To celebrate the release of my first book, The Velvet Underground and Nico, I put together a band, aptly called Velveeta, and played a set of book release parties. The first was in Asbury Park, NJ, the town which I now call home, at the Saint, the cool little club I now toil in as house soundman; the second party was at the Lizard Lounge in Cambridge, MA.

Guests for this way cool night included an opening salute to the V.U.'s Middle Eastern influences by Boston's Zareena the Bellydancer. Also down from Beantown, popabilly rockers the Heygoods followed with their trademark high and lonesome sounds. Asbury Park's Cucumbers laid out the pop-rockin' welcome mat for the Velveeta set. When the smoke cleared from the all-Velvets Velveeta set, Point Pleasant's Bubblegum showed how much noise two guys can make if they put their minds to it.

Velveeta in Asbury Park was:
Joe Harvard on guitar and vocals
Dave Champagne [Treat Her Right, Heygoods] on guitar
Marco Giovino [Bucktooth Johnson, John Cale, Southside Johnny] on drums
Kurt Wrobel [Cucumbers, Vas Deferens]
Walk-on performers included Mark Prescott, Sharyn and Jay Diablo [Dragpipe] on vocals, Binky [Lord Sterling] on Coral Sitar, and Jay Diablo on drums.

The night was great, and paved the way for an even cooler Boston follow-up.Thanks to everyone who came and played, and everyone who came and watched.Grainy, dark pix are still frames captured from video [shot by Frank Annese, formerly our man in Hollywood, now a pillar of Boston's theater community].

Dave Champagne [Treat Her Right, Heygood, Jazz Popes] played some ferocious guitar.

JOHN CALE ASSOCIATE:Drummer Marco Giovino [Bucktooth Johnson, John Cale, Southside Johnny], fresh from touring Europe with Cale and playing on his Hobo Sapiens LP graced both the Asbury Park and Boston parties.

Speaking of curves ... singer, percussionist, bon vivant and belly dancer Zareena was the third member of Velveeta to make both the NJ and Boston shows; as our volunteer videographer, her husband Frank was the fourth.

Our cameraman: After several years as a regular cast member on Days of Our Lives as well as guest starring appearances on TV and Film, Frank Annese reopened the landmark 1400 seat WILBUR THEATER as Managing Artistic Director. He continues to work as a producer, actor and director, and had the plain good sense to marry our fave bellydancer, Zareena. Frank shot both the NJ and Cambridge shows on digital video.