Category: News

Seventeen years ago today, we’re in Minneapolis with the Magnetic Fields and Stephin Merritt sings “Attack on Love” with us, but I’m not here to tell that story, because I think I’ve got a better one. . . .  Our 2004 tour with Antietam finds us in Tucson on this date, at a now-defunct club called City Limits, named for that which it was way outside of.  It being June, the temperature was in three figures, so at the conclusion of soundcheck, Tim, Tara, Georgia and I went back to the hotel, a short walk from the venue, for a swim.  While poolside, we noticed some sort of function underway, food and drinks and a bunch of people.  As we were wondering if our swimsuits would make us too conspicuous to crash, someone approached us and asked if we would “like to meet The Champ.”  Though we had no idea what she meant, it was clear that the correct answer was yes.  We headed over to the shindig and there was Sugar Ray Leonard!  What he was doing at a hotel miles from downtown Tucson, we never found out.  I was too busy trying to figure out how to use the digital camera we had recently purchased–it only took me two or three tries–to capture this moment for posterity.

 

 

 

 

 

Two weeks into our 1992 European tour, shoehorned into a van with Seam, I think we’re getting a bit punchy.  How else to explain the encores 22 years ago today, in Stuttgart?  Things start innocently enough, with “Griselda.”  But then James gives me his bass and he plays guitar on the Urinals‘ “Black Hole” (five years before we record it), after which we return to our usual instruments . . . and play it again.  One sprightly rendition of “Let’s Get Rid of New York” later, we depart.  Only to return for yet another Urinals song, me once more flashing my bass chops: “I’m a Bug” (a song from Eleventh Dream Day’s repertoire that the two bands would frequently join forces on in 1991).  James sings “Sloop John B“–its “This is the worst trip I’ve ever been on” sentiment has usually resulted in it being called on the closing night of tours–and that’s that.  But it’s not.  Doing a complete 180, we sing “This Is Where I Belong”  and finally reach the finish line with Georgia’s turn to play guitar, a drumless version of “Drug Test.”  More unusual arrangements of songs can be heard in 2000 at Irving Plaza, as opening act Other Dimensions in Music join us for nearly half our set, including our one and only performance of “Do the Pig.”

 

The quartet that recorded Fakebook only played thrice, the last of which on this date 24 years ago.  At the time, WFMU’s signal was being threatened, requiring all sorts of fundraising.  A benefit at the Bottom Line was put together, headlined by They Might Be Giants and the Chris Stamey Group.  Georgia, me, Dave Schramm and Al Greller played a short set at both the early and late shows, mostly stuff from the forthcoming Fakebook record, though “I Found a Reason” and “Luxury Liner,” to name two, found their way into the repertoire.  Peter Stampfel was on the bill as well, and he joined us during the first show for “The One to Cry,” just as he did on Fakebook.  Thanks to our efforts, and to our efforts alone, WFMU continues to thrive to this day, although the Bottom Line was not so fortunate, shutting its doors in 2004.

 

Boy do I love the Flamin’ Groovies.  I remember buying my copies of Flamingo and Teenage Head in the East Village at Freebeing, of Grease and More Grease at Discophile on 8th Street, of sitting in my cashier’s booth at the parking lot on Roosevelt Island the summer of 1976, listening to WNEW waiting to hear “Shake Some Action.”  On this day 10 years ago, we’re completing a three-night run at the Fillmore in San Francisco with Antietam.  Our last time in town, the year before,  Cyril Jordan had joined us for three songs, and we jump at the chance for a return engagement.  This time we do “I Can’t Hide” and “19th Nervous Breakdown” and of course “Shake Some Action.”

 

Ten years ago today, we’re in San Francisco, on tour with Antietam.   Tara, Tim and Josh join in on “Nuclear War,” but that’s it for their participation on that night.  (The show also includes a guest appearance by Barbara and Terri Manning, whom we back on “Scissors” and “Every Pretty Girl.”)  Two years later, we’re in Rome for the first time and so’s Tara!  We take a break from eating gelato long enough to perform a set heavy on the just-completed but as-yet unreleased I Am Not Afraid of You and I Will Beat Your Ass.   Tara sits in on the encore of Antietam’s “Orange Song” and Flipper’s “That’s the Way of the World.”

 

Eleven years ago today, you’ll recall, Juventus played Milan in UEFA Champions League final, the first time two Italian teams faced off for the European championship.  In a stroke of bad timing, we were performing in Bologna that night.  Knowing that attendance would be spotty until the match ended, we were happy to delay our set.  And when it was still scoreless after 90 minutes, necessitating first one than a second period of extra time, we waited some more.  Still no score.  Milan eventually won in a shootout, and finally, we could go on–but in a pre-social media era, who’s going to guess that we’ve accommodated Italian football fans (i.e. all of Italy) by starting 90 minutes late?  Answer: not that many.  We open with Joe singing “We Are the Champions” and celebrate the end of another tour by bringing the crew up to help on an encore of “Little Honda.”   More world travels on this day and non-standard YLT activity abounds.   In 2005, we performed The Sounds of Science at Tokyo’s Laforet Museum.  In 2010 the Condo Fucks entertained Primavera Sound attendees in Barcelona (Colin Newman told us that our set closer “Remake/Remodel” was too slow, but he was wrong).  And two years ago, en route to another Primavera, I took part in the Big Star Third tribute concert in London, a show which concluded with Ray Davies singing “The Letter.”