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






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