An assorted REM Reunion at Webster Hall

4/27/13 17:12 Home

The last two nights I was in the city.  I bought tickets the moment I heard Peter Buck was opening up for Robyn Hitchcock at Webster Hall.  Ali and were looking forward to the show, but just in case, I gave Eric a head’s up.  I told him, I might ask you to attend a show in the city.  Who?  Robyn Hitchcock.  Cool I like him.  Let me know.  Thursday, I tell him, looks like Ali is going, but thanks.  Friday comes and Ali can’t make it and then Eric tells me he can’t make it and I’m walking around the office looking for someone who could.  I’m out of luck, but I suck it up and drive into the city, park on 15^th just as a car hit their alarm, the car's lights flashed telling me they were arriving and eventually pulling out.  What luck.  It was close to Irving Plaza, but I made my way to 11^th, passed a Greek place which look very appealing. I avoided one of the premier book stores like a good disciplined man: Strand.  I’m selling my books on EBay since I have so many which are either signed or first edition.  I have amassed a library of good books.  This will be another blog entry some other time, you want to read about the show and I’m sorry. I was prepared for the show.  I bought Buck’s LP – which is limited edition – only 2000 copies were released - vinyl - on a small independent label Mississippi Records in Oregon.  I wanted to hear what he would do without the major influence of REM or his other bands like Baseball Project, Tired Pony, Minus 5 and Venus 3.  The album captures the music that Buck gravitates to when he places a needle to thin grooves.  You know he was having a ball recording it.  On the way to Webster Hall I saw Mike Mills walking in front of me, he has a sort of unique strut and his cowboy boots gave him away.  I caught up to him and like a kid, “Mike!” I called out. He turned around, not recognizing the chump who called out his name and said, “Hey...” and moved on up and in the venue.  I caught up to him again and asked if the Baseball Project would come back around, “Eventually,” I could have asked if REM would come back, but I knew the answer.  I assumed Mills was playing bass in Bucks’ band which is called Richard M. Nixon.  They didn’t have a bass player.   Surprisingly Peter was talkative, I dare say - comfortable almost aloof on the stage.  He said he hasn’t played this venue since 85, when it was The Ritz.   I think by ’85 REM were too big to play there since the previous year I saw them at The Beacon.  I know I am a dorky fan.  

Here is the set list: So Long Johnny, It’s Alright, Give me back my wig,  10 Million BC, Planet of The Apes, Monkey Man, Vaso Loco, Outta the House, Near Wild Heaven, Pushing too hard, I’m Alive.

 Buck’s band consisted of Bill Rieflin on drums, REM’s last drummer, Scott McCaughey, REM’s fifth man,  and Kurt Bloch.  Mills eventually joined Peter on stage and they played the REM song Near Wild Heaven.  Was this the first time they played an REM song?  Let the Murmurs.com and REM HQers take note...Lenny Kaye from Patti Smith’s band joined him as well and performed Pushing too Hard…I was debating on calling it a night and head home.   I felt the mission was accomplished I saw the band I wanted to see.  I even sold the extra ticket to some guy who was looking for a freebie…I sold it to him for $10…cheapo…better than nothing.  I really don’t know too many Robyn Hitchcock songs.  I used this same excuse a few years ago when Ali and I went to see Buck and the rest of the Venus 3 support Robyn at the Knitting factory.  As you may know from the blog postings we are REM fans.  I repeat myself.  The rationale then, we had a chance to talk to meet and talk to Peter before the set.  We were honest and told him we didn’t know much of Hitchcock’s songs.  Oh you should stick around, he has great music.  I’m sure you’d like it.  Not taking his suggestion we left.  It was an early night.  So I waited for Robyn to come on and had a beer in the shadows. I was glad I stayed, it was a great show.  I liked how Robyn shared surrealistic stories before each song.  Each time telling us Bill Rieflin was going to keep us in tempo…He wore bright purple pants or some other brightness under the stage lights and a polka dotted shirt.  He will be sixty next week and this is a happy birthday to him.  The set was very diverse, included songs from his repotore, Kingdom of Love; I love you, Madonna of the Wasps, Adventure Rocket ship, as well as a Dylan cover.   Mike Mills joined him as did Lenny.  They closed the night with the Velvet Underground classic: Waiting for my man and finally an excellent version of The Beatles, She says…  She says…and the lights gradually came on as Robyn waved and walked off the stage.   In the night I found myself on the sidewalk, headed back to the car and not waiting as I'd normally do - to meet the band - since I don’t have to always be the obsessive compulsive neurotic fan.  Right? But if Ali was there…well then…neurosis and the chance encounter is rampant.

Thank you for reading this

How Dale Murphy is a rarity among men & seeing The Baseball Project at the Met

. I bought tickets to see The Baseball Project at the Met, but by Friday afternoon it was obvious from the responses either no thank you or there were other plans, that I was going solo. What sucked was the potential to pay $30 for parking on top of the ticket no one was going to use. There was a forum before the performance, breaking the color barrier with Jackie Robinson’s daughter as well as two columnists, William C Rhoden and Sean Kirst, as well as Dale Murphy. One of the people I invited to the event was my coworker Drew and on Thursday I let him know I had an extra ticket. He apologized and said he couldn’t make it since his father was in the hospital and the prognosis was not good in fact they signed the DNR release papers. Dale Murphy is Drew’s hero so I was sorry he could not make it. I was even more sorry Ali couldn’t be there since she loves REM and especially meeting or talking to Peter Buck and or Mike Mills though my wife has a secret love for Michael Stipe. The forum was provoking; describing the black cat incident the Jackie encountered in Syracuse and how he reacted to bigotry, the black cat incident is when some of the opposing players through a black cat into the field and told Jackie there goes your cousin. When he hit a double and eventually rounded third to home since he was hit in, he called out to the Syracuse Players that he guessed his cousin was happy…Rhoden described how we need to be honest with history as well, when black players were segregated to hotels outside the city limits there was a demand for equal housing. When the news hit what the outcry was, many black players refused to participate since being outside the city, meant there were no curfews and they partied all night without anyone caring. Dale Murphy is a kind gentleman. I found him after the forum and before the Baseball Project went on stage and asked if he could sign a ball I brought. After he handed the ball to me, I asked him for a favor. “I have a colleague who considers you to be his hero, but he could not make it tonight since his father is sick in fact they signed the DNR papers. His face went from a smile to concern. I could tell he wanted to help. If I call my friend would you mind speaking to him and giving him some encouragement? Sure. We walked out to the lobby and I called Drew. Hey, I got someone who wants to talk to you…they spoke for a couple of minutes and Dale said God Bless and handed me the phone. God Bless you Dale Murphy…by the time I got back to my seat BP was performing on the stage. The sound in the Bonnie J Sacerdote Lecture hall/theatre which holds 700 was crisp. The orchestra was close to a full capacity. I read one review of the performance on another blog and swear the person must have been sitting close by since our pictures are similar. With Mike Mills on piano and organ and bass their sound was more distinct, it would be a nice addition to have Mike join permanently. I’m including a video as well to give you an idea of the sparse stage, the slide show backdrop of old baseball cards that made the night even more worthwhile, though the highlight was a new song specifically written for the museums baseball card collection or better known as the Jefferson R. Burdick collection. I guess with a name like Jefferson Burdick Scott McCaughey could feel inspired…after the show, I gave Peter a copy of the novel Killer Commute since I used the lyrics from the REM song Mr. Richards, here is his holding his copy. He signed some BP records and as always is down to earth. I had Scott sign a few things as well and asked if there was a possibility the Young Fresh Fellows would ever play in New York or on the East coast. Scott said he doubted it since most of the other guys have family obligations but he seemed surprised someone was asking about them. Good news, The Young Fresh Fellows are releasing a new album. Last fall I wrote to Steve Wynn and mentioned what Ali was going through, since I missed one of their gigs. When I introduced myself he seemed or was being nice to remember who I was. Briefly I told him who I was and he asked how Ali was and to give her his best. Steve mentioned BP is tentatively set to play the city winery on July 5th and hoped to see us there. I have to tell you, Steve is a sincere gentlemen, I met two very caring men last night. As I was walking out I thought I would miss Linda since I had most of their signatures on their album High and Inside, but there she was in the aisle; she explained to us (me & the) women she was speaking to how she went out and bought the astro turf as a home depot and bought the broken bobble head on EBay…she gave the bobble head a Seattle Mariner to Peter as a memento. OK, for Record Store day The Baseball Project has a limited edition run of a 45…limited to only 300. Steve said he has 50 that he is selling at shows and they’re going fast. I bought one at the show and had it signed and ordered one last week from Euclid Records: http://www.euclidrecords.com/catalog/product_detail.jsp?id=4864179

How Dale Murphy is a rarity among men & seeing The Baseball Project at the Met

. I bought tickets to see The Baseball Project at the Met, but by Friday afternoon it was obvious from the responses either no thank you or there were other plans, that I was going solo. What sucked was the potential to pay $30 for parking on top of the ticket no one was going to use. There was a forum before the performance, breaking the color barrier with Jackie Robinson’s daughter as well as two columnists, William C Rhoden and Sean Kirst, as well as Dale Murphy. One of the people I invited to the event was my coworker Drew and on Thursday I let him know I had an extra ticket. He apologized and said he couldn’t make it since his father was in the hospital and the prognosis was not good in fact they signed the DNR release papers. Dale Murphy is Drew’s hero so I was sorry he could not make it. I was even more sorry Ali couldn’t be there since she loves REM and especially meeting or talking to Peter Buck and or Mike Mills though my wife has a secret love for Michael Stipe. The forum was provoking; describing the black cat incident the Jackie encountered in Syracuse and how he reacted to bigotry, the black cat incident is when some of the opposing players through a black cat into the field and told Jackie there goes your cousin. When he hit a double and eventually rounded third to home since he was hit in, he called out to the Syracuse Players that he guessed his cousin was happy…Rhoden described how we need to be honest with history as well, when black players were segregated to hotels outside the city limits there was a demand for some for equal housing. When the news hit what the outcry was, they refused to participate since being outside the city, meant there were no curfews and they partied all night without anyone caring. Dale Murphy is a kind gentleman. I found him before the Baseball Project went on stage and asked if he could sign a ball I brought. After he handed the ball to me, I asked him for a favor. “I have a colleague who considers you to be his hero, but he could not make it tonight since his father is sick in fact they signed the DNR papers. His face went from a smile to concern. I could tell he wanted to help. If I call my friend would you mind speaking to him and giving him some encouragement? Sure. We walked out to the lobby and I called Drew. Hey, I got someone who wants to talk to you…they spoke for a couple of minutes and Dale said God Bless and handed me the phone. God Bless you Dale Murphy…by the time I got back to my seat BP was performing on the stage. The sound in the Bonnie J Sacerdote Lecture hall/theatre which holds 700 was crisp. The orchestra was close to a full capacity. I read one review of the performance on another blog and swear the person must have been sitting close by since our pictures are similar. With Mike Mills on piano and organ and bass their sound was more distinct, it would be a nice addition to have Mike join permanently. I’m including a video as well to give you an idea of the sparse stage, the slide show backdrop of old baseball cards that made the night even more worthwhile, though the highlight was a new song specifically written for the museums baseball card collection or better known as the Jefferson R. Burdick collection. I guess with a name like Jefferson Burdick Scott McCaughey could feel inspired…after the show, I gave Peter a copy of the novel Killer Commute since I used the lyrics from the REM song Mr. Richards, here is his holding his copy. He signed some BP records and as always is down to earth. I had Scott sign a few things as well and asked if there was a possibility the Young Fresh Fellows would ever play in New York or on the East coast. Scott said he doubted it since most of the other guys have family obligations but he seemed surprised someone was asking about them. Good news, The Young Fresh Fellows are releasing a new album. Last fall I wrote to Steve Wynn and mentioned what Ali was going through, since I missed one of their gigs. When I introduced myself he seemed or was being nice to remember who I was. Briefly I told him who I was and he asked how Ali was and to give her his best. Steve mentioned BP is tentatively set to play the city winery on July 5th and hoped to see us there. I have to tell you, Steve is a sincere gentlemen, I met two very caring men last night. As I was walking out I thought I would miss Linda since I had most of their signatures on their album High and Inside, she was in the aisle and I explained to the women she was speaking to how she went out and bought the astro turf as a home depot and bought the broken bobble head on EBay…she gave the bobble head a Seattle Mariner to Peter as a memento. OK, for Record Store day The Baseball Project has a limited edition run of a 45…limited to only 300. Steve said he has 50 that he is selling at shows and they’re going fast. I bought one at the show and had it signed and ordered one last week from Euclid Records: http://www.euclidrecords.com/catalog/product_detail.jsp?id=4864179

How I received permission from REM to use their lyrics in my novel

While writing Killer Commute, REM’s album Accelerate was released. The fourth song on the album is titled Mr. Richards; the music jumped out at me. I wanted to use some of the mysterious lyrics, as well as the name Mr. Richards in the novel. You should know; I’ve been an REM fan since walking the five miles to buy a copy of their album Murmur, and saw them for the first time open for The Police at Shea Stadium. In order to use the lyrics I needed permission and I was directed to the right source through REM’s manager, Bertis who was very helpful.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TnUyEYF8tv8&feature=fvw
This is how my mind worked: how can I use the lyrics in the murder mystery? From the hypochondriac veteran Detective’s point of view, “they know what’s going on.” From the insane killer’s perspective, “We’re the children of the choir.”
Please allow me some conjecture on the song; Mr. Richards is a full blown assault, a constant pulse pulling me into a wall of sound. It is very different from a typical REM song. Though who can pigeon hole them anymore? Almost thirty years ago critics would recall the Byrds when REM’s guitarist Peter Buck broke onto the scene with his sparse guitar playing. Compare the song HarborCoat from their 1984 release Reckoning, to their 2004 release Under the Sun, the song Leaving New York. I could speculate on the changes and write something didactic - the transformation is attributed to age and advanced technology, but both are bull shit responses. We evolve. Our tastes and our lives move on. Which brings me back to Mr. Richards and the reason for this entry; I’d love to learn the musical influences for the song. I recently listened to their album Green, and thought of Turn You Inside Out – it is the closest REM song to compare to Mr. Richards.
If you’re an REM fan and interested to read my novel Killer Commute, it’s available as an E Book and paperback on Champagne Books. I’m considering running a contest; the person who counts correctly the number of REM references that are in the book will win a signed REM item. Hint: John Stipe, Peter Buck and Mike Mills appear as well. Let me know if you’re interested, but you’d need to buy the book. Look for details of the contest early next year.
http://champagnebooks.com/shop/index.php?route=product/product&path=27_49&product_id=205

The Baseball Project at Maxwells

I know this is more than a week late, but this weekend I have every intention to write some ditties. These will include, the interview with Finn on WUSB, travelling to Fargo, North Dakota, and the joy and peace of running.
The Baseball Project came to Maxwell’s, Hoboken NJ last week. This time the lineup included Mike Mills from REM instead of Peter Buck on bass. It was the first time I saw a show there, but the spot has a history in alt, garage music. The stage is very small, as well as the venue. At most two hundred people could fit in there, but that night the BP had close to a hundred.
My goal that night was to give Mike Mills a Killer Commute Postcard and to discuss the fact I used lyrics from their song, MR Richards. As Erik and I walked in Mike Mills was ahead of us. I approached the man, and spoke into his right ear as the opening band was playing. He didn’t seem to believe me, and a little later when he was attempting to buy a glass of wine at the bar, I walked up and paid the tab and he said, “I noticed your name is not on the card.” It’s in very small type in the cover, and I introduced myself. He read the blurb on the back and said he’d buy a copy. Mike as well as the rest of the band is real down to earth and very gracious. After they played we took this picture together.
What about the show? They were a little off on the first song which was released that week, Triple Crown…but once they played Long Before my Time, and Ted Fucking Williams, they were on. In fact they played the whole album and kept on coming out for encores. With Mills, the harmonies between him and Scott were close to perfect, since they’ve worked so well together for all of these years.

After the show I spoke to Linda for a couple of minutes, and she said Mike filled in, and is a bigger baseball fan than Buck. Buck is playing with Tired Pony and they’re due to play in New York in October, first US show and Ali and I are there. Linda said she was going and would see us there.
REM news as per Scott, no tour to support the new album! It sounds like a cross between Accelerate and Reveal.