4/05/2008

Carbon/Silicon,High School Memories and The Toll Brothers Converge. True Story.


I am still tight with my girl posse from high school days and we got together friday night to see Carbon/Silicon at Irving Plaza. Carbon/Silicon is Mick Jones from the Clash's latest band. D,M & I pretty much ALWAYS get together when anything Clash related is happening and we are beginning to become like those middle aged women that follow Tom Jones around! I actually met D & M because I was wearing a Clash button back when everybody else was either into disco or bands like Styx, Journey or REO Speedwagon. (barf!) This girl (D) walked up to me in the MASSIVELY crowded high school hallway and said "you like the Clash?!" and I was like, "yeah" and then she told me they had an extra ticket to see them at Bonds International Casino in Times Square and we've been friends ever since. The Clash were playing a two-week residency there with matinees on Saturday for the underagers like us. I think the tickets were only 5 bucks! That show actually got cancelled due to overselling of tickets and "riots", which were highly exaggerated in the press and from the way I saw it and were made worse by the cops on horseback charging into the kids, go figure! It was a bit crazy. Anyway we went back again the next weekend and finally saw them, it was so amazing to me to be surrounded by kids my age from all over the city who were into the same stuff I was. I didn't feel like a misfit for once. I found my people!!! AND the Clash was EVERYTHING we imagined them to be. That show was the first of many that we went to together, not only did we see the Clash many times but we also discovered the NYC underground and the lower east side punk hardcore punk scene. Also much later in life I actually got to meet Joe Strummer and again he was exactly how I always imagined. He wanted to know where everyone lived, what we did for a living, normal stuff like that, here was a rock star actually INTERESTED in people! I was just about to leave NYC to move to San Francisco and he said, "WHY? New York is where it's at, you'll see." It's true! He said that to me! and then he kissed me. yup!

So anyway, Carbon/Silicon were surprisingly great. I really didn't expect much except to enjoy seeing my old friends. One surprise was that Tony James from Gen X was also in the band. If you don't know Mick Jones, he was the one that wrote and sang "Lost in the Supermarket" and one of my favorite soppy sentimental rock ballads "Stay Free". If you know that voice and guitar style you have a good idea what the show last night sounded like. It sounded like that but with of more of an easy "hey let's have a good time tonight" kind of vibe. The band just seemed so damned happy to be there as was the crowd. I looked around me and wondered, are all these middle age men the dreamy punk rock boys that were at the Bond's matinee show? I was experiencing some serious flashbacks!

The video above is them doing a song which probably is called "The Truth" and was the most Clash sounding song that evening. I loved all their other material but this is the only video that I was able to capture on my cheap camera. Jones also had another great band that I loved called Big Audio Dynamite and there were shades of them in this band as well. I believe that this band holds many of the same beliefs of the Clash as many of their songs have a sort of socialist "for the people" type of view. Y'know they're for the little guy, the underdog, the moms & pops, the average Joe, which made the night ultra surreal when I saw the Toll Brother's VP for Development David Von Spreckelsen at the front of the stage! Yup, it was him. This girl has been to one too many community meetings regarding the Toll Brothers and never forgets a face. I had to do about 5 double takes. I guess he wasn't always a corporate tool, and if he wasn't, it's too bad that he sold out just soooo badly! He needs to apply "the truth" to the reality of building condos on a toxic swamp.

In another note on how everything in my life is interconnected these days, today I had to take an exam as I may be going to grad school to get my art teaching certification. The topic of the essay? "The pros and cons of regulations and limitations on construction and development, examine each side and state your opinion" I kid you not. Needless to say it was a no brainer and I think I aced it!

6 comments:

Kelly said...

I wonder what Mr. Von Spreckelsen of the Toll Brothers was like as a teen.
Probably full of ideals and ideas of saving the world like the rest of us.
But then he went out and sold his soul to Corporate America.

I loved the Clash. I think I still have their LP around somewhere in my house. I should listen to it again. Its been way too long.

The essay question was just perfect. I would have loved to see your face when you read it...

ChickenUnderwear said...

I was in the "riot" to buy those Clash tickets and at about 6 of the shows. Thanks for the memories!!

Anonymous said...

So what would you have them do with the toxic wastesite? If they build there, perhaps there is a chance that they will clean it up to some extent...either way, you happen to already live next to it!

Lisanne said...

Yeah but my house has been here for a 100 years. I was here when the earth was opened up the way our community will be when they start digging *IF they start!!!I happen to believe that more people will create more sewage problems which is going to make cleanup of the canal more of a pipe dream. (no pun intended! Also, The Toll Brothers have a history of not being particularlly mindful of where and how they build. They have loads of lawsuits against them but because they are such a huge corporation it doesn't really effect them. I would prefer to see that site developed by someone with more of an eye to the future and is in tune with current enviromental shifts the world is going through. We have flooding in our area and it's just going to get worse as hurricanes and storms are definitely going to increase in the next 20 years. I went to the meeting and heard the Toll Brothers plan about how they were going to have their OWN sewage treatment and frankly they didn't have it together.

Also I don't like the way they are going to have 2 different construction companies build on the site. One for the lux condo people and one for the "low income people" what's up with that? Also do we reallly need an additional 200 plus cars in the neighborhood? I could go on and on but you asked and this is turning into a blog post....

Anonymous said...

One of the best concerts I ever saw was the English Beat opening for the Clash at the Hollywood Palladium. I had the opportunity to chit chat with Saxa in the parking lot. I believe it was the Clash's tour for Sandinista.

As for David Von S. he DOES have that Flock of Seagulls hairstyle so it does make some kind of sense.

From,
Former Robots Dweller

PS I still play this stuff LOUD when the kids aren't around.

AJB said...

I'm bummed that I missed Carbon Sillicon - thanks for posting the video! Have you heard the album yet? I want to hear it... -Anna Anabolic