Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8
So, I’m a white guy. Clearly. And as a white guy, it is my duty to tell you that I used to live in New York. Actually, I lived in Long Island, about 30 minutes from NYC. My job at the time moved me up there. It was a great job. They paid for my apartment, and gave me a ridiculous per diem, and a decent salary on top of that. We only worked 4 ten hour days, Monday through Thursday, giving me long weekends and tons of money to spend.
So, naturally, on Thursday nights, I would be ready to go out and get hammered. I had a coworker, “Mungo“, that liked to do the same thing. Usually, we’d go into the city, find some bar in Manhattan, drink till we were stupid, and spend our easy money buying friends for the night. But Thursday nights in the city were tough. It was a long train back to Long Island that only ran at inconvenient times at night, 2:30am and 4:30am. So sometimes I’d stay in the city at my fiancee’s apartment. She didn’t like that cause she’d have to get up and go to work on Fridays like everyone else. Also, her tiny New York aparment didn’t have room for Mungo. So he would have to go back out to Long Island by himself, or figure something else out. Eventually, we realized what a pain in the ass it was to try and go party in the city on Thursday nights.
We soon found out that very nearby our sleepy Long Island town of Great Neck was a happening option in Queens, called Bayside. Yes, we used to play “how many Save By the Bell characters can you meet” game). Now, I won’t lie, this place was greased lightning. You’ve seen the pictures of Jersey dudes with gel, and frosted tips, collars popped, etc., everyone looked like that, except Mungo and me. All the guys up there were jerks, even the relatively nice ones. But there were some good sports bars, some cheep(ish) beers, and Long Island dudes are great for laughing at. And as two obviously Southern boys, I’m pretty sure they felt the same way about us. It took me a few short hours to decide that I hated all dudes from Long Island.
One night, we stumbled into this bar called Bourbon Street. There were two dudes playing guitar and covering dead songs – quite a surprise, but exactly what we were looking for. They were pretty good. The bar was big, and not too crowded. The lead guitar player, Matt, was nothing short of impressive, and the rhythm guitar player, Tommy, was precise, and a good singer, but most importantly, a great front guy. They called themselves the Buttermilk Pancakes, and sadly still do, I think. During the second set, they started to play “Eyes of the World”. Tommy announced over the mic that he had to take a crap (yes, announced over the mic), and put his guitar in its stand. Matt kept playing the song. As Tommy worked past me in the crowd, I asked him “what about the rest of the song?”.
He paused, looked me up and down, and said, “Go finish it, if you think you know it, but I’m about to stain the stage”. I could tell he had his doubts about me… and making it to the bathroom.
This was hard for me. I absolutely HATE when people ask me if they can play my guitar while I’m playing a show. For that reason, I was very hesitant. Plus I hadn’t really played any music with anyone for almost a year, since the last Dirty Couch gig. So, I sucked it up, walked up and picked up his guitar. The look on Matt’s face said “What the HUMP do you think you’re doing?“, but being from Long Island, all he said was, “Yo!”.
“Trust me,” I said, and started playing the chords as Matt took a solo. We jammed it out for a few minutes, then he looked over to signal he was about to start singing. I followed the chord changes through the verse, nailed the jump to the chorus and started singing a harmony with him. After the chorus, he nodded at me indicating that it was my turn to take a solo, if I wanted it. I did. I took it. I’ll admit it was a little sloppy, as I hadn’t really played in a few months, but I managed to stay in key and found my way out and into the next verse.
When we finished the song, he asked me my name and thanked me into the mic. I started to take the guitar off to give it back to Tommy. Before I could get the strap over my head, he laid his hand on the guitar and said, “what else do you know?”
“Really, pretty much everything I’ve heard you guys play. But this is your gig, man.”
“Exactly!” Tommy said. “Stay up here for a few songs.”
We finished the set with more Dead tunes. I put the guitar down and went to the bar and ordered both guys a beer. When I asked the bartender how much I owed him, he said “band drinks for free in here.” It was a cool moment. During their set break, I got to talk to those two guys a little more. By the end of the set break, they told me that next week, I should bring my own guitar and they’d have a mic set up for me.
I ended up playing with those two guys almost every Thursday night for the next 6 months. I was eventually able to look past their blatant “yankee-itis,” and we got to be pretty good friends. They actually traveled down to C’ville last summer to play a show in my back yard for my birthday. Great stuff.
So, the point of this story is that music can transcend even the worst stereotypes. True music fans have something in their souls, something warm, welcoming, and satisfying… and possibly covered in maple syrup.
Popularity: 61% [?]
and where I’m from, you have to put sausage gravy on those buttermilk pancakes before adding the syrup. it’s a rule.
Reunion show 6/3/08. Take a bus up baby!
Was Long Island full of these guys?
Ok I just read all 9 posts. F*cking awesome. Is this a once a week thing?
@4 it has been so far. and i agree, it’s f*n awesome.
come back every tuesday.
I will. Are there any other weekly posts I should know about? Aside from the Weekend reminder.
tuesdays are one of my favorite days…if you haven’t been reading the newman series…you really should. I say this almost every week. newman i hope you haven’t gotten tired of me patting you on the back. it’s f*n awesome!
i have to admit that The Weekend Reminders have been down the past couple weeks. With the addition of the Charlottesville Events and my own crazy chaos they’ve gotten ignored by yours truly. Echo we’re glad you’re looking around though. Right now Newman’s post is the only consistent once a week post. Of course there’s the daily song of the day and re-occuring themes (my music seen concert reviews come to mind, the mix tapes are definitely going to be re-occuring).
Tuesday is my favorite day, but that is entirely due to South Street. However, I will make this part of my routine, and sooner or later, you will regret inviting me to stay. Just ask the villains.
You just put me in the zone. BTW, I do own a Yankees Baseball cap. That’s about it… I have no clue who the team members are or how the game is played. What I do know is that; “This post rocks Newman.”
thanks for the referral, Echo.
you all got a cool thing going over here on the MUSE. keep up the good work, and you just might find many villains becoming bi-blog-ual (which is kind of like bisexual except not quite as naughty)
thanks for all the compliments, everyone.
Yes, Long Island is full of those guys. and this guy is a local hero
I will continue to do this as long as I can. They may not always be about music, though. Short Stories count as art, too, right? For now, I have plenty more band stories. Thanks for tuning in. Tell yer friends.
Yeah I love Gino.
The only problem with this series is that it is only once a week.
and Gino needs to be backhanded but other than that he’s awesome
[…] Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9 […]
Yeah you are really white Newman… Nice work though!
Dudes, I grew up in Bayside. It’s why I’m now far away here down south, but it is fun to go back and indulge my inner meathead.
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