Friday night’s tag team piano show, featuring two blues and comic heavyweights – Barry Cuda and the Right Rev. Billy C. Wirtz, promises to shake the Palladium’s Side Door to its foundations. If there was any sanctity left in this old Christian Science Church if will flee in tears at some point during Friday night’s show.
I asked Barry and Billy to talk about each other, hoping to instigate a fight or rumble of some kind that would erupt on stage. They nixed that idea and decided to answer my questions about this unnatural pairing in unison.
In case you have no idea what I’m talking about, the show is Ferrari and Thai Stick, a two piano concert, featuring Key West’s piano man, Barry Cuda (formerly St. Petey Twig of the Silver King Band) and Ocala’s own Rev. Billy C. Wirtz, doing a duet thing they worked up during the last Legendary Blues Cruise. For tickets and actual information, just follow this link.
What follows is a brief statement provided by their parole officer and some questions from Palladium Paul and some answers from the dueling piano duo themselves:
TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN: Mr. Cuda and Rev. Wirtz combine for over 100 years of show biz. This will be an evening of piano, laughs, tunes, history, stories from the road, and general weirdness. To round it all out Cuda’s regular drummer Mick Kilgos will also be coming up from the Keys to lay down a steady beat. Tell your friends today; but not the mealy mouthed or delicate souls that can’t take a punch line. They both hope to see old friends as well as make new ones at the Palladium and recommend booking in advance.
Question: What’s it all about, Alfred E.?
Answer: Wirtz and Cuda were both bitten by the blues bug in their early teens. They both sought out and apprenticed under first generation blues piano masters.
Question: Is this appearance required by a parole or probation agreement of any kind?
Answer: At the risk of P.C. flags being hurled from Lutz to Gibsonton, no comment.
Question: Will we be able to bring the children to the show?
Answer: Sure, if you’re comfortable with letting your youngsters drink, pierce body parts, get tattoos, and read William Burroughs at home.
Question: Is it true you two shared a state room on the blues cruise? Or did you just hang out at the bar?
Answer: No
Leave a Reply