Glenn Tilbrook -- By Rob Caruso

"Glenn Tilbrook was doing a solo tour in Michigan while I was still living there.  I asked my brother Mike to go with me.  (Everyone else was otherwise engaged)  The tour's theme was "sing along with Glenn"  When he hit the stage, he explained the deal like this:

'Right, so this is how it will work.  If any of you have any hidden talents, like playing the kazoo, washboard or tap dancing--OR SINGING, you're welcome to come up and join me for a bit.  Just yell out what the song, and if I remember it, you can come up and do whatever it is you do to enhance my performance.'

Sounded like a train wreck waiting to happen to me, but I figured it might be a good for a laugh.  I seriously did not want ANYTHING to do with the 'Karaokefest' about to ensue.  (Now, if there was a drum set up there I would've been all over it like Michael Jackson on a third grader.)

The first few people came up and sung like they probably could be pretty successful in a church choir someday.  It was impressive though, that most everyone knew all the words and could carry a tune pretty well.

(Try that at a Stevie Nicks  concert)  Then IT happened.  Some dude requested an Elvis Costello song instead of a Tilbrook/Squeeze song.  The song was 'Whisper to a Scream.'  It appeared as a duet featuring Elvis and Glenn on Costello's 'Trust' album.  It was an interesting suggestion.  Glenn fiddled around on the guitar and decided to have a go.  He called the guy up to the stage.  BIG MISTAKE.

Dave with Glenn Tilbrook
Ann Arbor, MI / April 19, 2005

The dude was shit-faced.  He couldn't remember the words and couldn't carry a tune in to save his life.  In fact, standing up was a challenge for him.  Glenn suddenly appeared very uncomfortable and finally told the guy to return to his seat.  

Feeling really bad for Glenn, I jumped up on stage just as the dude was leaving it.  I told Glenn I could do the tune and that he should start it again.  HE looked at me as if to say... 'I HOPE YOU ARE NOT LYING TO ME!'  He started the intro and I came in doing my best Elvis impersonation.  He grinned ear to ear and joined in doing his best impression of Glenn.  (Very lifelike.)  People in the audience were going crazy.  It almost seemed like the whole thing was planned to go this way.  But I knew different.  I knew that this wasn't planned at all. I wasn't prepared.  I didn't rehearse. As a matter of fact, I hadn't even heard this song in about 8 years. And just like Wyle E. Coyote when he falls off a cliff, AS SOON AS I LOOKED DOWN I began to fall VERY QUICKLY.  I drew a TOTAL blank as I was supposed to be starting the second verse!  I nervously leaned in and asked Glen what the words were.  Terrified again, he said, 'if the customers like it...'  I yelled, 'I GOT IT!'  leaned into my mic and said 'OH___, IF CUSTOMERS LIKE IT...'   The rest of the tune went off perfectly.

I know what you're thinking  Can I prove that this ever happened?  Did Mike take any pictures?  no and no."

Rob Caruso
August, 2005

A Postscript by Dave Caruso

"My brothers and I had seen Squeeze live many times in the past.  While on a lunch break at work, I read an ad that Squeeze's lead singer and co-songwriter, Glenn Tilbrook, was coming to town in a solo performance -- that night.  I called Rob from my office and told him the news.  There was something unusual about the show ... something about being able to sit in with Glenn or something.  I wish I had saved the ad -- it was very intriguing but seemed too good to be true.

I wanted to go, but I couldn't break whatever plans I had for the evening.  Rob called our brother Mike and they went to the concert together.  After the concert, when I'd heard Rob's story, I have to admit that I was only SLIGHTLY happier for Rob that he got to sing with Glenn than I was jealous that it wasn't me.

Many years later, in 2005, I got the chance to see Glenn with his band, The Fluffers, in Ann Arbor, MI.  Now that Rob lives in Baton Rouge, I called Mike to go with me.  We had dinner together and then went on to the concert.  The show was great but due to Elvis Costello being in town on the same night, hardly anyone went to the Tilbrook show.  I didn't get to sing with Glenn but he and the band were awesome.  After the show, when most of the audience had gone home we waited to see if we could meet Glenn.  He came back out to the stage and posed for pictures.  Mike snapped a picture of Glenn and me with my camera phone.  I also took one of Mike with Glenn but it came out blurry.

Well Rob, you may not have gotten pictures of your big night, but I just found proof of your duet, along with the date and location -- in a set list posted by Christopher Beckett on the SqueezeFan.com web site.  They even spelled the name right."

Dave Caruso
April, 2006