IBS/2008 National College Radio Convention, 3/8/2008

All convention FFotos on this blog © Robert Barry Francos

My pal, Boston’s music journalist (and so much more) Joe Viglione has been involved with the national college radio convention, run by the Intercollegiate Broadcasting System for 15 years. This year , the 68th annual convention was simply called IBS/2008, and was held at the Pennsylvania Hotel in NYC.

[Joe Vig center]
As someone had doped out of the first Saturday panel on March 8, titled “Radio on the Tube? Working with Public Access and College TV Stations”, he asked me to fill in. Even though was not my area of specialty, I figured, hey, DIY, why not? On my badge, I wrote FFanzeen (my blog) / Jersey Beat (for whom I write) / and Videowave (a cable access show I’ve worked on for my friend Alan Abramowitz since the early ‘80s). REPRESENT! For this panel, it was the latter for which I was there as it was the closest my experience would fit. There were about a dozen people from college stations there, which is actually a good counting considering the time, and hard rain.

[Jon Pagano]
Joe Vig moderated, and doing an excellent job of it, I may add, even with the loud Hawaiian shirt. The panel included a couple of people running college television start-up stations, and a quad of djs from the University of Stoneybrook (USB, who was also a co-sponsor of the event) radio station’s popular urban music show. The USB group basically took control of the panel, which was fine since they were quite personable and amusing (I’ve seen my share of dry panels). Plus, it worked out great for me, as other than explaining about the indie nature of Videowave, its historical and present importance, and contact (www.myspace.com/videowave), the panel topic was something in which I was not very well versed. But I held my own, and I must add I had fun doing it. It was the first time I’m been in this position since presenting my paper “The Role of Technology in the Birth and Death of Rock and Roll” at the Media Ecology Association conference in Mexico City last summer.

[Rew]
After the panel, I hung around to listen to the next session, “Independent Labels and Your Station”. There were a bunch of artists and labels (e.g., Bee, from the band RewBee, and the two guys who run Backlight Records, who put out Holler, Wild Rose) represented there, and it was well moderated by John Ottaviano. There were many interesting going back-and-forths between the panel and the station reps, on how to get bet the attention (and product) of the usually cash-strapped indies, and how the small record labels can best serve their target college market. It was an interesting hour.

[MilitiA]
Though I wanted to see the next session, which was a similar indies-stations topic, I more needed to grab some food, as I hadn’t had breakfast. I ran out of the hotel, getting pretty wet, and grabbed some grub. Coming back, I was heading toward the panel that had already started, and ran into Joe Vig in the WIBS Glass Studio (which was just outside the Zurich Room), who was checking his multiple emails and Web sites. We started talking, and was joined by the wife of one of the present panelists, Joe Vignola (Joe Vig was joking how much their names were similar, and how she was married to both of them). We three talked about music, DJ-ing, and Joe Vig’s ongoing battle with his local public access station near Boston. At some point, we were joined by IBS Chairman and Executive Vice President Len Mailloux, who had a magnificent FM-classic deep voice. He talked about his alcohol-fuel younger days, and how all his teeth were about to be yanked in a couple of days! At some point, I realized I was not going to get to the panel, so I just sat back, hung out, and relaxed (and took advantage of a very small and finally empty bathroom).

[Wayne Robins]
When the missed session ended, I headed into the room for the next one, as I was looking forward to it: “An Audience with…Wayne Robins, Author of ‘A Brief History of Rock, Off the Record”. I was a fan and irregular reader of CREEM Magazine (introduced to it by my buddy Bernie Kugel in the early ‘70s, when we were still in high school), for which Wayne regularly wrote reviews and articles, so I wanted to hear him speak. His session was facilitated by IBS President, Norm Prusslin. Norm gave a very brief into, held up the book, and started asking Wayne about how he got into the biz. All of it was interesting, but honestly, at the time I wanted to hear more anecdotes, like when he told about how he played air guitar with Keith Richards in a hotel room around the time Richards was involved with the Chuck Berry project, “Hail, Hail Rock and Roll”. However, I also understand that (a) he was there to promote the book, and (b) these were college students interested in a how-to get started. Wayne came across a gracious, and a good oral storyteller. We touched base after, and Wayne said he’d have the company send me a copy of the book, so hopefully I’ll be able to share it with a review.

[Phil Minissale]
As soon as the session was finished, I am-scrayed to a birthday party WAAAY uptown, on the East Side, getting soaked in the heavy downpour. Considering how screwed up the subway was that day (only thing worse than the weekdays are the weekends…don’t get me started). Staying as long as I could, feasting on the likes of cheese and fruit, lasagna, coffee, and of course birthday cake, I headed for the long train back to the conference. Luckily, it was only drizzling at this point, and the trains, still slow, got me back just as the next session was starting, and it was one I wanted to see.

[Jan Horvath]
Titled “Musicians Showcase: An Audience with the Bands”, the scheduled guest list included three artists who had CDs that I had just reviewed for Jersey Beat: Jeff Mastroberti, Jan Horvath, Peter Calo. While Jeff and Peter were no-shows, the rest of the panel was interesting and definitely lively. From left to right, it was co-moderator and USB DJs Keri Fico, Jan Horvath, John Pagano (of JP Blues), Rew Starr (RewBee), Matt Clunie (Love, Robot), Ryan MacNeill (Madison Project), MilitiA (Swear on Your Life), Phil Minissale, Jan McComsky (Holler, Wild Rose), singer Jann Klose, Roberta Piket, and the other co-moderator who is also a DJ at USB, Anthony “Dob” Dobrini. While not an official moderator, Joe Vig helped move everything along.

[Matt Clunie, Ryan MacNeill]
The artists seemed very present, and were open to suggestion and needs by the crowded room of members of the college radio world, and the like. I also got involved by making comments on how the artists can help themselves and what we journalists needed to help promote/review their releases. In that way Jan Horvath realized that I was the one who reviewed her CD for Jersey Beat, which raised a big smile on her part, which made me feel acknowledged positively. Thanks for that, Jan!

[Jan McComsky, Jann Klose, Roberta Piket]
One of the things that impressed me about this panel was the wide range of styles represented, such as metal, folk blues, electric blues, singer-songwriter, pop rock, poetic rock, and jazz. There really did need to be some urban style present, even if I am not a fan.

By the time the panel was over, I had CDs to review from John, Matt, Ryan, MilitiA, Phil, and Jan. And shortly after I received one from Rew, and Jan had promised to send one as well. As I said, I had already reviewed Jan’s CD. What I’ve heard I’ve liked, and the reviews will appear in Jersey Beat (http://www.jerseybeat.com/; my column is called “The Quiet Corner”).

I am sorry now I hadn’t gone to previous conventions, and look forward to seeing them in the future, if I’m in town.

Additional conference ffotos by RBF:

http://community.webshots.com/user/ffranzos2006v1

A random memory along a strasse in Berlin

In 1998, I was walking down a busy street in Berlin. It was my second day there, and the first opportunity I had to walk around and take photos, as I love to do.

As I approached a corner, four guys on bicycles approached. They all wore multi-colored spandex so familiar with heavy-duty bike riders. One comes up to me, and in a thick West Coast US accent says to me:

"Dude! You know where [Whatever]-Strasse is, dude?"

"I'm from the States, too. I have no idea."

He turned to his pals and yelled, "Dudes! This dude dosen't know where the Strasse is either, dudes!"

With that he turned to me and said, "Hey, thanks, Dude!" And then he took off with his pals.

Which reminded me of this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sEr8SYqTc3s

A co-interview with writer-musician JD Glass, Pt 2

[JD Glass in Life Underwater]
FFoto by Robert Barry Francos/FFanzeen]

JD Glass is having a good year in 2008. Her fourth book is out now, "American Goth". I've read the first two, "Punk Like Me" and "Punk and Zen"; I'm almost done with the third, "Red Lights". Meanwhile, she's continuing to work on her music. And through the new year, we've continued our correspondence. This was published first on her blog, and now I am publishing it on mine.

I don't get to see JD as much as I would like, but I somehow feel better knowing she's in the world. And the characters in her book, as I told her recently in an email, are starting to feel like old and familiar friends, and that's due in large part to JD's character development.

Anyway, here is the second part of the back and forth, MySpace interview:


RBF: As for you, I've seen Life Underwater in various incarnations. Have you played in any other bands, and how would you describe your musical contribution? And I promise you, I will ask more questions about your own novels soon...

JDG: I have played in a few other bands. I started composing songs at 7. When I was 8, my mom left us a tape recorder so we could "tell" her events that happened from the time she left for work until she got home (to save her from us calling her incessantly) and...whoa. I started singing my compositions into the recorder, then stole her guitar (a Yamaha classical that I still have ..) and taught myself how to play, so I could make her buy more tapes every week, since I filled them. That same year, my mother played one of those tapes for a co-worker of hers who played guitar for his local theater group and gave lessons.He didn't believe a kid wrote those - and when he came over so he could evaluate me and give me lessons or something, I did my thing, and instead of giving me lessons, the next thing I knew, my parents were helping me fill out Copyright forms and we actually went to DC to drop them and some tapes off. That was his recommendation.

The next summer saw my "first" band - my brother playing something resembling guitar with me, while my sister and a neighbor sang back up. My very first "real" band was Person-L - I used that name because I, in my mature high school way, thought the corporate world was dehumanizing, reduced us all to numbers, and I wanted to reflect that. What this really meant, was that I wrote songs, a friend of mine and I practiced harmonies on them, and somehow we had a clap machine for a drummer - it was awful, but the melodies and harmonies were actually pretty decent and I mastered my instruments.

A few years later, I was a founding member of the original Adam's Rib (lead guitarist, song writer - I wrote everything but the bass and drum lines, back up and occasional lead singer) formed as a direct response to then lead-singer's boyfriend's band, the very popular Two Minutes Hate. We thought we were political, socially relevant, and egalitarian. It was heaven and hell. Our first drummer quit about two weeks before our first real gig at CBs because her mom didn't want her to play there (which we were all like, WTF? because, heck, we were 19-20 something year olds) so we ended up with the drummer from Two Minutes Hate. We had a great show - a great set. I still have the tape from it somewhere :-)

After our first gig out we were offered an opening slot with the Toasters and Bim Skala Bim (or something like that ..) but instead of rehearsing and finding a new drummer (we couldn't use the one from TMH - weird boyfriend/girlfriend competition politics with the lead singer's boyfriend - again, the lead singer for TMH) they wanted to hang out and get stoned. Me, I don't do that (never did) and next thing I knew? No band. I never really did understand what happened there - and while I recently wondered what would have happened had I "given in," I'm really glad I didn't.

Not too long after that, I joined XXY for a bit and played bass, but the scene was wearying (the lead singer occasionally performed naked and did weird things with microphones. He also like to throw food into the audience - hot dogs, chicken parts, bologna) and while performance art can be very cool, it had nothing to do with the music or the message in it and frankly, I started to feel bad for the chickens ;-) and the waste of food in a world where people are starving to death seemed really anti-punk to me. I got out of that, and did solo projects with some side-man work either singing, or playing guitar or bass, until I became a part of Life Underwater. I've been there ever since, and very happy about that. I get to float between lead and occasional rhythm guitar or bass, and I write the melodies and lyrics, which is what I started out doing in the first place .

..So...you and music. Did you ever pick up an instrument, then do that "required" thing, join a band? Or if you haven't, have you thought about it? Not necessarily the "band" part, but playing an instrument?

RBF: Yeah, I played acoustic guitar for a little while and then tried bass. Found out very quickly that I have zero talent: no sense of chord formation, no sense of rhythm. Worthless. Even for punk rock. I bought a cheap electric bass to jam with Bernie Kugel, who was much more adapt at guitar. We jammed in his bedroom, and called ourselves Les Bien. His mother freaked out: "It sounds too much like lesbians!" Ah, Bensonhurst. So he changed it to The Good, and when he moved to Buffalo to go to college, it became his first popular band (now-actor Vincent Gallo was in the band, and they still keep in touch). Oh, and that bass...in about a year, the neck began to warp, and after the third or fourth fret, you'd need a C-clamp to hold it down. I paid like $40 for it. Probably still have it somewhere.

JDG: If you ever find it, I'd love to take a look at it - you never know, maybe I could fix it ...

RBF: That is why when I started wanting to give back to the scene I was enjoying so much, I started writing about it to promote the bands I enjoyed. No one wanted to print what I was writing, so I figured, screw it, I'll print myself. I had some interviews I had done when I was Arts Editor at Kingsborough College (at The Scepter), and needed a couple more. I walked over to Miriam Linna one night at CBGBs and asked if I could interview her band, The Cramps. She said sure, and I ended up being the last person to interview them before Miriam left. I had them all sign a flyer and used that as my back cover. Some book on the Cramps has the page (uncredited) inside.

JDG: That's amazing - you'll have to post that sometime on your blog so we can all see it.

RBF: So, in any real terms, I never was in a band. Would I want to be? Part of me says yeah, because it's cool, but it's not the kind of work I'm interested in. I'm more happy knowing that people are reading what I write and enjoying my photos. I've had a number of people tell me they like my stuff. In fact, a writer friend of mine, Mary Anne Cassata, once interviewed the lead singer of Iron Maiden, and he voluntarily admitted that he was a big fan of FFanzeen, without Mary Anne even bringing me up. I've never been a Maiden-head, but I have all this mail from them when they toured then-communist Poland. But I've hung out with Joey Ramone more than once, interviewed many musicians I've enjoyed, and know a whole bunch of up and comers. I've interviewed Lynyrd Skynyrd and been calm, and yet was totally stone-mouthed the first time I met Willie Alexander. I may not be in a band, but I have my place among musicians, which is equally fine with me.

JDG: The spot you occupy is an important one - and I'm betting quite a few people agree with that.

RBF: So, I was wondering, just how much is Nina, the main character of most of your books, based on yourself? I can imagine you hanging out at (Jim Hanley's) Universe comic store over on New Dorp. Bernie and I used to go there, too. Also when they had that branch at the Staten Island Mall, but I digress.

JDG: A lot of people ask me that. Nina and I certainly share a lot of background, but then again, I tend to share quite a bit with my main characters. Thing is, they're not me, they're themselves, we've just felt or experienced same or similar things, if that makes sense. And yes, I spent a LOT of time hanging out at Jim Hanley's Universe - in Eltingville, in New Dorp, and I even worked for a little while at the ones in Eltingville and in the Mall. You know, it's funny - you have to wonder how many times you and I probably unknowingly crossed paths before "officially" meeting!

I don't get to hang out there (or anywhere, really) nearly as much as I'd like to, but it's always home to me, and I honor that whenever I can by doing things there, because everything starts in the Universe ...

What's really funny (in a good, irony kind of way) is that the first book I ever wrote (which was a comic book) has finally come out as a novel - American Goth - and in a strange full circle, that main character is going to be in a comic anthology later this year or early next, and more than likely also appear in her own series of sorts afterwards. When that comes out, you can bet Universe will be the first place I go to!

So...do you still read and/or collect comics? What are titles that have appealed to you and still do over the years? And...graphic novels...any faves?

RBF: My first memories of comics dates back to the early '60s, when my grandfather was hospitalized with what would have been easily resolved now with a pacemaker. We weren't allowed in, being kids, so our parents bought my brother and me comics to keep us occupied. I remember having Spidy 1, Hulk 1, Fantastic Four 1, and many others, which were ripped up by my dad when he caught be reading them after I was supposed to be asleep (is that the sound of cringing I hear out there?). Hell, I even loved Charlton and Classic's Illustrated.

JDG: I think I might be having a small seizure, actually! Oh the pain, the pain!

RBF: When I went to high school, I sat across from this kid who we both shared an instant dislike for each other. After about a week, waiting for the class to start, we both took out comics. That was Bernie Kugel, and we've been truly great friends since.

JDG: Isn't if funny how some of the best friendships start out that way?

RBF: Truly. He was more into Marvel, with it's arc stories and envelope-pushing art. I was more into DC, with it's straightforward issue-by-issue stories. Batman was, and still is, a fave.

JDG: Marvel has always been a bit more...psychological...in some aspects. DC has expanded their story telling with their graphic novels and with the Vertigo line...and Batman always rocks ...

RBF: The next semester of high school, we took a class about comics, led by the late Phil Seuling. For those who don't know, Phil had the first comic book-only retail store (20 Ave & 85 St, Brooklyn). He brought us to his home which was covered in original art from the '40 onward, took the class on a field trip to the DC Comics office where we met Jim Steranko (still have my oversided "History of Comics" signed by him...1st edition), and even had guest lecturers like Grey Morrow. A couple years after we graduated, Phil was fired for giving (selling?) a student an underground Robert Crumb comix, after the student's parents complained. I remember him as having a very sharp and occasionally bitter sense of humor.

JDG: Poor Phil!

RBF: I like a lot of indie stuff, but find a lot of it not only badly drawn but sort of esoteric to the point of pointlessness. I'm still a fan of straight lines, as with Concrete, Cadillacs & Dinosaurs, and I also have an appreciation for the beauty of Love & Rockets. Some of my favorite artists are Archie Goodwin and Richard Corben. But the comic art that blew me away was David Quinn and Tim Vigil's Faust: Love of the Damned. Phenomenal work (wish the movie was as well done).

JDG: We're on the same page - and of course, I'm a huge Love & Rockets fan ... I love the way the do homage to the classics like Hank Ketchum.

RBF: Bernie and I used to go to many of the comic stores around the city, even heading over to New Dorp. However, I remember going to the closing sale of JH's Universe at the Staten Island Mall. They were selling their stuff at 60% off one weekend, 70% off the next, and so on. We got there and bought a ton of them when they were at 90%. Even graphic novels. I spent HOURS enjoying them.

I haven't really collected any comics in the past 10 years or so, but recently a co-woker, Ken, gave me a graphic novel of Batman: Dark Victory, which I devoured.

JDG: Any of the Dark Knight works are simply fantastic. And I tend to think DC does graphic novels (like the Watchmen, which will also be a movie) with a grittier intensity than it's "serial" runs.

RBF: Watchmen was an instant classic, totally canon-worthy.

By sheer coincidence, now I work in an office directly across from DC Comics, and I look at all this cool stuff in the windows, like a life-size blow-up Batgirl doll, Superman posters, and a great yellow neon Batman insignia sign that I covet.

JDG: LOL - I wouldn't mind passing those windows!

RBF: Phew, that went on a bit! Now, what I'm reading is a book you may have heard of called Punk & Zen by this wonder author named JD Glass. Though it's fiction, I enjoy that you actually use lyrics that you've written for your group, Life Underwater. That was an interesting choice. What were your thoughts about doing that, mixing fiction and fact? You talked earlier about how some of the events in Nina's life are similar to yours, but this is a lot more direct.

JDG: Now you're making me blush. As to mixing fiction and fact, it seems (and this is a generalization) that most authors, whether they're creating something out of a whole cloth or basing on whatever, do in fact end up mixing fiction and fact.

What I thought when I did that was that it was appropriate - Nina's a musician, and so am I, and there were songs that simply fit perfectly. That, and I'd already started a tradition of naming chapters after songs in Punk Like Me. This seemed like an opportunity for me to really play with that a bit more, give a little more depth to the each chapter.

JD's blog and info can be found here:
www.myspace.com/jdglass

TBC

1st Annual Holiday Bonanza, NYC Cypher, Staten Island 12/22/2007

All performance photos © Robert Barry Francos/FFanzeen

It is amazing to me how the legacy – or rather legacies – of the late Brooklyn-based Punk Temple lives on. When it closed, other venues opened, such as the phenomenal and legendary Monty Love Christmas Spectaculars, held at Dock Street on Staten Island. When that ended with the demise of the band Monty Love in 2006, another door shut.

This opened a window of opportunity that Dov and Phil D of the band Racing Exit 13 picked up, and now they are starting their own (potentially legendary) legacy with the 1st Annual Winter Bonanza, held at the NYC Cypher club on Broad Street, practically around the corner from Dock Street.

I’ve been acquainted with Dov since he led the Washington Riot, and Phil D from even before Quantice Never Crashed, when it was still Howard Finster (and both bands played at the Temple in the early fin de sicle). When I heard they were spearheading this show, I was quite pleased.

The NYC Cypher is an interesting space to hold a show. The downstairs is an urban music and clothing store with a stage, and the upstairs is a mixed-medium art gallery. The plan was brilliant: while one band was playing in a space, another band would be setting up on the other. Basically, one could go from floor to floor and see bands play with very little lag time between. In that fashion we were all able to see eight bands in 5 hours. Even with a late start for the show, we were out of there by 1 AM.

When I got there, I found out that one band had dropped out, and that both the Young Hearts and Up For Nothing had been added. I looked forward to finally seeing the former, and it’s always a blast to see the latter. While I waited for the show to start, I had an enjoyable conversation with Barrie, who I am always happy to see (if you don’t know who I mean, well then you haven’t been to enough local shows).

First up was A Telltale Heart, playing the upstairs room. I’m pretty sure I’ve seen most of them before either in different bands, or in a similar line-up under a another name. They had a pretty good sound with some incredibly strong musicianship. The vocalist was a bit stationary, rocking the mic back and forth, and seemed to need a couple of songs to get into it, but he sure did. Toward the end of the set, the bassist (who started off by wearing an elf ears-hat combo), jumped up on the drum kit, straddling the bass drum, with his back to the crowd. Still playing, after a bit, he jumped up onto a huge speaker. After a number of bars, he jumped down to the ground, STILL playing. This earned him a well-deserved cheer from the crowd.

When they finished, we weaved through the stairs and corridors to get to the lower half of the complex to hear That Hideous Strength (THS). They have their fans: the singer of A Telltale Heart was wearing a THS tee. For those who don’t know, THS has two singers who alternate between screamo and more standard pop punk styles. Matt Zambito, who is bearded and pierced, is the more screamo of the two, and spent a lot of time crouched in front of the bass drum while the extremely tall Mike Costello roamed the stage and infiltrated the audience, switched between the two styles. Their energy was consistently at a very high level, and through it all, the rest of the band kept up. While the pace was fast and furious, with members of the audience singing right along with Mike as he shared the mic, I noticed that there was no pit. THS is both a strong and fun band, and everyone seemed to be having fun. The floor was packed, with people singing along word for word. Though a less than (literally) slammin’ audience, everyone sure seemed to be having a good time. Maybe it was just early, or perhaps it was figuring out the space. Either way, a good time was had, including, it seems, the band.

After the set, it was back upstairs for next-comers Racing Exit 13. [I must digress here… I am assuming that Exit 13 refers to the exit on the New Jersey Turnpike that leads to the Goethals Bridge, gateway to Staten Island. Okay, I’m back now.] As with most of the bands playing this eve, RE13 seemed to be having a lot of fun. Dov seemed a bit more serious than usual in the pictures I took, but being there I could see he was in the zone, as it were. They also got a resounding affirmation from the enthusiastic audience, who lifted Dov so high he was hanging onto the rafters. Other fans present included Bek’s old bandmate, Monty Love, and Mike of That Hideous Strength. RE13 is currently down a guitarist and they called for anyone interested to let them know. Meanwhile, Bek retained the pace, Steve kept up the bass rhythms and side vocals, and Phil showed that besides the bass, he could handle some skins.

Next up on the lower level was Tick Tock Boom, a trio who came all the way from Virginia. I was really looking forward to seeing the group, as I’d heard of them a few times. But wait, what was that Seth Davis had in his hand? Could it be one of those guitar-shaped synths? And was that a synth tower next to him? Yikes. This did not bode well. Sure enough, they were the only band of the evening that was a complete disappointment to me. As someone who has always loved powerpop (as opposed to bubblegum), I also am not a fan of electronica. Unfortunately, I was right to be afraid. Their songs were full of whoop-whoops and twees and bloop-bloops. After nearly three songs, I said fuck it and headed up the stairs to watch the next band set up. And I wasn’t the only one, as there were more people upstairs waiting than there was watching TTB. Funny thing is that they actually sounded better reverberating through the floor than they did being in the same room.

[Ally, Vonny & Monty waiting for Dead Set o Destruction]
While Dead Set on Destruction set up, Debo sat at his drum with Monty Love standing behind him. It was then I realized that with Debo, Bek and Monty present, that was three quarters of the Monty Love band in the same room, getting along. I am guessing that I wasn’t the only one hoping for what never happened: a mini-Monty Love reunion. It was also around this time that I first noticed Jen Love in the audience, whom I haven’t seen in a while. Not surprising she was there, as so many of her buds were playing, such as Philly Rabbit of Quantice Never Crashed. I remember the two of them jumping around like maniacs to bands at the Temple, having so much fun! And I have the “blackmail” pictures to prove it!

Dead Set on Destruction is dead set on entertainment. Maybe that was a bit too glib? Perhaps, but DSoD is a solid punk outfit fronted by Todd, who proves the man has moves. One thing I like about the band, beyond the good songs, is that it has some of the more idiosyncratic looking members, with vocalist Todd, who is a large man, an Amish beard style bassist named simply b, a handsome guitarist with the rare moniker John, and powerhouse Debo on drums. The band gave a unyielding performance with solid musicianship. And when John’s guitar gave up the ghost, Bek jumped right in and loaned John his, helping DSoD finish a fueled set.

Early in the evening, when the bands were unloading, I talked with the Young Hearts after they brought in their equipment and settled in, waiting for the show. They came across as earnest and while having fun with the whole music biz, were also serious about what they were doing. Barrie had told me how excited she was that they were playing, so I was curious. While they were closer to the rock end of punk rock, they sparkled. This is the first time I had seen them perform, and was glad for the opportunity. For a late addition to the roster, they showed up ready to play, and they certainly did that well. The set just flew by. Toward the end, a guy showed up dressed like a pope, with blood sprayed on his front. He danced in front of the band for a while.

Upstairs for the last time of the evening, we crowded around to see local faves (though they’re from Brooklyn), Up For Nothing. Earlier in the eve, just before A Telltale Heart’s set, Justin told me how they had signed with the Boston label run by the Dimwits, Winter Street Records, and how excited they are. I am not sure what else to say about this trio that I haven’t said before, but I will reiterate that I think there are a lot of fun. Justin has a banter between songs explaining little things about the song they are about to play (“This is a short song”…”this may be the last time we play this…”), and about their first show playing at the Temple (not only was I there, a couple of days later Justin posting a ffhoto I took of that show on my MySpace comments page). By giving timelines for the songs, it makes it a bit easier to follow their trajectory over the years, and one can see how their songs have grown and improved over time. But their material is always catchy, even the 15 second one (possibly inspired by the Descendents’ “I Like Food”?). And thanks for the nod from the stage, as had Bek earlier. I ALWAYS appreciate the acknowledgement, and I never ever take it for granted. Meanwhile, drummer Jesse is heading off to California to stay...and get married (I wish him a lot of luck), so UFN islooking for a replacement, if you’re interested. Jesse's tracks are already layed for the new release, and his last gig will be Up For Nothing record release party on May 10. Check it out!

As we went downstairs the set there was already in full force, with the rap group Lost Soulz commanding of the stage. The long stage was packed with people I had not seen during the other bands, with the exception of the bloody pope, who was on stage now as well. It was also the first time that evening that there was not only a pit, but it was thriving. I took to the left side of the stage and stood on a sculpture to gets photos above the fray. Yet through all this, Quantice Never Crashed still managed to get set up. Amazing; though they certainly are used to large crowds storming around them, as well. For me, watching the crowd was fun, but I was not into the music at all. There are only two rap groups I can tolerate: the Last Poets and Public Enemy. The rest I find repetitive and dull. It’s gotta be rock’n’roll music, if you wanna dance with me (as said by the TRUE king of rock’n’roll, but that’s for another day).

Last up was the re-formed band made up of the sons of Staten Island, Quantice Never Crashed. They broke up when lead singer Philly Rabbit left, but he came back and the entire local scene showed their appreciation. The last time I know I saw them play was the Monty Love Xmas Spectacular in 2005, two years too long. Even before they started, the energy was way high. The Lost Soulz may have helped, yet the normal intensity for QNC is quite forceful anyway. As usual, the music started slow, with Phil D (drummer of Racing Exit 13) on bass, John and Vinny on guitar, and Mikey on drums. One can almost count down… Wait for it…. Waaaaait for iiiiiiit. BAM! Like a shot, Philly is off in the audience (hoodie in place), throwing himself around, flailing like he’s being electrocuted, or huddled in a small circle with all limbs pulled in like a turtle. Surely he was just having a blast, huge smile on his face when he’s not in full screamo mode, grabbing his own ass as seems to be the official screamo pose. And the audience loves it, singing along with him, sometimes even taking the mic FROM him. As passionate as it got, between songs there were laughs from everyone and this was just the release everyone needed to help end the year. Welcome back, guys!

I can’t remember if I said this to Dov and Phil D directly after the show: thank you for a great evening. You guys did a bang-up job that easily kept in the tradition of the Monty Love Spectaculars, and having Monty there himself made it all the more special. Hopefully, these guys will continue on the tradition for a long time to come, and that they know their hard efforts were greatly appreciated. And when you do your next show, call on me and I’ll be there (this I swear. Shit I never….).

The rest of the ffotos can be seen here:
http://community.webshots.com/user/ffranzos2006v1

30,000 Feet in December of 2007

All photos © Robert Barry Francos/FFanzeen
It’s an very early morning, and I’m more than 30,000 feet in the air, I’m guessing somewhere over Manitoba, flying home after the past two weeks visiting my partner . I’m on my way to Minneapolis before heading off to NYC. The sun is just beginning to rise in the distance, and the snow-covered patchwork plains begin to lay open before the light. My customs card is all filled in, and it looks like it’s going to be a beautiful morning.

Here are some of the highlights of my trip:

The first week, the weather was, let’s just say brisk. It was, on average, between –5F and –9F, and that doesn’t count the wind chill. I was clearing the walk just about every day from an inch or two of snow that would fall from squalls. Fortunately, there was no real snowstorm that had any kind of weight. Snow is dry and fluffy, and most of the time and all that is needed is a broom rather than a shovel, and some quick back and forth swishes. I got the hang of it pretty fast (hey, even for a city boy, it’s not rocket science).

Last week, we took a long drive to Regina, Saskatchewan. While my partner was in a meeting, I wandered down Albert Street, heading south from 11th Avenue. It was butt-numbing cold, and a steady snow was falling, without much accumulation (probably totaled 1-2 inches). I was in an industrial part of town, with run down transient hotels (rent by month, week, day or hour), tattoo parlors (or parlours, in the vernacular), car repair shops, and lots of Viet-Chinese restaurants. I was on my way to the MacKenzie Art Gallery, which I heard was supposed to be spectacular. Little did I know it would be about 2 miles down the road. But as usual I jump ahead.

One of the first things I saw was a huge mural for cultural diversity; it was a painting of a globe with different colored hands holding it up and children of various hues. Right next to it was billboard for the local casino.

As I walked down Albert, with the Downtown area to my left (it seems Albert is the border of downtown), the neighborhood started to decrease in seediness. Family houses started popping up. As I reach the lower end of the downtown area, it was the start of a huge park, and I came across the Royal Saskatchewan Museum (the Museum of Natural History). It didn’t take too long to go through it, and I have to confess I was grateful for the opportunity to use the bathroom and find something with which to blow my nose…. did I mention it was friggin’ cold and I was walking into the wind?

The museum is two floors, with the upper one being dioramas of animals, birds, reptiles, etc., that are native to the province. It was well laid out, and for the relatively small space, it was quite thorough. I was very impressed. There were sound effects of birds and animals, and places to sit and hear recorded descriptions. The lower floor was broken up into two sections. The first was a geological history of the province, with cutaways, models, and dinosaur bones that were found locally. I learned that 1.5 million years ago, that part of Canada was an equatorial zone. This section led into a First Nations (Canadian for Native Americans) history, which was also interesting. Finally on this floor, there was a very short exhibit of Inuit art. On the other side of the lobby, there was a small room with a robotic Tyrannosaurus Rex peeking through a forest that was both cool and cheesy.

Going out the back entrance, I continued on my way down Albert, until I came to what I believe was Queen Victoria Bridge, near the Wascana Centre. There were lots of images of her (Regina was named for her) and buffalos, but the main theme seemed to be Egyptian-style painted columns that lined the road. It was quite well done. The river, of course, was frozen solid, and more snow accumulated even as I walked and the downfall became heavier. Then, as I was taking pictures of the bridge structure, a car full of teen boys (it’s always teen boys) passed, and one actually opened his door, leaned out, and screamed something at me. I couldn’t make out what he said, and quite honestly, I didn’t care. I just looked at him and thought, “What fools these mortals be”.

It was colder on the bridge, obviously, so I continued on my walk. I was hoping that the gallery would be coming up soon, because I was getting tired and my sinuses were burning fierce. First though, I had to pass the Saskatchewan Legislature Building (which looks like any other colonial-period Canadian legislature building). It was still quite a walk down a park lane, and finally I got there.

The world-famous MacKenzie Art Gallery is basically one floor and looks - and is laid out - like a museum. The main focus is a local revered artist named Joe Fafard. The first part was life-sized buffalo and horses, either 3D or cut outs of metal and other materials. After that, it was mainly 2” high detailed sculptures of people, from some known to the artist (friends, family, etc.), to those of more renown (such as national politicians). There was also a small exhibition of other artists, mostly of modern art that was, well, beyond my ken and appreciation.

Then came the walk back. Along the way, I came across a restaurant called La Bodega, which had an outdoor bar made entirely of chiseled ice. This was some pretty amazing work, and as impressive and artistic as what I saw in the gallery. I also stopped by another gallery that was recommended to me at a library that was across the street from Regina City Hall. It was a bit disappointing, being a video installation that basically consisted of a half dozen video monitors. So I headed over to my meeting place.

* * *
Minneapolis

Back in the air now, watching the smoke-stacks somewhere between Lake Michigan and Lake Huron. The sky is mostly clear with little patches of clouds.

On Dec 6, we attended a ceremony for the National Day of Remem-brance and Action on Violence Against Women, commem-orating the anniversary of the day when 14 women were shot for being “feminists” by a man in a classroom in Montreal in 1989. It was a short ceremony where all the names were read and a rose laid out and a candle lit. There was also a PowerPoint slide show with photos of the women that looked really familiar. My partner reminded me that I was the one who created it last year. There were also speakers talking about violence against women (by a survivor), and a male representative of an organization of men promoting non-violence and other women’s issues. There were also booths for information about resources, including child sexual abuse and women’s shelters and counseling.

On another night, a group of us headed over to a barn about 20 miles out of town that has been converted a dinner community theatre (and craft store) to see a show called “Christmas Belles”. We rode over with a family friend, and one of the actors, also a friend of my partner. We three (sans actor) handed out the playbills for our admission (no dinner), and they gave us front row slightly off-center seats. I was expecting some hackneyed Christmas story with questionable acting (this is community theater, remember), but the fun of the experience of the actors definitely was alive in the play, which was also well written, and we definitely had our favorite moments (“Listen up people!”). It turned out to be worth the drive in that sub-zero weather.

Two nights later, after lighting a candle to mark the first anniversary of my dad’s death and dinner with the lovely artist/musician landlady, we headed out again, this time not for dinner theater but rather dessert theater (I kid you not; they gave out cupcakes and coffee during intermission). The daughter of our friend was in her Grade 8 class show, and it was a hoot. Yeah, there were some flubbed lines, some off-kilter line readings and the like, but the show was pretty well written and the kids seem to be having a blast. And, I might add, our friend’s daughter was among the best that night. No, seriously, she’s a natural. I see Drama School in her future.

Then, all too soon, it’s time to go. A brief night's sleep and at the airport by 5:30 AM. Just another short time in a life filled with interesting events during a smile-inducing deep and dark December.

A co-interview with writer-musician JD Glass, Pt I

(JD Glass)
I’ve known JD Glass nearly a decade. We met and bonded over discussions of music and comics. She told me of her own comic book story, and how she was starting to write a novel. That novel turned into “Punk Like Me”, the flashback story of a punk musician and how she came to empowerment. Powerful stuff, while still an amazing and sometimes shocking read (I recently finished it and couldn’t put it down). Since then, she has sequels out (that I’m also determined to read) called “Punk and Zen” and “Red Light”. Soon to be published is “American Goth.” And through all this, she is also a musician. Her sound is sort of a mix of Joan Jett and Melissa Etheridge, but a big dose of humor thrown in.

JD recently told me that she wanted to interview me for her blog, and I told her I wanted to do the same for MY blog. So with a smile and MySpace in hand, we starting shooting questions and answers toward each other though the Internet. Here is the result. It is long, so will be in more than one part. To see JD’s blog, go here:

And now, Part I of the JD Glass/Robert Barry Francos co-interview:

RBF: I know you were knee-deep in writing a comic book series about the time I first met you in the late '90s. What happened with that, and how did that lead into "Punk Like Me"?

JDG: After being told by a major house that they loved the concept, but wanted a "straight" character and to outright buy the story (keeping all the rights) I shelved it for a little while.

"Punk Like Me" started as an exercise: what would happen if I made the same character more "real world," replaced fantastical situations with real ones on the one hand, and the other was could I write a series of short stories that would form chapters of a book - each chapter could stand on its own, but together, tell an overarching story.

Ironically, the book now coming out in January is based on that comic/character, and a comic publisher (small house) is interested in doing a story in an anthology for that character.

At the same time we met, you were working on your manuscript of the years and the bands you've seen over the years. How did you first get into this aspect of the music scene? And what about it speaks to you the most?

RBF: The first question sounds like two-parts: How did I get into the music, and how did I come about writing about it. I believe the question about what speaks to me can be addressed by answering the previous ones.

I grew up in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn, which at the time was not exactly known for its diversity, either ethnically, socially, or its habits. In 1985, Yusef Hawkins was shot not far from where I lived, and Al Sharpton would march up and down in front of our abode. This neighborhood conformity was kind of boring to me even in the '70s.

My good pal, Bernie Kugel (who became a ground-breaking musician in Buffalo in the late '70s), was heavily into music, and he dragged -- and I do mean dragged -- me to CBGBs for the first time on June 20, 1975. There were about 20 people in the audience. Talking Heads opening for the Ramones. I was instantly hooked (especially by the Ramones). Before the Pistols, there was more of an angst than anger in the music, which touched me for both it's '60s-based popness, it's harder edge (without being boring metal) and outrageousness (for example, Suicide was very confrontational with the audience, and then there was Wayne County who was amazing, even to a straight boy like me).

I had been more of a folkie before this, into musicians like Simon & Garfunkel, Phil Ochs, and the like, rather than many of my punk contemporaries who had liked KISS and Alice Cooper. To me, this was a new form of protest music, and as time wore on, I found that a lot of the anger (post-Pistols) was really just sped up folk in spirit (much as rock'n'roll was sped up/electrified R&B). And today, many early punkers, such as Joey Shithead of D.O.A., are putting out singer-songwriter style releases.

In 1977, I started a fanzine, named FFanzeen, which ran until 1988. I covered many of the larger and smaller bands, and also had a lot of firsts and lasts (such as being the last person to interview the Cramps with Miriam Linna, and then the first to interview the Nervus Rex with Mirian Linna). While it never became a super hit, it was well known in the community, and I was always getting recordings by bands.

One day in the 1990s, I was at a friend's birthday party, and one of the guests was Mariah Aguier, whom I had known in the day (I drove her and her sister Allison home more than once, and we'd go out for Chinese; also I was there the night Dave Vanian of the Damned ripped off her dress on CBGB's stage). She said to me, "I always took pictures, and one day I realized what I had was a body of work". I'd been taking pictures at shows, mostly to remember the bands -- there were so many -- since 1977, and I realized that was true for me, as well. I took a year to organize my photos, and recently had some published in a book called "The Encyclopedia of Punk Music and Culture" by Brian Cogan.

I also had a bit of a revelation after reading "Please Kill Me." An excellent effort, but I realized that most books about punk or the New York Scene, tend to deal with the same bands, like the Ramones, Blondie, Talking Heads, Television, Heartbreakers, Patti Smith, Dictators (DFFD), Sex Pistol and the Clash); and yet, there are so many other bands from that time, like the Marbles, Mong, Willie Alexander, and the Cramps, who were deserving more discussion than they were getting. That got me started on writing some of my own memories and collecting interviews I did with some of those bands. Next thing I knew, I had 400 pages in Word.

What drew YOU to the whole downtown scene all the way from your place of choice and birth, Staten Island, and how did the Greenwich Village scene influence your writing and especially your music? And how did the Ferry schedule affect your choices of who to see (i.e., there were many times I came home in the '70s and '80s as the sun was rising, at a time I'm sure the Ferry schedule was not at it's peak)?

JDG: It's sort of a long story (oh, and I was born in Brooklyn and dragged to Staten Island as a young'n ). Towards the end of Jr. High, my mother worked downtown Manhattan and had to work on weekends. Occasionally, I'd go with her, or she'd have my brother and I travel together to visit her, and we'd all go together to the Village, walking around, just enjoying the atmosphere.

When I graduated to start high school, I got into comics, my friend, Mike Cuttita, invited me to a party where I met his older brother and their friends and...they were all into the whole underground scene - this was a great relief and safe haven for me, because the suburbia that surrounded me I found deadening, soul killing, and horribly narrow in every aspect - horrible bigotries about everything, and not only a fear, but an absolute refusal to even attempt to learn about anything. My brother and I sarcastically (but accurately at the time) referred to the Mall as Staten Island's cultural mecca.

I wasn't allowed to stay out late, but I was allowed my day and early evening trips to the Village, so I went almost every Saturday and Sunday with my brother and then eventually, our friends. So that's how I got started. Yes, the ferry schedule was of utmost importance - if I was in the least bit late getting home, I wouldn't be allowed to go again!

Once I moved out, though, it was a different story - and there were plenty of mornings I watched the sunrise of the bow and walked back to my place from the train station with the sun fully up.

As to who to see...in the early days, I saw whatever I could catch. When I had more independence, I saw whatever caught my eye and ear, and I was lucky enough to work at a night club that featured acts such as Johnny Thunders, Cheetah Chrome (we shared nail polish ) and many more, and I got into DJing what at the time was "alternative" music - which embraced punk and punk sensibility.

All of it influenced me in ways I don't think I can really pull apart to describe, or ascribe in a "this came from here" sort of way. But having said that, I know that the entire experience, the philosphy I absorbed, left me with the conviction that the individual matters to the whole, and that whatever I do, I had to be honest, and real, about it - not the "best" - but unflinchinly honest with myself, with everyone - and I think that comes out in everything I do.

It's still amazing to me that there's so much talent out there that's so under recognized - and even more amazing to me that you undertook and maintained FFanzeen for so long. I know you have a saying about it - would you share the origin of that? What 'zines are you working with now? And (since I've been lucky enough to read as well as view some of your work) do you think you'll one day once more publish a 'zine of your own again? How would you say the art, both then and now, influenced your own work and outlook?

RBF: Don't know why I find this funny, but: JD the DJ. Yeah, I'm a punk nerd.

JDG: I get that a lot - and I love that you're a punk nerd :-) 'cos it's what makes you completely cool.

RBF: The expression and subtitle I had for my fanzine and its philosophy (and I'm hoping to be the name of my book, though many of my friends don't like it...is "Rock'n'Roll With Integrity".

JDG: Your philosophy has also influenced me - truly.

RBF: I found some of the bigger fanzines, like "The New York Crapper"...I mean "Rocker" was that all they did was complain about the scene; how the scene was dead (please note I mean this as post-Alan Betrock, who remained a defender of the scene until his untimely death). And the "Village Voice," once a baston of punk, turned it's back on it: Robert Christigau, its most influencial critic, turned his back on it and would only review anglofile and R&B music positively (I had a friend who wore a button that said "Christigau: D-"). I swore that if I started to feel that way about the things I was publishing, I would stop rather than whine. Sometime in 1988, after my 15th issue in 11 years, I started to find myself a bit bored...and was also broke (it was expensive publishing a print fanzine, with no or minimal advertising). I knew it was time, and I stopped. Also, quite amusingly, I paid attention to all the people who were such good friends when I published and suddenly disappeared when they didn't have an outlet any more.

JDG: It's funny who you find out is on your side for you and on your side for them when things change. Happens to bands, too - when people think you're on the rise, whoa, the attention and favor. When you do something different...

RBF: Still, I kept many good friends from that period to this day, including Joe Viglione ("The Count"), Nancy Foster (aka Nancy New Age, Suzy Q, and Nancy Neon, depending on the decade), and Gary Pig Gold, to name just a few.

Art wise, I must may I was not very well influenced by fanzines. It was more the content than the production. I was a college newspaper editor and I liked the tabloid style of lots of text and pictures in a recognizable format. I used to get mad at fanzines that tried to be too artistic for their own good, like having a page with 10 words on it, or a wide blank border. I believed in (and this is another of my philosophical statements for the time) "More rock'n'roll per square inch". Yeah, I got reviews that were sometimes nasty, like my favorite (and I quote it often, because I love it so much) was from one of the bigger California hardcore 'zines (honestly, can't remember which one) whose entire review of my mag was "Boring newsprint tabloid". Well, I must add that I got more response and requests for issues from those three words than any other review. I didn't expect everyone to like me or my work, and still don't. It's not punk to base yourself on what others think, e.g., Fonzie wasn't cool because he was always afraid of not been seen as cool...if you are worried about it, you're not.

JDG: I'm with you on that - I don't expect everyone to like what I do - and that's cool, free will and all that. And I have to laugh with you about the Fonzie comparison - I think I did a rant on poseurs in Punk Like Me .

RBF: Meanwhile, when FFanzeen ended, I sort of went into life mode, and just did what I had to do to get some money and live my life. By the early 1990s, I was starting to get the squeemies (yes, I am aware that's not a word, but it says it best) about the music that was around me and needed to listen to something new that wasn't Top 10 crap or die. I wrote to about a dozen fanzines about wanting to review CDs, etc., and a couple wrote back interested. I started writing for excellent mags, but they kept falling away and closing, like "Shredding Paper" and "Oculus".

JDG: I remember both of those - you know, I never really did get to catch them when I wanted to, and they always sold out of the issues I wanted .

RBF: One day around 2001, I was at a show and took a picture of a band called Miracle of 86 (lead singer Kevin Devine), and saw someone taking pictures of the band who I thought was Kevin's dad, and sent it off to Kevin. He wrote back and said, "Why did you send me a picture of Jim Testa?" I had read "Jerey Beat", and other writings of his, but didn't know what Jim looked like. I sent the photo to him and described myself, and he said he had seen me too, but thought that I was a band dad, as well. Since then, I have been writing for "Jersey Beat", and even have my own column, which is called "The Quiet Corner", which deals with all music technically non-punk, but of course I also review punk CDs for themain review section, and have done a few interviews. "Jersey Beat" went away for about 2 years, but it's coming back strong as a Web-zine, and my column and reviews will continue.
JDG: So the beat goes on, so to speak.

RBF: As for my own 'zine, well, I honestly don't have the time or funds to get that up and running again, and I also don't have the computer acumen to keep it up consistently as a Web-zine. So, what I have done instead is start my own blog (this one), otherwise known as the 21 Century fanzine. I cover CD reviews of all types, photos, live reviews, and the like. And now, it will include interviews.

JDG: This is awesome, because you always bring high standards and amazing new material to the board with what you do - you really get the art "out there."

To be continued....JD's blog can be found at her MySpace space: www.myspace.com/jdglass

Rockwood Music Hall: November 18, 2007

All performance photos in this blog by Robert Barry Francos/FFanzeen

A while back, I was at the diminutive yet intimate Rockwood Music Hall on Allen Street (on the “Side of the Lower East”) to hear a singer I’m fond of (but is not the focus here). My pal Gittar and I decided to stay and see what the next singer would be like, and then head out; a couple of songs, we figured. When Tamara Hey came on, we silently stayed the whole set. Obtaining her CD, it became one of my favorites over the past year or so.

Sunday, November 18, 2007, found me back at the Rockwood, waiting for Tamara to play again, where she plays semi-regularly. She was third on the bill, so with camera in hand, I ordered my drink (which, as usual, I nursed through the night), and waited.

First up was JOCELYN MEDINA, who was backed by piano, stand-up bass, and drum. The stage at Rockwood is so small that the majority of it is taken up by the grand piano, so the drum is set up off the stage, against the wall between the stage and door. Jocelyn is solid jazz, with some Brazilian influence thrown in. Some songs she wrote herself, and others she wrote the lyrics which are put to other instrumentals by jazz greats. The band was obviously new to the material, and Jocelyn helped them along with directions between songs, and they quite competently kept up. Jocelyn herself took a couple of songs to get into the groove, but once she did, her voice layered over the backing group in a fine soup of sounds. When she sang a couple of numbers in Portuguese that she seemed especially to let herself go with the music. I was glad for the opportunity to see her.

Next up was LEAHA BOSCHEN, in this occasion a solo artist playing either guitar or piano. Originating from the West Coast, she still filled the place with fans, many of whom she apparently knew personally. This made for a very personal, and informal performance that was relaxed and totally enjoyable. She dedicated songs to people who were sitting there, making it feel as much a living room as a performance space. Leaha has a strong voice that carries it through her songs. It cradles, it beckons, and it storms the castle with sheer force, as she touches on relationships and the human condition. What’s more, she looked like she was having such fun with all this. When she found out she could be on for nearly an hour, she was quite happy. The audience didn’t want to let her go when she was done.

TAMARA HEY was third up. Again the place filled with her fans. She plays acoustic guitar, and she was backed by electric guitar and piano. Tamara is another performer who looks like she is having a blast up there. One of the aspects I admire about her is that her topics are not typical. For example this night, songs included missing someone (“Right This Minute”, one of my favorites of her work), realizing a relationship is ending during a boring flight (“Up in the Air”), or working a really crappy temp job (“Part Time Help Me”, which she announced was a true story). There were many other songs off her CD I was hoping she would do, like the incredibly sad “More Like Melanie” or the toe-tapping “Pebble in My Shoe”, but I certainly would not say I was disappointed by the selection. I enjoyed hearing material that’s new to me. Tamara’s voice is on a higher register, but has a bite to it. Her music has just the slight hint of Nashville, but not so much one would want to shout “yee-haw”, if you get my drift. I recommend getting her CD and seeing her perform. She plays around often, and I may even see you there.

Official Tamara Hey Song List For the Night:
1. You Wear Me Out
2. Up in the Air
3. Round Peg
4. Right This Minute
5. October Sun
6. Somebody’s Girl
7. Drive
8. Part Time Help Me
9; Long Dog Day

There were more bands to play, as is the custom at the Rockwood, but I knew it was time for me to go. And have a sandwich at Katz's.

Here is a link to more photos from the show: http://community.webshots.com/user/ffranzos2006v1