Heritage Bar - 9/24/11 Yonkers, New York

The Irish are a very festive people and the Heritage is the most Irish of pubs with the most Irish of clientele, pair this up with Ireland getting into the World Cup quarter finals while your band is performing there and prepare to see some serious celebrations. For the first time the crowd was up and dancing from our opening number and the night was going well only to be enhanced by a crowd of sports fans with their own "world cup(s)" that they were waving around, at first I didnt know what was going on (did this team just win a trophy ?) until I remembered J.C. earlier during the performance giving a shout out to Ireland's victorious football team.



While putting finishing touches on my drum set up I kept hearing Nancy's infectious laughter from behind me, turns out she saw the absurdity in blowing up a ghostbuster accessory with a hand pump in the back of an irish pub,.... like that was weird or something.



Always a bit of a challenge setting up the kit "catty cornered" at the Heritage. Yet another cymbal set up kept things challenging tonight.



We picked up Paul on the way to the show and I complimented him on his 80s tie and dress shirt, turns out he had an office party that afternoon and was still dressed for that. After a few more similar compliments from bandmembers Paul decided not to change at all and I had to get a photo.



Steve saw a bit more from his table then I did from behind my drum kit, details* soon. I have since heard that the "World Cups" that were waved around were filled with Beer!!!*



This gets posted because I took this photo while drumming, we are performing "Eye of the Tiger" at the request of the "Football Hooligans"



Pre-gig I had time to try some of the "crunchy" food at El Loco Burrito on Graham avenue and the "Spicy Beef Nachos" ($7.00) did not disappoint, Very Delicious. Some leftovers barely made it home with me in the gig bag, they were so Bamboozled you don't even wanna see a photo, T.G.F.T. (Thank God For Tupperware).



Squirrels Just Wanna Have Fun.

- Spike

Life On The Road 9/17-18/11

A band gets to really test their mettle by going on a road trip and this certainly was our first long haul to Maine with a seven hour one way commute (750 miles total). White Wedding convened at the Call Box 10 a.m. after last nights gig on the boat cruise and it took me two and a half hours travel getting me there thirty minutes late but so was everyone else except Nancy whom I found napping on the bar. By 11:30 we loaded up the van and secured some Road Food (Gummi Bears, Hash Browns, Wasabi Seaweed, Pretzel Rods, Sausage McMuffin, Multigrain Tortilla Chips, Strawberry Lemonade, Chex Mix, Spring Water, Vine Ripened Tomatoes and a Cucumber) and took off into the wild blue yonder with Dave, Mike and J.C. sharing driving duties. En route we learned how to draw a Rhombus, the names and nicknames of the Pac Man ghosts, Not all rest stops have a McDonalds, what the band Mastodon sounds like, how to operate an inverter and that Dave is very good at naming state capitals.



Being a rock band on the road you should always keep some "homegrown" around. This specimen is from J.C.'s Tomato garden.



the van itself.



there was more conversation than not on our road trip.



You want a good slice, you talk to J.C.



Mike runs through his guitar solos for the evenings performance.



Rob seemed to be the most experienced Pac-Man player but the high score was taken by Mike with 17,690 points.



"Ootini"

Nancy gets her Jawa on.



after encountering a pick up truck filled with chairs we knew we weren't in Kansas anymore.



before our show I had an on campus Bates Burger ($2.75) from Milt's, I forgot how discount priced campus food is.



Hopalong Quesadeetch and J.C.



as we approached the Hilton I shot some very boring video.



it was at this time that we realized the irony of play driving while real driving and I exclaimed "I'm in Maine and I'm staring at Pole Position", for those unfamiliar Pole Position is the name of the video game.



we knew we were back in New York City when we saw this style of traffic.

- Spike

May We Check Your Bags Sir? - Hilton Garden Inn 9/18/11 Lewiston, Maine

The Bates Hilton at Lewiston, Maine has a very helpful and accommodating work staff amongst pleasant surroundings and a pleasant work staff amongst helpful surroundings (Tim You Rock !!!).

THE PROS - Free Internet service, complimentary cookies at front desk serviette (via tongs), widescreen flat TV (LG), multiple settings on showerhead, Shampoo AND Conditioner (separately) provided by Neutrogena!!!! (a company I have actually heard of), "Boardwalk Empire" flyer.

THE CONS - Room Service/Bar is Not 24 hours, Ice Machine does Not work on the sixth floor (servicing needed), parking lot dimensions not adequate for a swift enough egress of vehicle (with Dave at the wheel) concerning J.C.'s expectations.



of note - my new Nike "Gig" bag and Rob's industrial sized water.



some pre-soundcheck drinks in the lobby, bandmembers not included.



Your Blogmaestro takes his own photo.



The view from Dave, J.C. and Mike's room on the sixth floor (taken with Mike's Iphone)

- Spike

Bates College 9/17/11 Lewiston, Maine

The student alumni at Bates College Really DO Know How To Party as demonstrated at our 80s Night performance on campus at the main entrance to the library. Initially it was just the band, sound crew and college staff at the start time of 10:30 p.m. and we were prepared to perform to an invisible crowd but smartly moved our U2/Bono portion of the show from the top of the set list to a little further on since we were told that this show was promoted on radio and when we asked for directions on campus two of the students (Sam & Ben) asked if we were "White Wedding" so surely we could expect a small audience, I was confident that once the music started wafting across the grounds it would at least bring some curiosity seekers. The first number was now "Bette Davis Eyes" and a few brightly dressed 80s fans checked us out then stepped back into darkness to which Nancy remarked "Well, nobody wants to be first to the party" after which a few people sat on the floor in front of us, I looked down and next time I looked up there was a small throng dancing to our second number "Melt With You" at which Rob commented "Your Like Locust's" which had me and J.C. dying laughing. All Hell (and quite a bit of heck) broke loose as the crowd got bigger and bigger until I could not see any horizon at all. We were duly entertained by the pogoing dancers ourselves and guarded by two bouncers frontstage required there to let us do our show without raucous interruption.

The Bates College Gives Great Audience.

"Pride (In The Name Of Love)" was premiered at this show and tonight was also when Rob told a Lewiston, Maine crowd "Live Free Or Die !!!" to which an audience member replied "that's New Hampshire" not that it mattered as the crowd and band had an absolute Blast throughout the evening on White Wedding's very first Road Gig.



Between sets



"Dave,.. Dave! you will never believe what I just heard!!!"





Assembling a last minute changing room with some "pipe & drape"



Nancy's vantage point.





- Spike

Rocks Off Concert Cruise 9/16/11 - East River, New York

FLICKR

- Spike

Roxbury Mardi Gras 9/4/11 Breezy Point, Queens

Mardi Gras in Roxbury, Queens at Breezy Point is a bit of an Exclusive affair. After the checkpoint through which our car passed we ventured into (Well, at first we got lost in the parking lot due to NON-instructions from the staff but I DO Digress) a micro-community of what can only be described as "single family beach houses within very close proximity towards one another" (in other words ask your next door neighbor if your snoring is keeping them awake), Not to criticize as this is akin to living in a college dorm bubble, at least for Mardi-Gras time that is.

White Wedding played three Rockin' sets for our tentful of Rowdy Rabscallions who sang along, drank and danced through the night feeding the energy right back to the band. As happens often the setlist gets changed due to the centigrade of the room and this moment stands out within this dialogue between Mike from the frontline and me behind the drum kit (in a VERY NOISY Room mind you) as I saw new coordinates being set but asked twice what he was saying and quickly as we were still playing LOUDLY at the time. of course it was a supercalifragileisiticexpealidocius moment for me and a Long song title for Mike to blurt out twice.

Mike -BonJoviYouGiveLoveABadName
Spike - WHAT ?!!!!
Mike - BonJoviYouGiveLoveABadName
Spike - O.K.

Mission Accomplished.

We all got wristbands to Party-Hearty All the night through after our show was done which was very gracious of our hosts but made the Zipcar/MTA commute back home before dawn.



Playin' in a tent is payin' the rent - FZ



the 80s Trivia portion of the evening is always very entertaining because the audience is the show.



J.C. on the Drums between sets.



I immediately likened the Roxbury portion of Breezy Point to a small mexican village (even though I have never been to a small mexican village) due to the proximity of the single lane between front facing houses and the lived in comfortable bungalow community that gave this place an otherworldly feel.





Seabreeze Avenue (and this is NOT Coney Island)



Nancy took this pic when I wasn't looking (must've been at the bar)



just minutes previous to meeting at the Zipcar rendezvous point I grabbed a DD Tuna Salad on a DD Croissant at D and D's which kept me satiated for about 45 minutes, Delicious as the sandwich was (well,..... lets not get technical*).

* - technical notes - It's ALWAYS The Mayo (This is not Hellman's or I will eat my hat) and this is THAT Mayo with the slight aftertaste of Mustard!!! O.K. maybe its the Fish Aftertaste !!! Croissants don't have an aftertaste, Too Much Flaky Air.

- Spike