Friday, September 19, 2008

it's been a while

Sorry for the lack of updates, but I've been really busy. There's really been a lot going on, good and bad.

Anyway, for the Feelies fans, tomorrow and Sunday there will be 2 shows in New York: 1 at the Music Hall of Williamsburg in Brooklyn (tomorrow), and 1 at the Bowery Ballroom. I will be going to the first one. I'm not going Sunday for several reasons: 1) I'm not 21. 2) I'll be burnt out cause I'm going to the city with friends tonight and the next day. 3) School work. Other than that, a show in Boston and one in New York State I believe have been planned for October. Neither show is sold out, since last I checked.

Oh and by the way, I'll be taking over my dad's website (www.stanleydemeski.com) shortly. My parents haven't had time to update it themselves, so I'll be re-designing and expanding it. Of course, everything has to get my dad's approval first.

So I started college and I'm actually at school right now, waiting for my next class in a lounge area. It's alright... There's not a whole lot to do as a commuter, except wait around, that is. I have one good friend that lives on campus and a few others who commute too. Usually I try to come here, get everything over with, and go home a.s.a.p. It's not like I don't have a life or am anti-social, but I have pretty much all the friends I need back in Haledon and its surrounding towns. However, I am gradually meeting new people and will probably make more friends soon.
Today is actually going to be the first time I'll be staying here after class. My friend who lives on campus invited me to the city with some of her friends whom I have met.

As for classes, I think I like my two honors classes the best. It's just a more relaxed and open environment, plus my teachers for those classes are really nice (and Feelies fans too haha). New Student Seminar is my least favorite class. I find it useless and I feel like an idiot for signing up for the 8:30-on-a-Friday-morning class. I think I may be the youngest one in my German class. It's about 7 people in there and I got placed in German Intermediate II. Speech is alright too. That's the class I'm waiting for right now.

I've developed several new habits since I've started school. One is hiding in the library. Being the brilliant honors student I am, I scheduled huge gaps between a good deal of my classes. Therefore, I may not have much to do in these gaps and would wind up sitting outside somewhere reading. I didn't like doing this, so I just started going to the library, plugging my headphones into my laptop, and putting on DVDs. I've been having a movies-adapted-from-jane-austen-books phase. This kills time, keeps me entertained, and from sticking out like a sore thumb sitting on an uncomfortable bench outside for hours at a time. Plus, I love a good mushy costume drama :D

Tuesday, July 1, 2008

First Feelies Reunion Show: June 30th, 2008


Last night was the first Feelies reunion show, and it was awesomeeee.

Ohmahgah, for serious. So I'm going to attempt to describe it in some sort of a proper fashion.


Ok so my dad left around 3:00 to go to Maxwell's for a to pick up Dave (Weckerman) and drive them to a sound check and an interview with Jim DeRogatis, a rock critic. Jim also recorded the show along with Bill Million's nephew, who was videotaping it.

My mom, my brother John, my Oma (my grandmother), my friend Nicole, and I left at 7:30. My mom dropped my Oma. Nicole and I outside of Maxwell's and went to go look for parking. When we got there, I went and said hi to my dad who was eating with Brenda (Sauter), her husband Richard, and Bill. Then I went outside to meet up with some of my other family and greeted Glenn (Mercer) and his family. Parking was murder and my mom had to stop again in front of Maxwell's to ask my dad where she could park.

Anyway, Nicole and I decided to wait outside and walked around Hoboken a bit cause it was crowded even in the restaurant part of Maxwell's. When the rest of my dad's side of the family arrived, we went inside. At the entrance to the back room, the man at the door asked, "Are you on the list?" I said, "Yeah, I'm Stan's daughter." and he said, "Good enough for me!" and stamped mine and Nicole's hands. I just thought that was freakin' hilarious.

When we got in, Nicole and I made our way to the front and waited for the show to start. The rest of my family and the families of the other band members were either on the side of the room or towards the back. The band got on stage about 20 minutes later and, after a very warm reception from the audience, started playing. It was just amazing. I was ridiculously happy. It was like all the stuff I grew up listening to and hearing stories about and watching videos of was happening right there in front of me. I started snapping pictures with my DSLR and Nicole taped two songs ("The High Road" and "Away") for me on my digital camera. Granted, the video won't be great, but it suits my purposes. However, most of the
time we just stood there enjoying the music.

About an hour later, the set ended and the Feelies walked off the stage. The room erupted in applause and cries for more. Nicole and I headed to where my mom and John were standing and found our Drum Corps teacher from high school (whom my dad had invited), Tim Alworth (drummer of Thing-One). Soon, it became a steady clap for an encore. A minute or so later, the Feelies got back on stage for a three-song encore, including a cover of "Paint It Black." When that was done, the crowd managed to convince the band members to do one last song. After that, the show was over and I headed outside and was introduced to several people who proceeded to tell me how great my dad is. One of them was Glenn Kenney, who had played in a band with my dad in my dad's college days. Glenn is also a very good movie critic and a really nice guy.

I didn't mention to these people, though, how my dad always calls himself a "legend" at home and has been talking about his "comeback" for years (jokingly, of course). By the way, it was so funny when I read all these articles about the Feelies' "triumphant return," and think about my dad and all his sayings at home. After the show he even mentioned something about how "his people," had come for him.

Overall, it was one crazyyyy night. It was so much to take in all at once that by the end of the night I found myself very jazzed up. I didn't get to sleep until after two A.M, after a conversation with my dad about how well the show went and how relieved he was to have everything go smoothly.

By the way, on the front cover of the Arts section on the New York Times today is an article on the Feelies and a photo which was edited to make it look like another Crazy Rhythms cover. And F.Y.I. : My dad was wearing a brown shirt that day, not light pink. (hahaha) :D

Ok, so that's it for today. I'll post a link to where more pictures and the videos will be up online when I get a chance to. Also, I'll be writing something on the highlights of the shows today and tomorrow and of course, the Fourth of July/Sonic Youth show. And thanks to freakgirl.com for linking to my blog and calling my writing adorable! :DD



Wednesday, June 25, 2008

The Feelies Reunion Shows and Other Things


Ok so I haven't posted in a while cause my life has been crazy. These are the main reasons:
1) Boyfriend of 6 months broke up with me the week before prom: heartbreak ensues.
2) Prom then Black Moth Super Rainbow show. The latter was amazing and waaaayyyy better than the former.
3) Awards ceremonies, senior things, graduation & project graduation.
4) Work: headaches ensue.
5) Finding time to chill with all my friends.
6) College things.

Anyway, all the school stuff is done with and I don't have to see/ talk to said ex anymore.

I've changed a bit though. I'm more reserved now I believe and I think much less of people in general.

Sigh.

However, something's coming up. Something BIG.
You see once upon a time, seventeen years ago, my dad was a drummer in a band. A band called the Feelies. Said Feelies are getting back together for reunion shows next week, including an opening slot for the Sonic Youth on the Fourth of July in Battery Park (or as my dad likes to say "The Fourcha").

:D

I'm soooo happy about next week. I cannot wait cause I never saw my dad play with the Feelies cause I was about 1 year old when they broke up. I have seen my dad play in another band called Luna and I have fond memories of being 6 and standing on the side of the stage with my mom and my brother and watching "daddy" play in Central Park. I also got myself locked in the bathroom backstage that day and some bald guy from another band had to let me out.

So yeah, the first show is in five days at Maxwell's in Hoboken and it's invitation-only. The next two shows are gonna be packed cause they sold out in 1 day. The last is the Fourcha show. I was pretty upset though cause I couldn't get tickets for my friends for the Fourcha or even the shows at Maxwell's. They only allowed my dad a very limited number of tickets (I think it was about 5 tickets per band member) and only two backstage passes. This means that my brother will have to go as a drum tech in order to get a backstage pass.

So up there ^^ is a picture I took of the first time the Feelies actually played together in 17 years. My dad's the happy-looking one.

Sunday, May 11, 2008

I hate hate hate HATE inconsiderate people.
The kind that go to your register at 10:05 PM when the food store you work at closes at 10:00. Oh, and they have a full cart. Plus, they're a regular and they KNOW when the store closes.
I mean this week I work about 25 hours, which is a whole fucking lot for someone who's still in high school, and I was fucking miserable to be there, especially when I had schoolwork to do and a lot of people I wanted to chill with. And this person just HAD to torture me further.
Tomorrow I've got 10:45 A.M. - 7:00 P.M. .... ugh. Happy Fuckin' Mother's Day.

Ok enough of my self-indulgent whining. Other than the massive amount of time I must spend at said food store, I am pretty happy. Prom is less than two weeks away, and I'm done with A.P. testing. I think I owned the history essays. English was a lot easier than I thought it would be too.

Speaking of A.P. English, I've just found another subject to talk about: My A.P. English teacher: Mr. Molloy.
You see, he's a waaayyy cool guy. He's really smart too. And he used to be in the army. He's just kinda nuts.
The way he talks even is funny. The way he talks is kind of proper.
Example: Sometimes random kids are wandering past his room and they go like, "Yo Molloy!"
His response: "Why, hello there!"

And his special features don't stop there: He makes sound effects too!
One time he was spinning a compass on a piece of paper cause we were reading a poem with a metaphor about a compass and he made a sound like "Nyeg nyeg nyeg nyeg nyeg nyeg!" as he spun the compass. And he spazzes out sometimes too. He also makes the weirdest and funniest jokes. Last week geese were honking outside while we were taking a practice test and he said "Quiet please!"

Then there are the sandwiches. This started when one day someone from the main office called Mr. Molloy over the intercom. They asked him if he could cover a 5th period class. He said no, that he was busy. Then when the person hung up the intercom thingy, he said to us, "Yes, I have a very important sandwich to attend to that period."

EHL - OH - EHL
For serious. XD

And now every now and then he mentions sandwiches for some reason. Sometimes my one friend and I call his class "sandwich" and him " Sandwich Man."

Saturday, May 10, 2008

Alright

I decided if I'm going to college for writing, I may as well start my own blog.
Maybe someone will find it interesting.
But now, I'm off to eat lunch and shop for a Mother's Day Present with my brother.