News

NEW YORK WASTE, Summer 2010

NYC ROCK'n'ROLL
THE GOOD
THE BAD
and
THE FUCKIN' OUTRAGEOUS!
by
FRANK WOOD

I decided to combine a bunch of different nights into one article to sort of comment on the situation that is LIVE Rock'n'Roll in NYC. There was good news, bad news and one AMAZING night of news.

April 10, 2010 brought me to the TRASH BAR in Brooklyn to see NY WASTE Compilation CD Artist: LOAFASS! These guys are a group of fun-lovin, beer drinkin', punk rockers out of the Philadelphia region.

They brought up about 30 of their friends from Philly to intensify the show. Fueled by a 2 hour, booze filled ride up the Jersey turnpike, they arrived early and stayed late (except for 2 casualties who had to sleep it off in the bus)! With songs like BIG DIK DAY, RICK FLAIR and more it was pure fun from start to finish. Leader FISH had the crowd jumping up and down, moshing around and tossing beers at the band! V, their bassist, was nursing a back injury but was still in attendance as COLON took over the bass duties with MIKE on drums and TOM on guitar and they rocked thru a fast-paced set of GREAT Rock'n'Roll.

On April 16th was the sad news and closing party for one of the BEST Indie record stores ever - PASSOUT RECORDS! They had so many GREAT records there that I was tempted to buy a record player every time I was in there (Then I realized I would just fuck them up, so I didn't). This was a band friendly store that had some of the BEST, LIVE, Punk rock shows ever over the course of their way-to-short career.

I remember the day it opened and the blowout they had with 5 bands (I think, I can't remember exactly) playing in a small, loud packed room! The neighbors didn't know what to make of all these wild, crazy punks with their loud music and the cops were constantly harassing the place but it was fun while it lasted.

On the last night there were some fun acts such as THERA, from FOLK FICTION, (a band that owner PEE WEE plays in) did a few songs followed by a group of musicians that were just up and jamming away. There was a guy making Cuban coffee in one corner. Artwork all over the walls. A 3-legged dog running around humping one guitar player's leg. The wild part was that he was keeping strokes to the bass drum. It was hilarious!

PEE WEE reunited with MEMPHIS MIKE for an original ICU reunion. They played the first show there, so it was fitting that they would close it out. The weird thing was that on the last night, when it was LOUD and LATE, not once did the cops come by to bust chops!?!

They are turning it into a restaurant (it's still being kept in the family) and as they convert it over they are still selling records at BIG discounts, so STOP BY and grab some before they're all gone. The store is at 131 Grand Street in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. They are looking for another location but go by there and pick up some really good stuff before it's all gone!

Then there was a night to remember. on Thursday, May 5th, within 5 blocks of each other on the BOWERY was an old school Rock'n'Roll revival. I started at VARVATOS, the clothing store that took over at CBGB's location. They put on some shows there on the first thursday of every month with FREE BOOZE & BEER! (But only one bathroom!) On this night it was the return of MICHAEL MONROE of HANOI ROCKS! He is currently touring with another former HANOI ROCKS alumni on bass - SAMI YAFFA. SAMI brought along the guitarist for the band he's in now (NY DOLLS) STEVE CONTE and some other guys and it was a rip-roaring night of Glam rock. it was so packed I couldn't get close enough to the stage to take any pictures.

As soon as they were done I ran out the door and over 3 blocks to the R BAR for the 45 release party of I WQANT YOU DEAD from another NYC Rock'n'Roll Legend - BOBBY STEELE with his band THE UNDEAD. I missed the sets from INGRID & THE DEFECTORS (former CHARM SCHOOL and BLACK ANGELS) and HAMMERBRAIN but I got there in time for THE UNDEAD. With HITOMI from STATUES OF LIBERTY on drums and HIROMU of THE BACK CCs on bass they ripped through about 12 to 15 songs with the only stops occurring when BOBBY broke a string (which he did twice - luckily he brought 3 guitars with him!) This was a 45 release of some songs he recorded back in '81 with DANZIG but didn't release in this form at the time. BOBBY remastered them and put it out on 6 different colored 45s (red, white, black, yellow, blue and blood-splattered) as well as CD for those of us w/o a record player. In honor of '81 they were available for ONLY $3.50 at the show! Get this 45 as soon as you can because they are a Limited Edition.

I was off again as soon as THE UNDEAD were done to head back up the BOWERY 5 blocks to BOWERY ELECTRIC. This place is run by JESSE MALIN of D-GENERATION fame and also CONEY ISLAND HIGH! I missed the sets by NY JUNK which featured CYNTHIA of B-GIRLS and I saw WALTER LURE (HEARTBREAKERS) as he was taking off his guitar and walking off the stage with his band THE WALDOS. It was like stepping into a time machine, all this GREAT ROCK'n'ROLL on one street in NYC on one night! STEVE CONTE jumped on stage with his band THE CRAZY TRUTH (PHIL on drums and LEEKO on bass) and proceeded to tear the roof off the sucker! This after a serious show not even an hour earlier down the block. when he finished water was rolling off him like a waterfall. And as the anti-climax, THE THREADS with MICK of L.E.S. STITCHES took the stage to wrap up the night.

There's still life in NYC Rock'n'Roll, you just have to go out and enjoy it so that they'll keep doing it!

I'll see you at the shows,

FRANK WOOD

NY Waste Articles	F Wood Newsletter Archive	Mighty Afrodite News Articles	F Wood Stemway Articles
NEW YORK WASTE, Summer 2010 NYC ROCK'n'ROLL THE GOOD THE BAD and THE FUCKIN' OUTRAGEOUS! by FRANK WOOD I decided to combine a bunch of different nights into one article to sort of comment on the situation that is LIVE Rock'n'Roll in NYC. There was good news, bad news and one AMAZING night of news. April 10, 2010 brought me to the TRASH BAR in Brooklyn to see NY WASTE Compilation CD Artist: LOAFASS! These guys are a group of fun-lovin, beer drinkin', punk rockers out of the Philadelphia region. They brought up about 30 of their friends from Philly to intensify the show. Fueled by a 2 hour, booze filled ride up the Jersey turnpike, they arrived early and stayed late (except for 2 casualties who had to sleep it off in the bus)! With songs like BIG DIK DAY, RICK FLAIR and more it was pure fun from start to finish. Leader FISH had the crowd jumping up and down, moshing around and tossing beers at the band! V, their bassist, was nursing a back injury but was still in attendance as COLON took over the bass duties with MIKE on drums and TOM on guitar and they rocked thru a fast-paced set of GREAT Rock'n'Roll. On April 16th was the sad news and closing party for one of the BEST Indie record stores ever - PASSOUT RECORDS! They had so many GREAT records there that I was tempted to buy a record player every time I was in there (Then I realized I would just fuck them up, so I didn't). This was a band friendly store that had some of the BEST, LIVE, Punk rock shows ever over the course of their way-to-short career. I remember the day it opened and the blowout they had with 5 bands (I think, I can't remember exactly) playing in a small, loud packed room! The neighbors didn't know what to make of all these wild, crazy punks with their loud music and the cops were constantly harassing the place but it was fun while it lasted. On the last night there were some fun acts such as THERA, from FOLK FICTION, (a band that owner PEE WEE plays in) did a few songs followed by a group of musicians that were just up and jamming away. There was a guy making Cuban coffee in one corner. Artwork all over the walls. A 3-legged dog running around humping one guitar player's leg. The wild part was that he was keeping strokes to the bass drum. It was hilarious! PEE WEE reunited with MEMPHIS MIKE for an original ICU reunion. They played the first show there, so it was fitting that they would close it out. The weird thing was that on the last night, when it was LOUD and LATE, not once did the cops come by to bust chops!?! They are turning it into a restaurant (it's still being kept in the family) and as they convert it over they are still selling records at BIG discounts, so STOP BY and grab some before they're all gone. The store is at 131 Grand Street in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. They are looking for another location but go by there and pick up some really good stuff before it's all gone! Then there was a night to remember. on Thursday, May 5th, within 5 blocks of each other on the BOWERY was an old school Rock'n'Roll revival. I started at VARVATOS, the clothing store that took over at CBGB's location. They put on some shows there on the first thursday of every month with FREE BOOZE & BEER! (But only one bathroom!) On this night it was the return of MICHAEL MONROE of HANOI ROCKS! He is currently touring with another former HANOI ROCKS alumni on bass - SAMI YAFFA. SAMI brought along the guitarist for the band he's in now (NY DOLLS) STEVE CONTE and some other guys and it was a rip-roaring night of Glam rock. it was so packed I couldn't get close enough to the stage to take any pictures. As soon as they were done I ran out the door and over 3 blocks to the R BAR for the 45 release party of I WQANT YOU DEAD from another NYC Rock'n'Roll Legend - BOBBY STEELE with his band THE UNDEAD. I missed the sets from INGRID & THE DEFECTORS (former CHARM SCHOOL and BLACK ANGELS) and HAMMERBRAIN but I got there in time for THE UNDEAD. With HITOMI from STATUES OF LIBERTY on drums and HIROMU of THE BACK CCs on bass they ripped through about 12 to 15 songs with the only stops occurring when BOBBY broke a string (which he did twice - luckily he brought 3 guitars with him!) This was a 45 release of some songs he recorded back in '81 with DANZIG but didn't release in this form at the time. BOBBY remastered them and put it out on 6 different colored 45s (red, white, black, yellow, blue and blood-splattered) as well as CD for those of us w/o a record player. In honor of '81 they were available for ONLY $3.50 at the show! Get this 45 as soon as you can because they are a Limited Edition. I was off again as soon as THE UNDEAD were done to head back up the BOWERY 5 blocks to BOWERY ELECTRIC. This place is run by JESSE MALIN of D-GENERATION fame and also CONEY ISLAND HIGH! I missed the sets by NY JUNK which featured CYNTHIA of B-GIRLS and I saw WALTER LURE (HEARTBREAKERS) as he was taking off his guitar and walking off the stage with his band THE WALDOS. It was like stepping into a time machine, all this GREAT ROCK'n'ROLL on one street in NYC on one night! STEVE CONTE jumped on stage with his band THE CRAZY TRUTH (PHIL on drums and LEEKO on bass) and proceeded to tear the roof off the sucker! This after a serious show not even an hour earlier down the block. when he finished water was rolling off him like a waterfall. And as the anti-climax, THE THREADS with MICK of L.E.S. STITCHES took the stage to wrap up the night. There's still life in NYC Rock'n'Roll, you just have to go out and enjoy it so that they'll keep doing it! I'll see you at the shows, FRANK WOOD