dick contino

Stomach Steinways

Dick Contino called his accordian a stomach Steinway. I need to write about Dick one day. Google him. He's in Chicago for local summerfests. Neat guy. Anyhow. This fellow was in front of the Borders across from the Chicago Theater last Monday. I stopped there on my way to the readings, just to see what is on the shelves to further depress myself. This fellow wasn't out front when I walked in, and as I walked out I thought maybe a falling brick had hit me in the head. From far away, I honestly thought I was looking at Cab Calloway. After realizing this was not the case, I talked with him a bit. He's up here from Alabama, for who knows what reason, it being below zero and all. I asked him if he could try "Ain't No Sunshine When She's Gone" and he actually came up with a good, if somwhat (and expected ) jaunty version of it. I handed him a fiver and as I walked down the steps to the subway I could hear regular polka music floating over my head. Later, I walked over to the Red Lion, our old haunt, because someone told me that it was boarded up even more securely. I took a phjoto once I saw the smiley face on it, but with the photo developed, it seems I caught a ghost on film. Or maybe just some tall guy smoking an unfiltered Pall Mall exhaling as he leaned over my shoulder. What do I know? I was cold.

Evolution Gone Mad

Yea, that's pretty much what the polak doctor said when he saw me pop out backwards and with my umbilical cord wrapped around my neck. To answer of few comments. Sid, I got a lot of Chris Elliot rags back in the day, particularly when he had that TV show where he was a newspaper boy. I think it was GET A LIFE, we had the same profile when bearded, and this was back when he wore glasses like mine. And yea, Bob, I love polka music, Frankie Yankovic and Big Steve and his Stevedores playing their stomach Steinways. I didn't mind listening to the Mexican radio stations on the night shift; Carmarina and Sophia would switch stations in the bindery every two hours, but most Mexican music is polka-based. Even the ballads, to an extent. One night I will have to post about the coolness that is Dick Contino.