Loop De Loup (Selling Out and Buying In)

Just back from my pal Mark Gasper's 50th birthday party at the ever-so excellent Cafe Loup, (formerly the Bells of Hell, a kind of rockcrit heaven in the 70's for folks like Richard Meltzer, Nick Tosches, Billy Altman, Bob Duncan, pianoman Al "The Village Legend" Fields and whatnot), a little corner of olde New York with a wonderfully authentically boho vibe (actual Brassai photos a'hanging in a capacious yet intimate and dimly illumined space, very soothing on the eye), damn good food (best party finger food that my synapses can summon up)--one of my favorite hangs in fact these days. Between the fetching wait-person Tomoyo (ex-bassist of The Moisturizers), Jay the simpatico bartender, the hipster couple that owns this landmark boite (this week both beefing in the Times about the loss of biz due to the messy construction on 13th Street which has partially obscured the Loup's entrance) and a bevy of various other characters and cuties, this joint is endlessly fascinating down to the shadow wolf hand puppet motif that graces their shingle (same motif is emblazoned on a sign outside the prominent bistro Kantjil en de Tijger on the Spuistraat in Amsterdam, wonder who was there first with this sign o' the lupine?)...

and speaking of gracing, guess which album was just designated #1 Modern Classic Album by the MOJO braintrust and readership (they're kinda vague on the actual mechanics of the selection process therein but hey I'm not complaining!)--"Grace" (but of course)--said album was voted lucky #13 in Uncut a couple months ago and now has ascended ascended ascended apparently to a position above and beyond there is only...what? Number 11 on the volume control perhaps... whan that April with his showres soote the droughte of March hath perced to the roote yes April is the coolest month breeding lilacs out of the dead land mixing memory and desire and dull roots with spring rain renewal renaissance remake and remodel and Grace trumps all, this is the Gospel of Judas (smile) and Christ's blood streams in the firmament (quick, first reader to email me with the correct provenance of this line wins a copy of my Russian Fireworks DVD), Easter is a'cummin' in fast...

and I'm off to Russia lovely Russia tomorrow with the best Gods and Monsters lineup ever: the legendary Jerry Harrison from Talking Heads has joined my already stellar band on keyboards, Friday night we kicked some major butt at the Bowery Poetry, in the audience such illustrious personages as Giorgio Gomelsky, Steve Paul, punk photography progenitor Stephanie Chernikowski (see her work in all its glory at www.pixlife.com) plus a multitude of fans up the wazoo old and new (including Dave the Rave who I hadn't seen since our Mercury Lounge mid 90's residency)-- said we never sounded better, and truth to tell--we never did--just Ask Glenn (my pal Glenn Kenny from Premiere Magazine who writes the well-known column of the same name was there with his soon bride-to-be Claire) and Kevin Berger from Salon.com, and homegirl houri Shaista Hussain, there wuz many many more revelers at the party, Jerry (Ernie's roomate at Harvard--this band's in a poison ivy league of our own) has added a fifth dimension to the melodious tintinabulations of Ernie Brooks, Billy Ficca, Jason Candler and meself, helping us in producing an immaculate poeme electronique, our new ashmolean marching society highstepping and kicking up a lucky Cloud of Un(canny) Knowing as blood sweat and cheer poured forth from our bandstand in waves of chiming splendour (yah boo! we're all that...)

we spent a week rehearsing with Jerry, he adds so much extra texture to the group, the first ever gig in this expanded format went down such a storm that I can't wait to play in Saint Petersburg and Moscow this week...in fact the whole week started out really really nicely as my gig up in Burlington Vermont was yet another sell-out of this particular project, see the review on my website--the third sold-out Golem show this year-- God bless Arnie Malina of the Flynn Theater for getting the vibe out up there in advance of the shows and also my cousin Barbara Van Raalte from the Dutch side of the Goldman family, who masterminded a veritable family reunion to coincide with my gig there, cousins of mine jetting in from the West Coast even for my shows...

have to pack now unfortunately as I'd like to keep riding this train of thought, stay tuned for some Russian communiques (my 5th trip over there to perform)

meanwhile check for some new goodies in the free downloads section of my website, including the very curious "Skin the Rabbit" video...

and a moment of silence, please, for Gene Pitney--one of the most emotional and affecting voices of the ages...

xxLove

Gary