Click above to listen to the interview (audio only).
Rabbi Sol Solomon interviews actor-director Gary Waldman
Topics include: What I Learned in Fallsburg, Paul Simon, Catskills
Segment aired Aug. 8, 2015 as part of the “Dave’s Gone By” radio program hosted by Dave Lefkowitz.
Please Note: Segments extracted from “Dave’s Gone By” may have music and other elements removed for timing and media re-posting considerations. For the full interview with all elements, please visit the audio of the complete original broadcast.
All content (c)2015 TotalTheater Productions.
More information on Dave’s Gone By: http://www.davesgoneby.com
More information about Rabbi Sol Solomon: http://www.shalomdammit.com
Shalom, Dammit! This is Rabbi Sol Solomon with a Rabbinical Reflection for the week of August 2, 2015.
As if there weren’t already enough reasons to hate dentists, last week brought us Walter Palmer. Wally, who obviously makes a good living from his crowns and extractions, paid $50,000 to go on a hunting expedition. More specifically, he wanted to take his little bow and arrow and bring down a mighty king of the jungle. Which he did.
In early July, Palmer trekked to a nature preserve in Zimbabwe and lured a mighty lion to a spot where he could shoot him in the ass and kill him. Palmer only wounded the beast, which then had to be tracked down and shot in the head. Isn’t hunting a fair and noble sport?
The sad part isn’t just that African lions are endangered, but this was Cecil, a beloved 13-year-old jungle cat who brought in millions of tourists dollars to the preserve. Nobody wanted to slaughter him; they just wanted to drive by slowly, be frightened a little, and get the hell out of there and buy a stuffed panda at the gift shop. And yet, poor Cecil the lion spent much of his adult life in captivity only to die by assassination. Hell, even JFK left the White House to shtup Marilyn once in awhile.
Now this sadistic dentist—which Little Shop of Horrors reminded us is a redundant phrase—this Walter Palmer was not some lunatic running around like Cupid with a bow and arrow and a “George of the Jungle” fixation. This trophy hoarder is a life-long big-game blaster who used legal permits and guides for his latest expedition. Which means there were people who allowed this man to lure a fish out of a barrel . . . and give it both barrels.
What’s funny and marvelously ironic is that in the days after this yutz posted his victory spoils on social media, public outrage has been so vituperative that Palmer has gone into hiding. Faced with death threats, protests, cancelled cavities, Walter Palmer is crouching behind the high grass until the public cools off or gets bored or find another Bill Cosby victim to wonder about.
I say, what we need to do about Palmer in hiding is find the motel he’s staying at, and have two guys knock on the door and say they’re from Publisher’s Clearing House, and he’s won a million dollars. Then, when you’ve coaxed him to the parking lot – BAM! – turns out the guys are really Jehovah’s Witnesses, and boy, is he in for a miserable afternoon!
Seriously, though, I am not against hunting per se. I love steak and duck and venison and the occasional kosher muskrat. And if you are using the inside for beef and the outside for clothing, I believe you are abiding by the natural order of things. I’m not some Birkenstock-wearing vegan shouting “meat is murder” and making believe tofu actually tastes like something edible. Also, there are legitimate times when you need to thin the herd and stop a breed from over-multiplying. I wish we could do with the Kardashians.
But when you are killing just for sport, and you take the sport out of it, what’s left is bloodlust and murder. Walter Palmer may not have broken the law, but his ethics are lower than a Republican’s IQ. Remember, this is not about gun control; it’s not about the NRA; it’s not about ditching the second amendment. It’s about the rich getting away with murder. In this case, it’s literal, but you could say the same about some company that pays hush money to dump chemicals in a lake, or oil companies that bribe politicians for fracking rights, it’s about paid-off scientists who’ll fudge numbers that show Antarctica isn’t melting, it’s about the teenager next door who’ll show you her boobs for $20. All right, not all of these are bad, we can’t keep allowing millionaires to stick pricetags on everything they want, or, in other words, money must never dictate morality.
This has been a Rabbinical Reflection from Rabbi Sol Solomon. And, if you would like me to come speak at your next corporate event, my fee is $30,000. $50,000 if you want me to endorse Palestinian statehood. Hey, I’m only human. And you can find me at Temple Sons of Bitches, in Great Neck, New York.
Click above to listen to the episode (audio only).
Here is the 520th episode of the long-running radio show/podcast, Dave’s Gone By, which aired on UNC Radio, Aug. 1, 2015. Info: davesgoneby.com.
Featuring: Rabbi Sol Solomon chats with author Louise Harrison (“My Kid Brother’s Band, aka The Beatles”); Inside Broadway; The Wretched Pun of Destiny (chimney); Bob Dylan – Sooner & Later (Harrison); Saturday Segues (Bennett/Spence, Jerry Garcia); Rabbi Sol Solomon’s Rabbinical Reflection (Cecil the Lion); Greeley Crimes & Old Times.
Host: Dave Lefkowitz Guests: author Louise Harrison, Dave’s wife, Joyce
00:00:01 DAVE GOES IN w/ Joyce (Tom McNally, Keurig, dancing, The Neville, Beatles, Hare Krishna) 00:40:00 GREELEY CRIMES & OLD TIMES 00:59:00 DAVE GOES FURTHER IN (dog phlegm, Come Blow Your Horn) 01:15:30 SATURDAY SEGUE – Tony Bennett/Joseph Spence 01:37:00 Sponsors 01:46:30 INSIDE BROADWAY 02:07:00 GUEST: Rabbi Sol Solomon interviews Louise Harrison 03:15:00 Weather 03:19:30 THE WRETCHED PUN OF DESTINY #47 (Chimney) 03:21:00 BOB DYLAN – Sooner & Later (Harrison) 03:43:00 Long Johns Update 03:52:00 Friends 04:04:00 RABBI SOL SOLOMON’S RABBINICAL REFLECTION #120 (Cecil the Lion) 04:11:00 SATURDAY SEGUE – Jerry Garcia 04:33:00 DAVE GOES OUT
Aug. 2, 2015 Playlist: “My Sweet Lord” (00:27:00), “Beware of Darkness” (02:40:30), “Cheer Down” (03:07:30), “I’d Have You Anytime” (03:26:00), “Absolutely Sweet Marie” (03:32:30) & “Mama You Been on My Mind” (03:36:30; George Harrison). “Hare Krishna” (00:32:00; MC Yogi). “Our Love is Here to Stay” (01:23:30) & “Old Devil Moon” (01:29:30; Tony Bennett). “Conch Ain’t Got No Bone” (01:25:30) & “Happy All the Time” (01:33:00; Joseph Spence). “Easy as Life” (02:03:00; “Easy as Life” Aida Broadway cast). “If I Needed Someone” (02:27:00; The Beatles). “Something” (03:29:00; Bob Dylan). “Grateful Dawg” (04:15:30; Jerry Garcia & David Grisman). “Dire Wolf” (04:19:30) & “Wharf Rat” (04:22:30; Grateful Dead). “Time for August” (04:44:30; Julie London).
Click above to listen to the episode (audio only).
Here is the 519th episode of the long-running radio show/podcast, Dave’s Gone By, which aired on UNC Radio, July 25, 2015. Info: davesgoneby.com.
Featuring: Rabbi Sol Solomon chats with actress Kathryn Crosby. Plus: Inside Broadway, The Wretched Pun of Destiny (surgeon), Bob Dylan – Sooner & Later (Newport `65), Saturday Segues (Juliana/Jagger, Ray Jessel), Greeley Crimes & Old Times, My Sick Mind (Cosby).
00:00:01 DAVE GOES IN w/ Joyce (Cosby/Crosby) 00:20:00 GREELEY CRIMES & OLD TIMES 00:53:30 DAVE GOES FURTHER IN (curling!, Long Johns) 01:03:30 SATURDAY SEGUE – Ray Jessel 01:24:00 Sponsors 01:32:30 INSIDE BROADWAY 01:55:30 Friends 02:05:00 GUEST: Rabbi Sol Solomon interviews Kathryn Crosby 02:54:00 Weather 02:58:00 MY SICK MIND – Cosby 03:02:30 BOB DYLAN – Sooner & Later (Newport `65) 03:25:00 THE WRETCHED PUN OF DESTINY #46 (surgeon) 03:27:00 SATURDAY SEGUE (Juliana/Jagger) 03:43:30 DAVE GOES OUT
July 25, 2015 Playlist: “Walking the Cow” (00:42:00; Daniel Johnston). “Cold Clear World” (01:06:30; Baker Street 1965 Broadway cast). “Whatever Happened to Melody” (01:09:00) & “The Things You Do” (01:16:00; Ray Jessel). “I’m Outta Here” (01:13:00; Maude Maggart & Ray Jessel). “Edelweiss” (01:52:00; The Sound of Music 1959 Broadway cast w/ Theodore Bikel). “(Opening) Our State Fair” (State Fair 1996 Broadway cast w/ John Davidson & Kathryn Crosby). “Dream” (02:20:30; Bing Crosby & Kathryn Crosby). “The Second Time Around” (02:33:30; Kathryn Crosby). “I’ll be Seeing You” “It’s Easy to Remember” (02:49:30) & “I’ll Be Seeing You” (03:46:00; Bing Crosby). “Maggie’s Farm” ({live Newport version}, 03:09:00), “It’s Takes a Man to Laugh, It takes a Train to Cry” ({alternate version}, 03:14:00) & “It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue” ({live, Rolling Thunder version} 03:18:00). “Not Fade Away” (03:30:30), “Faith in our Friends” (03:32:00) & “Dying Proof” (03:38:30; Juliana Hatfield). “Running Out of Luck” (03:25:30; Mick Jagger).
Rabbi Sol Solomon interviews actress Kathryn Crosby.
Topics include: Bing Crosby, State Fair, Gary Crosby, Peter Lorre, Dean Martin & Jerry Lewis, Mickey Rooney.
Segment aired July 18, 2015 as part of the “Dave’s Gone By” radio program hosted by Dave Lefkowitz.
Farewell to our Friend of the Daverhood, Kathryn Crosby, who passed Sept. 20, 2024 at age 90.
Please Note: Segments extracted from “Dave’s Gone By” may have music and other elements removed for timing and media re-posting considerations. For the full interview with all elements, please visit the audio of the complete original broadcast.
All content (c)2015 TotalTheater Productions.
More information on Dave’s Gone By: http://www.davesgoneby.com
More information about Rabbi Sol Solomon: http://www.shalomdammit.com
Click above to listen to the interview (audio only).
Rabbi Sol Solomon interviews author Louise Harrison
Topics include: George Harrison, The Beatles, Brian Epstein, “My Kid Brother’s Band”.
Segment aired Aug. 2, 2015 as part of the “Dave’s Gone By” radio program hosted by Dave Lefkowitz.
Please Note: Segments extracted from “Dave’s Gone By” may have music and other elements removed for timing and media re-posting considerations. For the full interview with all elements, please visit the audio of the complete original broadcast.
All content (c)2015 TotalTheater Productions.
More information on Dave’s Gone By: http://www.davesgoneby.com
More information about Rabbi Sol Solomon: http://www.shalomdammit.com
Click above to listen to the episode (audio only).
Here is the 518th episode of the long-running radio show/podcast, Dave’s Gone By, which aired on UNC Radio, July 18, 2015. Info: davesgoneby.com.
Featuring: Rabbi Sol Solomon chats with film producers Sue & Lloyd Ecker. Plus: Inside Broadway, The Wretched Pun of Destiny (Picnic), Bob Dylan – Sooner & Later (Red Hot Mama), Saturday Segues (Sudden/Dalton, In the News), Greeley Crimes & Old Times
Host: Dave Lefkowitz
Guests: Film producers Sue & Lloyd Ecker (“The Outrageous Sophie Tucker”), Dave’s wife Joyce
00:00:01 DAVE GOES IN w/ Joyce (mic covers, the gym, indiegogo, sherpes) 00:39:30 GREELEY CRIMES & OLD TIMES 01:18:00 DAVE GOES FURTHER IN w/ Joyce (Whitesboro, infrastructure) 01:30:30 SATURDAY SEGUE (Sudden/Dalton) 01:58:30 INSIDE BROADWAY 02:26:00 GUEST: Rabbi Sol Solomon interviews Sue & Lloyd Ecker 03:35:00 Friends 03:45:00 The Wretched Pun of Destiny (picnic) 03:46:30 BOB DYLAN – Sooner & Later (red hot mama) 04:14:00 SATURDAY SEGUE – In the News 04:39:00 Old Jokes w/ Joyce 04:48:00 DAVE GOES OUT
July 18, 2015 Playlist: “Before I Die” (01:36:00), “The Rolling of the Hearse” (01:43:30) & “The Only Boy in Heaven” (01:50:00; Nikki Sudden). “Something on Your Mind” (01:40:30) & “I Love You More Than Words Can Say” (01:46:30; Karen Dalton). “Finale Ultimo” (On the Twentieth Century 2015 Bway cast). “No One But the Right Man” (02:24:30), “There’s No Business Like that Certain Business” (02:55:30), “My Yiddishe Momme” (03:17:30) & “Some of These Days” (04:58:30; Sophie Tucker). Promo for “The Outrageous Sophie Tucker” (02:42:00). “Last Night” (03:48:00; The Traveling Wilburys). “The Walls of Red Wing” (03:52:00), “Day of the Locusts” (03:57:00) & “Shake Shake Mama” (04:00:30; Bob Dylan). “Nukular” (04:04:30; Jay Leonhart). “Great Escape” (04:14:30; Moby). “Aurora” (04:16:30). “Ant Man Bee” (04:21:30; Captain Beefheart). “The Good Son” (04:24:00; Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds). “There’s No Love in Tennessee” (04:30:00; Barbara Mandrell).
Rabbi Sol Solomon interviews producers Sue & Lloyd Ecker about their documentary, “The Outrageous Sophie Tucker.”
Topics include: Sophie Tucker, business, filmmaking.
Segment scheduled to air July 18, 2015 as part of the “Dave’s Gone By” radio program hosted by Dave Lefkowitz.
Please Note: Segments extracted from “Dave’s Gone By” may have music and other elements removed for timing and media re-posting considerations. For the full interview with all elements, please visit the audio of the complete original broadcast.
All content (c)2015 TotalTheater Productions.
More information on Dave’s Gone By: http://www.davesgoneby.com
More information about Rabbi Sol Solomon: http://www.shalomdammit.com
RABBI SOL: Shalom Dammit! This is Rabbi Sol Solomon, the founder and spiritual leader of Temple Sons of Bitches.
DAVE: And this is Dave Lefkowitz, host of the “Dave’s Gone By” radio show –
RABBI SOL: with a Rabbinical Reflection for the week of July 12th, 2015. Take it away, Dave.
DAVE: Those of you who have seen Rabbi Sol onstage know that he loves music. It doesn’t always love him back, but the Rebbe feels that music and lyrics –
RABBI SOL: And a well-placed trombone solo –
DAVE: The combination of all those musical elements can say more in three minutes than a dozen speeches.
RABBI SOL: Or even a baker’s dozen, which is 13, and a nice deal, since you’re paying for 12, and they throw in an extra one for no charge. They should do that with condoms. Anyhoo, because music is so potent, songwriters are obligated to write lyrics that say something. Not just, “Ooh, I wanna shtup you,” or “Ooh, why did you stop shtupping me?”, or “Ooh, why are you shtupping my best friend?” or, if it’s a country song, “I love my truck.”
DAVE: And songs can also be cryptic, or indirect, with words that convey multiple meanings. Every tune is a byzantine Rorschach test for the listener.
RABBI SOL: Boy, doesn’t that sound like fun? My job as Rabbi is to help guide you, my listeners and parishioners, through the truth of these songs. The subtleties, the answers, the keys to their changing meaning and the meaning to their changing keys. I also chastise the songwriters if they’re being lazy or prurient or Michael Bolton.
DAVE: To that end, Rabbi Sol has volunteered to deconstruct a popular song, line by line, and offer his commentary. You may not agree with his interpretations, but as the Rabbi says:
RABBI SOL: Who the hell are you? Write your own Talmud.
DAVE: Today’s song is a classic by The Beatles. Written by Lennon and McCartney and sung by Ringo on their “Sergeant Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” record.
RABBI SOL: A concept album that pretty much runs out of concept after the first two songs.
DAVE: Nevertheless, “With a Little Help from My Friends” remains among the catchiest and most enduring of The Beatles’ pop hits. But does it stand up under the Rabbi’s scrutiny?
RABBI SOL: I dunno, does it?
DAVE: Let’s find out. I’m gonna sing “With a Little Help from My Friends,” and Rabbi Sol will interrupt when he has something to say. Or even when he doesn’t.
RABBI SOL: Wait a minute. You’re gonna sing? You’ll do more damage to The Beatles than Yoko!
DAVE: Very funny, Rabbi.
RABBI SOL: You’re telling me! I saw you in a nightclub once where you promised to sing an entire album by the Beatles. You asked for audience requests. Everybody said, “Help!”
DAVE: All right, all right. Are you ready?
RABBI SOL: Am I ever?
DAVE: This is “With a Little Help from My Friends” . . . and from Rabbi Sol.
(play song with commentary)
DAVE: “What would you think if I sang out of tune?”
RABBI SOL: I’d think, “why are you singing? What, do you wanna torture me?”
DAVE: “Would you stand up and walk out on me?”
RABBI SOL: No, I would probably stay until the end of the song; I would be polite. But I would not be buying the CD.
DAVE: “Lend me your ears, and I’ll sing you a song.”
RABBI SOL: You just told me you sing out of key. Why are you gonna sing me a song?
DAVE: “And I’ll try not to sing out of key.”
RABBI SOL: Oh, you’re gonna try. Oh, thank you. Oh, thank you so much for your mercy! I’m gonna try not to vomit in my mouth.
DAVE: “Oh, I’ll get by with a little help from my friends.”
RABBI SOL: Ah, don’t we all?
DAVE: “Mm, I get high with a little help from my friends.”
RABBI SOL: You must live in Colorado.
DAVE: “Mm, gonna try with a little help from my friends.”
RABBI SOL: Yeah, try harder.
DAVE: “What do I do when my love is away?”
RABBI SOL: Flirt with teenage girls on Facebook?
DAVE: “Does it worry you to be alone?”
RABBI SOL: Worry me? I love being alone! I have 21-and-a-half children; I’m never alone!
DAVE: “How do I feel by the end of the day?”
RABBI SOL: How do you feel by the end of the day? Obviously, not exhausted by singing lessons.
DAVE: “Are you sad because you’re on your own? No, I get by with a little help from my friends.”
RABBI SOL: Maybe you need some more help.
DAVE: “Mm, I get high with a little help from my friends.”
RABBI SOL: So, basically, your friends are enablers?”
DAVE: “Mm, gonna try with a little help from my friends.”
RABBI SOL: I really hope they’re helping.
DAVE: “Do you need anybody?”
RABBI SOL: Yes, I need a roofer.
DAVE: “I need somebody to love. Could it be anybody?”
RABBI SOL: Well, it’s carpentry work, so I would prefer Irish.
DAVE: “I want somebody to love.”
RABBI SOL: Yes, you and me both. Natalie Portman, are you listening? And do you charge by the hour?
DAVE: “Would you believe in a love at first sight?”
RABBI SOL: Yes! Me and a pastrami sandwich!
DAVE: “Yes, I’m certain that it happens all the time. What do you see when you turn out the light?”
RABBI SOL: When I turn out the light, it’s dark. I don’t see anything. What are you, a moron?
DAVE: “I can’t tell you but I know it’s mine.”
RABBI SOL: I don’t know what’s yours but don’t be touching it in the dark. That’s just perverse.
DAVE: “Oh, I get by with a little help from my friends.”
RABBI SOL: Oy, again with the friends.
DAVE: “Mm, I get high with a little help from my friends.”
RABBI SOL: Again with the high? Have you tried edibles?
DAVE: “Yes, gonna try with a little help from my friends.”
RABBI SOL: Keep trying.
DAVE: “Do you need anybody?”
RABBI SOL: I need a minyan this Friday night.
DAVE: “I just need someone to love. Could it be anybody?”
RABBI SOL: We’ll take men, women, dogs. Doesn’t really matter.
DAVE: “I want somebody to love. Oh, I get by with a little help from my friends.”
RABBI SOL: You need a lotta help, buddy.
DAVE: “Mm, I get high with a little help from my friends.”
RABBI SOL: I get chai with a little help from my friends! Heh heh.
DAVE: “Yes, gonna try with a little help from my friends. With a little help from my friends. With a little help from my friends.”
RABBI SOL: So, nu, where are these friends who are supposed to show up already?
DAVE: “With a little help from my friends.”
RABBI SOL: Oy, I need a lotta help from my iTunes if it’s playing this shit.
(song ends)
RABBI SOL: Well, that was painful. But I hope you all learned something about not taking songs for granted. The composers are trying to tell you something, so it’s important to listen, digest, and make up your own mind. Or make up your own lyrics. (sings, “There’s a bathroom on the right…”) Speaking of which . . .
DAVE: Oh dear, it’s the Rabbi’s private time. With his privates. So this has been a Rabbinical Reflection with me, Dave Lefkowitz. (sings) Her majesty’s a pretty nice girl, but she doesn’t have a lot to say.”
RABBI SOL: Count yourself lucky. I got a queen at home; she never shuts up! Temple Sons of Bitches in Great Neck, New York. and ani, Rabbi Sol Solomon
Click above to listen to the episode (audio only).
Here is the 517th episode of the long-running radio show/podcast, Dave’s Gone By, which aired on UNC Radio, July 11, 2015. Info: davesgoneby.com.
Featuring: Greeley Crimes & Old Times, Rabbi Sol Solomon deconstructs The Beatles, Wretched Pun of Destiny (UPenn), Dylan – Sooner & Later (Pat Garrett), Saturday Segues (Peter Schickele, In the News), Inside Broadway.
Host: Dave Lefkowitz Guest: Dave’s wife Joyce
00:00:01 DAVE GOES IN w/ Joyce (7-Eleven on 7/11, Long Johns update) 00:35:30 GREELEY CRIMES & OLD TIMES, part 1 00:50:00 Sponsors 01:00:30 GREELEY CRIMES & OLD TIMES, part 2 01:17:00 SATURDAY SEGUE – Peter Schickele 01:40:00 INSIDE BROADWAY 02:11:00 THE WRETCHED PUN OF DESTINY #44 (UPenn) 02:14:00 Friends 02:23:00 BOB DYLAN – Sooner & Later (Pat Garrett) 02:43:00 Weather 02:48:00 RABBI SOL SOLOMON’S RABBINICAL REFLECTION #129 – With a Little Help 02:58:30 SATURDAY SEGUE – In the News 03:31:00 Upcoming DAVE GOES OUT
July 11, 2015 Playlist: “This is Professor Pete” (01:21:30), “Triumph of Thusnelda (Two Madrigals)” (01:22:30) & “The Stoned Guest (Completion)” (01:28:30; P.D.Q. Bach). “I Have a Noble Cock” (02:09:30; Canterbury Tales 1969 Bway cast). “Turkey Chase” (02:28:30), “Billy 4” (02:32:00), “River Theme” (02:37:00), “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door” (Bob Dylan). “With a Little Help from My Friends” (02:51:30) & “Can’t Buy Me Love” (03:04:00; The Beatles). “I Go to Extremes” (02:59:30; Billy Joel). “Kill the Mockingbird” (03:06:00; House of Freaks). “Dear Mr. Supercomputer” (03:09:00; Sufjan Stevens). “Tennis Court” (03:13:30; Lorde). “With a Little Help from My Friends” (03:38:00; Richie Havens).
