Month: November 2003

Just in time for Christmas, we are pleased to announce that our Merry Christmas from Yo La Tengo cd is nearly out of print. Last orders, as they say at our local.

The ancient Greeks had a word for it: synchronicity (hang on, that was Sting). At nearly the precise moment that Dump was rocking the Double Door in Chicago on November 22, opening a rare Eleventh Dream Day show, Georgia and Ira, who had been minding their business watching an equally rare A-Bones reunion, found themselves replacing Miriam on drums and Bruce on guitar midsong, a finale only the A-Bones could conceive.

Did you catch "Autumn Sweater" on 24 a few weeks ago? We were watching and we missed it, though now that I think of it I never saw Keifer Sutherland either. Maybe we were watching the wrong show. 24‘s the one with Ron Silver as the porno king, right?

Wig in a Box, the Hedwig tribute record, is out. It includes us backing Yoko Ono on "Hedwig’s Lament" and "Exquisite Corpse." And very cool contributions from Sleater-Kinney & Fred Schneider, Robyn Hitchcock, Spoon, and Jonathan Richman, to name just the ones we’re naming. Art work by Georgia’s sister Emily and nephew Max.

We’re enjoying Arrested Development as much as the next man, maybe more than the next man (except that episode that David Cross wasn’t in — the only negative words we have to say about Liza Minnelli is that SHE IS NO DAVID CROSS. There, I said it) but if those guys make one more crappy Dr. Seuss movie . . . well, I just don’t want to think about it. So don’t.

Happy Halloween from Hoboken, where the band members are pleased to announce that, collectively, we have now gone 16 consecutive years without being egged. In other holiday news, this time not so pleasant, and in response to many questions we’ve received, we regret to announce that this year we will not be performing the eight nights of Hanukkah at Maxwell’s, or anywhere else for that matter. It was a difficult decision to make, and we’re not going to provide much in the way of details, although we will categorically deny that the competition between James’s mom and Ira’s mom for whose hamentashen we preferred last Purim had anything to do with our decision. We can’t let the season go altogether, so please join us at the Onion’s Xmas shindig at Northsix in Brooklyn, and at Maxwell’s on New Year’s Eve.

Backpedaling to the holiday of Thanksgiving, or to be precise the day after, we want to alert those in the New York area to a one-week theatrical run of the documentary about Georgia’s parents that some of you may have seen on PBS not too long ago. It’ll be shown at the Quad, along with two of her parents’ films.

The New York Times of November 2 ran a great piece on the Hubleys in the holiday films section. Keep in mind that you have to register at this site, so people who follow the link will be challenged for username/password if they are not already cookied on the site.

And now through the miracle of the worldwide web, we invite you to virtually join us for our virtual U.S. tour of September/October 2003. Enjoy . . .

9/10/03: Richmond, VA, opening night aerial view of the Aislers Set. l-r: Dan, Amy, Yoshi, Alicia. You can’t see Wyatt. That’s the price you pay for the aerial view. Lesson learned.

 

9/12/03: Peach pie from Picnic’s, Asheville NC. The sign outside says "mom’s homemade pies" and it’s not wrong. We met mom, and she makes a hell of a pie. We’re currently booking shows in Asheville for next peach season. Get yo’ tickets now.

 

9/12/03: The signs said "this way to world’s largest peanut" – what were we supposed to do? We’re not made of stone, people. It’s in Ashburn, GA, the town which also lays claim to the Crime and Punishment Museum (and its restaurant, the Last Meal Cafe) (that’s right), the Keith-A-Que (try the butt sandwich), and the annual Fire Ant Festival. Best refueling stop ever.

 

9/13/03: Ah, mais oui! We let the bon temps roulet at the Florida Theater in Jacksonville. Marshall Crenshaw opened the show with a great solo set. Later in the night someone in the audience was hit in the head with a shoe.

 

9/16/03: Yarrrrr! Pirate-themed mini-golf in Orlando, FL. 4th hole. Ira beat James fair and square, no matter what you hear.

 

9/16/03: In Tampa, YLT soundman and film buff Mark Luecke visits the bar named after his favorite movie of all time.

 

9/20/03: There it is, brisket from Louie Mueller’s, Taylor, TX.

 

9/21/03: Rocking the jumbotron at the Austin City Limits-a-palooza.

 

9/24/03: Who doesn’t like getting presents from their fans? This new hood ornament for our van might be the best one ever, found at an estate sale in St. Louis and delivered to us in Columbia, MO.

 

9/25/03: St. Louis, MO: famous for the Arch, Bob Costas, Dawn Sutter, Cedric the Entertainer, and snoots. Here’s a picture of some snoots. We’ve run too many photos of Costas as it is.

 

9/28/03: Ah, there’s Wyatt, in front of Poochie’s, in Skokie, IL. This is truly one of our nation’s finest hot doggeries. Wiggity wiggity word up rock on party!

9/28/03: We went to the Chicago Cubs’ final regular season game, at beautiful Wrigley Field. They had clinched the division the day before, and the crowd was subdued and hung over… that is, until the 7th inning stretch, when Jim Belushi came out and sang "Take Me Out to the Ballgame"!!!! The Belush!!! The excitement was too much for one Windy City rock superstar who left right after The Belush threw down. Hint: it wasn’t Jan Terri…or was it?

 

10/11/03: The Sun Ra Arkestra joined the tour for the last four shows. Good lord almighty. Here they are in full interstellar groove mode in Philadelphia.