This nearly yearlong stroll down memory lane concludes before the bulk of our Hanukkah shows, and in some ways it’s just as well. So much to reflect on; luckily many of those nights are recollected elsewhere on this very website. But a few snuck in under the wire–12 years ago today was the first night of our second Hanukkah. For me, the best moment may have been well before the doors opened. Ronnie Spector was our surprise special guest. In advance of her arrival for soundcheck (i.e. rehearsal), her bassist Jeremy Chatzky was making sure we were sufficiently prepped. And then the back door to Maxwell’s opened and in strode Ronnie, larger than life (and shorter than Georgia), dressed casually and all the more regal because of how little she had to work at it. We ran through our two songs, and the only issue I recall is Ronnie asking for more out of the monitors, which was hilarious to us because by comparison to our personal experience, her voice was booming. Which is not to imply that we were against hearing even more of it. Years later, I’m wondering why we did only two songs.
