Thank God It's Monday

World War IX/Blackout Shoppers//Manitoba's//10/10/05

It's funny how many New Paltz alums are now in music. Jon from the Zambonis. Brian from Manitoba's and whatever the hell else he does. Lizzie Boredom from Lady Unluck. Max Strum from World War IX. Me from being up front at their shows. Here's some old pix of WWIX @ ABC No Rio. Yeah, Max asked me for them back in Feb. but what can I say? I'm a New Paltz grad. (Read: poor.) I didn't get these developed 'til July so I'm putting some up. (Yeah, like being on Hollow Sidewalks is a big ole consolation prize.)


I recognized Max right off the bat when I saw him heading down Rivington in February and I didn't know WWIX is his band, I just saw them listed around and had that day free. But it's their poppin' punk tunes ("Thank God It's Monday," "Intervention"), not to mention the tight guitar/bass from Justin and Annick that does the trick. Though Max said that Manitoba's was "the biggest place they've played," I had to be careful not to get impaled by Justin's guitar.

(Some old Blackout Shoppers pix from The Pyramid, 7/24/04)

Seth Amphetamine told us all to come closer and one girl yelled, "I don't want to get spit on!" Me either. I didn't want to get spit on or snot rocketed on. Or end up in a serious mosh pit with people who know what they're doing. I tend to keep out of mosh pits (but have been known to start 'em)-- especially when smashing and grabbing starts--but seeing moshers for Blackout Shoppers makes me happy 'cause people are happy and the band is going over well. Blackout Shoppers are a tad more hardcore (but good hardcore) than I usually listen to, but seeing Seth in a huddle with his crowd, singing "Everything's Gone Wrong" could warm the crustiest of punk hearts. On the way back to the subway I picked up an L mag to have something to read. There's a pic on the cover of some boarded-up construction site with graffiti art that has a Blackout Shoppers sticker on it.