Spending a day with Jello Biafra was by no means a dissapointment. First, I picked Jello Biafra up at Logan. I have plenty to say about how wierd the airport is - as a phenomenon - as in what role it plays in capitalism - as in why the OK Computer album has the artwork it does.
As in the atmosphere created by the dozen security gaurds at every turn. But that's a different entry. This is about spending the day with Jello. First, we had to go get his bags. He was very friendly and complimentary of my having pulled together this event so soon after the Coolidge. Apparently, he hadn't been in Boston for 10 years and now he's been here twice in three months.
We pick up Jello's luggage which is a brief case, a duffle bag, and a large knapsack someone might travel Europe with in which he has all his records/CDs/T shirts/etc.
I experience a major embarassment when I can't figure out how to get to my van because I parked in the oversized vehicle lot which is like in Guam of Logan.
We go up and down the elevator while I nervously try to figure my shit out but he is very good humored about it all. I try not to laugh while he makes mocking pseudo-friendly conversation with the yuppies we're stuck in the elevator with.
After finding the van, I realize I have to get the parking validated. Another delay. We get to talking about politics, our respective experiences at the FTAA protest, his experiences being "randomly selected" by airport security for searches when he travels by plane. We talk about Jobs with Justice and he starts telling stories about playing Boston with the Dead Kennedys and about macho Boston hardcore was back in the day and how much the Channel sucked and is Choke gay now or what?
The conversation about Slapshot and their comeback show with Stars and Stripes continues. We agree its a band that put out some great records, but damn were there some suppressed homosexual tendencies going on in Boston back in the eighties.
We talk about the Rat and what has replaced it now. He talks about Don Law and other booking moguls and Boston scene personalities Al Quint would be more well versed on then I am.
At the hotel, we get him signed in and hang out going over the publicity material and music, etc. for a bit more and then I went to get shit set up for the show and he got dinner.
At performance time it turns out the PA sucks, but at least the room is big. Liz the girl who was helping me do the event from WECB is spazzing out and making things much more difficult then they have to be, but basically everything was done ahead of time and the rest of the WECB staff was great so it was all under control.
When I first booked the event, I was nervous we were going to have too few people. Then I got nervous we were going to have too many people. As it ended up we had almost exactly 300 people for 300 seats. I was thrilled.
Jello's performance was of course mind blowing, brilliant and left everyone in stitches. It was such a diverse audience. Guys from the baseball team came and most importantly STAYED as did punks, regular joes, sorority girls - it was great. A whole crowd, thoroughly radicalized in a quick 4 hour session.
During intermission Jello asked me for a bottle because if he went through the crowd to the bathroom he'd have to sign autographs in the middle of the show for an hour or people would think he was an asshole and go say as much on the internet.
The biggest downside of the event was Dan the Bagel Man making loud smartass comments and from what I heard from the people in front of him chewing food really loud and smelling really bad. He got up and took the mic at the end of the event and it was sort of annoying as he followed Jello into the dressing room when it was made clear there would be meet and greet afterwords and Dan was just out of control. . .
Anyhow, during intermission Jello pisses in this poland springs bottle which I found out later got left in back of the stage at the Tremont House Hotel. Heh, the one sort of out of line punk rock thing that could be done at this fancy conference room. . .
So everything is good - people are so happy leaving the event. Jello needs food so he, myself, Elena, my little sister and Jellos friend Mary go to south street diner!!
It was raining and really shitty out which sucked and we had to wait a while in the very crowded front entrace to SS diner like you tend to have to do on Saturday nights. Jello got the Diner Special and I had bacon and eggs and we got fries and milk shakes and my sister and Elena ate mozzarella sticks.
Jello and I kept talking bands and politics and the subject of the fake dead kennedys stop in Boston came up and I'm going to try to track down some of the promotional material for that to help with his lawsuit against them because apparently they've been using his image in promotions and if he finds enough cases of that he has a better shot at winning (For more info on that see www.alternativetentacles.com)
I think he got offended when I offered to pay for a cab home becuase he was like, "Umm I could really use a ride," but I think he understood I was nervous about my sister being out at - oh - 3am and she's 15 and my Mom was wigging out.
"Sorry Jello, can't stick around to hang out because my mom's getting mad. . ."
So that was kind of embarassing but oh well - figured it was worht it to get my sister exposed to his show - I worry about how sheltered she's becoming in some ways.
So after South STreet Diner, we trapse back throughthe rain. Jello gave me tour advice for when we (hopefuly) go down to Texas with Allergic to Whores. He remembered we were on Rodent Popsicle Records, but I couldn't gather whether he actually listened to our CD or not. Oh well, I'll send him another one when I sned him all the press from Emerson on the event.
Anyhow, I dropped him back at the hotel. He was awesome. It's hard to be around someone you know you have sooo much in common with in terms of ambitions and ideas and bla bla bla - and know what to say without seeming like... doing anything that makes them uncomfortable because he really is just a regular guy - except he's Jello Biafra. I see how he could rub some people the wrong way but I think we hit it off. Everyone at Emerson thinks we're best friends because he was like "Hey Jeff can you help me out with bla bla bla" from the stage when the Disco music was too loud from the Roxy downstairs. . .
I want to talk to him about coming for a show during the Democratic National Convention. It would be worthwhile to get that shit square in advance IMHO and that's far enough off it would be wroth him coming back.
So, that's my day with Jello Biafra. If anyone wants Jello glossy photos I've got a bunch and posters for his new album - just drop me a line. I'm soooo tired and this may be incoherent but I just wanted to write it all out while I was still on such a high from the whole event/experience of meeting one of the few people I consider a personal HERO.
As in the atmosphere created by the dozen security gaurds at every turn. But that's a different entry. This is about spending the day with Jello. First, we had to go get his bags. He was very friendly and complimentary of my having pulled together this event so soon after the Coolidge. Apparently, he hadn't been in Boston for 10 years and now he's been here twice in three months.
We pick up Jello's luggage which is a brief case, a duffle bag, and a large knapsack someone might travel Europe with in which he has all his records/CDs/T shirts/etc.
I experience a major embarassment when I can't figure out how to get to my van because I parked in the oversized vehicle lot which is like in Guam of Logan.
We go up and down the elevator while I nervously try to figure my shit out but he is very good humored about it all. I try not to laugh while he makes mocking pseudo-friendly conversation with the yuppies we're stuck in the elevator with.
After finding the van, I realize I have to get the parking validated. Another delay. We get to talking about politics, our respective experiences at the FTAA protest, his experiences being "randomly selected" by airport security for searches when he travels by plane. We talk about Jobs with Justice and he starts telling stories about playing Boston with the Dead Kennedys and about macho Boston hardcore was back in the day and how much the Channel sucked and is Choke gay now or what?
The conversation about Slapshot and their comeback show with Stars and Stripes continues. We agree its a band that put out some great records, but damn were there some suppressed homosexual tendencies going on in Boston back in the eighties.
We talk about the Rat and what has replaced it now. He talks about Don Law and other booking moguls and Boston scene personalities Al Quint would be more well versed on then I am.
At the hotel, we get him signed in and hang out going over the publicity material and music, etc. for a bit more and then I went to get shit set up for the show and he got dinner.
At performance time it turns out the PA sucks, but at least the room is big. Liz the girl who was helping me do the event from WECB is spazzing out and making things much more difficult then they have to be, but basically everything was done ahead of time and the rest of the WECB staff was great so it was all under control.
When I first booked the event, I was nervous we were going to have too few people. Then I got nervous we were going to have too many people. As it ended up we had almost exactly 300 people for 300 seats. I was thrilled.
Jello's performance was of course mind blowing, brilliant and left everyone in stitches. It was such a diverse audience. Guys from the baseball team came and most importantly STAYED as did punks, regular joes, sorority girls - it was great. A whole crowd, thoroughly radicalized in a quick 4 hour session.
During intermission Jello asked me for a bottle because if he went through the crowd to the bathroom he'd have to sign autographs in the middle of the show for an hour or people would think he was an asshole and go say as much on the internet.
The biggest downside of the event was Dan the Bagel Man making loud smartass comments and from what I heard from the people in front of him chewing food really loud and smelling really bad. He got up and took the mic at the end of the event and it was sort of annoying as he followed Jello into the dressing room when it was made clear there would be meet and greet afterwords and Dan was just out of control. . .
Anyhow, during intermission Jello pisses in this poland springs bottle which I found out later got left in back of the stage at the Tremont House Hotel. Heh, the one sort of out of line punk rock thing that could be done at this fancy conference room. . .
So everything is good - people are so happy leaving the event. Jello needs food so he, myself, Elena, my little sister and Jellos friend Mary go to south street diner!!
It was raining and really shitty out which sucked and we had to wait a while in the very crowded front entrace to SS diner like you tend to have to do on Saturday nights. Jello got the Diner Special and I had bacon and eggs and we got fries and milk shakes and my sister and Elena ate mozzarella sticks.
Jello and I kept talking bands and politics and the subject of the fake dead kennedys stop in Boston came up and I'm going to try to track down some of the promotional material for that to help with his lawsuit against them because apparently they've been using his image in promotions and if he finds enough cases of that he has a better shot at winning (For more info on that see www.alternativetentacles.com)
I think he got offended when I offered to pay for a cab home becuase he was like, "Umm I could really use a ride," but I think he understood I was nervous about my sister being out at - oh - 3am and she's 15 and my Mom was wigging out.
"Sorry Jello, can't stick around to hang out because my mom's getting mad. . ."
So that was kind of embarassing but oh well - figured it was worht it to get my sister exposed to his show - I worry about how sheltered she's becoming in some ways.
So after South STreet Diner, we trapse back throughthe rain. Jello gave me tour advice for when we (hopefuly) go down to Texas with Allergic to Whores. He remembered we were on Rodent Popsicle Records, but I couldn't gather whether he actually listened to our CD or not. Oh well, I'll send him another one when I sned him all the press from Emerson on the event.
Anyhow, I dropped him back at the hotel. He was awesome. It's hard to be around someone you know you have sooo much in common with in terms of ambitions and ideas and bla bla bla - and know what to say without seeming like... doing anything that makes them uncomfortable because he really is just a regular guy - except he's Jello Biafra. I see how he could rub some people the wrong way but I think we hit it off. Everyone at Emerson thinks we're best friends because he was like "Hey Jeff can you help me out with bla bla bla" from the stage when the Disco music was too loud from the Roxy downstairs. . .
I want to talk to him about coming for a show during the Democratic National Convention. It would be worthwhile to get that shit square in advance IMHO and that's far enough off it would be wroth him coming back.
So, that's my day with Jello Biafra. If anyone wants Jello glossy photos I've got a bunch and posters for his new album - just drop me a line. I'm soooo tired and this may be incoherent but I just wanted to write it all out while I was still on such a high from the whole event/experience of meeting one of the few people I consider a personal HERO.