Dilton Spent 3 Weeks Hanging With Patrick...
....in a futile attempt to get his character down. Didn't work. On the bright side, at least
While One Of The Label Owners Is Pissed The Rock The Bells Tour Skipped Austin...
...at least there's always the Chuck E. Cheese on the corner of South First and Ben White. Video link swiped from Boing Boing.
World War IV : Early Man At Club Europa
The promoters call it "Thrashfest '07", which you have to admit, is way catchier than "Festival Of Many Menacing Fonts"
Jennifer O'Connor hits Massachussetts, HARD.
This weekend, I will embark upon a mini-tour (ok, it's 2 shows) in Massachussetts. First off will be the fantastic-5-band-bill-for-10-bucks PA's Lounge show on Friday August 3. (See totally awesome poster by Ian Adams above).
This show was originally booked as a celebration of the split 7" that I put out with Choo Choo La Rouge (my best pals in band land) - but its blossomed into much more. Make sure you come early to check out my friends Clint, Michigan & Amy Bezunartea. And I can't begin to say how excited I am to be sharing a bill with Chris Brokaw. I've seen him solo a few times (and with Come many times back in the day, including a Nirvana/The Breeders/Come show at The Omni in Atlanta!!!!)
Saturday we venture out to Martha's Vineyard to play at Aboveground Records. It's a very cool record store run by the same folks who run A Whale of a Label.
The JO'C band this weekend will be the duo of me on vox and gtr and Jon on drums.
And just for fun, below is a photo of us playing at the East River Amphitheatre last weekend. Miwa took this from the very top center of the back row.
Have a great week and I hope to see all you New Englanders this weekend.
Love JO'C
Tom Snyder, RIP
Smokin' TV history in more ways than one, ladies and gentleman, though with all due respect to NBC for compiling the highlights package above, there is some great stuff they missed.
The Greatest Kayne West Video To Not Feature Kayne West
Though this isn't Matador Records & Filmworks related in the slighest, I submit you'll see few videos this year (or any other) as jarringly beard-tastic as Zach Galifianakas and Will Oldham's star turn for Kanye West's "Can't Tell Me Nothing".
Matador Vs. The Ponys bowl-off round 1
As killer as last Saturday night's Bowery Ballroom Ponys / Jay Reatard show was, it is pretty hard to compete with a bowling alley where the bands play right in the middle of the lanes. With that in mind I had no problem getting in the van for the trip to senic Asbury Park New Jersey. I picked up Paul Sommerstein, ESQ and we raced, Corzine style, down the Garden State Parkway to the up and coming neighborhood of Asbury Park. Once there we didn't waste too much time getting down to business on the lanes.
The first game was just me and Jered and we both we're having trouble getting into the zone. Jered has a great style: launching the ball into the air at first with lots of spin on it producing a killer hook, but he just couldn't get it down and many a ball ended up in the gutter in the first game. If he had it down I'd of been done for, but my basic style prevailed. The second game brought Paul and Meslissa into the action and upped the stakes when Paul produced two awesome (and huge) home made buttons. Aerosmith and Cheap Trick, winner gets to choose their pin. Jered clearly had me beat until the 10th frame when I channelled my love of Aerosmith into two consecutive strikes. Woo-hoo!
In our defense the Asbury Lanes, although totally cool, isn't really conducive to competitive bowling, but it sure was a good time. And speaking of a good time, althogh these remaining Ponys / Jay Reatard shows are not happening in bowling alleys you should by all means try to attend.
23 Jul 2007 Washington DC, Black Cat
24 Jul 2007 Columbus, OH Skully's
25 Jul 2007 Newport, Kentucky, Southgate House
Free Jennifer O'Connor show in NYC this Saturday
Hello Matablog readers: I'm playing a FREE Venus Zine sponsored show this weekend on Saturday, July 28 at the East River Ampitheatre. That's at Cherry Street and the East River, not 23rd Street as I previously and erroneously reported on my Myspace blog. This will be a full-band style show and we'll be playing some new stuff that we are gearing up to record for the next record as well as some older jams. The show starts at 2pm and we go on around 4:30!!
John Stabb Benefit
Government Issue vocalist John Stabb --- a longtime personal fave of at least a couple of us here in Matadorville --- was the victim of a gang attack last week, and as such, there's a benefit in the works.
At the height of his creative powers, Stabb was one of the nation's more charismatic, witty front-humans, and in a just world, roving packs of teens would be vying to buy him drinks or dinner rather than nearly beating him to death. Here's wishing the Stabbster a speedy recovery.
More Ponys Dates To Gaze At Longingly
August 11- Chicago, IL @ West FestSeptember 8 - Madison, WI @ University of Wisconsin
October
10-Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue
11-Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue
12-Chicago, IL @ Riviera Theatre
13-Detroit, MI @ Majestic Theatre
15-Toronto, ON @ Phoenix Concert Theatre
16-Montreal, QC @ LeNational
17-Boston, MA @ The Roxy
19-Philadelphia, PA @ Electric Factory
20-NY, NY @ Roseland Ballroom
24-Asheville, NC @ Orange Peel
26-Nashville, TN @ Cannery Ballroom
All of the October dates are supporting Spoon.
Jon Bon Jovi Might Suck...
...
When it comes to energy drinks, rock star Jon Bon Jovi thinks an East Brunswick man gives coffee a bad name.
The Jersey rocker wants the owner of the Mijovi energy drink to change its name, arguing it is too similar to his famous moniker.
But Marcos Carrington says his coffee-based energy drink is named after his girlfriend, whose name is Jovita.
After Jon Bon Jovi, who lives in Middletown, saw a can of Mijovi for sale in a cafe in nearby Red Bank in January, his lawyers sent Carrington a letter demanding that he stop using the name Mijovi.
"It is just unfair," Carrington, 37, told the Asbury Park Press for Thursday's newspapers. "It is unfair because Mijovi has nothing to do with Bon Jovi."
Carrington said he started Mijovi in August 2004 as a way to raise funds for an environmental consulting business.
He said there were no coffee-based energy drinks even though coffee is one of the best-selling beverages in the U.S. Working with a flavor company, he developed Mijovi, a coffee drink that contains Taurine, B-vitamins and caffeine.
In a Jan. 22 letter, Los Angeles lawyer Peter Laird, representing Bon Jovi, objected to the word "Mijovi" as well as other words "itsmijovi" and "itsmilife" that appear in the company's marketing materials and on the can. Rather than use Carrington's spelling, the letter used the phrases, "It's My Jovi" and "It's My Life."
"As you should be aware, one of Bon Jovi's most popular songs is entitled "It's My Life," the letter states. "We hereby demand that you immediately cease and desist all further use of the name "Mijovi' and "It's My Life.' "
If JBJ is successful in halting sales of this (gross sounding) drink, presumably Richie Sambora will be emboldened to go after anyone selling Sambuca. Likewise, what is stopping Tico Torres from threatening action against Taco Bell?
Dead Meadow - In LA And (Far) Beyond
Jason Simon, New Year's Eve 2007, pic by The Photographer
Jul 29 2007 Echoplex (under the Echo) Los Angeles, California
Aug 7 2007 Paradiso Amsterdam
Aug 8 2007 The Audio Brighton
Aug 9 2007 Cargo London
Aug 10 2007 Norwich Arts Centre Norwich
Aug 11 2007 The Cluny Newcastle
Aug 12 2007 The Faversham Leeds
Aug 13 2007 The Maze Nottingham
Aug 14 2007 Nice 'n' Sleazy Glasgow
Aug 15 2007 Thekla Bristol
Aug 16 2007 The Point Cardiff
Aug 17 2007 The Green Man Festival, Glanusk Park, Brecon Beacons
Aug 18 2007 The Cellar Oxford
Aug 19 2007 Taylor John's House Coventry
Aug 20 2007 Music Box, Manchester
Aug 23 2007 Magnolia Milano
Aug 24 2007 Rock and Rodes Sondrio
Aug 25 2007 Hana-bi - Marina di Ravenna Ravenna
The Ponys - US Dates With Jay Reatard
Jered and Melissa at Pitchfork, July 15, pic swiped from Kirstiecat's Flikr page
20 Jul 2007 Cambridge, MA, Middle East (upstairs)
21 Jul 2007 New York, NY, Bowery Ballroom
22 Jul 2007 Asbury Park, New Jersey, Ashbury Lanes
23 Jul 2007 Washington DC, Black Cat
24 Jul 2007 Columbus, OH Skully's
25 Jul 2007 Newport, Kentucky, Southgate House
They Wrote This One In The Van On The Way Over
SM + Bob Nastanovich, performing a little something called "Trigger Cut", Pitchfork Fest, Sunday, 7/16.
Pitchfork Festival : The Highlight So Far (Kind Of)
(Chan belting it out on Saturday, pic swiped from kirstiecat's flickr page)
With all due respect to Slint, Sonic Youth, Mastodon, Clipse, Cat Power & The Dirty Delta Blues (anyone know if this Bauer fella's been in a band before), all of whom were terrific the past two days, my tip for the PF 2007 Momento goes to the following :
Moments before Sonic Youth took the stage Friday evening, the Union Park audience was reminded that Yoko Ono would headlining the following night. An announcement which was met with a chorus of boos.
Man, talk about holding a grudge.
New Pornographers -Dates Confirmed, Scoop Conceded To Pitchfork (Again)
Should be a great tour...and check out the playing partners, too.
7-29 Toronto, Ontario - Rogers Picnic
09-13 Victoria, British Columbia - McPherson Ballroom #&
09-14 Seattle, WA - Showbox #!
09-15 Seattle, WA - Showbox #!
09-16 Portland, OR - Crystal Ballroom #!
09-17 San Francisco, CA - Warfield Theatre #!
09-18 San Diego, CA - House of Blues #!
09-19 Los Angeles, CA - Henry Fonda Theater #!
09-20 Los Angeles, CA - Henry Fonda Theater #@
09-21 Tucson, AZ - Rialto Theatre #@
09-22 Albuquerque, NM - Sunshine Theater #@
09-24 Boulder, CO - Boulder Theater #@
09-25 Salt Lake City, UT - The Depot #@
09-26 Boise, ID - The Egyptian Theatre #@
09-28 Vancouver, British Columbia - Commodore Ballroom #!
10-11 Edmonton, Alberta - Edmonton Event Center $
10-12 Calgary, Alberta - MacEwen Hall $
10-13 Calgary, Alberta - MacEwen Hall $
10-14 Missoula, MT - University Theater $
10-15 Winnipeg, Manitoba - Garrick Center $
10-16 Minneapolis, MN - First Avenue $^
10-17 Milwaukee, WI - Pabst Theatre $^
10-18 Chicago, IL - The Metro $^
10-19 Chicago, IL - The Metro $^
10-20 Buffalo, NY - Riviera Theatre $^
10-21 Toronto, Ontario - Phoenix Concert Theatre $^
10-24 New York, NY - Webster Hall $^
10-25 New York, NY - Webster Hall $&
10-26 Philadelphia, PA - Trocadero $&
10-27 Washington, DC - 9:30 Club $^
10-31 New Orleans, LA - House of Blues $&
11-01 Houston, TX - Warehouse Live $+
11-02 Dallas, TX - House of Blues $+
11-03 Austin, TX - Fun Fun Fun Festival
11-05 Denver, CO - Gothic Theatre $
(& with Immaculate Machine
# with Lavender Diamond
! with Fancey
@ with the Awkward Stage
$ with Emma Pollock
^ with Benjy Ferree
+ with Spoon)
Annoyance Is In The Ear Of The Annoyed
Much as I hate to call Rolling Stone's readers a bunch of chumps, they and the venerable rock journal have colluded on a poll of "The Twenty Most Annoying Songs". Suffice to say, I am confident the Matablog's readers have some more interesting choices up their sleeves.1. Black Eyed Peas, “My Humps”
2. Los Del Rio, “Macarena”
3. Baha Men, “Who Let The Dogs Out”
4. Celine Dion, “My Heart Will Go On”
5. Nickelback, “Photograph”
6. Lou Bega, “Mambo No. 5″
7. James Blunt, “You’re Beautiful”
8. Spice Girls, “Wannabe”
9. Sisqo, “The Thong Song”
10. Cher, “Believe”
11. Aqua, “Barbie Girl”
12. Chumbawumba, “Tub Thumper”
13. Rednex, “Cotton-Eyed Joe”
14. Eiffel 65, “Blue”
15. Crash Test Dummies, “Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm”
16. Meat Loaf, “I Would Do Anything For Love (But I Won’t Do That)”
17. 'NSYNC, “Bye, Bye, Bye”
18. Ricky Martin, “Livin’ La Vida Loca”
19. Semisonic, “Closing Time”
20. Wham!, “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go"
That's it? No "Safety Dance"? How about "Keep Your Hands To Yourself"? "We Didn't Start The Fire"? And other than a wretched sense of history, how did Stacy Q not make the cut?
Happy Birthday, Patrick Amory!
In honor of our esteemed GM's 21st birthday today, I am declaring this coming Saturday (July 14), an (unpaid) holiday for all Matador staff.I fully expect most of the nation's other employers to follow suit. Word of warning to you jerks in Arizona --- if you try to diss Patrick the way you did Dr. King, I can almost guarantee the Ivy Green reunion tour won't be stopping in Phoenix or Tuscon.
Not To Be A Total Cynic Or Anything...
...but what's the environmental impact of hundreds of thousands of unsold Zunes?