Most people have a song or two that strongly reminds them of their college years. Mine is "Anything, Anything," by the relatively obscure '80s alt-rock group Dramarama. I just love the abandon with which frontman John Easdale sings the chorus, especially at the end of the song: "I gave you candy/gave you diamonds/gave you pills/I gave you anything you want/hundred dollar bills/I'll even let you/hear the songs I want to sing/I'll give you anything, anything anything..."Anyway, apparently, Ellen DeGeneres is also a fan; in fact, "Anything, Anything" is her favorite song, and she asks her DJ to play it during every commercial break. So for her 50th birthday, the DJ surprised her by bringing out Dramarama to play the song live. You can see the video after the jump (be patient - it takes a while to load).
I've got to tell you, this was fun to watch. And it was fun to see Ellen be the only person in the audience to know the words; I'm guessing that most of the audience members were too old, too young, or too social in college to know who the hell Dramarama was.
By the way, Dramarama still does some live shows, especially after they were featured on VH1's Bands Reunited a few years ago. Information on the band's doings can be found at Easdale's web site.
[via PopCrunch]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
1-24-2008 @ 3:09PM
ORKMommy said...
Awwww...that was so sweet!
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1-26-2008 @ 3:50PM
baronjosefr said...
"What Are We Gonna Do?" is a much better tune, although "Anything, Anything" is really good. Unfortunately, because Dramarama wasn't part of a major label and a Frankenstein construct of the music industry, most people don't know them.
1-24-2008 @ 3:25PM
Mel said...
Ellen is 50?!?!?
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1-24-2008 @ 3:49PM
Duane said...
Apparently nobody watched Rockstar : SuperNova where "Storm Large", one of the early favorites to win, sang a version that dubbed her the nickname "Crazy Eyes" and included a stage dive. I've got that on my iTunes playlist right now as a matter of fact.
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1-24-2008 @ 3:53PM
Duane said...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h92nPmmKzeM
Found it! Storm Large doing Anything Anything on Rockstar : Supernova.
I like hers better.
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1-24-2008 @ 4:48PM
AutomagV said...
Fu*king great song. In my top 5
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1-24-2008 @ 4:57PM
Ear said...
Crazy, never would have thought Ellen and I had something in common. That also is easily one of my top 10 favourite songs.
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1-26-2008 @ 6:17PM
Lois said...
I thought of something else u both have in common: WOMEN!!!!!
1-24-2008 @ 7:19PM
Tabloid Whore said...
John Easdale, you still rock my world. Yay Ellen, Happy Birthday! Dramarama was one of the best, but sadly underrated bands of the '90s. Those of us who knew 'em and went to go see them play were the lucky ones. Great job, guys. Miss the old days...
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1-24-2008 @ 9:23PM
Darren said...
I enjoy Buckcherry's version of this song (which is where I heard it first). You can find it on the soundtrack to the movie Road Trip. You can hear the version here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1koLB883kTQ
dubbed over scenes from the movie
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1-25-2008 @ 2:03AM
AL said...
All I can say is,"Last cigarette,last cigarette, one before I go to bed!" Great band, I will never forget seeing them and saying hi and thank you in the DFW airport after an acoustic set at THE EDGE 102.1 (when it was still truly alternative), first birthday party. Appreciative and good rockstar cool.
No drama from DRAMARAMA.
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1-25-2008 @ 3:50AM
Tess Capra said...
Huh, Ellen's one of those people who sings along instead of listening to the group. I *hate* those people, who are invariably sitting right behind me. I paid to hear the group, fan, not you. Please wait until you're in your car going home to add your American Idol-like harmonies.
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1-25-2008 @ 7:16AM
JohnnyB said...
I remember them on the VH1 show "Bands Reunited" (I LOVED that show)....It's a great song, and I enjoyed seeing them on that show.
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1-26-2008 @ 2:34PM
Lisa said...
Punk? Dramarama is far from punk. Try- Black Flag, Dead Kennedy's, The Vandals (just to name a few bands that made it BIG as punk bands). Dramarama? That is stretching it just for the sake of hits on a site. If they got media time on a radio station that was not a college station & they released a song in the later years about Earth Day, it's not punk.
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1-26-2008 @ 4:52PM
undrgrndgirl said...
come on...dramarama is hardly punk...
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1-26-2008 @ 5:03PM
John F.C. Taylor said...
Who or what is Dramarama? Why should we care if Degeneres is a fan? Maybe we should also be concerned about what brand of toilet paper she uses.
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1-26-2008 @ 5:10PM
Dayna said...
Dramarama is awesome! I have Loved them since I was a teen! As for John, if You don't care, why read it and then post that You don't care?
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1-26-2008 @ 5:34PM
Rick said...
Ouch! This brings up a memory from the past of me and my friend (both Quaalude wastes at the time) sitting on the ground outside of Jimmy's club where Ellens brothers band was playing. As obnoxious twits do, we made a few unkind remarks to Ellen as she passed us on the street and her companion gave both of us a well deserved kick in our gonads! You can only guess what type of comments were made and as an adult now, I truly regret my unkind behaviour. Ellen did nothing to warrant such rudeness except win Showtimes Funniest person in America. Sorry Ellen
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1-26-2008 @ 5:50PM
Freddy said...
Who would've thought!?! Ellen and I have two things in common......women and Dramarama!!!
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1-26-2008 @ 6:18PM
susie said...
WELL THAT WAS 4:14 MINUTES WASTED OF MY LIFE
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