Volume 3, No. 17. September 12,2003
AZA Report
On
The Menus
This story is for
all those who bugged out early—and it’s a souvenir for those who didn’t.
It also allows me to relive my days as a music critic 20 years ago before, even,The
Menus were getting started.
Capping Zoo Day Wednesday night at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, Jack Hanna,
with all the gusto of a classic rock deejay, introduced The Menus, Ohio’s
most popular cover band. Lead Singer Tim Goldrainer emerged dressed as Hanna,
complete with blond wig. The joke, cheered by the Columbus Zoo crew, was unappreciated
by the rest of the audience simply because the rest of the audience didn’t
know what was yet in store for them (the Columbus Zoo staff did know because
The Menus play regularly at the zoo’s annual Zoofari fund-raising gala).
The Hanna costume was the first of seven Goldrainer wore through two sets. He
came out in 1950s styles women’s bathing suits, a frilly halter top with
chartreuse leopard-spotted micro skirt, stars-and-stripes shorts and cape, and
backless shorts. Such was his costume-changing acumen it inspired no less a
person than AZA's Immediate Past President John Lewis. At Thursday night's closing
banquet, Lewis switched from suit to an AZA "I Am Aware" T-shirt to
swear in the new board members. Changing back into his suit, Lewis told the
audience, "The guy in the band last night taught me how to do this."
Costume
changes was just a small part of the guy in the band's showmanship. When he
wasn’t wearing a wild hat, wig, shark head cap or Elmo head, he flung around
long locks of black hair that, Medusa-like, had lives of its own. He maintained
almost constant repartee with the audience, singling out people who looked like
Burl Ives and Kenny Rogers, giving away plush dolls and archaic LP albums. Goldrainer
also was an able mimic, singing as Jim Morrison, Johnny Cash, Elvis Presley,
Bob Seger, the Commodores’ Clyde Orange and, briefly, Brittany Spears.
Throughout the show he popped confetti balloons hanging 10 feet above the stage;
popped them with his high-kicking feet.
Most of all, though, Goldrainer is a musician, and his antics in no way detracted
from the band’s solid play: John Casster on bass, Steve Chiori on guitar,
Jimmy Orwig on keyboards and falsetto vocal, Brandon Ryan on drums, and Goldrainer
himself. His vocal range not only covered the gamut of superstar singers but
the spectrum of musical genres from classic rock to country to R&B, and
he could scale octave after octave at will.
“This is the best band we’ve ever had at a zoo conference,” said
Liza Herschel of Proprietary Media, who has been attending national and regional
conferences for seven years. Much of the audience seemed to agree. The large
dance floor in front of the zoo amphitheater’s stage was as jammin’
packed with people at the end of the show—which included an encore—as
it was at the beginning.
The Audubon Institute, next year’s annual conference host, will likely
give us a slate of New Orleans jazz, which is both good and appropriate. But
here’s hoping they put The Menus on their entertainment menu, too.
THE LOOP is written and produced by Eric Minton, Minton Enterprises, LLC. To see more examples of Eric Minton's work and Minton Enterprises services, visit www.ericminton.com.
©2003, Minton Enterprises
LLC
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