God Bless A Product and AntiProduct

Monday night saw a great show. Sadly, I was one of like twelve people checking it out, but it was still a great show. It was AntiProduct at the Haunt in beautiful Yonkers, NY. No people and one unknown decent warm-up band. It was purely AntiProduct that night.

And you know what made them work-A Product-their front man, singer, and all round main man-he just made it all work. Before the show started, they did a sound check and that was entertaining. He did this whole bit,"remember we are not here." Introduced us, the audience to the concept of a three part harmony. I have not heard of such things since reading a review of Van Halen's Diver Down from like 1982. It was just amusing, and his comments on Yonkers and the limited crowd were well deserved and funny.

And keep in mind he has on each side of him a very hot lady in leather. Which again goes back to that three point harmony thing.

So they disappear from the stage after the sound check, and after a few moments the fog machine is turned on and all the lights, behind the stage and everywhere else, are on. It is a major league rock show with maybe a dozen people, and that includes the the crew who were the warm up act. Once AntiProduct settle into the stage and tear into the first song, it is A Product who again steals the scene. The two lovely ladies on rhythm guitar looking good-rocking out, and the bassplayer-rocker dude and drummer-all just tearing it up. I think it was "Turning Me On" from their Made in the USA album.

But on that tune and going forward it was A Product who you were watching. He jumped down off the stage, and messed with the three or four of us down on the floor. He coaxed the crowd hanging out at the bar. He especially enjoyed trying to trip up one or two dudes with his mic cord.

Then we came to Bungee Jumping People Die. That is a great song and crowd or no crowd, A Product wanted us to just yell it out-all twelve of us. Not only did he want us to take over the show ever so briefly but he decided that we might as well all get on the stage. So for a brief moment there we were, the dozen or so folks who came to this Monday show in Yonkers, on the stage performing for the man. All of us yelling out Bungee Jumping People Die, until he told us he had enough and to get the hell of his stage. I enjoyed my ten seconds of being on the stage next to the one lovely lady, stretching my neck to get to the mic and closer to her.

The band was good, the ladies hot, the songs cool, the three point harmonies on the money, but it was A Product who really got me into that show. All to often we forget, at the end of the day that rock, metal, punk, whatever it is, it is entertainment and suppose to be fucking fun. And these folks showed that you can rock, have a good laugh and even kick more than a bit of ass-all in one night. Hmmm reminds me of Van Halen again, not sure why. (probably not today's Van Halen-I am talking 1981 Van Halen when they were supporting the Fair Warning Album.

So regardless of what you think of the UK and bands from the UK, these folks deserve your support! They know what the hell they are doing and even if they don't, they are damn fun! And if you are not looking for fun, they rock too, or if nothing else Clare might just trample you with her boots. They are wandering thru out the US in coming weeks.

For details on them and their tour, check out AntiProduct.com

Bob Schaffer

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Two Shows in One Week and a Third on Monday!

It might be the tail end of a grey drab February, but you can still rock out in NYC-regardless. Granted it snowed-finally last week, but still it is back to gray drab stuff now.

Saturday, February 23rd at Arlene's Grocery on Stanton Street down in the village, however, shined. It was the first time in a long long time that I was at ahow that the audience and the band were just wild. It was so good to be part of such a show. I am talking about the Statues of Liberty at their CD Release Party.

The energy for that show was great. the band was digging it and the audience in turn was there too. We had folks jumping up on the stage and people pushing thru the crowd o the front. Yes it was a crowd. It has been a long time since I stood in a crowd waiting for a show. It was nice to see such a scene. It was nice having to fight my way to the bar, knowing these folks came to see the Statues tear up the stage.

When the band did go on we did have a small delay, getting the technology working to premiere their first video, Run Motherfucker. It was worth the wait. And moments later they turned their amps on and got the show on the road. And for the next 40 minutes maybe an hour, they played. They did all their songs. I have seen them multiple times and they are always good. the music is good. the musicianship is there. they know how to have fun up there, and it all comes out and it came out that night.

Now the thing that was differentthat night was the crowd. It was just so nice to see a capacity crowd. we need more of that.

On a different front-tomorrow night, Thursday March 28th at Don Hills, Queen V is at it again with her "Take Back New York" shows. Once a month, now with band and amplified, Queen V takes back New York. She is on to something in that the city is missing someithing with all these clubs dissappearing lately. I caught the November show and that was pretty cool, again with a good crowd. We hope to wander down tomorrow and check her out again!

I am missing some good shows. I am not sure what I have been doing but I just have a craving for some kick ass shows. Maybe it is symptom of the winter drab that seems to be plaguing me lately. Spring is coming but in the interim, a few shows like these will get me going. I not perhaps I am simply dead.

Last point. . . one more kick ass show happening March 3, a Monday, is Antiproduct. You have seen these folks on Leno, You have heard them do dunkin donuts commercials, now you need to see them do an amazing version of Good Vibrations-the old beach Boys tune. You think I have lost it? You have not heard them do this song. you say that a band cannot live on one song-well hey have their own, songs such as Bungee Jumping People Die. Even if this song sucked, it would still deserve something for its title.

Come out to the Haunt in Yonkers to check them out. they are coming from the UK and claim to be the end result of a genetic diaster if one ws to take thegenes of Kiss Abba and Slayer, and mash them together. They are also on this tour campaigning for Britny for President. This will be another of those shows that will kick one in the groin and get you going again.

Bob Schaffer

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