September 4, 1981 - Eddie & the Otters at The Decade


This was a sort of "comeback" show in that we intended to start playing regularly again. I suppose we were energized by the release of our EP on Jim's Public Records label, and we realized we still had fun playing together. I remember this show as being the most we were ever paid by The Decade - $500. We played three sets, including a lot of new material as well as songs from the "Billy Jett" era of April-May, 1980 that I hadn't played before and songs from the Spuds' repertoire.

This was the only time we performed Doug's song "Mr. Hollywood".

The p.a. was provided and run by Gregg Kostelich, who at the time was playing in Prototype (or was it still The Jetsons?) Less than three years later he would form The Cynics, and I played drums with them in 1987 and 1988. This show was the first time I met him, but I didn't really get to know him until a year or two later when he was working at Eide's on Federal St.

We started the second set by lip-syncing to our studio recording of "Grand Larceny" which was playing over the p.a. Mid-way through there was the sound of a needle being dragged across the record and we started playing live. Greg Matecko recalls getting into a heated argument with a girl in the audience who took exception to his hysterics while we were lip-syncing. She was convinced that we were really playing, and he was jealous and trying to belittle us. It wasn't until we really started playing that she realized what was happening, and she was properly mortified.

Pat Politano joined us on backing vocals for "We Gotta Get Out of This Place".



1st set

1) Rock & Roll Music
2) Dizzy Miss Lizzy
3) Little Girl
4) Get Off My Cloud
5) Mystery Dance
6) Hound Dog
7) You Can't Do That
8) I Knew the Bride
9) Love Potion #9
10) Secret Agent Man
11) Break on Through
12) Brown-Eyed Girl
13) For Your Love

2nd set

1) taped intro/Grand Larceny
2) This Ol' House
3) Mr. Hollywood
4) Tossin' & Turnin'
5) You Baby
6) Good Lovin'
7) Bad News Travels Fast
8) Black Slacks
9) Everybody's Trying to Be My Baby
10) 19th Nervous Breakdown
11) Love Me Two Times
12) Ticket to Ride
13) Chance in a Million
14) Roll Over Beethoven
15) Detroit Medley
16) Slow Down


3rd set

1) The Kids Are Alright
2) Angel Baby
3) (In The) Midnight Hour
4) Shakin' All Over ->
5) Hippy Hippy Shake
6) So You Want to Be a Rock & Roll Star ->
7) drum solo ->
8) Heart of the City
9) (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction
10) We Gotta Get Out of This Place


Audio: Yes. There are two recordings of the show - the second and third sets were taped off the board by Gregg (portions were subsequently used for the limited edition CD "Live At The Decade"), while Phil Skomra recorded the show from the audience, fortunately capturing the missing first set as well as the infamous taped intro to "Grand Larceny" leading off the second set.


Video: No


Photos: Yes, there are several pictures of the show taken by my then-fiance Lynda (see below).