Geezer: They've Got Something, and it Ain't Arthritis!

Harvey Geezer, Leonard Geezer, Victor Farnsworth, Calvin Sizemore

I got a fever...

And the only prescription...
Is Geezer!

Its official. As I mentioned before in this post, Geezer, the geriatric rockers from Miami are good. Very good. Before, all I had to go by was studio recordings. You can get an idea of someone's talent by listening to studio recordings, but the real test can only be administered by one thing, and one thing only: A live show. 

I got an email from the lovely Gertrude Geezer last Monday, informing me that the guys had their first live performance on Sept 10, at a Melbourne, FL nightclub. I had plans to go to the movies that night, which I quickly cancelled. I was not going to miss the debut of Geezer. Another thing that made me realize these guys were not only real and good was the fact that they also seem to be 'up' with current pop culture. Their show was a 'Gig Bomb.' You all know what a photo bomb is, where some knucklehead jumps into a picture. Well, a Gig Bomb is the same thing, only at a show. They were up on stage, played 2 songs, and were literally out of there within 20 minutes. At 9:30, it was well past their bedtime.

The nightclub had an open mic session going on, and I was summoned to the back of the place, where I found the band and their entire entourage loaded up in a van, waiting. Nobody knew they were there. This was when I first got to meet the band in person. Guitarist, Leonard Geezer is the grouchy one. When I introduced myself, he just sneered, but still shook my hand. Bassist, Calvin Sizemore, looked like he would have been a Parrot Head, but was about a generation earlier. He was the laid back and good natured one. He told me about his younger, swinging days before Singer, Harvey Geezer interrupted. He wanted to shake my hand, and make sure our interview in a couple weeks on the Will and Thunder Show <Ca-ching!> was still on schedule. He was all about the business. He was talking to everyone in the entourage, and making sure that everything was going smoothly. Drummer, Victor Farnsworth was just kind of there. The band's doctor, Ken Daniels told me that he was on the meds because he had hip surgery only 6 days prior. Shortly thereafter, manager, Gino Bagalini told them it was show time. The van drove around to the front of the building, and I walked through to watch their entrance. A merry band for sure. I was excited.

Bassist, Calvin Sizemore, Yours Truly,
and Harvey Geezer

The club had a room full of hipsters and millennials. The acts that were up prior to Geezer were simple acoustic sets, and standup comedians. The crowd there was pretty well responsive to the acts that were preforming, and there was energy in the room, and outside in front of the venue. Suddenly, the Geezer Mobile pulled around from the back of the building, and pulled up right by the front door. The driver, Smitty was first out, opening the doors of the van. Next were Ken Daniels, and nurse, Veronica Cratchette. Carefully, they helped our pre classic rock rockers out of the van. Nurse Cratchette was especially kind and gentle, especially when helping Harvey out. He was the only one in a wheelchair. Leonard required assistance, Calvin was also being helped to a certain degree. Victor was on his own, using a cane. They quickly got into the building, and the next step was getting the wild ass grandpas on stage.

Harvey Geezer and Smitty

As this went on, the club, which had a pretty active crowd before was dead silent. You could hear a pin drop. Everyone was speechless, not knowing what do expect. It was so quiet that the only noise you could hear was the squeaking of the wheelchair, and the thumps of Victor's cane. Once they got to the stage, Nurse Cratchette began telling them to watch their step. "Ok, Harvey, one more step. Be careful, hun!" You could hear that plain as day, even if you were at the bar, which is at the opposite end of the establishment as the stage. I've never heard a bar that quiet in my life.

Finally, the guys got to their spots onstage, with the medical staff close by. And, that's where the story goes from fascinating to strange and downright awesome. Harvey announced the band, saying simply "Hello, My name is Harvey. We are here from the Miami Retirement Home. Its great to be here in Ft. Myers." That got some laughter, but the crowd was still not sure what was going on. He continued, "You kids like Rock and Roll?" That got a little bit of reaction. Then came the 1-2-3-4 count from the drums, and the show started with the songs California Sun, but next....

Doctor Ken Daniels and
Nurse Veronica Cratchette

...I don't know what happened. Did Ken Daniels and Veronica Cratchette inject the guys with something loaded with caffeine and painkillers? All of a sudden when California Sun started, the band sprang to life. Harvey was doing high kicks in the air, and jumping around. Leonard and Calvin were rocking their guitars and bouncing around as well, while never missing a note! And, let me tell you this..Leonard can SHRED a guitar. The crowd there was electric. These kids LOVED Geezer. There were people dancing in front of the stage, and everyone who was outside came inside. I kept hearing people commenting, saying "BRILLIANT!" and "This is AWESOME!"

Harvey in action

Leonard in action

They then played Lets go to the Beach, wrapped the Gig Bomb up...To a standing ovation! Harvey thanked the crowd, gave out the band's Facebook page. The band's adrenaline boost must have been timed just to do the show because they were helped off the stage, outside, and back into the van. All the while, people telling them how much they loved it. Then, the Geezer Mobile took off into the night. That was it. One of the most unique shows I've ever been to.

Victor in action

Calvin in action

I've said it before, and I'll say it again. You NEED to see this band. They will be with us on the Will and Thunder Show <Ca-Ching!> on September 29, and I'm told there will be a full set sometime in October. Stay up to date. Gertrude Geezer does a great job updating their Facebook page.

By seeing these kids react to Geezer the way they did, I am convinced that they have something here. They can and will be touring...As long as nobody gets car sick.

facebook.com/geezër2000 /soundcloud.com/geezër2000 
Management: GeezërRocks@yahoo.com