By Michael Hollywood
I was living with my brother and his remarkable dog (my brother’s quite remarkable too) when the doggie came home fresh from the groomers. “Sukha,” I said, reaching into my head to conjure some old-timey way to describe the redolent mix of shampoo and perfume stank upon him “You smell like a __ CATHOUSE DANDY!”
After having a good chuckle at the poor guy’s expense, I thought to myself “What the hell would a Cathouse Dandy be?”
And it instantly hit me.
A Gilded Age Brothel: Those extremely well-dressed men who are there every night, yet never go anywhere with a women. Do they work for the management? Are they the management? They always intervene when things get tense between patrons.
“One almost thinks you could purchase an assignation with one of them,” a dimwit quips. “Of course WHO would want to do such a thing (nervous laughter)?”
“I’m not sure some of them even are men,” his dimmer wit companion replies.
If the two low-watt fellas actually went to the Madam and asked her questions in that vein (since they were dimwits and chumps) she would reply along the lines of “Is it any of your business?” “Go ask them to fuck you if you want and see what they say.” The sheepish dweebs retreat.
I thought that the whole concept was hilarious and a perfect metaphor for the present times.
As problematic as sex work is to many (and of course human trafficking and exploitation are reprehensible); brothels in that era were the only places in America where Women, People Of Color, and the LGBTQ+ Community could socially interact on anything close to equal social footing with White Straight Cis-Gendered Men.
Many were the social pillars of Old West Towns, with proprietors and employees sometimes being elected mayor or to other major offices.
And all the greatest forms of American music were either born, conceived, or nurtured there.
And I thought that Cathouse Dandies would be a splendid name for a band.
As luck would have it, I soon started a band with a young regular at my monthly Hootenanny, Mike Semmerling (GUITAR, VOCALS, BASS), after we sort of fused in an uncanny musical connection in our first sessions playing together.
Now as anyone who ever started a band knows, EVERYTHING sounds like a great name for a band until it’s time to name YOUR band. Then it can be a painfully labored ordeal that stretches on for days.
So when we first decided to name the duo we formed, I steeled myself for a marathon process.
“How about Cathouse Dandies?” I said, expecting a quizzical response. Mike smiled “That would be awesome.”
And there you have it. We started off playing covers of Punk songs that Mike had ingeniously rearranged into heart rending Folk tunes and an original song of Mike’s.
Then we began coming up with wild instrumentals; some that begged for lyrics, others that stood on their own.
Lex Dahl (BASS, VOCALS, GUITAR), Mike’s friend and partner in their Punk band (the absolutely brilliant This Is My Tragedy) gradually entered the band by osmosis and blended seamlessly, and we became a Power Trio that could still bring the sweet soft sadness.
Along with myself, Michael Hollywood (Harmonica, Vocals) we are Cathouse Dandies.
Lex just turned 25, Mike 30, me 62. So fucking what.
Turns out that the blending and bonding of two Post-Millennial Punks with an aged Post-Punk Slacker Blues Player seems to captivate everyone we play for (Lord knows we have a fucking ball with it).
And that is the spirit of Cathouse Dandies
We don’t care your age or gender or race or sexuality (or lack thereof) or any damn thing about you other than whether you respect others and that you want to have some fun.
Total Freedom And Equality For All
Do Whatever You Want As Long As You Don’t Harm Anybody Else
Universal Liberation Through Creative Self Actualization
We keep getting tighter and learning more from each other and writing more tunes.
Come And Check Us Out!!!
