So I guess you're wondering who Chris Merrell is. Well, I'm not lying about him being in The Grass Roots . . . oh, you want to know who The Grass Roots are!!! Good question. I asked it myself. I mean, I always heard of them and knew they were one of those Allman-esque bands of the 1960s who every now and then get together to tour with The Union Gap band or Herman's Hermits or Journey or 3 Dog Night. But I really don't listen to any of those bands and can't name a single song except for 3 Dog's Night's "Eli's Coming."
(Chris is on the left, but he looks much younger here.)
So, like all post-Gen X-ers, I googled him, and did indeed produce some fantastic photos. I took some of him with my cellphone, but these from The Grass Roots Fan Page are much better quality. The solo one of Chris playing the guitar is what he looks like now. Indeed, no matter how hot or humid the Florida weather, I have never seen him not clad in a longsleeve collar shirt and cowboy boots. In fact, Archie Artifact now wants to buy some cowboy boots and take electric guitar lessons! So cute!
But what makes Chris better than those other aging rock stars is, well, he's not aging! You see unlike lead singer Rob Grille, Chris is not one of the founding members of the band! So he couldn't possibly be that old! Indeed, his youthful vim and vigor shine through in his excellent guitar playing and loose lyrics of classic songs. On his own, Chris has a whole catalog of familiar tunes he plays, from The Beatles to Bowie to Tom Petty, though not enough of the Gainesville native, which he rues and promises to correct.
Actually, watching Chris play the Hamhock, or any bar in Marvinsburg, is like being a part of an inside joke. None of the patrons quite understand him. They think he stands up on the dais and sings the lyrics straight, which is actually really rare. He has a much more playful personality, like when he does his schizophrenic duet of "To All the Girls I Loved Before" with a Willie Nelson wig. Or on extra special occassions, his brother joins him to sing "I Am the Walrus" or Bowie's "Let's Dance." And then he makes these arch observations and arcane references to literature and film and culture that sail over the local barstool warmers' heads. So sad. But so funny because Archie and I get the jokes --because we aren't from Marvinsburg either!
So I like it when Chris plays the Hamhock or the Red Neck Saloon or the Missed Street Taphouse because then I know I might actually find some intellectual stimulation in person instead of online at Blog Explosion.
I'm sure that Chris will stop by my blog when he isn't busy singing or changing nappies or giving Archie guitar lessons, and in that case let me put in a few song requests: 3 Dog Night's "Eli's Coming" and Tom Petty's "American Girl." Anyone else want to get on the Song Request Train? Oh, how about some Tom Waits?
