AA Bondy Show: Lukewarm

sliding past the scowling bouncer and pretty hipsters with my homage to Hunter S Thomason “fck off I’m on the list,” I made my way through the trendiest bar for miles, an island in the middle of the yuppie breeding ground known as park slope. Wesleyan and Hampshire grads gathered around bocce ball courts, while players work the weak minds and lonely hearts of discontented rich girls. The profane scene is framed by a burning fireplace, sophisticated decor and walls lined with books ranging from Buckmeister Fuller to Voltair. Union Hall is just down the street from a weekly folk and roots collective, called The Union Street Preservation Society, every week on my way to these events. I hear the political rantings of the impassioned youth, contrasted with the hushed tones of drunk guys scheming on how to take home those 19 year old models. The venue is an oasis of sorts in the sea of strollers.

Downstairs is where the live music happens. After finding my friend we secured a spot to lay low and watch the music. The room was dimly lit and packed shoulder to shoulder with the chicest of nerds. pillars in the middle of the basement like room make it difficult to see the stage at times and there is not much to be said for a sound system or lights either. Nevertheless the atmosphere is charming and unique. AA Bondy went on at about 11 and I got there around 11:30. Hee was already almost a third of a way through his set, playing only till 12:30. It slipped my mind that this would probably not be a band known for it’s long, epic concerts. Rather each song was fairly short and contained. Upon listening to his Myspace the songs did not deviate much from what I heard on his recordings. The music was dark and brooding with heavy riffs that sounded like a cross between shoegaze and your standard singer songwriter. With music this brooding, I expected to see the faint nicks and scratches on my new friend’s arm’s; the telltail marks of a pink, Bic razor blade.

The small stage consisted of the A.A Bondy on guitar, a bass player and drummer, the merch guy told me the show was about half songs from Bondy’s new album American Hearts, which is more of a full band sound, and half his second album When the Devils Loose, His 2009 release which is more solo acoustic music. At times he sounded like a clone of Bob Dylan which was quite impressive. Gentle guitar blended with vocals and harmonica.
One of his songs “Vice Rag” glamorized the use of heroin to such a degree of melodrama that I felt sorry for the impressionable young minds who heard it. Lou Reed already wrote the best song glorifying this drug, a melody that could make a grown man cry at the drop of a hat. To hear this whiney ode to the devils chemical seemed contrived and try hard. He seemed like a troubled suburban teenager crying out for attention. The ravages of heroin are something too serious for every singer songwriter to use for their attempt at topping Lou Reed.
A.A. Bondy was the leader of the band Verbena in the early 90’s, after the band broke up in 2003 Bondy came out with his solo album American Hearts in 2007, he went on the Sasquatch music Festival 2009 and Bonnaroo 2009. Bondy’s second album When the Devil’s Loose was released September 2009.

The show ended with a jam where the band members fed off each other, creating sweet improvised rhythms and chords, that put the emotion back in emo music. This was perhaps the highest point of the show, in addition to when Bondy

Yoga Retreat Ananda Ashram

Back! my teacher Michelle Barge led this great retreat at Ananda Ashram, a wonderful back to the land, retreat center just an hour north of NYC. Definitely a place I will keep in contact with. The prices are really fair and there are plenty of work exchange opportunities, if only for a weekend. Such as working in the kitchen or in their new greenhouse.

Wanderlust Festival 2010

Thinking of going to this and covering it for Jambase or Relix. Yoga, community living and live music are truly starting to intersect as we strive towards utopia. Last year Michael Franti was previously booked for this festival but had to cancel due to his appendectomy.

Go ahead fly to the next level Seagull! .

Press Release...

The second annual Wanderlust Festival, returns to the stunning peaks of Squaw Valley USA in Lake Tahoe, CA from July 29 to August 1, 2010. This four-day yoga and music experience is a feast for the body and the senses, a place to relax, unwind, bend, dance, revel, and contemplate. This year features -- expanded yoga offerings, music, a complement of organic foods and wines, and the same incredible scenery and community that made last year's event a hit.

On-sale starts today, Advance prices start at $340 for a three-day Seeker pass and $420 for a four-day Sage pass. Every Wanderlust yoga + music ticket gives you three classes per day with any of our amazing teachers, plus access to the Kula Village, High Camp, the cable car, and all musical events.



yogis
Annie Carpenter, Ashley Turner, Brock & Krista Cahill, Kerri Kelly, Kia Miller, Les Leventhal, Maya Fiennes, Nikki Villela, Rusty Wells, Sianna Sherman, Stephanie Sandleben, Village Anusara, Vinnie Marino, and many others.

2010 MUSIC LINEUP
The music at Wanderlust is a soundtrack for the weekend, featuring both music to flow to and music to dance to. After a day of focusing on the inner self, at night it's time to let loose at one of the high-energy dance parties down at the Pulse stage in the Kula Village.

music

Moby, Bassnectar, Brazilian Girls, and Pretty Lights

plus Ana Sia, Dave Stringer, Princess Superstar, DJ Dragonfly, Shaman's Dream, Rara Avis, Suzanne Sterling,The Mayapuris, John Shannon, Desert Dwellers and many more .

WANDERLUST MINI-DOCUMENTARY
video Directed by Matthew Caton at Pangea Films, this mini-documentary explores the interaction between yoga and live music at the 2009 Wanderlust Festival. It features interviews with John Friend, Shiva Rea, Andrew Bird, Amanda Palmer, Elena Brower, Schuyler Grant, Jason Nemer & Jenny Sauer-Klein, Doug Swenson and many more.

Greenwood Cemetery Park Slop

Chelsea Building Exploded

I walked past this on my way to guitar center, some dude said it was an underground transistor, I say the Weather Underground. It's on Ave of America's Between 17th and 18th

Google shuts down music blogs without warning

Good thing my DB is backed up

Union Street Preservation Society Jam

USPS Union Street Preservation Society will be holding a weekly jam/audition, for new players we're. come join us! to contact us use the contact form in the "about" link on this page.

NYC Bluegrass Listings

Bluegrass, Folk and Roots band/collective The Union Street Preservation Society - NYC Roots Music, has some great shows coming up this summer, and would be honored to have some fine pickers come join.

educating and preserving American music for the Youtube Generation.


use these links to find listings

ponkiesburg email list
nyc bluegrass
folk music society of NY

Union Street Preservation Society

Here is The Performance at Open Source Gallery Brooklyn, with Brooklyn's folk, roots, old time torch bearers.

http://www.myspace.com/unionstreetstringband

Jay Z the Blueprint 3 Torrent

Download the Blueprint from Mediafire (he's got enough dough god bless him)

B.I.G Ready To Die

long live seasonal depression. hang in there folks!

download ready to die from mediafire

Relix Relaunch Party

Derek Trucks Teaches Guitar

Trucks teaches slide guitar are you up on that?