Belated – Billy Joel at Shea Stadium

I am sorry I didn’t get to this post sooner  – mostly because I wanted to write about this concert while it was fresh in my head. I’ve been a huge Billy Joel fan my entire life (like most kids from Westchester or Long Island), but the only live show of his that I’d seen was the Billy Joel/Elton John tour in Boston about 6 or 7 years ago.

So, I braved the secondary market and decided that no matter what it cost, I would procure tickets for this show – good tickets. I ended up with 6 tickets for the July 16th show – 2 for me, 2 for Dan, and 2 for my parents about 15 rows back from the field. It turned out to be worth it, because this was an incredible concert. Even if you weren’t a big Billy fan, this was a truly legendary show. Surprise guest performers included John Mayer, John Mellencamp, and Tony Bennett. Billy also played more than a few Beatles songs in a tribute the band that is one of Billy’s biggest influences, and also the first music act to ever play Shea. Billy became the last since they’ll be tearing it down at the end of the 2008 season. More exciting for me however was Billy’s own music – all 3 hours of it.

Billy played just about every one of his big hits (with the exception of Extremes, Uptown Girl, and one other that I can’t remember anymore). It was absolutely incredible to hear these songs live, and Billy delivered them with his typical high-energy, crowd-pleasing excitement – I was on my feet the entire show. Even more exciting for me though were the songs that aren’t his most well-known hits…he opened the show with Miami 2017 off of Songs in the Attic…this was the one song I desperately wanted him to play but never thought he actually would (probably my favorite Billy song, if I had to pick one). Other amazing, lesser known songs included Ballad of Billy the Kid, Angry Young Man, and The Entertainer (I guess that one doesn’t really count since it’s on Greatest Hits volume 1). Whew…just repeating that list gets me excited.

This was the kind of show that I really didn’t want to end. Although it did of course, it seemed like they were shooting for a DVD (multiple cameras, unusually formal intro at the beginning of the show, etc.), so maybe I’ll get to watch it over and over once the recording comes out. I’ll be keeping my fingers crossed.

Bowery Unbuilding

I used to have this book when I was little called Unbuilding that told the fictional story of the Empire State Building’s intentional deconstruction. It was sold to some Middle Eastern folks and had to be taken apart piece by piece for shipping. Unfortunately the ship sank on its way across the Atlantic and the building was lost forever. The book’s incredibly interesting fictional plot combined with terrific non-fictional construction and architectural detail made it an interesting read for a young boy like myself.

I was reminded of that book today while watching the building directly across from my window at Indaba be unbuilt. Of course, I don’t think this building is being shipped to the Middle East, but as I sat mesmerized by the progress I remembered that taking something apart can be just as interesting as putting it together. If I may get sentimental for a minute, it also reminded me about how “unbuilding” can often be permanent and sad. In the book, the Empire State Building was lost forever, just as the view out my window will be forever changed. No deep commentary, just an observation.

Starbucks on Bowery?

My friend Claire forwarded this news to me from Racked this morning: “Word comes in today — unconfirmed at present, we should note — that Starbucks will be taking over the former Adams Restaurant Supply store on the south west corner of Bowery and Houston.”

This is very, very interesting, and very, very weird. The Bowery (Indaba’s home in New York in case you didn’t know) is one of the most historic streets in the city, and in many ways it’s one of the last holdouts to the encroaching yuppyism and gentrification caused by entities like Indaba (I hate to say it but it’s true). If Starbucks takes over downstairs from Indaba, they’ll be across the street from the new Whole Foods, not to mention the New Museum of Contemporary Art opening December 1st.

Clearly the neighborhood is changing, and I continue to be torn between the definite positives of change like this, and the unavoidable sadness that results when something is irreversibly altered. Part of what I love about living on the Bowery is dissapearing forever, but at the same time the area gets nicer, cleaner, and easier to live in.

Why You Shouldn’t Make Color Copies at FedEx Kinkos. Ever.

I must share my rage this morning. I called our local Fedex Kinkos to ask if they could make color copies, and they said yes, they could. However, 10 minutes later I walked into the store and I was told that no, actually, they couldn’t make color copies. When I asked how this could be, the woman at the counter said, and I quote, “we have to say that on the phone.” That’s right, even if a particular Fedex location doesn’t do color printing, they evidently will tell you on the phone that they do.

Our local UPS store has incredible service anyway, and I found out afterwards that they DO have color printing. So, I won’t be going back to Fedex Kinkos. Ever.

Why You Shouldn’t Make Color Copies at Fedex Kinkos

I must share my rage this morning. I called our local Fedex Kinkos to ask if they could make color copies, and they said yes, they could. However, 10 minutes later I walked into the store and I was told that no, actually, they couldn’t make color copies. When I asked how this could be, the woman at the counter said, and I quote, “we have to say that on the phone.” That’s right, even if a particular Fedex location doesn’t do color printing, they evidently will tell you on the phone that they do.

Our local UPS store has incredible service anyway, and I found out afterwards that they DO have color printing. So, I won’t be going back to Fedex Kinkos. Ever.

More from the Indaba Loft

The last few days have been great here at the Indaba Music Loft, we got off to a great start on Tuesday, and Wednesday and Thursday didn’t dissapoint either. Middle Distance Runner, The Undisputed Heavyweights, Seth Kallen (yay for Indaba interns!), Division Day, and Natalie Prass (our favorite Nashville native) all gave stellar sets on Wednesday. My favorite surprise was Beat Radio – I hadn’t heard these guys from Long Island before but they’re definitely going places. Check them out if you can – you won’t regret it. Yesterday packed some great surprises too, including the more chilled-out sounds of Let’s Go Sailing and Tim Williams. Mason Proper, as usual, put on a terrific show and wowed everyone in attendance. Looking forward to more great music today and Saturday here at Indaba, so check the schedule at indabamusic.com/loft and stop by if you’re in NYC!

Beat Radio @ Indaba Music:

CMJ Gets Off to a Good Start

The shows for CMJ at the Indaba Loft got off to a great start yesterday, we had a great crowd and some terrific bands. Quintus, Arizona, Cut Off Your Hands!, Some Velvet Morning, and Matt Singer all played great sets. Check out this short video of Cut Off Your Hands! and come visit us sometime this week!

Report: ETM Battle of the Bands

Just got back from ETM’s Battle of the Bands, and I must say that the story of the night for me was Little Grey Girlfriend (sorry Dan but I’ve seen you play a few hundred times before). PJ introduced us to them, and also invited them to play at the Cutting Room tonight – definitely glad that he did. They had an original indie-pop sound, and they were a lot of fun to see. Erika (their lead vocalist) has an incredible voice and also wails on the trumpet, not to mention a way of getting into the music that’s certainly unique and and energizing to watch. The rest of the band was great too, and since they ended up winning this battle, I’m looking forward to seeing them in the Indaba studio where they’ll claim their prize of some free recording time. Check out LGG here and look out for them on Indaba soon!

Battle of the Bands to Support Education Through Music

Our favorite non-profit, Education Through Music, is hosting a Battle of the Bands this Thursday, October 4th, at the Cutting Room in NYC (19 West 24th Street). Our very own Dan Zaccagnino, not to mention Seth Kallen will be taking the stage, so if you’re in the New York area, you definitely don’t want to miss it. CLICK HERE to buy tickets, it’s for a great cause!