Gatecrashing, etc.
So this weekend we played not one, not two, but three shows that we hadn't really been invited to play. They all went pretty well, considering.
July 17, 2004 -- In Front Of The Cyclone, Coney Island
Yes, we really did play Siren Fest. I guess you can say we played with Death Cab For Cutie, Blonde Readhead, Trail Of Dead, Mission Of Burma, Har Mar Superstar, TV On The Radio, Electric Six, The Fiery Furnaces, The Fever, Constantines, Vue, The Thermals, The Ponys, and Your Enemies Friends if you want. We felt like the Village Voice had simply forgotten to invite us, so we invited ourselves. We managed to convince our friend David to come down and document it as well, so the event would not be lost to history. I felt nervous and weird about this first set, as there were police officers and other hostile humans standing around. We played four songs, which went surprsingly well. Some dude stood next to Kevin for a while, snapping his fingers and bobbing his head. The people who stopped to watch us all seemed pretty stoked. The police did not bother us. I guess it was just me singing into thin air and Kevin playing a drum he found on the street with brushes, so we weren't really all that loud anyway. We almost cancelled this set due to lack of interest, but then were talked into playing it anyway.
July 17, 2004 -- The Atlantic Ocean, Coney Island
Yes, we really did play in the ocean. I ran into a friend a few hours before the show and he remarked that although the show hadn't even happened yet, it was already legendary in his mind. Perhaps the most ridiculous show I have ever played. Totally worth it. We wore our suits and ties even. Every few minutes Kevin would simply jump into the water, whether during a drum solo or whilst I was in the middle of a verse. Some of our friends came, and then everyone sitting on the beach walked over, and then people saw people watching something and came over. By the end of the set we had around 100 people watching us. It was quite cinematic, I'm told. Our friend Betsy waded out in the water with us with Kevin's minidisc player so we could get better audio than just off the camera. She looked scared and confused for most of it, but I think she had fun. People wanted an encore, but the music stand had been knocked over by waves so many times that all the lyrics had washed away and I couldn't remember any more songs. Immediately after playing someone asked if they could show the footage at a party, and someone else wanted to air it on their public access show. Apparently fame and fortune are just around the corner.
July 18, 2004 -- Shout!, Manhattan
Our friends Diamonds were playing, and Morgan remarked that it was too bad that Kevin wasn't around so we could play a few songs. I called him up and somehow it became another Puttin' On The Ritz show. Immediately after their set he introduced us, and we got in Fly Me To The Moon before the DJ started playing records and some dude came over and repeatedly told me to "be cool". Everyone looked really confused for that one song. Our first show in Manhattan, and we get the plug pulled. Oddly fitting for a band that doesn't need power. We contemplated playing on the roof, but figured we would probably be ejected immediately. It's difficult to crash parties that have big bouncer types who hate you. Perhaps we need to work on being more light on our feet.
So as you can see, we've been staying busy. We're playing with the Homosexuals on Saturday, after spending all day recording. We're sort of becoming the Tommy's Tavern house band, but what can you do. They love us there, so how can we say no? Until next time, godspeed, etc.
July 17, 2004 -- In Front Of The Cyclone, Coney Island
Yes, we really did play Siren Fest. I guess you can say we played with Death Cab For Cutie, Blonde Readhead, Trail Of Dead, Mission Of Burma, Har Mar Superstar, TV On The Radio, Electric Six, The Fiery Furnaces, The Fever, Constantines, Vue, The Thermals, The Ponys, and Your Enemies Friends if you want. We felt like the Village Voice had simply forgotten to invite us, so we invited ourselves. We managed to convince our friend David to come down and document it as well, so the event would not be lost to history. I felt nervous and weird about this first set, as there were police officers and other hostile humans standing around. We played four songs, which went surprsingly well. Some dude stood next to Kevin for a while, snapping his fingers and bobbing his head. The people who stopped to watch us all seemed pretty stoked. The police did not bother us. I guess it was just me singing into thin air and Kevin playing a drum he found on the street with brushes, so we weren't really all that loud anyway. We almost cancelled this set due to lack of interest, but then were talked into playing it anyway.
July 17, 2004 -- The Atlantic Ocean, Coney Island
Yes, we really did play in the ocean. I ran into a friend a few hours before the show and he remarked that although the show hadn't even happened yet, it was already legendary in his mind. Perhaps the most ridiculous show I have ever played. Totally worth it. We wore our suits and ties even. Every few minutes Kevin would simply jump into the water, whether during a drum solo or whilst I was in the middle of a verse. Some of our friends came, and then everyone sitting on the beach walked over, and then people saw people watching something and came over. By the end of the set we had around 100 people watching us. It was quite cinematic, I'm told. Our friend Betsy waded out in the water with us with Kevin's minidisc player so we could get better audio than just off the camera. She looked scared and confused for most of it, but I think she had fun. People wanted an encore, but the music stand had been knocked over by waves so many times that all the lyrics had washed away and I couldn't remember any more songs. Immediately after playing someone asked if they could show the footage at a party, and someone else wanted to air it on their public access show. Apparently fame and fortune are just around the corner.
July 18, 2004 -- Shout!, Manhattan
Our friends Diamonds were playing, and Morgan remarked that it was too bad that Kevin wasn't around so we could play a few songs. I called him up and somehow it became another Puttin' On The Ritz show. Immediately after their set he introduced us, and we got in Fly Me To The Moon before the DJ started playing records and some dude came over and repeatedly told me to "be cool". Everyone looked really confused for that one song. Our first show in Manhattan, and we get the plug pulled. Oddly fitting for a band that doesn't need power. We contemplated playing on the roof, but figured we would probably be ejected immediately. It's difficult to crash parties that have big bouncer types who hate you. Perhaps we need to work on being more light on our feet.
So as you can see, we've been staying busy. We're playing with the Homosexuals on Saturday, after spending all day recording. We're sort of becoming the Tommy's Tavern house band, but what can you do. They love us there, so how can we say no? Until next time, godspeed, etc.
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