Circle Pit Shit (Oi!Oi!Oi!)
Suzuki Smith/Team Spider/No Place To Piss/Blackout Shoppers/Disorderly Conduct/Test Specimen//Grand Central Bar
Ok, now this is the sort of lineup that requires free food. Last time Blackout Shoppers played an all-nighter @ Grand Central Bar there was free BBQ chicken. Come to think of it, the all-nighter Wednesday at Continental should've had free food but I guess they feel that spending the night at the Continental more than makes up for the lack of food.
The first band on the lineup that I'm not familiar with is No Place To Piss, so I checked into them. They listed (on their Myspace page) "The Strangler's" as an influence. Huh? There's no apostrophe in The Stranglers. Unless you're referring to a specific strangler. "Whose bloody glove is that?" "It's the strangler's." Still, they seemed pretty cool--even when giving "prop's" to "classic rocker's." Argh! (or probably oi!) Maybe they're doing it on purpose to come across as uneducated and more street. It's so punk rock not to obey the laws of grammar. Fight the power! Also good about this bill is that this is going to be my first time catching the new Team Spider lineup. (For the full story of how Xris met Ben, their violin player, when both were arrested at Critical Mass, check www.teamspider.com.)
I figured I was getting there just in time for Suzuki Smith to be finishing up and put one earplug in across the street from the bar but when I got in at 9:45, Suzuki Smith--the 1st band--hadn't even started. And there were 7 bands on the bill. There was food, though. Mozzarella balls and some sort of chicken that wasn't BBQd, I have no idea what it was or how long it was lying there so I passed.
It's hard to say bad things about a band that came all the way from Boston with everything to lose and who probably won't even recoup gas money when Philippe de Buckette makes the rounds. Adding to their frat-punk cred is "Kamikaze Irishmen," (with a chorus of "Drink and fight!") and "Get Out! Get Out! (Johnny wants to fuck.)" They closed with "Turning Japanese," which was the best song in their set and what do you know, they didn't write it.
Though I was trying to focus on the new TS lineup with the 2nd guitar player and violinist, ZAK was missing due to a pacemaker replacement but I kept hearing ZAK's parts. His absence just created this hole, even though Seth tried to fill in on "Bush Bush Bush." Xris suggested he take his teeth out and try it that way. Having Team Spider follow Suzuki Smith made SS look/sound even younger.
I was really interested in No Place To Piss and at some point the AC, if it ever was on in the first place, cut out. Lead singer/guitarer Bomb Walker has a guitar strap that's coated in safety pins and the lenses of his sunglasses were painted around the edges with what looked like White-out. Already this is cool. Thing is, there was this annoying guy in a backward Independent (tm) baseball hat there who was always in their face and managed to always move in front of me while I was trying to take pix. By the time the shutter was released, his arm was up, blocking my shot. I worried that I'm that annoying at shows. Oh, right. I am. But everyone there, including a guy trying to videotape, were standing back politely so that's the thing to do, not run around in front of us. Wait, do I do that? "Are you always an asshole or is it just the alcohol?" Bomb Walker asked. NPTP have a great streetpunk sound though bass player Joe Sixpack, with his deep, growling vocals, came off as sounding like the odd man out. They had one song about how music nowadays doesn't have the heart and soul compared to bands from 77-81. Never caught The Spunk Lads, I take it. Uh, I hate to break it to you but 1977 is over. Get thee to a Seanchai gig, stat. They dedicated "We're All Gonna Die" to the annoying guy, saying they hoped it happened to him sooner than later.
Matt gave me his camera again. Digital cameras make me nervous. I can't tell on that little screen if I did a good job or not. I don't need the pressure but the Suzuki singer saw that I had my camera and he took the digital, this way we'd end up with double the shots of BOS. Except I'm not going to get these pix developed till next year at the rate I'm going. That, and I was running low on film and there were 3 bands to go. No empty bar crowd surfing this time around. No idea how Matt could play a gig in a ski mask and Seth in a knit hat especially in August, especially in a stuffy, hot bar like Grand Central in August. I don't know how taking Philippe around got to be my job, but after I threw in my tip I tried to get people to pass the bucket around but everyone ignored me. So I went around the bar and more people ignored me. Note to BOS--and other bands: Next time get a pretty chick to pass the tip jar. Sorry 'bout that, guys. I meant well.
We were running behind schedule when Dis-Con went on. I was wilting but I'd made it this far. Dis-Con was also street punk but they weren't grabbing me. Or maybe it was just getting so late and hot. Jay Specimen's mohawks were wilting.
I only saw Test Specimen once before, at the A/A Lady Unluck rekkid release show. While Jay can't sing (I realize that being able to sing is optional in this scene), what annoyed me then was that the sound guy announced one more song and they kept going. One more song means one more song, not finish your set and then do one song for an encore. It was an early show, the place had cleared out, and they were starting to shut the lights off. And the band played on. In the dark. That annoyed the crap out of me. That time, Jay and their drummer switched off, with Mohawk Dave on guitar and singing. Drummer could sing, somewhat. This time Jay did vocals with the Dave stuck on the broken stool. I heard more metal in their sound this time around and all band members are really good musicians. Jay is another one who sings like a roach and I was hesitant to write him off as being unable to sing, even though he really can't. It’s like this time around, I “got” them. But they started at 20 to 1 and kept going for a solid hour. Nobody seemed to be stopping them. We still had one band to go.
Dave passed out after the set. I went to the bathroom and got out to find everyone breaking down the set. Yeah, I was curious about all the bands but it was 2:00 in the AM. I don’t know if Threat Release never showed up or quit or what. If The Spunk Lads were on this bill and playing last, they’d cancel, too. Or probably go through with it for BOS and rock an empty and sweaty room, then curse their luck on the drive back.
“You’re a saint for staying the whole night,” Matt tells me.
“I know.”
“Hell, you’re a saint for going to any of our shows.”
“I know.”
Outside the air was heavy and thick, summer reminding you that it’s not going down without a fight. On the Manhattan-bound side of the Graham Ave. station is a rusty waterfall cascading down the tiles, like the Ghost of Graham Ave. is sitting in the rafters and he has the runs. It was about 4:00 when I got back, but at least I didn’t fall asleep with my street clothes on. Again.
Ok, now this is the sort of lineup that requires free food. Last time Blackout Shoppers played an all-nighter @ Grand Central Bar there was free BBQ chicken. Come to think of it, the all-nighter Wednesday at Continental should've had free food but I guess they feel that spending the night at the Continental more than makes up for the lack of food.
The first band on the lineup that I'm not familiar with is No Place To Piss, so I checked into them. They listed (on their Myspace page) "The Strangler's" as an influence. Huh? There's no apostrophe in The Stranglers. Unless you're referring to a specific strangler. "Whose bloody glove is that?" "It's the strangler's." Still, they seemed pretty cool--even when giving "prop's" to "classic rocker's." Argh! (or probably oi!) Maybe they're doing it on purpose to come across as uneducated and more street. It's so punk rock not to obey the laws of grammar. Fight the power! Also good about this bill is that this is going to be my first time catching the new Team Spider lineup. (For the full story of how Xris met Ben, their violin player, when both were arrested at Critical Mass, check www.teamspider.com.)
I figured I was getting there just in time for Suzuki Smith to be finishing up and put one earplug in across the street from the bar but when I got in at 9:45, Suzuki Smith--the 1st band--hadn't even started. And there were 7 bands on the bill. There was food, though. Mozzarella balls and some sort of chicken that wasn't BBQd, I have no idea what it was or how long it was lying there so I passed.
It's hard to say bad things about a band that came all the way from Boston with everything to lose and who probably won't even recoup gas money when Philippe de Buckette makes the rounds. Adding to their frat-punk cred is "Kamikaze Irishmen," (with a chorus of "Drink and fight!") and "Get Out! Get Out! (Johnny wants to fuck.)" They closed with "Turning Japanese," which was the best song in their set and what do you know, they didn't write it.
Though I was trying to focus on the new TS lineup with the 2nd guitar player and violinist, ZAK was missing due to a pacemaker replacement but I kept hearing ZAK's parts. His absence just created this hole, even though Seth tried to fill in on "Bush Bush Bush." Xris suggested he take his teeth out and try it that way. Having Team Spider follow Suzuki Smith made SS look/sound even younger.
I was really interested in No Place To Piss and at some point the AC, if it ever was on in the first place, cut out. Lead singer/guitarer Bomb Walker has a guitar strap that's coated in safety pins and the lenses of his sunglasses were painted around the edges with what looked like White-out. Already this is cool. Thing is, there was this annoying guy in a backward Independent (tm) baseball hat there who was always in their face and managed to always move in front of me while I was trying to take pix. By the time the shutter was released, his arm was up, blocking my shot. I worried that I'm that annoying at shows. Oh, right. I am. But everyone there, including a guy trying to videotape, were standing back politely so that's the thing to do, not run around in front of us. Wait, do I do that? "Are you always an asshole or is it just the alcohol?" Bomb Walker asked. NPTP have a great streetpunk sound though bass player Joe Sixpack, with his deep, growling vocals, came off as sounding like the odd man out. They had one song about how music nowadays doesn't have the heart and soul compared to bands from 77-81. Never caught The Spunk Lads, I take it. Uh, I hate to break it to you but 1977 is over. Get thee to a Seanchai gig, stat. They dedicated "We're All Gonna Die" to the annoying guy, saying they hoped it happened to him sooner than later.
Matt gave me his camera again. Digital cameras make me nervous. I can't tell on that little screen if I did a good job or not. I don't need the pressure but the Suzuki singer saw that I had my camera and he took the digital, this way we'd end up with double the shots of BOS. Except I'm not going to get these pix developed till next year at the rate I'm going. That, and I was running low on film and there were 3 bands to go. No empty bar crowd surfing this time around. No idea how Matt could play a gig in a ski mask and Seth in a knit hat especially in August, especially in a stuffy, hot bar like Grand Central in August. I don't know how taking Philippe around got to be my job, but after I threw in my tip I tried to get people to pass the bucket around but everyone ignored me. So I went around the bar and more people ignored me. Note to BOS--and other bands: Next time get a pretty chick to pass the tip jar. Sorry 'bout that, guys. I meant well.
We were running behind schedule when Dis-Con went on. I was wilting but I'd made it this far. Dis-Con was also street punk but they weren't grabbing me. Or maybe it was just getting so late and hot. Jay Specimen's mohawks were wilting.
I only saw Test Specimen once before, at the A/A Lady Unluck rekkid release show. While Jay can't sing (I realize that being able to sing is optional in this scene), what annoyed me then was that the sound guy announced one more song and they kept going. One more song means one more song, not finish your set and then do one song for an encore. It was an early show, the place had cleared out, and they were starting to shut the lights off. And the band played on. In the dark. That annoyed the crap out of me. That time, Jay and their drummer switched off, with Mohawk Dave on guitar and singing. Drummer could sing, somewhat. This time Jay did vocals with the Dave stuck on the broken stool. I heard more metal in their sound this time around and all band members are really good musicians. Jay is another one who sings like a roach and I was hesitant to write him off as being unable to sing, even though he really can't. It’s like this time around, I “got” them. But they started at 20 to 1 and kept going for a solid hour. Nobody seemed to be stopping them. We still had one band to go.
Dave passed out after the set. I went to the bathroom and got out to find everyone breaking down the set. Yeah, I was curious about all the bands but it was 2:00 in the AM. I don’t know if Threat Release never showed up or quit or what. If The Spunk Lads were on this bill and playing last, they’d cancel, too. Or probably go through with it for BOS and rock an empty and sweaty room, then curse their luck on the drive back.
“You’re a saint for staying the whole night,” Matt tells me.
“I know.”
“Hell, you’re a saint for going to any of our shows.”
“I know.”
Outside the air was heavy and thick, summer reminding you that it’s not going down without a fight. On the Manhattan-bound side of the Graham Ave. station is a rusty waterfall cascading down the tiles, like the Ghost of Graham Ave. is sitting in the rafters and he has the runs. It was about 4:00 when I got back, but at least I didn’t fall asleep with my street clothes on. Again.
posted by heather @ 5:03 PM
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