Book Read Free

Suck and Blow

Page 37

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

 

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