Olaf and Angelika send: Greetings from Hamburg. When we met each other on August 10, 1995, it was at a dance named No Pop, so it seemed consequent that we went to see Yo La Tengo on the same day 10 years later at The Fabrik in Hamburg to celebrate our 10th anniversary.
Support was to us unknown NY band The Scene Is Now and for the encore, singer Chris Nelson came up to the stage, joined the band, and when he jumped/fell off stage, he landed straight on his tailbone. We felt the pain just looking at it, but he stood up as if it was nothing, continuing his way through the crowd. (We wondered what he might have felt like the next day. . . .)
A great gig, a great memory–and a perfect evening for an anniversary celebration.
PS: Could you please schedule to play in Hamburg on August 10, 2020? Thanks in advance!
I’ve got to admit I don’t recall Chris breaking the fourth wall, although of course it has the ring of truth. I’m reminded of an anecdote I didn’t get to on March 16. In 1990, we were playing Maxwell’s. Most if not all of those who had heard from us about Chris’s European performances in the spring of 1989 were having trouble reconciling our stories with the person they knew, so we invited Chris to sing “1969” during our encore. He instantly shattered a beer bottle against the stage left wall, which was enough for Gene Holder, playing bass, who positioned himself as far upstage as he could, and didn’t move till the song was over. Then Chris entered the audience, and commenced jostling people until he found someone who would push back. As I write, Chris is recovering from non-singing-induced injuries, and here’s hoping that The Scene Is Now is back in action in the near future. Until then, you can enjoy his particular savoir faire here.
