Since he’s in the news as a bad luck charm for any soccer team he cheers for and running up on the Twitter worldwide trending list for some reason that people in another language are really excited about and I can’t understand…here is your YouTube Friday, the Mick Jagger edition.
This is a clip from the amazing British music quiz show Never Mind the Buzzcocks. It’s funny and Noel is almost as good a dancer as Mick used to be.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3gGwFWLeUc0]
Although I have walked into the mitochondrion of Shore Fire that is Marilyn Laverty’s office many times, there remain pleasures untold; pieces of history that I have yet to inquire about. Marilyn’s office is the hub of creativity where we all gather to discuss our projects, our favorite music biz trends, upcoming shows and sometimes the importance of the word “bacon” on one’s nascent Facebook profile. There’s so much going on that it’s easy to quickly glance at the photos of David Bowie, Bob Dylan, Paul McCartney, Willie Nelson and dozens more (all of which include Marilyn Laverty standing by coolly in her iconic fashion) and not think twice. I can’t speak for everyone at Shore Fire, but I know there have certainly been times when I wanted to interject politely during a meeting and ask, “Excuse me, Marilyn. Can you please tell me the story of how you met Mick Jagger for the first time?”
Curiously, the piece of memorabilia in Marilyn’s office that has piqued my interest consistently is not a photo. It’s a piece of journalism and the headline reads thusly:
Devo. Threat or Menace? Will Devo take over the world? Are we ready to be run by robots? Is it the right time for Devolution? David Bowie and Iggy Pop think so. Marilyn Laverty talks to the machines that are Devo.
I have read and reread that headline dozens of times but I never ventured over to the framed, ecru piece of paper to delve into its content until today. My only question now is: WHY DID I WAIT SO LONG TO READ THIS AMAZING PIECE OF AWESOMENESS?
This article on Devo can only be described as a coup. It was clearly written when Devo was not the household name (or at least record collection staple) that it is today. It takes place at Max’s Kansas City were Marilyn interviews the band. Here’s a sampling of some of the gems from Marilyn’s interview feature:
“This testimony as extracted from Jerry Casale (alias Jerry Devo) when he was backstage at Max’s Kansas City following a gig there. Casale had just finished conspiring with Brian Eno, who, as everyone knows, is a subversive alien…Casale was nestled in the corner of Max’s owner Tommy Dean’s office, seated across from Devo comrade Mark Mothersbaugh”
(For me, this describes the golden era of music. Today we are so used to hearing folks pooh-poohing the music biz. “It’s dead,” they say. It’s not. These types of scenarios, smart musicians and music lovers coming together to discuss music that they love, are the reason why my love of music and music itself will never die.)
“The human condition is sometimes so pathetic and obnoxious that the only shock reaction is laughter. That’s what the punk-rock movement is based on.”
(WORD)
“Mark pipes up from across the room: ‘A merger between man and machines is not only acceptable, but unavoidable. Man without technology is like a human being without a skeleton. It’s human systems you should be afraid of. It’s people who use other people for their own ends.’”
(I heart you much Mark Mothersbaugh. Thanks for articulating my thoughts so well. Also, thank you computer.)
“In our music, we’re looking for the big enema, for the big catharsis…We want to infiltrate our audiences with liquid rhythm, to inject it into their bodies”
(That’s Jerry Devo talking. And I have an uncontrollable urge to listen to some Devo right now.)
That last quote definitely puts the headline into context. It’s an amazing piece organized by the following curious subheads: STRANGLEHOLD – ALIEN – SLICK – ARTIFICIAL – BEWARE – SCRAMBLE
The feature includes enough “namedropping” to make my head spin/mouth water. (Was it even called “namedropping” then? Everyone just knew each other because they were all on the same team, on the cusp of something big about to happen, at the vanguard of a movement.) Brian Eno, David Bowie, Iggy Pop and Marilyn Laverty were all on board with Devo before they hit it big; a feat the band claims in the article was made possible by The Tubes (note to self: listen to more Tubes records.)
I’m so glad I took the time to read Marilyn’s Devo piece, aside from being extremely well written, it also provides a glimpse into an era of music I love to romanticize. I now have yet another reason to do so.
I leave you with 1980 footage of Devo performing one of my personal favorites:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Owtc4bJuaY]
A couple weeks ago we celebrated the birthday of resident blues lover and talented guitarist Nick Loss-Eaton. He specified a Vegan Treats brand carrot cake and I had the pleasure of dealing with their amazing customer service. After having trouble finding one in the city, they offered to drive one up all the way from Philadelphia! Luckily for everyone who likes cake (and who doesn’t?), Park Slope eatery V-Spot had one on hand. There was much rejoicing and the cake was perfect. So delicious!
In the absence of our official cake-cutter Rebecca Shapiro, Chris Taillie took over and after much argument over what “I only want a small piece” means, he rose to the occasion. Watch out Rebecca, he’s…well he has a knife.
As busy as we are these days, it’s always important to take a break for cake. Happy Birthday, Nick!
Mostly we’ll be tied to the A.C. this week, but here are a few shows that are compelling enough for us to brave the 100+ heat — come say Hi.
yes, please!
Sunday, July 11
Jimmy Cliff- Central Park’s Summerstage
Monday, July 12
Colour Revolt- Piano’s
Brendan and I were lucky enough to get an invite from Marilyn to visit our sister office Shore Fire South. Once out of Brooklyn we sojourned down the Jersey Turnpike and before you could say “GPS” we were there. After spending the morning getting some off site work done. We took in the sights of the beautiful little town of Ocean Grove and were treated to a Zagat approved lunch at The Windmill. There I had a hot dog that would have given Nathans’ Famous a run for its nitrate soaked money. After a walk around the beach, Brendan and I took off on our own. The Asbury Park boardwalk was within minutes of the Ocean Grove border and serious business was afoot.
Just past the iconic Stone Pony and smack dab in the middle of the Asbury Park Boardwalk is a place unlike any other that I had ever seen before. A place full of sounds and blinking lights. A place full of silver plated balls and nostalgia. A place where fun can be had one quarter at a time. Of course, I’m talking about the Silverball Pinball Museum and Hall of Fame.
For a measly $10 flat fee that you pay at the door you get 2 hours of all the pinball you can stand. That’s better than going to the movies in my book. Cheaper these days too. Plus this place had over 100 different pinball machines. Games dating back to 1910 all the way up to a rad brand new The Simpsons game. The layout of the place is pretty bare bones and simple. Just rows and rows and rows of games waiting to be tilted.
There were games that revolved around such past times as fishing, casinos, sports, and big game hunting. Games where you fought aliens, or took a spin through the Wild West. Quarter eaters that were dedicated to such luminaries as Hugh Hefner, The Terminator, The Devil, and my personal hero Evil Kinevil. However, I think the game I played the most was the Charlie’s Angels game. Mainly for nostalgia reasons because the pizza parlor around the corner from my house growing up had that very game in it’s lobby.
There were also a bunch of music themed games. here are some pics Brendan took ….
All in all though, almost every game was unique and fun and Silverball is definitely a great place to kill an hour or two. Here’s a link to see more.
In the final days of our current Facebook layout, I find myself feeling mixed emotions about the next wave of changes. Part of me is reassured that the new layout will soon become second nature and navigation will be no issue at all. For some … continued
