Puttin' On The Ritz

More sophisticated by the second, etc.

Wednesday, July 28, 2004

Tertiary Thoughts, etc.

Occasionally I have misgivings about this band.  I mean, are we earnest about the joke or are we joking about being earnest?  Why am I putting so much time and energy into a band that doesn't write its own songs?  Upon further inspection, I can sometimes see the light at the end of the tunnel and it is this -- this is a super fun band to be in.  We're much more concerned with the theatricality and the performance, although I doubt we will ever have the budget to bring it to Yes-size proportions.  We do our best, nonetheless.  Moreover, it is all about having a fucked up idea and seeing it through to fruition.  To taking the ball and running with it, so to speak.  Puttin' On The Ritz is all about follow through, we're all about making life as fun as humanly possible.  It is nice to remind myself of these things once in a while, it is difficult to always stay focused on the goal.  So come rejoice with us Saturday, as we will be playing an afternoon rooftop party in Williamsburg.  Many of our friends, including This Invitation and Hot Nilla & Liquid Stars, will also be performing.  It is of course, complimentary.  338 Berry between South 4th and South 5th, 4pm-8pm.  We will be performing last, as always.  We hope to see you there, and remember that we still love you, whatever your sins might be.      

Sunday, July 25, 2004

Finding Your Voice, etc.

Why yes, hello. We here at Puttin’ On The Ritz have been quite busy, apparently. Perhaps you do not believe me. What have you been up to? We’ve been practicing a bunch, honing our craft, etc. We spent the vast majority of our day hidden from view, our perhaps it might be better said that we were recording. We did a bunch of different takes of our tunes, trying to get as far out there and fun and fucked up as humanly possible. We did this all for you, despite the fact that you might not have been paying very close attention. If it makes any difference, I’m quite drunk right now and have not slept since any of this happened. I’m trying to make it as authentic as possible for you, the reader. Time might heal all wounds, but it also distances you from the experience, so to speak. Regardless, hello. We had a blast today, and we hope you did too. Our good friend J Ellis recorded our songs for posterity, and for your listening pleasure even. He managed to bring out quite a bit of the good stuff in us without really trying, apparently. So there. Anyway, we had a riotous time recording, even though I was losing my voice through most of it. People forget (or fail to notice) just how punk rock we are, on occasion. My biggest influences for this band include Flipper and Throbbing Gristle, even if you can’t hear it. I’ve even been hugged for saying so. We played an amazing show tonight, which I’m just about to tell you all about, if I can only say about a few more times this sentence (please say it with a Canadian accent, as if you were all about the house, etc.).

July 24, 2004 -- Tommy’s Tavern, Brooklyn
Having the home field advantage never seemed so hostile. We were setting up and some dude was giving Kevin a hard time, saying that he “picked a bad place to play, son”. Kevin was a little scared, but I believe it was those dudes who left, not us. Moreover, people were mad that we even played. I believe I was told that someone wanted to “punch me in the face”. I add the quotation marks merely because it seemed appropriate. Someone from the Tall Boys also complained about the idea of us even getting paid, despite the fact that at least as many people came out to see us as them. I suppose we weren’t officially advertised, but we’ve never let that stop us. Dan Melchior didn’t say anything to me about it, and The Broke Revue performed as well. I chatted with Bruno from the Homosexuals (who I was actually pretty stoked to play with) for a bit later in the evening, and he advised me to try and start a band that Frank Sinatra would be doing now if he were twenty. I told him that that is exactly what we are doing. We get wasted, we’re pretty indulgent, we piss people off, and we don’t write our own songs. Oh yeah, we’re occasionally pretty decent musicians, too. I also learned that I have a copy of one of his records that he doesn’t even own. Nerdy nostalgia, etc. This was the only show that I was actually taunted at. There were some people who loved us, but there were also many people who hated our guts. I would like to thank the people who loved us, we’re here for you. I’d also like to thank the people that hated us, because you’re obviously doing really fun and interesting things with your life. We’re not here to make friends, we’re here to have a good time. You can feel the love or the hate in room, and it generally makes you want to be even more obscene, to be more fucked up and obnoxious. You want them to hate you or love you all the more for it. We want to be infamous. Why not? What do we have to lose? We have no credibility or money to speak of. We’re currently creating our own reputation. We make no apologies. We are hedonists; we try and have as much fucking fun as humanly possible. We also work really hard. But most of all, we truly do love each and every one of you. Whatever your reaction is, you make our lives all the more rich for it, you supply us with stories to tell. We feed on emotion, which we’ve managed to evoke, one way or another. Guess what? Thank you, goodnight.

Friday, July 23, 2004

Burlesque Dancing, etc.

Now that Kevin is posting here my comments seem a bit pedestrian, don't they?  I suppose I'll let you be the judge.  We here at Puttin' On The Ritz have been quite busy, and continue to be so for the forseeable future.  We have a show tomorrow night at our home away from home, Tommy's Tavern.  We will be performing with the legendary Homosexuals, but of course we will be closing out the night.  We like to let the big bands open for us.  We will be spending the entirety of the daylight hours in an underground bunker transmitting our tunes to tape, or in all likelihood to some sort of digital medium.  Look out.  Oh yeah, we played another show.

July 21, 2004 -- Tommy's Tavern, Brooklyn
Todd called me at 7:30pm and asked me if we wanted to play after our friends from Ohio, The Party Of Helicopters.  I consented, as I was planning on going to the show anyway (actually, I was supposed to work the door but I got out of it).  We had to borrow their kit which meant running with it from the back room to the front room before the crowd dispersed.  We lost a few, but to make an omelette you have to break some eggs, etc.  Kevin wasn't nearly loud enough for some reason, and me repeatedly yelling at him to play louder seemed to have no effect.  All I could hear was the sound of my own voice, which is an occasionally disconcerting experience.  I mean, I know I have a great voice, I'm just not used to singing unaccompanied in front of people.  To add to the theatricality, Peter had asked me before the show to do at least some of my singing from the bar; so somehow I found myself jumping up and down on it, trying not to fall off and kill myself whilst people were slipping money in my trousers.  I guess you can say we made $2, as that was the only payment we received that evening.

Thursday, July 22, 2004

Inspiration from early tantricism, etc.

FYI, etc: Puttin' on the Ritz takes some inspiration from early tantricism, etc. Well, what i mean is that there were two main branches of Buddhism in India, Mahayana and Hinayana, until the fourth century A.D. when Buddhism began to lose ground in India during its second great empire, which emphasized Hinduism over Buddhism. By the 6th century, The Hinayana School had almost disappeared and a new branch, “The Vehicle of the Thunderbolt (Vajrayana)” was now the main competition with Mahayana. Vajrayana was an aspect of Tantricism, or a school that was devoted to magic power and the supernatural, based on the Tantras literature, which illustrated spells, formulas and magic rites. Tantricism had mostly feminine divinities and encouraged yoga, meditation, the chanting of mantras.
“Adepts who had learned the secrets of Vajrayana at the feet of a spiritual guru would meet together, usually at night, in small groups to perform their secret ceremonies.”[i] “But the tantric groups also followed more questionable methods of gaining salvation. It was believed that once the adept had reached a certain degree of spiritual attainment the normal rules of moral behavior were no longer valid for him, and that their deliberate breach, if committed in an odor of sanctity, would actually help him on the upward path.”[ii] “All things were legitimate to those who fully know the truth is already to be found in specific texts…at a certain stage of self-development, to give way to the passions, especially the sexual passions, is a positive help along the upward path.”[iii] “Thus, drunkenness, meat-eating, and sexual promiscuity were often indulged in, as well as such repulsive psychopathic practices as eating ordure and ritual murder.”[iv]

These practices were carried out because they facilitated a “final bliss: the union of the phenomenal world with the noumenal full consciousness of the emptiness of all things.”[v] “It is understood to be highly dangerous to the participant’s welfare (karmic position) if pleasure is sought.”[vi] The aim was to “come face to face with the elemental forces in the world and to transcend the desires aroused by them,”[vii] or to have “such tight control over the senses as to rise above pleasure to a complete non-dualistic union with natural force, ultimately with the purpose of riding the back of this ‘tiger’ into Nirvana.”[viii]
“So, with all one’s might, one should do
Whatever fools condemn,
And, since one’s mind is pure,
Dwell in union with one’s divinity.

The mystics, pure of mind,
Dally with lovely girls,
Infatuated with the poisonous flame of passion,
That they may be set free from desire.

When he has developed a mind of wisdom
And has set his heart on enlightenment
There is nothing he may not do
To uproot the world (from his mind).

The mystic duly dwells
On the manifold merits of his divinity,
He delights in thoughts of passion,
And by the enjoyment of passion is set free.
From the Tantric poem, Disquisition on the Purification of the Intellect[ix]
[i] The Buddhist Tradition In India, China and Japan. p. 113.
[ii] The Buddhist Tradition In India, China and Japan. p. 114.
[iii] The Buddhist Tradition In India, China and Japan. p. 118.
[iv] The Buddhist Tradition In India, China and Japan. p. 114.
[v] The Buddhist Tradition In India, China and Japan. p. 114.
[vi] Noss, David S. A History of the World’s Religions – 10th Edition. Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall, 1999, p. 129.
[vii] A History of the World’s Religions – 10th Edition. p. 205.
[viii] A History of the World’s Religions – 10th Edition. p. 129.
[ix] The Buddhist Tradition In India, China and Japan. p. 118.

Tantricism has given we of Puttin' on the Ritz a practical means to escaping our emotions. Using the Tantric methodology for overcoming our desires (the "dallying with lovely girls" part, etc, though it doesn't seem to be working at the moment, etc), we devour the dominant human regime from the inside – first ideologically (as with rational capitalism) and secondly corporeally by using our supernatural skills, skills like flying, invisibility and sobriety.
Tootaloo.

Monday, July 19, 2004

Gatecrashing, etc.

So this weekend we played not one, not two, but three shows that we hadn't really been invited to play.  They all went pretty well, considering.
 
July 17, 2004 -- In Front Of The Cyclone, Coney Island
Yes, we really did play Siren Fest.  I guess you can say we played with Death Cab For Cutie, Blonde Readhead, Trail Of Dead, Mission Of Burma, Har Mar Superstar, TV On The Radio, Electric Six, The Fiery Furnaces, The Fever, Constantines, Vue, The Thermals, The Ponys, and Your Enemies Friends if you want.  We felt like the Village Voice had simply forgotten to invite us, so we invited ourselves.  We managed to convince our friend David to come down and document it as well, so the event would not be lost to history.  I felt nervous and weird about this first set, as there were police officers and other hostile humans standing around.  We played four songs, which went surprsingly well.  Some dude stood next to Kevin for a while, snapping his fingers and bobbing his head.  The people who stopped to watch us all seemed pretty stoked.    The police did not bother us.  I guess it was just me singing into thin air and Kevin playing a drum he found on the street with brushes, so we weren't really all that loud anyway.  We almost cancelled this set due to lack of interest, but then were talked into playing it anyway.
 
July 17, 2004 -- The Atlantic Ocean, Coney Island
Yes, we really did play in the ocean.  I ran into a friend a few hours before the show and he remarked that although the show hadn't even happened yet, it was already legendary in his mind.  Perhaps the most ridiculous show I have ever played.  Totally worth it.  We wore our suits and ties even.  Every few minutes Kevin would simply jump into the water, whether during a drum solo or whilst I was in the middle of a verse.  Some of our friends came, and then everyone sitting on the beach walked over, and then people saw people watching something and came over.  By the end of the set we had around 100 people watching us.  It was quite cinematic, I'm told.  Our friend Betsy waded out in the water with us with Kevin's minidisc player so we could get better audio than just off the camera.  She looked scared and confused for most of it, but I think she had fun.  People wanted an encore, but the music stand had been knocked over by waves so many times that all the lyrics had washed away and I couldn't remember any more songs.  Immediately after playing someone asked if they could show the footage at a party, and someone else wanted to air it on their public access show.  Apparently fame and fortune are just around the corner.
 
July 18, 2004 -- Shout!, Manhattan
Our friends Diamonds were playing, and Morgan remarked that it was too bad that Kevin wasn't around so we could play a few songs.  I called him up and somehow it became another Puttin' On The Ritz show.  Immediately after their set he introduced us, and we got in Fly Me To The Moon before the DJ started playing records and some dude came over and repeatedly told me to "be cool".  Everyone looked really confused for that one song.  Our first show in Manhattan, and we get the plug pulled.  Oddly fitting for a band that doesn't need power.  We contemplated playing on the roof, but figured we would probably be ejected immediately.  It's difficult to crash parties that have big bouncer types who hate you.  Perhaps we need to work on being more light on our feet.
 
So as you can see, we've been staying busy.  We're playing with the Homosexuals on Saturday, after spending all day recording.  We're sort of becoming the Tommy's Tavern house band, but what can you do.  They love us there, so how can we say no?  Until next time, godspeed, etc.     

Friday, July 16, 2004

Cold Feet, etc.

So we're playing Siren Fest tomorrow, apparently.  It seemed like a really good idea at first, but now that we're actually going through with it I feel more than a bit nervous.  Singing into nothing whilst Kevin bangs on a snare might not be as great as we initially thought.  There is the slight risk we'll get a ticket (or a stern talking to), but I'm not really too concerned with that.  Playing in front of (or better said, near) all sorts of hostile strangers might be problematic.  I guess you won't be able to hear us all that well unless you're standing right next to us, so it shouldn't matter.  I'm less concerned with the set in the water, that's ridiculous enough to work anyway.  Our revised outfit has us actually performing in suits, for some reason.  Well, at least it will be cinematic, if anyone gets around to filming it.  So it goes. 

Sunday, July 11, 2004

Origins, Early Histories, etc.

Why yes, hello. Welcome to the official blog of Puttin’ On The Ritz. There are no unofficial ones that I know of, by the way. We plan to use this space to update you on our various exploits, so you can know where to be, and more importantly, when. The right time and the right place, etc. You might also be subjected to various rants from Kevin or myself, depending on our mood. Regardless, a good place to start might be the beginning. A brief history of Puttin’ On The Ritz, if you will. Our band was conceived one evening (April 4, 2004) at 502 Warren Street, which was playing host to several bands (Aa and Japanther among others, if memory serves me). Kevin Shea and myself were outside, chatting about something or another (consuming copious amounts of alcohol, in all likelihood), when we began singing songs to each other. For some reason, we were singing standards to each other, but we were singing them as a sailor might, so to speak. Then it occurred to him that his friend Tianna was looking for some sort of lounge band to perform some party, and that perhaps we should start a band with him drumming and me singing our dirty songs. Tianna happened to be there, and agreed to let us perform. Some time passed, and about a week before the show we finally got together to pick out the songs we were going to play. We chose six, but we decided that rather than change the lyrics we would just perform them straight, me crooning much as Sinatra might and him drumming. We had two practices, which we recorded straight to minidisc so we would have compact discs to sell at our show. Somehow we booked another show for the following week, actually before we had ever practiced. I was nervous, I had no idea if we were going to suck or not. Everything was happening so fast.


May 8, 2004 -- Free 103.9, Brooklyn
We thought there were going to be other bands, but there was not. We played at 12:30 or 1 or something like that, I cannot recall. It was a cocktail party, everyone was dressed up and they were making martinis and manhattans and what not for everyone. We were quite drunk, if memory serves me. We went through our six songs, and much to our surprise people didn’t walk out on us. We had a pile of our CDs on one of the monitors, and people were actually taking them and leaving money in their place. The set ended with me rolling around on the floor, scatting. This has become a regular occurrence. We got paid twenty bucks, which we promptly went and spent at a bar.

May 14, 2004 -- North 6 Basement, Brooklyn
We played with Barry London and Kid Millions, Friendly Bears, and Sabers. We debuted our practice of playing last, in front of the exit. Kevin played a set at Tommy’s Tavern, then at Pete’s Candy Store before he even arrived. I didn’t see much of the other bands, I was quite busy getting drunk. When Kevin arrived I busied myself getting him drunk as well. By the time we went on we were thoroughly soused. I vaguely remember knocking the music stand over a bunch and fucking up just about every song. I know these are songs everyone is supposed to know, but try singing them with only drums for accompaniment. Whilst intoxicated. After only two practices. You start to catch my drift. People didn’t walk out, but that might have been because we were playing in front of the door.

May 14, 2004 -- Tommy’s Tavern, Brooklyn
A few bands played earlier, but they had all long finished by the time we arrived. I guess you can say we played with them, but I have no idea who played and it doesn’t really matter that much anyway. Todd asked us to come play after our show at North 6, which for some reason we thought would be a great idea. We arrived at around 2am, and there were maybe twenty or thirty people still there. We set up in front, right next to the bar. I had broken the music stand earlier in the evening, which we hastily taped back together. Todd fed us shots and beers for some reason, which we certainly did not require. I decided somewhere in the set that it would be a good idea to take my shirt off. Then I started rolling around on the pool table, whilst people were shooting pool. Apparently they were not pleased. Some local dude sitting at the bar really liked us and bought us more beer, which we really did not need by that time. Immediately after performing I walked across the street and vomited under a tree. Kevin was so drunk he could not successfully hail a cab, which Todd had to do for him. I later learned that there were extensive photos taken at that show, and some German dude filmed it. Of course, being German, his camera was in the PAL format, which is almost useless for us. The rest of the weekend people kept coming up to me and telling me how great we were, despite the fact that I had no recollection of them being at the show. Kevin got alcohol poisoning for his troubles.

May 29, 2004 -- Asterisk, Brooklyn
This show was originally supposed to be at Volume, but they were shut down by the fire marshal, so it was moved at the last minute to a loft space in Bushwick. We played with Japanther, Aa, Dreamhouse, Talibam, Au Revoir Simone, Aqui, Lucky Dragons, and maybe some others. We were originally going to perform in the bathroom, but the facilities at the new space were not quite as spacious. Thus, we decided to perform in the long, narrow hallway. A fist fight was breaking out as I plugged in the microphone. People kept getting tangled up in the mic cord, and it kept coming unplugged. Not our best effort. Everyone seemed baffled and hostile, except for a few who seemed to love us. I was told later that people spent the rest of the night asking about us and talking about how much they liked it. I saw no evidence of that, but I was rolling around on the floor at the time.

June 11, 2004 -- The Cave, Queens
I put a tremendous amount of work into this show. We performed with Free Blood, Japanther, Nightmerica, Zeke Healy, Sleepy Doug Shaw, and Andersonic. A $2 punk show, if you will. Zeke and Doug played acoustic outside. We of course went on last, at like 2:30am or something. The police showed up in the middle of our set, and the owner told us we had to stop. The DJs began playing records at a volume considerably louder than our own, which I told the owner (who had spent most of the rest of the night kissing my ass because they had never, ever, had anywhere even approaching the number of the people there that my show brought in). He said he didn’t care, we had to stop. We are unflappable. We grabbed a snare and went out to the street corner and resumed playing. He came out and told us to just finish inside. We did. We lost a number of our audience members, but it just goes to show that you cannot stop the rock, apparently.

June 26, 2004 -- The Nest, Brooklyn
This was not actually a proper Puttin’ On The Ritz show. It was a Puttin’ On the Talibananacondom show, apparently. It consisted of me, Kevin and Matt (Talibam), and some other dudes whose names I promptly forgot. I agreed to do this last minute, and it was a mess. I walked in just in time to play, somewhere around 2am. I had no idea what to do, so I jumped around and screamed into the microphone. Someone started throwing bean bag chairs at me. The sax player grabbed a microphone stand and ran into the crowd knocking peoples’ drinks out of their hands. The plug was pulled, and we were asked to leave. Somehow Matt got paid on the way out, although I’m still not sure how.

June 27, 2004 -- Lyric Lounge, Brooklyn
Talibam was playing again, and I showed up for moral support. At one point someone asked if we were playing. Kevin looked at me and asked “Do you want to?” I agreed, for lack of anything better to do. This was a poorly booked and/or promoted show, as the only people there were the bands and their girlfriends. Todd turned up because in the middle of the set because I said we were playing. It was supposed to be at Tommy’s but Matt failed to actually tell them that. When they showed up they were informed that they would not be allowed to play. I was telephoned for assistance, and Todd has already suggested they call the Lyric Lounge, which I passed along to them. Honestly, it was mostly a waste of time. I guess they can’t all be winners.

June 30, 2004 -- Tommy’s Tavern, Brooklyn
We got to play with all our friends. Japanther (already our third show with them), Nightmerica, White Oni (Rop and Tim and Kokie’s debut), and some hardcore band called Drinker’s Purgatory that was on tour or something. We played a little earlier than usual, around 1:30am. Far and away our best show. We went on immediately after Japanther in the front room. Everyone stopped and watched on their way out. Moreover, they hooted, they hollered, they danced, etc. It actually looked like we knew the songs. Kevin got a standing ovation for one of his drum solos. I rolled around on the pool table again, but people knew it was coming so they weren’t playing pool. We sold all four compact discs on our persons immediately following the performance. It looked like we were actually becoming a decent band, more than just being extreme and crazy and ridiculous, etc.


That’s it so far. Seven shows (eight of you count the nest, which I don’t really), four practices (unless you count getting together to pick out songs and make CDs, which I don’t really). We were supposed to play last night, but Kevin never turned up. His phone died and his other show didn’t end until almost 3am. Oh well. I got drunk without him. Our next show is Siren Fest, although we were not invited to play. We will be playing two sets, one at 6pm near the Cyclone, and another at 8pm in the Atlantic Ocean. It works simply because we do not require power, so we can do whatever we want. We always wanted to play with Mission of Burma, Blonde Redhead, etc. It seemed like an easy enough way to do so. We’re recording with our from J Ellis on the 24th, and I hope to put out a real CD with the results. We’re talking to Aa about booking a tour together, and we have all sorts of other clever schemes, harebrained or otherwise, in mind. Keep checking in for more details.

Thursday, July 01, 2004

For Archival Purposes, etc.

001. 05/08/04 -- Free 103.9; Brooklyn, NY

002. 05/14/04 -- North 6 Basement; Brooklyn, NY w/ Barry London & Kid Millions, Friendly Bears, Sabers

003. 05/14/04 -- Tommy's Tavern; Brooklyn, NY

004. 05/29/04 -- Asterisk; Brooklyn, NY w/ Japanther, Aa, Dreamhouse, Aqui, Lucky Dragons, Talibam!, Au Revoir Simone

005. 06/11/04 -- The Cave; Queens, NY w/ Free Blood, Japanther, Nightmerica, Zeke Healy, Sleepy Doug Shaw, Andersonic

006. 06/27/04 -- Lyric Lounge; Brooklyn, NY w/ Talibam!

007. 06/30/04 -- Tommy's Tavern; Brooklyn NY w/ Japanther, Nightmerica, White Oni, Drinker's Purgatory

008. 07/17/04 -- In Front of the Cyclone (Coney Island); Brooklyn, NY w/ Death Cab for Cutie, Blonde Redhead, Trail of Dead, Mission of Burma, Har Mar Superstar, TV on the Radio, Electric Six, The Fiery Furnaces, The Fever, Constantines, Vue, The Thermals, The Ponys, Your Enemies Friends

009. 07/17/04 -- The Atlantic Ocean (Coney Island); Brooklyn, NY

010. 07/18/04 -- Shout!; Manhattan, NY w/ Diamonds

011. 07/21/04 -- Tommy's Tavern; Brooklyn, NY w/ Party of Helicopters

012. 07/24/04 -- Tommy's Tavern; Brooklyn, NY w/ The Homosexuals, The Broke Revue, Tallboys

013. 07/31/04 -- 338 Berry Street; Brooklyn, NY w/ Hot Nilla & Liquid Stars, This Invitation

014. 08/04/04 -- 502 Warren Street; Brooklyn, NY w/ Casiotone for the Painfully Alone, Currituck County, Zeke Healy, Aphid Ant Construction

015. 08/13/04 -- Free 103.9; Brooklyn, NY w/ Nada Surf, The Power-Ups, Child Abuse, Thirty Pack

016. 08/22/04 -- Asterisk; Brooklyn, NY w/ Aa, Guns Fire Mayhem, Langhorne Slim, Danger Boy & the Road Vultures, Eddie Berrigan, Andersonic

017. 08/25/04 -- 40 Worth Street; Manhattan, NY (Live on the Radio)

018. 08/27/04 -- Eat Records; Brooklyn, NY

019. 08/27/04 -- Tommy's Tavern; Brooklyn, NY w/ 2000 Million 10

020. 08/28/04 -- 248 McKibbin Street 1J; Brooklyn, NY w/ The Fakers, Zeke Healy, Fxxxing Lion

021. 08/29/04 -- Lyric Lounge; Brooklyn, NY w/ Parenthetical Girls, Zeke Healy, Benji Cossa

022. 08/29/04 -- The Tank; Manhattan, NY w/ Infernal Noise Brigade, Parenthetical Girls

023. 09/16/04 -- Tommy's Tavern; Brooklyn, NY w/ Vaz, Arctic Universe

024. 10/02/04 -- Asterisk; Brooklyn, NY

025. 10/15/04 -- Free Radio Dumbo; Brooklyn, NY (Live on the Radio)

026. 10/17/04 -- Tommy's Tavern; Brooklyn, NY w/ Lion Fever, Bellmer Dolls, Princess, The Fugue

027. 10/18/04 -- Knitting Factory Tap Bar; Manhattan, NY w/ Barr, 1999, Bobby Birdman, Touchdown, 14K

028. 10/20/04 -- Tommy's Tavern; Brooklyn, NY w/ Cheeseburger, Vietnam, Blood on the Wall, Silver, Sleepy Doug Shaw

029. 11/13/04 -- Office Ops; Brooklyn, NY w/ Tunnel of Love, Pterodactyl, La Otracina, Breaker! Breaker!

030. 11/20/04 -- Asterisk; Brooklyn, NY w/ Warbler, Diamond Nights, Cheeseburger

031. 11/28/04 -- Knitting Factory; Manhattan, NY w/ Big Business, Kylesa, Cop on Fire

032. 11/30/04 -- Trash; Brooklyn, NY w/ Big Business, Kylesa, Cheeseburger, Cop on Fire

033. 12/04/04 -- The Tank Annex; Manhattan, NY w/ Lucky Dragons, Lasereye Stingray

034. 12/10/04 -- Free 103.9; Brooklyn, NY

035. 12/18/04 -- 904 Bedford Avenue 6A; Brooklyn, NY

036. 12/20/04 -- Tommy's Tavern; Brooklyn, NY w/ Hope and Anchor, The Weeds

037. 01/21/05 -- Llano Estacado; Brooklyn, NY w/ Parts & Labor, Aa, Big Bear, Dirty Projectors

038. 02/12/05 -- Llano Estacado; Brooklyn, NY w/ No Things, Narchitect, Deerhunter, Child Abuse, Bloody Panda, Younger

039. 02/14/05 -- St. Marks Church; Manhattan, NY w/ Rebecca Moore

040. 02/18/05 -- 381 Hooper Street; Brooklyn, NY w/ Battletorn, Cop on Fire, HIV+

041. 03/11/05 -- Asterisk; Brooklyn, NY w/ Diamond Nights, Cheeseburger, Aa, Lucky Dragons, Telepathe, Benji Cossa

042. 03/19/05 -- Eat Records; Brooklyn, NY

043. 03/22/05 -- Glasshouse; Brooklyn, NY w/ Birds of Delay

044. 03/28/05 -- Trash; Brooklyn, NY w/ The Coolies, Nakatomi Plaza, We Vs. The Shark, FACE!

045. 04/02/05 -- Asterisk; Brooklyn, NY w/ Lightning Bolt, DMBQ, Drama Queens, Shellshag

046. 04/15/05 -- Juvie Hall; Manhattan, NY (Live on the Midnight Kalan talk show)

047. 04/19/05 -- Glasshouse; Brooklyn, NY w/ USAisamonster, Gang Wizard, Hi-Red Center, Child Abuse

048. 05/05/05 -- In a car; The Taconic Parkway, NY

049. 05/07/05 -- Asterisk; Brooklyn, NY w/ People, Stay Fucked, Dynasty, Lycaon Pictus

050. 05/08/05 -- Prospect Park Peninsula; Brooklyn, NY w/ Currituck County, Zeke Healy, This Invitation, Trevor Healy, Benji Cossa, Mike Wexler, Hisham Bharoocha & Andy Macleod, Necking, Miguel Mendez, Alice Cohen, Joel Saladino, TK Webb, Joe Bradley

051. 06/09/05 -- Cakeshop; Manhattan, NY w/ Knife Skills, The Good Good, More Teeth

052. 06/27/05 -- Glasshouse; Brooklyn, NY w/ The Good Good, Castles, Birdbrain

053. 07/07/05 -- Tommy's Tavern; Brooklyn, NY w/ Necking, Hell's Hills, Love of Diagrams, Retconned, Recompas

054. 07/20/05 -- Glasshouse; Brooklyn, NY w/ Ill Ease, Bent Outta Shape, 50 Million, Nick Flanagan

055. 07/23/05 -- Parking Lot in Long Island City; Queens, NY w/ Lightning Bolt, Afrirampo, Japanther, Free Blood, USAisamonster, Aa, Parts & Labor, Growing, Eloe Omoe, Matt & Kim, Necking, Talibam!

056. 08/03/05 -- Glasshouse; Brooklyn, NY w/ Chinese Stars, Wives, Bird Names, Scalpels

057. 08/04/05 -- Free 103.9; Brooklyn, NY (Live on The Citizens' Radio Music Show)

058. 08/13/05 -- East Village Radio; Manhattan, NY (Live on the Gay Beach radio show)

059. 08/13/05 -- 904 Bedford Avenue 6A; Brooklyn, NY w/ More Teeth, Zeke Healy

060. 08/16/05 -- Delancey Lounge; Manhattan, NY w/ Vaz, Child Abuse, Zeke Healy

061. 08/20/05 -- Galapagos; Brooklyn, NY

062. 10/04/05 -- Redd's; Brooklyn, NY w/ Zeke Healy, Pearl

063. 10/06/05 -- Cakeshop; Manhattan, NY w/ The Places

064. 10/13/05 -- Red & Black; Brooklyn, NY w/ Manuel & Catalina, Brendon Anderegg

065. 10/16/05 -- Pachyderm Haus; Brooklyn, NY w/ First Lady of Country and the Cunts, Sam Jayne, Miguel Mendez, Bloodweiser, Silent City

066. 10/31/05 -- Tecate; Brooklyn, NY w/ Hella, Old Time Relijun, Japanther, Calvin Johnson, Tender Forever

067. 11/7/05 -- Club Exit; Brooklyn, NY w/ Death from Above 1979, Japanther, No Dynamics, Meneguar, Child Abuse, Matt & Kim

068. 11/18/05 -- Fireproof Gallery; Brooklyn, NY w/ Hell's Hills, Christy & Emily, Cakes of Light

069. 11/19/05 -- Matchless; Brooklyn, NY

070. 12/13/05 -- Delancey Lounge; Manhattan, NY

071. 12/17/05 -- Exit Art; Manhattan, NY w/ The Good Good, Lucky Dragons, This Invitation, Hell's Hills, Zs, Growing, Necking

072. 12/19/05 -- Scenic; Manhattan, NY (Eat Records Xmas Party)

073. 01/09/06 -- Knitting Factory Old Office; Manhattan, NY w/ Runny, Dead Radar

074. 01/14/06 -- 330 Melrose Street; Brooklyn, NY

075. 03/03/06 -- Our Lady Of Consolation Church Rec Center; Brooklyn, NY w/ Harry and the Potters, Uncle Monsterface

076. 03/22/06 -- Galapagos; Brooklyn, NY

077. 03/23/06 -- Glasshouse; Brooklyn, NY w/ Cortina, Love of Diagrams, Necking, Grey Daturas

078. 04/27/06 -- Union Pool; Brooklyn, NY (Microshow for Doolittle 33 1/3 Book Release)

079. 05/01/06 -- Syrup Room; Brooklyn, NY w/ The Microphones, Thanksgiving, Jason Anderson

080. 06/04/06 -- Roosevelt Island; Roosevelt Island, NY w/ Aa, Matt & Kim, Meneguar, Necking, Dirty Projectors, Stars Like Fleas, Zeke Healy, Tiagaa!

081. 07/13/06 -- Micheline's; Brooklyn, NY w/ PG Six, Pumice, Nick Castro & The Young Elders, Golden Animals

082. 07/14/06 -- The Woodser; Brooklyn, NY w/ Mahogany, The Beat Buttons, The Metric Mile

083. 07/16/06 -- The East River; Brooklyn, NY (shoot for Bar episode of The Burg)

084. 09/23/06 -- Contemporary Arts Center; North Adams, MA

085. 09/25/06 -- Syrup Room; Brooklyn, NY w/ Vaz, Ill Ease, Talibam!

086. 11/03/06 -- Asterisk; Brooklyn, NY w/ No Age, High Places, Hawnay Troof, Ill Ease, Pit Er Pat

087. 11/09/06 -- Uncle Paulie's; Brooklyn, NY w/ Thanksgiving, O'Death, Crude, Po Boy Johnson

088. 12/02/06 -- Lockinn; Brooklyn, NY (Marc Gilman's Surprise 30th Birthday Party)

089. 12/17/06 -- Union Pool; Brooklyn, NY w/ Taigaa!, Soldiers of Fortune, Mushroom Cloud, BJ Warshaw (Eat Records Xmas Party)

090. 02/15/07 -- Vassar College; Poughkeepsie, NY w/ Barr, Marnie Stern

091. 04/06/07 -- Gypsy Ballroom; Dallas, TX (BJ Rubin) w/ Love Of Diagrams, Ted Leo

092. 05/13/07 -- Chashama Gallery; Manhattan, NY w/ Moth (You Are Here Exhibit)

093. 05/14/07 -- Zebulon; Brooklyn, NY w/ Talibam!

094. 05/18/07 -- Chashama Gallery; Manhattan, NY w/ OhSees, Legends (You Are Here Exhibit)

095. 05/19/07 -- Dead Herring; Brooklyn, NY w/ Necking, Kirsten Ketsjer, Chen Santa Maria, Urxed, Pixel Panda

096. 07/02/07 -- Death By Audio; Brooklyn, NY w/ The Fugue, Die! Die! Die!, Knyfe Hyts

097. 07/05/07 -- Grog Shop; Cleveland, OH w/ Marnie Stern, Clan Of The Cave Bear, Dead Peasant Insurance

098. 07/06/07 -- Selam; Washington, DC w/ Edie Sedgwick, Shame Girl

099. 07/07/07 -- Don Pedro's; Brooklyn, NY w/ The Dead Science, Very Be Careful, Talibam!

100. 07/08/07 -- Knitting Factory; Manhattan, NY w/ Marnie Stern, Rocket Surgery

101. 07/09/07 -- T.T. The Bears Place; Cambridge, MA w/ Marnie Stern, Big Bear

102. 08/07/07 -- Silent Barn; Brooklyn, NY w/ Ill Ease, Ninetynine, The Epochs, Vivian Girls

103. 08/31/07 -- Death By Audio; Brooklyn, NY w/ Mika Miko, High Places, Numbers, Rah Dunes, Corpse Kisser, Sisters

104. 09/01/07 -- 68 Jay Street; Brooklyn, NY w/ Talibam! (shoot for This Is Now)

105. 09/09/07 -- Magda; Brooklyn, NY (Dave Freedlander's Surprise 30th Birthday Party)

106. 09/12/07 -- 68 Jay Street; Brooklyn, NY (shoot for This Is Now)

107. 10/21/07 -- Death By Audio; Brooklyn, NY w/ Mika Miko, Finally Punk, Veer Right Young Pastor

108. 11/16/07 -- Bar Fusion; Lincoln, England w/ Talibam!, Chops, The Mark 9’s

109. 11/17/07 -- Star & Shadow Cinema; Newcastle Upon Tyne, England w/ Talibam!, Chops (Best of the New York Underground Film Festival)

110. 11/18/07 -- Cargo; London, England w/ Jackie-O Motherfucker, Axolotl, Birds Of Delay, Talibam! (Upset The Rhythm Presents The Wire 25)

111. 11/19/07 -- The Windmill; London, England w/ Sukilove, I Love Sarah, Paul Hawkins, The Beat Maras

112. 11/20/07 -- 13th Note; Glasgow, Scotland w/ Chops, Cowtown

113. 11/21/07 -- The Racehorse; Northampton, England w/ Chops, Cowtown, I Love Sarah

114. 11/22/07 -- The Bodega Social Club; Nottingham, England w/ Chops, Cowtown, I Love Sarah

115. 11/23/07 -- Le Pub; Newport, Wales w/ Chops, Cowtown

116. 11/24/07 -- Rí-Rá; Dublin, Ireland

117. 11/25/07 -- The Old Blue Last; London, England w/ Chops, Cowtown

118. 02/14/08 -- Cakeshop; Manhattan, New York w/ These Are Powers, Knyfe Hyts, The Apes, Mixel Pixel

119. 03/07/08 -- Market Hotel; Brooklyn, NY w/ Fiasco, Pony Pants, Boy Crisis, Barking Spiders, Hospital Bombers, Amateur Party, LA Cross

120. 03/14/08 -- Eat Records; Brooklyn, NY w/ Ill Ease

121. 03/21/08 -- Berks Street Warehouse; Philadelphia, PA w/ Talibam!, Nate Scheible/Matthew Wascovich/Jack Wright Trio, Gun Muffs, Magnet City Kids

122. 04/12/08 -- Gowanus Studio Space; Brooklyn, NY (Triple Canopy Release Party)

123. 05/31/08 -- Goodbye Blue Monday; Brooklyn, NY w/ Knyfe Hyts, Aa, USAisamonster, Fiasco

124. 06/08/08 -- 502 Warren Street; Brooklyn, NY w/ Fleetwood MAacfee

125. 06/12/08 -- East Village Radio; Manhattan, NY (Live on the Blue & The Fish In The Morning radio show)

126. 06/13/08 -- Death By Audio; Brooklyn, NY w/ Pterodactyl, Fiasco (Zombie Party)

127. 06/20/08 -- 502 Warren Street; Brooklyn, NY

128. 06/22/08 -- East Village Radio; Manhattan, NY (Live on the Local Only radio show)

129. 06/27/08 -- Banana Factory; Bethlehem, PA w/ Mostly Other People Do The Killing

130. 06/28/08 -- Scarey Studios; Baltimore, MD

131. 06/29/08 -- Gojjo; Philadelphia, PA w/ Mostly Other People Do The Killing

132. 06/30/08 -- Lilypad; Boston, MA w/ Mostly Other People Do The Killing, Quartet Of Happiness

133. 07/01/08 -- Stairwell Gallery; Providence, RI w/ Mostly Other People Do The Killing

134. 07/02/08 -- Velvet Lounge; Washington, DC w/ Mostly Other People Do The Killing, Little Howlin' Wolf, Thee Ultimate Vag

135. 07/03/08 -- Dead Herring; Brooklyn, NY w/ Mostly Other People Do The Killing, Brasilia, Necking, Hard Bop

136. 08/19/08 -- The Tank; Manhattan, NY w/ Best Friends Forever, Screaming Females, Acht(en)

137. 09/06/08 -- The Bruedenell Social Club; Leeds, England w/ Indica Ritual, Cowtown, The Uprights

138. 09/07/08 -- Hand And Heart Gallery; Nottingham, England w/ Apalusa, Patch & Kevin Shea duo

139. 09/08/08 -- The MacBeth; London, England w/ Haunted Fucking, Cleckhuddersfax

140. 09/10/08 -- County Sports Club; Bristol, England w/ The Rick Jensen Trio, Gunbatte

141. 09/11/08 -- Amersham Arms; London, England w/ Indica Ritual, Cowtown, Cleckhuddersfax

142. 09/12/08 -- The Dome; London, England w/ Deerhunter, Starving Weirdos, Seabear

143. 09/13/08 -- Bar Pixi; Paris, France w/ Arnaud Riviere, Salmigondis

144. 04/20/09 -- Monster Island Basement; Brooklyn, NY (BJ Rubin) w/ Knyfe Hyts

145. 04/25/09 -- The Shank; Brooklyn, NY (BJ Rubin) w/ Crystal Stilts, Wavves, These Are Powers

146. 05/01/09 -- West Nile; Brooklyn, NY (BJ Rubin) w/ Teengirl Fantasy, Sewn Leather, DJ Dog Dick

147. 05/23/09 -- El Garage; Monterrey, Mexico (BJ Rubin) w/ White Ninja, Cannibal Party

148. 06/07/09 -- Bruar Falls; Brooklyn, NY (BJ Rubin) w/ Little Gold, Sun Cats, Cabinet of Natural Curiosities

149. 06/14/09 -- Ft. Tilden Beach; Queens, NY (BJ Rubin) w/ Hospitality, Extra Life, Kurt Vile, Aa, Talk Normal, Dinowalrus, Spectre Folk, The So So Glos, Necking, Pterodactyl, Little Gold, Taigaa, Knyfe Hyts, Beach Fossils, Mika Miko, Teengirl Fantasy, Christy & Emily, Fiasco, Broccoli Destroyer, Ponytail, Katie Eastburn, Coathangers, Metal Mountains, Real Estate, Liturgy, Xray Eyeballs, Ezekiel Healy, Hot Pink Carpet

150. 06/19/09 -- Silent Barn; Queens, NY (BJ Rubin) w/ Best Friends Forever

151. 06/24/09 -- Death By Audio; Brooklyn, NY (BJ Rubin)

152. 07/07/09 -- Open Books; Long Beach, CA (BJ Rubin) w/ Katie The Pest

153. 07/22/09 -- Monster Island Basement; Brooklyn, NY (BJ Rubin) w/ Sexy Thoughts, Jason Ross, Gretta Cohn, Elliott Kalan, Rane Moore (One Sophisticated Evening, etc.)

154. 08/01/09 -- Secret Project Robot; Brooklyn, NY (BJ Rubin) w/ These Are Powers, Mirror Mirror, Javelin

155. 08/07/09 -- E. Hazzard; Philadelphia, PA (BJ Rubin) w/ Peaking Lights, U.S. Girls

156. 08/22/09 -- PS1; Queens, NY (BJ Rubin) w/ Talibam!

157. 08/24/09 -- Koko; London, England (BJ Rubin) w/ Deerhunter, Health, Crystal Antlers

158. 08/25/09 -- The Windmill; London, England (BJ Rubin) w/ She Keeps Bees

159. 08/29/09 -- The Old Blue Last; London, England (BJ Rubin) w/ Nodzzz, Hands on Heads, Plug

160. 09/05/09 -- Meneer de Witt; Amsterdam, The Netherlands (BJ Rubin) w/ Teengirl Fantasy, The Moi Non Plus

161. 09/08/09 -- OCCII; Amsterdam, The Netherlands (BJ Rubin) w/ Blues Control, Tropa Macaca

162. 09/12/09 -- The Stag's Head; London, England (BJ Rubin) w/ Male Bonding, Cold Pumas, Veronica Falls

163. 09/18/09 -- Death By Audio; Brooklyn, NY (BJ Rubin) w/ Ty Segall, Katie Eastburn, The Mantles, The Holy Experiment (You Are Here -- The Maze)

164. 09/25/09 -- Death By Audio; Brooklyn, NY (BJ Rubin) w/ Electroputas (You Are Here -- The Maze)

165. 10/02/09 -- Death By Audio; Brooklyn, NY (BJ Rubin) w/ Zs, Mick Barr, Noveller, Excepter (You Are Here -- The Maze)

166. 10/19/09 -- Death By Audio; Brooklyn, NY (BJ Rubin) w/ Ruffeo Hearts Lil Snotty, Alaskas, MNDR

167. 10/20/09 -- Cakeshop; New York, NY (BJ Rubin) w/ Male Bonding, Surf City, Best Coast, The Moi Non Plus, Hospital Bombers, zZz, Blondes (Subbacultcha/Pukekos/Viva Radio CMJ Showcase)

168. 10/26/09 -- Don Pedro's; Brooklyn, NY (BJ Rubin) w/ France Has The Bomb, Loose Limbs

169. 10/30/09 -- Steve's Loft; Brooklyn, NY (BJ Rubin) w/ CSC Funk Band, Jimmy Cousin's Big Band, The Library is on Fire, Invisible Circle, Light Boys

170. 10/31/09 -- Secret Project Robot; Brooklyn, NY (BJ Rubin) w/ Knyfe Hyts 81, Try Cry Try, Sightings, Dirty Faces, Big Bear, Red Dawn II (Brahloween 5)

171. 11/07/09 -- Santos Party House; New York, NY (BJ Rubin) w/ Carsick Cars, Antimagic, PK14, Xiao He

172. 01/07/10 -- The Smell; Los Angeles, CA (BJ Rubin) w/ Sun Araw, The Urxed, Sean McCann, Garden State

173. 02/03/10 -- Death by Audio; Brooklyn, NY w/ BJ Rubin, Weasel Walter, Sarah Lipstate and Caroline Contillo, Sexy Thoughts, Odysseus, Tropical Thunder, Cat Tyc, Nondor Nevai, Tim Dahl, Matt Mottel

174. 04/01/10 -- Cakeshop; New York, NY (BJ Rubin) w/ Love Of Diagrams, Buckets Of Bile

175. 04/02/10 -- Santos Party House; New York, NY (BJ Rubin) w/ Love Of Diagrams

176. 06/10/10 -- Zebulon; Brooklyn, NY w/ Merle & The Haggards (White Light/White Heat release party)

177. 09/13/10 -- Otto's Shrunken Head; New York, NY (Kyle's Korner)

178. 11/10/11 -- The Rod & Gun; Brooklyn, NY (American Liberty League) w/ Old Rugged Sauce

179. 12/06/11 -- Death By Audio; Brooklyn, NY (American Liberty League) w/ Cellular Chaos, I Don't Hear Nothin' But The Blues, Talibam!

180. 12/22/11 -- Cakeshop; Manhattan, NY (American Liberty League) w/ Cotton Candy, Time Crisis, Jonathan Lindaman, Charlie Judkins

181. 03/12/12 -- Death By Audio; Brooklyn, NY (David Earl Buddin) w/ Weasel Walter/Marc Edwards, Denis Beuret/Elliott Levin, White Suns (Motorized Percussion), Michael Foster/Kid Millions, Admiral Grey + Champagne Sequins

182. 07/12/12 -- Zebulon; Brooklyn, NY (Into The Void) w/ American Liberty League, Sexy Thoughts, Moppa Elliott's Tragedies & Statistics

183. 08/02/12 -- The Rod & Gun; Brooklyn, NY (Into The Void) w/ Old Rugged Sauce