Greenhornes/Yankees 1, Mets/Mooney Suzuki 0..........

[Sknoof@xxxxxxx]

.........or Why I Hate CMJ.
    We figured to catch the Greenhornes at 10:30, and then effect a brisk 
10-minute walk (with Blair) to the Mercury Lounge for Mooney Suzuki at 
midnight.......shoulda been easy.  Evan was staying put after the 
Greenhornes, to see the Woggles.  These are bad choices to have to make.
    Greenhornes, 4th band of the evening, went onstage RIGHT ON TIME (wow!) 
and were brilliant as usual.   Manily new material (new album in February), a 
couple of chestnuts from "Gun For You", and a really neat cover of "I Can 
Only Give You Everything"--no, don't cringe, I know EVERYONE has done it but 
they really kicked it.
    Patrick Keeler has got to be the most inventive drummer in any garage or 
garage/soul/beat-oriented group I have ever seen.
    They were gonna be camping out in our basement so we figured we'd go see 
the Mooneys, and get back just in time for the Greenhornes to get paid and 
follow us home.  (This is where the OMINOUS MUSIC CUE would be if this were 
film noir.)
    Blair says there was a monstrous line outside the Mercury Lounge earlier. 
Jon Weiss tells us, as we're leaving, that allegedly the Merc is already 
turning people away at the door.  Oh-oh.  What if we can't get in?  They're 
not gonna let us back in HERE, they got a sign and everything.  It says 
something like "Sure you can go out and come back in, unless your name is 
Mike, Wendy, or Blair."  It does NOT mention Evan, of course.  Figures.  He's 
STAYING.
    Well, I figure, allegedly we're on the list at the Mercury 
anyway.......it is my intention to pay my way in, and use the list as a last 
resort if the place is sold-out, which of course it is.  And, oops, we're NOT 
on the list.  Neither is Blair.  We had really been looking forward to this 
show.........last time they played NYC was in May, and they have nothing else 
scheduled........and there aren't gonna be too many more chances to see 'em 
before they get huge.
    So we turn tail back to the Continental, and miraculously they let us all 
back in.  And I didn't even have to say "Oh, uh, yah, I'm with them.  I'm 
Ringo's sister."
    Saw half the Woggles' set....also brilliant.  Had never seen them before. 
 Then the headliners, the Swingin' Neckbreakers.......they're great, don't 
get me wrong, but they played for TWO HOURS and after blood stopped pouring 
out my ears DUST started coming out in its place.  Greenhornes couldn't leave 
till they got paid, and they didn't get paid till the end.
    Well, this needs to be said:  at about quarter to two, Sam and Tyler from 
Mooney Suzuki come bursting into the room looking for me and Blair, to say 
they're sorry we couldn't get in at their show.  How sweet is that?  At that 
moment, they should still have been leaning against the bar at the Merc, 
grandly receiving their public adulation.......instead they do THIS.
    It does need to be said sometimes, that most of the people we're meeting 
in bands who are "on the way up" are so God-Damed NICE it's really 
refreshing.  Ditto the Greenhornes.
    Both these bands are gona be whipping around the USA in the next couple 
of weeks and trust me, if you don't go see 'em you're cheating yourself.
    Footnote: let me apologize to everyone outside the NYC area...........not 
only did we steal the entire World Series from all the rest of you this year, 
we have the nerve to go to these concert events instead of sitting at home 
WATCHING IT........instead we watch it on the TV behind the bar with the 
sound off........and I'm not gonna gloat about the final score, because that 
is certainly not my way, but Blair and Evan got REALLY QUIET when the game 
ended........
    Mike F.
    http://portfolio.fdu.edu/wsc/fornatale
    Only NINE days left.....SINGLE DIGITS........till the Monks & Standells 
Cavestomp Live Albums.............