I Got Everything I Need, Almost: the glory days of Aykroyd and Belushi live again at the Basie on Thursday night, courtesy of the Blues Brothers Revue and its officially sanctioned stage show.
“Have you ever heard of a wish sandwich? A wish sandwich is the kind of a sandwich where you have two slices of bread and you — heeheehee — wish you had some meat…”
It’s been 35 years since a couple of enthusiastic amateurs named Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi donned black suits, white shirts, hats and shades — and joined up with a band of legendary pros (including Steve Cropper and Donald “Duck” Dunn of Booker T and the MGs) for a little hi-concept side project they branded The Blues Brothers.
Releasing a surprisingly good (and even more surprisingly top-selling) album called Briefcase Full of Blues, the Saturday Night Live co-stars proved themselves ready for rock-radio prime time via canny covers of hits (Sam and Dave’s “Soul Man”) and highlighted obscurities (The Chips’ “Rubber Biscuit”) — a platform that launched them into the Blues Brothers movie, a big budget blockbuster of music and mayhem that also served as the duo’s demolition-derby escape vehicle from the relatively low-paid fame of late-night TV.
The ill-advised Blues Brothers 2000 notwithstanding, the saga of Joliet Jake and Ellwood Blues was given a relatively dignified black-suit burial with Belushi’s sudden passing in 1982 — until now that is. With the producer-credit blessing of both Aykroyd and the widow Belushi, the Official Blues Brothers Revue has taken to the road, bouncing back from death and disaster to roll into Red Bank for a Thursday night Count Basie concert.
“If it don’t bounce back — heeheehee — you go hungry!”
Actor-singers Wayne Catania and Kieron Lafferty front the band as the young and vital Jake and Ellwood respectively, leading an “upbeat and uplifting, fun for all ages” stage show that “combines the comedy and hits from the original movie, and pays homage to Chicago’s rich history of blues, gospel and soul music.” And remember kids, “THE BLUES BROTHERS™ is a registered trademark of Applied Action Research Corp. and Judith Belushi Pisano.”
Tickets to the 8 pm concert on October 23 are available right here at a very reasonably priced $20 – $40.
“Whaddaya want for nuthin? Rr-rr-rrubber Biscuit?”
