Brent Amaker and the Rodeo at CMJ

Journal 9 - CMJ

2008 RODEO US TOUR JOURNAL - 9

New York, NY

New York and CMJ agreed with the Rodeo. After the Bridgeport bringdown, there was a real chance that we'd roll into the city and get our asses whipped. But I think God is a cowboy - or wishes He was. We pulled into New York and recharged our batteries on a strict diet of pizza, whiskey, and all-access badges.

Our first show was at a grimy tiki bar where we battled the worn-out PA and borrowed gear for a few rounds. I'd call it a draw. The best thing about this show was seeing friends from Seattle and Mitchell, SD (always Mitchell!) who had moved out to NYC. We've been looking at nothing but new people for 10 days and the sight of some familiar faces was just what the doctor ordered.

After the show we spread out all over town. Brent and I naturally found a place to do some disco dancing. We took in a CMJ showcase at the Bowery Ballroom - walking to the front of long lines and blowing through velvet ropes with our artist passes. That's a good way to take in NYC. Tiny Dancer and Ben went on a marathon trek through Brooklyn while Sugar ripped it up in the Village. This was one of those great nights where the whole crew splits up and magically winds up at the same bar at 4am.

On Friday, we rolled into the Team Clermont party to scarf up some free drinks and meet the people who've been promoting the new album, "Howdy Do!" We picked up swag, dropped off handbills for the show and chatted with the folks. We met a group of college radio DJs from WHUS Connecticut. I hope they put the Rodeo on their playlist. That would be a nice way for us to say "thanks" for the broken van windows.

Showcases can be hit and miss and we'd been pruning back our expectations all day. So it was damn near magical to see the National Underground fill up with people we'd met since hitting town. The Rodeo delivered the best show of the tour so far - hands down. God DAMN it felt good to be given a chance and know that we took full advantage of it. We nailed it to the wall on Friday night.

One very hip looking kid with wild kinky hair, and tight jeans came up to Brent and said, "Man, I think country music fucking SUCKS, but I love you guys!"

We rolled out of the National Underground and checked out KEXP's party. More familiar faces, there. Then we cabbed out to Brooklyn to catch Dungen. Do you know Dungen? They're a Swedish psychedelic band in heavy rotation in our van's CD player. Wonderful music and absolutely impenetrable Swedish lyrics. Brent said he liked to drive around Seattle singing along to the first album, which I thought was just more of that classic Amaker wit. Not so! When Dungen played their big hit, he called up his wife (also a big fan), held up the phone and then proceeded to sing total nonsense, "neen nonny noo, drr drr dow da…" with deep sincerity.

Apart from cramming 3 days worth of living into 36 hours, our main accomplishment in NYC was getting packed up and on the road - despite radioactive hangovers - before 8am without leaving anything or anyone behind.