The Jon Stewart Show–back in the day. This was on the John Henry tour. We were in Europe for many weeks before doing this show. I remember feeling relieved, being back home in New York. This song was a Linnell composition and there was a lot of hope in the Giants’ camp that it would match the success of Birdhouse In Your Soul. I always felt it was an interesting tune but that it lacked something (like a bridge?). Far be it from me to critique a Linnell song, the guy is pure genius. Watching this really makes me miss this drum kit. I foolishly sold it to a recording studio when I became a GMS endorser–big mistake. These Yamaha toms were unbelievable! Watching this also makes me miss working with Tony Maimone. He’s a great guy and always a ton of fun.
Good Morning America ‘94. At the time of this appearance, I did not own a television, so I had no idea what Good Morning America was all about. I was also used to waking up in the morning whenever I felt like it. What I really remember the most about this show, was that I had to get up obscenely early. These days I’m a school teacher, so early morning hours fit nicely into my routine. About the song, Dirt Bike; I was never really crazy about playing this tune. I always felt it was a too short and incomplete. Flansburgh insisted I play this groove in a mechanical manner and it was always a challenge to make it sound musical at the same time.
Conan ‘94. John Henry tour. The Giants put a lot into this tour, promoting their first “band” record. The record company pulled their support almost as soon as we set out. It was the fans that made this tour a success anyway. By the time we did this show, we had already done 8 weeks in Europe, and were looking at an 11 month tour of US and Canada. I had a nice chat with Max Weinberg after the taping of this show. Good guy and a great drummer.
