On Wednesday night, May 29th, veteran Syracuse musicians Gary Frenay and Arty Lenin put on a stunning showcase of pop gems from their own extensive songbooks. This rare opportunity to see Frenay & Lenin performing the music of Frenay & Lenin, and only the music of Frenay & Lenin, drew faithful fans out on a weeknight to The Listening Room at 443, a wonderful venue that is both intimate and rockin', comfortable and vibrant. It was almost like a homecoming for longtime devotees of this peerless pop duo, with friends greeting friends, handshakes and hugs. And music. My God, and music.
I love seeing Gary and Arty perform covers; they can bend the work of The Beatles and Badfinger to their acoustic will, and each show is a splendid time guaranteed for all. But I very much prefer to hear them sing their own songs. Their work with The Flashcubes and Screen Test is right up there in my pantheon o' pop, keeping company with your John and Paul and your Joey-Johnny-Dee Dee, and they've continued to craft essential and effervescent tunes throughout the more than 41 years I've been following them. A chance to hear Frenay & Lenin sing Frenay & Lenin? As fellow fan Bill Baldwin said to me last night, "If we missed tonight's show, they'd drum us out of the club." I replied, "If we missed this show, they'd call 911."
If you aren't familiar with these great songs, let me state my conviction that the songwriting catalog of Gary Frenay and Arty Lenin is filled to bustin' with pop classics and smash hits; they just happen to be pop classics and smash hits that only a relative few have been fortunate enough to hear. We hope someday you'll join us.
Three sets in three hours only allowed enough time for a representative sampling of the more than 300 songs Gary and Arty have written, but it was a stellar representative sampling. The evening capped with an encore presenting the night's lone cover tune, as actor and 'Cubes fan and friend Tom Kenny reunited on stage with Gary and Arty for an enthusiastic run-through of the Eddie & the Hot Rods power pop stalwart "Do Anything You Wanna Do." We can forgive one cover in a night of originals, especially when it's such a bravura, powerhouse victory lap. The audience even got the handclaps sort of right.
Man, I hope they do this again. What a night. What a bright light night.
GARY FRENAY & ARTY LENIN, The Listening Room at 443, 5/29/19
The Sound Of His Guitar
I’m Gonna Count On You
Daydreamin’
Best Seller
I’ll Never Forget You
First Vacation
I Need To Be Sure Of You
I’m In Love With The Girl Who Loves The Girls
Beverly
Standing On A Cloud
No Promise
—
We Connect
Catherine
Love Won’t Fade Away
Simpatico
She’s Not The Girl
Angelique
Be Yourself
My Turn To Cry
Syracuse Summer
The Sweetest Smell
Dancing At The UN
—
You Turned Me Down
The Old Man And The Sea
Opening Day
Running With The Bad Guys
You Only Get One Life
What Is Wrong With This Picture
Notes From Trevor
Waste Of Time
Make Something Happen
When We Close Our Eyes
It’s You Tonight
—
Do Anything You Wanna Do [with Tom Kenny]
(I jotted down these set lists on the fly; correction welcomed!)
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Our new compilation CD This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio, Volume 4 is now available from Kool Kat Musik! 29 tracks of irresistible rockin' pop, starring Pop Co-Op, Ray Paul, Circe Link & Christian Nesmith, Vegas With Randolph Featuring Lannie Flowers, The Slapbacks, P. Hux, Irene Peña, Michael Oliver & the Sacred Band Featuring Dave Merritt, The Rubinoos, Stepford Knives, The Grip Weeds, Popdudes, Ronnie Dark, The Flashcubes, Chris von Sneidern, The Bottle Kids, 1.4.5., The Smithereens, Paul Collins' Beat, The Hit Squad, The Rulers, The Legal Matters, Maura & the Bright Lights, Lisa Mychols, and Mr. Encrypto & the Cyphers. You gotta have it, so order it here. A digital download version (minus The Smithereens' track) is also available from Futureman Records.
