Rep. Obey Plays Some Killer Harp to Dancing Fans
Those who have worked with (or against) House Appropriations Chairman David Obey (D-Wis.) know him as an intensely focused budget wonk with a very short fuse. But those who have jammed out with the 69-year-old Obey, as several House members did Tuesday night, know him as a "killer" harmonica player who gets crowds jumping to their feet and shaking their stuff.
"Obey's a killer harp player," says fellow musician Rep. Paul Hodes (D-N.H.). "The dude can rock."
(Who knew?)
Hodes, who played guitar while Obey was on harmonica at Tuesday's fundraiser for the Democratic National Club, readily acknowledges the description doesn't fit with Obey's bookish persona. "He's not wearing pencils in his pocket when he plays," Hodes joked.
Hodes and Obey joined the House's one true legitimate rock star, Rep. John Hall (D-N.Y.), whose old band Orleans claimed the one-hit wonder "Still the One." Also joining in the jam fest were Reps. Dennis Moore (D-Kansas) and Joe Crowley (D-N.Y.), former Appropriations Committee staffers David Morrison and Scott Lilly, and Hodes' wife, Peggo Horstmann Hodes.
Peggo, as she's known professionally, is an active classical soloist and jazz singer. Hodes met Peggo in his third year of law school at Boston College when he answered her newspaper ad in the underground Boston Phoenix paper seeking a guitarist for her band.
"The band didn't last but we did," the congressman told us. (Peggo and Paul, as the musical duo were known, went on to make sweet music and record several albums together over the years.)
As for Tuesday's jam fest at the Democratic club, Hodes described it as "an astonishing pastiche of retro folky music." They played everything from "Turn, Turn, Turn" and "Jet Plane" to "Not Fade Away." "This wasn't the Dead version though," Hodes said. "It was a unique Hall and Hodes version."
The motley crew managed an effort at reggae with "Stir It Up" and, according to Hodes and others, people actually danced to their music.
"The good news is, nobody got hurt," Hodes joked.
By Mary Ann Akers |
April 2, 2008; 7:20 PM ET
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Posted by: LtCol Lawrence H. Boteler | April 3, 2008 11:09 AM
Attempted write using YOUR e-mail listing,
but it was unrecognizable as an address.(??)
Posted by: Lawrence H Boteler | April 3, 2008 12:21 PM
Orleans was a two hit wonder. There was "Still The One," but there was also "Dance with Me." Sorry, didn't mean to harp on it.
Posted by: Rick Christofferson | April 3, 2008 2:00 PM
Aatually Orleans had more then one hit. They were an excellent band and John Hall and incredible song writer.
Come on, its bad enough the news can't get politics straight,
always pumping up Obama and downing Clinton. Can we at least get our music facts right.
Posted by: Tony | April 3, 2008 4:16 PM
with a (D), behind his name, he's an idiot, like you apparently:
From Wikipedia:
Wonk
Slang expression.
An expert who studies a subject or issue thoroughly and excessively. This word is most often encountered in the term "policy wonk
Posted by: hautlynk | April 3, 2008 5:57 PM
Is there youtube? As a current constituent of Rep. Hodes, a fan of his wife Peggo, and former constituent of Rep. Obey, I'd love to see this.
Posted by: margaux | April 4, 2008 8:31 AM
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The comments to this entry are closed.
Your piece (Post April 15 page A15) labeled Rep Obey a "budget wonk". Does that mean he
keeps an eagle eye out on the budget in favor of we taxpayers? Perhaps you may recall the Inouye request for $8 million for so-called refugees in France in 1988. Obey's response -
"...it was a lousy $8 million." Doesn't sound like one who watches out for the US taxpayer.
This was a subsidy to France a developed nation that kicked the US military out of NATO airfields in France; denied the DC Air Guard overflight to Germany during Operation Ready Go demonstrating our operational readiness in defense of France and other European allies.
Fortunately, I believe, the bill failed.