( 11:39 PM )
The following handwritten letter was recently discovered crumpled up, then smoothed, then obviously crumpled up again on the grounds of McKinley Hall:
Dear Lisa,
Sayonara from Mild Horses! It’s an ex-Rolling Stones roadie retirement community in Varicose, Florida. It’s total satisfaction except undercover at night I keep having this repeating nightmare that I’m sleepwalking in my sleep over and over, but when I think I’m waking up, I constantly find I’m still sleeping while walking in my sleep--sort of like awake, but still sleeping. I’m a fool to cry, shattered with mixed emotions, but under my thumb I’m between a rock and a hard place. It’s a right kufuffle I tell ya. Hey, have you seen my Netflix mail-in pap smear? Must’ve dropped it stopped by a cop for smoking crop in flip-flops, be-boppin to hip-hop and doo wop, playing gnip gnop while reading Hop on Pop to some hopped up Senators I met on Myspace. You can’t always get what you want, bitch, but all down the line, I’m just a happy midnight rambler.
I’m lost on Lost—did someone find a stash of P-Funk records or weed yet in the hatch?
Kristin
Song of the Day:
“Inn” Chris Whitley & The Bastard Club 2006
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( 10:51 PM )
Selective Jamnesia
As a self-professed aging hipster and likely music snob, it’s funny how fractured your thoughts can become after consecutive weekends of bleary, late-night barhopping.
This past Saturday night, my good friend Jimmy the Washed-Up Surfer and I planned on catching local buzz bands, the Atomic Swindlers and Bacci play at Milestones. I’d never seen the Swindlers before, but their glam-pop album Coming Out Electric got great reviews and was adored by Village Voice critic George Smith who declared it the best of 2005.
I saw Bocci play last fall when they had a mobbed album release party at the German House. Bacci is a slick sounding, well-dressed outfit that mixes G. Love grooves with a tailored Dave Mathews acoustic jam kind of sound. Both bands have a strong local following, but secretly I think they want out of here. Not that you can blame them. Hell, what band doesn’t want to get signed, sell records, make some money, and travel the world?
Anyway, what made this night oddly special was that on Friday, I received an email from Happy Chichester urging me to check out some friends of his from Columbus--coincidently opening for Bacci at Milestones.
They’re called Jamnesia, Happy wrote, “a cover band, but not so slavish as to be annoying.” He went on to say that “Jefro Jam is a star plain and simple and drummer Joshua can tell you more about my music than I can.” Happy even promised my money back if I didn’t like them.
I guess Jimmy and I primed too long at my house that evening, because by the time we got to Milestones, the Atomic Swindlers were on their last two songs. I still feel bad about that, but spoke briefly with singer April Laragy afterward and she graciously gave me a copy of their album.
While the AS crew cleared the stage, the boys from Bacci milled around the area and I figured the whole Jamnesia thing was just another mistake in the whole fucked-up world of music promotion, scheduling, and booking. Even the doorman at Milestones thought I was foolish for even asking if another band was opening for Bacci.
Killing some time, Jimmy and I took a walk outside so we could uh, stash his camera. When we returned to the bar we ran into our good friend, Chocolate Thunder, and hung out with Stephen, a cool dancer from Garth Fagan.
This is where things get hazy, but after another round, an unannounced Jamnesia literally hijacked the stage and flooded the bar with some of the sweetest funky soul music I’ve ever experienced live. Seven dudes playing like tight JB’s, Jamnesia floated seamlessly between Jimmy Smith-type jams to flat-out, stick-to-your-fingers streetball funk. They played a 10-minute version of “Bop Gun” that was incredible. Drummer Joshua Sheik was outstanding.
After Jamnesia finished their set and hit the bar, we introduced ourselves to Joshua and brash singer Jefro. We talked about Happy, and they told us about how they had played Skully’s in Columbus the night before, and by Saturday afternoon they packed themselves into two cars, driving seven hours to Rochester, NY. Apparently Bocci once stayed with a couple of the Jamnesia guys while on tour in Ohio, and sliding Jamnesia onto this bill was Bacci’s way of returning the favor.
I remember asking Joshua what they’d play if their set were longer. He told me, “Aw man, old Funkadelic-- “Better By The Pound.” Well that’s it. I was thoroughly impressed. Bocci played quite well themselves, but Jefro & Co. mesmerized a respectable crowd of cute coeds, art lovers, free-thinkers and boozed-up aging hipsters like myself.
By closing time Jimmy and Chocolate Thunder were fading, so we said our goodbyes and left. The night ended in less-than-grand fashion though, eating a burnt bagel sandwich prepared by three less-than-thrilled Dunkin Doughnuts employees. I would’ve eaten anything that late, and did.
This entire night was a blast. But damn, you’ve just got to give it up for a band hungry enough to drive seven hours for a spontaneous gig. Plus, let’s be realistic—whatever, if anything they were paid, went right out the window in gas and the first round of drinks.
I don’t know. I was just saying.
Song of the Day:
“The Jam” Larry Graham & Graham Central Station 1976
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