Embracing Bridgeport

Titles/Mountain Movers/J. DiMenna/The Zambonis/Alternate Routes/Planeside/Ted Leo and the Pharmacists//Bridgeport Aboveground Festival//8/12/06
(Dave Zamboni and his friend try to figure out whose {Hartford Whalers wallet} is biggest.) It’s been far too long since I’ve done something stupid and I’ve been starting to worry about myself. So when I found out that The Zambonis were playing the Bridgeport Aboveground Festival, and they were on early enough in the afternoon on a Saturday, and the Saturday right after my birthday, I had to go. I looked up the map of the Metro North station, and then tried to find this Baldwin Plaza on Mapquest. I couldn’t tell if it was feasible. But when I saw that it said, Don’t fear our Bridgeport, embrace it! on The Zambonis’ site, I figured it was. To be safe, I emailed for further instructions, and all systems were go. Besides, there are so few bands left that I’d do something stupid for.

I wanted to be on the 12:07 train, even though I figured it was a longshot. The thing started at 3 and The Zambonis were on at 6. I was out the nite before and the R wasn’t stopping at my station. But the 12:07 got me in at 1:27 and I wanted to get myself situated and find the place, even though it was 2 blocks from Metro North. Plus I had to find a camera battery, get food, take out money to be on the safe side, and get the ticket. So I figured to save time, I’d hit the Rite Aid in the Metro North station. I really wanted to go to Duane Reade because of the $5 coupon you work up to. (Not to mention how batteries/film is even less at Bed, Bath, & Beyond, but I never have time to deal with the lines, even for a $2.99 camera battery and $4.99 for a 4-pack of film. Thing is, all the film is short dated and I’d have to get it developed right away, which isn’t fair to the rest of my film. And I’m afraid it fell off a truck or something and I don’t want to find out too late if it is.) Even though I told myself that the 1:07 got me in at 2:27 and I’m sure this thing wasn’t going to start at 3 and no offense to Bridgeport (or the bands), but this isn’t exactly the Siren Festival where people will be lining up before it starts. Maybe the 2:07, in at 3:27? No, that’s pushing it. For a second I considered not going at all. Then again, the last time they played in Bridgeport near Metro North I didn’t go, and it worked out in my favor because they only played for a half hour that time, even though it was at Moby’s gallery and members of Satanicide backed him.

I left at 11:30. I think that’s the earliest I’ve left for a show. So even though I had to go back to Continental, I got on the train that was already waiting on the express track and since it looked like an E from the outside, of course it was an F. Maybe I’ll get lucky and that’ll be rerouted, too, and stopping at 51/Lex. Whaddaya know. They said it was going over the V line. Uh, then that means it won’t be running at all, since the V does not operate on weekends. As I went to get the 6, I told myself that if that one was rerouted, maybe it wasn’t meant to be. They’re only gonna play for an hour. But I made it in about noon, picked up a schedule, and tried to find what I was after. Where the fuck is the Rite Aid in this place? The thing is, every time I need it I’m trying to catch a train so I never remember where Shuttle Passage is. I felt like I was walking in circles and there had to be a wing I wasn’t hitting. So I had to get the battery at Hudson News and pray they had my size, and when am I ever going to learn to carry a backup? Next came the ticket and the 1:07 to New Haven was listed on Track 11. What about Bridgeport? The New Haven train is red and the Bridgeport schedule is red. Maybe New Haven is the last stop. Yes, that’s it. I knew that. And there’s Shuttle Passage, across the terminal, so I picked up a sandwich because I was determined not to spend $5 on pizza at the food court downstairs. I looked at the schedule. Okay, 26 stops. That’s like taking the local to Freddy’s to see The Zambonis. Or to Coney Island for the Siren Festival. (Just a thought, if you’re looking for a swell indie rock band, oh ye bookers of Siren.) Okay, so it was $23.50. Besides, I can’t get to The Higher Ground (in Vermont) by train or Chinatown bus and it’s bday weekend, so what can you do? Besides, I put the ticket on my charge card so I can worry about it later, or not at all.

I tried to sleep, but couldn’t. A thin-lipped woman with a Bergdorf bag sat across from me. An 80-minute trip. The PA system went out a few stops into the trip, sounding like a big fart when it crackled out. At one point the woman asked me if I knew what stop we were at, since there were no announcements. I show her the schedule with all the stops listed and it turns out she was looking for Darien and we passed that by 2 stops. “Well, that’s what I get for reading.” Well, if we’re supposed to be in Darien by 1:45 and its 2-something, you know you did something wrong. Oh, she’s not wearing a watch. Brill. So I get to Bridgeport and as I’m trying to find this place, I see a Rite Aid. I went to get an Arizona can and as I crossed the street, I thought, It’s a glorious day out and I’m going to see the Zambonis. This day cannot get any better. I tried to pick up some tissues (only the 6-pack of pocket packs) and the Arizona, but all they had was Veryfine. And you can get cold cuts at the Bridgeport Rite-Aid. Though they have something called a Chubby, a 4-oz. (or 6-oz.) bottle of generic soda in weird colors that sold for 33 cents.

Titles are an indie-rok band in the Merc/Sin-e/Pianos tradition, (as were Mountain Movers and J. DiMenna) and as I sat in the grass watching them, I realized that I’m sitting in the grass. Watching a band. I can’t remember the last time I sat in the grass. Seriously. I lay down. Ditto. Yeah, bugs are probably crawling into my ears and burrowing into my brain and laying eggs, but I’m lying in the grass! It’s warm out but not humid at all, and I’m going to see the Zambonis! Best day ever! I saw Dave and told him that, and he said, “Well, it’s a nice day and we get to see Heather.” I actually meant it as a compliment; not, Great, it’s a nice day out and I’m seeing the Zambonis, groan, way to ruin the day.

This was my first time seeing the Zambonis perform outdoors. Seeing bands at outdoor festivals are always a new/interesting way to see bands. It’s a whole new dynamic. And this is the Zambonis’ home ice, more then the Higher Ground is. At some point I realized that the crowd was all spread out and sprawling, enjoying the day and friends hanging out w/each other. So, yeah, if I stand in front of the stage I’d look like a weirdo, would probably be blocking someone’s view, and even though you can’t dance on grass, what can you do? At some point, I thought: I didn’t come all this way on bday weekend and spend all this money to see one of my favorite bands in their hometown and then sit in the grass, but it was such a beautiful day and I was so excited that I didn’t really dwell on it. What can you do? You know me, I always try to make the best of things.

Imagine my surprise and delight when Dave called everyone closer under the band tent to give out stuff. Or to ensure against my mentioning that I came all this way and spent all that money to see one of my fave bands and now I have to sit but I don’t mind because I’m so damn happy as it is that I would happily sit if I had to. But this made everything that much better. He tried to toss a Zambonis hat to a guy in a Weezer shirt, and the guy missed. A true Weezer fan isn’t very athletic, Dave points out, in addition to theorizing that the breakup isn’t permanent and Weezer will be back in 3 years with another halfway crappy album. Weezer Guy didn’t catch any hats pitched in his direction, but someone gave him one. “A true Weezer fan keeps missing and someone gives it to him anyway.” They invited a little kid in a Foo Fighters shirt onstage, because the kid asked them if he can sing a song with them since he knows the words to most Zambonis songs. Hey, Dave knows the lyrics to most Zambonis songs, too. They asked if he wanted to stay onstage, and he said yes. What a rock star. Dave also told us that with the money they got for selling Hockey Monkey to Fox for the theme song to the awesome TV show The Loop, (big, exaggerated winks from Dave. Now, I’ve seen The Loop and I’ve gotta say this: the theme song is incredible) instead of using the money for an agent or publicist, they put it toward a new Hockey Monkey. Which is a smart move, considering how the old one smelled/looked. And joining Hockey Monkey at the gig was his pal, Storm, the Bridgeport Sound Tiger. And they did the Sound Tigers theme song. A 2-mascot blowout. (For those who don’t know, a Sound Tiger is a big, blue tiger native to Bridgeport, Connecticut who loves to play hockey.) And The Zambonis weren’t the only subject-specific band playing. According to Dave, Ted Leo & The Pharmacists only write songs about pharmacies. Best Zambonis gig ever.

Shortly after their set I had to find something to eat and, let’s face it, I wanted to try a Chubby. The Rite Aid was closed, alas, and as I walked back to the plaza, I heard a loud band all the way down the street. Planeside had these comps at their merch table and they were promoting their appearance at some sort of upcoming local sucky bandfest. They struck me as the type of band that is loud for the sake of being loud—“It’s loud because that’s how hard we rock!” They’re probably big in Bridgeport. I wasn’t digging it.

I’ve never seen Ted Leo & the Pharmacists. Or ever heard their music. Seriously. So that was another draw to this crazy trip. I used to keep missing them a few years ago because I always found out about conflicting shows and I’ve been meaning to check into them when they played the Seaport, but I had better things to do in the middle of a blackout, and then a torrential rainstorm, like going home. Someone mentioned moving closer, and the next thing I knew, the crowd totally mobbed the stage. I was surprised; at Siren and the Seaport there’s barricades in front of the stage and the huge moat, but this was really cool to be separated from this band only by the mic stands, because I know they’re this big band. (Big as in popular, not in some Polyphonic Spree sorta way.) And now I know why. They’re very collegiate, as in their crowd demographic, but they’re also a band of substance, like The Zambonis. Their first song was your typical modern indie/college rock, and after that the songs did rock out. They totally blew Planeside out of the water and reflected The Zambonis’ meatiness. Except I had to keep an eye on my watch and on the railroad schedule, and I kept telling myself 5 more minutes and I was trying to guess where the stopping point in their set was. But by 10:15 I had to leave for the 10:31 train because the next one out was 11:40.

I got there in enough time and found the track, and then got something to drink to pass the time til 10:38. When the train got in I got on and was surprised that it left right away. I don’t know how I started thinking that the train left at 10:38, but it’s probably because the train before it was 9:38 and the BP-bound trains all left on the sevens, so all the fresh air probably warped my brain. That, and all the bugs that burrowed into my head and laid eggs.

PS: Congratulations to The Zambonis on winning Best Rock Band in Connecticut’s Grand Band Slam competition. I knew they were going to win not only because the contest ended on my birthday and what better gift is there, but Warming The Bench is such a great song and I smile each time I hear it. They also have other classics about hockey, monkeys, buildings, food, love, heartbreak, backache, and hockey, but Warming The Bench is off their Vermont EP, which I got recently and therefore have been listening to that one the most.