Concert Review: Hot Rod Circuit and Ultimate Fakebook at Bernie’s, Columbus, Ohio (8.31.00)

This one is sort of a cheat, because I was actually a part of this bill. The Stepford Five opened for Hot Rod Circuit and Ultimate Fakebook at Bernie's, thanks to meeting the gents of Ultimate Fakebook a month earlier at the Blind Lemon in Cleveland, where we also shared a bill (along with Mars Electric). We got to talking, as bands occasionally do waiting around before, during and after the bands played, and we ended up being added to this bill.

Both Hot Rod Circuit (If It's Cool With You, It's Cool With Me) and Ultimate Fakebook (This Will Be Laughing Week) had really great records out at the time with a couple of years under their belt, while we were still pretty green half way through our second year as a band. From what I recall, it was just going to be UFB and us, and then HRC were added to the bill. Memory doesn't serve me well here, not sure if this was a one-off for them, or if HRC and UFB ended up doing more dates together.

35 Days In The Air - A World War II Memoir NOW AVAILABLE

The new book 35 Days In The Air - A World War II Memoir by Michael R. Carestio and Timothy D. Minneci is now available for paperback and Kindle at Amazon.com. Here's the synopsis:

From July 8th, 1944 to December 6th, 1944, U.S. Army Air Force First Lieutenant Michael R. Carestio of the 713th Squadron, 448th Fighter-Bomber Group, served as a bombardier on a B-24 Liberator crew, nicknamed "Mother Of Ten." During that time, he kept a handwritten journal documenting each of his thirty-five combat missions, which have been transcribed into this book. Author Timothy D. Minneci sat down with his great uncle Michael Carestio to discuss his experiences before, during and after the war, and share his uncle's remarkable story.

Links to Purchase
Paperback at Amazon
Kindle at Amazon
Leave a review at Goodreads