Philly: Trouble Everyday, MEDIUM MEDIUM, Dragon City

yes. will be there. are there any half off coupons left? PECO's bill really got a hold off me in a talltale of electricity.

sorry, but i couldn't avoid the pun. any other philly ilx0rs attending? if you're from delaware it's o.k. jerseyans certainly welcome too.

Is there an unspoken rule here not to post shows? I've been tempted to do it but felt like it might be tacky.

ps Maria, I just realized you've booked us before for plain parade stuff in Philly, hence my recognizing your name.

blackmail, there are 1/2 OFF coupons all over town. being as that you are my super special paranoid scenester AND asked nicely, ill hold one for you at the door.

hurting, who are you? what is your band?

i dont know if its an unspoken rule but it seems like not many people live in philly, so its pointless for me to post information about our events here.

Maria, sorry to interrupt, but I keep asking this of Philadelphians, and nobody's known about it so far: back in the 80s,on cable, I witnessed a really rocking set by a Philly New Wave band, Dick Tracy. The leader was George Carras, who did indeed look just like Dick (apparently without any Warren Beatty[-movie-]type prosthetics. Ever heard of him, or them? I've never found any recs.

maria: you will get XOXO, that is, two copies of the same Elliot Smith album in return. hugs & kisses, s'il vous prefere.

thnx. i'm buying new earplugs for this show. unlike countless others, i won't underestimate dragon city's onslaught.

Maria, my band is American Altitude -- I'm the drummer (Josh). I think you know Josh Newman, the bass player, but I don't think we really met. I don't live in Philly, but come there a lot, so I say post away.

don, here's the answer to your question, courtesy of jay schwartz [of the secret cinema]:

The band actually spelled their name Dick Tracey, evidently because they
thought that when their lucky day came and they got signed to a big
national contract, they would then be protected from a trademark
infringement case from King Syndicate or whoever owns the rights to Chester
Gould's famed comic strip (actually the early strips and early films based
on the character are public domain, and Disney unsuccessfully tried to stop
distribution of cheapo videos of those 1940s films when they released their
big budget garbage in 1990...but I digress). As you can guess, this legal
test of the band's name never came to pass.

Anyway, they were a commercially-slanted original pop band that made at
least one record (that I somehow have), a 12" single of Simon & Garfunkle's
"Sounds of SIlence" b/w an original called "Dirty Looks.," released 1982 on
the Sunshine label. I wouldn't be surprised if they released something
else, although paying to record and press anything let alone a whole album
was not nearly as commonplace then as it is now.

The record was "produced and directed" by Walter Kahn. As I recall, the
original song isn't bad. Maybe I'll play it the next time I do a power pop
d.j. gig (any offers?)

I think the band was managed by veteran scenester Alan Newman...whatever
happened to him? Colonel?

I do not remember he singer looking anything like either Dick Tracy (that
might be scary!) or Warren Beatty. Not that I can picture the guy exactly.

hey josh, i believe ive met you at load-in, albeit briefly! you are part of the NB contingent of the band, right? [i grew up in metuchen.]

our show on 11/13 should be real fun, but dont tell newman that hot snakes are playing in philly on the same night. he'll cry, i think.

Thanks, Maria and Jay! I saw them on"The Hot Spot," a series which I doubt will ever be on (legit) DVD. A crew would set up in a city for a week or so, and record sets of the supposedly hottest local bands, at the hottest clubs. Worked pretty well, generally (also on Philly: the guy, Robert Hazard, I think, who wrote "Girls Just Want To Have Fun," was entertaining in ways probably unintended; better was an early version of the Hooters, with a mod reggae blend almost casual, as if this was a given for a good white club band of the early 80s, which it, ah, was not.) In other cities, other early (better) versions of other future (one-)hit acts, like the Satellites, later the Georgia Satellites when they ventured out of Atlanta. This was on I swear the USA Network, which also had "New Wave Theater",which was "New Wave" like Black Flag, the Cramps, the Plugz, Top Jimmy,Monitor, etc., cos that's who they featured, also live bebby! And "New York Bandstand," with James Chance, etc.; UK's "Snub" with my first glimpse of Factory and Adrian Sherwood bands. It's all out there somewhere I guess. Sorry for the digression; take it away, Philadelphians!

New Wave Theater and Snub were only shown on USA as part of Night Flight. The show that perverted the minds of too many to mention. I still have fragments of stuff taped off those shows...the kern Death Valley 69 video on Night Flight, Renegade Soundwave and the JAMMs on Snub, Fear from New Wave Theater, etc.

Trouble Every Day is a great name for a group, because it suggest that they know it's one of the best political songs ever. About a guy who's feeling caught between the Watts riots and "everyday" trouble of the mid-60s. Between white and black too. "I'm not black but sometimes I wish I wasn't white either." He's not preaching, he's scared, he wants to get away. He's not freaking out, just eroding. A Frank Zappa song!

they were awesome and im not saying that because i booked the show either. excellent energy on stage and wowed a room full of philly hipsters. thanks to all who came out!