Coming up on the homestretch of Season 1; we see singer Siedah Garrettnote rent the P*lace to shoot a music video...with only the girls.
Riley starts the episode with a quickie intro before opening song "Why Me?", after which Riley (bearing good news for once) teases his good news for the band...after the next song ("Don't Talk to Strangers"note ).
We then finally find out what the news is: Singer Siedah Garrett was visiting the P*lace to shoot a music video that afternoon (news emphasized by Mickey repeatedly shaking Kid) and she also wanted the girls as backups (this time the girls end up shaking Kid up). Unfortunately, it's girls-onlynote . At that point, the gears start turning in Mickey's head - much to Kid's consternation after having been grounded for a week following a similar unspecified incident. Things start off with Mickey and Kid entering posing as repairmen (Kid's fake name is Rocko; Mickey's is never stated) here to repair a stage light, with Riley briefly stopping them before letting them pass. Upon seeing Garrett, the two seemingly alternate blowing their cover...and then break the light the "repairmen" were supposed to fix, leading to Riley throwing them out; upon which the two male vocalists lament their bad luck to the tune of "(Must Be Some) Misunderstanding".
Attempt #2 sees the boys try sneaking in again; this time posing as "backup musicians" (in spite of it having been explicitly said the girls were the only backup allowed for the shoot), managing to make it to the stage with Siedah; who notes she wasn't expecting backup musicians and wants to see "Snake" and "Spider" show their stuff. It doesn't happen, as Riley once again throws the two out. After all those interruptions, we finally get to see the shoot for "Do You Want It Right Now?"
But what's this? Just as the shoot ends, we see Mick...er, "Penelope" and Ki...I mean "Gertrude" having arrived on the scene, triggering Siedah's suspicions; as she then decides to bluff the two into thinking they were going to meet in the dressing room...to change into bikinis. At this point, the boys wave the white flag; upon which Gloria - after feigning shock - then introduces the two to Siedah, who asks the band to do a number for her. Cue closing number "Rock This Town"note ; complete with Siedah dancing with the band and (unlike "Don't Talk to Strangers" someone remembering to have a saxophone on stage for Kid).
As for Siedah Garrett, while her career never reached the heights that she expected, she would remain active as a songwriter and session vocalist; with her most prominent work coming with the 1987 Michael Jackson album Bad; where she provided duet vocals on "I Just Can't Stop Loving You" and co-wrote "Man in the Mirror"note
Songs performed in this episode:
- “Why Me?" (Irene Cara cover; lead vocals by Gloria)
- "Don't Talk to Strangers" (Rick Springfield cover; lead vocals by Mickey)note
- "(Must Be Some) Misunderstanding" (Genesis (Band) cover; lead vocals by Mickey and Kid)
- "Do You Want It Right Now?" (Siedah Garrett cover; lead vocals by Siedah Garrett)
- "Rock This Town" (Stray Cats cover; lead vocals by Mickey)note
Tropes associated with this episode:
- Disguised in Drag: What the last of Mickey and Kid's disguises entails.
- Noodle Incident: Whatever Mickey's scheme was that got Kid grounded for a week.
- Paper-Thin Disguise: What each of the attempts to sneak into the P*lace involve, first with Mickey and Kid posing as repairmen, then as backup musicians and finally as girls.
- Zany Scheme: Mickey's ideas for him and Kid to sneak into the P*lace during the video shoot.
