BOTB RESULTS: APRIL 1, 2023 (Or, THE DOCTOR VS. THE OUTLAW)

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The Battle Of The Bands contest took place HERE, and in usual fashion, Doctor John administered another colonoscopy to another victim. In this case, the victim was Waylon Jennings.
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It was a tough call for me because I really dig both songs, 'Right Place, Wrong Time' and 'I Ain't Living Long Like This'. I sided just slightly with my favorite Outlaw, Waylon. Why? Well, I love the frantic energy of the song, and that razor-sharp Honky-Tonk piano that just kicks the song through the wall. Plus, there's a lot of things I can relate to in the lyrics. (Some of you know what I mean.)
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Anyway, the drubbing ended like this:
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FINAL TALLY
Dr. John = 8  (4 wins, 0 losses)
Waylon Jennings = 3
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My sincere thanks to every one of you who took the time to stop by and cast a vote. Your involvement is greatly appreciated.
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I intend to return here again on JUNE 1st with a new BOTB installment, and I hope you will all return here as well. Until then, this is the D-FensDogG, Stephen T. McCarthy saying...
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Bless And Be Blessed!!

BATTLE OF THE BANDS: MAY 1, 2023 (Or, THE DOCTOR VS. THE OUTLAW)

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WELCOME BACK, Doggs & Doggettes! 

(No Bud Light-drinking Trans-Dogs allowed.)
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After a two month break, we are now returning to the Silver Dollar Saloon where "Dogs Are Welcome & People Are Tolerated".
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There is only one (count 'em: 1) self-imposed rule in my $ilver Dollar $aloon $ong Challenge, and that rule is: In this contest I am allowed to use ONLY songs that I have heard being played in Virginia City's Silver Dollar Saloon.
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So far, Dr. John has been unbeatable (he's been like the Rocky Marciano of the $D$$C). The Good Doctor has already easily whipped 3 contenders:
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The Average White Band
Johnny Lang
Greg & Steve
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None of those artists managed to score more than 4 votes against Doctor John!
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But this month we have a new challenger who just might be able to give The Doc his first real fight. On August 8th of last year, I was in the Silver Dollar Saloon and heard the song 'I Ain't Living Long Like This' by The Country Outlaw (a.k.a. Waylon Jennings and Mr. Jessi Colter).
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Let's see if ol' Waylon can chase The Doctor out of his operating room.
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Alright, let's get on it.  Let's get ON this thing!
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RIGHT PLACE, WRONG TIME -- Dr. John

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DuvIrvgoCag

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I AIN'T LIVING LONG LIKE THIS -- Waylon Jennings

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=URLAEZkH1Os

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Please drop your two cents into the comment section, and then cast votes at the other BOTBer's Battles (see links in right-hand column). I'll be back here on or about the 8th O' May to place my own "bote" and announce the winner.
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Stephen T. McCarthy

BOTB RESULTS: APRIL 1, 2023 (Or, THE WESTERN MUSICAL SHOOTOUT: THE GOOD, THE BAD & THE UGLY)

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I'm a wee bit o' late getting this BOTB Results post up due to the Easter weekend. Although [link> THIS was the most fun I had constructing a Battle Of The Bands contest in quite some time, there wasn't exactly a top-notch voter turnout for this one. Nevertheless, I FULLY appreciate everyone who DID take the time to show up, listen / watch, and cast a vote. I enjoyed the contest.
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Despite the sad-assed low voter input, it was a really close Battle, which made me feel good, because I *definitely* foresaw this 3-Way match-up as being extremely competitive. It was a Battle between songs from movie musicals with some A-list performers included: Doris Day & Howard Keel from 'Calamity Jane' (song: 'I Could Do Without You'), Gordon MacRae from 'Oklahoma!' (song: 'Oh, What A Beautiful Morning'), and Dean Martin, Jerry Lewis, Pat Crowley & "The Smartest And Fastest Dog In The Movies", Mr. Bascom, in 'Hollywood Or Bust' (song: 'The Wild & Woolly West').
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Personally, I like every single one of these songs. But ONE of them I like far, Far, FAR more than the other two. 'I Could Do Without You' has a really terrific lyrical whiplash comedy sense. It's a MUCH better version of the earlier & similar 'Anything You Can Do, I Can Do Better', which I almost used until I realized the song is just... annoying.
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Gordon MacRae's famous 'Oh, What A Beautiful Morning' is beautiful, and sounds almost like a [link> prayer!
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BUT(!)... my own favorite is easily 'The Wild & Woolly West'. Why? Uh... how much time do you have? Because I could go on for over an hour with 101 reasons I love this song *AND* the movie it comes from, 'Hollywood Or Bust' (H.O.B.) -- the final movie featuring both Martin & Lewis. H.O.B. is one of the silliest pictures ever made and it has become my #1 favorite "guilty pleasure" movie. The more depressing and insanely ridiculous this world and my country becomes, the more I watch H.O.B. as a form of escapism from the "real" nuttiness around me. I don't even want to tell you how many times I've watched the movie just since Sept. of 2021.
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As I wrote above, there must be at least 101 reasons I love H.O.B. Here is just a small sample of them:

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1) When I first started to study acting professionally, one academy I briefly attended was actually owned and operated by the first female "Redhead" who appears with Dean Martin in H.O.B.
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2) Hollywood Park race track is featured in a couple shots in this movie, and I spent many days & hours "playing the horses" there with my Pa. (He passed away 27 years ago today.)
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3) Some of the scenery in the movie is flat-out gorgeous, and this shot below even reminds me of a painting that hung in my Grandpa's living room for all of the years I was growing up:
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4) Although so-called "progress" bulldozed it years ago, my favorite place in Las Vegas was The Algiers Hotel & Lounge. The Algiers was a real blast to the past, and the lounge was one of my all-time favorites! It was so dark and old in the lounge that every time a person entered it, a beam of light from the Sun would pierce the room, reminding me that it was still daytime outside. And I always half-expected Frank Sinatra and his Rat Pack to come in and sit down next to me at the bar.
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The Algiers (in 1956) shows up at the very end of the song 'The Wild & Woolly West':
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5) The ending of H.O.B. was so memorably zany that Mel Brooks stole "borrowed" the idea, elaborated on it a bit, and used it to end his classic comedy 'Blazing Saddles'.
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6) I have always been a huge fan of "Breaking The 4th Wall". This is a kind of 'wink & nod' when a movie or play acknowledges that there is an audience watching. (The audience serves as an imaginary 4th wall, and when a performer breaks that illusion, it's like he/she is saying, "Yeah, we know you're out there watching this game that we're all in on.") The TV series 'MOONLIGHTING' was constantly "Breaking the 4th Wall" and that's one of the reasons it was/is one of my very favorite shows ever.
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In just that one song, 'THE WILD & WOOLLY WEST', 'Hollywood Or Bust' hilariously Broke the 4th Wall at least twice, and arguably even three times. Here are some photos of the 4th wall being broken during the singing of 'The Wild & Woolly West':
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I literally chuckle-out-loud every time I see/hear that song! And there wasn't anything wrong with this scenery in H.O.B.:
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So, now you have an idea of why my vote for 'The Wild & Woolly West' was a no-brainer for me. Here's how the BOTB "boting" ended up:
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FINAL TALLY:
'I Could Do Without You' = 2 votes
'Oh, What A Beautiful Morning' = 4 votes
'The Wild & Woolly West' = 5 votes
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Whoa-Nelly! That was a close outcome! I loves it!
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My thanks again to everyone who participated in this Battle. I intend to return with another one on May 1st. Be here or be... somewheres else.
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~ Stephen T. McCarthy

BATTLE OF THE BANDS: APRIL 1, 2023 (Or, THE WESTERN MUSICAL SHOOTOUT: THE GOOD, THE BAD & THE UGLY)

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[STMcC pretending to be a "good guy" - 1986.]
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STEPHEN T. McCARTHY [speaking to a friend a long time back] : "I really don't like Musicals. The only ones I like are 'Singin' In The Rain' and 'My Fair Lady'. ...Well, and I like 'The Wizard Of Oz', that's actually a musical, too. ...And the movie 'Hair', I like that one. ...Oh, and I love 'Bells Are Ringing'. ...And, of course, I love 'Song Of The South'. ...'JungleBook', of course, and all those old, classic Disney musicals... Oh, and 'Scrooge' is a huge favorite of mine - that's a musical. And, technically, so is 'One From The Heart', which I love. ...Also I like the Roy Rogers B-Western movie musicals 'Under California Stars', 'The Bells Of San Angelo', and 'Heldorado'. ...And... And... And..." 

And After naming off a few more musicals, I stopped myself and said: "Well, damn! I guess I DO like musicals!"

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[Pooh in the hoosegow, Virginia City, Nevada - 1986.]
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This month I'm doing a 3-Way Battle Of The Bands installment that I've been planning for a long time. This is April Fool's Day, and since Jerry Lewis (quite possibly America's most famous fool) is featured in one of the songs, I figured April 1st was an ideal time to unleash this Battle on y'all.
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Below, I have 3 songs and scenes from movie musicals featuring a 'Western' theme. I want you to vote for your favorite. BUT WAIT! THERE'S MORE!!... Because these are not just songs but full movie scenes, this is one of the rare times when I'm going to allow you to take BOTH the songs AND the video scenes into consideration when casting your votes. If you want to vote based solely on the song, that's fine. But if you want to take into consideration the song *AND* the accompanying scene, that's perfectly acceptable, too!
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[STMcC very hungover one morning in Arizona - 1986]
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FUN TRIVIA FACT: The most famous song in this Battle, 'Oklahoma!', was written by the legendary Rodgers & Hammerstein. *BOTH* of the other songs in this Battle were written by Paul Francis Webster & Sammy Fain; and in one of these two Webster & Fain songs, there's a lyrical reference to Rodgers & Hammerstein's song 'Oklahoma!' How's that for tying together a 3-way BOTB installment? Does I know my stuffs, or what?! 😉
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I hope y'all enjoy this, because I had 

a lot of F-U-N-! putting it together!

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Alright, let's get on it. Let's get ON this thing!
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Doris Day and Howard Keel - "I Can Do Without You" from Calamity Jane (1953)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oZuaESf0MdY

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Gordon MacRae OH, WHAT A BEAUTIFUL MORNING from the film Oklahoma! HD - 1955
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oNi0NJ1dfeE
 
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*NOTE: This last one is a two-part video combined. The song doesn't end when the Sun sets on Arizona. Let it keep playing until you get through Las Vegas, Nevada.* 

"Am I gettin' through to ya, fella?"
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Martin & Lewis & Pat Crowley [& the great dog, Mr. Bascom] - The Wild & Woolly West (Parts 1 & 2) - 1956
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dYVDADnuGoc
 
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After voting here, please be sure to visit the other BOTBers [see links in the right-hand column --->] and vote there too, like a good BOTB community supporter. I will return here on or about April 8th with my own "bote" and the Results of this Western showdown.
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~ Stephen T. McCarthy
(I hopes I don't die with muh boots on and singing out of key!)

BOTB RESULTS: 2023, MARCH 1 (Or, JESSI COLTER VS. TONY RICE)

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My most recent Battle Of The Bands contest took place HERE. The song was 'Why You Been Gone So Long?' and the competitors were Jessi Colter (a.k.a. "Waylon's Widow") and Mister Tony Rice.
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It was a pretty decent Battle that was actually tied 5 to 5 right up until very late in the voting. That's when Jessi grabbed the final 3 "botes", including mine, to win this BOTB installment:
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FINAL TALLY
Jessi Colter = 8 votes
Tony Rice = 5 votes
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I liked Mister Tony Rice's recording real well, but Jessi had that "Outlaw" bass sound rumbling through her song, and that's what sealed the deal for me.
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Anyone who has ever attempted BOTB knows that it's a tricky thing. Unless you don't mind shutouts and blowouts, you need to try to step outside of yourself and attempt to hear potential BOTB songs the way others might hear them (minus your own personal bias), and it's not always easy. In fact, I would even say it's a kind of skill, and maybe even an "art". Contemplating all the possibilities can even drive a dogg or doggette a wee bit o' crazy.
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My original idea for this Battle was to use Jessi against a different male competitor, and I thought it looked like an exceptional match-up. But then when I re-listened to both recordings again, about a month later, I suddenly thought: Oh, this guy'll DESTROY Jessi in this Battle! 

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So, at the last minute, I switched to Mister Tony Rice as a competitor, thinking it would probably make for a closer contest. And although it WAS a good match-up, Jessi won by 3 votes, which is a fairly comfortable margin.
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So now I'm thinking about maybe revisiting this song sometime in the future, and going with my original idea of 'Jessi versus ____', to see if he really would destroy her in a Battle, or if it would actually be much, much closer than I imagined.
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BOTB can be a lot of fun. There's definitely a creative component to concocting good, competitive match-ups. It can also sometimes be a bit frustrating or exasperating. But SURPRISING is the one thing that it ALWAYS is!
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My sincere thanks to all y'all who participated in this Battle, and I hope to see y'all here again on April Fool's Day, when I'll have something quite different for you to consider and vote on. Until then...
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Bless And Be Blessed!!
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~ STMcC

BATTLE OF THE BANDS: MARCH 1, 2023 (Or, JESSI COLTER VERSUS TONY RICE)

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I am pleased as spiked punch to announce that Debbie D'Doglady has rejoined our 'Battle Of The Bands' family! (Debbie, 'Why You Been Gone So Long?') You'll find her brand new BOTB blog located HERE and also in my sidebar list of participants. Y'all please BE SURE to visit her BOTB installment and add her to your own list of BOTB family members!
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Because I don't want everyone getting sick 'n' tired of hearing Dr. John's song 'Right Place, Wrong Time', I've decided to temporarily put my $ilver Dollar $aloon $ong Challenge on pause for this month and next month. But, God willing, it will return to this site on May 1st.
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Right now, I want to show a little love to a musical genre that doesn't get enough attention at 'Battle Of The Bands'. No, I DON'T mean RAP. I said "musical" genre. I'm talking about Country-Western music.
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Alright, let's get on it. Let's get ON this thing!
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First up is Lisa. No, wait. She's not Lisa, her name is Jessi - Jessi Colter. Also known as Mrs. Waylon Jennings. Take it away, Julie-- er, I mean, Jessi!
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Why You Been Gone So Long - Jessi Colter
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FaieoS6sPpI

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Next up for your consideration is Tony Rice. That's MISTER Tony Rice, to you!
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Why You Been Gone So Long - Tony Rice
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lVThnFcBKtY

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Please vote for your preferred version of this song in the comment section, and then put yer two cents into the BOTB installments of all the other BOTBers. Thanks!
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I will return here on or about March 8th to cast my own BOTB "bote" and learn y'all who won.
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Much Love & Smiley Faces!

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~ Stephen T. McCarthy
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BOTB RESULTS: 2023, FEB. 1 (Or, DR. JOHN VERSUS GREG & STEVE)

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So, the results are in. But first of all, my sincere thanks to everyone who took the time to participate in my latest Battle Of The Bands contest which played out HERE.

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It was Round 3 in my ongoing $ilver Dollar $aloon $ong Challenge, and it featured Dr. John's 'Right Place, Wrong Time' against Greg & Steve's 'Three Little Pigs' Blues.

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This one was really just for kicks. Having heard 'Three Little Pigs' Blues for the first time being played in a BAR, I found it so ticklesome (did I just invent a word?) that I couldn't resist putting it up against Dr. John's song. However, The Good Doctor's victory was a foregone conclusion in my mind.

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Like most other voters, I too gave my "bote" to our currently reigning champion, Dr. John. But it tickles me that the three Little Pigs acquired three little votes:

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FINAL TALLY

Dr. John = 10 votes

Greg & Steve = 3 votes

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Let's close this out with one more listen to the 'Three Little Pigs' Blues, this time with some fun & enthusiastic audience participation:

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Please join me again on March 1st for another installment of the Song Challenge from the $aloon where "Dogs are welcome, and People are tolerated".

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~ Stephen T. McCarthy

BATTLE OF THE BANDS: 2023, FEB. 1 (Or, DR. JOHN VERSUS GREG & STEVE)

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Welcome to Round 3 of 'The $ilver Dollar $aloon $ong Challenge'. To recap:

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Round 1

Dr. John: 'Right Place, Wrong Time' - 11 votes

Average White Band: 'Pick Up The Pieces' - 4 votes

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Round 2

Dr. John: 'Right Place, Wrong Time' - 9 votes

Jonny Lang: 'Rack 'Em Up' - 4 votes
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There is ONLY 1 RULE in this contest, and the rule is that I am only allowed to use songs that I have heard played at the $ilver Dollar $aloon in Virginia City, Nevada!

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The $ilver Dollar $aloon is one of the quirkiest bars I've ever been in. (Their slogan is: "Dogs Welcome; People Tolerated".) So, as you can imagine, some of the music played in the saloon can be rather unusual. And such is the case with today's challenger.

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Have you ever heard of Greg & Steve? Yeah, I hadn't either, until a December day in 2019 when one of their songs came booming through the $ilver Dollar $aloon's speakers. Greg & Steve play music to educate & entertain children, and their story is pretty interesting:

[link> Greg & Steve @ Wackypedia

[link> Greg & Steve Official Website

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I'll never forget that day when I heard Greg & Steve's 'THREE LITTLE PIGS' BLUES cranked up to eleven at The $ilver Dollar $aloon. I thought: What the helck is THIS?! As I nearly fell off my barstool... from laughing.

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Will Dr. John successfully defend his #1 position? Or will Greg, Steve, and their Three Little Pigs dethrone the current Champ?

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Alright, let's get on it. Let's get ON this thing!
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Dr. JOHN: 'Right Place, Wrong Time'
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W4PjWgiH-LQ

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GREG & STEVE: 'Three Little Pigs' Blues
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCJ461ynufk&t=3s

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After voting here, please visit the other 'Battle Of The Bands' participants and let your two cents be counted there as well.

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I'll return here on or about February 8th to cast my own "bote" and announce the winner.

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~ Stephen T. McCarthy

BOTB RESULTS: 2023, JAN. 1 (Or, DR. JOHN VERSUS JONNY LANG)

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A hearty & sincere 'Thank You' to everyone of youz who participated in my 'Margarita Day' Battle Of The Bands installment. I hope your 2023 is off to a good start!
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The Battle took place HERE and it was in essence the second installment of 'The $ilver Dollar $aloon $ong Challenge'. Dr. John & his song 'Right Place, Wrong Time' was defending it's #1 position against a young underdog named Jonny Lang & his song 'Rack 'Em Up'. Most people seemed to really dig both songs, so I feel the Battle was actually closer than the vote tally indicates.
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Like most of the BOTB "boters", I really liked both songs, but I have to toss my two cents The Good Doctor's way. That song is just too funkin' funky! As a matter of fact, glancing at the upcoming challengers, I think there's a possibility that Dr. John could run the table in this contest.
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FINAL TALLY
Doctor John = 9 votes
Jonny Lang = 4 votes
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For you who boted for Jonny Lang, be consoled by the fact that the kid is going to get a rematch against The Doctor. Because it just so happens that I've heard one other Jonny Lang song at The $ilver Dollar $aloon in Virginia City, Nevada, and I think it's worthy of a shot at the title. So, I AM planning a Dr. John / Jonny Lang rematch in the future. But I think in my February 1st Battle, I'll first give another artist a shot to take down The Doc.
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Thanks again, all y'all, for participating! And I hope to see ya back here again on or about February 1st.
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~ STMcC
DogGtor of Alcohology &
King of Inebriation Nation

BATTLE OF THE BANDS: JAN. 1, 2023 (Or, DR. JOHN VERSUS JONNY LANG)

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First of all...

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HAPPY MARGARITA DAY!

"A Tradition Since 1986, Except For 1994." 

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No, the sign isn't just a joke. See the fella at the left side of the bar in this next photo!...

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I wasn't really sure which direction I wanted to go in with my 'Battle Of The Bands'. But then on December 20th, my Brother and I visited Virginia City. I took a couple of "dog" pictures which reappeared in my mind while I was trying to go to sleep a few nights later, and my BOTB direction became clear...
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Recently, our BOTB friends Cathy & Mary have been doing BOTB Song Challenges ('James Bond songs' & 'Phone Number songs', respectively). I was reminded of my BOTB contest of Feb. 1, 2022, HERE.
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In that blog bit, I wrote this:
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Virginia City, Nevada, is my favorite place whole the world, and it's only a 30-minute drive up the mountain from where I live.
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Today, there are about 14 saloons in V.C. All but two are mostly too touristy for my tastes. The two I really like are local hangouts, The Corner Bar & The Silver Dollar Saloon. Because of the music they play, my favorite is the latter.
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As luck would have it, I've kept a list of some songs I've heard played in 'The $ilver Dollar $aloon' in Virginia City. And I thought: Why not create a 'Song Challenge', pitting these songs I've heard at the $ilver Dollar $aloon against each other?
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And because I couldn't come up with a good reason NOT to do this,... I'm doing it. This will probably take me through at least June of 2023.
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On Feb. 1, 2022, I put Dr. John's song 'Right Place, Wrong Time' against The Average White Band's song 'Pick Up The Pieces' (both songs I'd heard being played at The $ilver Dollar $aloon), and Dr. John won 11 to 4. So, this means that Dr. John's 'Right Place, Wrong Time' is currently the reigning champion in 'The $ilver Dollar $aloon Song Challenge'.
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Alright, let's get on it. Let's get ON this thing! 

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Let's move on to 2023's first challenger:
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On Sunday, December 8, 2019, Stephanie (the owner of 'The Silver Dollar Saloon'), introduced me to a young, White, Blues music prodigy named Jonny Lang. See which song you like better, Dr. John's 'Right Place, Wrong Time' or Jonny Lang's 'Rack 'Em Up'.
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RIGHT PLACE, WRONG TIME -- Dr. John
Link for sound adjustment:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HT4RainY-lY&list=PLNBztZRTnDxAiPPs4gg-fDpr8r_nYuQJ3&index=1

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RACK 'EM UP -- Jonny Lang
Link for sound adjustment:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6HkSkjnBJNQ&list=PLNBztZRTnDxAiPPs4gg-fDpr8r_nYuQJ3&index=2

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Please check out the other BOTB participants' blogs 

(over there somewheres --->)

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I will be back to announce the winner of this $ilver Dollar $aloon $ong Challenge on or about January 8th.
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~ Stephen T. McCarthy
DogGtor of Alcohology &
King of Inebriation Nation