New York, NY (Top40 Charts) Songwriter-Performer Armand St.
Martin does it again. This time the New Orleans-born singer, and piano-playing entertainer with a continuous stream of his super sense of keen humor and musical multi-talents, has taken on the Saints' football Defensive Coordinator, head-first.
With his parody set to the hairy tune of you guessed it, "Hair," St.
Martin easily brushes out any tangles there might be in any song with his shear genius. His clever tune, "Samson of the Sidelines," memoralizes a particular coiffed coach and New Orleans wildman, with this tribute song. Locally, nationally, and internationally, football fans (and hair dressers), recognize this saintly SuperDome style-setter simply by his majestic mane atop his own dome. His name. . . Rob Ryan.
The head-shot portrait of Tom Benson's own New Orleans Saints team leader Rob Ryan, with his massive head of flowing hair, has been created by New Orleans-based prolific writer, artist, designer, and illustrator Ron Domingue. Domingue's magnificent art piece of Ryan's impressive hair (no, not a hair piece!) now serves as the cover-art for Armand St. Martin's latest one-song CD: "Samson of the Sidelines."
Ron Domingue studied Fine Art and History at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and is the co-founder of Epilogue, a digital publishing company. A recipient of a Louisiana Press Association Award for Illustration, Domingue has won multiple awards including an Associate Press Award for Graphics. Domingue is an accomplished Art Director, Graphic Designer,
Interactive Strategist, Publisher, and User Interface Designer, and "he has collaborated with many high-profile brands and clients." He is renowned for his watercolor illustrations of legends such as
Stevie Nicks and John Lennon. Domingue's stunning painting of Rob Ryan first appeared on the cover of Where Y'at Magazine in New Orleans. This impressive cut-above masterpiece is the same art that now also graces Armand St. Martin's parody CD cover, "Samson of the Sidelines" (thank you, Ron Domingue and Where Y'at's publisher, Josh Danzig).
"Samson of the Sidelines" CD by Armand St.
Martin on Patty Lee Records is currently available on CdBaby, and also on iTunes, Amazon, Spotify, and other internet sites sporting the "sport of hair-raising football."
"It all started out as a hair-brained spoof," St.
Martin chuckles. "I got a call. . . !"
Encouraged "to come up with something right off the top of St. Martin's head" by the allusive Mardi Gras krewe-maesters in the most popular New Orleans superkrewe, Le Krewe d'Etat, St.
Martin quickly put pen to paper, put his flying fingers to his piano, and went right into the studio to re-record "Hair" aka "Samson of the Sidelines." The rest is an exciting "cut-to-the-chase" slice of Big Easy history for the New Orleans Saints, Rob Ryan, St. Martin, and Le Krewe d'Etat (and now also for Ron Domingue with his Rob Ryan portrait.)
With that one phone call to St. Martin, Rob Ryan's head of flowing strands was soon highlighted at Mardi Gras by this colorful super krewe (sans supercut crewcuts). St.
Martin took things the extra mile and created this cutting-edge concept in which Le Krewe d'Etat's Dancin' Darlin's could cut loose and be fancy free. For their traditional Fat Friday Mardi Gras parade 2014, the Dancin' Darlin's donned Ryan-esque pepper-grey wigs along with custom football outfits for their march. St. Martin's "Samson of the Sidelines" was an automatic heads-up-hit of the Mardi Gras season. This parody and the krewe's choreographed dancing were enjoyed by the happy masses stretching for miles along the sidelines of the entire parade route. These popular foot-stompin' Dancin' Darlin's weaved up and down en route, in sync to St. Martin's parody that blasted from mega-speakers on a slow-moving semi-truck behind the dancers, filling the night air like the booming voice of the Wizard of Oz in all his crowning glory. From uptown to downtown, the crowds were blown away, waving frantically to the Dancin' Darlin's (many even doing "the wave" to "Samson of the Sidelines"). The long-haired Dancin' Dawlin's raised eyebrows as they gleefully danced by. Everybody who is anybody turns out each year on Fat Friday in the Crescent City to enjoy a big head-start on that Mardi Gras weekend. . . always to be surprised by what Le Krewe d'Etat is about to deliver! The critically-acclaimed and favored Le Krewe d'Etat is consistently ahead of the game each Mardi Gras. They definitely delivered again with St. Martin's cutting-edge "Samson of the Sidelines."
A BMI songwriting artist, St.
Martin is accustomed to delivering with his uptempo New Orleans-styled music. "We received a 100% heads-up on 'Samson of the Sidelines'," says St.
Martin when being interviewed.
Several years ago, St.
Martin penned and recorded his original song, "Black and Gold in the SuperBowl." This tune was played on loud speakers in the Pittsburgh, PA City Council
Chambers and was entered into the Pittsburgh City Council Minutes. This tune is also on YouTube. St. Martin's brilliant original tune and recording, "Potholes and Politicians," turned heads when his song and accompanying video garnered 10,000 hits on the first day when it was featured on Big Geek Daddy. St.
Martin penned "Potholes and Politicians" after he and his manager/wife, Patty Lee, experienced three flat tires in one day while traversing the pot-holed streets of New Orleans. St. Martin's "Tackle Bounty Style" parody for the Le Krewe d'E'tat's Dancin' Darlin's appears on YouTube to the tune of "Gangnam Style." "Samson of the Sidelines" was next featured live by the Dancin' Darlin's at Mardi Gras.
St.
Martin performs 200 shows a year in New Orleans, and has three CDs released on Patty Lee Records ("Alligator Ball," "Sizzlin'," and "Katrina Anthem"), plus two 1-song CDs also on Patty Lee Records ("Last Time in Texas," and "Potholes and Politicians"). He now adds his third 1-song CD, "Samson of the Sidelines." These St.
Martin CDs (along with more filmed performances) can be enjoyed on YouTube and Vimeo. Along with being available on CdBaby and iTunes, and other worldwide web sites, Armand St.
Martin and his Bayou Bohemians' CDs can also be found at Louisiana
Music Factory and
Peaches Records in the French Quarter, and at the national chain, Barnes and Noble. Notably, St. Martin's original song (recorded by Armand St.
Martin and his Bayou Bohemians), which is titled, "Storyville Blues," has appeared on television's K-Ville, the indie-Louisiana film Brawler, and on the hit television series, Treme. The most requested of St. Martin's original songs in his live performances is "Creole Good-By."
"I'm having such good time with 'Samson of the Sidelines' because I'm a 'dye'-hard Saints fan!" St.
Martin adds.
Samson was a no-brainer for Armand St.
Martin and for the Dancin' Darlin's of Le Krewe d'Etat in New Orleans since they really know how to cut loose, which they did with "Samson of the Sidelines" at Mardi Gras time without splitting any hairs. - P.L.
