We've got a Christmas present for you...

* 12/21 Church Boston, MA

* 12/27 Sierra Grill Northsmpton, MA

* 12/28 The Narrows Fall River, MA

* 12/29 Piccolo's Westfield, MA

* 12/31 The Elevens Northampton First Night

* 12/31 Rt. 63 Roadhouse Millers Falls, MA

Friday December 21, two things are happening. First, as you probably know the Drunk Stuntmen are playing at Church in Boston, MA. It is the Boston release party for the Drunk Stuntmen and Young At Heart Chorus DVD Back to Back. Mike Flood is opening the show.

The second is the Drunk Stuntmen's Christmas present to all of you fans out there in Stuntopia. For a short time beginning December 21st, the Drunk Stuntmen are offering, for free download, 8 tracks from the upcoming album State Fair, due to be released March 1, 2008.

That is right, my favorite word, FREE!!! The procedure will be go to the catalog section of the website. Proceed as if you were purchasing the album. After you fill out all of the forms hit submit and you will either get a code to access a page or will be redirected to a page where you can download these 8 files for your listening pleasure.

I was talking with Steve and Freddy today. They are exhausted and exhilarated and absolutely love France. Well...most of it. Steve and Freddy went out to a swanky French restaurant one night. As Steve described is they were surrounded by "people from all over Europe in very expensive clothing." Freddy had heard about foie gras. He had heard that if he ever had the chance to try it he should do so. This notion was further reinforced when he saw a special on French television (pronounced tele-vee-zhon)about foie gras.

Okay, just in case you don't know...foie gras is the liver of a duck or a goose which has been fattened by force feeding. Not a very humane practice, but then again neither is any method we have of bringing our favorite animals to the center of the plate. This force feeding causes the liver to become engorged producing a very rich and flavorful delicacy. A featured item on many food network shows, the rich foie is oft prepared by simply searing small bite sized pieces and served with flavorful accoutrement such as chutneys or sweet and savory compotes to cut through the richness and offer a well balanced flavor. The foie cooked properly, melts in your mouth.

When Freddy and Steve saw this on the menu, there was no question of what they were going to order. But, unfortunately they ordered Pate de foie gras. Which is a totally different situation made with an inferior grade of the meat.

Freddy said, "So we are sitting there and the waiter comes up to the table and puts this plate down with a slice of this stuff that looks like a piece of brown white bread that is covered with a yellowish fat."

Steve said, "It looked and smelled like liver flavored cat food. There was bread and mustard on the table and being in an unfamiliar setting and not being able to speak the language it took us a while to figure out what you were supposed to do with it."

Freddy added, "It was so awkward. I literally had a plate of food placed in front of me and had no idea what to do with it. It was this slab in the middle of the plate and there was this pile of chopped meat jelly next to it, that looks like...did you ever have one of those canned polish hams? It looked like that clear gelatinous stuff..."

"Aspic?"

"ASPIC! And it was so gross."

"Steve said, "We finally figured it out, lets put some mustard on this stuff and put it on some bread, make it taste good. In the end it was like potted meat or deviled ham, then it made sense."

The shows with the Young At Heart Chorus were a success. Steve relayed that they threw a party for us at the end of the run. "We went down there and there was a keyboard set up a guitar amp a vocal mike and a drum kit. Steve sang, Ken Maiuri was on keys, Billy Arnold took the kit and Freddy did his thing with his Hamer. They played some Stevie Wonder, "I'm not in Love" by 10 CC and Dirty Water to the delight of some Boston Red Sox Fans. Freddy said, "I played the opening riff to Johnny B Goode and the dance floor filled up with a bunch of amazingly beautiful women who were dancing their asses off. They had a giant video screen behind us so I was playing and watching myself like I was on stage at the Oscars or something."

By far, the most interesting thing that happened to Steve was being hit on by an Eastonian envoy the European Parliment in a Russian Gay bar in France. Okay, Why were you in a gay bar Steve? "There is a very fine line in France between Gay and Hip." Good answer. He asked his would be suitor what do Americans and Eastonians have in common. "Neither of us really like the Russians."

The Drunk Stuntmen will once again be part of the First Night activities in Northampton. They will be playing at the Elevens between 4 and 6 PM. That portion of the evening is all ages. Can we have some one in the audience continue what seems to be a first night tradition? First of all you have to be over 50 years old and have a small child with you. This tradition is to walk in front of the band while they are playing with your fingers in your ears indicating that you..

A) You don't belong in a room where loud rock and roll is playing.

B) You need to lighten up, position yourself away from a speaker, and listen, you may hear something you like.

C) You are oblivious to the needs of your youngling to hear something other than Hillary Duff, Miley Ray Cyrus or any other music played on the Disney Channel without the utilization of real instruments.

D) All of the above.

After the tease in Northampton at the Elevens, it is off to the 63 Roadhouse where we will find out the result of the voting. Will it be Sabbath or Zeppelin? Guess you will have to come to the show to find out. Unless of course you are from Sadlackia, where you will get to see the winner eventually. Maybe the Sadlackians can start their own voting on the message board for the next Southern tour.

Check out Tour Dates for all the information you want.

Until then

Do Your Own Stunts

Pablo