Fordham Preparatory School - Ramview Ramview Spring 2018 | Page 29

Megadeath covers, an original piece called “Ode to Gus” and — in
an appropriately quirky vein for a band called Hot Dog Death —
a French song-o-rama section that included a cover of “Linda” by
Elmer Food Beat, a contemporary rock band out of Nantes.
he
Overnight, Hot Dog Death were celebrities — at least among the
ore.
back-of-the-Commons crowd. And the fans were hungry for more.
A second performance was held in the spring in ’92 at the
University’s Collins Auditorium. It was one of the last occasions s
the Prep would use the space before the completion of the
Leonard Theatre. HDD’s performance was electric, even more
raucous than the first. The crowd loved it and showered the
band with tokens of their appreciation. No, not roses. Roses
would never do. Frozen hot dogs, of course — dozens of them. .
ep
[No joke! This is no Dwyer-esque embellishment.] As far as Prep
e
musicians go, in the spring of 1992, Cramer and company were
on top of the world.
But the magic that was Hot Dog was fleeting. As senior year
rolled on, the boys from the back-window Commons tables
sought to branch out and build on their Commons/Collins
success. There were attempts to reinvent themselves as a
prog-rock band and to experiment with other vocal styles, but
alas, despite efforts to keep the band going after graduation, it t
was the end of an era.
Nonetheless, the phenomenon that was Hot Dog Death lasted
d
long enough to earn Cramer, Cavuto, Tria and Varenne an odd
n
little spot in school history. They were voted “Favorite Band” in
o
the 1992 Ramkin, and were invoked at reunions for decades to
ed
come. They inspired at least one known Hot Dog Death-themed
Christmas tree ornament that may or may not still be in
existence, and they gathered a fanbase that would be loyal for r
life. Just how loyal? Well, according to rumors, their very first
groupie and #1 fan, Elizabeth Mazzella, MSU ’92, now goes by the
name of Mrs. Liz Varenne [and occasionally employs a heavy
metal accent circonflexe over the z.] Hot Dog Death forever!
In the words of one former band member: “It could only have
happened at Fordham Prep — a place that encourages you to be
lue
yourself, to use your gifts and talents and to appreciate the value
of occasional intelligent ridiculousness” — a statement as true in
any decade as it was in the ’90s — the 1990s, or the 1890s for
that matter.
[PS: Hey, if you’re out there reading this, guys, any chance of
getting the band back together? I think you could even get the
Commons for a night. You’ve got some ‘90s connections in the
Administration. Right, Dr. Petriello?]
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