Like most of us, Henning Ohlenbusch (henningo.com) remembers the movies he has seen throughout his life vividly and fondly.
Unlike most of us, Ohlenbusch is also an award-winning multi-instrumentalist with a fully functional studio in his basement.
And when Mother Nature dumped an ungodly amount of white stuff on us New Englanders last winter, the celebrated singer/songwriter utilized the occasion to hunker down and create an ode to his favorite flicks.
“To me, film is the ultimate form of expressive art,” Ohlenbusch says of Henning Goes To The Movies, a nine-song studio effort that features our hero on virtually all instruments and vocals. “At the outset of recording, I only established one rule: I was not allowed to revisit a film until I composed and recorded the song that it inspired me to write. In this way, I hope that each piece genuinely conveys the ways in which each movie has stuck with me through the years.”
Though the lion’s share of his cinema-inspired CD was spawned by comedic titles including Joe Versus The Volcano, Superbad and Meatballs, the songs they ultimately yielded prove poignant exercises in melody, melancholy and mood-capturing.
Take, for example, Ohlenbusch’s nod to the zany travel classic Planes, Trains and Automobiles. “There’s a scene in that film where Steve Martin’s character suddenly realizes that Del Griffith [played by John Candy] has been keeping his true, sad story hidden from him,” he recalls. “When Martin looks for Del, he finds him alone in a cold train station, sitting with his trunk, on Thanksgiving. My song is about that very moment, sung from Martin’s perspective.”
The Henning Goes To The Movies CD release party begins at 10 p.m. at the Montague Bookmill on Oct. 14. Special guest/sometimes Spouse frontman Jose Ayerve gets the opening nod.
*
Also on Oct. 14, Hartford’s famed Russian Lady re-opens its doors after a 14-year hiatus from the local nightlife scene.
“It’s been a labor of love, and we’re excited to finally be able to showcase our Lady and bring back to life one of Hartford’s most storied franchises for a new generation to enjoy,” says owner/operator Jerry Fonarelli.
The original Russian Lady emerged in 1976 when then-owner John Rimscha purchased a 16-foot-tall bronze statue of Catherine the Great at a local auction and the venue was graced by the likes of Bob Hope, Angela Lansbury and Paul Simon during its two-decade run.
The new Lady will feature three levels of entertainment, with the first floor catering to the discerning beer drinker, the second level offering more than 100 types of vodka, and a rooftop cigar lounge.Stay with this column for upcoming live shows and special events. For more information, kindly point your browser to therussianladyhartford.com.
*
Last but not least: a Nov. 19 metal dilemma for your friendly neighborhood Crawler. Down in Torrington, Conn., the Warner Theater plays host to a rare, solo acoustic appearance by none other than rock icon Chris Cornell. The man best known for his groundbreaking work with Soundgarden and Audioslave draws from his two-decades-plus catalog for a special one-night only engagement starting at 8 p.m. Tix are $45 and available at warnertheatre.org.
That same evening, sleaze rock heavyweights Guns N’ Roses perform at the Comcast Theater in Hartford. The trek marks the band’s first official U.S. run in more than five years, despite its release of the years-in-the-making Chinese Democracy in 2008. The group’s latest incarnation features founding mouthpiece Axl Rose along with DJ Ashba, Ron “Bumblefoot” Thai, Richard Fortus, Tommy Stinson, Dizzy Reed and Frank Ferrer. Tickets range from $55 to $75 and are available at livenation.com.
Send correspondence to Nightcrawler, PO Box 427, Somers, CT 06071; fax to (860) 394-4262 or email Garycarra@aol.com.
