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Wednesday was a big day in the career of James Dolan. No, it had nothing to do with the fact that his New York Knicks climbed to the top of Forbes' "NBA Franchise Value" list -- the man is an artiste, and not concerned with such shallow pursuits.
Instead, Mr. Dolan shocked the music world when he announced the imminent arrival of a concert tour for the ages!
Knicks Owner James Dolan -- I'm Going On Tour With Jewel! https://t.co/iF0GJpLiGc
— TMZ (@TMZ) January 20, 2016
This makes perfect sense when you think about it. JD & the Straight Shot have always been big with the Lilith Fair crowd. Female musicians can't help but be drawn to the frontman's progressive treatment of women.
So what can we expect from James Dolan and the SS -- that's what we call them in "the biz" -- when they open for Jewel this March? Perhaps JD & the SS can build some camaraderie with the headliner by covering one of her hits. With that in mind, I've prepared a list of Jewel songs that Dolan could work with down in his beat laboratory.
"You Were Meant for Me"
In this timeless story of yearning, the singer pines for an unnamed lost love. Where has he gone? Did he leave on his own, or did David Stern force Jewel to move in with Donnie Walsh instead? Somehow I get the feeling Dolan can could really invest himself emotionally in this piece.
"Intuition"
This song marked a bizarre departure for Jewel, but any true artist artist must be willing to step outside of his or her comfort zone and experiment from time to time.
One criticism I've always had of Jimmy D & the Double-S is the their lack of choreographed dance videos. (It's not particularly high on my list of JD/SS criticisms, but it's on there.) Dolan needs to put on a show for the people, squeeze himself into the tightest pair of shorts he can find, and get his groove on. C'mon, man, you already have the Knicks City Dancers on the payroll, just waiting to back you up.
"Standing Still"
Or am I standing still
Beneath a darkened sky
Or am I standing still
With the scenery flying by
Or am I standing still
Out of the corner of my eye
Was that you passing me by
I'm pretty sure this song was written after watching Jerome James play defense.
"God's Gift to Women"
This suggestion comes from my colleague, and preeminent Jewel historian, Jonathan Schulman. The song is a bit NSFW, but people come to a Jewel/JD & the Straight Shot show with the expectation of being shocked, of being challenged.
By all means, Mr. Dolan, sing, dance and kazoo your heart out. Yodel along with Jewel as you cross the country. But I beg of you, please don't follow through on your idea of playing a concert in Kristaps Porzingis' homeland of Latvia.