'Now That's Something to See'

I have this vivid memory of an afternoon in the mid-80’s when myself and my friend Rocky (i.e. not his real name, but immortalized on this epic-length post) encountered this punk band tuning up at the Bandshell in the heart of Central Park. They were called Paleface (or possibly Pale Face). I recall one of them taking me to task for wearing a Van Halen t-shirt at the time (guilty as charged, your honor), and me making an impassioned case for being able to appreciate both the indulgent guitar theatrics of Van Halen and the spartan wallop of hardcore. Not sure how the debate ended, but I remember sticking around and enjoying their performance.

This Paleface is not that Paleface, alas. I have no idea what became of them — and I’ve combed the `Net for evidence — so if you know, speak up.

This Paleface, meanwhile, is evidently a veteran of NYC’s “anti-folk” scene. I remember that term being thrown around a lot in `89 and `90, usually in association with guys like Roger Manning and even early King Missile. While I liked both of them, I didn’t really invest in “anti-folk” with any sincerity (being more enthralled, generally, but needlessly over-amplified noise). Later on, I believe people called folks like the Moldy Peaches and Beck “anti-folk.” I still don’t quite understand what it’s supposed to imply.

In any case, I remember hearing about this Paleface, but usually being let down that it was not that band in Central Park I’d fleetingly seen so many years earlier. That disappointment led me to forsake ever listening to the more contemporary Paleface. That is until today, when I stumbled upon his video for “New York, New York.”

Dating back to 2010, “New York, New York” is a lovely little video of a kinda simplistic ode to the city, not too far a cry from similarly inclined songs by Ryan Adams, LCD Soundsystem and, more recently, Cat Power. It doesn’t exactly push any envelopes, but it’s a nice little track.

Look for glimpses of the Yaffa Cafe, the Holiday Bar, the Living Room, Brooklyn Bowl, Two Boots Pizza and the Astor Place cube (i.e. “the Alamo”).