New York #1

damn...hard to catch up w/ everything w/ school just starting but i'm gonna try...here's the first piece...my mom drove us to the airport, picking David up from work along the way...flying is fun...Jacques was all neverous 'cuz he hadn't flown in a long time and it was only his second time...he also got stopped by the airport security and had to take his shoes off for inspection...i slept through the whole second flight (Atlanta to NY)...i mentioned before we left how none of us had had hardly any sleep...at least i squeezed that little bit in...we wandered around NY a bit in a sleepless daze...but it ruled...just being there rules...first we went to Other Music...you already have the details for that...then we had some pizza on the edge of St. Mark's Place...less than a block from Mondo Kim's, where we went next...and more damage was incurred...after that i think we pretty much just headed for Penn Station to take the train to Jersey and meet up w/ Brian...i'll continue in another post...maybe right now...we'll see, yo...

NJ

Brian picked us up from the train station...and we went back to his house...his parents were all talkative, which he said surprised him...i felt pretty dumb 'cuz i accidentally said "fucked-up" to his dad...but he seemed cool...maybe he didn't think i was some horrible hethen...i had been awake for the better part of well over 24 hrs at this point...also, he told them that i went to art school w/ him so he wouldn't have to tell them we knew each other from the internet, but he forgot to tell us and i'm pretty dense so i blew all that...at least i wasn't dumb enough to mention livejournal...but his dad, among other things, was talking about seeing Johnny Thunders and Gang of Four back in the day...damnit, dads aren't supposed to be cooler than me...finally sleep came about and we woke up early to take the journey to Phildadelphia...

philly...and beyond, yo...

we were only there for a few hours...but quality hours they were...3 record stores, as i've already given privy to...we also ate at this rad chinese place...and went to this music (as in instruments) shop...i almost got this pedal (it's a Sovtek and looks like the Big Muff) but then i played it and realized that my Moogerfooger can do what it does (on top of the many other possibilities it has...) then back to joisey...we shopped around in the record store Brian works at for a while, while he worked...he got us his discount on our stuff, him being the rad guy he is...then we wandered around the nearby area for the rest of his working time...we ended up at this coffee place...according to Jacques, as i was walking back from the counter to the table he was at, these girls sitting nearby said (about me):
one: "he's pretty cute"
two: "yea, i can't stop drooling"
or something very similar...i find that incredibly odd...but anyway, there was this large group of high school punk rawkers and we spent the majority of the time making fun of them...in our bad cockney accents going on about Rancid and Blink 182, MAYTE! and so on and so forth, but i'll spare the details of our overly complex system of humor...we made it back and returned to Brian's place of abode...then we decided to go to Blockbuster where we rented Day of the Dead...it was pretty rad, actually...then sleep, then waking up early again and being dropped back off at the train station for our return to the universal capital city of rockandroll...

back in the NYC

next began our big quest to avoid any type of music store at all...we were amazingly successful the rest of the trip...we checked into the hotel...it was surprisingly not terrible...the room was actually a room...although it was a "triple" there were only two beds...though one was a little bigger than the other, and it fit two ppl...i mean, it wasn't the worst thing possible...we ate at this chinese and spanish place...it was pretty fuckin' tasty...we mostly just kind've wandered around, finally making it to that night's show: Pauline Oliveros...more on that latah...

first show

whilst waiting for it to start, we stood outside in the lobby area or whatever of the Tonic...the girl selling cds talked to us for a while...it was pretty cool...then the show...it was fucking great...Pauline was playing accordion of course...then on drums was Suzie Ibarra, the girl that played w/ Yo La Tengo when we saw 'em in Chicago...she's amazing...there was also a violinist who did some vocals, a vocallist, and a woman playing trombone, didjeridu, and seashell...it was really really good...all improvized stuff...between sets we went down for a little bit to the really neat bar downstaris...then back for the second set...prob'ly even better than the first...afterwards we stopped in the Soft Skull bookstore adjoined to Tonic...i picked up Lee Ranaldo's Road Movies...on the way back to the hotel we stopped at another pizza place...quite tasty, yea...

before THE show

woke up...ate at a place called Maui Tacos...it's a chain or something...their claim is that it's "Mexican with Mauitude" bodacious! then we met Brian at Penn Station...he was hungry so we stopped at this pizza place, but the Memphis crew had already eaten so we didn't eat there, just him (damnit! ponitless details are c00l!) then we went to Irving Plaza where we stood outside for a while...we were like the second ppl in line...it was pretty rad-o...we were metal detected when we finally were let in...the guy asked me what was in my pocket forcing me to pull out my tape recorder, but he was just like "alright"...i guess they were just checking for weapons and didn't care about other stuff we weren't supposed to bring...i was walking towards the concert area and another guard said that i had to check my bag in...bollocks! especially since i had to pay...but at least it gave me the opportunity to stuff my jackets in my backpack...and not be hot for the show or anything...i'll pick up in another post...yet again...

Burma

being the first of the ppl to go in, we got a place right in the front of the stage...pretty centered...it was fucking awesome! they were selling shirts so we went and did our fan nerd duty...i'll prob'ly go into greater detail about the show in the art punk community later...but here's some stuff for now: THE SHOW WAS FUCKING AMAZING!!! first off, Bob Weston of Shellac was doing tapes...i totally wasn't expecting anyone to be since Martin Swope wasn't doing the reunion...w/ a reunion you never know how the band's gonna sound...but jesus christ they were phenomenal...they came back out for an encore and did a song...that was great...but then...what's this!? two more ppl walked out on stage, and who should it be other than Thurston Moore and Lee Ranaldo!!! i figuratively shit my pants! they played a song together...it was just fucking amazing...by that point it was already one of the best things ever...and then they went and fucking topped it even more...then it seemed over again...but another encore! where they fucking did "Heat of Darkness!!!" i totally was not expecting that either!!! it was just an incredible show...and not counting Sonic Youth, easily the best show ever...i heard the next night the special guest was Moby...jesus...we lucked out majorly...i mean, on one hand you have THE best possible guests and on the other hand THE worst...but yea...i can't even begin to describe how truly great the Mission of Burma show was...beyond worth the trip...
p.s.
one thing that kind've sucks though is that while i taped the show, i missed "The Ballad of Johnny Burma"...it was the first song of the second set and trying to record again, i hit play and missed the record button or whatever, i didn't notice 'til it had just ended...oh well...and the opening band Invert (i think) was a string quartet...and they ruled...ALSO, there was a documentary being filmed about the band...being in the very front, we're sure to be in it (however briefly...) that's all for now, here...

end

afterwards we ate at this diner that was pretty swell...sat around, talked...back to the hotel...where we "snuck" Brian in...late night talkin' an' chillin'...we were scared we wouldn't wake up and miss our flight back...but somehow i managed to wake up exactly at the time we had planned on hoping to wake up, 9am...we made it to the airport and arrived home safely and all that good stuff...it was cool meeting Brian, a nice and rockin' guy...it was cool being in New York...cool seeing Philadelphia...Mission of fucking Burma! (obtaining 46 cds...) i might do more afterthought stuff later, but here's that for now...the boring pointless details that nobody read...

school day one

classes are going all right so far, i guess...for my walking class i fucking have to wear jogging pants or something...i can't wear jeans...that's BULLSHIT! nor can i wear khakis...that takes away the entire range of pants that i wear for 3/7 of the week...BULLSHIT! oh well...and so far my dynamical systems class has really grabbed my attention...it's taught by the guy that taught my intro to linear algebra class...which is so far my favoritest class ever...i think i'm actually going to really enjoy this one...i was kind've worried it'd be too scary or something...after class, i went by work and picked up my check, seeing i'd have to be back at 5...i also went to the Adecco office and filled out some paperwork that they had called and needed me to fill...i pretty much just wrote down my address...and checked a box saying i'm a us citizen...some government paper thing...maybe they lost the one i originally filled out (i'm sure i filled that form out "eligability to work in the united states" or something...) their office aparently moved to a much higher floor in the Clark Tower than they were previously locted at...then work...afterwards i met Brad and others (Keith among them) at the Saucer...later Brad wanted to go to Tower...so i accompanied him...and i was very reserved...but i found something that could NOT be passed up: Lou Reed: Street Hassle...i fucking never find that on cd...a sweet deal and i'm a better man for having it...then we went and chilled at Justin's apartment for a little while...and that's that day...

am i caught up?

today was my other two classes...the first of which i'm retaking, the second of which is the second half of a class i took last semester from the same teacher out of the same book, so it's almost like i'm repeating it...except it's prob'ly much much harder...and i did terribly last semester so this should be all wacky...also today i noticed a notice from the post office about a package that was delivered when no one was there...so i went to the post office and picked it up...of course it's the Pearl Syncussion SY-1...after class i opened it all and i wish i could give a report on how it sounds...but as i got it from a guy in england, it has an english power adapter...so i need to get an adapter to use it...bollocks! i went to Target but they didn't have any...bastards...hopefully i have some stupid jogging pants or something so i can be in proper attire for my stupid walking class...'cuz real pants hinder walking or something...

cd update (+)

i hadn't planned on buying so many cds on the trip...i was honestly planning on reserving my funds for future amp/etc purchasing...but there was just SO MUCH fucking stuff i needed in those record stores...jesus christ...it's impossible to hold back until you've reached the absolute end...oh well, i have no regrets...though one sucky thing: Can: Ege Bamyasi...i got it used and could see a little water damage on the cover but nothing that looked severe...just slight discoloration and wrinkliness...but then later i opened it up and the thing's fucking almost literally glued together! i couldn't fucking open it...i eventually got the middle pages pulled apart (w/ minimal tearing) but the other two sides couldn't be pulled apart...i tried, but too much was being torn and not enough was being pulled apart...pretty fucking hopeless...that pisses me off...i guess i'll hang on to it for a while until i get around to buying it again...not having liner notes pisses me off too much...i'm a nerd, i need that damnit...also, New York and all them other places we went (especially NY) have sooo many hot chicks...and not like here where they're mostly on the soror-whore side...there they're all (i'm using "all" figuratively) indie...Brian says that in the Princeton area that's one of the highest populated subcultures...i can hardly fathom that...though if i were around so much indie, i'd prob'ly be a lot less indie...to a degree at least...i dunno...i think i was gonna go on about something else...maybe something about my small peer group's inbred system of inside jokes being too complicated for its own good, but i'll be damned if it's not funny as hell for us at least and that the rest of the world doesn't know what it's missing out on...nevermind how pathetic we are...or maybe it was something else i meant to mention...i'll just quit for now...