A 3-Second Tour
The Happy Ending/Color Guard//CakeShop
Dougie Needles and the Public Offenders/Guns On High Street/Alphabet City//Arlene's Grocery//8/5/05
I got there at 8:45--the email I got said Happy Ending on at 8:30, Color Guard 9:30. Thing is, I'd planned on heading over to Arlene's to catch Dougie Needles and even though I knew they weren't going to start at 11...still. The longer it takes for the first band to start, the later this is going to end. That's it. I think I'm officially becoming crotchety. But, c'mon! It's a Friday night! NYC! What if people have other things to do? I mean, yeah, I guess I can always spend the night at Cakeshop but I had plans!
Standing on the incline of CS's sloped floor, I felt really tall and like I'm in the nosebleed section. I had the urge to start the wave. Behind me the place looked packed even though it was 3 rows huddled together. But for the band member standing on the floor in the back, it probably looks like they're playing to a full house.
The Happy Ending is a competant but snoozy (Did I say "snoozy?" I prolly meant "ethereal"--there is a chick singer) pop band fronted by a blond who alternated between strutting behind the mic stand and constantly gathering her hair into a pontytail and then releasing it. Seriously, it's called an elastic. Look into it. Their set was bookended between 2 covers--the inaudible "Jessie's Girl" (This is my 2nd time at CS and I guess it's just standard procedure to open your set with no vocals) and "She Sells Sanctuary."
Adding a light moment to the Color Guard's lush, Dark Pop (as in their album title) were the guys hugging and jumping around to the wittily titled "Your Kiss Is My Command." And their set ended at 10:45, so it was down the block to the corner and turn left to Arlene's. The 10:00 band was still going strong. Needless to say this doesn't usually happen in H-Land. Or maybe it just helped that the venues were around the corner from each other. I looked at their setlist, trying to figure out how close they were to ending. The last song was "You May Be Right." Don't tell me they're covering a Billy Joel song. The name of the band is Frank. I shit you not. They were jammy and by the time they stopped the instrumental parts of the song, I'd already lost interest--not that I had much interest in them to begin with. Maybe punk rock has warped my brain. I'm not used to songs over 3 minutes and if a song is over 3 minutes, I don't have the attention span for it. Their parting shot is, of course, Billy Joel's "You May Be Right" and the best song in their set BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T WRITE IT. The crowd was singing along and gushed about how great it was after. Yeesh.
In between sets a guy who recognized me from other shows gave me a flier for his band, asking me if I go to a lot of shows. Dude, I just left a show to come to here. He asked me who I was there to see and I told him Dougie Needles. Do I know them? No, they just sounded good. Only one way to find out, right? But then I panic. That is a seemingly random reason to see bands I don't know about. What if I'm wrong? The whole night has been planned around seeing these guys. Their bass player crooked a finger at me and called me over. Can I get their drummer a Budweiser? Do I look like a freakin waitress? What is it about getting onstage that makes band members realize they need a drink and that they need me to get it for them? Thankfully I was reembursed for the $4 otherwise they'd never hear the end of it. My first time seeing the band and already they put me to work.
And of course I didn't have to worry about Dougie Needles and the Public Offenders. They're incapable of sucking, even though Needles warned us unfortunate cocksuckers that we're about to see a lot of crap. Straight-up NYC punk 'n' roll straight outta St. Mark's Place. Wow. Needles speaks punk rock with the same accent as Tim Armstrong and with his pedigree plastered all over his guitar and spiked-up hair. Songs about wanting to be a dead boy (or Dead Boy) and (Trust Me I'm A) Liar. I don't know why they were on some walk-up bill as opposed to a spend-the-night one. (I think that may be more lexicography.) A cover of "Waiting For My Man." A terrif song about NYC and "New York Baby" where they invited everyone onstage to sing the chorus. Dammit, it's 90 degrees out and I didn't put any effort into getting dressed. Note to self: Always make an effort because you never know when you'll be onstage with the band. They said they were taping it. I didn't see a camera so maybe they meant recording it.
Alphabet City also sounded like they could be cool but my back was starting to kill me. I was able to sit through Guns On High Street but it was on a backless stool. To prevent myself from schlumping over I rested my left arm on the ledge behind me. Equally as bad, I know. Alphabet City are actually from Florida. How much you wanna bet that if Alphabet City were actually from Alphabet City or at least NYC they'd be incredible? Blazers and keybs. I had to leave early, afraid that I'd never be able to get out of bed today and with another long night of rock ahead of me.
(Dang it another longie. Sorry. I even knocked out the first paragraph. But for me this is actually short. Then again what the fuck do I care cause no one's reading it--yet. [I hope.] I'm going to work on the post summary thing tomorrow, tho.)
Dougie Needles and the Public Offenders/Guns On High Street/Alphabet City//Arlene's Grocery//8/5/05
I got there at 8:45--the email I got said Happy Ending on at 8:30, Color Guard 9:30. Thing is, I'd planned on heading over to Arlene's to catch Dougie Needles and even though I knew they weren't going to start at 11...still. The longer it takes for the first band to start, the later this is going to end. That's it. I think I'm officially becoming crotchety. But, c'mon! It's a Friday night! NYC! What if people have other things to do? I mean, yeah, I guess I can always spend the night at Cakeshop but I had plans!
Standing on the incline of CS's sloped floor, I felt really tall and like I'm in the nosebleed section. I had the urge to start the wave. Behind me the place looked packed even though it was 3 rows huddled together. But for the band member standing on the floor in the back, it probably looks like they're playing to a full house.
The Happy Ending is a competant but snoozy (Did I say "snoozy?" I prolly meant "ethereal"--there is a chick singer) pop band fronted by a blond who alternated between strutting behind the mic stand and constantly gathering her hair into a pontytail and then releasing it. Seriously, it's called an elastic. Look into it. Their set was bookended between 2 covers--the inaudible "Jessie's Girl" (This is my 2nd time at CS and I guess it's just standard procedure to open your set with no vocals) and "She Sells Sanctuary."
Adding a light moment to the Color Guard's lush, Dark Pop (as in their album title) were the guys hugging and jumping around to the wittily titled "Your Kiss Is My Command." And their set ended at 10:45, so it was down the block to the corner and turn left to Arlene's. The 10:00 band was still going strong. Needless to say this doesn't usually happen in H-Land. Or maybe it just helped that the venues were around the corner from each other. I looked at their setlist, trying to figure out how close they were to ending. The last song was "You May Be Right." Don't tell me they're covering a Billy Joel song. The name of the band is Frank. I shit you not. They were jammy and by the time they stopped the instrumental parts of the song, I'd already lost interest--not that I had much interest in them to begin with. Maybe punk rock has warped my brain. I'm not used to songs over 3 minutes and if a song is over 3 minutes, I don't have the attention span for it. Their parting shot is, of course, Billy Joel's "You May Be Right" and the best song in their set BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T WRITE IT. The crowd was singing along and gushed about how great it was after. Yeesh.
In between sets a guy who recognized me from other shows gave me a flier for his band, asking me if I go to a lot of shows. Dude, I just left a show to come to here. He asked me who I was there to see and I told him Dougie Needles. Do I know them? No, they just sounded good. Only one way to find out, right? But then I panic. That is a seemingly random reason to see bands I don't know about. What if I'm wrong? The whole night has been planned around seeing these guys. Their bass player crooked a finger at me and called me over. Can I get their drummer a Budweiser? Do I look like a freakin waitress? What is it about getting onstage that makes band members realize they need a drink and that they need me to get it for them? Thankfully I was reembursed for the $4 otherwise they'd never hear the end of it. My first time seeing the band and already they put me to work.
And of course I didn't have to worry about Dougie Needles and the Public Offenders. They're incapable of sucking, even though Needles warned us unfortunate cocksuckers that we're about to see a lot of crap. Straight-up NYC punk 'n' roll straight outta St. Mark's Place. Wow. Needles speaks punk rock with the same accent as Tim Armstrong and with his pedigree plastered all over his guitar and spiked-up hair. Songs about wanting to be a dead boy (or Dead Boy) and (Trust Me I'm A) Liar. I don't know why they were on some walk-up bill as opposed to a spend-the-night one. (I think that may be more lexicography.) A cover of "Waiting For My Man." A terrif song about NYC and "New York Baby" where they invited everyone onstage to sing the chorus. Dammit, it's 90 degrees out and I didn't put any effort into getting dressed. Note to self: Always make an effort because you never know when you'll be onstage with the band. They said they were taping it. I didn't see a camera so maybe they meant recording it.
Alphabet City also sounded like they could be cool but my back was starting to kill me. I was able to sit through Guns On High Street but it was on a backless stool. To prevent myself from schlumping over I rested my left arm on the ledge behind me. Equally as bad, I know. Alphabet City are actually from Florida. How much you wanna bet that if Alphabet City were actually from Alphabet City or at least NYC they'd be incredible? Blazers and keybs. I had to leave early, afraid that I'd never be able to get out of bed today and with another long night of rock ahead of me.
(Dang it another longie. Sorry. I even knocked out the first paragraph. But for me this is actually short. Then again what the fuck do I care cause no one's reading it--yet. [I hope.] I'm going to work on the post summary thing tomorrow, tho.)
posted by heather @ 2:06 PM
<< Home