Fat Day -- tell me more

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Reason being? Well, I'm doing their biography for the AMG, having ended up with a copy of their Unf! Unf! album on Load. Douglas Wolk is a major fan, I know Doug DeMay is the guitarist and apparently the spokesperson of the band, they've been around for a decade, an article like this is good for telling me about their DIY-legend status in Boston, and of course there's the band's own web page with a hilarious fake bio. I'm probably just going to write 'em directly if I can't find any more info! But any other links or tales or...?

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 18 November 2004 03:43 (twenty-one years ago)

I saw them play a tiny secret show at a coffee shop with Lightning Bolt and L.A. Drugs. Bald dude from the band tried to hump my leg during Lightning Bolt's set.

Saw them summer 2002 play a split set in a warehouse with Neptune. They shredded. We hurled those red recess dodgeballs at the band. epic!

― Does John Coltrane Dream of a Merry-go-round? (ex machina), Thursday, 18 November 2004 03:48 (twenty-one years ago)

i LOVE fat day - but thats not going to help you.

― maria tessa sciarrino (theoreticalgirl), Thursday, 18 November 2004 03:51 (twenty-one years ago)

Aw!

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 18 November 2004 03:51 (twenty-one years ago)

They all went to Harvard and stuff. They're really smart guys.. white collar types; I want to say accountants and lawyers but I'm not 100% on that. Seen em play in Providence a few times in the past few years. Once was at a secret show at a coffee shop with Lightning Bolt and LA Drugs a few winters ago (free show because locals couldn't afford to see Laserbeast when they play with sonic yoof and blagg dicze.)

Saw them play a "dueling" set with Neptune (also from Boston) at the (last?) Tin Can Full of Dreams fest. Tset up next to each other (more or less), the two bands alternated songs. At that show, Jon Williams kicked me in the nose by accident and I thought I had broken it. People were climbing all over each other, spinning around, falling down, etc. Malt liquor was involved. Sometimes they have helmets with buttons that play sounds; othertimes not.

They are OLD.
XPOSTS

― Ian John50n (orion), Thursday, 18 November 2004 03:51 (twenty-one years ago)

Saw them open for The Ex back in 2000, I think? It was at the Middle East - before they took the stage, the house lights were dimmed. And then THEY turned on - the band was wrapped in Christmas lights. The lead singer may or may not have been wearing a wig. It was fun stuff. Coincidentally enough, Neptune was also on the bill.

― David R. (popshots75`), Thursday, 18 November 2004 03:51 (twenty-one years ago)

A review from Mr. Wolk back in 1998.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 18 November 2004 03:52 (twenty-one years ago)

David; if you're referring to the singer's strikiking blonde mullet--that is not a wig.

They put out a split 7" with Harriet The Spy a long time ago that is one of my alltime fave splits!

― Ian John50n (orion), Thursday, 18 November 2004 03:53 (twenty-one years ago)

uh, one of their songs is named after a friend of mine.

― hockey family (Jody Beth Rosen), Thursday, 18 November 2004 04:31 (twenty-one years ago)

Sure hope it isn't "Adoration of the Crapass."

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 18 November 2004 04:34 (twenty-one years ago)

Oh, it warms my heart to know someone knows about Tin Can Full of Dreams on here. I heart P3te Z3tlan.

Also, my friends called the one guy Matt Day, which was funny.

Also, I love Neptune.

― Magic City (ano ano), Thursday, 18 November 2004 05:31 (twenty-one years ago)

matt day vs. kevin seconds

― hockey family (Jody Beth Rosen), Thursday, 18 November 2004 05:45 (twenty-one years ago)

Obviously I love 'em--I ended up putting out one of their albums, the COMPLETELY INSANE "Fat Day IV." This came about when an earlier record included an "Order Your Own Fat Day Song" postcard, which fans responded to with lyrics, musical notation, doodles, descriptions, abstract collages... and Fat Day figured out how to play every one of them, and THAT was the album. The postcards can be seen starting here

― Douglas (Douglas), Thursday, 18 November 2004 07:28 (twenty-one years ago)

Actually my single favorite Fat Day memory is seeing them at the Knitting Factory opening for Arab on Radar--they were all wearing these dust masks with microphones taped to the inside, and Matt had a sort of pie-plate attached to the top of his head, plus a sailor outfit, a fake pegleg attached at his knee and a staff so he could walk. Naturally he fell flat on his ass ten seconds into the show and spent the rest of their 12-minute, 20-song set on his back, flailing around and screaming into his dust mask. I asked him afterwards "so, uh, what was up with that costume?" He looked at me with an isn't-it-obvious expression and said "Radar on Ahab!"

Also search the G-rated porn movie (no nudity, no profanity) that Doug D. wrote and directed (w/ oscillator soundtrack by the band), "Sexy Doings." It's... unusual.

― Douglas (Douglas), Thursday, 18 November 2004 07:35 (twenty-one years ago)

That Radar on Ahab story is beautiful.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 18 November 2004 13:38 (twenty-one years ago)

I love this band. Search the Futoribi CD, which compiles the My Name Is I Hate You and Burrega LPs. Also search the DJ Pica Pica Pica track that samples “Little Rachcles.” Their records are outstanding, but they’re especially impressive live (though they tour too infrequently and their sets can be sadly short). That gig with AoR at the Knitting Factory ranks as one of my all time favorite shows.

I saw them most recently a few months ago in Brooklyn with Rapider Than Horsepower and The Mae-Shi. They seem to be doing more and more with their “synth helmets,” which are, well… they’re basically what you’d assume they are. So, you get odd, low-bit synth ditties mixed in with the lightspeed, turn-on-a-dime, hardcore antics. Fun!

― Rokovoko (Rokovoko), Thursday, 18 November 2004 15:14 (twenty-one years ago)

I can get you Matt's phone #, did a radio interview with him once. He loves to talk!

― zaxxon25 (zaxxon25), Thursday, 18 November 2004 22:53 (twenty-one years ago)

Well now that could be handy. Let me try e-mail first, though!

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 18 November 2004 23:11 (twenty-one years ago)

NERDS

― Does John Coltrane Dream of a Merry-go-round? (ex machina), Thursday, 18 November 2004 23:40 (twenty-one years ago)

one year passes...

No, Neds.

I never did get around to writing that bio! I should restart this. But I will say I am listening to their new singles compilation Snarl of Pulchritude and love it muchly.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Sunday, 28 May 2006 16:05 (twenty years ago)

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