From: owner-alloy-digest@smoe.org (alloy-digest) To: alloy-digest@smoe.org Subject: alloy-digest V11 #36 Reply-To: alloy@smoe.org Sender: owner-alloy-digest@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-alloy-digest@smoe.org Precedence: bulk X-To-Unsubscribe: Send mail to "alloy-digest-request@smoe.org" X-To-Unsubscribe: with "unsubscribe" as the body. alloy-digest Wednesday, February 8 2006 Volume 11 : Number 036 Today's Subjects: ----------------- Alloy: OT: Nobody Wang Chung Tonight (this will hurt, John) [Melissa Jord] Re: Alloy: OT: Nobody Wang Chung Tonight (this will hurt, John) ["Keith S] Re: Alloy: OT: Nobody Wang Chung Tonight (this will hurt, John) [Elaine <] Alloy: thanks :) [Monya De ] Re: Alloy: OT: Nobody Wang Chung Tonight (this will hurt, John) [ Subject: Alloy: OT: Nobody Wang Chung Tonight (this will hurt, John) John - Wang Chung had hit the touring skids when I tried to see them back in 2001 (I think.) A friend and I saw that they were playing in Northern Virginia, and we were tickled pink. However, the club they were booked in was "Jaxx", a place better known for over-the-hill metal bands, Great White tours, and local battle of the bands events. Jaxx is, basically, is a sewer located in a run-down strip mall with a couple of tiny, broken-windowed ethnic grocery stores and a barber shop. When we got there at 7 for a show that was scheduled to start at 8, we found the members of Wang Chung sitting in a peeling plastic diner booth in the bar area, next to a folding table with used cassettes and CDs for sale. The guys were stuck there for hours while some really bad metal band played and played - we weren't allowed into the actual venue, so we were stuck at the tiny bar while Wang Chung tried to be, I think, invisible. (This whole space where we waited was about the size of my living room.) The Wang Chung crew were all under the impression they'd be on stage by nine, but that was not the case. The heavily tattooed bouncer told us that the lame-o band was fronted by a friend of the owner, and, any night he wanted to play, the headliner acts "just have to wait." Wang Chung's tour manager kept asking when they could go in and do a sound check (which they hadn't been able to do earlier, and he was dissed repeatedly by the club people.) Apparently, Wang Chung didn't go on until midnight. We left around 10 p.m. - it was a school night, and the club was a very long haul from our homes in Maryland. We felt really bad for the guys when this woman came out and yelled, "Wang Chung?! Wang Chung?! You were looking for a hotel room in the Crystal City area for under $49? No can do!" After that, we couldn't even go over and talk to them, we felt so awful for them. At least we *saw* Wang Chung. Sitting in a diner booth... - Melissa http://merujo.blogspot.com - --------------------------------- Brings words and photos together (easily) with PhotoMail - it's free and works with Yahoo! Mail. ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 7 Feb 2006 09:43:32 -0700 From: "Keith Stansell" Subject: Re: Alloy: OT: Nobody Wang Chung Tonight (this will hurt, John) Sad. I recall seeing them on that show last summer (can't remember the name of it now) that brought back old acts to do old and a new song. They seemed ok there. - -Keith - ----- Original Message ----- From: "Melissa Jordan" To: Sent: Tuesday, February 07, 2006 9:13 AM Subject: Alloy: OT: Nobody Wang Chung Tonight (this will hurt, John) > > John - Wang Chung had hit the touring skids when I tried to see them back > in 2001 (I think.) A friend and I saw that they were playing in Northern > Virginia, and we were tickled pink. However, the club they were booked in > was "Jaxx", a place better known for over-the-hill metal bands, Great > White tours, and local battle of the bands events. Jaxx is, basically, is > a sewer located in a run-down strip mall with a couple of tiny, > broken-windowed ethnic grocery stores and a barber shop. > > When we got there at 7 for a show that was scheduled to start at 8, we > found the members of Wang Chung sitting in a peeling plastic diner booth > in the bar area, next to a folding table with used cassettes and CDs for > sale. The guys were stuck there for hours while some really bad metal band > played and played - we weren't allowed into the actual venue, so we were > stuck at the tiny bar while Wang Chung tried to be, I think, invisible. > (This whole space where we waited was about the size of my living room.) > > The Wang Chung crew were all under the impression they'd be on stage by > nine, but that was not the case. The heavily tattooed bouncer told us that > the lame-o band was fronted by a friend of the owner, and, any night he > wanted to play, the headliner acts "just have to wait." Wang Chung's tour > manager kept asking when they could go in and do a sound check (which they > hadn't been able to do earlier, and he was dissed repeatedly by the club > people.) Apparently, Wang Chung didn't go on until midnight. > > We left around 10 p.m. - it was a school night, and the club was a very > long haul from our homes in Maryland. We felt really bad for the guys when > this woman came out and yelled, "Wang Chung?! Wang Chung?! You were > looking for a hotel room in the Crystal City area for under $49? No can > do!" > > After that, we couldn't even go over and talk to them, we felt so awful > for them. > > At least we *saw* Wang Chung. Sitting in a diner booth... > > - Melissa > http://merujo.blogspot.com > > > > > --------------------------------- > Brings words and photos together (easily) with > PhotoMail - it's free and works with Yahoo! Mail. ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 7 Feb 2006 09:14:53 -0800 (PST) From: Elaine Subject: Re: Alloy: OT: Nobody Wang Chung Tonight (this will hurt, John) That was Hit Me Baby One More Time. They were great doing "Everybody"...but remember? They chose Nelly's "Hot in Herre" to cover. It was cringe-worthy to see, but the audio track isn't as bad. You can hear it on their myspace page: http://www.myspace.com/WangChungTheBand Interestingly enough, before I left northern Virginia (mid 90's), I saw a show at Jaxx, too. It was The Tubes (though, Fee Waybill was missing) and it was AWESOME! I had a great time seeing them. So, from time to time Jaxx doesn't suck..but that Wang Chung night is a very sad recounting indeed. On Tue, 7 Feb 2006, Keith Stansell wrote: > Sad. > > I recall seeing them on that show last summer (can't remember the name of it > now) that brought back old acts to do old and a new song. They seemed ok > there. > > -Keith ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 07 Feb 2006 10:25:09 -0800 From: Monya De Subject: Alloy: thanks :) Thank you for all the sweet birthday wishes guys!! Monya - ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 7 Feb 2006 11:59:37 -0800 From: Subject: Re: Alloy: OT: Nobody Wang Chung Tonight (this will hurt, John) I'm just sitting here agog and feeling like I've been hit by a truck. I'm frankly not surprised by this, but it still blows. This is not the first time in history when excellent musical artisans with sophisticated fare manage to crack the top 40, but wind up with very few fans and no commercial future, because 95% of the music-buying public simply lack the musical sophistication to comprehend their excellent work. Their so-called "fans" know every word of the hit single, but are utterly clueless in regard to the remainder of the album (the actual good stuff!) Our dear Thomas has suffered this fate to a certain extent. This also explains, to a certain extent, the ongoing popularity of "Jacuzzi" jazz--instrumental hip-hop tracks with watered-down chords that are simple enough for yuppies to digest. Oh yeah, these people actually own Brubeck and Miles recordings, but the only time they ever come out is when their owners wish to impress guests who are perceived to be sophisticated listeners. The joke is that both parties "suffer" through the listening, because they do not actually possess the musical sophistication necessary to truly appreciate or even understand the music. Privately afterwards, they say, "wow, I can't believe that really weird jazz they're into." OK--time for me to settle down and take a deep breath, lest I come across as an elitist snob. All music has some merit, but it's a lot easier to find it in the wonderful tunes of the likes of Wang Chung. Their worst stuff is 1000 times better than Bon Jovi's best. I'll never forget the time in college when an acquaintance said, "Well, of course top-40 music is the best music there is, John. That's why it sells so much and gets on the charts." 'Nuff said. No small wonder that Nick Feldman works for a label and Jack Hues is now a soap-opera actor. It's like we used to say in the outback of Wyoming--"Please don't tell my mother I work in the oilfield--she thinks I'm the piano player in a whorehouse!" Tonight I'm going to go home and listen to my entire Wang Chung collection, beginning to end. Thanks Melissa (and I'm not being sarcastic--really!) Best, John > > From: Melissa Jordan > Date: 2006/02/07 Tue AM 08:13:46 PST > To: alloy@smoe.org > Subject: Alloy: OT: Nobody Wang Chung Tonight (this will hurt, John) > > > John - Wang Chung had hit the touring skids when I tried to see them back in 2001 (I think.) A friend and I saw that they were playing in Northern Virginia, and we were tickled pink. However, the club they were booked in was "Jaxx", a place better known for over-the-hill metal bands, Great White tours, and local battle of the bands events. Jaxx is, basically, is a sewer located in a run-down strip mall with a couple of tiny, broken-windowed ethnic grocery stores and a barber shop. > > When we got there at 7 for a show that was scheduled to start at 8, we found the members of Wang Chung sitting in a peeling plastic diner booth in the bar area, next to a folding table with used cassettes and CDs for sale. The guys were stuck there for hours while some really bad metal band played and played - we weren't allowed into the actual venue, so we were stuck at the tiny bar while Wang Chung tried to be, I think, invisible. (This whole space where we waited was about the size of my living room.) > > The Wang Chung crew were all under the impression they'd be on stage by nine, but that was not the case. The heavily tattooed bouncer told us that the lame-o band was fronted by a friend of the owner, and, any night he wanted to play, the headliner acts "just have to wait." Wang Chung's tour manager kept asking when they could go in and do a sound check (which they hadn't been able to do earlier, and he was dissed repeatedly by the club people.) Apparently, Wang Chung didn't go on until midnight. > > We left around 10 p.m. - it was a school night, and the club was a very long haul from our homes in Maryland. We felt really bad for the guys when this woman came out and yelled, "Wang Chung?! Wang Chung?! You were looking for a hotel room in the Crystal City area for under $49? No can do!" > > After that, we couldn't even go over and talk to them, we felt so awful for them. > > At least we *saw* Wang Chung. Sitting in a diner booth... > > - Melissa > http://merujo.blogspot.com > > > > > --------------------------------- > Brings words and photos together (easily) with > PhotoMail - it's free and works with Yahoo! Mail. ------------------------------ End of alloy-digest V11 #36 ***************************