September 2008 (PDF) - Antigravity Magazine

PHOTO BY MANTARAY PHOTOGRAPHY

your new orleans music and culture alternative
THE SILVER JEWS
Are on the Lookout for New Orleans_page 12
ON THE COVER:
The Record Stores of New Orleans_page 15
Not everyone likes buying music from the real person-free zone of iTunes,
so we tell you about the best places to buy music in NOLA.
FEATURES:
The Rock Art Circus_page 14
Steve What Style brings back his annual compilation of your wildest rock dreams.
New Orleans’ Homefield Advantage_page 19
AG’s sports section debuts with a new edition of St. Nick, an interview with
Supa Saint and previews of the Saints’ first four games.
COLUMNS:
ANTI-News_page 4
Some of the news that’s fit to print.
The AG Social_page 5
Last month in photo form.
Live New Orleans_page 6
Songe goes to Lollapalooza.
Burn the Scene_page 7
AuraLee celebrates her first year with AG.
Dr. Feelgood_page 8
Nancy Kang debuts as AG’s house doctor.
Guidance Counseling_page 9
Guest advice-giver Tiffiny Wallace sets you straight.
Sound Advice_page 10
The Best of Legalese from AG.
The Goods_page 11
The daring Dejarnette.
REVIEWS:
Books_page 27
Chuck Palahniuk’s Snuff.
Film_page 28
Ride the Pineapple Express.
Comics_page 29
Reviews of Punisher, Air and Venom: Dark Origin.
Music_page 30
Reviews of albums by Coffins, CSS, Einsturzende
Neubauten, I, Octopus and Metronome the City,
Coin Opera, the Revivalists, the Tomatoes and
Sonic Youth
EVENTS:
Listings_page 32
Previews of Bring the Noize! Fest, Gaslight Anthem
and Okkervil River
COMICS:
Illustrations_page 38
Qomix, How To Be Happy, The K Chronicles,
Firesquito, Load.

STAFF
PUBLISHER/EDITOR IN CHIEF:
Leo McGovern
leo@antigravitymagazine.com
ASSOCIATE EDITOR:
Dan Fox
fox@antigravitymagazine.com
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS:
Andrew Bizer
andrew@bizerlaw.com
Dan Mitchell
dmitchel@tulane.edu
AuraLee Petzko
auralee@antigravitymagazine.com
Sara Pic
sarapic@antigravitymagazine.com
Mike Rodgers
mikerodgers@antigravitymagazine.com
Nicholas Simmons
simmons@antigravitymagazine.com
Jason Songe
jasonsonge@antigravitymagazine.com
J.W. Spitalny
jw@antigravitymagazine.com
Hunter Strickland
hunter_strickland@yahoo.com
Mallory Whitfield
mallory@antigravitymagazine.com
Alex Woodward
alexw@antigravitymagazine.com
AD SALES:
ads@antigravitymagazine.com
504-881-7508
INTERNS:
Caroline DeBruhl
caroline@antigravitymagazine.com
Brett Schwaner
brett@antigravitymagazine.com
Cover record circle by Lee Clements
Inside Cover Photo by Brent Stewart
Supa Saint photo in Homefield Advange by
Zack Smith
We like stuff! Send it to:
111 South Alexander St.
New Orleans, La. 70119
Have listings? Send them to:
events@antigravity
magazine.com
ANTIGRAVITY is a publication of
ANTIGRAVITY, INC.
RESOURCES:
Homepage:
www.antigravitymagazine.com
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antigravitymagazine
INTROLETTER FROM YOUR EDITOR
Well, that picture to the left probably
says it all. I interviewed the one and
only Supa Saint for this issue, so that
can only mean one thing. It’s football season! Not
a month of fake preseason games where the Saints
starters play just a quarter or a half but seventeen
weeks (and hopefully a few more) of full-blown
football in New Orleans. To celebrate, we’ve
launched the HOMEFIELD ADVANTAGE,
AG’s new sports section. Our St. Nick column
moves to the HA and we offer extended previews
of Saints games as well as interviews with Saintsrelated
celebrities. Let us know what you think at
feedback@homefieldadvantage.com.
You might be wondering what will fill the space
St. Nick formerly did—we’ve wrangled Nancy
Kang of Glorybee fame to make monthly house
calls for you, as she’ll dispense medical opinions
on music-related topics. Pretty cool, huh?
If that’s not enough for you, we’ve brought you a special record store roundup, where we tell you where you can buy music in New Orleans—in
real life brick and mortar stores, no less. We also have interviews with the Silver Jews about their appearance in New Orleans, the Zydepunks on
the release of their new album and 504 What Style’s Steve Williams on his annual Rock Art Circus, plus reviews of several local albums set for a
September release, like the Tomatoes, Metronome the City and I, Octopus and the Revivalists.
If even that’s not enough, we’ve got new comics (including a Saints-themed episode of Firesquito), previews of shows, photos of recent shows
and a whole lot of whatnot.
We’re loaded this month, and as I’m writing this I can already feel the coolness of the other side of the pillow calling, so I’ll let you roll
into this issue—stop by and say hello over at Handsome Willy’s on Sunday, September 7th, when we’ll be ramping up for the Tampa Bay
Buccaneers! —Leo McGovern, Editor In Chief; Photo by Zack Smith
COLUMNANTI-NEWS AND VIEWS
STATIC TV OPENS SEASON 3
On September 16th New Orleans’ own indie music show, Static
Television, kicks off its third season at 10pm on Cox Cable channel
10. Also on tap is a September 15th premiere party at the Saint
(961 St. Mary St.) with Seth Kaufman (let’s hope his equipment
doesn’t get stolen like it did a few months ago, just hours before he
played the Saturn Bar) and DJ Pasta. For more information, go to
statictelevision.com.
NEW ORLEANS BOOKFAIR REGISTRATION OPENS
One of ANTIGRAVITY’s favorite events has begun accepting registrars.
The New Orleans Bookfair is scheduled for Saturday, November 15th and
again resides on the 500 and 600 blocks of Frenchmen St. As always, the
Bookfair celebrates independent publishers and alternative media. For
more info or to download a registration form, go to nolabookfair.com.
PROMOTE YOUR MUSIC WITH THE JAZZ &
HERITAGE EXCHANGE
The people over at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation are always
working hard to promote Louisiana music, and their latest endeavour, the
Jazz & Heritage Talent Exchange, seems especially appealing. They’ve
developed a new website, www.talent.jazzandheritage.org, to be a music
promotion site in the vein of sonicbids.com except that it’s free. Any
band can sign up and if you are interested in promoting your own band
you’d be stupid not to spend the 15 minutes it takes to upload an MP3,
some genre classifiers, a photo and some contact info. Who knows, you
could end up playing a festival or landing on a soundtrack. Some of the
bands that have already taken advantage are Antenna Inn, Fatter than
Albert and One Man Machine.
journey; recent topics include the history of Todd Rundgren’s “Hello
It’s Me” and Eddie Kendricks, one of the founders of the Temptations.
Though Bethea hangs her hat in Brooklyn these days, her writing often
takes her back to her hometown: one entry begins in the Santa Monica
pier and ends up at Pontchartrain Beach, circa 1962. Be sure to check out
the audio commercial she dug up for it.
NEW SUPLECS ALBUM IN THE WORKS
Local rocker dudes Suplecs have been in and out of the studio recording
their fourth full-length album, which they are calling “IV” for now. They
are tracking at Balance Studios in Abita Springs and hope to be finished
by the end of this month with a release date of March 2009. They will
release a few songs on iTunes in between September and March.
WHAT IS FUNBALL?
That’s for us to know and you to find out. Just a hint: Spring 2009.
NEW BLACKFIRE REVELATION ALBUM RELEASED
For a band that’s now defunct, Blackfire Revelation has a solid
upcoming schedule. Skullmask, the band’s last recorded effort,
was released on August 15 at their website, myspace.com/
theblackfirerevelation. Sometime soon Blackfire Revelation will
release Live Like a Snake, Die Like a Bull, a compilation of demos,
live tracks and studio outtakes that, according to an e-mail from the
band, “showcases the stylistic schizophrenia of the BFR during its
short and pitiful lifespan.”
FEEDBACK ABOUT OUR INTERVIEW WITH THE
WHITE BITCH
FEEDBACK ON THE DOUCHEBAG BARISTA
From Erin, via e-mail:
Rejoice! The cunt has been fired! Coffeeshop patrons all over New
Orleans can breathe a sigh of relief...his reign of douchebaggy terror is
over!! I am cabbage patching all over this bitch....Dave is gone, no other
coffee shop in this city will hire him.
NEW MUSIC BLOG APPEARS
New Orleans native and NOCCA graduate Elizabeth Bethea has created
a well-manicured music blog that suggests hope for this new, weird
medium. The Gentle Bear (gentlebear.wordpress.com) is part sociology
journal, part music appreciation, part confessional and all meandering
From Brian Serpas, via e-mail:
Hi Antigravity Magazine. First off, I would like to thank you for the
great mag you all put out each month, it’s truly entertaining. Second,
as a guitarist of fifteen years I can’t help but react to Mr. Dan Fox’s
White Bitch piece. In his intro, he compares Mr. Bitches’ music to
Santana over a beat machine? UH? I am aware that critiquing art can
be a circle of no-it-alls running their mouths, but Santana over a beat
machine! White Bitch s a good rock guitarist, but he does not create
the moods that Carlos Santana did that are so recognizable. Thank you
for your consideration.
AG Editor Dan Fox: Thanks for your response; you do have a point. The
comparison is lacking, so my apologies to the White Bitch—his songs
are way more interesting than Santana’s.
4_antigravity: your new orleans music and culture alternative

COLUMNON THE SCENE
1.
2.
3. 4.
6.
5.
1: DJ Kristen and Guitar
Lightnin’ Lee. 2: Suplecs
in the studio. 3: Big Baby
singer Isidore Grisoli. 4:
Early Man @ One Eyed
Jacks. 5: Big Business
@ One Eyed Jacks. 6:
Haarp’s Keith Sierra.
Contributing Photographers:
Kristen (1), L.
Steve Williams (2), M’Lyn
Usie (3), Leo McGovern
(4, 5), Eric Martinez (6).
antigravitymagazine.com_5

COLUMNLOCAL MUSIC
LIVE NEW ORLEANS
SONGE ENRAGED
by jason songe jason@liveneworleans.com
MAELSTROM: SONGS OF STORM AND EXILE
You know what gets the girl at poetry readings? Comedy and levity. After sitting through diaryridden,
overly earnest poems, laughing is like breathing after tumbling in an undertow.
At a stand-up open mic above Lucy’s about two months after Katrina, I remember
cringing when a comedian told a joke about the storm. I enjoy irreverence, but still, it was
too early. When I could laugh about the storm I was still wary of songs and writing about it
because of possible exploitation (George Bush’s Jackson Square speech) and middle-of-theroad
schmaltziness (Cowboy Mouth’s “The Avenue”). This trepidation has precluded my
consumption of most storm-oriented music and writing, though I enjoyed the classiness and
subtlety displayed by Rotary Downs and Big Blue Marble when dealing with the subject. I’m
a little ashamed I still haven’t read the accounts of Josh Clark and Chris Rose.
Three years after the storm comes “Maelstrom: Songs of Storm and Exile,” a set of
poems inside Jealous Witness, a new poetry book by Andrei Codrescu, local essayist,
translator, novelist and columnist. This book was easy to pick up because by the time I
read the poems I’d already been disarmed by the comedy inherent in most of the song
versions of the poems. With the book comes a twenty-one-track CD, a collaboration
between Codrescu and the New Orleans Klezmer All-Stars. Every track contains
Klezmer music. Some are new storm-oriented instrumentals, some are readings of the
poems by guests, and my favorites are the readings by Codrescu. No matter how cool it
is to hear or how good Coco Robicheaux, Alex McMurray, Ivan Neville, or John Boutte
are at interpreting his poems, there’s nothing better than hearing the author himself,
especially when he sounds just as off kilter and smart-ass as the music behind him.
On “Married Men’s Girlfriends:” “She’s in Houston I’m in Philly/o how it kills me to be
here with my wife’s large family.”
On “The Army, National Guard, NOPD, and FEMA Tantz:” “Look at them crouching
ready for combat/ who they gonna combat who they gonna combat.”
On “The Army, National Guard, NOPD, and FEMA Tantz:” “How quickly they forgot
how they didn’t want a Wal Mart here”
Codrescu also laments, whether it’s the absence of the mayor, the inability of helicopters
to take pets, growing mold, or the disappearance of the middle class. In these poems
Codrescu is a great observer, noting the resilience and kindness of humanity and how status
and grudges slough off us in times of tragedy. These poems celebrate life. I wish my favorite
poem wasn’t a downer, but there it is, anyway. “New Orleans Limbo” is a treasure and a
heartbreaker. Since I believe they were written in 2005, the poems can feel like yesterday’s
news, but they’re still a great document. Do I even need to say that my previously stated
trepidations would be unfounded when concerning these poems? Codrescu has heart and
tact to spare.
Could there have been a better band than the Klezmers to back Codrescu? It’s a real
treat to hear new compositions by Jonathan Freilich, Glenn Hartman, and especially Rob
Wagner, who I’ve developed a jones for since he stopped his regular d.b.a. Mondays. Helen
Gillet provides cello on a few songs, and I’ve got to hand it to drummer Dave Sobel for
being extremely inventive and seemingly playing just the right thing for every song. He
knows when silence can be better. The musical highlight of the album is Freilich’s tearsoaked
guitar on “Gone, But Forgotten.” I’d have guessed it was Brian Stoltz until
I heard his feverish strumming midway through the song. I guess he can play anything.
RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE @ LOLLAPALOOZA, GRANT PARK,
CHICAGO, 8/2/08
This may sound gross, but it’s a fair barometer of how much Rage’s show at
Lollapalooza moved me: I haven’t sweat so much at a concert since Gogol Bordello
played Twiropa in 2004 or 2005. When I got back to my hotel, I was superrelaxed
and had a natural high going, probably because of all the toxins I got out.
Maybe it’s melodramatic or naive of me, but it really felt like the world began and
ended in that field Saturday night. Nothing else mattered, and if this was going to be
my chance to exorcise my personal shit and also lend my voice to a social and political
dissent that Rage so intelligently and powerfully espouses, I wasn’t going to just stand
there. I was alone, so I didn’t have anyone to worry about or protect, and I was far enough
up in the crowd that everyone next to me were surefire fans. I spent most of the concert
airborne, and I gotta say that I inspired a few people around me to get into the show more.
I didn’t know from the beginning how good the show was going to be. Maybe I’d enjoy
the show but be less than blown away, like I was at Voodoo. Luckily, the band was tighter in
Chicago, and they were angrier, which the crowd ate up in appreciation. All I can say is that
I’d love to see a Rage show the morning of the presidential election. That’d be nuts.
Something I noticed was that Tom Morello was more animated than usual, carelessly
windmilling his body around. Awesome.
Only two songs came from Evil Empire: “Bulls on Parade” and “People of the Sun.” I really
wanted to hear “Tire Me.” Oh, well.
It’s eerie how Rage’s lyrics are still so relevant today:
Continued on Page 37...
6_antigravity: your new orleans music and culture alternative

COLUMNLOCAL MUSIC
BURN THE SCENE
YEAR ONE, CHECK
by auralee petzko auralee@antigravitymagazine.com
This month marks a very special milestone: as of this issue I have been
writing for ANTIGRAVITY for a year. An entire year! It hardly seems
like it’s been that long since I was standing in the parking lot of some
community center in Mobile, Alabama with seven or eight of my friends and in
the midst of an argument over where we were going to eat when I got a call from
Dan Fox, who asked if I’d like to write for the magazine. A lot has happened in
the New Orleans and Baton Rouge music scenes in the last year; there have been
a lot of really awesome bands of all genres that have started up in the last twelve
lunar cycles and there seems to be more coming up all the time. I could stand to
see more kids at shows but the ones that do come out are always positive and
that’s a great thing.
The best show I attended in the last month was the Peter Young/This Time
Tomorrow/Reclaim Life/Chopsley (as they appear in the above photo) show
at Zeitgeist. It was the first hardcore show ever held at Zeitgeist and seemed to
go over as well as loud and noisy hardcore shows can go over in giant cavernous
halls normally reserved for independent movie screenings. Chopsley opened and
was angry and good as usual. They don’t play shows very often, but this was the
second one in two or three months so I’m wondering if they’re going to take an
extra long break before their next show (I hope not). The highlight of the evening
was seeing Reclaim Life. It was their first show ever and as soon as they finished
playing I was already excited for the next one. Awesome, awesome mid-’90sstyled
hardcore with heavy, metallic breakdowns interspersed throughout the
songs. Think vegan/straight edge bands like Culture, Birthright or Chokehold.
Definitely not the kind of stuff all of the hip young kids fight invisible ninjas to in
the “pit.”
I’m pretty happy about the oncoming onslaught of brutal music in mid-
September. While attending fests usually just leaves me tired, cranky and a little
overwhelmed by the end of the day, I’m really looking forward to the Bring The
Noize! Fest happening September 19th-21st. Thirty of some of the best thrash,
crust and metal bands from all over the world will be converging upon the city. Too
many to name here, but a good number of the bands have played in New Orleans
and Baton Rouge before so it will be good to have them back: Kakistocracy,
American Cheeseburger, Kylesa, Parasytic and The Skuds; as well as locals
Haarp, Thou, and my band We Need to Talk, amongst many others. This is the
first fest of its kind (to my knowledge) that’s been held here in New Orleans, so
at the very least it should be interesting. There are parties going on at the Hi-Ho
on St. Claude after the shows on Friday and Saturday nights, but the lineups for
those still haven’t been announced.
Also coming up in the next month is the triumphant return to the Baton
Rouge scene of Jude Fawley at the Spanish Moon in Baton Rouge on the 5th
of September. Rougarou is playing at the Circle bar on the 9th with Full Gospel
Gun Show. Racebannon is playing at the Dragon’s Den in New Orleans with
Light Yourself on Fire and The Devil and the Sea from Lafayette on the 13th.
And last but not least, this has nothing to do with DIY or punk rock but I’m
actually really excited for Okkervil River at Republic on September 30th.
Roll call: myspace.com/toreclaimlife, /xxxculturexxx, /chokeholdtribute, /
birthrightxvx.
antigravitymagazine.com_7

COLUMNMEDICINE
DR. FEELGOOD
CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW?
by nancy kang nancy@antigravitymagazine.com
Dr. Nancy Kang Joins ANTIGRAVITY this month as its resident medical
expert. Feel free to write Dr. Kang at the email address below with any
medical questions, and go see her band, Glorybee, September 20th at the
Circle Bar with the Broken Smokes.
There I was, right in
the very front of One
Eyed Jacks and next
to a ten-foot speaker at the
Melvins concert. The show
was great and I nearly suffered
traumatic brain injury from
myriad flailing steel-toed boots.
Afterwards, out on the street,
the silence would have been
deafening had it not been for
the horrid ringing in my ears,
which lasted for three days. But
I’m all right now. Or am I? I am
sure you have left a concert with ringing ears, or maybe with temporary hearing
loss. One of the thrills of going to a show (or playing one) is the feel of megaamps
turned way up to eleven. But is there a permanent cost? More and more
younger people are being diagnosed with noise-induced hearing loss. Modern
day noise exposure is unrelenting: concerts, cell phones, movies and ear buds
hooked to iPods continuously blaring the soundtrack to our lives, for example.
Noise-induced hearing loss lasts forever and can be devastating, especially to the
professional musician or music aficionado. Hearing aids can help, but the best
medicine is prevention.
The loudness of the sound (called intensity and measured in decibels) and the
length of time exposed to it are two important factors. Noise-induced hearing loss
is also cumulative over time. It’s like walking on a grass lawn: you may step on
it and see some temporary footprints, but soon they go away, but tread roughly
on the grass over many years and it will not grow there anymore. Exposure to
loud sounds for lengthy periods of time can injure delicate cells of the inner ear
in a similar fashion. Preventing damage to the inner ear, our organ of hearing, is
the key. Short-term exposures of sound levels above 100 decibels (dB) can cause
hearing loss. To put this in perspective, normal conversation is around 55 dB, a
whisper 15 dB, and a lawnmower 90 dB. Sound levels at concerts can range from
120 to 140 dB. iPod ear buds are especially worrisome for hearing damage, as
they go directly in to the ear canal and are used by many people for long periods
of time. iPods and other portable music players can reach sound levels of 130 dB,
which can cause damage after only thirty minutes.
Do you already have some hearing loss? If you are a musician or go to lots
of shows, the answer might be “yes.” Early signs of noise-induced hearing loss
include the following: having trouble understanding what people say, especially
in crowded places like restaurants; having to ask people to repeat themselves;
inability to hear high pitched sounds like the telephone ringing, and ringing in the
ears, called “tinnitus.”
Perhaps you’ve tried cheapo earplugs from the drug store at a concert, just to
end up taking them out. If you are hardcore about maintaining the fidelity of the
music, you can have custom-made musician earplugs for around $175. Musician
plugs are custom-made for your ear canals by a hearing specialist (usually an
Audiologist). An ear impression material (usually silicone) is injected into your ear
canal and the result is sent to a lab, where an ear mold is made with a custom filter
that reduces the sound. These molds are special because they are so comfortable,
as they’re custom made for you, but also because they provide a fidelity that no
other hearing protection can offer. Foamy earplugs or headsets reduce the sounds
of the high frequencies more than the low frequencies, but musician plugs reduce
all sounds uniformly. For more information on custom musician earplugs or for a
hearing evaluation, contact an audiologist or your doctor.
So see you at the Maple Leaf but bring your own (EAR) protection!
This column serves the public health interest of New Orleans’ music
community and is not meant as medical advice. For medical treatment or
counseling, seek care from a medical professional.
8_antigravity: your new orleans music and culture alternative

COLUMNADVICE
GUIDANCE
COUNSELING
WHO’S GOT PROBLEMS?
this month’s counselor: tiffiny wallace
Last month we spotlighted Tiffiny
Wallace, owner and proprietor
of Magazine Street’s Lucky You!
Candy Company. Her cozy shop features
all of the “classics” of the confection
world, from Jelly Bellies and Pop Rocks to
handmade, swirled lollipops and homemade
cupcakes. Vibrant colors, a ton of sugary
possibilities and a flare for the nostalgic
attracts customers of all ages, making
Tiffiny “everyone’s mom,” as she pointed
out to us in her interview. With such a title,
we couldn’t resist asking her to take on this
month’s therapy session.
Dear AG,
I have this thing where I feel the need to correct
someone when they mispronounce or misuse a
word, for example calling a 9 volt battery a “V 9
battery,” like my girlfriend did the other day. On
the one hand I know it comes off as a little assholish, or smart-ass, or whatever, but on the other hand
isn’t correcting them helpful to someone so in the future they won’t look dumb in front of somebody
else? Any tips on how to be the Good Samaritan that I wish to be without coming off as something
entirely different?
There is no way to sugar coat this. Anyone who feels the need to correct people when
they mispronounce or misuse a word is an assholish. Um….. I mean asshole. See, not so
perfect yourself. But, if you feel that you still need to be a Good Samaritan and save your
loved ones from looking dumb in public try a different tactic—like mocking them. Here
is an example. Your way: “You know assholish is really not an adjective. The proper
grammar for this sentence would just be the noun asshole, because you really can’t make a
verb out of an adjective, but you can make a verb out of a noun.” Better way: “Assholish??
What fine New Orleans school did you attend? Is assholish like polish or like mustardish?
Or maybe that is just a Grace Kingish word. Then proceed to use “ish” on nouns all day
long. This way you are not so condescending but you are still saving everyone like the
superhero you think you are.
Dear AG,
One of my girlfriend’s girlfriends recently posed nude for an online purveyor of alternative female
body types (that I happen to have a subscription to). It’s pretty hot to look at pictures of a girl I see in
real life, and the problem is I can’t stop thinking about the photos. When the four of us get together
(she has a boyfriend who I’ve become acquainted with, so we double date every couple weekends) I
can’t help but think of her naked. My girlfriend doesn’t know that I look at this site, and I’m not
sure if she knows her friend posed for it, so I’m not sure how or even if I could bring it up. I love my
girlfriend and don’t want to do something stupid like break up to try and sleep with her friend, but
this is constantly on my mind. How do I get it out of my system? (P.S.: I’ve already tried beating it
out of myself, to no avail.)
Smack! (That’s me smacking you!) First off people don’t pose on the Internet to get
laid—especially by their friends. They do it for confidence, fetish pleasure, boredom, or
whatever their motive is they are sending it way way way out into Internet space. If she
wanted to send it to you, she probably would have. So let’s save you, your girlfriend, and
your friends a hell of a lot of drama and look at this situation in a new light. So you saw
your friend naked. Lucky You! Welcome to a long life of parties that get out of hand,
horrible bathroom timing, moonlight skinny-dipping and you seeing your friends naked
and not doing a damn thing about it except enjoying what you got. You know you are
allowed to have a fantasy sex life for yourself. So just keep your dirty little pictures
Continued on Page 37...
Photo by Zack Smith
NEED SOME ADVICE? SEND YOUR PROBLEMS TO:
ADVICE@ANTIGRAVITYMAGAZINE.COM
antigravitymagazine.com_9

COLUMNLEGALESE
SOUND ADVICE
HOW TO PAY BANDS WHEN YOU’RE
A SELF-STARTING RECORD LABEL
by andrew bizer andrew@bizerlaw.com
Dear Andrew,
I’m going to start a record label and I’m not sure how much I’m supposed to pay the artists.
I’m not looking to quit my day job and become a record mogul. I just think it would be a fun
thing to do. What is a standard amount to pay that is fair for both my label and the artists?
Thanks,
Glenn G.
Glenn,
There is no true “standard” way a record company pays its artists for record
sales. However, there are several models of payment that are often used depending
upon one’s goals and funds.
The first decision you need to make is whether you will be purchasing or
licensing the master recordings from the artist. If you purchase the recordings,
you’ll own them forever. If you license the recordings, then the artist retains
ownership of the recordings, but you’ll have the exclusive ability to exploit, or
sell the recordings, but only for a limited time. Most bands are smart enough that
they will only license their recordings to you for a limited time unless you give
them a bunch of up-front money, known as an advance. If you don’t have the
cash to pay the band an advance, a licensing deal is the best route to take.
In a basic licensing deal, the artist agrees to let you control the master recordings
for a limited number of years. After that, the artist reclaims the masters and the
relationship is over. Usually in this type of a deal the artist pays for the recordings
and delivers them to the label, who pays for the manufacturing of the CDs or
LPs. The label also pays for the other expenses traditionally associated with a
record label, such as publicity and promotion. If you’re looking for a fair way to
pay the artist in a licensing deal, just split the profits 50/50 after all the costs are
recouped.
An even simpler licensing model limits the record company’s rights to only
a specific number of records. In this type of licensing deal, the record company
agrees to press a limited number of records. Once those units are sold, the
relationship between the artist and company is over and the artist is free to license
the music to another record company. Sometimes in this type of deal, the artist
is “paid” by being given 10%-15% of the overall number of units pressed. The
company is free to sell their units to distributors, stores and through mail order,
while the artist is free to sell their units at their live performances. This type of
deal is advantageous because it is clean and simple and there is no accounting
necessary.
If you choose to give the artist an advance and purchase the recordings, then
you have incurred a greater risk, and therefore can command a larger percentage
of the profits. The major record labels use very complicated formulas, where they
pay the artist a percentage of the retail sale price. This percentage can be anywhere
from 7%-25%, depending upon who the artist is and how big the advance was. Of
course, the payments to the artists are only made after the record company has
recouped all of their expenses, including the advance.
If you plan on running your record label as a full-fledged business, you should
speak to an experienced attorney about how to set everything up. However, since
your label is going to be a hobby, a simple limited-run licensing deal might be the
best route to take.
Andrew Bizer, Esq. is an attorney admitted to practice in Louisiana and New York. He is the
founding member of the Bizer Law Firm, L.L.C. He previously served as the Manager of Legal
and Business Affairs at EMI Music Publishing and has worked in the legal department at both
Matador and Universal/Motown Records. This column is to be used as a reference tool. The
answers given to these questions are short and are not intended to constitute full and complete
legal advice. The answers given here do not constitute an attorney/client relationship. Mr.
Bizer is not your attorney. But if you want him to be your attorney, feel free to contact him
at andrew@bizerlaw.com. Or, just email him a question and he’ll answer it in next month’s
ANTIGRAVITY.
NEED SOME SOUND ADVICE? SEND YOUR
QUESTIONS TO: ANDREW@BIZERLAW.COM
10_antigravity: your new orleans music and culture alternative

COLUMNFASHION
THE GOODS
DARLING, DARING, DEJARNETTE
by miss malaprop mallory@antigravitymagazine.com
Katherine Dejarnette Babin’s jewelry is like so many New Orleans treasures;
one of those very special secrets that only a select few seem to know about,
but it’s just so good that word spreads and soon enough it’s on your list of
favorite things about the city.
While Katherine’s line of vintage-inspired jewelry, Dejarnette New Orleans has
been featured in local publications like Gambit Weekly and The Times Picayune’s
WISH Magazine as well as an array of online style blogs, it is currently available to
purchase only online, so not many locals are familiar with these hidden gems.
The collection is split into four design groups: elegant, modern, natural and objet
trouvé (French for “found object”). Many of the pieces
are crafted from vintage and recycled components
and are truly one of a kind creations, most of which
are found in the objet trouvé collection. This group
contains necklaces made from vintage Mardi Gras
doubloons, antique skeleton keys and pearls mixed
with vintage lace fabric. To find so many amazing
vintage components to use in her work, Katherine
scours local estate sales, thrift stores, antique shops,
hardware stores and salvage shops. She told me that
she likes to “dig and dig...and dig. I stay at some
places for hours (as) I always want to be sure I’ve
checked every nook and cranny!”
The ballet-inspired pieces from her elegant
collection have created quite a buzz with online
blogs. One particularly stunning choker is made from
hundreds of ruffles of vintage chiffon fabric dotted
with tiny sequins and strung from an antique silver
plated chain, which is also decorated with opaque
vintage crystals. Other pieces in this group include
earrings and pendants reminiscent of wrought iron
filigree work and copper fleur de lis crests.
The modern line incorporates more edgy,
contemporary styling and includes necklaces that
seem to be made of weightless bubbles and ice crystals
but are actually made from delicate blown glass. The natural group includes unique
pendants made from circles of wood as well as necklaces crafted from chunky lava
rocks, coral, turquoise and even fool’s gold.
For Katherine, designing this amazing array of jewelry is a full-time job. She’d
already been designing jewelry for herself and close friends for many years, when
she began selling some of her pieces to local boutiques in 2004. In 2006 she
launched her website and began to offer her designs to those outside of the New
Orleans area, all while she still had a full-time day job. Once the website took off,
Katherine decided that she needed to devote herself full-time to the business. She
says that she feels very lucky to be able to do something she loves every day.
When asked about how living in New Orleans has influenced her as a designer,
Katherine said, “New Orleans definitely influences my designs—from the history,
the architecture, the people, the spirit, the music, the list never ends! There is
rarely a day I walk out of my door that something in this city doesn’t inspire me.”
She told me that she also draws inspiration from her childhood and her family,
music, old movies, magazines and books. Her favorite fashion designers include
Marc Jacobs, Tracy Reese and Nanette Lepore, and she her favorite local shopping
destinations are “Scriptura, Ah-Ha, Orient Expressed, Jean Therapy and Sucre for
when I’m shopping for a sweet treat.”
Katherine plans to continue expanding her jewelry collection and is constantly
seeking new inspiration for her collection. Next up is an Elizabethan-inspired
collection that she is currently working on and is already very excited about.
Even though Katherine already has many devoted fans from all over the world,
she remains humble about her experiences. I asked her if she had any advice for
aspiring designers and she answered, “I don’t know if I am in a position to be
giving out advice, since I’m still learning myself, but I will say my best decision
was not giving up.” It’s a good thing Katherine heeded her own advice, because if
she had given up on her own design aspirations, the world would have missed out
on so many uniquely beautiful and truly inspired pieces of wearable art.
You can shop her collections online at www.dejarnettenola.com.
FOR MORE MISS MALAPROP, GO TO:
antigravitymagazine.com_11

FEATUREMUSIC
THE SILVER JEWS’ DAVID BERMAN TALKS
ABOUT CYCLES, THE CONVENTIONAL,
AND LOOKING OUT FOR “NEW ORLEANS”
by paul carusoe
photo by cassie berman
12_antigravity: your new orleans music and culture alternative

FEATUREMUSIC
In 1993, David Berman and two
guys from Pavement got in a room
together with some instruments
and pressed the record button on
a boom box. What resulted was The
Arizona Record, the first album by the
Silver Jews. The Pavement guys left the
band years ago, but Berman went on to
release six more Silver Jews records,
including this year’s Lookout Mountain,
Lookout Sea, an album that sounds
nothing like The Arizona Record...which
is a good thing. The Silver Jews went on
their first full-fledged tour in 2006 and
they’ve just embarked on their second
tour. They will be playing at One Eyed
Jack’s on Wednesday, September 17.
ANTIGRAVITY sent David Berman
an email with ten questions. Here are
the questions and his responses:
ANTIGRAVITY: You started your last album with the
lyric, “Where’s the plastic bag that holds the liquor,
just in case I feel the need to puke.” This time, you
open the record with the line, “What is not but could
be if. What could appear in the morning mist?” Those
are two very different ways to kick off an album. Do
you think those lyrics set the tone for each record?
David Berman: Yes, that’s true. They also both seem to
take place at parallel 6ams, years apart. Nothing about
sunrise could ever be charming to me anymore.
AG: Three part question: On “My Pillow is the
Threshold,” you’ve got the following lyric: “Life
takes time then time takes life. Now the next
move’s up to me.” That’s pretty deep stuff. Do
you ever write poetry and think, “That’s good,
but wouldn’t fit in the context of a song,” and
then keep it for your poetry? Is everything fair
game for a Silver Jews lyric? What would be off
limits?
DB: I probably wouldn’t say a piece of good writing
wouldn’t fit without going through the fitting first. In
a worn out small perimeter medium like rock music
lyrics you’re wasting everybody’s time if you’re not
trying to bring anything fresh to the table. I preserve
good units that get edited out. I don’t know if they’ll
make it over to poetry as much as lay around a recessed
scrapheap.
Anything has a shot [to be included in a Silver
Jews lyric]. City council minutes; bugspray minutiae;
mistranslations. I try to stay away from out and out
blasphemy, I guess.
AG: You’re about to embark on your second
touring cycle after the release of a new record. Do
you see yourself doing the conventional: record an
album, release it, tour, talk to the press type thing
for a while, or might you switch to something
else?
DB: I guess if I wanted to live through cycles like that
I should have gotten into farming. It seems weird.
So many people like me have their act together; that
instead of dropping dead like nature intended, they’re
coming back alive and releasing new music. The rock
and roll career is starting to look more and more like
competition for tenure.
AG: When was the last time you really sat down
and listened to the Arizona Record?
DB: Summer of 2002.
AG: How about Starlite Walker?
DB: 2003.
AG: Are you excited to play New Orleans? The city
inspired one of your best songs.
DB: I have a whole separate wing of my memory for
time spent in New Orleans.
AG: Have you ever played the song “New Orleans”
live?
DB: Yes. I definitely will make sure to play it in New
Orleans, but not in the cities adjacent to New Orleans,
in order to make it a specifically local event.
AG: How do you pick your set list these days? About
how many songs does the band know?
DB: I guess thirty-five? I cut it down to twenty-five.
Some are just no fun for me to do. Really, there are no
more than fifteen I’m really happy with at one time.
AG: What new song do you look most forward to
playing live?
DB: The first one on the album.
AG: What older song do you look most forward to
playing live?
DB: I like to play a lot of songs off the second album.
“How to Rent a Room.”
AG: What song on the last tour got the biggest
reaction from the crowd? Why do you think that
song got such a positive reaction?
DB: I think it was “Tennessee.” I don’t know why. It
was something they loved in Ireland.
The Silver Jews and James Jackson Toth play One Eyed
Jacks on Wednesday, September 17th. For more info, go
to silverjews.net.
photo by brent stewart
antigravitymagazine.com_13

FEATUREMUSIC
WHAT STYLE? OUR STYLE: L. STEVE WIL-
LIAMS BRINGS THE ROCK ART CIRCUS
BACK TO THE BIG TOP by brett schwaner
Punk rock is a freakshow, just ask L. Steve
Williams. Known for his 504 What Style
art and design label, Williams is also the
mastermind behind the Big Top’s third
annual Rock Art Circus, a free exhibition set to open
on the evening of September 6th. While the opening
is meant to shine the spotlight on works by local
rock-oriented visual artists, Williams’ event is more
of a sideshow spectacle than a typical run-of-themill
wine glass art opening. Set to feature the works
of several dozen artists and designers, including
members of local rock bands Hawg Jaw, Big Baby,
the Pallbearers, Spickle, Hazard County Girls,
Manwitch and Die Rotzz, the Rock Art Circus will
also feature video presentations, burlesque dancers
and performances by Suplecs and the Bills. And, of
course, circus freaks—lots and lots of circus freaks.
To top it all off, Exene Cervenka, popularly known
as the lead singer of the long-running Los Angeles
punk band X, will serve as the guest of honor at this
year’s event. ANTIGRAVITY got in touch with
Williams for a brief chat about bringing together art
and rock n’ roll.
ANTIGRAVITY: How did your idea for the Rock Art
Circus first come together?
LSW: My original plan was actually to have the first
Rock Art Circus in 2005. It was going to be at TwiRopa,
but then Katrina came along and we weren’t able to go
through with it. We picked up the idea again in 2006
and brought it to the Big Top. Since then, we’ve tried
to make it bigger and better every year, but our idea has
always been to feature art, music, videos, and burlesque
performance together at one show. The Rock Art Circus
itself revolves around individuals who do artwork
around the local music scene, whether they’re in bands
or draw their influences from rock music.
AG: You’ve been involved with rock-oriented art and
design for quite awhile now. What were your earlier
openings like, as compared to the Rock Art Circus?
LSW: For me, it’s always been about bringing music
and art together. 2000 was really the peak of doing my
own art shows. I’d been doing small rock art festivals
here and there, showcasing local bands and artists. In
the beginning, I did a lot of openings at hair salons on
Magazine Street. In the early days, I really enjoyed doing
shows with the guys in Black Belt, who had previously
been in a ska-punk band called the Supaflies in the late
’90s. Earlier on in my art career, my biggest influences
were KISS album covers and Derek Riggs, who did
artwork for Iron Maiden’s albums. Seeing Pink Floyd’s
The Wall kind of changed the way that I looked at the way
visual presentation could be used in the rock genre.
AG: How did Exene Cervenka come to be involved
with the event?
LSW: It started to take shape last year. I kept running
into Exene at shows around town and random places
here and there. Our friendship started when we accused
each other of stalking the other. After we had a laugh
about it, I talked to her about some of the projects that
I was doing. She’d also been doing some spoken word
and collage art in recent years, aside from being in X.
She was pretty interested in the Rock Art Circus idea.
AG: You’ve got a pretty impressive roster of local
artists scheduled for this year. How did this lineup come
together?
“Most of us are low-brow renegades
working on our own styles”
LSW: Most of them are in bands themselves, with a
couple of exceptions. I look for very unique artwork—
the kind of stuff that most galleries aren’t into. This isn’t
an opening for the usual Julia Street art crowd. Most of
us are lowbrow renegades working on our own styles;
most of us were born and raised here. The influence
of having lived in this city for so long kind of shows
through on our work. For a lot of them, this will be
their first opening. Mike from Hawg Jaw showed me his
work at last year’s show and I liked it a great deal, so
that’s how his involvement started. I try to fit everyone
in who has an interest in rock-related artwork. I always
try to encourage people to get in touch with me and get
involved.
AG: What current local artists do you draw inspiration
from these days?
LSW: If you’re into female rock, check out Manwitch.
There’s also a new band called Terranova that I think is
worth checking out. I also really like what the guys in
Grisley are doing. It’s sort of along the lines of Snapcase
or Hot Water Music-type of punk rock. I’m a huge
fan of anything that King Louie is into. Also, anyone
who likes Sonic Youth should check out Big Baby. I’ve
worked with most of these bands a little bit here and
there, either doing artwork for them or sometimes just
behind the scenes.
AG: How will this year’s exhibition differ from
previous years?
LSW: We’re definitely more organized now. We’ve got
Randy Perez from Time Code: NOLA running the video
elements of the presentation this time. In past years I
tried doing it myself, but I ended up running around like
a madman trying to coordinate everything. We’re going
to be showing some risqué music videos and clips of local
artists performing. We’ve got two of the top burlesque
dancers in the city, Bella Blue and Roxie Le Rouge, set
to appear. Suplecs is always our main musical attraction
and I think that having the Bills playing surf rock adds
another dimension to the overall presentation. We’re
also going to have the Skeleton Krewe on-hand, with
guys running around in monster costumes, fire-dancers,
and stilt-walkers. We’re really trying to make it as much
of an interactive experience as possible. The first year
we held the opening, we broke the Big Top’s attendance
record. The second year, we broke that record again.
I’m optimistic that we’ll have another positive turnout
this year.
The 504 What Style Rock Art Circus f/ the Bills, Suplecs
and Exene Cervenka is scheduled for Saturday, September
6th at the Big Top. Admission is free. For more info, go to
504whatstyle.com or 3ringcircusproductions.com.
14_antigravity: your new orleans music and culture alternative

COVER FEATURELOCAL BUSINESS
STILL SPINNING: AG ROUNDS UP THE
RECORD STORES OF NEW ORLEANS
How’s that iTunes thing working out for you? Getting much out of that? Are you satisfied with your virtual library, your
stream of album covers 72 pixels strong and a song list that looks more like your email account than your book shelf?
Or is there something missing, something Pandora, Limewire, Emusic or any other online “service” can’t really give
you? If you feel that finding music is more like picking produce than using a search engine, than these next few pages
are for you. ANTIGRAVITY took stock of the record stores in New Orleans and found a reason to celebrate: we’re loaded. While
some of you might still be mourning the loss of such fine institutions as the Magic Bus and Rocks Off; or digging even further
back, Underground Sounds and CD Warehouse—there are plenty of fresh, new record shops to cater to your listening pleasure,
as well as a few survivors. We pried our fingers off our keyboards long enough to venture out into the city and find out the stories,
triumphs and philosophies behind these shops, their owners and the neighborhoods they call home.
DOMINO SOUND
It might have been easy to laugh at Matt Knowles, better
known as the reggae-lovin’ DJ Prince Pauper, when he
opened his Domino Sound Record Shack on Bayou Road a
little over a year and a half ago. Stocking only vinyl and cassette
tapes seemed quixotic at best and naive at worst, but Knowles’
stubbornness has paid off. A constantly updated inventory and
a broad selection from African to punk ensures a steady stream
of customers. And although part of the vinyl exclusivity is a
personal choice, it’s also turning out to be a sound business
decision: “We are pretty sure that the CD is going the way of
the 8-track and reel-to-reel in the near future and that vinyl will
most likely be the only current format that lasts as a way to get
music as a piece of art...a viable piece of something that you
can hold and look at and touch,” Knowle told AG in an e-
mail. You could describe the strip of Bayou Road that Domino
resides on in the same way. An Afrocentric bookstore teeming
with interesting titles and a Jamaican restaurant flooding the
streets with sweet-smelling barbecue make for an eye-opening
sensory experience. In the coming months, Domino will be
branching out as a record label in addition to being a physical
shop, with a release by Why Are We Building Such a Big Ship?
slated for October. —Dan Fox; Photo by Dan Fox
Domino Sound Record Shack is located at 2557 Bayou Road in
New Orleans. For more info, call 504.309.0871.
SKULLY’Z
The idea of a new record store on Bourbon Street probably
confused a few people as they tried to picture fighting
that crowd to get to any place they’d want to shop at
regularly. But it turns out that Skully’z Recordz is on one of the
saner blocks, across from the Clover Grill and Mary’s Hardware.
The size of a big closet, Skully’z makes up in selection what it
lacks in personal space. Just beyond a traditional New Orleans
section—a profitable nod to the store’s location—lies a wide
array of contemporary and classic releases of all genres. On a
recent trip I was able to pick up a couple of Kimya Dawson
CDs in addition to Beck’s latest and Saul Williams’ self-titled
album. Owner Scott Wells’ business plan is the same as anyone
running a successful shop: he makes the place one he would
want to visit. Wells is experiencing a steady demand for vinyl,
which he says is actually fueled by people under twenty-five.
Another surprise? How well the new Madonna album, Hard
Candy, is doing on vinyl. It makes an audiophiles’ heart crackle
with hope. —Dan Fox; Photo by Dan Fox
Skully’z Recordz is located at 907 Bourbon St. in New Orleans.
For more info, call 504.592.4666 or go to myspace.com/
skullyzrecordz.
antigravitymagazine.com_15

COVER FEATURELOCAL BUSINESS
THE IRON
RAIL
The Iron Rail Bookstore & Library is located at
511 Marigny St. in New Orleans. For more info
call 504.944.0366 or go to ironrail.org.
Just out of earshot of the French Quarter,
on the other side of Elysian Fields sits
a large brick building with a sign out
front that welcomes any and all passersby to
the Iron Rail Bookstore & Library—though
don’t let the name fool you. In addition to its
ever-expanding zine library, book collection
and other resources, the Iron Rail also offers
a good selection of punk and hardcore, metal
and local records. But what makes their
selection really pop is the small but caredfor
used record section, which has become a
swapping ground for some of the city’s DJs.
This means that in addition to stocking up
on Ebullition’s latest release or a Bikini Kill
album, you can score classics like Herman
Kelly & Life’s Percussion Explosion. One of
the Iron Rail’s best features is its mobility;
you can catch the Iron Rail at most book
fairs and some shows around town as well,
usually at the Big Top or the Dragon’s Den,
with promoter Bryan Funck scowling at
you from behind the table. This also means
if you missed getting a CD from a touring
punk band you can probably get it through
the Iron Rail. AG talked briefly to Funck
about the Iron Rail, which he explained is
completely volunteer-run and in keeping
with its revolutionary spirit, is governed
collectively. When asked about the records
the Iron Rail carries, Funck responded: “We
want to destroy Capitalism, but until then,
we just try to keep the prices as cheap as
possible.” —Dan Fox; Photo by Dan Fox
LOUISIANA
MUSIC
FACTORY
PEACHES
The demise of the Virgin Megastore and Tower Records soon after Katrina was a
disappointment to a lot of music-buyers in town, so who would guess that a longtime staple
of the city would resurrect itself to take their place, providing not only a high-profile shop
on a French Quarter street but a locally-owned one to boot. Upon entering their new location,
where one of the original deep blue Peaches signs stands triumphantly overhead, it’s clear that
owner Shirani Rea is ready to revive this New Orleans institution. Operating for thirty-seven years,
Peaches has long been a champion of local musicians (its last remaining location at Gentilly and
Elysian Fields was widely known for its healthy stock of local bounce rap), and with the new
location comes new opportunities to promote local music. In addition to stocking CDs and records
from all types of acts (A quick browse turned up the new Hellkontrol 7” as well as a VHS copy of
Cash Money’s iconic Baller Blockin’—how’s that for NOLA variety?), Peaches is also setting up to
be a live show space and music distributor. This multimedia, multidimensional approach, or as Rea
puts it, “cultural experience” is part of a business plan to stay relevant during the music industry’s
transitional times. The front of the store, with its trademark floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking
South Peters, features book racks and a cafe that will stock Liuzza’s gumbo and host a “coffee
hour” with live performers. With such a fresh layout and ambitious plans, the new Peaches is
making us all quickly forget about those other two stores. —Dan Fox; Photo by Dan Fox
Peaches Records is located at 408 N. Peters St. in New Orleans. For more info, call 504.529.4411.
Before Katrina, I bought a vinyl copy of Jimi Hendrix’s Are You Experienced? from
the Louisiana Music Factory for three dollars. It had a number of scratches on it,
but damn if it didn’t play perfectly. Since Katrina, the sixteen year-old store has
emphasized vinyl less because of limited space, but at the same time they have more rock
vinyl on display since Tower Records and Virgin Megastore closed, and they were known
for their rock selection. The Music Factory has removed the older vinyl, kept the high
quality selections and welcomed the opportunity to sell new vinyl. According to owner
Barry Smith, the Music Factory has “by far the most thorough and complete collection of
local music in the city.”
Who’s to argue? Their bottom floor is now completely local. Upstairs, you’ll find a new
DVD section, a ceiling lined with t-shirts, a back wall lined with posters, national and
international CDs, and the afformentioned soul, R&B, rock, and jazz vinyl. Local vinyl
releases are also up there. A treasure trove is their collection of .45s, which, according to
the sign on the shelves, is “mostly traditional jazz, dance bands, banjo players, some classic
blues--good stuff.”
Since the store’s beginning, local artists have played at the Music Factory on Saturday
afternoons. Back in the day, Kermit Ruffins or Tuba Fats and the Chosen Few Brass Band
might play every Saturday during a month. These days you’ll find Jimmy Robinson playing
alongside 007 or Little Freddie King. Their JazzFest live schedule, which showcases at
least sixty bands, has become almost as comprehensive as the actual JazzFest lineup.
“It’s one of the few times when I can step back and appreciate the store from a different
angle,” Smith said. “It’s easily the most rewarding time of year. The store gets packed with
people from different countries.” Do yourself a favor and click the link to the YouTube
videos from the 2008 Jazzfest in-stores at the Louisiana Music Factory website.
After the interview I descended the stairs and saw Coco Robicheaux chatting with the
clerks about Burning Man and how well his CDs are doing. “This is what it’s about,” I
thought. “Local artists having a home for their music.” —Jason Songe; Photo by Zack Smith
Louisiana Music Factory is located at 210 Decatur St. in New Orleans. For more info, call
504.586.1094 or go to louisianamusicfactory.com.
16_antigravity: your new orleans music and culture alternative

COVER FEATURELOCAL BUSINESS
THE MUSHROOM
The Mushroom might look like it grew from hippie roots, but its birth
is a far more extreme story than their subdued black light posters may
lead you to think. As legend goes, the Tulane student body became
radical with protests of Vietnam in 1969, occupied the university center
and burned down the ROTC building. During negotiations between the
protesting student body and the upper crust at the university, a settlement
was reached where the students would receive their own book store and thus
the Mushroom was born—in a back room of the Phelps dorm, selling books,
comics, incense and soap, with music not coming until later. But when it did
the place blew up quickly, inviting many non-students to the campus shop to
talk and trade. Soon it swelled to where the Mushroom became the largest
vinyl record store in the southern United States, but they got kicked off the
university campus in 1971 and set up shop above Eddie Price’s, now known
as the Boot.
The Mushroom has been there ever since—right on what has become
Frat Row, within walking distance to two of the city’s major universities
while selling everything: new and used CDs, vinyl records, movies, posters,
incense, jewelry and a plethora of pipes that allow you to cleverly and
creatively smoke tobacco.
It’s hard to be a college music store when the majority of the college kids
are strictly downloading songs, both illegally and through legit means. Only
about 30% of the Mushroom’s business comes from the Tulane and Loyola
crowd. The rest comes from locals—collectors who will show up week after
week, looking for something. The Mushroom is one of those places that
decided to eschew the technological dawn of the twenty first century, with its
internet-based sales and corporate chains—they come from a time where a
record store was something much more than a place to simply buy a CD or an
album, and the Mushroom’s owner, Tim, stresses this. “We believe its gotta
be worth the trip. We gotta give them something to find. The collectors gotta
be able to hunt, They gotta come here and walk away with treasure.” That’s
what makes the Mushroom worth it, the idea that people can leave with
something worth coming out for. And, as Tim said, “They got something
that means something to them.” —Caroline DeBruhl; Photo by Dan Fox
The Mushroom is located at 1037 Broadway St. in New Orleans. For more info,
call 504.866.6065.
JIM RUSSELL’S
In the late ’50s and early ’60s, James Russell was a local concert promoter who was put in jail again
and again for booking white musicians in black clubs and vice versa. Russell, who invented the term
“sock-hop,” was also a manager who represented Deacon John, Eddie Bo, the Dixie Cups, Ernie K-
Doe and many others. He was selling records out of his car when he decided to get more serious about
distribution and in 1967 opened a wholesale store at 1837 Magazine Street. He closed and re-opened in
1969 as a retail store in the same location. This was the beginning of Jim Russell’s Records, which is now
the longest-lasting music store in New Orleans.
Walking into Jim Russell’s is overwhelming. Countless boxes of .45s are stacked high and hundreds,
maybe thousands, of ten-inch vinyl records line the bottom of the CD aisles, out of sight. That’s just the
beginning. There’s a side room where vinyl is stacked with no particular reason, a scavenger’s wet dream.
The back room is the rock room, which easily wins the prize for the largest selection of rock vinyl in the
city. During a tour of the store by co-owner Denise Russell, wife of Jim Russell, Jr., she led me past the rock
room to what looked like a dead end. Then she pushed open a door and there was another huge room full
of vinyl that could be a
store unto itself. And
then to know there’s
more upstairs! Russell
said she and her
daughter are constantly
rummaging through the
unseen back room and
selecting quality vinyl
to bring to the front.
Jim Russell’s had
a particularly good
JazzFest in 2008.
The record players
used for listening
were always manned,
usually by foreign
DJs in New Orleans
to attend the festival.
Unfortunately, the
store seems to be better
known internationally
than locally. Russell
said locals frequently
walk in and say, “I’ve
never been here before.
How long has it been here?” She said one time a local woman even
apologized to her for not having visited the store sooner.
Despite the JazzFest sales, the store is struggling. The city raised
her property tax from $1600 per year to $5400, and her regulars from
before Katrina have either not returned or understandably don’t have
the disposable income for records. So we have to be careful not to lose
this internationally known treasure trove—if you’ve got a turntable at
home, swing by Jim Russell’s because you’ll likely find a couple, or ten,
quality records to load onto your deck.—Jason Songe; Store photo by Dan
Fox; Denise Russell photo by Zack Smith.
Jim Russell’s Records is located at 1837 Magazine St. in New Orleans. For
more info, call 504.522.2602 or visit jimrussellrecords.com.
antigravitymagazine.com_17

BEST SAINT EVER?
PLUS: SEASON PREDICTIONS AND MORE
by nicholas simmons
Well, it’s finally here. Football season. And with it comes Madden ’09, fantasy football
drafts and the not-so-glamorous stuff like pregame shows that last too long and cruddy
announcing by the truckload. But it’s here, and I can’t be happier. There’s nothing
better than waking up on a Sunday morning to find the weather’s turned cooler before
starting a pot of coffee, slapping on the ol’ Deuce McAllister jersey and heading over to Handsome
Willy’s to lube the brain before a home game. Or kicking it at home with a buffet, friends, an HDTV
with the NFL Sunday Ticket and a laptop with a running stream of live fantasy scores.
This is the third season-opening edition of this column, and as you see it’s moved to a new home of
sorts. This is the first edition of the new ANTIGRAVITY supplement, HOMEFIELD ADVANTAGE,
and while this column will stay the same for the most part there will be some changes. Game previews
will be expanded and all on their lonesome—the extra space allows us to add a couple new features,
like “Ex-Saint to watch out for” and “HA’s Madden Season Says,” where we look for ex-Saints on
opponents’ rosters and deem them worry-worthy or not, and detail how this game played out in AG’s
Madden ’09 franchise season. The meat of this column is discussion of Saints-related news and subjects
sometimes related to specific games or sometimes because it just piques my interest.
BOBBY HEBERT—GREATEST SAINT EVER?
ESPN.com recently had a SportsNation poll that asked fans for the best player in each NFL franchise’s
history. Considering the Saints’ poor all-time record (254-367-5) and the number of true New Orleans
players in the Hall of Fame (0, with Jim Finks the lone representative for his role as the Saints best GM
ever), it’s not surprising that the pickings would seem slim to everyone but us hardcore Saints fans. That
said, the selection of Bobby Hebert as the greatest Saint ever absolutely astounded me.
Here are the options ESPN provided, along with their percentage of the vote: Hebert (43.4%), Archie
Manning (23.8%), Willie Roaf (10%), Rickey Jackson (8.4%), Deuce McAllister (5.2%), Sam Mills
(3.8%), Pat Swilling (2.5%), Joe Horn (2.4%), Dalton Hilliard (0.2%), Danny Abramowicz (0.2%).
Total votes: 64, 683.
Rickey Jackson has at least been mentioned for the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and Willie Roaf will
almost certainly be selected when he becomes eligible in 2010 (whether he goes in as a Saint remains to
be seen after the nasty feud that ended with him being traded to Kansas City in 2002). Now, having Hall
of Fame credentials doesn’t necessarily make you the best player ever, but clearly Saints fans went in a
nostalgic direction with this pick, and that makes it even more curious. Sure, Hebert is from around here
and fans maybe gave him the hometown nod, but if you’re really going to go the nostalgic route why
not vote for Archie Manning? Manning owns Saints records for yardage (21,734), completions (1,849),
attempts (3,335) and, yes, interceptions (156), besides owning all the beatings opposing defenses gave him
and essentially becoming an ambassador to the media for both the city of New Orleans and the Saints.
Meanwhile, in Hebert’s eight years with the Saints he threw for just 25 more TDs (85) than Jim
Everett did in three years (60). Hebert trails Manning in yardage by 7,104, played 56 fewer games than
Archie and won fewer playoff games with the Saints than Aaron Brooks. At this point, if you were
going to take Hebert over any of the other candidates for hometown favor, why not go all the way and
just write in John Fourcade?
Hebert was an integral part of those dominant Saints teams from ’87 to ’92, but the fact remains that
those teams were built on defense and you can’t overlook him bolting for the Atlanta Falcons. If you
can stomach Hebert being the best Saint ever while knowing he mocked you by running around with
his arms out and pretending to be a falcon after scoring a TD during a playoff game in the Superdome,
you’re a better person (but worse fan), than I.
I know Saints fans are a vocal bunch, but the sheer number of votes cast (64,683) confused me a bit.
Here’s a look at the winners from the rest of the NFC South and the number of votes cast for each team:
Tampa Bay (Derrick Brooks), 41, 889; Atlanta (Deion Sanders); 37, 980. Carolina (Steve Smith),
33, 099. And from the teams who competed in last season’s Super Bowl: New England (Tom Brady),
64,444. New York Giants (Lawrence Taylor), 51, 989.
So Saints voters outnumbered both Super Bowl teams (one by almost 13,000) and voted for the least
likely candidate? I don’t often listen to Hebert’s radio show on WWL 870am, so I’m curious if this vote
ever came up on the air because that may be the best explanation. If you have any info, feel free to drop
me an e-mail at simmons@ antigravitymagazine.com.
JASON DAVID REVISITED
Yes, I’m on record as stating that 2008 would be a bounce back year for cornerback Jason David.
If the football gods were
to mold the perfect
superfan out of Mardi
Gras beads, daiquiris
and pure love for the New
Orleans Saints, they’d
produce Supa Saint. The
golden mustached one played
the piano to release his pain
after the Saints lost the NFC
Championship game in 2006,
celebrated the opening of
football season by walking
around New Orleans with a
40oz and a boombox blasting
Guns ‘N’ Roses’ “Paradise
City” and recently appeared
in a WDSU Channel 6 TV
commercial with the Hornets’
mascot, Hugo.
With the 2008 season
upon us, HOMEFIELD
ADVANTAGE thought it’d
be good luck to see how Supa
Saint prepared for this season,
so we met him at a pool on the
roof of a Julia St. building to
talk about his favorite Saints
offseason moves, Jason David
and 190 Octane.
Continued on Page 21... Continued on Page 20...
LOOK, UP IN THE SKY!
IT’S A BLOODY MARY!
IT’S A FLEUR DE LIS!
IT’S SUPA SAINT!
THIS GOLDEN-HAIRED SUPERFAN BRINGS
HIGH OCTANE PARTYING TO SECTION 330
by leo mcgovern
Homefield Advantage: What’s Supa Saint been up to since the end of 2007?
Supa Saint: I like to come up here on Friday afternoons, kick back with my 190 Octane.
Watch the sun set over the Superdome. I don’t live here, I just hop the fence, but I don’t
think they mind. I’ve been living on the side of the Superdome, they have a fence that goes
around the dumpster area and I’ve made my Supa Saint headquarters there. I’ve been living
there since the last game of last season, making ends meet by eating the leftover hot dogs
and nachos and waiting for the new season.
HA: What’s your favorite off-season move the Saints have made?
SS: I like Charlotte, a new Saintsation. She’s got some good measurables, good athleticism,
agility, flexibility, really good body type. As far as new players, I like the Jeremy Shockey
and Jonathan Vilma moves equally. Vilma might get a slight nod.
HA: ESPN recently had a SportsNation poll that asked fans to name their team’s best
ever player. Saints fans picked Bobby Hebert as the best player in Saints history. What
do you think about that?
SS: I like Bobby. Look, Bobby and I go way back. We go fishing on Sundays, he watches
my kids while I’m out of town—he’s a good kid. I’ve got to say Drew Brees is already the
best player in our history, though. He’s my boy.
homefieldneworleans.com_19

HOMEFIELD ADVANTAGESPORTS
“I will get Section 330 of the Superdome rocking
each and every Sunday, you better believe that.”
HA: What’s your favorite Saints moment of all time?
SS: You know what really hits me in the heart, even just
thinking about it—see these goosebumps right here? In that
Falcons game, the first game back in the Superdome, with
the national spotlight on us…for my boy Steve Gleason to
break through the line and block that punt. If he were in
the Olympics coming off the diving board, as fast as they
go in that water with no splash, he’d get a 10.0 for the way
he executed. After they took it to the end zone, I can’t
remember anything that felt quite like that.
HA: What’s your least favorite Saints moment of all
time?
SS: Probably the first four games of last year. I wasn’t
drinking 190 Octane then, I was drinking Mind Erasers.
Really, though, it had to be the early ’80s and the Ditka
days. I’d love to forget those, but I can’t.
HA: Did those Ditka teams have any good players?
SS: I’d love to tell you there were a couple…
HA: What was your life like growing up?
SS: I don’t know who my parents are, but a lot of people say
that Willie Roaf looks like me, and Joe Horn kind of looks
like me, so I don’t know.
HA: What is Supa Saint’s mission statement?
SS: I was put on the West Bank for three reasons and
three reasons only. One, I will find a shutdown corner to
play opposite Mike McKenzie. There’s a lot of untapped
talent just beyond the concrete walls of the Harvey Canal.
Second, I will get Section 330 of the Superdome rocking
each and every Sunday, you better believe that. Third off,
I will never let Kenny’s Key West shut down ever again,
and I will not rest until all five of those things have been
accomplished or until I have a long night of heavy drinking
in Fat City.
HA: What would you say to the Pro Football Hall of
Fame to make a case for Rickey Jackson?
SS: I’d love to see him make some child support payments
every now and again, but as far as his on the field play,
I don’t think anybody could match that. His stats are
comparable to some of the best linebackers out there, so
I don’t see why not. If it’s just about his play on the field
you’ve got to give it to him.
HA: What words of encouragement would you give to
Jason David?
SS: I’d say, “Look, Jason. I encourage you to become a
lawyer, something else outside of football.” I’ve actually
been working with Jason on his footwork, in this pool right
WHAT THEY’RE SAYING ABOUT THE SAINTS:
here. We run laps inside the pool, with the idea to get our
heart rates up and then we’ve been sharing some antics, so
I take full responsibility—he’s got to be in top shape to play
corner in the NFL.
HA: What’s your game plan for the first regular season
game—any parties or tailgating plans?
SS: Right after this interview I’m going over to Beijing to
work with some of those athletes a bit, trying to get them
going, then I’ll be back before the regular season. We have a
float, called the River Parish Disposal Supa Saint ride, with
a police escort, a DJ, some cold beer and Mardi Gras beads.
We’ll take a few laps around the Superdome and have a
good time.
HA: Prediction time: how are the 2008 Saints going to
do?
SS: Well, when it comes to predictions, you’ve got to
understand that sometimes I have to take a step back, take
off the black and gold shades and really take a good look at
the product on the field. I tell you, I’m thinking probably
19-0, just to be safe. 16 regular season victories, two playoff
victories and a Super Bowl win.
Drink daiquiris with Supa Saint at supasaint.com.
“Shockey’s going to make things more complicated for Sean Payton and the coaching staff—and that’s a good
thing.” —ESPN’s NFC South blogger Pat Yasinskas on the Saints’ use of tight ends as flex wide receivers.
In 2007, Saints TEs flexed, or lined up as a wid
including 2007 NFC Pro Bowler Jason Witten, flexed 108 times for 7.8 yards per play.
20_homefield advantage: the sports supplement to antigravity magazine

HOMEFIELD ADVANTAGEGAME PREVIEWS
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 7TH (NOON)
NEW ORLEANS
VS. TAMPA BAY
The Saints begin the season against their NFC South Division rival at the Superdome. This
Sunday matchup is a far cry from the pomp and circumstance their ’07 opener greeted them
with, a Thursday night game at the Super Bowl champion Indianapolis Colts. This game may
not be much easier, though, as the Bucs are defending NFC South champs and Tampa Bay QB Jeff
Garcia has something to prove after coach Jon Gruden flirted with Brett Favre over the summer. A
good start is a must for the Saints after last year’s 0-4 misstep.
Saints player to watch: QB Drew Brees. We closely watch Brees excel in almost every Saints game,
but he’s had good, not great stats against Tampa last year. In ’07’s first matchup with the Bucs, Brees
threw for 260 yards and 1 TD but also an INT (the Saints lost 31-14). In the second, Brees had 2
TDs but just 179 yards through the air. In neither game did the Saints muster 100 yards rushing as a
team. The Bucs are sure to test the Saints’ revamped secondary early in the game (see Bucs player to
watch below) and it could be up to Brees to put the Saints on the board early and often if it becomes
a shootout. He can’t afford to give away the ball and may have to keep Saints drives alive with his
passing, necessitating more than 179 yards.
Bucs player to watch: This one’s easy: WR Joey Galloway. Over the past four games between the
Bucs and Saints the elderly speedster has torched New Orleans with 19 catches for 500 yards and 5
TDs. In last year’s matchup at the Superdome, Galloway absolutely burned the Saints with 7 catches
for 159 yards, including one catch that went for 60. In fact, in those four games Galloway has had a
catch of at least 44 yards.
Ex-Saint to watch: C Jeff Faine. Faine bolted for Tampa for a $50 million dollar contract and
anchors their offensive line. He’s sure to want to prove the Saints wrong for letting him go and starting
the unproven Jonathan Goodwin, but will he be able to take Sedrick Ellis and Kendrick Clancy?
HA’s Madden ’09 Result: Saints win, 34-7.
HA’s Prediction: Saints win, 27-17.
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 21ST (3:05PM)
NEW ORLEANS
AT DENVER
The Saints defense caught a bit of break when Broncos go-to wideout Brandon Marshall
was suspended for the first three games of the season, likely making Darrell Jackson
the best receiver in Denver’s offense.
Saints players to watch: TE Jeremy Shockey. It’s the Saints’ turn to feature TEs that
matchup well with linebackers down the field. With the attention Saints wideouts should get
(see below), Shockey will get a chance to see some footballs thrown his way, as we should
see the versatility he brings to the table. His run blocking will be a big part of running the
ball at Mile High, and if the Saints can get a running game going early on it’ll just increase
Shockey’s viability on play action passes.
Broncos player to watch: CB Dre Bly. With CB Champ Bailey covering half the field and
likely taking on Marques Colston most of the game, attention should turn to the matchups
other wideouts like Robert Meachem and David Patten will see, and that’s where Bly comes
in.
Ex-Saint to watch: G Montrae Holland. Can Holland block the Saints’ improved defensive
tackles?
HA’s Madden ’09 Result: Saints win, 14-13.
HA’s Prediction: Saints lose 23-30.
Saint Nick, Continued from Page 19...
Yes, I’m willing to admit when I’m wrong. David was so badly booed in the Superdome during
the preseason game against the Texans that it was reminiscent of the battering Aaron Brooks would
sometimes absorb from the fans after he cracked a smile following another interception. You really
wonder how a player who played in every game in three straight seasons for the Indianapolis Colts
(including starting all sixteen regular season games two years in a row) could look as bad as David does
with the Saints. It’s not like Indianapolis is a quality football-barren wasteland like Miami or Atlanta—
David was the starting cornerback on the Colts’ Super Bowl XLII-winning team!
Could David’s career in New Orleans have been over as early as last year’s season-opening loss
to the Colts in Indianapolis? It’s possible that Peyton Manning victimizing him for three TDs in that
game snowballed into a situation where David became the clear cut target of the Saints’ secondary, and
that snowball grew with every game that passed.
It’s not like Saints fans want to boo David. But what we saw against the Texans was not just a little
more of the same, it was the exact same thing we saw last year. David was burned by Texans standout
WR Andre Johnson for a long TD in last year’s regular season matchup. It was déjà vu in the preseason
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 14TH (NOON)
NEW ORLEANS
AT WASHINGTON
The Saints catch the Redskins early in the reign of coach Jim Zorn and the Redskins’
success will probably hinge upon how quickly the team grasps his new offense. RB
Clinton Portis will challenge the Saints’ new look defensive line, though in 2007 he
posted the lowest yardage total (1262) and second-lowest per-rush average (3.9) of his career
(when he’s played 13 or more games). The Saints’ ability to control Washington’s run game
will dictate how many defenders can be used to control the Skins’ potent passing game,
which features speedy WRs Antwan Randel-El and Santana Moss.
Saints players to watch: MLB Jonathan Vilma. Vilma’s the most exciting offseason addition
to the Saints defense, and his play in the pass defense may bear fruit in this game. When
healthy, no Saints linebacker since Sam Mills has had the ability to play both the run and
pass the way Vilma can.
Redskins players to watch: TE Chris Cooley. Cooley led the Redskins in both catches (66)
and TDs (8) in 2007, and as QB Jason Campbell continues to test Zorn’s new offense it only
bears reason that he’ll continue to lean upon the ’07 NFC Pro Bowl tight end. This is why
Vilma vs. Cooley may be the matchup to watch; Vilma’s had at least one INT in each season
he’s played—can he come up with a big play here?
Ex-Saint to watch: LB Alfred Fincher. He’s not going to dominate, but look for Fincher on
special teams.
HA’s Madden ’09 Result: Saints lose, 24-21.
HA’s Prediction: Saints win, 24-21.
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 28TH (NOON)
NEW ORLEANS
VS. SAN FRANCISCO
The Saints have owned San Francisco in coach Sean Payton’s tenure, having outscored the
49ers 65-20 over the past two meetings. The 49ers tried to take off some of the load on
RB Frank Gore and TE Vernon Davis by signing WRs Bryant Johnson and Isaac Bruce,
who new 49ers offensive coordinator Mike Martz is quite familiar with from their days with the
St. Louis Rams. The potential for improvement may have taken a step back with the decision to
start journeyman and ex-Saint J.T. O’Sullivan at quarterback over former first overall pick Alex
Smith and the former wunderkind who started two of the Niners’ final three games of ’07, Shaun
Hill. O’Sullivan knows Martz’ scheme from their time together in Detroit, but it’ll be interesting
to see if O’Sullivan is a capable starting QB or if he was just the one who screwed up the least.
Martz’ return likely means more than ten points worth of production, and his wide open offense
should be yet another test of the Saints secondary, who’ll hope O’Sullivan doesn’t become the
next in a line of ex-Saints QBs to come back and bite us (see Marc Bulger and Jake Delhomme).
Saints players to watch: DEs Will Smith, Charles Grant and Bobby McCray. The Saints
undoubtedly have better talent than the perpetually rebuilding 49ers, and the best way to beat a
team like this is with the pass rush—if Smith, Grant and McCray can get to O’Sullivan and force
him to rush his passes or absorb sacks, not even Frank Gore’s prowess running the ball will be of
much help. It all starts up front, and the Saints could add a few sacks to their season total here.
49ers players to watch: RB DeShaun Foster. Before becoming expendable in Carolina when first
round pick DeAngelo Williams took over as the Panthers’ feature back, Foster had 35 carries for
184 yards and 2 TDs against the Saints in their two 2006 meetings.
Ex-Saint to watch: QB J.T. O’Sullivan.
HA’s Madden ’09 Result: Saints win, 10-0.
HA’s Prediction: Saints win 37-17.
rematch, only this time it was Kevin Walter (who?) burning David.
When “embattled cornerback” is so often used to describe you that it begins to sound like your first
name, it might be time to move on to a new place.
PLAYOFFS?!?!
Okay, it’s time for more fearless predictions. In 2006 we were correct in saying the Saints would go
to the playoffs, and in 2007 we were also correct in saying that most teams regress after a breakout year
(though we were optimistic the Saints would beat that curse, for what it’s worth). So what’s our take on
2008? The defense is still a bit of a question mark (with an okay performance in the preseason game at
Arizona, a downright disgusting one at home vs. the Texans and a dominant performance in Cincinnati
against a Bengals team missing both WRs Chad Johnson and TJ Houshmanzadeh, “uneven” is best
used to describe the new-look Saints D so far), but if they can hold teams to 20 or fewer points you have
to believe the potent Saints offense will win a lot of games for us. We say the Saints will return to the
top of the NFC South with a 10-6 record and we’ll see what happens in the playoffs.
homefieldneworleans.com_21

FEATURE REVIEWMUSIC
ZYDEPUNKS
FINISTERRE
(NINE MILE)
by caroline debruhl
Like Degas, absinthe,
and Napoleon on
his better days, New
Orleans has claimed the
Zydepunks as their own.
While band members were raised all across the country,
it’s here they lay their heads and base their band. With
three albums already under their belt, 2004’s 9th Ward
Ramblers, 2005’s …And The Streets Will Flow With
Whiskey and 2007’s Exile Waltz, the Zydepunks prepare
to release their fourth, Finisterre, on September 5th at
One Eyed Jacks. Formed in 2004, the Zydepunks have
built a following throughout the Crescent City as well as
all over the world by playing their eccentric versions of
multi-cultural folk songs and original songs that change
languages as often as they change keys. While having a
love affair with the entire continent of Europe, the band
has also gotten mentions in national publicans such
as USA Today and Rolling Stone. While the Zydepunks
may not be from New Orleans, the city did bring them
together. Singer, fiddler and accordion player Juan
Christian Kuffner met accordion player Eve in an almost
serendipitous way, by stumbling upon her playing her
accordion in Jackson Square. Kuffner grabbed his fiddle
and joined her, but on the next day Eve left for a threeyear
stay in Spain, so Kuffner took up the accordion in her
absence, playing along with Louisiana native Joe McGinty.
Shortly after Eve’s return to the States, the gang started
playing together as the Zydepunks. Later, drummer Joe Lilly
was added to the mix to churn out the punk beat and Patrick
Keenan joined the rhythm section on bass. After Katrina,
The Zydepunks lost both McGinty and Keenan. Denis Bonis
now plays the violin for the band and the band has had two
bass players: Paul Edmonds, who played between 2006-
2007, and their current bass player, Scott Potts.
While Finisterre isn’t as multilingual as the earlier
Zydepunks albums, it’s still rich with ethnic influences,
from the fast-paced Cajun folk songs that The Zydepunks
are known for Irish shanties, Klezmer numbers, Slavic
dances and songs that gracefully blend them all together.
While it’s just as fierce as their other albums, there is a
contrast to Finisterre’s sound and Exile Waltz’s. The latter
is a rich zydeco-based album filled with traditional songs
and sounds, while the former is ripe with other influences
and has more of an individual characteristic to it. In
fact, Finisterre has only one traditional song on it, opener
“Papirossen in Gan Eden.” The other ten are originals that
show the Zydepunks can truly hold their own.
ANTIGRAVITY sat down with Kuffner at the Bywater
coffee shop Coffea to talk about the Zydepunks’ influences,
the differences in playing in New Orleans and overseas and
whether the band should be considered pioneers.
antigravitymagazine.com_23

FEATURE REVIEWMUSIC
ANTIGRAVITY: You guys aren’t all from here.
How did you end up in New Orleans playing music
influenced by Zydeco?
Christian Küffner: I guess it’s different stories for
everyone. Our bass player is from Slidell. He’s the
newest member of the band. I remember the first time
I saw live Cajun music was a band called Mamou,
on Bourbon Street. It was a long time ago. And they
were really good, a bit of metal, of rock, punk. They
never got beyond being a Bourbon street band, but
they were really good and it was the first time I heard
Cajun or Zydeco. That’s where that started.
AG: How have the physical, historical, social
worlds of New Orleans affected your music?
CK: I think that would happen no matter where you
live. But…
AG: Yeah, I mean just the atmosphere of the city
in general. Could Zydepunks be based anywhere?
Could you guys be based out of New York or
Chicago?
CK: Yeah, but not in the same way. It would sound
different.
AG: How so?
CK: That’s a tough question; I’d have to think about
it. [Pause] It’s hard to nail that. I know we have a
Louisianan sound to us. Regardless that we’re playing
Cajun and Zydeco, there’s something in the way we
sound that’s Louisiana. Maybe that there is no guitar?
Yeah, maybe because people in New Orleans use a lot
differently, be differently. You know, the Dubliners
were around back where everyone in Dublin was
working in factories and not for Microsoft. Same thing
with the Balfa Brothers. They were farmers. But a lot
of the Cajun bands now, they’re not farmers anymore.
Some of them are, but not many.
AG: So you think losing part of that culture affected
the growth of the music?
CK: Yeah, totally. A friend of mine moved to
Portland, Oregon, and I didn’t realize it but Kevin
Burke, who’s one of the most famous Irish fiddlers in
the world, lives there and my friends that live there,
the ones from Thibodaux, we talked about the fact
that culture is pretty much dead compared to what
it used to be. You can play Cajun music—we played
a zydeco festival in Holland this summer and of all
the bands we were the only Louisianan band. Which
is ironic because we are the most untraditional band
there, but they had bands from Germany, Denmark
and England playing Louisiana music. Most Cajun
and zydeco music is still from here but the whole idea
that anybody can just pick a culture and run with it
didn’t used to be. Now, people can do anything they
want. Germany has a huge Irish punk scene.
AG: Really?
CK: Oh yeah. And Columbia, Argentina, Japan,
they’ve got Irish punk bands. It’s totally defused. Like
Flogging Molly—the last time they came through
here they played with a Japanese Irish punk band. So,
as a business strategy it makes sense—make sure
your band is liquored up and well fed because they’ll
play better. It is what it is. But, in a lot of venues
you play—we played in a lot of small towns—were
different because they don’t have music all the time,
so they make a real effort to make an event out of it.
In the cities it’s a less enthusiastic.
AG: When you write lyrics in different languages,
do you write in English first?
CK: No, not at all. It’s weird because English is by
far my strongest language but it’s easier to write in
Spanish, actually, I don’t know why. It’s not my
strongest language, but I think there’s less pressure if
a lot of people can’t understand you. My Spanish just
flows easier. Words are very phonetic and rhyme very
differently in different languages, and in Spanish or
French it’s a lot easier to rhyme because they have
very common endings.
AG: The first two albums were very multi-lingual,
but Finisterre has only four songs that aren’t in
English. Why did you go in that direction?
CK: I don’t know. There’s not much in other languages
on this album, and I was definitely aware of it. I think
I felt more comfortable as a songwriter—period—to
start writing in English. I felt like I just started writing
better lyrics. Also, two of the songs were written by
someone else. And he only speaks English.
AG: You once said that a band has to evolve slowly.
Is Finisterre your evolution?
“We’ve moved away from doing as
much traditional stuff—it feels like
being in a cover band after a while.”
of instruments that aren’t the standard instruments.
AG: A sort of different question—would the
Louisiana influence have come regardless or only if
the band lived here?
CK: You know, it probably would have. I tried to start
a band like this in Philly. But it didn’t work out. So I
said, “Fuck it, I’ll move [to New Orleans].”
AG: Were the Philly people just not that into it?
CK: I wasn’t there very long, and Northeasterners are
a little harder of a nut to crack. And the people in the
south…in the south, if you ask somebody something,
they say, “Yeah, sounds like a good idea. Let’s do
that!” In D.C. or Philly, people would say, “That
sounds great, give me your number.” And they’d
never call. You know, it’s just harder to meet people.
AG: You list a lot of different influences, from the
Balfa Brothers to the Clash to the Ukrainians. Is
there anyone that you find influenced you the most,
or that you like the best?
CK: No. Not really. I mean, amongst certain genres,
yeah. There’s a lot from the Abshires to the Balfa
Brothers. I mean, there’s just a certain era of really
good recordings. Because, you know the really old stuff
that Alan Lomax got down on CD or tape was…it just
didn’t have the same kind of refined sound as a band,
the old kind of Cajun ballad stuff. It’s good, but once
you hit a point where you have Canray Fontenot and
Balfa Brothers, you have some really good recordings,
but once people started taking rock and roll influences
it really changed. So you only have a certain phase.
Same with Irish music. You have the Clancy Brothers
and the Dubliners and you have a certain phase where
you have real music recorded and then after that you
almost can’t recreate it anymore. People used to live
yeah, you don’t have that anymore. Which is why I
think I find those recordings so special.
AG: Do you think it’s good to have things so
defused?
CK: It’s kind of strange. I mean, the world is changing
so fast. I think because my parents are from the old
world that I have a foot in that kind of mentality. I
remember things being much more traditional when I
was growing up. I’d visit Ecuador, where my mom’s
from, and Ecuador now is just a completely different
world. It was still halfway in the 1800s when I used
to visit.
AG: It’s westernized now?
CK: Yeah, and the internet has changed everything.
You know, people used to talk about albums there
and stuff, but they would only get very limited access.
Now with the internet they’re just as fast as Americans
or Europeans to be at the forefront of things. So
something that would happen in Europe could go to
Ecuador sooner, or Tahiti for example. And that never
used to be the case. It used to take, like, ten years for
albums to get down there.
AG: You just came back from touring in Europe.
What are some of the differences between playing
in Europe and in the states?
CK: A lot. The distances are much shorter. That’s
the first thing. Club owners and venues tend to be
friendlier. They also tend to treat the band better.
Everybody feeds you. Doesn’t matter if you’re in the
country or the city.
AG: That’s a nice perk.
CK: It’s great and makes sense because there’s nothing
worse than showing up to a club and you’re hungry
and you’ve got to pay for your own food. You know,
CK: We’ve moved away from doing as much
traditional stuff—it feels like being in a cover band
after a while. I like the old songs and, who knows, we
might do more traditional stuff again because I think
we’re tired of all the old ones we play. I’ve been playing
a lot of them since before the band. I’ve been playing
some of the same songs for twelve years. I don’t know
what we’re going to do now because I’ve been writing
a little bit, but I need like, a month. I need to lock
myself in a closet and start writing. You don’t know
where it goes. I know that I used to write all the time
and I used to love this really heavy electronic stuff,
but when I sat down to write it was ambient in the
sense that I didn’t know what was going to come out.
I never think exactly, “Okay, this is what I’m going to
do.” I just start playing. I guess that’s how I write. I
very, very rarely make a conscious effort to write.
AG: Is that the same way with the music?
CK: It’s the same as the lyrics. It’s just whatever starts
coming out. It depends also on what I’ve been listening
too. For this album I listened to a lot of music from
France. And a lot of people don’t really know much
about music from France, but this album has a lot of
that sound. But it’s just kind of hard to explain. People
know Irish, people know Cajun but people don’t know
a lot of stuff from France.
AG: I was going to ask what you guys liked about
playing traditional music, but you just said you’re
tired of it.
CK: No, I’m not tired of it. It’s just that we’ve been
playing some of the same things for ten years. I heard
this horrible jackass on WWL radio talking about
how he’d seen Rod Stewart and David Bowie. He
said he loved Rod Stewart because he played old stuff
antigravitymagazine.com_25

FEATURE REVIEWMUSIC
and how he hated David Bowie because he played
new stuff, and I just wanted to strangle this guy. I
mean, what if you did the same interview with Bobby
Hebert for twenty years and don’t get to change? It’s
ridiculous. It just gets to a level where you need to
learn new songs.
AG: There seems to be a lot of bands now that
combine heritage music and traditional music with
rock. Where do you think the Zydepunks fit in with
them?
CK: It’s weird how music progresses back and forth.
I think ska is one of the most interesting progressions
because it starts in Jamaica, goes to England and then
it goes to the East Coast, and then to the West Coast,
and now I’m hearing bands from England that sound
like west coast American ska bands. It’s hard to trace
how these things evolve. With this kind of stuff, there
are a lot of older bands that do folk-punk stuff and I’m
influenced by that. And I find a lot of newer bands are
influenced by Flogging Molly, which to me is a new
band. I like them, but it’s a different wave of people.
Their influences are different. I don’t know why it’s
sort of taken off.
AG: Would you consider the Zydepunks pioneers?
CK: No. I don’t like to talk about myself that way.
You know, you can always go further back with stuff.
I think it would be the Popes more than anything.
There were other bands doing the same kind of thing
at the time but they were the ones that got really,
really popular. I think that broke it open for a lot of
people to take traditional music in another way. It’s
not just that. I was talking to a friend of mine from
Ville Platt the other night and he said, “As much as
I would love for y’all to play in Ville Platt, people
would hate it.” Same thing would happen with the
Lost Bayou Ramblers. They’d be too untraditional.
It’s just crazy to think that. There’s all the other stuff,
very cheesy New Age. Especially with Irish music.
It’s really bad. But even that kind of stuff is a break
form highbrow traditional ideas of how a ballad
should be played.
AG: Do you think there could be a backlash where
people want straight heritage and cultural music
and not this hybrid version?
CK: There is already. We get yelled at by serious
Cajun zydeco dancers at different festivals—they’re
the worst. Even someone like Terrance Simien, who
won a Grammy, gets yelled at by people. I haven’t
really talked to any Cajun zydeco band that hasn’t
very nice to each other about it. I’ve busked in other
cities where there’s a city government that has its act
together and actually regulates it. Like Canada, in
Quebec, Sydney, and Halifax they have specific rules
about what you can and can’t do, you have a license
or you don’t. Up there it’s just a rule. And there are
cops there who aren’t corrupt and just do their work.
Here, sometimes police stop you, sometimes they
don’t. Sometimes you’re supposed to stop at 8pm,
but sometimes you play on. It’s just how usually the
city runs here. There’s no real law and order. People
“We get yelled at by serious Cajun
zydeco dancers at different festivals.”
been told, you know, “This just isn’t your certain
way.” But I don’t think it’s really going to matter.
Now that the genie is out of the bottle, people just
keep messing with music. I don’t think there’s anyway
to go back.
AG: With a lot of traditional and heritage punk
music, there seems to be an element of busking
involved in the shows. Do the Zydepunks have an
element of that?
CK: I used to busk, yeah. There’s a tradition of just
using that kind of music for busking, like bluegrass
or Irish music is used for busking. I don’t know why,
it’s not what it’s traditionally used for—it’s used for
gatherings and dances.
AG: Are the Zydepunks into that too?
CK: Oh yeah, we are. Not in New Orleans so much.
A lot of New Orleans street performers are assholes.
AG: Are they?
CK: Oh, yeah. Ter-ri-torial shitheads. You’d show up
with your amp and start playing, and they’d just give
you bullshit.
AG: What would they do? Did a living statue chase
you off or something?
CK: Not me, per say. I don’t do it enough to be
territorial about it, like I would be if I did it every day,
but I know people who do and it just makes you want
to stop. It’s not self-regulating. People here just aren’t
that actually do live here and busk aren’t really selfregulating.
A lot of them are great buskers who will
share spaces and work things out. But others are
ruthless, capitalist buskers.
AG: Could you could form this band in Philly
now?
CK: I wouldn’t want to do it in Philly, I think. I was
really mad last time we played there. We didn’t make
any money. There were people at the show but the
money was terrible. East Coast clubs aren’t really as
friendly.
AG: What other cities could you form the band in?
CK: You mean if I had to live somewhere else?
We’re one of the few bands in the south that do this,
especially. There are some bands in Austin, I think. I
don’t even know who they are. I know they’re really
into folk music in Ashville but they’re not so into
punk though. And I know in Knoxville there’s an
Irish punk band. But there is really just not many
in the south. There’s a lot more in the Northwest:
Portland, Oregon. There’s Chicago. New York.
L.A., the usual places. San Francisco. The usual
hubs. The Irish is the one that happens more. It’s
probably everywhere.
The Zydepunks release Finisterre on Friday, September 5th
at One Eyed Jacks. For more info, go to zydepunks.com.
26_antigravity: your new orleans music and culture alternative

REVIEWSBOOKS
CHUCK
PALAHNIUK
SNUFF
(DOUBLEDAY)
Chuck Palahniuk once again delves into the
underbelly of modern America with Snuff. A tale
about a record-breaking gang bang gone slightly awry,
Snuff is grimy, sticky and full of the style and wit that
has made Palahniuk both popular and the subject of
criticism. Like his previous novel, Rant, Snuff is told from
multiple, subjective perspectives: the talent wrangler
Sheila and Misters 600, 137 and 72, all waiting for
their turn with the porn starlet Cassie Wright and each
harboring a secret motivation. Palahniuk loves to cut open society and expose some
of the damper sides of life. Here, he takes us into the world of factory porno, a seedy
sex mill powered by diminished expectations and Astroglide. Though the novel never
plants a morality flag, each character’s life outside of the porn film is so heavy with
defilement and quiet perversions that the film shoot substitutes for everyday society.
Like all of Palahniuk’s previous work, each character is more than a little disgusting,
hides secret shames, engages in peculiar and most times offensive behaviors, etc... The
joy in reading his novels is wallowing in the cesspool his vivid and uncensored prose
provides—no other current author can so horrendously pinpoint the feel of a porno set
so the tacky surfaces and stale smells are almost tangible. And if finely rendered detail
is Chuck Palahniuk’s ace in the hole, then his repetitive style is his biggest detriment.
Once again, each character has hordes of obscure knowledge that is doled out to the
reader in small bites—a device that once felt fresh but now is little more than a parlor
trick. We’re again taken on a narrative journey that gives us a twist, only in Snuff the
twists are evident from a mile away and the ultimate resolution is both muddled by
the unclear narrative structure of the book and in turn is completely unsatisfactory.
With Rant, the storylines converged and then split again into unresolved endings—a
fresh idea, but here the ending is simply blasé, offering no satisfaction. Ultimately, for
fans of Palahniuk’s work Snuff is a minor entry in the catalogue—certainly not his best
work, but laden with enough skin crawling and gut churning imagery to make up for
its bleak and rushed climax. —Mike Rodgers
antigravitymagazine.com_27

REVIEWSFILM
DAVID GORDON
GREEN
PINEAPPLE EXPRESS
(COLUMBIA)
Pineapple Express is a rare thing, a film that capably
handles two wildly divergent genres: the buddy action
flick and stoner comedy. Seth Rogen is Dale Denton, a
process server who witnesses a murder and returns to his
drug dealer Saul, (James Franco), for help. The two hit the
road together, trying to avoid danger at every turn while
staying incredibly high. This is a weed movie for people
who don’t like weed movies; Franco’s Saul is the kind of
lovable pothead that everyone knows and even if everything he says doesn’t always
make sense it’s done with the best of intentions. Rogen’s Dale Denton is a tougher
nut to crack—he’s on the verge of adulthood and it’s interesting to watch the two
sides of his maturity work against him. The laughs come often and everything from
top secret footage of an early marijuana test to an over the top car chase delivers. Of
note is the character Red (Danny McBride), who provides some of the film’s funniest
moments; his unwavering disloyalty throughout much of the film is a real treat to
watch. There is a subplot involving Dale’s relationship with a high school girl, and
while it does serve to underline Denton’s journey from boy to adult and give us a few
moments of the very funny Ed Begley Jr., it ultimately feels unnecessary. The film
is most successful when it focuses on the bond between Saul and Dale, but the most
surprising thing about Pineapple Express is its graphic violence. The film’s action pulls
no punches; it’s pretty brutal for a stoner comedy. People are shot, beaten, and blown
to bits on camera, but somehow the tone never feels inappropriately skewed. In fact,
the hilariously painful battle royale between Dale, Saul and Red could be the film’s
crowning moment, as it blends knockdown physicality with uproarious humor. The
Judd Apatow juggernaut has been on a roll for a few years now, and with films like
Pineapple Express, which successfully retains the formula of past hits while spreading its
wings a bit more, it shows no sign of slowing. —Mike Rodgers
28_antigravity: your new orleans music and culture alternative

REVIEWSCOMICS
GREGG HUR-
WITZ, LAURENCE
CAMPBELL
PUNISHER #61
(MARVEL MAX)
was skeptical, I’ll admit
I it. Anyone who wants to
write Punisher so badly that
he’ll turn Foolkiller into a
third-rate Frank Castle just for
the chance seemed like a guy
who might border on fanficquality
for the character. And
following up Garth Ennis’s long run on the character, which
has had a whole lot of high points? It’s a suicide mission.
But I’ll be damned if Hurwitz and Campbell (ably assisted
by ace colorist Lee Loughridge) didn’t deliver a hell of a
crime thriller here. Un-investigated violence in Mexican
border towns seems to be a comics meme of late (witness
Blue Beetle, Manhunter, etc.), and that’s the central story
here—girls are being abducted by a scary group of people
for unspeakable reasons. Their town in trouble, one man
heads north to find a hero in America who can help them.
It’s the plot that launched a thousand and one westerns, and
Hurwitz makes it interesting largely due to seeing inside
Frank Castle’s head on the thirty-first anniversary of his
family’s death but also because the moment-to-moment
characterization and dialogue is believable and interesting.
Hurwitz makes the reader care about the plight of these
people, fleshing them out in the few pages he has so when the
Punisher inevitably steps in, even at his most ultraviolent, he
comes across not as an unhinged vigilante but a white knight
whose brutal methods are nothing less than what the villains
deserve. It doesn’t hurt that the ambiance in this issue is
dark, moody but absolutely readable, as Campbell turns
in craggy, textured work reminiscent of Michael Lark and
Alex Maleev and frames the story with clear, perfect panelto-panel
storytelling and snapshot moments. Loughridge
serves up a dark world with occasional bright spots in the
form of neon lights and burning cigarettes. It’s a palette built
for crime stories and that’s what Hurwitz has going here, an
intriguing little crime drama whose protagonist just happens
to be the baddest vigilante comics ever created. I know the
inclination for most was probably to bail on Punisher now
that Ennis has had his final say, but if Hurwitz, Campbell
and company can follow up as strongly as they open, that
would be a big mistake. —Randy Lander
G. WILLOW WIL-
SON, M.K. PERKER
AIR #1
(DC/VERTIGO)
Neil Gaiman’s cover quote
for Air indicates that he’s
read the first half-dozen issues
and enjoyed them to no end. I,
on the other hand, have only
read the first issue, and while
it’s not unpleasant I honestly
have no idea what the book is
about. There’s an acrophobic
stewardess, a mysterious man of many aliases, a vigilante
airplane patrol group with sinister leanings and plenty of
fight sequences, but despite all these goings-on there are
only hints about what the book is about, either thematically
or in terms of plot. In addition, while the long game can
work for a series if it’s interesting on a moment-to-moment
basis, Blythe (our lead) takes everything in stride, and so
the weirdness, the excitement and the suspense are nonexistent.
The reader isn’t worried because the character
isn’t worried, and so every event passes with as much
passion and intensity as crossing items off a to-do list. On
the upside, Perker’s artwork is very nice, with beautiful
attention to detail and a style that blends realism effectively
with a touch of stylization, similar to the kind of thing that
Dave Gibbons does so well. And as I said upfront, there’s
nothing particularly wrong with Air. But an unclear premise
and a somewhat dry approach to the writing makes this
another soft Vertigo launch when what they need is another
barn-burner like Fables, Y The Last Man or Preacher, a first
issue that grabs you by the throat and doesn’t let go. Air
more kind of softly nudges you to try and get your attention.
—Randy Lander
There are two different
takes on Venom. One is
that his motivating force is the
symbiote, and without it Eddie
Brock is at best a mediocre
human being. The other is
that Eddie is a true scumbag,
with or without the symbiote.
Truthfully, I prefer the former. Venom: Dark Origin is all about
the latter. We see Eddie doing the wrong thing at every turn,
and he’s a class-A creep, just this side of sociopathic. It’s all
a bit much, especially since writer Zeb Wells is a bit on the
nose in showing that every single thing Brock experiences
ties neatly into what he will become.
Continued on Page 37...
ZEB WELLS,
ANGEL MEDIA
VENOM: DARK
ORIGIN #1
(MARVEL)
antigravitymagazine.com_29

REVIEWSMUSIC
COFFINS
BURIED DEATH
(20 BUCK SPIN)
Like a lot of heavy music,
death metal is enjoying
a surge of popularity in
Japan. Coffins is a Japanese
three-piece that makes
some of the grimiest, heaviest metal on the planet. Lost
somewhere in the vile stew where thrash metal begat
death, Coffins’ sound is rooted in simplistic, though
memorable, riffs. Not unlike early Cannibal Corpse,
there’s a groove to be found in the heavy thrashing—a
song like “Altars In Gore” comes off more like a brutal
retelling of The Stooges than the increasingly technical
playing of modern death metal or grindcore. Coffins’
production also belies some of their other influences.
The guitars are so laden with amp shaking feedback
that they sound like a static wall. The drums are also
recorded strangely for metal record, eschewing the
large, full stadium sound many current bands use for a
chewy, almost “over produced” smack that calls to mind
the avant-garde bands of the ’70s and ’80s, (Eno, Can,
Faust, etc). The title track “Buried Death” is based so
heavily on a drum rolling groove that you can’t help but
notice the flat drums and the unusual tone they add to
the music. Coffins is being distributed in North America
by Southern Lord Records, so as you’d expect the band
also displays a propensity for monolithic chugging at
times. “Cadaver Blood” is two-thirds a creeping metal
dirge with whining feedback and crawling guitars,
while “Mortification To Run” is a full-blown old school
doom track, complete with a most kingly Sabbathian
riff. Koreeda’s deep, deathly growl is nothing to write
home about—it serves its purpose, even occasionally
punctuating its guttural growls with ghoulish screams,
(another connection to early Cannibal Corpse), but
he’s not bringing anything challenging to the vocals
department. Buried Death is a mighty record, a churning,
old school death metal record that favors brutish power
and catchy riffing over technicality. —Mike Rodgers
CSS
DONKEY
(SUB POP)
Great, here we go again.
Another week, another
upbeat, dancey, post-punk
band. Cansei der Ser Sexy,
aka CSS, is yet one more
band in the litany of electro rock and, though in their
face they’re not a bad band, I have to ask, “What are
you doing that makes me interested?” Donkey is a more
polished record, dropping some of the Brazillian funk
of previous releases for a smoother sound. The result
is an album of well crafted, radio ready dance tracks
that keeps just a few hits of that party vibe. Unlike their
early work, which retained some of the garishness and
sharp edges of low-fi electro, CSS’ new sound is, to put
it mildly, boring. Party music should be unhinged, a
celebration of hedonism that forces the listener to move,
but the best Donkey can muster is mild amusement.
Consider me off the dance punk bandwagon if this is
what’s passing for progress. Most of Donkey is cobbled
together from soft guitars, squeaking analog synths
and mid-tempo Kiss FM drumming. The whole thing
sounds so neutered it’s like listening to your parents’
music. CSS are at there “best” when they drop the
rocking and focus more on their obvious ’80s electro
influences—even in this regard all they can muster is
the catchy synthesizer balladry in “Believe Achieve,”
which pales in comparison of the batshit crazy dance
music currently being exported from Brazil, (Bonde Do
Role’s With Lasers, for example). I can’t lob only vitriol
though. The music, weak though it may be, is well
played and written. I’m sure some Apple commercial or
Bacardi advertisement will do well with “Jager Yoga”
playing in the background, but should that really be the
pinnacle of your musical aspirations? —Mike Rodgers
EINSTURZENDE
NEUBAUTEN
JEWELS
(POTOMAK)
Einsturzende Neubauten
have been pushing the
limits of music for decades
now, though not always with record label support. It’s
only natural that the band would eventually find a way to
circumvent that most tired of rock tropes, “The Label,”
and find a better way to release their music. Thus the
supporters album Jewels was born, released track by track
to paid “supporters” of the band’s website. Both the
scattered nature of the recording of these tracks, as well
as Neubauten’s chaotic method of writing songs by card
makes Jewels their least coherent or substantial record in
many years, but it’s still a treasure. Six hundred cards
were labeled with artifacts specific to the band’s idiom,
cryptic items like zinc, sections of older songs, moods,
etc. These cards were doled out and laid like tarot for
each member to interpret and bring what they will to the
session. The result is a Neubauten record where most
songs never stretch beyond the three minute mark. Jewels
feels more like a series of well-produced sketches, like
peering into an artist’s unpublished folio. Sure, the works
feel less complete than their published work, but the ideas
are still invigorating. The music continues the band’s postmillennial
sound, based more in subtle instrumentation
and dignified presence, only punctuated by the occasional
cacophony. Interestingly enough, Jewels, despite its
strange nature, may be Einsturzende Neubauten’s most
accessible point. Newcomers can get a taste of the bands
current, precise and thoughtful sound without being
overburdened by lengthy tracks. So for those who have
tepidly thought of trying out the band, Jewels acts a sort
of sampler, a taste of the bigger ideas that Einsturzende
Neubauten deal in. —Mike Rodgers
I, OCTOPUS &
METRONOME THE
CITY
UNTITLED
(INDEPENDENT)
I
’ve heard it so many
times: a local band trying
to capture a live sound in the
studio. In the past I commiserated with them about their
never-ending plight. Now, though, I’ve figured out why
it’s so difficult—being a studio band and being a live band
are two different talents. Sometimes great live bands that
haven’t yet mastered the art of the studio should leave the
live stuff on the floor. If local instrumental rock group I,
Octopus’ new track, “Craig Has a Beard Now,” which
appears on their split single with Metronome The City,
is any indication, they’re one of these bands. “Craig”
is an unedited twenty-five minute jam that’s misguided
and tedious and should have been edited. There’s little
diversity or melody, just a lot of progressions. It’d be
good as background music but not for repeated listening.
Metronome The City, a local instrumental group that
possesses more of a schizophrenic, metal sound than I,
Octopus, contributed an equally lengthy “Untitled” track
that benefited from editing and splicing. The song begins
with a creepy dissonance before progressing into a hiphop
jam and later a dub excursion led by keyboardist
Brad Theard. The bass line is big and repetitive, providing
the anchor for the other musicians to experiment around.
Thanks to Katrina and a revolving door of members, I,
Octopus has had difficulty recording a proper full-length
record, and “Craig” is a result of the band wanting to
release music as they conceive it. I, Octopus is a great
live group that turns out head-nodding noise excursions
as well as prettier, more contemplative music. They’d
do well to focus on shorter, more direct songs for future
recordings. I have faith “Craig” is just a misstep. —Jason
Songe
Metronome the City and I, Octopus release their split album on
September 20th at One Eyed Jacks with A Living Soundtrack.
For more info, go to myspace.com/metronomethecity or
myspace.com/ioctopus.
MUSIC REVIEWS SPONSORED BY THE OFFICIAL RECORD STORE OF ANTIGRAVITY
30_antigravity: your new orleans music and culture alternative

REVIEWSMUSIC
THE REVIVALISTS
THE REVIVALISTS
(INDEPENDENT)
The Revivalists formed in
the perfect New Orleans
way—as strangers brought
together by music. Singer
David Shaw was playing
guitar on his porch when guitarist Zack Feinberg road by
on his bike, and the fast friends decided to start a band.
Add a classmate, a prodigy and a friend from the Tipitina’s
Sunday Morning Workshop and the Revivalists were born.
Judging them by their self-titled EP, the Revivalists can
play JazzFest and the crowd would love them: the audience
would get funky and sing along to “Common Cents;”
They’d sway to the song “Soulflight;” they’d love them, no
doubt. They blend soul, reggae, blues and funk, and they
do it well. The main obstacle that the Revivalists face is the
New Orleans music scene, that little pond filled with big
fish, and it’s easy for any band to drown. The Revivalists are
good, but they aren’t as funky as the Meters or Soul Rebels
and can’t compete with the force that is Galactic. However,
with a strong EP (as this one is) and some heavy touring,
the Revivalists might have a chance. There are audiences
across the country that are starved for soulful and funky
music, and we’re so spoiled that we’ve been presented with
yet another option. —Caroline DeBruhl
The Revivalists release their self-titled EP on September 19th
at the Howlin’ Wolf. For more info, go to myspace.com/
revivalists.
THE TOMATOES
DIVISIONISM
(REVOLUTION BLUES)
The New Orleans-based
Tomatoes don’t really
need to take shit from
anybody. Judging by their
last album, Trendy, they are
doing just fine. Hints of ’90s greats like Soul Asylum, a rock
and roll wonder like Tom Petty and the Boss can be heard
throughout their sound, and they know how to construct
a good song. Divisionism’s “Harvest,” for example, is a
stripped down song that deals with soul crushing loneliness.
Though the subject matter could lend itself to a boring
song, “Harvest” doesn’t lack substance at all. There’s a
perfect balance of sound and silence, which lets the song get
under your skin and let you feel the loneliness. However,
towards the end it picks up with a heavy riff and allows the
release of pent up emotion. They can also construct a damn
good rock song as well. “When the Walls Come Down”
and “Vendetta” both have enough snarl to be reminiscent
of classic punk, but they don’t overpower. Everything is
balanced and they aren’t afraid to experiment with style
either. “Feeling Right,” a song about the rat race that can
be daily life, is monotonous and pounds into your head,
much like the typical work day. They also sing songs about
giving yourself up to machinery (“The Futurist”) and about
how swell paranoia can be (“Death Ray Days”). One of
the beautiful things about the Tomatoes is the consistency
of their music. You can’t listen to them and pick out single
things that sound great, such as “well, the guitarist really
shines in this song,” or “the lyrics are really sophisticated
in this one.” The members feed off each other and create
a packaged sound. That would be terrible if the Tomatoes
were a mediocre band but luckily they aren’t. They’re solid
on all fronts and Divisionism is another addition to their
solid discography. —Caroline DeBruhl
The Tomatoes release Divisionism on September 18th
at Southport Hall. For more info go to myspace.com/
thetomatoes.
COIN OPERA
WHAT WENT WRONG
WITH THE RIGHT
(UMBRELLA ETIQUETTE)
I
’ve checked the year on Coin
Opera’s new album, What
Went Wrong With the Right,
several times. I can’t help
but worry that there’s been some mix up—that this album
is over ten years old. But each time it says “2008.” What
Went Wrong is an alternative album that would’ve snuggly
fit in music history between the Smashing Pumpkins’ Melon
Collie and the Infinite Sadness and right Elliot Smith’s Either/
Or, probably fondly remembered by adults who’d recall
listening to P. Blue Zusman’s melancholy songs when they
were feeling glum, which in high school should have been
every damn day. However, this album is not twelve years old
and Mr. P. Blue Zusman is alive and well. He was, however,
in the lo-fi band Okiread, which split up in the late ’90s, and
that might explain a thing or two. What Went Wrong seems
to be a “best of the ’90s” compilation, as it nods to all the
alternative greats from the past decade. “The Kids Are Not
Alright” has a noise concerto in the middle of it, a la Sonic
youth. Both “The Prettiest Delay” and “Nobody Street” give
homage to Elliot Smith, the latter with a more bare bones
acoustic sound; “Insignificant Like Ss” and “To Break Your
Heart To” are a hybrid of the lost souls of Billy Corgan.
Coin Opera may sound dated, but that isn’t necessarily a
bad thing. If you’re really into ’90s alternative rock, then
you’ll probably like What Went Wrong With the Right. Just be
warned that Coin Opera isn’t as sophisticated as any of the
bands mentioned. —Caroline DeBruhl
SONIC YOUTH
SYR8: ANDRE SIDER
AF SONIC YOUTH
(SYR)
D
aydream Nation sure was
a great album. Hell,
almost all of Sonic Youth’s
records are good. They write
such beautifully simple songs and then take them to such
strange places. Did you also know that Sonic Youth likes to
make weird, experimental music as well? They sure do, and
thus SYR was born: a label created by the band to release
their more esoteric projects. The eighth in the series is a live
recording of the band’s Roskilde Festival performance with
Swedish saxophonist Mats Gustafsson and Japanese noise
God Merzbow. First things first: you will find no catchy
riffs in this monstrosity, no anthemic choruses. Don’t be
fooled by the slight and subdued jangly intro—the piece
only evolves from there into a free-form, avant-jazz freak
out. Sonic Youth provides the skeleton for the music.
Beneath every section they can be found, guitars moaning
or screaming as needed, drums jazzy at times, crashing at
others. Gustafsson’s sax provides the lead, piercing through
the murky pandemonium like a ghostly noir soundtrack.
Then there’s Masami Akita, who uses his deadly bank of
machinery to wrap everything together in a warm cocoon of
squalls, digital thuds or outright, screeching madness. Like
any good hour-long jam there are tonal shifts throughout—
sections shuffle, bend back and repeat themselves in some
fashion. The music can go from quiet and slightly melancholy
to brash and powerful in only a few time changes and like
any long-winded jam it can sometimes border on tedious.
It’s to the credit of each performer that it rarely does feel
tiresome. The entire performance comes to a blistering head
as Gustafsson’s playing screeches wildly over a cauldron
of synthesized madness. Be forewarned yet again, this is
no follow up to Rather Ripped, it’s a meeting of the minds
between avant-garde musical peers, so if you’re the type to
appreciate lengthy improv and experimental psych-outs,
then dive right in. —Mike Rodgers
antigravitymagazine.com_31

EVENT LISTINGS
NEW ORLEANS VENUES
45 Tchoup, 4529 Tchoupitoulas (504) 891-9066
Banks St. Bar And Grill, 4401 Banks St., (504)
486-0258, www.banksstreetbar.com
Barrister’s Art Gallery, 2331 St. Claude Ave.
The Big Top, 1638 Clio St., (504) 569-2700,
www.3ringcircusproductions.com
The Blue Nile, 534 Frenchmen St., (504) 948-2583
Broadmoor House, 4127 Walmsley, (504) 821-
2434
Cafe Brasil, 2100 Chartres St., (504) 947-9386
Carrollton Station, 8140 Willow St., (504) 865-
9190, www.carrolltonstation.com
Checkpoint Charlie’s, 501 Esplanade Ave.,
(504) 947-0979
Chickie Wah Wah, 2828 Canal Street (504)
304-4714, www.chickiewahwah.com
Circle Bar, 1032 St. Charles Ave., (504) 588-
2616, www.circlebar.net
Club 300, 300 Decatur Street, www.
neworleansjazzbistro.com
Coach’s Haus, 616 N. Solomon
The Country Club, 634 Louisa St., (504) 945-
0742, www.countryclubneworleans.com
d.b.a., 618 Frenchmen St., (504) 942-373, www.
drinkgoodstuff.com/no
Der Rathskeller (Tulane’s Campus), McAlister
Dr., http://wtul.fm
Dragon’s Den, 435 Esplanade Ave., http://
myspace.com/dragonsdennola
Eldon’s House, 3055 Royal Street,
arlovanderbel@hotmail.com
Ernie K-Doe’s Mother-in-Law Lounge, 1500
N. Claiborne Ave.
Fair Grinds Coffee House, 3133 Ponce de
Leon, (504) 913-9072, www.fairgrinds.com
Fuel Coffee House, 4807 Magazine St. (504)
895-5757
Goldmine Saloon, 701 Dauphine St., (504) 586-
0745, www.goldminesaloon.net
The Green Space, 2831 Marais Street (504) 945-
0240, www.thegreenproject.org
Handsome Willy’s, 218 S. Robertson St., (504)
525-0377, http://handsomewillys.com
Hi-Ho Lounge, 2239 St. Claude Ave. (504) 945-
4446, www.myspace.com/hiholounge
Hostel, 329 Decatur St. (504) 587-0036,
hostelnola.com
Hot Iron Press Plant, 1420 Kentucky Ave.,
hotironpress@hotmail.com
House Of Blues / The Parish, 225 Decatur,
(504)310-4999, www.hob.com/neworleans
The Howlin’ Wolf, 907 S. Peters, (504) 522-
WOLF, www.thehowlinwolf.com
Kajun’s Pub, 2256 St. Claude Avenue (504) 947-
3735, www.myspace.com/kajunspub
Kim’s 940, 940 Elysian Fields, (504) 844-4888
The Kingpin, 1307 Lyons St., (504) 891-2373
Le Bon Temps Roule, 4801 Magazine St., (504)
895-8117
Le Chat Noir, 715 St. Charles Ave., (504) 581-
5812, www.cabaretlechatnoir.com
Lyceum Central, 618 City Park Ave., (410) 523-
4182, http://lyceumproject.com
Lyon’s Club, 2920 Arlington St.
Mama’s Blues, 616 N. Rampart St., (504) 453-9290
Maple Leaf, 8316 Oak St., (504) 866-9359
Marlene’s Place, 3715 Tchoupitoulas, (504)
897-3415, www.myspace.com/marlenesplace
McKeown’s Books, 4737 Tchoupitoulas, (504)
895-1954, http://mckeownsbooks.net
Melvin’s, 2112 St. Claude Ave.
NEW ORLEANS (Cont.)
MVC, 9800 Westbank Expressway, (504) 234-
2331, www.themvc.net
Neutral Ground Coffee House, 5110 Danneel St.,
(504) 891-3381, www.neutralground.org
Nowe Miasto, 223 Jane Pl., (504) 821-6721
Ogden Museum, 925 Camp St., (504) 539-9600
One Eyed Jacks, 615 Toulouse St., (504) 569-
8361, www.oneeyedjacks.net
Outer Banks, 2401 Palmyra (at S. Tonti),
(504) 628-5976, www.myspace.com/
outerbanksmidcity
Republic, 828 S. Peters St., (504) 528-8282,
www.republicnola.com
Rusty Nail, 1100 Constance Street (504) 525-
5515, www.therustynail.org/
Saturn Bar, 3067 St. Claude Ave., www.
myspace.com/saturnbar
Side Arm Gallery, 1122 St. Roch Ave., (504)
218-8379, www.sidearmgallery.org
Southport Hall, 200 Monticello Ave., (504) 835-
2903, www.newsouthport.com
The Spellcaster Lodge, 3052 St. Claude
Avenue, www.quintonandmisspussycat.com/
tourdates.html
St. Roch Taverne, 1200 St. Roch Ave., (504)
945-0194
Tipitina’s, (Uptown) 501 Napoleon Ave., (504)
895-8477 (Downtown) 233 N. Peters, www.
tipitinas.com
The Zeitgeist, 2940 Canal St., (504) 827-5858,
www.zeitgeistinc.net
METAIRIE VENUES
Airline Lion’s Home, 3110 Division St.
Badabing’s, 3515 Hessmer, (504) 454-1120
The Bar, 3224 Edenborn
Hammerhead’s, 1300 N Causeway Blvd, (504)
834-6474
The High Ground, 3612 Hessmer
Ave., Metairie, (504) 525-0377, www.
thehighgroundvenue.com
Keystone’s Lounge, 3408 28 th Street, www.
myspace.com/keystoneslounge
Stitches, 3941 Houma Blvd., www.myspace.
com/stitchesbar
BATON ROUGE VENUES
The Caterie, 3617 Perkins Rd., www.thecaterie.com
Chelsea’s Café, 2857 Perkins Rd., (225) 387-
3679, www.chelseascafe.com
Dragonfly’s, 124 West Chimes
The Darkroom, 10450 Florida Blvd., (225) 274-
1111, www.darkroombatonrouge.com
Government St., 3864 Government St., www.
myspace.com/rcpzine
Junkyard House, 3299 Ivanhoe St.
North Gate Tavern, 136 W. Chimes St.
(225)346-6784, www.northgatetavern.com
Red Star Bar, 222 Laurel St., (225) 346-8454,
www.redstarbar.com
Rotolos, 1125 Bob Pettit Blvd. (225) 761-1999,
www.myspace.com/rotolosallages
The Spanish Moon, 1109 Highland Rd., (225)
383-MOON, www.thespanishmoon.com
The Varsity, 3353 Highland Rd., (225)383-7018,
www.varsitytheatre.com
32_antigravity: your new orleans music and culture alternative
MONDAY 9/1
Chris Scheurich, Circle Bar
Justin Peake’s Acoustic Trio, Dragon’s Den,
8pm, FREE
Punk and Metal Monday w/ DJ
Chrischarge, Dragon’s Den, 10pm
TUESDAY 9/2
Burning Castles, Dragon’s Den (Upstairs), 10pm
Gold and Glass, El Cantador, Circle Bar
Johnny Woodstock and Cosmic Oasis,
Dragon’s Den (Downstairs), 10pm
Peter Frampton, House Of Blues
WEDNESDAY 9/3
Beres Hammond, Harmony House
Singers, House Of Blues
Magna Porta, Circle Bar
THURSDAY 9/4
Andrew Duhon Show, Checkpoint Charlie’s,
7pm
The Bruisers, Circle Bar, 8pm
Cohen and the Ghost, Levi Weaver, Circle
Bar, 10:30pm
Jealous Monk, Dragon’s Den (Upstairs), 10pm
A Perfect Ladies’ Nite, Elliot Cohn’s
Cosmic Sweat Society, Banks St. Bar and
Grill, 10pm
Roger Cline and the Peacemakers, The
Parish @ House Of Blues
Tin Men, d.b.a., 10pm, $5
FRIDAY 9/5
The Aceholes, Cypress Rocks, Checkpoint
Charlie’s, 9pm
Aquarium Drunkard Presents: Theresa
Andersson Album Release Party, Republic,
10pm, $5
Casa Samba Brazilian Independence Day
Celebration, Howlin’ Wolf, 10pm
Country Fried, Tawny Ellis, Hi-Ho Lounge,
10pm
Defend New Orleans’
ActionActionReaction Indie Dance Party,
Circle Bar
Hot Club of New Orleans, d.b.a., 6pm
The Iguanas, d.b.a., 10pm, $8
Ivan Neville’s Dumpstaphunk, Tipitina’s,
10pm, $15
Jonathan Freilich Radio Documentary
by David Kunian Listening Party w/ The
Naked Orchestra, The Big Top, 8pm
Juice, Banks St. Bar and Grill, 11pm
Kate Voegele Back2School Tour w/ Matt
White, Josh Hoge, The Parish @ House Of
Blues
Push Feat DJs Josh Sense, Paul b, Bryan
Smith, SiO2, Dragon’s Den (Downstairs), 10pm
Soul Rebels, Dragon’s Den (Upstairs), 10pm
Vedas, Checkpoint Charlie’s, 11pm
Zydepunks Album Release Party w/ Los
Karnales, Felix, One Eyed Jacks, 10pm
SATURDAY 9/6
504 Whatstyle Rock Art Circus w/
Suplecs, The Bills, The Big Top
Big Easy Rollergirls Fundraiser & 2009
Pinup Calendar Release Party w/ The
Happy Talk Band, Johnny Sketch and the
Dirty Notes, Fleur de Tease Burlesque,
Belle Berg Devo, Hi-Ho Lounge, 9pm
Cedric Burnside and Lightning Malcolm,
d.b.a., Midnight, $5
The City Life, Part Bear, The Other
Planets, Howlin’ Wolf, 10pm
Fatter Than Albert, Royal City Riot,
Dragon’s Den (Upstairs), 7pm, $5
Glasgow, Isabella, Pharmacist Always on
Duty, Dragon’s Den (Upstairs), 10pm
Little Freddie King, d.b.a., 8pm, $5
Orange Sky, Checkpoint Charlie’s, 9:45
Rebirth Brass Band, Tipitina’s, 10pm, $12
Reggae Nite! w/ the Revealers, Banks St.
Bar and Grill, 11pm
Sustenance Album Release Party w/
Destined to Fall, Centerpunch, Light Up
District, The Parish @ House Of Blues
Runoft, Checkpoint Charlie’s, 7pm
The Swip, Black Primer, NODZZZ, Circle
Bar
Truth Universal, Soul Movement, Dragon’s
Den (Downstairs), 10pm
Weedeater, One Eyed Jacks, 10pm
SUNDAY 9/7
Amanda Walker, Kelcy Mae, Circle Bar
David Torkanowsky, Rick Trolsen, Rex
Gregory, Doug Garrison, Hi-Ho Lounge,
10pm
The Fessters, d.b.a., 10pm
Fleur de Tease, One Eyed Jacks, 8pm, 10pm
Linnzi Zaorski, d.b.a., 6pm
Martin Krusche, Dragon’s Den (Upstairs),
10pm
Rougarou, Circle Bar, 10pm
MONDAY 9/8
Felix, Dimestore Troubadours, Circle Bar
Justin Peake’s Acoustic Trio, Dragon’s Den,
8pm, FREE
Rick Trolsen and Gringo do Choro, d.b.a., 10pm
Tarik Hassan Trio, Dragon’s Den (Upstairs),
10pm
TUESDAY 9/9
Bert Cotten Trio, d.b.a., 10pm
Chappy, Dragon’s Den (Upstairs), 10pm
Rougarou, the Full Gun Gospel Show,
Circle Bar
WEDNESDAY 9/10
Delta Spirit, Antenna Inn, Republic,
8:30pm, $10
Magna Porta, the Low Lows, Circle Bar
THURSDAY 9/11
The Amazing Nuns, the Howlies, Circle Bar
Barisal Guns, Sole Pursuit, Tipitina’s,
10pm, $8
Carey Hudson, d.b.a., 7pm
Free Jazz, Brah, Dragon’s Den (Upstairs), 10pm
Joe Krown Organ Combo, d.b.a., 11pm
Lovehog, Ad Hoc, Hi-Ho Lounge, 10pm
A Perfect Ladies’ Nite, Cosmic Sweat
Society, Banks St. Bar and Grill, 10pm
FRIDAY 9/12
3Now4 w/ Singleton, Easley, Green and
Garrison, Hi-Ho Lounge, 10pm

EVENT LISTINGS
Black Primer, Black Snow, Concrete
Shoes, Banks St. Bar and Grill, 10pm
DJ Soul Sister’s Funky Birthday Jam
w/ Trombone Shorty and Orleans Ave.,
Tipitina’s, 10pm, $15
Gal Holiday Quartet, Circle Bar, 6pm
Gal Holiday & the Honky Tonk Revue,
Circle Bar, 10pm
Ingrid Lucia, d.b.a., 6pm
Shadow Gallery, Dragon’s Den (Upstairs),
10pm
Smiley With a Knife, Man Plus Building,
The White Horse Tabernacle, Good Day
For an Air Strike, The Big Top, 8pm
Sophisticats and Sophistikittens, d.b.a.,
10pm, $5
T-Bone Stone and the Lazy Boys,
Slewfoot Blues Band, Checkpoint Charlie’s,
7pm
Three 6 Mafia, House Of Blues
Throwback w/ The City Life, Republic,
10pm, $5
White Bitch, Dragon’s Den (Downstairs),
10pm
Witchcraft, Graveyard, TK Webb, The
Visions, One Eyed Jacks, 10pm
SATURDAY 9/13
Egg Yolk Jubilee, d.b.a., 11pm, $5
Eve’s Lucky Planet, Higher Heights, Hi-
Ho Lounge, 10pm
James McMurtry, One Eyed Jacks, 10pm
John Boutte, d.b.a., 7pm
Mike Darby Band, Banks St. Bar and Grill,
10pm
Racebannon, Light Yourself on Fire, The
Devil and the Sea, Dragon’s Den (Upstairs),
9pm
Ross Hallen and the Hellbenders, Lips and
the Trips, Checkpoint Charlie’s, 7pm
The Soul Brothers’ Tribute to James
Brown, House Of Blues
Tipitina’s Foundation Presents: Olu
Dara and the Natchezsippi Dance Band,
Tipitina’s, 10pm, $15
Truth Universal, Dragon’s Den (Downstairs),
10pm
The Vettes, My Name is John Michael,
Flow Tribe, Dodging Catherine, Howlin’
Wolf, 10pm
SUNDAY 9/14
Strike, Mom, Dragon’s Den (Upstairs), 10pm,
$3
TUESDAY 9/16
1997, National Product, The Parish @
House Of Blues
Johnny Vidacovich Trio, d.b.a., 10pm
Living Legends Brass Band, Dragon’s Den
(Downstairs), 10pm
The Melters, Circle Bar
Pussyhawk, Samothrace, Dragon’s Den
(Upstairs), 10pm
The Sword, Collapsar, The High Cost of
Living, One Eyed Jacks, 10pm
WEDNESDAY 9/17
Magna Porta, Circle Bar
Obituary, Unleashed, Carnifex, House Of
Blues
Silver Jews, James Jackson Toth, One Eyed
Jacks, 9pm
THURSDAY 9/18
Dough Stackin’ Up All-Stars, Dragon’s Den
(Upstairs), 10pm
Margie Perez, the Groovy Blues, Banks St.
Bar and Grill, 10pm
Mem Shannon and the Membership,
d.b.a., 10pm, $5
The Modern Skirts, Circle Bar
The Pallbearers, Sons of Marvin Hirsch,
Mike Williams, Zeitgeist, 7pm, $6
Paul Sanchez, d.b.a., 7pm
Yo Mama’s Big Fat Booty Band, Gravity
A, Tipitina’s, 10pm, $10
FRIDAY 9/19
Linnzi Zaorski, d.b.a., 6pm
My Milky Way Arms, Circle Bar
New York Eastern Arabic Cult, Consider
the Source, Banks St. Bar and Grill, 9pm
Palmetto Bug Stompers, d.b.a., 10pm
Private Pile, Dragon’s Den (Downstairs),
10pm
Street Dogs, Time Again, Zydepunks, The
Parish @ House Of Blues
Tim Green/Brian Coogan/Doug Garrison
Trio, Hi-Ho Lounge, 10:45pm
MONDAY 9/15
Ak’s Organ Transplant, d.b.a., 10pm
Jim O and the No Shows, Circle Bar
Justin Peake’s Acoustic Trio, Dragon’s Den,
8pm, FREE
Motion City Soundtrack, Margot and
the Nuclear So & Sos, Dear and the
Headlights, House Of Blues
Voice and Organs, Good Day for an Air
Bring The Noize! Fest w/ Various Artists,
Republic (9/19, 3pm-10pm), The Howlin’
Wolf (9/20 & 9/21, 4pm-’til), $15 per night,
$35 for three-night pass, myspace.com/
noxiousnoizerecords. Something wicked
and unmistakably loud is headed for
New Orleans this September as Noxious
Noize Records presents Bring the Noize!
Fest, a three day event set to bombard
the Warehouse District with two dozen
hardcore, punk and metal bands from
across North America and beyond. The
event kicks off at Republic on September
antigravitymagazine.com_33

EVENT LISTINGS
19th with deep-throated Richmond, VA
peace-punks Parasytic, West Virginia
crust punk outfit Appalachian Terror
Unit, North Carolina’s Kakistocracy, and
UK punk artists Mega Minge. The event
moves down the block to The Howlin’
Wolf on September 20th with Behind
Enemy Lines (featuring former members
of Aus Rotten), Mexican hardcore artists
Coaccion, Spain’s Cop on Fire, and local
thrash punks We Need to Talk. Bring the
Noize! Fest concludes on the 21st with
experimental hardcore artists Kylesa and
Florida thrash-rockers Religious As Fuck.
Lafayette noise-punk group Hellkontroll is
slated to perform, along with local medieval
doom rockers Thou. Haarp, New Orleans’
reigning masters of metal, round out the
lineup for the event’s final night. Tickets
are available through ticketweb.com. Daily
line-ups and venues are subject to change.
—Brett Schwaner
SUNDAY 9/21
Bring The Noize Fest w/ Kylesa,
Bludwulf, Thou, Evil Army, No Fucker,
Hellkontroll, The Skuds, Shitfucker,
Haarp, Gravebound, Howlin’ Wolf, 4pm,
$15
Irene Sage, d.b.a., 10pm
Linnzi Zaorski, d.b.a., 6pm
Martin Krusche, Dragon’s Den (Upstairs),
10pm
Rockie Charles, Circle Bar
Saaraba, Dragon’s Den (Downstairs), 10pm
Wayne Brady, House Of Blues
MONDAY 9/22
Amos Lee, Mutlu, House Of Blues
Justin Peake’s Acoustic Trio, Dragon’s Den,
8pm, FREE
Marc Cohn, Tipitina’s, 8pm, $25
Washboard Chaz Trio, d.b.a., 10pm
Back in Black: The Ultimate Tribute to
AC/DC, House Of Blues
Back to School w/ Galactic, Walter
Wolfman Washington and the
Roadmasters, Tipitina’s, 10pm, $25
Back to School Dance Party w/ CPlus,
Born in November, Banks St. Bar and Grill,
10pm
Broken Smokes, Circle Bar
Consortium of Genius, Clockwork Elvis,
One Eyed Jacks, 10pm
Hot Club of New Orleans, d.b.a., 6pm
Jeremy Lyons and the Deltabilly Boys,
d.b.a., 10pm, $5
Noxious Noise Afterparty, Dragon’s Den
(Upstairs), 10pm
The Revivalists, Big Rock Candy
Mountain, Howlin’ Wolf, 10pm
Truth Universal Presents: Triple Ave.,
DJ True Justice, Soapbox, Dragon’s Den
(Downstairs), 10pm
Shadow Gallery w/ Voltaire, Hi-Ho
Lounge, 10pm
SATURDAY 9/20
Bring The Noize Fest w/ Behind Enemy
Lines, Cop on Fire, Coaccion, Tierra de
Nadie, American Cheeseburger, We Need
to Talk, Trash, Social Neglect, Society
Distort, Howlin’ Wolf, 4pm, $15
Gold and Glass, Circle Bar
Good Enough for Good Times, d.b.a.,
11pm, $5
John Boutte, d.b.a., 7pm
Johnny J and the Hitmen, Banks St. Bar
and Grill, 10pm
Metronome the City & I, Octopus Album
Release Party w/ A Living Soundtrack,
One Eyed Jacks, 9pm
Mod Dance Party vs. Atlanta’s Fringe
Factory Presents: HOT DAMN!, Saturn
Bar, 11pm
Nightwish, Sonata Arctica, House Of Blues
Noxious Noizefest Afterparty, Hi-Ho
Lounge, 1am
Papa Frog Presents: Seguenon Kone, Hi-
Ho Lounge, 10pm
Sonny Landreth Album Release Party,
Tipitina’s, 10pm, $15
Two Floors of Drum N Bass, Dragon’s Den
(Upstairs), 10pm
TUESDAY 9/23
Gregory Boyd Trio, d.b.a., 10pm
Monark, Circle Bar
WEDNESDAY 9/24
Den, Banks St. Bar and Grill, 9pm
Homegrown Night w/ Yowcha, It’s Halfa-Million
Strangers, Borgessa, Robin
Kinchen, the Voodoo Revue, Tipitina’s,
8:30pm, FREE
The Juan MacLean, One Eyed Jacks, 10pm
Magna Porta, Circle Bar
Zac Brown Band, The Parish @ House Of
Blues
THURSDAY 9/25
Burning Castles, The Sidewalk Band,
Socrates Johnson, Hi-Ho Lounge, 10pm
Elliott Cohn, Circle Bar
The Fratellis, the Airborne Toxic Event,
Electric Touch, The Parish @ House Of Blues
Gogol Bordello, House Of Blues
Gym Neighbors, d.b.a., 10pm, $5
Margie Perez, the Groovy Blues, Banks St.
Bar and Grill, 10pm
The Other Planets, Dragon’s Den (Upstairs),
10pm
Paul Sanchez, d.b.a., 7pm
Silent Cinema, Isabella, Hi Five, Howlin’
Wolf, 10pm
Six Strings Down Album Release f/ Billy
Iuso, John Lisi, West Bank Mike, Josh
Garrett, Tipitina’s, 10pm
FRIDAY 9/26
The Gaslight Anthem, Polar Bear Club,
O Pioneers, The Parish @ HOB, 6pm;
gaslightanthem.com. Virtually unheard
34_antigravity: your new orleans music and culture alternative

EVENT LISTINGS
of just over a year ago, Gaslight Anthem
garnered an unexpected tide of critical
acclaim with the release of their 2007 debut
album Sink or Swim. Born and bred on the
Jersey shoreline, Gaslight Anthem’s sound
unabashedly pays tribute to some of that
area’s finer rock musicians with a style that
intermingles elements of the Bouncing Souls
and vintage Bruce Springsteen. Following
a national tour with Against Me! and a
stint on last summer’s Vans Warped Tour,
Gaslight Anthem released their sophomore
album, The ’59 Sound, in late August. While
The ’59 Sound unravels like a scratchy old
.45, it plays nothing like a dusty, forgotten
relic or an insincere attempt at retro-rock.
Passively heavy-hearted, occasionally poetic
in narrative and tinged with a continuous,
blues-inspired drawl, the album is an ode to
red-blooded American rock n’ roll, classic
cars, cowboy music, and carnival rides.
For this, their first national headlining
tour, Gaslight Anthem will be joined by
progressive hardcore acts Polar Bear Club
and O Pioneers. —Brett Schwaner
The Expendables, Rebelution, OPM, The
Parish @ House Of Blues
Fleet Foxes, Howlin’ Wolf, 10pm
Human Host, The Buoyant Sea, Dragon’s
Den (Upstairs), 10pm
Linnzi Zaorski, d.b.a., 6pm
Marc Stone Band, d.b.a., 10pm
MONDAY 9/29
Benefit for Make it Right Foundation w/
Maroon 5, Brandi Carlile, House Of Blues
Crusaders of Love, Static Static, Circle Bar
Simon Lott, Dragon’s Den (Upstairs), 10pm
St. Louis Slim, d.b.a., 10pm
TUESDAY 9/30
Black Car, Rock City Morgue, One Eyed
Jacks, 10pm
The Blue Eclipse, The Bar, 10pm
Chris Scheurich, Circle Bar
Cross Canadian Ragweed, House Of Blues
Hat Talk, Meadow Flow, the Calm Blue
Sea, Banks St. Bar and Grill, 10pm
Ingrid Lucia, d.b.a., 6pm
Little Freddie King, d.b.a., 10pm, $5
NewOrleans.com Launch Party w/
All-Star Band, 504 Brass Band, Anders
Osborne, the Golden Eagles, Tipitina’s, $20
Rebirth Brass Band, Howlin’ Wolf, 10pm
Reverend Spooky LeStrange’s Church of
Burlesque, Hi-Ho Lounge, 10pm
Throwback w/ G-Eazy, Republic, 10pm, $5
Wendol, Raum, Dragon’s Den, 8pm, $5
SATURDAY 9/27
Ballzack, One Eyed Jacks, 10pm
Charles Walker and the Dynamites, Soul
Rebels, Tipitina’s, $15
Circus Circus Circus Fundraiser
Extravaganza for 3 Ring Circus w/ Rotary
Downs, Fatter Than Albert, Valpariso
Men’s Choir, Margie Perez, Fredy Omar,
Michael Skinkus, Davis, Manwitch,
Hands of Nero, Inferneaux Fire
Performance Troope, The Big Top, 8pm
Dropping Bombs III, Dragon’s Den
(Upstairs), 10pm
Gal Holiday & the Honky Tonk Revue,
The Unnaturals, Hi-Ho Lounge, 10pm
Groovesect, d.b.a., 11pm, $5
A Hanging, Love Zombie, Party Time,
Banks St. Bar and Grill, 10pm
Slang Angus, 6 Pack Deep, Tony
Skratchere, The Parish @ House Of Blues
Southern Whiskey Rebellion, The Bar,
10pm
White Colla Crimes, Kings of Happy
Hour, Circle Bar
SUNDAY 9/28
American Aquarium, Black Diamond
Heavies, Circle Bar
The Claw, Devil and the Sea, Fat Stupid
Ugly People, Mars, Hi-Ho Lounge, 10pm
Aquarium Drunkard Presents: Okkervil
River, Crooked Fingers, Black Joe Lewis
& the Honeybears, Republic, 8pm, $12;
okkervilriver.com. The story of how
Okkervil River came to be could have
ended in one of two ways: as a group of
quirky and wild boys crossing the line
from disorderly to criminal and in one
final, elaborate gesture, trying to rob a
federal bank and being shot down in a
rain of bullets, or starting a band. While
the former might have actually been up
their ally, the gents started Okkervil River.
The band formed in 1998 when Will Sheff
and Zach Thomas left college and their
home state of New Hampshire and moved
to Austin to live life as “Professional
Failures.” They started as a duo until they
converted a few people into fans, handed
them instruments and convinced them to
play along. Within a year the band was
able to slide into the lineup for South by
Southwest, where good press led them
into the arms of local record producer
Brian Beattie. Even though the band has
added and lost several members, they’ve
been churning out albums and touring
steadily across the country and Europe,
peddling their catchy, folksy-indie music
that proved that accordions and mandolins
could still be poppy. —Caroline DeBruhl;
Photo by Steve Gullick
Davy Mooney Group, d.b.a., 10pm
WEDNESDAY 10/1
Atmosphere, Blueprint, Abstract Rude,
Tipitina’s, 10pm, $18
The Black Keys, House Of Blues
The Physics of Meaning, Circle Bar
antigravitymagazine.com_35

EVENT LISTINGS
THURSDAY 10/2
SATURDAYS
Affrissippi, d.b.a., 11pm, $5
Carey Hudson, d.b.a., 7pm
The City Life, Theresa Andersson, Big
Blue Marble, Howlin’ Wolf, 10pm
FRIDAY 10/3
Hot Club of New Orleans, d.b.a., 6pm
New Orleans Indie Rock Collective
Presents: New Orleans Indie
Rock Festival w/ Rotary Downs,
MyNameIsJohnMichael, Republic, 10pm,
$5
Zydepunks, d.b.a., 10pm, $5
DANCE NIGHTS/WEEKLIES
MONDAYS
Blue Grass Pickin’ Party, Hi-Ho Lounge,
8pm
John Lisi and Delta Funk, Banks St. Bar
and Grill, 10pm
Justin Peake’s Acoustic Trio, Dragon’s Den
(Downstairs), 8pm, FREE
Mad Mike, Checkpoint Charlie’s, 8pm
Missy Meatlocker, Circle Bar, 5pm
Sam and Boone, Circle Bar, 7pm
TUESDAYS
Acoustic Open Mic w/ Jim Smith,
Checkpoint Charlie’s, 10pm
Ivan’s Open Mic, Rusty Nail, 8pm
Jammin’ with Jambalaya, the Deadly
Four, Banks St. Bar and Grill, 9pm
Jonathan Freilich and Alex McMurray,
Circle Bar, 6pm
WEDNESDAYS
DJ T-Roy Presents: Dancehall Classics,
Dragon’s Den, $5
Gravity A, Banks St. Bar and Grill, 11pm
Jim O. and The No Shows, Circle Bar, 6pm
Kenny holiday and the Rolling Blackouts,
Checkpoint Charlie’s, 9pm
Purple Saurus Rex w/ DJ Kemistry, DJ
Damion Yancy, Jonny Boy, DJ Jive,
Hostel, 11pm
Walter Wolfman Washington, d.b.a.,
10pm, $5 (N/A on 9/3)
THURSDAYS
DJ Kemistry, Republic, 11pm
DJ Proppa Bear Presents: Bassbin Safari,
Dragon’s Den (Downstairs)
Fast Times ‘80s Dance Night, One Eyed
Jacks
The Fens w/ Sneaky Pete, Checkpoint
Charlie’s, 10pm
Walter Wolfman Washington and The
Roadmasters, Banks St. Bar and Grill, 10pm
FRIDAYS
Friday Night Music Camp, The Big Top,
5pm; 9/5: Jonathan Freilich Quartet; 9/19:
Jeremy Lyons and the Deltabilly Boys
Miami Fridays w/ Javier Drada, Hostel,
11pm
Tipitina’s Foundation Free Friday!,
Tipitina’s, 10pm
DJ Damion Yancy, Republic, 11pm
DJ Kemistry, Hostel, 11pm
Morella and the Wheels of If, Circle Bar,
6pm
SUNDAYS
Acoustic Open Mic w/ Jim Smith,
Checkpoint Charlie’s, 7pm
Cajun Fais Do Do f/ Bruce Danigerpoint,
Tipitina’s, 5:30pm, $7
Chris Polacek’s Open Mic Jam, Banks St.
Bar and Grill, 9pm (N/A on 9/14)
Micah McKee w/ special guests, Circle
Bar, 6pm
Music Workshop Series, Tipitina’s;
9/7: Leslie Smith; 9/14: Russell
Batiste, Phil Breen, Ian Cunningham,
Larry Thompson, Brian Graber, Tom
Fitzpatrick, Kensuke Yamamoto; 9/21:
Zion Trinity; 9/28: Ricky Sebastian
COMEDY
THURSDAYS
Karaoke Fury, La Nuit Comedy Theater,
10pm
Rabbit Hole, La Nuit Comedy Theater, 8:30
FRIDAYS
God’s Been Drinking, La Nuit Comedy
Theater, 8:30pm, $10
Open Mic Stand-Up, La Nuit Comedy
Theater, 10pm, $5
SATURDAYS
ComedySportz: All-Ages Comedy Show,
La Nuit Comedy Theater, 7pm, $10
Jonah’s Variety Hour, La Nuit Comedy
Theater, 10pm
NOTABLE UPCOMING SHOWS
10/08: The Walkmen, The City Life,
Republic
10/10-10/16: New Orleans Film Festival
10/10: DJ Soul Sister’s Prince vs. Michael
Jackson Party, One Eyed Jacks
10/17: Girl Talk, House Of Blues
10/25, 10/26: Voodoo Music Experience,
City Park
10/31: Quintron and Miss Pussycat, Golden
Triangle, Wizard Sleeve, One Eyed Jacks
11/03: Mountain Goats, Kaki King,
Republic
11/05: Deerhoof, The Parish @ House Of Blues
11/05: Buckethead, That One Guy, Howlin’
Wolf
11/07: Minus the Bear, Annuals, House Of Blues
11/08: Brightblack Morning Light, One
Eyed Jacks
11/11: Of Montreal, Howlin’ Wolf
11/18: The Black Crowes, House Of Blues
NEXT MONTH
IN AG: THE
VOODOO ’09
ISSUE!
36_antigravity: your new orleans music and culture alternative

EVENTS/CONTINUED...
Live New Orleans: Songe goes to Lollapalooza,
Continued from page 6...
“Mister anchor assure me / That Baghdad
is burning / Your voice it is so soothing
/ That cunning mantra of killing / I
need you my witness / To dress this
up so bloodless / Mass graves for the
pump and the price is set.”—”Testify”
Walking back from the show, people who
saw Rage were letting out a mass rebellious/
celebratory shout that traveled up and down
the streets like a wave. It was pretty powerful
and very cool. I could hear it coming up
behind me and then all of a sudden everyone
around me is shouting and I’m shouting too.
After the last song, the four band members
bowed together and then had a group hug.
I couldn’t believe it. After all the acrimony,
here they were hugging each other and
sporting huge grins like they had just won
a gold medal. I think Rage is back, but if
they never tour again and never record
another album I think this night in Chicago
must be the closest they would have come
to being inspired to make more music.
SETLIST:
“Testify”
“Bulls On Parade”
“People of the Sun”
“Bombtrack”
“Know Your Enemy”
“Bullet In The Head”
“Born Of A Broken Man”
“Guerilla Radio”
“Ashes In The Fall”
“Calm Like A Bomb”
“Sleep Now In The Fire”
“Wake Up”
Encores:
“Freedom”
“Killing In The Name”
Guidance Counseling by Tiffiny Wallace, Continued
from page 9...
and fantasies to yourself, enjoy, and all will be
good. However, if you choose the other route I
can bet you will learn some of your life’s greatest
lessons. Write us back and let us know.
Dear AG,
Hey, where can a guy get laid around here?
There is a little secret I need to let you guys
in on. For girls, vacation sex doesn’t count
(as much). And aren’t you lucky to live in a
vacation town that doles out beer glasses and
love potion #9 by the hurricane glass? So if you
just want to get laid and standards really aren’t
on the agenda, then I suggest the otherwise
unspeakable Bourbon Street. Three-for-one
cocktails run till about 8pm. If you can’t catch
a drunk tourist by 8:45 than there is only one
other hope for you. It is a quaint little spot near
the corner of Iberville and Chartres. Ask for
Me-ling and the Happy Ending Special.
Sweet Dreams! Love, your candy lady.
Venom: Dark Origins #1, Continued from page 29...
There are no side trips and it all reads a bit false
as a result. However, I can’t deny that Wells,
artist Angel Medina and company paint a pretty
thorough portrait of Brock as a powerless weasel
who will take advantage of the work of others
for his own gain, which fits his role from when
he originally became Venom. I’m not sure this
powerless version of the character will find
favor with the fans who mostly want Venom to
eat people’s brains, and I’m more than a little
weirded out by Medina’s exaggerated artwork,
especially the full-page shots of a grinning Eddie,
which are disturbing and off-putting in a visceral
way. To their credit, Wells and company don’t
take the easy road of a Venom miniseries, but I’m
also not convinced there’s much of an audience
for the psychological underpinnings of an yet-tobe
superpowered Eddie Brock. —Randy Lander
antigravitymagazine.com_37

COMICS
38_antigravity: your new orleans music and culture alternative