[ watch movie of Nardwuar
crowdsurfing Electric Heavyland ] |
Probably because I loaned my projector and tracing
skills to the production of the
Electric Heavyland
sign, I scored a pass to the secret free
Melvins
in-store there at 2 pm. Thanks,
Drew! Jesse
was there--he'd last seen them way back in 1989. (The Melvins are super
veterans.) They started the set by soliciting a bass player from the audience.
Ursula stepped up and rocked a tight improv. Then the guitarist used an electric
shaver to create cool noise. Halfway through the set, Dale the drummer phoned
Jello
Biafra and asked why he wasn't there. The crowd hollered hello.
Nardwuar walked in just
as the Melvins were starting I Am the Owl by the
Dead
Kennedys. Instead of singing, Nardwuar got the store crowd jumping up
and down before getting himself passed all around. After the show, I bought
a weird stuffed rabbit.
While setting up this shot, Jello Biafra
walked in. What was I to do? Here was the hero of my suburban youth, leader
of the DKs and founder of
Alternative
Tentacles. The last time I saw him was 1988, when--thanks to a brilliant
misreading--I was a devotee of
Ayn
Rand and asked him what he thought of her. I didn't like his answer
then: "I think she's a fascist." Later I deduced he was more or less right.
I wanted to give him a DVD but decided against
it, figuring it's probably no fun to be hounded by your fans. Jesse and I
then went back to my place and made ridiculous music till 4 a.m. |
