It's true. The bar has been lowered. No longer can I see 100 shows a week. That task is left to road warriors like Dr. Yeti. Jerry is an allstar and it would have been outstanding to be on the dance floor with him in Baltimore. Alas, I've grown ill which means there has been little to no going out, but last night I was able to break free for a minute. This meant a stop at the Mercury Lounge to chat up Roth, Beach and some other folks before we grabbed Enrique and headed to the Bowery for some Be Your Own Pet. The room was pretty loose, but this is because the lead singer from the openning kicked a fire extinguisher off the wall while he was getting thrown out which caused it to burst open and cover the room. So after a few songs at a volume that wasn't anywhere near safe, I took my chemical lined throat to the basement to hang out with any goons in arm reach. The night ended with a Baseball Star's brodown which is probably why I'm so fucking tired.
Anyway, the long and sort of this post was to clue you into what's rocking my shit these days. Now I don't have the time, but I can safely say you should pick up The Black Keys'Magic Potion (Nonesuch) and Oxford Collapse'sRemember the Night Parties (Sub Pop). They are two stellar rock albums currently knocking the dick out of my mouth. Great stuff. Here is a stream of Black Keys' "You Are the One" and "Your Touch" - dig it.
In terms of the weekend there are a few options on tap, but tonight Daddy Roth talked me into checking out What Made Milwaukee Famous who are opening an evening at the Bowery that includes Menomena (sooooo good) and The Long Winters. If you are of the MisShapes variety, you'll probably be checking out Girl Talk and Diplo at Irving Plaze, but please stick around for Peeping Tom. If you accidentally find yourself on the wrong side of the river, stop by Galapagos where Lio is hosting one of his infamous Crashin' In parties with special guest White Rabbits. Tomorrow night I'll be working before hitting the house party circuit. We'll see how that goes.
Good luck warriors. You're welcome for nothing. Oh, and wait until you hear the new Ice T album... or wait, he goes by Iceberg now. In any event - it kills.
Being sick is awesome. Seriously, all the pain, sweating and puking adds up to an experience unsurpassed in this very condensed lifetime. The past 48 hours have been a mess, but I've grown restless so I'm turning to the computer for entertainment.
Let me begin by saying The Big Sleep totally destroyed at their record release show last Thursday at the Mercury Lounge. Jinners provided some pictures while I provided the mustaches, and I can only guess that is was the Treats Club that provided the post show cupcakes. There were tons of friends and family (Danny's little sister flew in from Boston) in the room which made for a killer experience that will go down in the books as one to remember. After they completely melted faces with their final two songs (two ripping joints off the album), they brought it down all slow like, but their lighting rigs blew out and finished in the dark - it was magical. The Comas did a great job opening the show, but my mind was so focused on the main event that I could hardly concentrate. The night ended with a serious brodown that included 24oz B-weisers, Baseball Stars and some air guitar action to Sabbath's Vol. 4.
Friday night I returned to the Mercury Lounge after some more pulled pork with Cap't Slider over at Summers, (awesome restaurant/bar on Clinton). We managed to get back to the club to see four straight sets by The White Rabbits, The Head Set, Favourite Sons and Snowden. It was a blurry, whirlwind of a night, but a couple things stood out. The first being that it was a smart move to hook Elliot from The Head Set up with a microphone so he could harmonize with Jordan. It adds some great dynamic to their sound. Speaking of vocals; Ken Griffin of the Brooklyn via Philly five-piece Favourite Sons has a voice that resides somewhere between Danzing and Julian Casablancas. Throw it in front of some drugged out, driving rock noise and you have a new twist on an old an always tasty recipe. It was great to close the night out running into old friends, but I have to ask Jamie (if she reads this) who were the two girls I chatted up at the end of the evening? I can't remember a thing.
On Saturday Stevo picked me up and we drove around Brooklyn with no real direction before returning to the L.E.S. to watch the PSU game at Epsteins. After a beer at the douche filled bar, we returned to 186 to kill time before Shannon's big coming out party. Around 7pm we met with Sarah and Em and headed to Tim's for some dinner provided by the Shananana. She was testing some dishes out with the hopes of doing some catering gigs in the near future. The food was mondo delicious with dishes like Mexican Cheesecake, Quail eggs and some cheesy pizza playing center roles. I want more! It was also a great chance to pull some hang time with Clancey Pants and the always handsome David James both of which I haven't seen in quite some time. Tim lives with Josh from the Secret Machines which made for some excellent drunken Kraut Rock conversations. Man, I love a good dinner party, but my teeth were dying the next day after all the Sparks.
The past couple days have been a wash, but one cool highlight was an eMusic conference room appearance by Dr. Dog yesterday at lunchtime. Unfortunately I had to come home directly after the gig, but I managed to egg them into playing "Ain't it Strange" off their latest EP, (I highly recommend you checking out that jam). Below are a few pics from my man Jordy.
Did anyone catch their opening slots at Roseland? They played with the Raconteurs on Monday and Tuesday evening. Don't worry if you missed it; they will be back during CMJ and hitting one of my favorite rooms, (go ahead and guess).
Additionally, have you seen Keith Olbermann's reaction to the media's reaction to the Bill Clinton interview with those dickbags at Fox News. I highly recommend you watch this clip. It's outstanding commentary on the current administration. Thanks to Merida for sending this along, (and for not throwing me out of 2A on Saturday night).
I'd also like to say congratulations to Brandon & Kimmy and Doug & Annie on their weddings this weekend. I wish you all the best!
No really, I'm burning up. My temperature is something like 112 degrees, but I'm going to do my best to go all out tonight for The Big Sleep record release show at Mercury. The purpose of this post is to show you folks that I'm not the only person going ape over this band. Extra! Extra... Read all about it:
Thanks to Stereogum for posting this Jared Leto comment:
"I think that blogging should die a sudden death. It's just ridiculous. It's like a playground for four-year-olds. People say and do things in the world of blogs that they would never do in real life, and I think it's a false experience. You know, it's, like, eating too much candy. One of the things along those lines that bothers me about when people start citing blogs as news sources is that when people are writing on these blogs, they feel like they don't feel they need to do any research or back up their opinions with facts or anything, you know what I mean? Times have changed. It used to be, to be a writer you had to have experience and talent, and learn a craft. Now anybody with an opinion, which is anyone and everyone, feels that it's worthy. Technology is allowing people to have access to things where before it required very great skill. So there will be some interesting developments from that, and also some things that are pretty worthless. Pretty soon anybody with a cell phone is going to be able to be a news reporter. The blog is yesterday's parachute pants. It's here now but it's gone tomorrow."
"Playground for four-year-olds" - is this kat serious? 30 Seconds to Mars' live shows are a fucking joke. Now I would be the last person to take offense to anyone picking on the practice of blogging because I rarely take it seriously myself, but come on now - your music isn't worth a damn and it doesn't take any research to stake this claim. Leto is a definition cum dumpster. Sit back and open wide you fucking douche. The problem with these teabaggin' superstars is they get upset that kids are empowered and no matter how much money is thrown at the wall - your release won't stick. The beauty of blogs is that your opinion now has a venue, (and it didn't take major label bucks to buy it out). But then again, maybe Leto is a Facist. Now that is news and Loose Record has proof of it. Leto, please remember to keep your mouth shut. The dickbags steering your misguided ship might get the impression you have some real input, but you aren't fooling us.
So a few nights ago Pearl Jam covered the Tom Waits song "Picture in a Frame" in Milan. Seeing that made me realize how killer this year has been for my top 5 artists. The Strokes, Pearl Jam and Bob Dylan have all put out amazing new albums. Tom Waits has a three disc album due in November and I picked up a killer Jonathan Richman bootleg while I was in Cape Cod. Also in this calender year, I will have seen The Strokes five times, Pearl Jam three times, and Dylan once. Sometimes, as a music fan, its nice to sit back and realize how rad life is. Sorry if this post is a little Paul Brokeback for you, but fuck it, Pearl Jam just covered Tom Waits.
As I continue to avoid the nightlife - just kidding, I was working last night - I still have the desire to drop some new music on all your waiting ears. Take a second and listen to what's showed up over the last few days.
Sono Oto :: Granny Smith (audio) - Mark Phillips is one hell of a song writer as well as one of the nicest kids I know. Go support his project Sono Oto tonight at the Mercury Lounge (10:30pm) as they celebrate he celebrates the release of the Apple EP with folks like Jack Champion joining him on stage. As an added bonus, all comers will receive a copy of the EP upon entry.
Sam Champion :: LIVE! (Thursday) - They are breaking my heart with this gig because it inadvertently put them up against The Big Sleep's Record Release Party, but I still have to show love to one of my favorite quartets. Check them out at The Deli's party over at The Annex. If you time it perfectly you might be able to see both. Sam Champion is planning to grace your ears with some new tunes so it's well worth the effort.
The Blow :: Pile of Gold (audio) :: Pile of Gold (video) - Exactly what you might expect from a Portland duo. Their new record - Paper Television - hits shelves on October 24 courtesy of K Records. For all you Beavis and Butthead fans; their URL ends with blow.us.
The Whigs :: Technology (audio) - Yesterday marked the release of this Athens based trio ATO debut Give Em All A Big Fat Lip. I caught their promising show this weekend at the Mercury Lounge. They come highly recommended if you like pretty girls and gritty rock. Check out their website for a bunch of dates with Mute Math.
Justice :: Paris Release Party (video) - Ed Banger recently threw down in NYC, but I'm sure Justice's return to will be twice as bananas. They are stopping through on November 4 at Studio B to show all the little college CMJ bitches how we do it Tits Out style.
Read Yellow :: Sister Soul (audio) - Whether you call it Post Rock or Angular Punk, it is still the best thing to come out of Massachusetts for quite some time. To be fair; I hate Massachusetts. Catch them on a Northeast tour with A Place To Bury Strangers.
The Flaming Lips :: Live @ Oklahoma City Zoo (video) - This is just what is sounds like, but much to my dismay, Wayne isn't riding any elephants.
The Panda Band :: Eyelashes (audio) - A new style of Aussie indie rock. The recent domestic release of This Vital Chapter (Filter) has some fans of the Flaming Lips' sound turning their heads.
The White Rabbits, The Head Set, Snowden & Favorite Sons :: LIVE! (Friday) - Can you handle back-to-back-to-back nights at the Mercury Lounge? The answer must be yes because after Sono Oto (tonight) and The Big Sleep (tomorrow) you'll need to settle in for this stellar lineup (top to bottom) that will surely be a great start to another tremendous weekend.
Cold War Kids :: We Used to Vacation (audio) - New take of the song originally featured on their debut EP. Look for this to be included on their new record Robbers & Cowards and watch out for them on tour with The Futureheads. This shit is soulful.
Emily Haines :: Doctor Blind (audio) - The biggest indie crush steps away from Metric and Broken Social Scene to deliver her solo debut Knives Don't Have Your Back. With only a couple shows booked in NYC, SF & LA it's going to be difficult to lay your eyes on the reigning prom queen of the scene.
Asobi Seksu :: Strawberries Remix (audio) - The press absolutely loved the shoegaze goodness of this NYC four-piece, but they may dig it even more upon hearing the Cassettes Won't Listen remixes. Stop by their Myspace page to find out when they are stopping in your home town during their month long Fall Tour.
Beck :: LIVE! (tix onsale now) - Beck is returning to the Big Apple on October 18 and setting up shop at MSG Theatre for one night only. I fully advocate your attendance at this show. They are magical. I have to credit Beck for being the catalyst to one of my best relationships ever. God bless that man - I nearly saw the light.
Holy Fuck, I feel like Stevie Wonder looking at some titties for the first time. And not just any titties. Not the sweat-sock-half-filled-with-gravy floppy tits. No, the best tits there ever were or will be. The kind of taters that would launch a thousand ships.
See, I lived my whole adult life aware of the band Tool, and I'd minimally heard their shit, and even liked it. I would smile and nod when their name came up and even feigned interest when I began giving lessons to the older brother of Tool's guitarist. However I was not a huge fan until last night, seeing them tear it up for their home town show in the Chicago 'burbs. Un-fucking-believable. I have never been to a show before where I walked in a normal dude, and walked out a huge fan. A total rebirth and epiphany into awesomeness.
I know this is goign to be laced with terms that sound like exaggerations on my part, but fuck, I can't explain it any other way. I can safely say I've never seen a better rock drummer or lead singer perform. I can also easily go on record saying that I've never seen a visual performance like this at a live show. And I can also go out on a limb and project that I can't imagine any circumstance in which any band anywhere could put on a better, more artistic, and more enjoyable show. Well maybe if they dug up Bonzo and had four people above him working his limbs like a madman marionette. But thats a long shot. Rest in Peace Bonzo.
The visuals were a literal mindfuck. We were informed early on that the stage show was designed from the perspective of a person in the top rear of a colliseum. SO suddenly, our section 212 seats were the 'best in the house' at least visually speaking. Anyhow, the stage was massive and all white, and behind the band a stood a 7 foot white screen which was projected from behind. During the entire show different crazy fucked up animations and Tool-esque debacuhery was projected onto the screen behind the band, but also onto the stage where they stood. It felt like a psychedlic trip into the end scene of The Golden Child. Anyone who's ever seen a Tool album or any artwork by Alex Grey can understand the utter strangenss of the artwork associated with this band. There were lasers, there were lights, there was smoke, and there was a rock hard boner in my Bugle Boys. It was simultaneously scary, captivating, and totally kick ass.
I know that this website throws around superlatives about how great some not-so-great bands are. I know that every bloke who passes through the Mercury Lounge gets the blog equivalent of oral sex from Jay, but I cant stress how much I mean business when I say that you should go see Tool on this tour if at all possible.
It was one of the best thigns I have ever seen in my life, musical or otherwise. The band was tight, artistic and totally fucking sweet. And most shocking was that I walked in a normal fucker not expecting much more than distortion, screaming, and a whole lotta dudes. But I literally walked out of the arena as a diehard Tool fan.
So big thanks to the band, thanks to Al Jones for hooking up the all access, and thanks to Jay for giving me a place to spew this nonsense.
Will you ever get tired of me talking about The Big Sleep? You're probably nodding your head yes, but bottom line is I just don't give a fuck. Check out the Loose Review of their new record written by the lovely Nicole D. Pitchfork gave Son of the Tiger a middle of the road 6.1 rating, but that is probably them playing it safe. Take a gamble on this record. It's funny because the pieces of the record that PFM didn't enjoy really appeal to me - does that make me a douchebag? That goes without saying, but it also might mean my musical taste is so advanced that you mere mortals must struggle to keep up. I'm going with the douchebag theory though. Bottom line, pick up the record and learn to love - you're better off for it and don't forget to come down to the Mercury Lounge Thursday night to witness the goodness onstage.
Also, for your viewing pleasure, please have a gander at this performance by Russ Josephs who is a long time contributor to Loose Record. He is one crazy son-of-a-bitch and ladies, check out that side pipe!
First and foremost let me say congratulations to The Big Sleep for scoring Band of the Day on Spin (dot-com). If you don't know by now, The Big Sleep is gearing up for the release of their debut full-length Son of the Tiger that drops tomorrow courtesy of French Kiss Records. Make sure you pick up a copy of the album at your local record shop or better yet iTunes, and stop by the release show this Thursday evening at the Mercury Lounge. Joining them on what is sure to be a family affair kind of evening is The Comas and Other Passengers. It should be a killer night and rest assured I'll be there with my twin sister in matching mustaches.
To answer Dogger's questions (see below), yes, there have been many good times over the past week despite my lack of posts. I'm trying to find time to keep writing, but more and more it becomes a condensed process. So you know, the past week was out of control. Work at Webster is stepping up, but I still managed to get out and rock it. Tuesday evening I held a private Black Sheep show at Mo Pitkin's. You can read about it here and here. Thanks so much to all the friends who made it out for the show. Dres brought a band on stage and had a killer performance. It was further touched by old school royalty when Jus Ice and the Legion joined him for a song or two. Sammy B (Jungle Brothers) was also on the cut, (I had to say it). Expect more to come from Black Sheep as we're getting ready for a digital only return on 10.24.06, but I'm not here to pimp myself too much.
Wednesday was crazy. Absolutely bonkers. After the John Mayer show at Webster, I returned home, but my conscious wouldn't let me stay there. Around 11pm I busted up to Gotham Hall to try and get into the Diesel party. The place was jammed, but once I ran into Hawkins and Walker Texas Awesome, I knew it was on. We eventually got inside in time to catch a drink before a choir appeared on the second level behind some Roman-esque pillars. They were draped in white which added to the angelic feel of their soulful intro. As soon as they finished, the band appeared on stage along with some cheerleaders and back-up singers. Yes, I was about to witness a James Brown concert for the first time in my life.
Despite James having the appearance of a wax figure - weathered face and tired looking purple tux - he beamed with the energy of the James Brown I've seen on so many concert tapes. It made for an amazing experience even though the sound was a bit off due to the acoustics of a massive room. I danced, I drank and I found old friends doing the same. By the time 2 Many DJ's came out to do a set, the room had loosened up a bit and we were able to break it down for a couple hours before throwing in the towel. It was an amazing experience.
The rest of the week couldn't stack up to that, but I did manage to catch Lake Trout and Calla at the Bowery before getting absolutely twisted at Fontana's. On Saturday Beach and I met DTL, Danny and Sonya in Brooklyn for some badminton before Notre Dame got the shit kicked out of them. Later Hawkins, Noah and I met Rory and Christen at the Mercury to catch The Whigs set. Watch out for that band - their southern style is very familiar, but I'm not going to lay out the comparisons that I'm sure you've already heard.
FYI - 120 Days is a band that was scheduled to open The Big Sleep party on Thursday, but their VISA's got declined because one of them had a pot offense or something on their record. That totally fucking sucks. The band is outstanding and is yet another brilliant pick off by the folks at Vice Records. Take a listen. It has roots in my favorite - Neu! - but it should also appeal to fans of !!! (Chk Chk Chk) and bands of that sort. You should like them, unless your stupid.
Finally, Tumbleweed passed this along this morning. Food for thought (I'm mostly interested in what Paul with bring to the comments section):
How many 8 year olds could you take on at once?
The specifics:
- You are in an enclosed area, roughly the size of a basketball court. There are no foreign objects. - You are not allowed to touch a wall. - When you are knocked unconscious, you lose. When they are all knocked unconscious, they lose. Once a kid is knocked unconscious, that kid is "out." - I (or someone else intent on seeing to it you fail) get to choose the kids from a pool that is twice the size of your magic number. The pool will be 50/50 in terms of gender and will have no discernable abnormalities in terms of demographics, other than they are all healthy Americans. - The kids receive one day of training from hand-to-hand combat experts who will train them specifically to team up to take down one adult. You will receive one hour of "counter-tactics" training. - There is no protective padding for any combatant other than a standard-issue cup. - The kids are motivated enough to not get scared, regardless of the bloodshed. Even the very last one will give it his/her best to take you down.
Please feel free to reply and discuss the number of 8-year-olds that you could beat up at once.
Jayloose, why is this blog called Good Times?When you made it, did you have JJ and Florida in mind?I've seen some not-so Good Times on this blog but I never questioned it until now. I'm just wondering, that's all.I love the fact that you have a banner ad for Ratat on your main page, they rock. Everyone should hear their song Wildcat. I hope all your readers have a killer weekend.
Unfortunately, this week marks another sad anniversary for America: the death of Tupac. It was 10 years ago today week that the 25 year old died in LA after being shot up 6 days earlier in Las Vegas. He was in a casino fight, at a Mike Tyson fight, then gunned down off the very visible Vegas strip. That was bad for Vegas the same way Biggie getting gunned down on Wilshire and Fairfax is still a problem for LA. They brought their ghetto shit to the nice neighborhoods and then paid the price. You can take the rapper out of the hood, but....
I have read no less than three articles this morning proclaiming Tupac is the white Elvis. Nick Cannon told Blender "I think his legacy will be greater than Elvis..." J-Mac from the Mad Hatta show made the same comparison and also threw in Kurt Cobain for good measure. Kurt Cobain had one posthumous hit, Elvis had none. Tupac has had no less than 5 platinum records in death. Not bad for a back up dancer/actor. Hell P-Diddy is doing pretty good for a dancer, too.
So where were you when you heard Tupac died? I know only because I worked with his biggest white fan. The kid had matching cross and back tattoos; I know because he brought this rap magazine to the tattoo parlor. He knew everything about Tupac. He liked that my favorite songs were Hail Mary and Hit 'Em Up.Since he was bigger than me and knew how to roll blunts, I could never challenge him when we were in the delivery van- it was always Tupac mix tapes.
He came in through the loading dock and we just hugged. It was the wierdest thing, but he loved that guy. To each his own, but Elvis? Kurt? It's like comparing Gold to Platinum or Tupac to BIG. I'm just pissed we'll never have the pay-per-view East/west dance off... Suge Knight could be the Randy Jackson character.
As I sit here and get ready for Arnold to join the boys in the booth during the third quarter of the Raiders game, I figured it was time to drop some music on your asses. Enjoy some of the things living in my Gmail account.
The Changes :: When I Wake - From their Drama Club Records Debut Today is Tonight out 09.26.06.
Cadillac Don & J Money :: Peanut Butter and Jelly (Video) - It's just funny this came my way, but it pops!
The Killers :: When You Were Young (Video) - Someone in my office confessed their love of this song to me in the Men's room. I still can't tell why.
El Presidente :: Turn This Thing Around - Single off self-titled release courtesy of Red Ink, (out 09.12.06)
Ben Kweller :: Penny On The Train Tracks - Take it or leave it. I've left Ben in the past, but a couple girlfriends really dig it. Lonely boys take note.
Lady Sovereign :: Love Me Or Hate Me - This shit is a banger. For real. Her flow is a bit harsh at times, but you'll love it. Seriously.
Lionel Richie :: I Call It Love (Video) - I call it a coke problem, but who's asking?
Check out DJ Steve Aoki's website. This dude is legit and in time his website will be prime time for Left Side jailbait.
As many of your recognize, today is the anniversary of the attacks on lower Manhattan. It has become a point in time that is etched in memory, and it has provided countless, personal stories revolving around the when and where. Not being one to express my thoughts when pertaining to anything of dramatic in nature, I've decided to post something Tumbleweed wrote and sent around this morning. He is a valued writer and editor for Loose so take a read and more importantly, take a second to remember, reflect and respect.
I woke up today and started thinking about today, September 11th, and I just wrote a little rambly something, and I dunno, I felt the need to share it with someone, so i figured I'd just share it with everyone (who matters).
It's something we'll ask one another for the rest of our lives: Where were you when the planes hit? Did you watch it on TV, or listen on the radio, or did the whole morning pass under the radar for you? Did you wake up from a hangover at 1 AM to find the world wholly changed? I figure since this is the five year anniversary, and that is not an arbitrary thing what with the mathematical and physical realities of the cyclical nature of the universe, that I should take a moment to reflect upon my own interactions with the event known as September 11th, two thousand and one. I'm growing up in an internet age, an age of humor where we can laugh at everything, but I remember how it chilled me to the bone, and jokes about it do little to elicit laughter from me.
I was here, in New York City, and that morning my roommate and I were getting dressed and ready for class in our fourteenth floor dorm room on Washington Square when we heard a distinctly loud *clap.* Our bedroom window faced south straight towards the World Trade Center but we didn't even look there - Sasha, a girl who lived next door to us, let out a scream and we ran to see what was going on.
She was pointing out her own window, at what was clearly a large flaming hole in the side of one of the towers. We turned on the TV, and CNN was yammering about exactly what we all assumed was going on - someone flying a small commuter jet had crashed into the WTC. You could see flames jumping out of the hole, I filmed it a little and have since lost that particular tape, regrettably. We watched for a bit, calming down Sasha (a fragile long island jap of a girl), and then my roommate Dan and I went downstairs for breakfast.
In the time it took us to eat breakfast, the second plane hit - I never found out, not till much later. We left the cafeteria and went our separate ways to class. I walked over to Cooper Square, where I had a 9:30 Italian class. It was around 9:45 or so when a janitor burst into the classroom, exclaiming:
"Terrorists have bombed the Twin Towers and the Pentagon! They're evacuating downtown! Everyone needs to calmly evacuate the building and start walking uptown."
At the time i still had notions of being some great renegade filmmaker so I did what any respectable renegade would do - I whipped out my digital video camera which I always kept on me, went outside with everyone else, and started walking downtown. Whatever was happening, I wanted to witness it. I filmed people as I went, their faces streaming towards me, a mix of anguish and confusion, and a palpable amount of fear was hanging in the air.
Far down the length of the Bowery you could see smoke rising from the Towers. The entire city was awash with the sounds of emergency; the overhead buzzing of police and news helicopters, the endless moaning and swelling of sirens near and far as they raced downtown towards unforeseeable destruction, the screams and cries of human beings overwhelmed by panic as they sought to escape something they could not comprehend.
I was filming all this, and I walked into the middle of the avenue. Traffic had stalled, the police had seen to that, and I walked freely along the double yellow line, filming the towers as they sent plumes of smoke up into the air, resisting the urge to narrate the events at hand. And then the yellow battery icon started blinking on my LCD, and BATT LOW blinked beneath it, and my camera died.
And I looked at it in disbelief, and maybe it happened for a reason, because what I saw next was one of the realest things I've ever witnessed. And rather than witness it through the lens of a camera I saw it with my own eyes and it changed something inside of me forever. I looked up and I saw the first tower drop. I was about 25 or 30 blocks away, so it was completely silent, and almost graceful. It just looked like legos melting away into dust.
Slowly and silently, and decidedly, the building slipped away and left behind nothing but dust and ash. I stared and stared and stared, and as the smoke cloud grew larger and larger, I realized it was time to walk uptown. I made it to my dorm in time to join my roommates at the television and the southern window where we could still see tower 1, which was still standing. Just as my roommate Doug was telling me he had seen people committing suicide by jumping while looking out through his binoculars, the second tower dropped. A chorus of Holy Shit erupted in the room.
95 percent of my dorm's occupants went home, or home with people who lived nearby on the eastern seaboard. But I stayed that whole week. I couldn't bear to leave. Those who left were visitors to this city, here for education and drinking and experience. To me this was home, and I couldn't comprehend what had happened to my home.
The air was thick with dust, and breathing was difficult, but that night we walked the empty streets of Manhattan for hours. One does not get an opportunity to see an empty, quiet Manhattan very often. Only in scenes like the opening to Vanilla Sky do we ever get to see a silent, barren Times Square. I saw these things.
And I don't care to ever see them again. This city is my pulse. And 9/11 sent a hiccup through the blood of the metropolis. Everything stopped, and stuttered, and stammered, and this city...this city doesn't stutter. It just goes, and it grinds. It walks all over people, too, but you can find ways of keeping pace with it, of finding a way through the maze.
I am trying not to let the simple fact of time detach me from all I witnessed. But I also refuse to give in to grief or worry or panic or nervousness. When a friend got through to my phone that morning, all I could say to him, in my half-delirious state was,
"This is the most awe-some thing I've ever witnessed."
He screamed at me...awesome, he said? Awesome? How can you say that? But I meant the word in its truest meaning. The event inspired awe in me. New York City is an unreal city, and amidst the tallest of buildings it is easy to feel like you are living in a dream, and to forget that the world is a tremendous and humongous place, and that the city jungle you call home is but a speck upon the scope of human existence. Sometimes we need the most awesome things to wake us up.
I have no need for these movies they release now all about 9/11. I don't think it needs a movie. The reality of it should be enough. I don't think anything so real has happened in the greater landscape of my life, and maybe I've no interest in these films simply because I saw it all for myself. All you need to see is the actual footage of those two planes hitting those two buildings, a grand expression of incalculable hatred. And all you need to know is that at two in the morning, this city was close to being pronounced dead. People scattered through the streets like errant weeds, detached dandelions blowing down Broadway, running down the avenues and streets while Hummers patrolled, the entire island of Manhattan turned into a military quarantine. Never again, I hope, never again.
Last night was super fun which is the kind of night I've needed. It began with margaritas to celebrate Christy's big win at work - way to go Cheech! From there I met Emily and Shanana for a beer on the street that was rudely interrupted by a couple of uniformed officers who gave us all a $25 ticket - bastards. I hate how cops come on tough to see if you're going to be a dick, but then flip the switch and feel guilty when they hand you a dumb ass ticket for slugging a 24 of PBR before heading into a show. Speaking of shows, we caught Tigercity at Annex and they were outstanding. Now the levels were not to my liking (I needed more Bill in my monitor), but the band killed. They are smooth and oh-so-danceable, but they also adhere to that "post-everything" vibe that has found success on all sorts of dance floors. Joel's bass lines and backup vocals really stood out, if only because they were the cream of the many layers of goodness creeping through the PA. Bright lights and a big future are rapidly appearing in their rearview mirror. Don't be the last to catch on. You'll start to listen when the real blogs give a heads up, but you heard it here first or maybe it was third. After the show Builder walked me home to watch the Steelers game, but I blacked out as soon as Miller scored that big touchdown. I woke up with no pants on - Builder, you have some explaining to do. It was great to see all the Orchard heads out in support of the guys - including the old head Leda! Also, much love to Nora, but I'm sorry I couldn't deliver an encore. Whiskey gets me drunk.
Anyway, check this shit out - Busy P is Deejaying at Movida on Saturday with Sarah (the most Ultra of Grrrls) and Alex English. To be honest, Busy P was responsible for breaking my neck at the Ed Banger party last week. I'll be there - won't you come with me? Click here for free admission.
Also, you need to hit this party on Tuesday if only to hear the album. The Rapture's new record is legit and I won't stop saying it. Trust me, this shit will get old. Just be an early adapter and make me happy.
Also, I have been detoxing for the past three days due to the excessiveness of a Maine labor day weekend that involved wiffleball, seafood, wigs, top hats, player pianos, and black nail polish. That means that I will be completely ready to destroy this weekend in the city before heading to Boston for the Strokes/Wolfmother show.
You have to love work sponsored happy hours. Seriously, they are always the perfect opportunity to learn a bit more about the people you work with and the company itself. That's why I was jazzed we threw down at The Volcano last night. It's about as dive as you can get in Midtown, but they make a good whiskey rocks, (how can you fuck that up). Afterwards, Nick, Eric and I took a cab downtown to pay our respect's to Jesse and the crew at Mo Pitkin's who are now a year old - Congratulations. On my walk home I ran into the North Street crew and Rory who was a sweaty man. Rory and I took it back to the crib to talk about the digital age and our ever present move toward some form of communism based on shifting consumer experience. Yes, there was weed involved. Tonight I plan to get out a bit more as a shift in attitude is necessary for me to get out of bitch mode. We'll see if it happens, but if you were me and I was you than here is what we'd probably consider doing:
My boys Joel and Bill aka 2/4 of the band Tigercity are taking their game to the much talked about Annex stage tonight at 9pm. They are self proclaimed agents of all things smooth and after one listen of their new track "Are You Sensation" (hit up Myspace) - you'll understand why. They write songs that could have prolonged Wham!'s career. And god dammit, look at that photo - its so sexy that even my boy K. Loggins got a 40% wood.
There is also a monster blog show at the Mercury Lounge tonight, but you'll have to get there early. I'm hoping to sneak into see some Birdmonster because they are the style of blog rock this blog can dig on. I believe the handsome gents over at Stereogum have something to do with tonight - more power to them - Birdmonster rocks.
In more important news I'd like to say happy NFL Kickoff day to all the folks out there who give a damn. Tonight's Pittsburgh v. Miami matchup is a good one, but personally, I'm looking ahead to Saturday where my boys in Gold and Blue invite Penn State into town for an old fashion throwdown. When I was 12 years old my family took a conversion van out to South Bend to see Notre Dame play Penn State and to do date that might have been the coolest 4 hours of my life. This weekend I'm going to relive that from my couch. Who's coming with me?
Oh, one more thing... if you haven't heard the new Rapture album yet, get close to a toilet - you're going to shit your pants.
Another 3 day weekend lost to the likes of cooking big dinners, playing Nintendo and doing absolutely nothing product. All and all I'd say it was a big win for the Belin camp. My phone wasn't answered. My pants weren't put on. Notre Dame edged out a very talented Georgia Tech team and I only managed to make an ass out of myself once. Success... full success. You should have jumped on it (watch that shit).
Friday say my greatest production. After work Jordy and I cruised downtown for him to get a tattoo at Daredevil. Then I returned home for a quick nap before meeting up with Builder, Christy and Paul at Paladar to grease the wheels for a rainy night of rock. It started at the South Street Seaport where Dirty On Purpose played a solid set despite the less than ideal conditions. Their sound was fantastic, but the chilly wind coming off the water looked as though it hurt some folks, (wear a coat Paul). The beer (thanks Annie) kept us warm as we kicked out the DOP jams along with a set by Spinto Band who pump out the pop jams like that band... what are they called... The Beatles? Yeah, they may not be at the Fab Four level yet, but on Friday you couldn't tell. Christy's love of "Mandy" kept us there until the end, but we managed to find a spot under a little tent to bounce around. Afterwards we caught a cab to Bowery were the TRL 10th Anniversary Festival went down. We stuck around for a drink before I stumbled home and made out with some pizza. Check out a few photos Christy snapped:
Christy did a fairly exceptional job for not having a photo pass or even any real notice that she was going to shoot the show. Being a photographer by trade, she snatched my camera up and took a few photos for me. Thank god because I'm still pretty chicken and lazy when it comes to doing that. Check out a few other shots on the Flickr page, but from the above, you get the idea. Dirty On Purpose saved the best for last; yes, my favorite song - "Monument" - provided the latter bookend to a good time. The setting was perfect. The dark, dampness of the seaport added to the already sinister vibe of their haunting instrumental track. You gotta love that one! Congrats to Dirty On Purpose for closing out another great year of River to River shows at the Seaport and welcome back from your tour! Ask them about the U-Haul on the ride back. Well, ask Joe - it's funny stuff.
Thus completes my Labor Day weekend. Ok, so there was a steak dinner, a Nintendo sausage fest (literally and figuratively), some games of pool and well, nothing else. It was so boring I can't even be bothered to remember what happened. As for Thursday, the Ed Banger party was solid, but went on a bit to late for my blood. I only got to see Uffie, DJ Mehdi and some Busy P in between sets. Look for my full live review later this week.
