Holloween!

Team Spider//Cracktoberfest @ City Hall Park//10/31/05

Hey, I'm writing this @ a Kinko's in between shows. On E. Houston. What a hipster poseur, right?

Well, first off I went to see Seanchai on Saturday cuz I have so much stuff coming up all thru November that it feels like I'm about to go on tour and I wanted to check in with home base before I go, so even though it's probably not a very rock n roll thing to do on Halloween Saturday I went in my costume. (Blondie's "Maria" is on right now.) Was kinda zonked all day Sunday due to the time change. Or the Guinness. Or both. Who knows. Then those libertines in Les Sans Culottes had me getting to sleep late even tho they went on 1st last nite @ Tonic. So even though I was back pretty early for me, I killed it by trying to check emails and write till 12:15. Couldn't sleep yet felt all wired today thinking about all the stuff coming up and would I be able to make all the shows tonite and if not, where should I go? Team Spider was supposed to be going on @ 5:10 and I made it down at like 5:25. I was thinking not to even go because by the time I got down there we'd be at the broken eyeglasses in the pit or cops breaking the show up part. I put my earplugs in on the subway and I get out @ City Hall and don't hear anything. Xris's email (sent to their legal team and Cc:ed to the fans) said City Hall steps, Park Row, but that nabe's huge and since I'm never usually down there, what do I know? I figure it's where the anti-arena rally was. Lights are flashing in the distance and as I walk down the block, I see the sign that says City Hall Park and then I hear Team Spider. My heart actually leaps. I can do this! They're on "Rotgut" (the song). Blackout Matt said he'd just gotten there as well and didn't know what time they started. So I make my way up to the stage and take pix and then some girl leaves to answer her cellphone and I move closer. On the anti-Bloomberg sign board someone wrote "Hey, Bloomberg. 'Thanks' for saving CBGB's...in case you couldn't tell, I was being sarcastic. Jerk." At least I didn't miss "Bush Bush Bush." There really wasn't a big crowd up front. Xris said they had 2 songs to do and start "Lily's Treat." A siren blares in the distance and Xris and ZAK exchange a smile. My film runs out and I'm changing it and then I hear a scraping sound and a crash.

I look up and ZAK's not onstage anymore. He fell over.

People are actually taking pix of what's going on. Xris said ZAK's ok and people call 911. "...his leg's really bent..." "...best old guy living the punk lifestyle..." "...Jesus! Learn your lessons!" (oh, can it with the Jesus crap already. Can't you see the man's hurt?). "...He's 80 (Xris)..." "...he's cool like that..." "...has a pacemaker..."

It's taking way too long for the ambulance to come. I tell myself that maybe there's no reason to hurry, because it's too late. Then, maybe it's because all the streets are blocked off for the parade? There's no reason to hurry because he's ok? I feel like I should be doing something. I make my way to the side of the stage and hug Ladybug cuz I don't know what the hell else to do.

A guy asks me if I know what happened. I told him I was looking at my camera. He says he was standing next to me. "Are they friends of yours?"

I don't know what to say. I mean, yeah, I consider them my friends, but I don't know what to say. I got into Team Spider thru The Spunk Lads and I am friends with The Spunk Lads but that's too long a story cuz we're having a conversation but the bottom line is that Team Spider are friends of mine. He says, "They're really good, have some catchy songs. I really like them."

He introduces himself and I wonder if he's saying he likes them because I said they're my friends. Wait a minute, is he trying to hit on me? What, does he go to funerals just to hug women who're crying?

The ambulance arrives and we applaud when they put ZAK on the stretcher. "Let's hear it fer ZAK!" he calls. Punk rock and total ZAK.

I pick up a pen and write on the Bloomberg board. A guy who's in charge of it tells me that it's going to be archived and that my children will be able to read it. "Not saying that you have children, but if you do in the future we're archiving it so that they'll be able to read it." I put down Bloomberg NO, ZAK YES. What the hell. I'm not good with these things.

Another classic Team Spider show in the park.

(Yeah, I started this yesterday so change all the "today" references to "yesterday" and make present tense past where appropriate. Thanx.)