Downtown Diary

Cast of Characters:

 

 May 23, 1998

I went to see white hassle and cat power tonight with Julia and her new I don't even know what to call him, this guy jeff who friends tried to fix me up with three years ago (only to discover, upon his arrival, "Hey guess what guys! I met this girl in NY and we're moving in together!") . now he's with julia and i'm so jealous. such a nice jewish boy. And so cute. He wears those retro-50's-Morrissey glasses. Mmm. but i guess he's the kind of fellow who would be cool to hang out with with Julia. anyway, i hung out with Marce (of White Hassle and Railroad Jerk) and his girlfriend Julee and julee's dragging me to see Douce Gimlet, Firewater and some other band on tuesday at Baby Jupiter.

Wednesday i want to see David Poe at Fez- i used to work with him at CBGB and he's signed to SONY now. i got his cd in the mail yesterday and i like it a lot. i'm going to do a write up about him for Soft Sity. this afternoon/evening i went to this family thing- my 3 year old cousin's birthday party. my cousin's sister Jen was there and i ended up hanging out with her the whole time. she's only 3 years older'n me, but is of a different world. she didn't go to college, she ran a manicure business for a while, kind of escapee from Long Island, successful computer tech gal. still, we had a good time talking and took the LIRR back to manhattan and i gave her a good suggestion on how to break up with her boyfriend of 2 years. (they work together and she's afraid he'll be an asshole if she breaks up with him, so i suggested she get him to break up with her by smothering him. that way, he'll feel guilty about it, instead of him making her feel guilty and being mean to her.) I HATE it how she's making herself unhappy because she's afraid oh his potential behavior. It's a form of sexual harrassment. "If you don't go out with me, I'll make your professional life hell."

Jen said she would try to fix me up with some investment bankers, but that's not my style. i guess i don't know what my style is because i'm never happy with what i'm attracted to. julia hooking up with jeff makes me kind of angry and depressed. if i was sweet and let people walk all over me, instead of doing what i want, i bet i could get a boyfriend.

May 25, 1998 - Bran Van 3000

It took me one day to develop my Bran Van 3000 addiction. Chris made me a copy of "Glee" and described them as Muckafurgason with a turntable and a computer. Rich with bass and drums, BV3 takes on all pop styles with a hiphop/housey flavor. Their single, "Drinkin in LA" was made into a video that has aired on MTV, but that's not even myf avorite song. I really like "Couch Surfer" because it includes a dry-voiced rapper/talker (think: Cake).

BV3's songs are diverse, but that's no surprise due to its 30 member collective, the core of which consists of a DJ, a black diva, and 2 white chicks. I feel betrayed because when I started listening to the album, I assumed that the music was produced by a group of 4-5 people. However, when I found out that there are 30 people collaborating on the project, I was disheartened. The propensity for variety increases as the number of collaborators increases in any situation, not just because BV3 is ultra-creative. I would be more impressed if BV3 was a quartet who geniusly brought about such a combination.

 

Review of Glee by Robert Christgau @ The Village Voice

May 27, 1998 - David Poe Show

Last night was almost a disaster. I brought 6 people w/ me to the David Poe Show at Fez.

  1. First of all, it cost ten bucks to get in.
  2. I brought DJ Panty who invited Max so he could set up us, Lucia met us, Chris brought Alex Rose and his hottie girlfriend Erica. Alex and Erica sat at their own booth. Chris sat on one side of their booth, with me, Lucia, Max and DJ at the adjacent booth. Chris sat next to Lucia. I sat next to Lucia, but Lucia and Chris talked the whole time. Max and DJ sat next to each other on their side of our booth. Where did this leave me? Eating calimari.
  3. No one liked David Poe. They thought his lyrics and his music were trite and cliché.
  4. After the show, we all checked out the PopSmear party at CB's gallery. The entire first floor was empty. The basement had a bunch of people and a bunch of guys freestyle rapping. Fortunately, DJ and Max liked the rapping. Later, DJ showed me how he could beatbox and performed his rap about Indian cabdrivers. He was actually good. Not only is DJ a lesbian trapped in a man's body, he is also a homeboy trapped in a semitic body.
  5. I saw Andy and Chris from Muckafurgason and hung out with them. I met Andy's wife Edie who was so lovely and kind. She said that my Mucka photos were the best photos of the band that existed. She also said she would make me a Muckafurgason T-shirt if I gave her a plain tee shirt.
  6. If things weren't dead by the time we had arrived, they certainly were by this time. Chris, Alex and Erica left. After a while, DJ, Max and I went to the Sapphire Lounge for a little hiphophanging out. Max really wanted to dance, but I wasn't in the mood. I told him I didn't have on my dancing clothes. And I wasn't lying. I was wearing my short black and white striped sailor dress, with thick heeled sandals, and brown pleather jacket. I need to wear a tank top and pants to dance. I was too self-conscious about dancing cos there were only about 6 people dancin, including one girl who danced like a drag queen. I was afraid she would mow me down.

I have decided that I can't win in the world of Boys. When I'm really upfront about things, they don't call me back. When I'm furtive, they don't call me back either. Max is cute, but it drove me crazy how conservative he acted. He didn't respond to my attempts at flirting. Maybe I was being too low-key because I didn't want to frighten him. Maybe I was being too subtle. DJ said I would need to make the first move. I need to be around people who are as out there as I am. Otherwise, I am in danger of dominating the conversation, or the relationship. There can be no passion when one person is full of fire and the other person wants to take a nap.

I was really embarrassed because the show was kind of cheesy. They really cheesed it up for the fans. There was this table of hippie girls sitting in the front getting really into every single song. DJ said that he would play the same songs on his guitar at home, but make up new words.

Chris said, perfectly, "He somehow manages to pull off sensitive and pretentious at the same time."

I spoke to David backstage and he pretended to remember me. I don't care what any of the articles say, he is not an incredibly attractive man. He needs to shave that beard (blonds, like redheads, should not grow facial hair of any kind). I suppose he was also really sweaty and when you're soaked to your panties in sweat, no one looks pretty.

Tonight, Erica, her sister and I are going to Drinkland. Bill is spinning tonight.

May 29, 1998

Erica and Alex flaked on me. They never called me. I called Chris' about five times looking for them. I was psyched to go out, to celebrate my job offer. But the 40 minute schlep down to Alphabet City is not worth it if I end up standing around by myself, surrounded by the beautiful people. It's the proverbial "not a drop to drink." Actually, I suppose that would be more appropriate if Drinkland was still Crow Bar (a gay bar).

Tonight, I'm going to a dinner hosted by the John Jay Criminal Justice PhD program. I'm going solo, again, but Christina assured me it will be okay, and in fact, that it's really important that I go.

Steve asked me to give him a mixed tape transcript to publish in Soft Sity. Print this out and make this tape.

 

 MAY 1998: Danielle Tropea: dbt@innocent.com

Work It Out: Music to Get to Work and Work Out By

Side A

Silkworm:

Tuscadero: Tickled Pink

Cat Power: Nude as The News

Muckafurgason: Wasting Time

David Poe:

Bran Van 3000: Everywhere

Pavement:

Railroad Jerk:

 

Side B:

DJ Shadow: Organ Donor

DJ Shadow: Track #2 on Entroducing DJ Shadow

White Town: Your Woman

Chemical Brothers: Chemical Beats

Cornershop:

Bran Van 3000: Old School

Digital Underground:

Jungle Brothers:

 

 

 

 

 Go downtown.

 

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