Author Archives: stephen mejias

Dear DoneWaiting Readers,
Hi. I just had to post something here, because I can’t bear to see that Von Bondies guy’s beat-up face again. Why, Rob? Why you gotta do that to me, Rob?

So, the guys from Rye Coalition came back about a week ago. Mikey, Omar, and Sean stopped by their place for a party. Meanwhile, RD, Richie B., Pete, and I were having beers at Uncle Joe’s. (RD was having White Russians, but what are you gonna do?)

So, I heard later from Omar that there were some funny pictures of the Rye boys and Dave Grohl:

Dave Grohl playing guitar with the Rye boys.
Dave Grohl with his arm around the shoulders of the Rye boys.
Dave Grohl playing catch with the Rye boys, using his GQ Man of the Year Award as a football.

Stuff like that. Funny, huh? I’m so happy for those guys. The new album better kick ass. If not, at least there’s the pictures.

I hope I’ve written enough here to push that beat-up Von Bondies face down far enough on the page so that I never have to see it again.

Thanks,
Stephen

KEXP is a good independent radio station out of Seattle, Washington. This week, they’re broadcasting from the Museum of Television & Radio in New York City, with lots of special guests performing live. Right now, folks, Ted Leo is hitting the high notes.

Right now!

Somebody tell Areila, quick.

Other guests this week include: The Damnwells (later this morning), Nada Surf, Steve Earle, and Mando Diao.

Another historic NYC music venue to be lost?

Dear Stephen:

Is New York University about to cross out The Bottom Line? The Bottom Line has been presenting live music since February 12, 1974, and is owned and operated by Allan Pepper and Stanley Snadowsky. The Bottom Line is unique because it is a “mom & pop store” amidst a crowded field of conglomerates and corporations.

The problem, as detailed at www.bottomlinecabaret.com is as follows:

Even before the terrorist attacks on the World Trader Center, the nation was already feeling the downturn in the economy. The Bottom Line, along with so many other small businesses, has not been able to recover since the tragedy of September 11th. Attendance to shows has declined. In addition, its customers are feeling economic stress, bills have been multiplying, and the venue has been substantially behind in our rent. The landlord, New York University, has started eviction proceedings.

During negotiations with NYU to resolve this situation, the Bottom Line has presented several different proposals to pay past due rent, while at the same time keeping current with a new, higher rent proposed by NYU.

NYU has not been open to negotiating a long-term solution to this mutual problem. The Bottom Line wants to pay off the debt to NYU, but to do so says it needs to remain in business. To stay in business, it needs a promise from NYU that, if the club pays off the rental arrears, NYU won’t evict the Bottom Line.

According to an online letter from Allan Pepper and Stanley Snadowsky, “We acknowledge that we owe back rent, and we have offered to pay back every penny owed. It would be impossible to list all of the issues which come up in a lease negotiation. There is only one obstacle to The Bottom Line remaining in business. All we have asked NYU to agree to is that if we pay them back all the rent we owe, NYU will be willing to allow The Bottom Line to stay on. This NYU has refused to do.

Even if we do jump through all the hoops that NYU has put before us, and we pay down our debts as we plan to do, NYU is giving us no assurance that we will be able to stay at our current historical location.”

For more details, contact Allan Pepper and Stanley Snadowsky of The Bottom Line at SaveBLT@aol.com, and John Beckman, assistant vice president of the Office of Public Affairs at john.beckman@nyu.edu or Lynne Brown, the VP for University Relations and Public Affairs at NYU at lynne.brown@nyu.edu.

News from Sonic Youth (my all-time most dreamy.)

Sonic Youth will be inducted into Hollywood’s RockWalk on Monday, August 18 at 7 p.m. RockWalk is a sidewalk gallery on Sunset Blvd. that is dedicated to honoring those innovators and originators who have made a significant and lasting impact on Rock`n Roll. The band’s handprints and signatures will join the ranks of performers such as as Johnny Cash, Lou Reed, The Ramones, Brian Wilson, Carl Perkins, George Martin, AC/DC, Chuck Berry, Willie Dixon, Carole King, John Lee Hooker, and Frank Zappa among others. RockWalk is located at 7425 Sunset Blvd. in Hollywood. This event is open to the public. For more information, please click on dis.

Man, we need some West Coast reporters to cover this joint. Yo, Duffy, we got anybody on the West Coast yet? Dawg? This is hella-cool.

Did you hear about this? There’s this pretty new program that allows you to randomly make chopped up bits of music all kooky and stuff.

From the New York Times:

N.A.G., as the interactive program is called, works like a cross between Google, the Morpheus music file-sharing network and a Cuisinart kitchen appliance.

It allows users to search for words ? like “Presley” and “love” ? in areas of the Internet where MP3 song files are, for the most part, illicitly swapped. But the program is not designed to play complete tunes. As N.A.G. retrieves song files labeled with the selected words, it slices off audio snippets and blends them into sonic collages.

Get the full story.

The program was created by Jason Freeman, a 25-year-old New York composer and media artist, and can be downloaded here.

As most of you know, I am a big fan of Chris Lee’s music. It started way back in 1998 when my friend, Jenna, picked up a black-and-white postcard of his that was on display at the Cooler in New York City. The picture on the postcard was of Chris – from the neck down to his waist – with a one-eyed cat resting in his folded arms. Jenna likes cats, you see. I turned the postcard over to read something about heart and soul and punk rock. That was more than enough; my interest was stirred.

Five years, three albums, several shows, chance meetings in Hoboken bars and on New York City streets, strange but funny e-mails, a play and dinner at a Cuban restaurant later, and Chris Lee remains an intriguing figure to me. He’s called me “friend” a couple times, and I’d like to believe that I am that for him.

Here’s a wonderful review/very in-depth profile of Chris Lee. It’s something that I probably could have written myself, but didn’t.

I hope you enjoy.

I will be out of the office from Friday, May 23rd through Friday, May 30th. I’ll be sure to answer all e-mails when I return.

For immediate assistance…. Sorry, there is no immediate assistance.

Duffy will be home soon.

Have a great week, everyone.

Thank you.

It’s less than a month away – Coney Island’s magical Mermaid Parade.

SATURDAY, JUNE 21st, 2003
The parade begins at 2 pm and can be viewed on Surf Avenue between West 10th Street and West 15th Street or else on the Riegelmann Boardwalk between the same cross streets.

The parade turns 21 this year, so you can be sure there will be some naughty-business going on.

Please, if you’re in the New York City area, go and have a great time. There’ll be music and muscle cars and Pabst Blue Ribbon and sunburns and nudity. It’s a time you’ll never forget.

I’ll remind you, just in case.

I just got back from a pleasant lunch with e. She met me right outside my office building, and we walked a block away to a friendly little place called Chat ?n? Chew. She had the Holy Cow, their very good hamburger; I had the rueben special. Sloppy, like a sandwich should be.

Our waiter stopped at our table for a moment and asked, ?Hey, why do both you guys have orange hair? Are youse related or something??
?No,? I said, ?It?s just a coincidence, I guess.?
?Okay,? he said.

Nope, not related. We?d never even met before.
But I feel happy that we know each other now. That’s a nice thing.

Presently, e. is on her way to the NYU Housing Department, to try to take care of some school business, and I am sitting in my cube.

It?s cold, rainy, and windy outside, and everyone seems to feel a little bit lousy. The air, the pollen, the pressure.

And, apparently, several of the donewaiting crowd are big into the “microtonality in relation to lagrange transforms and random repeating multiple nulls theory.” Wow. Who knew?

That?s all the news I?ve got for you, folks.

Thanks. Take care.

Duffy’s away. He and Areila are spending the holiday in sunny San Francisco. Here in New York City, skies are grey and threatening to fall.

I’ve been to Amoeba Music once. It was maybe six or seven years ago, on vacation. And, while I was DJing for my college radio station back in New Jersey, and playing in a band, I really had nothing of the appreciation for music that I have now. I strolled through the vast aisles of used records, without much care, and I don’t even remember if I bought anything.

There’s more to that story, of course. For some other time. Or not.

Have fun, friends, while you’re out there. San Francisco is great for kissing. Kiss lots, and laugh.

Then come back home, and free me of this responsibilty of updating the homepage. It’s more than I can take.

Everyone: if you’d like to share your Memorial Day weekend plans, please do.

Thanks.