I’ve been a little too upset this week to speak about this in any way via email, Facebook, here, or whatever, but myself, my missus Mary, and my good friend Herb Jue (who was looking after her of late), and the extended Big Takeover family is this week mourning the loss of our beloved calico cat, Mina, just about to turn (or just turned) 16 (the ASPCA didn’t know her birthday when we got her in May 1993, only that she was two months old).
Those without housepets that feel like true family members possibly won’t understand much of how we feel about Mina. Those who do will know the quiet, stunned feeling we are experiencing over her sudden demise due to a diagnosis of fatal abdominal cancer. It happened so quickly; she was a healthy happy cat (or so we thought), a bit on the elderly side, then suddenly on Sunday she was throwing up all day and these symptoms proved to be a progressive illness already formed and unstoppable. The decision to put her down on Monday was without question the humane one, given her un-improvable condition and projected unending suffering/total listlessness and weakness, and projected difficulty eating/breathing/moving, but it was emotionally hard to say goodbye to a pet who has lived with us so long and been our companion.
Mina was not always nice to strangers and had her tics including an inordinate use of her bladder to register protests over the years (darn her), but was otherwise a doll to anyone she got to know, and in her most endearing quality always wanted to be in whatever room you were in. (I grew up with a aloof cat named Puffy and was completely unprepared for a cat who cared.)
Longtime readers of the mag know her because of this proclivity, as she jumped up on the table and interrupted a couple of our interviews over the years being held at our apartment on Eldridge St. in the East Village—and thus made it into our pages via comments by the artists, such as For Against (she even got her picture into that one) and Bob Mould. And in her most clever coup, she jumped into my lap during the filming of the “The Circle Around the K” documentary about the K Records label (one of only a handful of times she ever jumped into my lap, the ham!) and thus made it into the final film; for with a cat that cute, what director could resist using a quote of mine with her directly in the frame, purring and swishing her tail? Especially a cat that photogenic, given her mix of black, orange, and white like one might see in the wild. And in her second most public outing, she danced across my keyboard for a solid 10 seconds while I was composing a scathing review of U2’s banal Zooropa LP in 1993 and i included her “comments” as a “contrasting view” in the middle of the review—as if I was being a tad harsh on some obscure rockers from Dublin. Funny feline.
I guess I will always have these “public” moments to remember her by, along with the endless river of “private” memories of all the time she and i spent together, asleep together on a bed, or her nuzzled against me on the couch while i watched a ballgame or hockey match. Or meowing up a storm ‘cause her food bowl was – ahem! – empty. Or the lasting memory of the frenzy Mary and I were thrown into when she went missing one night/day at Eldridge, an indoor cat that had mysteriously gotten out and stayed out. (After hours of desperate searching, her plaintive mew made her whereabouts known behind the garbage cans down in the outdoor basement, four floors down, hungry, cold and slightly wet with the morning drizzle.) So much for Mina’s excellent adventure. She should have tried Hotels.com.
In the last seven years of her life, she was a Brooklyn house cat, with access to a backyard, which I am glad for. Our little calico looked particularly brilliant and bright nestled on the green back yard grass surrounded by dazzling roses and the colors of the seasons. And I will remember her that way, too.
To say she will be missed is to say so little but everything.
Thanks for the years, our adored kitty, and oh, to the days in 1993 when you used to fit in the palm of my hand! And I regret there are treats left in your Pounce jar, but glad you loved them so much right ‘til the end. (And my thanks once again to Herb, who took her in while we were west and enjoyed her as his loyal roommate, and who was with me when it was time to say goodbye.) And I will always be glad that at least you didn’t suffer through several painful, enfeebled and unhappy years, but only two bad days.
—Your glad Jack and Mary, and your many friends.
—
I will return to the run of reviews I have been running on this space in a short jag, but for now I have this guest review from JERRY CONNOLLY as he is once again kind enough, as he has been in previous years, to file this enthusiastic report from the recent San Francisco Noise Pop Festival, just concluded.
Here’s Jerry:
NOISE POP FESTIVAL, CAFE DU NORD, SAN FRANCISCO, FEBRUARY 27: THEE OH SEES, THE FRESH & ONLYS, TYVEK, AND THE UNNATURAL HELPERS by JERRY CONNOLLY
As February comes to a close in San Francisco it must be time once again for NOISE POP, that quietly acclaimed festival that’s now in its 17th year. Not quite the same festival as the 1993 debut as the music represented casts a far wider net than the original distortion and melody love fest. Thankfully there is never-the-less much to love about the annual event. As I’ve said before Noise Pop is less an industry back-slapping session as it is an event that caters to the music fan, both casual and rabid. Thanks once more to founder/visionary KEVIN ARNOLD for coming up with the idea 17 years ago and for persevering through thick and thin since then.
For this writer things start a bit late (as in the second night) at the CAFÉ DU NORD. The club itself is located in the Upper Market district of San Francisco and is one of the City’s most eclectic venues in terms of booking. The building dates back to 1907 and manages to have retained some of the Victorian interiors that are not uncommon in this City. It’s a safe bet the club spent some time as speakeasy. There seemed to be a lot of that going on, at that. Speakeasy’s or bordello’s…
For my money tonight’s bill is the best of the entire festival and features two of San Francisco’s most exciting bands – THEE OH SEES and THE FRESH & ONLY’S. The other two on the bill, fellow West Coasters THE UNNATURAL HELPERS and Detroit’s TYVEK round out things in fine fashion. What these for bands also promise, besides great music, are short sets. Normally a four-band bill would be a bit daunting but I think we’ll be OK this evening.
I arrive at the club at 9:15 knowing this means I will have missed some of the first band, The Fresh & Onlys. I know this because one of the many good things about Noise Pop is that the shows start on time (9:00). I walk in to find the local sextet in fine form and I really regret not getting here earlier. Some of the press I’ve read on this lot mention things like a “hallucinogenic brand of garage rock” and that the band is “reminiscent of San Francisco’s earlier Haight & Ashbury ancestors.” Personally, I don’t get that at all. For me its more like the unadorned rock n’ roll that would not have been unwelcome at CBGB’s ‘round ‘74/’75 before Punk became codified. Nothing complicated here, folks, just simple and strong rock ‘n’ roll by band not afraid to avoid breaking new ground while at the same time knocking out some great songs. The strong and confident playing doesn’t hurt their cause, either. And the two female backup singers? A stroke of genius which does nothing but add depth to their sound. The band has just released their debut 7” on *KELLEY STOLTZ*’s Chuffed Records, and is apparently going to hit the road with tonight’s headliners Thee Oh Sees. Keep an eye out for that bill. 9:40 finds the band ending to much applause from the 60-ish people there. A fine set by a band I’d pay to see!
No doubt time for a quick pint before Seattle’s Unnatural Helpers keep the night moving. The band has had a rotating cast over the years and at times has been comprised (apparently) of former members of such bands as THE DIPERS, THE INTELLIGENCE, KINSKI, and THE DUCHESS AND THE DUKE, among many others. What this says about their sound is anyone’s guess, but the first song I heard while standing at the bar did not impress. That said, I still figured I should go into the room in which they were playing and at least attempt to pay attention. I don’t know what happened on my walk in, maybe it was something in the air, but when I finally managed to get myself in the music room the band was kicking up a wonderful racket and I couldn’t have been happier. The quartet’s vocals coming from the drummer kind of put me off a bit (drummers should just play drums) hey now!!!—ed. but the energy the band were putting out made that a mere distraction. Short, sharp, driving songs that could only have come from a band from Seattle (go see them, you’ll understand the comment and agree with me). The highlight was a cover of “Confidence” by THE INTELLIGENCE, though a comment by a band member alluding to the fact that it may not have been a cover (*LARS FINBERG* from the Intelligence spent some time in the Unnatural Helpers some years ago) did have me scratching my head. A great 20-25 minute set by the band that only had me thinking that I would see them again given the chance.
Two bands, two good sets – can’t really ask for more than that now can I? Well, yes, actually, I can and will – two more bands and two more good-to-great sets, please!
Next up is The Motor City’s might Tyvek (or TYVJK as I’ve seen it written lately – no doubt corporate lawyers was involved to make that happen). Having missed the band every time they come to town (or I go to Detroit), I was more than a little excited to finally be bearing witness to Detroit’s finest. With a smattering of singles on WHATS YOUR RUPTURE and SS as well as a CDR (or two) the band have been in high rotation since I made their aural-acquaintance a few years ago. The drummer stands while playing (first time I’d seen this since BOBBY GILLESPIE played with THE JESUS AND MARYCHAIN at TRAXX some 20-odd years ago) and as soon as he started the beat to “Air Conditioner,” I knew I was in for a treat. This is what rock ‘n’ roll should be – simple almost primitive sounds, witty lyrics, and short song lengths. Add to this that the fact that the singer/guitarist looked as if he just came from a science fair and happened to bring his kid sister (she could not possibly have been 18 or older) along to play bass, and I’m over the moon. The band burns through their 9-song set playing all the hits including “Frustration Rock,” “Honda,” “Give it Up,” the aforementioned “Air Conditioner,” as well as a new track from their upcoming full-length on SILTBREEZE. As things end, the crowd is begging for more and that’s just not in card tonight. No matter, leave them wanting Tyvek! “If you got life to live, you got to live it up!”
The next band up, Thee Oh Sees, is really what got me out of the house tonight. I had seen them a month ago and was completely knocked out. I also managed to get an advance of the coming IN THE RED RECORDS LP Help, which I’d say is in the running for Album of the Year (but that’s a tale for another day). While pleased with that, I was still a bit unnerved as I’ve never been a fan of *JOHN DWYER*’s (singer/guitarist) other bands –*COACHWHIPS*, PINK AND BROWN, and YIKES! They’d all gotten a fair bit (and more) of acclaim, but I just couldn’t grasp why. Maybe the show I recently saw was a fluke? The album can’t possibly be that good, can it?
As soon as the band launched into the first song I knew that the previous show was not a fluke and clearly the problem had been me. The band were white hot from the word go. The male/female vocals, provided by Dwyer and BRIDGID DAWSON, are nothing if not haunting no matter the tempo of the song, while the music ranges from garage stompers such as ‘Meat Step Lively’ and ‘I Can’t get No’ to the slower droning ‘Destroyed Fortress.” All the while Dwyer is a fidgeting ball of energy, and I’m amazed that he doesn’t fall over (or miss a note while playing). The Oh Sees are the real deal people; great songs, insane amounts of energy, and what’s more they looked like they were having the times of their lives on stage tearing it up for the duration of their far too short set. I will definitely be there front and center the next time they play locally and just as certainly will check out their back catalog.
Tonight was an all-around success as all the bands were great. Thanks to KIP at TELL ALL YOUR FRIENDS PR for letting me slide.
