The Big Takeover 30th Anniversary Show Documented

The Big Takeover 30th Anniversary Show Documented


I’m going to try and keep these documentary style installments coming. Part II is already done. Here’s Part 1 of the what will be a Über trailer from a truly american shoegaze treasure as Jack puts it – The Sleepover Disaster. Long story short this is part of larger “non-musical” documentary project I work on called create or else about inspiration or at least that is how this started – I ended up with a ton of footage. So these are the musical fruits of which I intend to share all the great moments with you rock fans. When it’s done it will be a nice short documentary on Jack Rabid’s Big Takeover fans, friends and bands he featured last summer at the Bell House in Brooklyn. So subscribe to the RS channel on the Utubes or RS in the twitterverse to be in the know. Lets see I can keep this up all summer long! Lord of the rock gods like Krokus only knows I have enough music to make it so. So your encouragement will be needed. I’m just psyched to watch my editing skills get better with each one. We’ll see.

Next week: A song by Jon Auer of The Possies.

The Sleepover Disaster at The Big Takeover's 30th anniversary show

Shoegaze fans:
Dark Star MP3 by The Sleepover Disaster from their release called Hover. Somewhere between space walking and swimming in a clear ocean where you can breath the elements is where the beauty of this Fresno California band’s shoegazer music lives. Get Some »

More music like this:
100 Million MP3 by Sunny Day Real Estate from How It Feels to Be Something On
Confess MP3 by Catherine Wheel from Chrome (1993)
Only Shallow MP3 by My Bloody Valentine from Loveless (1991)
Sci-Flyer MP3 by Swervedriver from their album Raise (1991)

Related Stories:
Create or Else: The Big Takeover by Jack Rabid – A Super Fan – see his mini documentary that I produced for Ogilvy & Mather.
Article: The Big Takeover Turns 30! – From one email a year ago from Jack telling me about his amazing 2 day line-up is what started this whole thing. Life is not a practice run.

The Big Takeover by Jack Rabid – A Super Fan

The Big Takeover by Jack Rabid – A Super Fan


Dear CMJ Friends, here’s the one guy who has had the honor of drinking with Joe Strummer, seeing the music industry implode and basically keeping one of the most in depth music magazines alive for the past 30 years – The Big Takeover. This humble guy is Jack Rabid. His army of devout writers and friends have helped carry the torch for music with heart and that matters in a time when we need it the most. If you love music and understand the creation of it as one of those things that makes life meaningful. Then this is the essence what Jack and co have captured in print for all these years. I always talk “oh-crap – how did I miss this band or that band”. Jack Rabid and company don’t miss a beat or least twice a year they feature many not so obvious bands. What is super unique and whole reason in of itself to back-issues is he’s never posted one word of the content featured in the pages of his magazine. So you’ll only what I am talking about if you read and subvert this whole social media thing.

Back story: As I embarked on working on this Artist series for Ogilvy; little did a I know that myself as a super fan of his magazine, and a random music post about his 30th anniversary show that it would lead to episode in this mini documentary series. The topic is so close to my heart as the blood is in my veins that having him end up being featured has seriously made my year. So I am happy to share this video and I hope you dig it. Plus some of the others artists and tremendous talent I have been privileged to have met so far. Who should I interview next?

(The Create or Else Team: L-R Nancy H, Myself, Jack and D.Zellerford)

Related links:
Read more up on this Artist series on the Create or Else Blog.
The music post that started this journey: The Big Takeover turns 30!
From the Bell House Show photos

A short playlist for friends:
I Didn’t See It Coming by Belle and Sebastian from their new one Write About Love [BUY]
Second Life Life by Gang of Four from the Second Life EP [BUY]
Nothin’ ’bout Nothin’ by Joe Strummer. This track is music Joe Recorded after disbanding The Clash. I didn’t know it existed until i found this comp from Permanent Records. [BUY]
Big Takeover b/w Attitude by Bad Brains self titled (1982) – [BUY]
Aftertaste by For Against from Nebraska. Featured in the video above. [BUY]

Joe Strummer Know your Rights

Joe Strummer Know your Rights


Direct from Julien Temple’s movie The Future is Unwritten a great bit from Joe Strummer (RIP 1952-2002)when he’s waxing philosophic, he says “without people, you are nothing”. What I think Joe was driving at is we live in a insulated society and we need to pay attention to those around us to make our and their lives richer. Still to this day with dominance of office culture in our social networks this fact is even more true. Your head is down trudging along to the next email. In a recent interview, with my now friend Jack Rabid (for a project I’m doing), who had the pleasure of buying Mr. Strummer a beer when he interviewed him for his magazine The Big Takeover. I saw this intensity for people in Jack’s eyes and in how hiss a passion for the people who make music, and in the things he said, and in particular when he recalled said interview. I won’t be the spoiler until it’s released on Create or Else just yet. but somehow the vibe was transferred to guys like Jack and between the sub-text and fascination with culture and class that The Clash and Joe cared about so much. The notion that you can affect the future even if it is one soul at time is pretty great. Here are few tracks that if anything will enrich your day but for a moment every time you listen to them or they randomly come up on your ipod. They do for me anyways. Enjoy.

Joe Strummer’s Midnight Dream – By Angledust featuring Chris Harford and Andrew Weiss
Without People, You’re Nothing” – Joe Strummer from The Future Is Unwritten (Motion Picture Soundtrack)

The Clash Live Passaic NJ 1980 (When everything happened)
Guns of Brixton
Spanish Bombs
Police & Thieves
Complete Control
Bankrobber
Tommy Gun

Related Joe Strummer post:
Love Kills Mp3 post

NYC's Flower reunited

NYC's Flower reunited


This photo is from The Big Takeover’s 30th anniversary show at the Bell House in Brooklyn taking place this weekend. The opening band EDP broke-up a week prior so they did not play but was amazing to finally see Flower(ex-Versus and Cell/French) and hear Jack say as he was rocking out right up in front “that they sound as vital and fresh as they did 17 years ago!”. To say the least the first night of these two shows was a raging success. Great energy and people meeting for the first time was among the chatter. Was very cool to see the nyc scene come out and give their support to The Big Takeover and see rabid shoegazer fans from all over the country who came to listen and play this one-off festival(or is it?). If you are in the neighborhood you should go to Night 2 which starts at 4pm. Oh and if you are worried about finding a place to eat around there; for this event there is a charcoal grill out front called Dirks Burgers; which you can feast on and bring inside to eat at the fest. If you ask nicely they might even make you a veggie burger. Lastly bring a wad of cash because the merch table has some pretty great stuff. Including a BTO beer cozies and back issues of the mag. More pictures soon!

Related post:
Listen and watch bands from the fest at Rabid in the Kennel | Follow on Twitter
The Big Takeover turns 30! (Lots of Mp3s)

The Big Takeover Turns 30!

The Big Takeover Turns 30!

Wow, Jack Rabid has been publishing The Big Takeover for 30 years! Impressive. I must be really old now. F*ck! To celebrate he’s throwing a rockandroll party at the Bell House with all these amazing bands. I don’t remember 30 but please step into the time machine over here:

FRIDAY JULY 30, 2010
THE AVENGERS – Open Your Eyes San Fran ’70s punk legends, featuring Penelope Houston & Greg Ingraham!
CHANNEL 3 – Manzanar – Early 80s L.A. manic punk. Like screaming and hollering with tweeky guitars.
VISQUEEN – Beautiful Amnesia – Great singing on this track. Female-led Seattle post-punk rockers’ first East Coast shows in 5 years
SPRINGHOUSE – Enslave Me – Jack playing his first show with original lineup in 8 years, playing a “normal” set.
LIBERTINES U.S. – Bad Memories Burn Are you feeling the nostalgia yet? Reformed Cincinnati ’80s greats first-ever NY show!
FLOWER – Empty Head New York postpunk band’s first show in 16 years! I think i have a actual LP lying around somewhere for these guys but I do remember all the bass strumming. Cool sheet alla GVsB.
EDP – Wallflower The guitars wrangle and rattle on this one – get your zero T-shirt out and grease the scooter to catch their set. Check out New York’s hard-hitting, Jam-like, mod revival band.

SATURDAY JULY 31, 2010
MARK BURGESS – On The Beach – Get yer ecstasy broker lined up. Manchester England’s Chameleons star. Playing Acoustic and full band!
FOR AGAINST – Aftertaste – A little proggy track w/ what sounds like some serious slap back on the snare from Lincoln, NE post-punk legends. Their first East Coast show in 15 years.
SPRINGHOUSE – Asphalt Angels – Jack and Co whip out the delay and phaser pedals; playing their second LP, Postcards From the Arctic, start to finish. Spoiler alert this is the opener!
THE SLEEPOVER DISASTER – Hold My Tongue This Fresno shoegazer band sounds something like Black Angels and British Sea Power. Come support their first-ever East Coast appearance.
DON MCGLASHAN – While you Sleep New Zealand’s ex-Mutton Birds in his only U.S. appearance.
STEVE DREWETT – When the Oil Runs Out by Newtown Neurotics main man makes his U.S. debut.
JON AUER – The Year of Our Demise Seattle’s Posies star and 17-year Big Star member.
THE SHARP THINGS – Now That I’m Back by New York’s acclaimed orchestral poppers!
PAUL COLLINS – She Doesn’t Want To Hang Around With You Big starish Poptopia track. Former member of The Nerves and of Paul Collins’ Beat fame.
THE CURTAIN SOCIETY – Cave In by veteran Boston shoegazers, also backing Burgess for part of his set. Vocals a little Bryan Ferry a little Sunnyday. Enjoy.

ADMISSION: $25.00 per night or $40 for both
LOCATION: THE BELL HOUSE @ 149 7th Street, Brooklyn, NY 11215
DOORTIMES: Friday @ 6:00PM and Saturday @ 4.00PM
TICKETS ON SALE: www.thebellhouseny.com/calendar.php