One of the oddest musical performers I've ever seen is Joe Mendelson, formerly of McKenna Mendelson Mainline, which was a Toronto, Canada blues band back in the late 60's and early 70's, as I recall.

Joe is a tough looking guy (sort of looks like a burly biker to me, with a wild glint in his eye). After some time in a more electric band doing the blues, Joe started doing a solo folk gig with a little old beat-up acoustic guitar that he could do wonders with. I saw him at numerous gigs in Toronto in the late 70's, and I'm sure he's still around now, cos he's a tough cookie.

Joe did not like inattentive or noisy audiences, and he would shut them up by talking directly to whomever was bugging him, and bullying them into silence. There was a quality of veiled threat in Joe's manner that was capable of shutting up virtually any loquacious diner or drinker. He was amusing, satirical, and downright intimdating all at the same time. You got the feeling he might just come down off the stage if you didn't quiet down and listen...and then what???

Also, he was so strange in his general manner that people would shut up just because they became very curious what he might say or do next.

Joe's songs were mostly quite satirical, and poked fun at all the usual human foibles, especially the pretentious and "cool" attitudes that were prevalent in Toronto, and I suppose still are. He also sang some songs (a few) that were utterly politically incorrect, generally toward the women's movement or something like that...they were so politically incorrect that I kind of got the impression that they were a parody of themselves...if you can follow that. Most intriguing. I never saw anyone get offended. There was simply no point getting offended by Joe Mendelson...besides he was very funny.

He started out his solo career as simply "Joe Mendelson". Then he became "Toronto Joe Mendelson". Then, in a sarcastic aside to the "cool" people, he became "Sophisto Joe Mendelson". This linked to a song he had written, a bogus dance number, about a dance called "the Sophisto...the dance of the 70's". This was the dance that Joe saw people doing all around him, and he lampooned it mercilessly.

Joe also did paintings, that were sort of like children's art. I thought they were bloody awful, but he liked them, and so did some other people.

He was a very good guitar player. The little beat-up guitar looked like it had been the the Alaska gold rush or something. It had the words "Bye Bye" written in big white letters on the back, and he would hold it up and wave it at the audience after the last song (NO ENCORES!).

Joe's most offensively non-PC song was called "Mainly Because of the Meat", and it was based on a famous Loblaw's grocery chain store radio ad...but it wasn't about Loblaw's, it was about women...

Lotta nerve this guy had, eh?

My friend Sue was a huge women's rights advocate, and she saw Joe do this song one time. She just laughed...you had to see the whole show to understand why...like I say, no use getting offended by Joe...he was smart, and his humour worked on many levels.

Joe got in a long wrangle with the Canadian federal government, because they were sending him standard correspondence...and on the letter it always said "Mendelson, Joe" and then his address. Joe would return the letter to them with a note saying: My name is not "Mendelson Joe, it is Joe Mendelson, so I refuse to accept this letter. It went on for years. The government refused to budge, and so did Joe. Finally he went to a judge and got his name legally changed to Mendelson Joe. Now when the government sends him a letter, it says "Joe, Mendelson" and then his address. Joe is satisfied by this, although he'd like it better if they would remove the comma, but you can't have everything. The government doesn't care, but they've probably got him on a list of subversives somewhere.

And that is the true story of Mendelson Joe. I hope I spelled his last name right. All of the above is public knowledge, by the way...in Toronto...known by those who have mastered "the Sophisto" at least.