Farmingdale, Long Island
Posted 11/13/2007 by Vagrant_Admin
In the beginning of my touring career in Dashboard, I spentmuch of my time in Long Island and New Jersey. Many of the bands that I toured so much with then were fromthe tri-state area. These bands,like The Movielife, Midtown, Saves The Day, and Hot Rod Circuit to name a few,were not just my friends, they were like a gang or a family. We played countless shows togetheracross the country but the ones that stick out the most to me are the ones thatwe played in New Jersey and Long Island. I remember all the shows that we had at the LI Zoo, which was a VFWstyle hall in the suburbs that had no character at all until the kids from thescene, the very kids who helped to build the scene to what it is now, filledthe room with more character than it could hold.
I was curious if this L.I. show would compare at all tothose great times.
The show was held a goofy joint called The Crazy Donkey,which looks like a sports bar with a stage shoved in it. So in a sense I would say that the roomhad character. That charactercould be described as goofy. Butonce the crowd was in, it became glorious. It was beaming with energy and the crowd came with that LongIsland enthusiasm that I had come to love so well over all these years.
Ok, I did find it odd that the club refused to turn of thebig screen TV’s that were silently broadcasting ESPN for the beginning of theshow, but once they were off, I felt that old familiar feeling come rightback.
The show was another no barricade, sweat your ass off kindashow. By now you know those theseare my favorite kinds of shows, and this one came with another one of myfavorite kinds of live show moments, a guest performer. For a few years we have been covering asong, Teenage Dirtbag, every now and again by a band from Long Island calledWheatus. To my surprise, when Igot to the show I found the singer of the band Wheatus, Brendan Brown, had cometo visit with us and to check us out. So I did what I do when friends in bands come to visit with us, I puthim to work. We hadn’t played Teenage Dirtbag in about a year, but it all cameback when he joined us on stage for a joint performance. It was an honor.
The show was a real winner in my book. A true throw backto what things were like in the beginning stages of this circus.
I am not sure why the folks in this part of the East Coastare so dedicated to music, and the people who make it, but I love it and Icrave it and I can’t wait to be there again.
Chris
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