This week, we interviewed Mike DeSart. Mike has many interests, including flying model aircraft, and raising parrots – for many years he and his wife ran a parrot breeding and related supplies business, “The Bird Barn”, out of their home in Portland.
But for Organ Grinder fans, Mike was the often-unseen hand that kept the organs running, and he maintained the coin-operated amusements and occasionally the kitchen equipment, just for good measure! Mike was involved in the original refurbishment and installation of both the Portland and Denver Wurlitzers.
Mike’s model aircraft skills provide an apt metaphor – he once had to perform a complete rewiring of the top manual of the console in Portland while the instrument was being played live for a crowd of customers, avoiding shorting anything out while doing so! (As to just why this had to happen, that’s a fun story that will turn up in the movie or a bonus feature.)
Taking care of a gigantic instrument isn’t monkeying around, but Mike also had the opportunity to house the Organ Grinder’s first monkey, “Pizza Pete”, at his place for a couple of weeks before Vicki Bock came on board to care for and perform with them.
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