honky cracker: Franz and the Art of Breaking Everything in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts First off, I'd like to send out a long overdue thanks to Franz of the World/Inferno Friendship Society. A couple of Sundays ago they played a show up here at the Middle East. I walked in around 4:30, completely frazzled having woken up only two hours beforehand after a very, very long and exhausting night. (You know, one of those days when you wake up and you're absolutely convinced that everyone in the world hates you.) I immediately ran into Franz and his girlfriend Emily - whose name I had forgotten at the time (truth be told, I probably couldn't remember my mother's name at that time. Hey, what's my mom's name again?) and they welcomed me to their table with open arms.
And after the show, Franz invited me backstage, which was very cool. Of course, that day I was completely out of it and frazzled, so I felt a little out of place as I bumped into the Dresden Dolls, who were about to go on for their set. So I kinda wussed out and went back into the audience.
So thanks Franz, for proving to me that day that not everybody in the world hated me.
And speaking of the World/Inferno Friendship Society - I urge you, I beg you, I strongly recommend that you check these guys out. (Have I ever steered you wrong? Of course not. I'm the pirate with the steering wheel in my pants.) Especially you Brooklynites out there. They're your own, and they bring the rock. Hard. Guitar. Bass. Accordion. Keyboards. Two drum sets. Horns. And Mr. Jack Terricloth, their lead singer, has more charisma in his uvula than Tom Jones has in his entire body. All sorts of stuff. Very fun to dance to. If you like to throw yourself against stuff, this is the band for you. And how can you not love a band who play songs with titles like "Zen and the Art of Breaking Everything in this Room" and "I Wouldn't Want to Live in a World Without Grudges"?
I picked up their Hallowmas Live at Northsix CD at the show, and literally haven't stopped listening to it since. It's so good, it makes me dance at work. I even waltzed with a photocopier. Best dance since prom.
Funny Franz story - we roomed together Freshman year of college, and I always promised Franz that if I ever met Dave Pirner (ex-lead singer of Soul Asylum) that I'd punch him in the face. Well, one night Franz and I went to a show at the Wetlands. I'm off standing at the bar and I feel a tap on my shoulder. It's Franz.
"Hey, that guy standing right over there... that's Dave Pirner."
I didn't punch him in the face. Sorry for lettin' you down.
On another note...
I went to the Patriots victory parade on Tuesday. Now, this is something I never normally would have gone to, not being a Patriots fan and all, but a friend of mine from CT wanted to come up for it. So I said "what the hell" and went. I have a couple of bones to pick with some local sports fans around here, which I almost feel bad about doing - being such a huge Red Sox fan myself. And not to get all holier than thou, but c'mon guys.
First of all - this is an event that is meant for celebrating the ultimate victory for your favorite team. Why in the world would you show up there wanted to squash and punch every person you see in the name of victory? These people root for the same team as you. They're not Panthers fans. They're definitely not Jets fans. THEY ARE NOT THE ENEMY.
Second of all -- and this one really bugs the crap out of me - there is no reason in the world why anyone should start a "Yankees Suck" chant at a FOOTBALL-oriented event. The Yankees don't even play the same sport as the Patriots, and if they did, the Pats would squash 'em. One guy was wearing a Yankees hat, and a whole group of drunken Massachusetts townies threw him through a Starbucks window. Now, I'm all for smashing a Starbucks window. But c'mon folks. That whole "Yankees Suck" phenomenon pissed me off too. It almost makes me embarrassed to be a Red Sox fan. It's one thing if you wanna yell that at a Sox-Yankees game. In fact, I would probably join in. But it's just bad form to shout out "Yankees Suck!" when you're playing against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. It looks BAD, people. It makes you look petty and jealous, and face it, you come across as second-rate and inferior.
Third of all - and this is for all you 15 year olds out there - it is never, ever appropriate for you to climb on someone's shoulders if you don't know that person.
Fourth of all - if you're going to be a sports fan, please take the time to educate yourself about the sport, about your favorite team, about the players, and the game as a whole. Don't claim to be a Patriots fan when you can't even spell "Fauria" correctly, or call the NFL Championship trophy "The Heisman Trophy". (It's the Vince Lombardi trophy.)
Fifth of all - if anyone ever punches me in the middle of Fanueil Hall again, they're a dead man.
