Caterwaulin' Towards Gory Glory

Hey cave katz and kittenz. We have a gig!!!!

Wednesday, November 5 @ 9 pm !

Yeparoo... if yer in the NYC environs... COME ON OUT AND EXPERIENCE THE ...

CATERWAUL OF SOUND!

We are playing at a really nice place in Brooklyn on 70 North 6th street (right next to the music hall of williamsburgh) called Public Assembly (it used to be Galapagos). Frankly, it's a little TOO nice!

But we're treating it like an Obama victory party. And if the unthinkable happens and Geriatric John and Caribou Barbie are elected, well then, it'll be ground zero for the oncoming revolution! Dope, guns and fucking in the streets (or something)!

We're gonna be playing in the best traditional of yer fave garage bands... heavy on the three chords (you all love the "A" chord, right?) and lots of noise. Combine Johnny Thunders with Syd Barrett with Angus Young and yer gettin' close!

It's gonna be alot of fun, there are 5 or 6 other bands playing too... ranging from goth to cookie monster metal to rollins like fury.
And it's only $5 (cheap!). There's gonna be raffles for craptastic treats too!

So, come see yer Uncle Nazz do things to a bass gee-tar that are illegal south of the Mason Dixon line!

We're trying to make it a special nite and hope you will share it with us!

Hey, it's Halloween!

Here are some trick or treatin toons!

Toonage:
The Damned - Dead Beat Dance
Big JohnBates - Goo Goo Muck
The Cramps - I Was A Teenage Wearwolf (live CBGB's 1-13-78)
Misfits - Halloween
Dead Kennedys - Halloween
Elroy Dietzel - Rockin Bones



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Now playing: Ramones - The KKK Took My Baby Away
via FoxyTunes

We Are Everywhere!

Due to a family event, my west coast cousin A. came to town. My cuz was a Grateful Dead insider from the start of the band when she attended the Acid Tests through the 80's. I don't often get to see her, being that she's been a left coaster for many years and I reside in Noo Yawk. As she is a couple of decades older than me, we never had that much in common, aside from an interest in the same band and a free spirit. And I spent much of my life not associating with most of my extended family aside from weddings and funerals (and luckily, there weren't too many of either!)

Anyway, I was aware over the years that she knew the band. For example, her son went to Wavy Gravy's camp and Phil Lesh's wife baby sat for him when he was a young pup. I never capitalized on that relationship (when I think about the years I could have exploited that connection, I want to hit myself in the head!). I went to tons of Dead shows and man, a little bit of balls on my part coulda made for a lot of interesting times. On the other hand, my times were plenty interesting and dangerous enough!

So, my cuz is telling me stories about playing double solitaire with Pigpen and hanging out with Owsley Stanley and told me how she only recently stopped wearing a necklace that Bear had given her many years ago.

She told me a story about how, once at a concert in NY, her friend had made some sort of pills out of Cocaine and THC and how she had given one to Garcia before a show. Garcia later told her that he could barely play and how it was an amazing dose.
I can't be sure, but it might have been this show. You can download it here.

All of this kinda reinforces a couple of things.

1) You never know what your blood might have been up to.
2) We are everywhere!

Bookage:
Grateful Dead Family Album

Weed, Whites, And Wine

I been warped by the rain, driven by the snow
I'm drunk and dirty, don't ya know,
And I'm still willin'

Out on the road late last night,
Seen my pretty Alice in every head light
Alice, Dallas Alice

I've been from Tucson to Tucumcari
Tehachapi to Tonapah
Driven every kind of rig that's ever been made
I've driven the back roads so I wouldn't get weighed

If you give me: weed, whites, and wine
And you show me a sign
I'll be willin' to be movin'

I've been kicked by the wind, robbed by the sleet
Had my head stoved in, but I'm still on my feet
And I'm still... willin'

Now I smuggled some smokes and folks from Mexico
Baked by the sun,
every time I go to Mexico

And I been from Tuscon to Tucumcari
Tehachapi to Tonapah
I've driven every kind of rig that's ever been made
I've driven the back roads so I wouldn't get weighed

And if you give me: weed, whites, and wine
And you show me a sign I'll be willin' to be movin'


Bookage:

The Road - Cormac McCarthy


Toonage:
Little Feat - Willin'
Lowell George w/ Linda Ronstadt - Willin'
Phil Lesh & Friends - Willin' (live 10-22-99)
Uncle Tupelo - Willin'
Steve Earle - Willin'
Black Crowes - Willin'



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Now playing: The Clash - Straight To Hell (unedited version)
via FoxyTunes

Tell That Girl To Shut Up

Wow. Now I see how Sarah Palin is a maverick! She has followed her hollow heart to break against McCain on the number one issue concerning all Americans... GAY MARRIAGE!

Apparently, Missy "Family Values" wants a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage; whilst Granpa McCain is for letting the states decide.

A last desperate ploy to get the cavemen voters to come to the dark side?
Aaaah, in two weeks, Palin will be back to opening hockey rinks in the great North West and Regime Change will finally be here!



Bookage:

William S. Burroughs - Queer: A Novel


Toonage:

Holly And The Italians - Tell That Girl To Shut Up
Pansy Division - Smells Like Queer Spirit
Marvin Gaye - How Sweet It Is (to be loved by you)
Isaac Hayes - Lay Lady Lay (Dylan Cover)
Beck - Sexx Laws



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Now playing: Elvis Costello - Pads, Paws And Claws
via FoxyTunes

F#ck The Kids

"What are you? Fifteen years old?

You fuckers don't even deserve Punk Rock"

Fat Mike/Nofx 10-16-08 NYC

I ventured out to see one of my favorite bands last nite. NOFX was playing what is now called The Fillmore, but what will always be to me Irving Plaza in Noo Yawk Citee.

(actually this is from a couple of nights before in Montreal)

After a 10 hour day full of mortifying meetings at the veal pen (you may not have heard, but the economy is bad and companies are taking a scalpel to everything), I need the PUNK RAWK.
And of course, NOFX didn't disappoint.

More than 25 years ago, I started going to Irving Plaza. Back then, I saw bands like Minor Threat, DOA, The Slickee Boys, Bad Brains, Johnny Thunders, The Replacements and Husker Du. I rarely get there anymore (before last nite, the last time I was there was 18 months ago for Paul Weller; but man, did the memories come back. We positioned ourselves on the railing on the second floor and watched a few hundred kids mosh and have a great time beating the shit out of each other below. I'd say 90% of the attendee's were male.(The Moshing at NOFX)

NOFX were great of course. Not as drunk as usual. They played some new stuff, alot of old stuff (including many songs from their classic album Punk In Drublic) and every now and than one of their hybrid mariachi/reggae numbers. Hey, any band that can contradict themselves with songs like "Drugs Are Good" and then "Whoops I OD'ed" and "Don't Call Me White" and then "Kill All The White Man" are my kinda guys.

The interesting thing for me was how some things have changed and yet some haven't. Many of the folks at the show (it was all ages) weren't even born when NOFX started. And many were in diapers when Punk In Drublic came out in the early 90's. NOFX are in their 40's at this point and gazing out at the crowd, you could feel that they must have been thinking "what have we wrought".

Because NOFX are the real thing. They were doing before the days of Hot Topic. And Punk rock is so easy now, as it's both big business (and NOFX certainly live very nicely off of their profits) and an acceptable part of music and fashion culture. None of those kids had to worry about getting crap in school for being Punks like NOFX (and I) did. Shit man, I shoulda been in NOFX!

So when Fat Mike was yelling at the kids how they didn't deserve Punk, I understood it. Is the crowd into the music? The politics (NOFX certainly are as political as any punk band, especially Fat Mike)? The fashion? The culture? I guess it doesn't matter as everyone had a great time. I'm just happy Punk is alive and well. And I keep trying to turn Princess Nomad and Nazz jr onto it. And that day will come (they both wear my old punk shirts all the time).

Back in the day (I hate that phrase), I woulda been one of the teeming masses, getting slammed around. Last night I was content to see a great band play and watch the melee from afar. It also might have been my first show ever at Irving Plaza where there were no intoxicants ingested (not even one lousy little beer).

Life gets weirder every day.

Bookage:
American Hardcore: A Tribal History - Steven Blush


Toonage:
NOFX - Punk Guy (Because he does Punk things)
NOFX - All My Friends In New York
NOFX - Fuck The Kids
NOFX - Last Night Was Really Fun
NOFX - Drugs Are Good

The Home Stretch

The home stretch. Less than three weeks before we get to vote for regime change. I can't wait.

How will the Repugnikkans steal this one? Voter fraud? Pre-programmed voting machines? Armed guards preventing voters from getting in? The possibilities are endless!

Whatever. Nevermind. As long as we still have rock n roll, how bad can things be? Oh yeah. Bad. Real bad!

But today was one of those days when the right batch of tunes came over the mp3 player on the commute in. The kind of songs where you get that feeling of "holy shit, I forgot what an awesome song this is". And then you hit reverse and play the fucker again and again, singing out of tune and messin' up all the words as the people around you think you're insane.

Yeah. Rock n Roll.

Toonage:

X - Poor Girl

King Khan And His Shrines - Land Of The Freak

Ramones - Pet Semetary

Run DMC - King Of Rock

New Bomb Turks - Chip Away At The Stone (Aerosmith cover)

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Now playing: Social Distortion - Playpen
via FoxyTunes

Plenty Of Nothing

In the throes of the biggest financial crisis since the Great Depression, the Dow jumped up over 900 points today. What's it all mean? I have no idea. I don't even look at my 401K since I can't touch it anyway until I'm too old to get any enjoyment out of it!
I am no economics expert, but here in NYC, the restaurants are emptier than Sarah Palin's soul and there seem to be less turista's too. A friend of mine in the service industry says that her bar was pretty barren this weekend.

There are definite signs of massive corporate lay-offs in the next few weeks (just in time for the holidays, Ebenezer).

I guess it was a really good time for me to stop drinking! Those $6 pints sure add up.

We're not recovering from this anytime soon, fellow travelers.



Toonage:
The Kinks - Get Back In Line
The Damned - Lovely Money
Led Zeppelin - Money (live 1980)
Grateful Dead - Money Money (studio outtake)
Nirvana - The Money Will Roll Right In




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Now playing: AC/DC - Money Talks
via FoxyTunes

"Repent, Harlequin!" Said the Ticktockman

"The mass of men serve the state thus, not as men mainly, but as machines, with their bodies."

...Henry David Thoreau - Civil Disobedience

Bookage:
The Essential Ellison - Harlan Ellison


Toonage:
Misfits - We Are 138 (live w/ Henry Rollins)
Bad Religion - Voice Of God Is Government
Joe Jackson - Got The Time
The Hives - Introduce The Metric System In Time
Mudhoney - Where Is The Future

If The Thunder Don't Get You...

Hey kiddies, here's some advice from yer Uncle Nazz.

Don't take your sleeping pills until AFTER you get home!

Unlike what I did last nite, which was to pop an Ambien before I began my drive home from band practice. I figgered it would kick in right after I got home.
However, I did not take into account my empty stomach OR traffic. Which resulted in me driving the last highway stretch with one eye shut tight since I was seeing double! Additionally, I overshot my driveway and knocked over some flower pots. This morning, I was picking flower petals out of my car's front grill.

How ironic that now that I am on the straight and narrow, I still can't avoid these types of mishaps. At least I used to have the excuse of booze and other things that warn you to stay away from large machinery.

These days, it's nothing but good intentions.

I have been sober for 5 weeks and 2 days. That's 37 days with nothing but Dr. prescribed meds coursing through my bloodstream. No booze. No nothing. And that's despite being in several environments with open bars as well as band practices where intoxicants have been known to flow freely. And I haven't felt the urge to partake at all. No meetings. No higher power. No soul searching sessions. I just say no. Yeah, that's it. Just say no.


Do I feel better? Well, I certainly have gotten my shit together with-out the "self-medicating". I've (as the experts say) "levelled-out". The difference in my personality is certainly apparent to my family and co-workers. Between what's going on in work, and the country as a whole, this past month would have had me normally on the bender from hell. Can you say "nu-cu-lar"?
And I am down close to 20 lbs due to the lack of alcohol and a serious loss of appetite.
It still bothers me that I had to make such a major change in my life... but I find I respond better with "all or nothing" decisions better. As my buddy said "you were a professional for decades, it's time to retire and let the young ones play".

Or something.
We'll see how this goes...


Bookage:
Iggy Pop - Open Up And Bleed


Toonage:
NOFX - Getting High On The Down Low
Crucial Youth - I'm Straight
Jeff Buckley - Grace (Live WNEW radio)
Buzzcocks - Boredom (Live 1977)
Minor Threat - Straight Edge (demo)



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Now playing: The Fuzztones - 1-2-5
via FoxyTunes

Bread And Circuses

"Nobody's ever gone broke underestimating the intelligence of the general public."

...H.L. Mencken

Tonight, America gets to watch a debate between the two candidates for vice president (aka the person "one heartbeat from the Presidency"). Sarah Palin, the Repugnikkkan's choice, has viewpoints completely abhorrent to myself. Additionally, she has so far shown to be unqualified for the position. The liberal press has had a field day exposing this fact. It appears that McCain and the GOP assumed that the Hillary Clinton factor would swing the "soccer mom" vote their way, despite Palin's most decidedly unfeminist platform.

The Democrat's choice, Joe Biden, a slick Washington insider (despite Obama's cries of "Change") should mop the floors with her.

However, if he appears to be a "bully", that could work against him.

What appears to be a mismatch could work in Palin's favor if Biden attacks her and could result in Palin getting the sympathy vote. Which would be absurd of course, since the last reason someone should get votes is for sympathy.

Unfortunately, I fear that this is all window dressing. The subtle racism against Barack Obama that will be displayed in November is going to tip the election to McCain. Many people in this country actually think that Obama is Muslim and part of a "sleeper cell". Put on Fox News and they make sure to call Obama by his entire name: Barack Hussein Obama.

After Bush stole the election in 2000 and proceeded to systematically destroy the country, I was in shock when he was re-elected in 2004. If the citizens of the United States continue choose Repugnikkkan rule for another four years with McCain/Palin; well then we deserve everything that we get.

Well, tonight should be an entertaining night.

Bookage:

Fear And Loathing On The Campaign Trail 1972 - Hunter S. Thompson

Toonage:

Queen - Liar (Live at the Beeb 1973)

Elvis Costello - Girl's Talk - (Live at Hope and Anchor Festival 1978?)

The Replacements - Hear You Been To College (Live from Shit Hits The Fans boot)

Grateful Dead - I'm A King Bee (Live 1-24-70)

The Flakes - Stupid Girl (Rolling Stones Cover)



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Now playing: stiff little fingers - Who Died And Made You Elvis?
via FoxyTunes