In 1976, during the bicentennial, I got really into the red, white and blue. I loved my Evil Knievel and Six Million Dollar Man toys, and my Schoolhouse Rock lunchbox that was with me pretty much every day that year. At my request, my mom painted a big American flag on the wall next to my bed. It’s a little embarrassing to think what a little patriot I was but I was only 8 years old. Do the math and you may anticipate some grey in the mix as we approach the semiquincentennial here in the summer of ‘26.
These days I am as ambivalent about Gregorian time as I am about American kitsch, but I got booked for a gig in Portland, Oregon and it was scheduled for fourth of July. I love a songwriting challenge, and the unwieldy word for a 250th anniversary proved to be all the inspiration I needed. Suddenly “Semiquincentennial” was here in song form.
Semiquincentennial
Semiquincentennial
It’s comin’ up fast
I wonder how many’ll
Make it last
‘Cause 250 years
That’s a long time to wait
To wake from the American dream
Just to find yourself here at this specific date
Trying to make sense of what it all means
Semiquincentennial
Semiquincentennial
It’s gonna be gone so quick
I wonder how many’ll
Make it stick
‘Cause 250 years
That’s a long time to wait
To wake from the American dream
Just to find yourself here at this specific date
Trying to stifle your scream
Semiquincentennial
Semiquincentennial
Semiquincentennial
Semiquincentennial
Semiquincentennial
One moment in time
I wonder if any’ll
Solve the crime
Make it rhyme
‘Cause 250 years
That’s a long time to wait
to wake from the American dream
Just to find yourself here at this specific date
Betwixt and between
Semiquincentennial
Semiquincentennial
Semiquincentennial
Semiquincentennial
CREDITS:
Written & Produced by Andras Jones
Andras Jones – Lead Vocals & Acoustic Guitar
Adron – Vocals
Sylvain Carton – Saxophone
Fernando Perdomo – Drums, Bass, Electric Guitar, Keyboards & Percussion
Engineered & Mixed by Fernando Perdomo
Mastered by JJ Golden
Cover Art by Alan Abbadessa
Executive Producer – Erica Russel
The night after I wrote it, I tried the song out at the Sunday jam at MJ’s Unique Social Club in LA and it played real nice.
Inspired by this, I brought it into the studio in Sherman Oaks with Fernando Perdomo and we knocked out a basic track in a few hours. Fernando’s good that way.
The original gig in Portland fell through and, for a few days I was gig-less for the fourth; with an Independence Day themed song to promote; one written specifically for a gig that no longer existed. I was, indeed, betwixt and between.
With little expectation, I reached out to one of a small group of Nightmare on Elm Street fans who attended all three shows of my last Portland residency. They gave me a list of Portland venues that might be good to play. I wasn’t hopeful since the 4th was less than a month out, but this fan (who was swift becoming a valued friend) mentioned that Dante’s was kind of a “hard rock place” and they would probably be interested in booking me solely due to my role in The Dream Master.
I have rarely found this to be the case. Nightmare fans tend to have an unrealistic idea about how the world outside of conventions relates to Freddy Krueger and his kills, but in this case, Dante’s proved to be a happy exception.
My Nightmare 4 co-star Tuesday Knight lives in Portland and has agreed to join the bill to sing with me on at least a couple of songs. Maybe a couple more if we have time to work something up.
Dante. Devils. Nightmares and Doomsday Clocks. Sounds like a pretty dark and demonic way to spend the fourth of July. Considering our nation’s karma, isn’t that kind of appropriate?
If you know me, you know I’ll be doing my best to balance the sacred, the profane and the benign reality with the best songs I can muster, and it sounds like Hopeless Devils are down for collaboration so…this will be a unique show. If we get good video I’ll post it below.