------Feature • Commander Cody------Old People Rocking Out By Mark Hunter lie Nelson and Jerry Garcia. decided to record the song, which was their Frayne earned a master’s degree in only single to break the Top 10, the rest of There are one-hit wonders and then sculpture and painting from the University of the band picked him because he was a fast there’s Commander Cody and His Lost Michigan in the late 1960s. After college he talker. The fame garnered from their version Planet Airmen. Most bands that manage to was playing in a band and teaching in Wis- of the song resulted in Frayne becoming pop out one hit song during their career have consin. Around that time he got a call from Commander Cody. The band had been using enough sense to give up and fade quickly his friend and bandmate, the guitar player the name without having anyone in particu- into oblivion when their follow-up efforts lar in mind to be Commander Cody. fizzle. But what fun is that? None. None During the mid 70s Commander Cody Saturday, Feb. 25 • 8:00pm more fun. And the Commander is nothing and His Lost Planet Airmen released an al- if not fun. bum a year, even while the band changed But there is a difference between your lineups several times. Many of the records The CONVALESCENCE regular one-hit-wonder and Commander from the 70s have rightly earned places w/Illumira & The Black Order Cody et al. Where the typical one-hitters in the hearts of fans. Albums such as Hot were also one-trick-ponies, Commander Licks, Cold Steel & Truckers Favorites, $5 Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen had Country Casanova and Live from Deep in ponies that were very tricky in many the Heart of Texas are classics from that ways. If the early 1970s were a time for period, even if not widely known. experimenting with a variety of styles and Commander Cody and His Lost Planet sounds, for blending county and rock and Airmen officially disbanded in 1976, but folk and so on, then Commander Cody Frayne continued on using the Command- and His Lost Planet Airmen were experi- er Cody moniker. Records in the late 70s mental to a fault. They took everything through the 80s and early 90s, however, they liked – boogie woogie, bluegrass, were not great, and Frayne took a break. folk, rockabilly – and threw it in a blender. But the old pull was strong, and Frayne What resulted was a sound that confused got things rolling again in 1997, this time critics, promoters and radio program di- as the Commander Cody Band. Playing rectors but delighted fans. mostly “the hit” and songs from the early The Commander Cody Band will play days, the Commander, along with drum- the C2G Music Hall Friday March 2. mer Steve Barbuto, guitarist Mark Emer- Thursday, March 1 • 8:00pm When I called the Commander at his ick, bassist Randy Bramwell and pedal home in Saratoga Spring, New York early COMMANDER CODY steel player Chris “Tiny” Olson, are hav- one recent afternoon, it seemed he was al- ing as much fun as they can. COCO MONTOYA ready enjoying the day in a way not unlike w/JUKE JOINT JIVE “We don’t really go on the road any- $30 Adv., $35 D.O.S. he would have back in the day. Or maybe Friday, March 2 • 8 p.m. more,” Commander said. “Going on the not. It was a rambling, disjointed conver- C2G Music Hall, road means going out for weeks at a time. sation. Once he started talking, it became We mostly go out for three or four days and clear why he was chosen as the vocalist for 323 W. Baker St., Fort Wayne come back. Every year we go to Italy for two the bands biggest and only hit, 1972’s “Hot Tix: $20 adv., $25 d.o.s, weeks, and that’s a good time.” Rod Lincoln.” Words ran through him like And he has no illusions about winning gas through a supercharged V-12 with four- 260-426-6434, over new fans or trying to spring new tunes barrel carbs. www.c2gmusichall.com on the old fans who come out to shows. “The reason I’m slightly distracted is “Music is universal, but a lot of kids I’m working on a video project while I’m Bill Kirchen, who was living in California. don’t wanna see old people rocking out,” he talking to you,” he said. “I’m trying to make Frayne packed up and headed west to ex- said. “It’s kind of like watching old people the part where the bugs eat so many creepy- plore the music scene. And things happened have sex. No one wants to see that. And we looking bugs match up perfectly.” quickly. Frayne got to San Francisco in June don’t play anything but the old tunes. It’s When he’s not Commander Cody, boo- of 1969, and by mid-August he and the band stuff from the old records. Kind of like with gie-woogie keyboard player and band leader were opening for the Grateful Dead. tequila. Old Jose. You know exactly what’s Friday, March 2 • 8:00pm of His Lost Planet Airmen, he’s George By 1971 Commander Cody and His gonna happen.” Frayne, author, painter, sculptor and, in re- Lost Planet Airmen (they got the name for But chances are he’ll pull out some tunes cent years, video mash-up producer. In 2010 the band from a movie) had signed with a from 2009’s release on Blind Pig Records, COMMANDER CODY Frayne published a book, Art, Music and label and released Lost in the Ozone which Dopers, Drunks and Everyday Losers. $20 Adv., $25 D.O.S. Life, which includes portraits and stories of contained the Charlie Ryan song “Hot Rod The Lost Planet Airmen may be lost to people he knew and partied with, people like Lincoln.” The band had four or five singers, the ages, but the Commander is still at the March 4 ≤•≥ LYNCH MOB Hunter S. Thompson, Louis Armstrong, Wil- but Frayne wasn’t one of them. When they helm, weaving his way through life. March 9 ≤•≥ DREW DE FOUR COCO MONTOYA - From Page 5 March 15 ≤•≥ TOMMY CASTRO the tape to Mayall. A few weeks later Mon- I leapt off the cliff.” I thought a lot about that. For Albert to take toya got a call at the pub where he was work- Montoya stayed with Mayall for a de- the time to tell me that while he was dying of Go to our website for ticket ing. cade. During that time he stayed in touch cancer, it made sense. But I was afraid.” “I didn’t think it was him. I hung up on with Albert Collins. One day he got a call Montoya overcame his fears. Since information & more him. I was bartending at a British pub, and I from Collins. 1995, he has released eight CDs as his own thought it was one of the guys having a joke “I wasn’t happy. The music was taking man, the latest being 2010’s I Want It All with me, but he called back and said, ‘No, turns that I didn’t want to take. Of course, Back which was produced by Keb’ Mo and no, I’m really John Mayall.’ But I didn’t Albert Collins was getting very ill. He took Jeff Paris, both of whom play on the record. know if I wanted to get back into that. And me aside and said, ‘I want you to leave John Montoya has had some good breaks, finally I decided, ‘You’ll never get a chance and start your own band. You need to be to be sure. But talent like his must at some like this again. He’s one of your heroes.’ So on your own. Don’t wait any longer.’ And point shine. 6------www.whatzup.com------February 23, ’12