Staff writer
Community invited to sing, dress up
COEUR d'ALENE -- Pull out the tambourine or ready that kazoo. A community wide performance of "Louie Louie" needs your help.
The Northwest Academy Music Center invites everyone in town to celebrate International "Louie Louie" Day by participating in a massive rendition of the rock hit. The party starts at 2 p.m. Saturday at 4055 N. Government Way in Coeur d'Alene. Store manager Sean Schlender said no musical experience is necessary.
"It's a really fun song that almost anybody can do because it's so simple," he said.
The original "Louie Louie" was written in 1955 by R&B singer Richard Berry, but the song became a national sensation when two rock groups, the Kingsmen and Paul Revere & the Raiders, recorded their own versions in Portland, Ore., in 1963. The Kingsmen version drew controversy for its slurred, incomprehensible lyrics and was the subject of obscenity investigations by the FBI. But Berry's original lyrics were completely harmless, and nobody could pinpoint a naughty word in the Kingsmen version.
After countless covers, and a memorable revival by John Belushi in "Animal House," the song is now a go-to track for those needing a loud, uptempo pick-me-up. Schlender said it's the perfect song to energize the community after a long winter.
Many Northwest Academy instructors and students have agreed to attend the event, and Schlender expects at least 50 people to participate.
Canfield Middle School student Ben Boggs, 13, will shred the riff on his electric guitar.
He was surprised to learn the song had earned its own world-recognized day.
"I totally never knew it was international," Boggs said.
He hopes the event spawns more song-centric celebrations.
"Maybe one of Bob Marley's songs," Boggs said.
There will be prizes awarded to the best and worst "Louie" renditions, and everyone who participates will receive a $5 gift certificate to use in the store that day. Schlender also encourages people to wear a costume that represents the song's history in some way.
"'Louie Louie' has had so many different versions, from reggae to rock, that I'm going to let anybody dress up how they see fit," he said.
The event will also be filmed and posted on the Northwest Academy Web site.
