Andrew J. Lederer

Had a triumphant singing engagement last night.

Well, that's what I like to think it was. Actually, I went to "Joe McGinty's Keyboard Karaoke", but I didn't put any money in the jar and that made it into a real gig.

During the latter '80s, I think, Joe was a member of The Psychedelic Furs, so my musical accompaniment was at the high level an artist of my standing requires. (Yup, it's true -- I didn't sit for any of the songs.)

And the tumultuous cheers that erupted when I finished "I Touch Myself" were more than enough to make up for the sting of failure I experienced when undone by the midsection of The Temptations' "Just My Imagination".

But my most moving performances were of the Carpenters classics with which I began and ended the night -- "Rainy Days and Mondays" and "Superstar" (which I sang with the the clarity and perfection of a future anorexic).

The lead singer of the band "Moi?" even said that I was good. (Well, he said that it was good to see me.)

And a bearded guy said I really hit some high notes.

And a loud-voiced guy who knows Question Mark of Question Mark and the Mysterions and whose uncle or cousin or something composed the music for "Gypsy" and "Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol" and who sells vintage vacuum tubes over the internet and is trying to get work as a cruise ship singer asked me if I wanted to get something to eat sometime 'cause he needs to stop spending so much time indoors.

So, the signs are I might be as good at this singing thing as I am at comedy.