MM: Other than Pete Costello’s “Fire” request, how many of the songs were “fan choices” vs. what you guys chose?
RJ: I’m not sure there were any other fan choices presented. But there might have been. We started an email chain with all of the players plus a couple others involved and started throwing out ideas. We were trying to make sure we had songs where everyone could be comfortable so we could really dig in.
MM: At what point was it clear that Haynes and Kraz would join in?
RJ: I know Warren was mentioned from the very beginning but he was only able to commit a couple days before. Pretty much the same with Kraz.
MM: Who’s idea was Shel’s Freakin’ At The Freakers Ball theme song?
RJ: It was Marco’s. None of us that played it had heard it before the show. I thought it was the perfect tune to begin and end the night with.
MM: Was this the first one you did?
RJ: Not sure what you mean by this? I’ve done quite a few similar ‘Jams’ that grew from email threads. The 2010 Xmas Jam, especially the Pre-Jam developed from last minute emails. The most memorable threads for me were UStorm in Chicago in ’05 for Brendan Bayliss and then Oh! You Pretty Things in ’06 on Jam Cruise. All really fun nights from epic email threads!
MM: What I meant to ask was if this was your first time playing Freaks Ball?
RJ: Oh, I did last year with Scott, Eric Kalb and Nigel Hall. I think I may of done the year before that too. If I did, it was also with Scott.
MM: The only “rehearsal” was soundcheck?
RJ: Yes, that’s why you have to do your best to bang out the details in the emails. It gets tricky when there are dozens of versions of a tune and we all listen to different versions (also half the fun!). We had about an hour to go over a list that had come together late the night before. Scratchitti was added at soundcheck.
MM: Were you the leader of the pack in terms of spearheading the organization?
RJ: Nah, I picked some tunes and started the thread, but it was a group effort. And what a group it was!
