, 39–40
Manson, Jono, 43, 50, 52, 259–260, 263
Marley, Ziggy, 133–134, 311
marriage, 296, 301–303
Marsalis, Wynton, 5
Marx Brothers, 11
Masada, 81, 82
Matthews, Dave, 134–135, 277
McConaughey, Matthew, 261–262
McConnell, Page, 95
McDonald’s, 144–146
McEnroe, John, 159–160
McGhee, Scott, 223, 257, 264–265
McRib, 145
Menagerie, 19
mice, 57
Miles, Buddy, 86
Miller, Larry, 176
Miller, LD, 306
Mills, David, 283
mistakes, 268–269
Mitsubishi commercial, 161
Mondo Cane, 44, 64–65, 67–68
Mondo Perso, 67
moped, 15, 16
Morissette, Alanis, 26
Morrill, Paul, 164, 165
“Most Precarious” (Blues Traveler), 197
motorcycle and motorcycle accident, 111–116, 118, 141
“Mountains Win Again, The” (Blues Traveler), 160–161
Mulroney, Dermot, 228–229
Murray, Bill, 151, 175, 196, 260–261, 309
music lessons, 7–8
Musselwhite, Charlie, 25
Myers, Mike, 151
Myrtle Avenue, 54–56
Neel, Johnny, 99
Nelson, Willie, 317
Neville, Ivan, 24
New England Patriots cheerleaders, 238, 284, 287–288
New Orleans, 206–207
New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music, 1–2, 40, 42–43, 45–46, 48–49
New Year’s Eve, 164–167, 198
New York
apartments in, 54–58
Blues Traveler moves to, 48–54
gigs in, 65–69, 71, 72
working in, 60
New York Ancients Fife & Drum Society, 109
New York Music Award, 305
New York Yankees, 187
Nicholson, Jack, 171
Niebank, Justin, 87–88
Nightingale’s, 44, 50–53, 65, 67, 71
North Dakota, 107
North Hollywood Shootout (Blues Traveler), 72, 257–258
“No Woman, No Cry” (Marley), 311
Nudes-A-Poppin’, 81–82
Nugent, Ted, 226, 248
Ober, Ken, 174–175
O’Brien, Conan, 226–227
Occupy, 296–297
O’Connor, Sinead, 276
Official All-Star Café, 158–160
open-mic nights, 43–44, 49–50
orgies, 81–82
Osborne, Joan, 43
Oskar, Lee, 23
Ostrosky, Beth, 225
Ovitz, Mike, 264
“Owed from the Aspect” (Blues Traveler), 312–314
Page, Steven, 139
Paluska, John, 167
Pandora, 266
Paramus Symphony Orchestra, 138
Pardo, Don, 274–275, 277
Parker, Charlie, 41, 42, 168
Parton, Dolly, 191–192
Partridge Family lunch box, 61
Paul, Ron, 295–296
Perloff, Greg, 85
Phish, 93–97, 123–124, 163, 167–168
Phoenix, River, 84
Pocket Full of Kryptonite (Spin Doctors), 88
Pocket Full of Soul, 22
poker, 102
political conventions, 272–273
politics, 253–254, 295–298
Popper, David, 7
Popper, Eloise, 301, 315–320
Popper, Emily, 29
Popper, Eva, 8–9
Popper, John
early musical experiences of, 7–8
education of, 1–2
father of, 8–11, 14–15, 32–33
high school experience of, 3–7, 14–17
marriage to Jordan, 301–303
mother of, 9–10
personal difficulties and isolation of, 204–205
Popper, Jordan, 242, 301–303, 316–317
Popper, Tom, 10
Precheur, Dave, 56, 79–80, 129, 171
prednisone, 269
“Pretty Angry” (Blues Traveler), 208–210
“Price to Pay” (Blues Traveler), 156–157
Primus, 137
Princeton, New Jersey, 8
Princeton High School, 4–5, 12–17
Princeton University, 34
Private Parts, 226
prostitutes, 239–241
publishing money, 58–59
purple, 143
Qatar, 286–287
Quinones, Marc, 201
Rachel, 239
Raphael, Mickey, 24
Rednor, Scott, 300–301
Red Rocks, 311
Red Thunder, 129
rehab center, 115–117
rehabilitation, 115–119
relationships, 232–239, 242–244
Rembrandts, 134
Republican conventions, 272–273
Republican Party, 296
Ricci, Jason, 22
Riccio, Crugie, 199, 248
Richards, Keith, 197, 247
Roberts, Julia, 151–152
Robinson, Chris, 229–230, 302
Rodman, Dennis, 171, 172
Rodriguez, Carrie, 263
Rolling Stones, 197
Romney, Mitt, 180
Roseanne, 193–194
“Run-Around” (Blue
s Traveler), 119, 157–159, 190–191, 224
samurai sword, 249
Santana, Carlos, 19, 82–83, 84
Sarah, 232–234, 236
Sarem, Lani, 265
Saturday Night Live, 7, 18, 143, 194, 274–277
Save His Soul (Blues Traveler), 155
Scafaria, Lorene, 155
Schenkman, Eric, 41, 45, 88, 122
schoolwork, 1–2, 14–17
Schwartz, Jonathan, 259
seasons, 270–271
Second Amendment, 253–254
Secret Service, 291–292
segues, 221
set lists, 220–221
Sexsmith, Ron, 263
Shaffer, Paul, 149–151, 153
Shapiro, Pete, 303–305
Shearer, Harry, 50
Sheehan, Bob
addictions of, 204–207
appearance of, 142
arrested for drug possession, 247
attends Grammy Awards, 190, 191
and Blues Traveler repertoire, 69–70
death of, 203–204, 205, 207–208
finding replacement for, 218–219
following death of Bill Graham, 83
goes to Crobar, 172
and human fly musical suit guy, 163–164
influence of, on Blues Traveler music, 221–222
joins Blues Traveler, 36
life in New York, 48–49
musical education of, 37–38
Popper’s relationship with, 103–104
role in Blues Traveler, 52
supports Popper’s solo endeavors, 199
terrorizes Tom Cruise, 57–58
and “The Mountains Win Again,” 160–161
shotgun, 14–15
Showalter, Michael, 275
Shriver, Bobby, 308
Shriver, Eunice, 289, 290
Shriver, Sarge, 290
Silverstone, Alicia, 174, 250
Simon, Paul, 192
Simoyi, András, 9
Simpsons, The, 50–51
singing, 69–70
Sister Hazel, 177–178
Smashing Pumpkins, 140
Smith, Anna Nicole, 180–181
smoking, 214–215
social media, 277–280
social music, 52–53
songwriting, 34–36, 156, 168–169, 242–243
Sousa, John Philip, 266
South Dakota, 107, 108
Southern Ground Music & Food Festival, 308–309
Spin Doctors, 45, 46, 88, 123, 125, 126, 162
sponsorship, 133
Springsteen, Bruce, 25
stalker, 247–248
Stamford Catholic High School, 7
Stamos, John, 308
Stanley, Owsley (Bear), 68–69
“Star-Spangled Banner,” 185–189
Stax, 150
Stefani, Gwen, 289
Stern, Howard, 224–231
steroids, 269
Stewart, Jon, 180
Sting, 289–290
Stone, Emma, 306
Straight on till Morning (Blues Traveler), 197–198
streaming music, 266
Street, Craig, 259
Streisand, Barbra, 256
sumo wrestler movie, 148–149
Sun and the Storm, The (Blues Traveler), 219–220
surgery
following motorcycle accident, 114–115
gastric bypass surgery, 212–216
Suzie Cracks the Whip (Blues Traveler), 263, 264, 266
