It’s prudent to remember — be you a journalist, critic, blogger or published writer of any kind — that your subjects usually don’t exist in a vacuum. Sure, it’s easy to blithely peck away at your keyboard, composing pithy bon mots about public figures, but every now and then, something you write is bound to strike someone the wrong way and swim around to bite you on the ass like an angry shark. This has actually happened to me a couple of times — most humiliatingly with EMF (of all bands). People — even “rock stars” — read, and if you’re publishing your stuff online, a simple Google search can bring that stuff front and center (provided, of course, you composed your headline with an eye for search engine optimization).
This next instance doesn’t involve a random Google search so much as something of a lack of foresight on my part. Y’see, as it happens, I became Facebook friends with one Bob Bert not too long back. In case you’re unfamiliar with him, Bert is the former drummer for a couple of my favorite, legitimately pivotal bands, notably Sonic Youth (pictured above, as captured by James Welling) and Pussy Galore, although he’s also played with Drunk Driving, Chrome Cranks, the Knoxville Girls and his own band Bewitched. These days, Bert can be found playing with the inimitable Lydia Lunch and guitarist Weasel Walter in Retrovirus.
I actually don’t “know” Bob in any meaningful capacity, but I’ve certainly accosted him at a couple of shows around town (most recently a SWANS gig, if memory serves) and he’s always been an affable, approachable and totally down-to-earth guy. When I spotted him on Facebook at some point, I shot him a friend request, and — true to his inclusive nature — he accepted.
Anyway, like anyone else, Bob posts things on Facebook, frequently about stuff near and dear to me, given his own interests and pedigree. Just today, he posted something about an article in the current issue of Mojo wherein his old band mate, Thurston Moore, made a passing comment about Bleecker Bob’s while in the process of extolling the merits of Hoboken’s Pier Platters. Having read that very same article myself, I composed a little entry about it a few weeks back, somewhat taking Thurston to task for dumping on Bleecker Bob's. Today, seeing that Bob was addressing it, I posted a link to my piece on his thread.
Now, had I done the math, I probably would have deduced that Thurston was more likely than not also Facebook friends with Bob. As it turns out, quite unsurprisingly, he is. And as such, he got to read my little entry. And, as is his wont, Thurston replied….
Bleeker Bob Bolotnik was ok with me - his store was where I had many great mid-70s experiences in punk vinyl ecstasis. Plus we always liked each other (regardless of his constant dick-joke repartee).The Mojo "article" was actually just a transcribed phone interview with Stevie Chick made to appear as if I "wrote" it. If it was something I had actually penned the Bleeker Bob comment would probably not exist. Who knows (who cares) -- It's not like I got paid anything for my "article" but, hey, cool photos from the way back machine especially Suzanne Sasic in her striped pants refusing to look at the camera. Classic Sasic!
Obviously, it’s a minor point, but I’m glad Thurston had the opportunity to clear that up, and I feel like a jerk for putting him on the spot. Were that not enough, another luminary — notably Conflict/Homestead/Matador main man Gerard Cosloy — chimed in, suggesting that Thurston Moore was doubtlessly well aware of 99 Records, which I’d cited as being a shop just as cool as Pier Platters (although, to be fair, I never suggested or speculated that Thurston wasn’t already well aware of that).
Anyway, that’s enough brushes with greatness for one day. But as further evidence that Thurston Moore did shop at some of the other places I’d mentioned, here’s a curious little photo of him circa 1994 (with Liv Tyler) in front of my beloved Rocks in Your Head (an uncredited shot I found here).
And just because it never gets old, here's Sonic Youth's "Death Valley `69" (featuring Bob Bert and his replacement Steve Shelley). Crank it...
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