CMJ New Music Marathon 2003: NYC Oct. 22-25

alex,

i'm going to new york for this and i will yield my potential space to you by seeing the city and friends during this time instead. can't do much if they don't give it a 100%, however.

cheers,
todd

Cheers, Todd, much appreciated.

this is the only NYC date for Killing Joke?

So far.

Not that I expect anyone to care, but I have to say, this whole event is getting more worriesome by the hour. For a start, the box office at Webster Hall (the venue) doesn't know anything about the event in question (despite the fact that tix are going on sale for it tomorrow at noon, or so says the CMJ site and an ad in this week's Village Voice). Webster Hall directed me to Ticketmaster, who showed no sign of recognition either.

Moreover, on the night of the show (Oct.22), the doors don't open until 7:30. So far....there are three bands listed (with "many more to be announced") lined-up before Killing Joke (and, by the way, apparently My Morning Jacket have a higher billing than the Joke). That says "short sets" to me.

I'm starting to get very pissed off.

maybe it's being billed on the ticket itself under a different blanket name w/no bands on it, Alex? just something like "CMJ Opening Nite Party" or something. I assume you're asking for tix by date, though--you're a seasoned showgoer and I imagine you know the ropes for these thigns--so yeah, it does seem baffling.

Tried that, Mike. I'm just going to go to the box office tomorrow (with ad in hand) and raise cain if they don't have the tix. Given that it's a CMJ thing, I'm guessing there'll be a limited amount of tickets available, hence my aprehension. Moreover, given that there are "bigger" names on the bill (My Morning Jacket seem to be a big draw these days), I'm wondering if it's going to be difficult.

(please don't call me "Mike." thanks)

can't you get in as a journalist, though?

Sorry, Matos (it is Michael, though, right?)

I can probably get myself in via The New Yorker, but I'm also picking up tickets (hopefully) for some friends travelling in from out of town (that's right, we Joke fans network like dat).

(yes, Michael)

I see. well, good luck.

Michael is okay. As is Mikey.

(x-post)

CMJ screws up yet again? No surprise there. I've tried to volunteer for it every year. Either all the slots are full (we're talking months in advance, here) or the shows themselves are sold out.

Good luck, Alex. Perhaps you can get in by selling a pint of blood.

Well, they haven't necessarily screwed up yet. I'm just anticipating a screw up, being that the venue that's supposedly hosting the show knew nothing about it (as of this morning), despite a full page ad in the Village Voice that said they go on sale at the box office at noon. I'm not interested in getting a badge for the entire CMJ fest, I just want tix to this one stupid fuckin' show.

box office can't help? They should know what shows they are running....

They don't (or at least didn't this morning)....nor is there any info here.....

http://www.websterhall.com/

Ah. Well, WH is slack as shite when it comes to updates, sometimes.

Apparently. Well, we'll see what happens.

alex, i'm gonna have a press badge, and if there's nothing i wanna see that first night, it's yrs for kj.

You da'man, Yance. I'll be in touch if so (also, we're overdue on our music exchange!)

Oy! What a morning. So, after becoming deeply disheartened by the seeming lack of cohesion behind the logistics of this gig, I rose this morning around 10:30 (after my 4pm to 4am shift) to bring to fruition the plan of having Killing Joke tickets in hand by the end of the day. I checked the various websites (CMJ, Webster Hall, Ticketmaster), and there was no change. Details were either frustratingly vague or non-existant.

As fate would have it, I live but a mere three city blocks from Webster Hall, so I grabbed an iced coffee from a local deli, hit the ATM and proceeded to the venue at about 11:15 am. The front of Webster Hall (a criminally unrecognized architectural landmark dating back to god knows when) looked as shut as a beachfront surfshop during the bleakest days of December. One solitary individual (count'em: 1) sat on the steps, reading a copy of Kurt Vonegut's "Slaughterhouse Five". "Excuse me," I asked, "Are you here for the same reason I'm here?" "Teecketts gow en sail ad noooon," he numbled, quickly returning to Vonegut's heady text....an interesting situation, given that English didn't immediately seem like this fellow's native tongue. Fine. So, I paced around, finishing my iced coffee and wondering what the hell's up. No one else around. A few likely looking, black-clad students walked down the street, but passed right by, heading for the post office at the end of the block. Things were not adding up. I went
back to the Vonegut-reader.

"Which show are you looking to get tickets for?" I petitioned. He looked back up, and in a thick, African accent, "Keeeling Jowuck". "Really??" I retorted, hopefully not sounding too incredulous (not to put too fine a point on it, but this gentleman really didn't seem to be the type whose heart-rate accelartes when he hears the opening throb of "The Wait"). "Yes," he replied, "I yem getting Keeeling Jowuck teeckets fohr mye friend, hoo izzat worruk at de mowmant."

Could this really be it? Am I really the *ONLY* person in New York City waiting to get Killing Joke tickets, apart from some guy who is stuck at the office and sends his exchange student pal? I was getting more dubious by the moment.

I called my ever-savvy pal Rob at his office, and have him scan the Ticketmaster site, the CMJ site and the Webster Hall site for any further developments. No news. I continued to pace up and down the block. Tick, tick, tick, tick.

Around five minutes to noon, I decide to call the box office. "Hi," I say, "are you planning on selling tickets today, as advertised, for the CMJ opening night showcase on October 22nd?" "Not until 1:30". ***click*** Gosh, thanks for telling us. In the spirit of fair play and good will, I inform my studious African friend that the sale time has evidently been pushed back to 1:30. He sighs, but doesn't look especially phased. I decide to repair back home, use the facilities, eat some breakfast and grab a book to read for when I go back. Suddenly panicking (unreasonably so) that in my absence, a veritable army of zealous My Morning Jacket fans have shown up to
buy out the ticket supply, I hot-foot it back to Webster Hall, only to be met with the exact same scene, only my African pal has given up on Vonegut, and is now staring blankly into the middle-distance.

"Mebbe no wan lykes dee Keeeling Jowuk," he helpfully postulates, only to be met with my furrowed-brow and "I WILL END YOU, BLASPHEMER" scowl. More time passes. Around 1pm, a ponytailed fellow in an ill-fitting Webster Hall t-shirt/dress pops out the door, asking either of us if we have a light. Neither of us do, but suddenly the African gent seizes the day. "Winnn mei weee bi teecketts fohr deee Keeeling Jowuck konserrt?" Captain Ponytail squints quizzically at the query until I butt in and translate. "Oh," he shrugs, "just ring the buzzer over at the door behind the stairs and that'll let you into the box office." Progress maybe? Let's see.

Letting the African dude go first (he got there before me, after all), we enter Webster Hall and climb a flight of stairs to the box office. It is only about 1:05 pm by this point. Behind the counter was a eastern european-looking babe in a black wife-beater looking surprisingly pleased to see us. Sure enough, tickets were to be had. The African bloke buys a solitary ticket for his toiling friend and leaves, without a further word. I step up and pick up six tickets (as that's as far as my money would take me) for myself and a gaggle of folks from the Gathering planning to attend.

As a final note, Killing Joke are listed at the bottom of the proceedings, under The New Deal and My Morning Jacket.

Those tix were well earned, Alex. I hope dee Keeeling Jowuk delivers for you! Enjoy the show.

Has anyone ever seen Black Box Recorder live? This is the only show I am considering at the moment.

Greetings Mike! New York misses you.

felicity

Well done, Alex. Well done.

Alex's story fills my heart with love. He is persistence in the face of confusion.