Bush Tetras CD Release Party at Crash Mansion - October 26, 2007

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I'm so glad to see the Bush Tetras back together again. In 1978 I had seen The Contortions a number of times, and was a big fan (still am) of Pat Place's guitar playing. I think the first time I saw the Contortions was with The Cramps (possibly at CBGBs, although I'm not sure, it was a long, long time ago).

I was also a huge fan of post punk bands Kleenex, The Raincoats, Au Pairs, Delta 5, and Pylon. I also spent a huge part of my disposable income in record stores (the rest went on alcohol and drugs). One of the places I liked to spend my money was in record stores...and a friend turned me onto 99 Records. I loved 99 Records, because the owner Ed Bahlman didn't seem to have the attitude that some other record store owners had...and he seemed to be a genuinely nice guy. He knew some of my music tastes, and when the Bush Tetras' first single "Too Many Creeps" came out, he told me I'd like it, so I bought it (I think I wore it out!) I saw them a number of times...they were incredibly intense...funky but so New York. Plus...Pat Place was (and still is) an incredible guitarist (and Pat Place was and is one of my guitar heroes).

Over the next couple of years...the ratio of disposable income (music to alcohol...changed to mainly alcohol). But that didn't stop my love of music...I just moved to worse neighborhoods so I could pay less rent...but things continued to get much worse for me. By 1982 I had lost my last real apartment...ended up spending some time homeless...but would always seem to bounce back. Thanks goodness for cheap hotels and friends with couches...but unfortunately those friends would always seem to get sick of my antics...and my world got smaller. And emotionally...my world got incredibly darker.

I'm not sure when the last time I saw the Bush Tetras was, but I'm figuring it had to be 1982 or 1983. Somehow I had managed to get out to Maxwell's in Hoboken...I had heard that the Bush Tetras were playing. Anyway...I ended up getting so drunk that while I remember most of the show...I'm sure I ended up blacking out...and I have no idea how I got home or what happened that night. All I remember is that the next morning I had done something awful...and to this day I don't know what that was. I'm pretty sure that this Bush Tetras show was the last show I got to until a few years later (its either this show or a Minor Threat show at CBGBs...where I was drunk again...very inappropriate I was to find out much later...I didn't know about straightedge until 20 year later!) My life really spiraled out of control over the next year or so.

Which brings me to almost 25 years later. My life is so completely different today compared to what it was then. I'm still just as much of a rabid music fan...and in my late 40s I have found much enjoyment going out to hear live music again. So I saw that the Bush Tetras were going to be having a CD release party at Crash Mansion (not my favorite place to go...I'm not particularly enamored of drunken NYU students these days). I had just finished shooting too many shows during CMJ the week before. I knew I wanted to go...and I ended up telling my friend Dennis about going to the show...and he told me he would have loved to go with me if he had been feeling better. Plus, his friend Julia had taken over bass duties from Laura Kennedy. Well, it turns out that Julia was someone I had had an incredible crush on, some time around 1986 or so. At the time...I was so painfully shy that there was no way I could ever say a word to her...and even though I think we were introduced once, I think she had no idea I existed.

I don't think I ever saw her after that...but I always remembered her (I have a pretty good memory...I think I remember every crush I ever had since I first realized I had crushes on women (well, girls at the time) in third grade back in 1966. Yeah...I know, I sound like a total dork...but I'm actually pretty happy being a dork these days. Anyway, knowing that Julia was playing bass sealed the deal...I knew I had to go. Not that I intended to actually talk to her (I'm still pretty shy when it comes to women). Plus I'm always curious to see what 20 years does to someone. When I saw her come on stage I recognized her immediately and she looks even more beautiful now than when I had a crush on her 20 years ago. I've always been in love with women's eyes (and guys to a lesser extent), and that was the first thing that attracted me to her...she has these incredible eyes (Julia...I'm sure you'll end up reading this...I honestly hope I don't embarrass you...and I hope I don't come off as a creep!) So now I proved that I am truly a dork (and have no intention of apologizing for it).

Which brings me back to the Bush Tetras. As much as I gush about Julia...the whole band really looked and sounded incredible (yes, very very happy). There was all the energy I remember...and they sound so much tighter if that were possible. Pat Place's guitar playing was better than I could ever remember it. Dee Pop is an incredible drummer (although I wished I could have gotten more photographs of him. Cynthia Slay sounded awesome. But what really struck me was how happy they looked to be playing...it was obvious that they were thrilled to be there. Cynthia Sley looked like an angel standing right in front of me, I actually got photos of Pat Place smiling...which I don't remember from any Bush Tetras show I went to. 25 years brings a lot of changes...and I'm sure the Bush Tetras have changed as much as I have...and it was a pleasure to be able to witness that. And if I didn't say it before, they are just such an important and awesome band, and I'm so glad they are playing together again.

A postcript: I did actually get to meet Julia a week later at a totally unrelated event. It took every ounce of courage I had...and basically told her pretty much what I have already said here. I felt like a total nut...but I'm really glad I was able to get over that fear, and it was something I couldn't have done even six months ago. Thanks Bush Tetras for some incredible music (I picked up "Very Very Happy at the CD party...its been on constant rotation on my iPod since then)...thanks to Julia for being so kind to me when I introduced myself, and thanks to an unnamed friend who gave me that final push to say hi.

If anyone reads this today who lives in or near Philadelphia, please go check out the Bush Tetras at Tritone in Philadelphia tonight (November 17, 2007). I would be there in an instant if I lived anywhere near. It promises to be an incredible show, they will be playing with Certain General, and Bunnydrums. And make sure you pick up a copy of their new CD "Very Very Happy" (how appropriate is that?) on ROIR Records (always one of my favorite record labels!

Bush Tetras are: Cynthia Sley, Dee Pop, Pat Place, Julia Murphy, Laura Kennedy