Most of the press requests I get nowadays have to do with my ongoing “Bands-I’ve-Seen Project.” I’m sure you’ve stumbled on coverage of it while clicking past Entertainment Tonight, or read articles about it in The New Yorker. Well, everything you’ve seen, or read, or perhaps first saw as letters and then subsequently read — it’s all true.
“The Bands-I’ve-Seen Project” is a three-phase effort to paralyze time by recalling bands that I’ve seen and then focusing on those shows with both my eyes closed.
The first phase was taking a crack at compiling this list for myself. That was the part that got all the press interest.
The second phase has just kicked in — earlier today I posted a draft of the list as a stripe down the left side of the site. I’m leaving out opening acts that angered me, but including shameful moments from my youth because why have shameful moments in your youth if you can’t display them in public later in life?
The third phase is the really innovative piece, and as such I’m sure it will be completely ignored by the mainstream media. In this stage, you are an active participant. Here’s how it works:
If you and I have seen one or more shows together, please give the list a skim. Then, if you spot anything missing, drop me an email or post a comment here. For example: what was the name of that choral robe-flowing band that opened for Bowie? UPDATE: Thank you e! (“Polyphonic Spree”)
Once I have what looks like a complete list, I will return to focusing on these shows with both my eyes closed. And if I’m successful, we may well stop time, at least for a moment. Although what it would mean to stop time for a period of time I’m not quite sure.
Good luck to us all!
"…something like the supervisor of an entire team of political agents…"
POLYPHONIC SPREE!!!!!
I like this. I like the idea of it. Creative in such a different way. I was listening to Imogen Heap (CD)today and thinking how unusual she is, and how much I love her sound, and how scary and brave it is to be innovative. You go, Mister. Just go.
I’ll sue you if you do not remember the shows we saw together. I better be right next to ya in those closed eye visions, buddy, sweet heart, I mean man.
A snappin box!!! Opening act , Grandmaster Falsh,
“White Line”
85 graduation
Wow, Belly. That takes me back.
Nothing in the A’s? You should work on that.
Did we see Devo once?
A’s–Aztec Camera, Daniel Ash??
blind spot!!!! jonathon coulton–not a concert, but you did hear him play, in person. does that count?
oooh — Coulton! good call. I think we can count that. Never saw Aztec Camera. Was trying to remember about Daniel Ash. I have a memory of mebbe seeing him at the i-beam, but I’m not sure. Can anyone back that up.
Did recover a memory of seeing Living Colour back in NY earlier today, which I’ll be adding along with Coulton in a sec.
s-c Bill: I never saw Devo, unfortunately. And yes, I’m bitter about that.
Also missing any Qs, btw — no Quiet Riot, and alas no Queen. Although my brothers did see Brian May and Freddie Mercury in the lobby of the Hotel Bel Air back in 1974.
-Cecil
Camper Van Beethoven?
Didn’t EVERYONE see Teena Marie in 1985?!?
Gentle Joe – The Englishtown sessions oh sure!
MAGIC NIGHT- RIDE THE HAPPY PLANET SESSIONS LIVE
HOLMDEL PARK!
Were you at the Berkeley Square show where the Uncalled For opened for Christmas? And speaking of quirky, how ’bout them Movie Stars? Finally, what—no Flamin’ Groovies?
I will begin by stealing and modifying your list…
oh, and it’s (technically) fIREHOSE…
xian — thanks for the catch. fixed now. let me know when your list is up. mebbe there will be a few I forgot. Just recovered a Lyle Lovett show today, inching ever closer to my goal of time paralysis.
Dumpster — I missed that one. I remember seeing them a bunch at that place in North Beach (Leo’s?). And the Blue Lamp. And the Starry Plough. Ahhh, The Uncalled Four. Whatever to happened to that bass player? The one who looked like what’s-his-name from Quantum Leap? I think I read somewhere that he streaked the 1998 Olympics in Nagano. “Wooo!”
Crazy, innocent times, those.
-Cecil
yes, i’m sleepy, but if you scroll down the list just a little too quickly to read it, the rivers give the text a lovely form, suspended, which of course bodes well for the time stopping.
I could have been with you at the Residents or Pere Ubu if those were Bay area shows.
I recall an Ubu show at Berkeley Square, with Chris Cutler on drums and Tripod Jimmie… whoops, wait, that was actually a David Thomas show that turned into an impromptu reunion with the original Ubu guiatrist then in Tripod Jimmie, joining Ravenstine and other Ubu alums in what seemd to lead to the band reforming for a tour not long after that, around the time I saw Snakefinger’s last US show there.
I think I didn’t catch the officially reformed Ubu until Seatle around 1997. I remember sideswiping a guard rail after their show in Philly around 1980 more than the concert, or the opening act, Bunnydrums, whose bass player fell from the stage onto his ass.
Also caught a few Dead shows in the bay area, including a show with Los Lobos at Laguna Seca that I drove back from in the middle of to catch Art Blakey at the GAMH.
The Bears (Wolfgang’s), Dr. John, fIREHOSE (at an old fire station near 16th and Mission), Tom Waits (during shoots for Big Time), and the The Meters are others I recall from the Bay Area too. I helped video a Negativland show at the GAMH circa 1990-92 also and saw a few others by them.
Saw Siouxsie and PereUbu in Philadelphia years earlier at the Starlite Ballroom, circa 80 and 81. Hitch-hiked 5 hours in the rain once to miss Bauhaus anyway, on their first US tour. Also worked stage crew for Arlo circa 1984, but missed much of the set because I was partying backstage with David Bromberg’s band.
The problem for me is remembering the many great shows I saw, like The Cure before any US LPs were released, which is just a blur to me.
It tends to be little moments that stick with me, like Stiv Bators trying to puke on me, or the jerk who bailed on Nina Hagen forcing me to leave early or hitch home from New Jersey, or the guy next to me that Siouxsie kept kicking cause he wouldn’t stop trying to grab her legs.
Would have liked to have seen Eskimo. I caught their guitarist John Schott a few times, with Zorn doing something like Bud Powell songs, where he was the only one doing any chords, and with wonderful wispy washes from a volume pedal, and again with T.J.Kirk with Charlie Hunter trying to steal the show.
Did you catch the Residents at the start of the 13th Anniversary, at Wolfgangs, where it ended with Snakefinger runnning from the stage, through the audience and into the kitchen while still playing a solo?
Or about a year later at the end of the tour where Penn and Teller opened and did an intermission of noise music, and had Teller sing a Residents song in exchange for unmasking a Resident – who turned out to be Teller?
I love U Moe