From: jjmckay-SNIP@SNIP-itchy.faa.uiuc.edu & Howard.Friedenberg-SNIP@SNIP-corp.sun.com
Date: Fri, 14 Jun 1996 20:28:02 -0500
Subject: Dead/Dan Sideshow Contest

Hopefully all of you will participate in the contest sponsored by Swami Pete and St. A. It's a mighty keen idea -- thinking about that first show and the prizes are bound to make any Dan fan's nipples hard. When submitting your items to Swami Pete and St. A., I think it might be kind of cool to also share your thoughts on the first setlist here at steely-dan-SNIP@SNIP-itchy.faa.uiuc.edu.

Recently, Dan Blanchard, a.k.a. "The Barfmaster," wrote asking if myself and H.b. (Friedenberg) were going to sponsor yet another "event." (In 1993 we had the "Steely Fan Dream Set" contest and in 1995 we had the "Steely Dan Summer Sci Fi Writing Contest", just to name a few happenings).

Last week H.b. and I have been batting around an idea for a contest. Now that it's been announced, we don't want to take away from the main event -- "The Steely Dan Contest (Guess the Setlist for The First Show)," but we thought we'd offer up this little contest as a sideshow/extra credit question.

Here's Hoops! and H.b.'s side show contest idea:

After one day when we saw the "Deadheads Welcome" shingle out on the Dan web page we got to talking. Many of us Dan Fanz are also huge Dead heads. With the passing of St. Jerome, the Deadheads community is in a state of adjustment and change. We are very much looking forward to the opportunity to see some of the Dead family at the "Further Festival" this summer (a tour featuring Dead alumni Bob Weir, Mickey Hart, Rob Wasserman and Bruce Hornsby and more), however, things will be smaller and tangental to the Dead. And many of us Deadhead/career types can't travel as far from home as much as we used to with the Dead (or the Dan for that matter). So we think the Dan shows could be a further tangent of the post-Dead Experience, complementing the limited number of Deadshows that could be taken in a given vicinity. It also seems that a number of Deadheads and all of Dandom could benefit with extra-curricular activities at the Dan's shows.

It's more than a hunch that something definitely could be added to both the Dan and Dead scenes if the mutual exchange of fandom were increased multifold: hey, the Dan and the Dead share a number of fans (this digest grew out of rec.music.gdead); the Dead are embarking on totally new territory and, given a band that includes the likes of Wayne Krantz and others, the Dan look as if they will be tripping into even more uncharted and improvisational territory. So I think the Dan's tour could be the perfect complement to any Further Festival's concert goer's summer schedule.

And jeez, a number of us Deadheads wish there were more lively Dead fans at the Dan shows. Many Dan fans are great --loyal, great taste in music, but, IMHO, too many sit on their hands and in their seats during shows. And maybe those that go to Dan shows to only reminisce could learn a thing or two about the "now" from the Deadheads. (I don't think the Deadheads were taking potty breaks during the new material during the last two Dead or Dan tours.)

So our Steely Fan Sideshow Contest question is your own original answer to the following questions:

"What would attract Dead fans to the Dan shows?" and "Speculate on a perspective Dan Fanz/Deadheads colaboratoium festival. What's the potential here?"

I'm sorry to say we don't have anything as unique or exciting as anything touched by the Dan and their associates. But to indulge your favor in answering this burning question, we have a humble first prize as follows:

IF YOU DO NOT HAVE "Citizen Steely Dan," you will receive it, assuming you response is numero uno. IF YOU *DO* own this box set and your response is selected, we have an alternate prize: we will arrange to have your favorite tracks totally 60-74 minutes from *your* box set copied to a customized single Compact Disc. You must own the box set for the second option and proof and letter will be required. The idea is that all of us probably have our favorite Dan tunes compiled to a little cassette (under the home taping loophole in the law) and we'd wish we had it on CD. (H.b. checked this out with the lawyers as to how to handle this.) Other prizes as appropriate (probalmostly original Lps with the lyrics that were missing from from the MCA re-issues.)

So as not to have two deadlines that conflict with the main event, all submissions must be mailed to steely-dan-SNIP@SNIP-itchy.faa.uiuc.edu by Wednesday, June 26, 1996 at 6:00 PM New York City time.

All items will appear on the digest and become public domain.

Please write jjmckay-SNIP@SNIP-uiuc.edu or Howard.Friedenberg-SNIP@SNIP-corp.sun.com with further questions or for further clarification. Other appropriate co-sponsors thankfully welcomed by writing to hoops! or H.b.