MANDOWN MANDOWN Yet another jolly good time with our fellows in the strokes this time while in Los Angeles I got into the concert just fine, and the concert went well the problem is that there were some stage troubles. The giant screens on the sides of the stage were quick to catch a hand reach up and grab Julian by the crotch into the crowd. While onlookers laughed and gawked in shock Julian still had the mic close enough to his mouth to scream MANDOWN MANDOWN!!!!!. As the roadies all came to his rescue they grabbed him by his legs and picked him up onlyto have him ddanglingover the crowd for a few seconds as girls tried to rip his shirt off. Other than that it was a great show the best was the Mooney Suzuki's best televangelist impression when their singer started preaching to the crowd. "LosAngeles we need to save rock and roll but the mooney suzuki cannot do this. Do you wanna know why? DO YOU WANNA KNOW WHY!!!??? BECAUSE THE MOONEY SUZUKI NEVER LOST ROCK AND ROLL MUTHERFUCKERS!!!!". it was awesome - Memphis I wish I were that floor. Whew. On November 23 and 24, 2001, I embarked upon a voyage to see The Strokes's concerts in Nashville and Birmingham, funded in part by the selling of a picture of Julian's man region, which was accidentally taken (I really wasn't aiming for his man region. It was supposed to be of his face.) at the previous concert I had attended in Athens, on Ebay. Nick actually talked about the man region picture in an interview with the Charleston City Paper: I had attended in Athens, on Ebay. Nick actually talked about the man region picture in an interview with the Charleston City Paper: CP: Do you know there was a picture of Julian's crotch auctioned on ebay? NV: Julian's crotch? Like his bare crotch? CP: No, like in jeans. NV: Huh, OK. That's cool. CP: No other thoughts on that? NV: Um, you know. I don't know, people get interested in silly things sometimes. So if people want to sell photos like that, by all means, do the transaction. http://www.members.aol.com/bobisbuff/strokes1.html
		How I Missed The Strokes The first time was in November of 2001, they were playing at St. Andrew's in Detroit. I asked my friend if she wanted to go, she agreed to buy tickets seeing as I was away at school with no local ticketmaster. I brought a friend home with me to go the show, only to find out the girl had forgot to purchase tickets. The show ended up being sold out. We went anyway to see if anyone had extra tickets, but to no avail. The second time was in June of 2002 I think. It was the show at the Tweeter Center in Chicago. Two friends and I drove from Detroit to Chicago. My friends were intent on record shopping the day of the show. We ended up being 4 or 5 hours late. As we pulled into the parking lot, I heard the Strokes playing. We ran to the gate, gave them our ticket-stubs and found our seats. We missed half of their set. So I suppose I "half" missed that show hah. It gets better don't worry.. The third time was in August of 2002. For whatever reason, I did not know they were playing two shows in Michigan.. in two days! Two shows, one in Pontiac at Clutch Cargo's, one in Detroit at Chene Park. One small venue, one large venue - respectively. I had a ticket for the larger of the two. Learning that it was sold out I decided to go and listen from outside, pathetic but entertaining none-the-less. So that would be number three heh. THE FOURTH time was the show at Chene Park on August 9th. My friend and I left in plenty of time to get there with a set of directions given to me by Ticketmaster. We followed their directions verbatum, even up to the part that did not make too much sense. "Take I-75 S to E. Jefferson" Jefferson is a street in Detroit, but we followed the directions waiting patiently while cruising 75 S. for our exit. The exit never popped up, because I-75 South does not take eager fans to East Jefferson Street. It takes them to OHIO. We did not drive all the way there, but just long enough to make things frustrating. And so as the story goes, we turned around, found Chene Park in Detroit, parked at some ritzy restaurant called the Rattlesnake Club, got out of the car, only to hear the Strokes finishing their set. We did catch the White Stripes play an awesome set, which was great. This whole adventure gives new meaning to the song where Jack mentions sending someone to Toledo... Sometimes I wonder if I will ever make it to one of the Strokes' shows... Maybe I should just buy tickets and not even bother trying to leave! I am thinking of investing in a good Michigan road map, a compass for the dash, and maybe some sort of GPS. So if you live in Michigan, think of me while you watch them play next time, because I will either not be there, be there outside the venue listening intently from across the street, or driving to Ohio. Maybe next time, maybe. zanskass **^we stood around for about a year waiting for the security dykes to "check" us:: ok ok so last time you heard from me i had ditched a cabby for around five hundred dollars. But i have super good news we (me and friends) FINALLY gotto see the strokes. My mom was kind enough to drive the 150+ miles to san diego from our house to see them (thanx mom!!) Anywho once we got there and stood around for about a year waiting for the security dykes to "check" us we went inside and scoped tee's for awhile then descended the stairs to the floor level so my guy guy friend goes and takes a leak as did we ladies. When i came out my dude is like "yo check it out" and to my surprise there's FAB!!! standing like 3 feet away talking to some people (and not us? im truly appalled ::flips hair::) and im like "what? thats not fab" well ok so it was and he heard me then i did a whole double take and shat my pants. Then Albert opened the backstage door thingy for him and then thats when the screaming started i.e. "HOLY SHIT WE BREATHED FAB'S AIR!!!!!!!" "OMG PLEEEEEAAASE TELL ME THAT WASN'T ALBERT I'LL JUST DIE!!!!!" man are we sad or what - Memphis meet all of them on the street I was visiting NY for my business till the last weekends, and oh my god, I could meet all of them on the street in the last few days (my days off). How amazing! They were so sweet for me, though suddenly the strange Japanese girl talked to them. I could get their pics and autograghs. And I am so glad to see that they are just normal boys even now, maybe as same as before the Rock Stars ...I saw Conan O'Brien in the NBC and ... oh my god, they played SOMA! Wow! (Does anyone remenber me at NBC studio?) And I got to go back to Tokyo, so I dropped in at Chicago to see them, Q101 Jamboree at the tweeter center. While their performance I could go to the front row, I was lucky, but...... What the fuck fence of the seat area! I thought, they realized and got surprised that most of real-strokes-fans were in the far lawn area, they were trying to sing along...but it was so far! In the seat area, most of people might be fans of Kid Rock or something, they were just standing and half of the seats were empty ...you know, because the strokes were lined up lately. So a lot of the strokes fan could not go into the front. I was so sad and lonely. Julian, he never said "fuck you" or "shit" or something like that, he said just "thank you" or " are you alright?" but I missed the naughtydue-eyed puppy and I missed even his "fuck you" I saw that he was almost cry in SOMEDAY, he was sat with his back to the audience in ALONE TOGETHER (Nick and Albert realized it, so Nick was playing lead guitar in the front of the stage), and before TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT he was like "thank you, don't go, thank you sticking around...the last song is..."And the strokes guys all played perfectly, I am sure they were great, especially the new song was driven. It has so catchy chorus, cool cutting riffs, and strong snare drums....and original!....I love it as same as Ze Newie or MMITB. After that, when I was going to the gate, the van passed by me and Fab and Nick waved at me so I could say " You were great, great show, thank you" and Fab was like "Thank you" grasping my hand, and they left. I just felt so sad... Imagine, they had come NY to Chicago, maybe 7 hours drive or like that, to play at the bad festival, and they went back to far NY. How hard! I knew that they don't just live as cool, happy, and lovely Rock Stars, the musicians are really tough and hard job. Some might say they are just lucky....damn it! I went Apollo Theater in NY (w/GbV, I love them, too) with my friends...What amazing shows those were! They and audience really rocked and we got high vibe.i just want to say: I hope, they will keep on their own way, even if they get tired of the bad festival or something like that. Oh oh, I asked Jules like "Are you recording now?" he was like "No, we will record in September" I am look forward their new LP! Thank you. misato http://www16.u-page.so-net.ne.jp/qg7/mi-sato/the%20catcher.htm Having a Stroke It happened when i first heard 'Atmosphere' by Joy Division. It sorta happened again when someone lent me a tape in 1986 and right at the end, just when I'm about to fall asleep, 'Go Out And Get 'Em Boy' by The Wedding Present blasts me back to life. Yeah, defining moments for me, all in the past now. But the best one yet happened in December when I walk into a second-hand clothes shop to get out of the cold. The in-store CD player was on. By now I'm a boring 34-year-old accountant who hasn' read NME since about 1990 and can't name a single record in the charts. Thirty seconds later, I'm yelling at the shopkeeper, "WHO IS this band your're playing because this is incredible and i have got to get this record right now! I just wanted to say i'm really glad it has happened like that, while i was totally unaware of the band, and of the hype that i later found out has surrounded them. It was just me, my ears, and a tune rock'n'roll magical moment. When they start singing songs about saving the planet and release an 'unplugged' CD then i will cry and cry and be...really dead upset. But, no, I 'm not gonna think about that yet, because The Strokes are here and now and they are the best band in the world. tOm