QOUTES OF THE YEAR
The 2017 Music & Entertainment The best from Elton John to Melissa Etheridge
JOHN LAW
Niagara Falls Review They came, we saw, we chatted.
As always, covering arts and culture in Niagara involved plenty of lousy phone connections, coffee shop confabs, and at least one nearconcussion this year.
There were good interviews. There were awkward interviews.
There was even Roger Daltrey ordering his band to stop playing Baba O’Riley at Fallsview Casino because he couldn’t hear anything through his ear piece.
So before we kick 2017 to the curb, here are some of my favorite quotes, quips and zingers from the past 12 months covering our local scene:
“I’m definitely not sleeping as much as I used to, but it’s a good burn. It’s like a really good workout - it hurts, but it hurts good.”
— Livestock Niagara music
festival organizer Rafik
Guirguis
“They have this thing where they have a barrel going over the falls and they take your picture, and it doesn’t look at all like you’re going over the falls. That was horse s-- t, I loved that thing. If I saw that today I would buy it and put it in my living room.” — Comedian Jeremy Hotz on visiting Niagara Falls again
“I was a factory worker, and I used to hate it. Clocking in, clocking out, having a boss to yell at you. Whenever I feel a little down, I go ‘ Look at what I’m doing now.’ Every time I finish one part of my job, I get applause. Who gets applause for doing something?”
— Australian blues rocker
Pete Harper
“There is not one city in the world that I couldn’t go in and do the exact kind of video, and give a one- sided view to make someone look bad.”
— Niagara Falls Mayor Jim
Diodati, responding to the four- minute student film As Niagara Falls, which cast the city in a harsh light
“A show has to be more than just a series of songs. I have a lot of stories from my many years in this nutty business.”
— Former David Letterman
band leader Paul Shaffer
“We lived near a Canadian Tire, and my sister shoplifted there.” — Comedian Darren
Frost, recalling his brief time living in Niagara Falls
We outlived our purpose… we really did what we could do, and now it’s time to pass the torch onto these other organizations.”
— John Anstruther on the end of Niagara Concerts after 43 seasons
“Try to get a millennial to see a black and white movie is like pulling a tooth. They’re too busy watching cats get their genitals cleaned on their phone.”
— Robert Englund ( Freddy Krueger) on classic horror films
“I was never a fan of ( Trump), but I just can’t believe people fell for his bulls— t. As soon as he made fun of the guy with the disability, that should have disqualified him right there. That should have ended it.” — Pittsburgh singer/
songwriter Joe Grushecky, who also works as a teacher for mentally challenged teens “I don’t want to get too excited and have a bad show. It would be a disservice to everyone that came out. Plus, my dad will probably be calling me asking where to park.” — Niagara- born Dallas
Green ( City and Colour) on his homecoming show at The Commons in Niagara- on- the- Lake
“It has nothing to do with me, I got nothing to do with it. It’s gone from inspiring to vulgar.”
— Murray McLachlan on
modern pop music
“John can waffle, John can toast, he can pancake, he can donut ... there’s no chance that we’ll ever play with John again. He’s just not our kind of people. — Creedence Clearwater Revisited bassist Stu Cook on the chances of reuniting with CCR co- founder John Fogerty
“Being on the road is like being a UPS package: It’s possible to do that tour schedule but you’re gonna get banged up out there.”
— Buffy Sainte- Marie
“The last person I spoke to hung up on me and threatened me. We were told ( this show) is against God’s message.” — Carousel Players artistic director Jessica
Carmichael, on local Catholic schools cancelling performances of the controversial gender identity play Boys, Girls and Other Mythological Creatures
Love is a battlefield, as a wise woman once said..”
— Niagara singer Mel Monaco I mean, if you look at the people that come to my shows, they’re like ‘ We had to get a babysitter tonight.’ They’ve got no time to comment on someone’s Instagram photo because they’re wearing a short skirt!” — Comedian Sebastian Maniscalco I never thought I’d say this, but good evening St. Catharines.” — Elton John, playing the Meridian Centre Nov. 15 Obviously, Donald Trump is a product from and a benefactor of social media culture and the Internet. And we’re really seeing the malignant, disgusting, lowdown crap that can come from this technology and the platforms it supports.”
– Niagara- on- the- Lake’s
Torq Campbell of Stars I’m not going to move to Canada, because I truly believe we stay here and we fight for this wonderful country the best we can to get it back on track. But man, you guys are really inspirational.”
— Melissa Etheridge