Watching a favorite band take their final bow.
My Andrew W.K. costume, seeing Morrissey for the first time, some listening recs, and more.
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In today’s ZERO CRED we’ve got:
Being Andrew W.K. for Halloween
Some random thoughts on MC Hammer’s Addams Family song that no one asked for
Seeing Murder by Death for the last time
Seeing Morrissey for the first time
New music and podcast recommendations
MY NIGHT AS THE PARTY GOD
I knew I was in trouble when my friend Travis asked what I was gonna dress as for Halloween. I told him Andrew W.K. and he said ohhh okayyy like he knew what I was talking about but I could tell he clearly did not. Like he scanned his brain for the words Andrew W.K. and nothing came up. Was this costume idea a mistake?
Obviously seasoned music fans such as yourself know about the legendary Andrew W.K. but for the masses, Andrew W.K.’s moment in pop culture only lasted a brief year or two around 2002. And sure, that moment shined bright and the partying he did was commendably hard, but that was over 20 years ago. Would anyone still remember? Would people be asking “Who are you supposed to be?” all night? Dressing as Andrew W.K. was more than a costume choice. It was a social experiment to determine how washed my cultural reference points are.
I didn’t have a whole lot of time to think about all this though because I was concentrating on not covering my bathroom in fake blood while trying to get my nose all bloodied just right. (A fun fact about that: I interviewed Andrew W.K. about the artwork for I Get Wet a few years ago and he is still vague to this day about how his nose got so bloody for the cover. Did he punch himself in the face? Smear himself with pig’s blood? You can read and decide for yourself.)
I spent a few hours at a big Halloween party on Friday night where I saw characters from The Simpsons and from Wes Anderson movies and of course, from One Battle After Another. Recently deceased celebrities were also popular this year and I saw Ozzy Osbourne, Jane Goodall, and Diane Keaton.
I’m pleased to report that among all these characters, Andrew W.K. was welcomed and most people did get the reference. I had people telling me to party all night. But once in a while I could see the lack of recognition in someone’s eyes. Like they were trying to place me but couldn’t. One guy dressed as some sort of oil tycoon looked me up and down real hard and said okay let me guess this…
I said I appreciate that man but it’s kind of a know-it-or-you-don’t situation you know?
He said no no no hang on and studied me while his hand stroked his chin curiously. Like he was gonna solve this mystery if it killed him. (Maybe he was supposed to be Sherlock Holmes now that I think about it?) He furrowed his brow and thought for an annoyingly long time. Painfully long. Then he said okay give me a hint, is it an actor?
I said it’s not an actor and if you don’t know it you’re not gonna guess it and that’s fine!
He said but you’re from a movie?
And I said no I’m a musician.
Hmmmm hard rock or metal? he asked.
I didn’t understand how these were my only two choices but I said uhhhh hard rock I guess?
After he went through about five guesses of hard rock guys who had long hair but were not Andrew W.K. (Slash, Joey Ramone, Axl Rose, etc.) I finally said I’m Andrew W.K.
I don’t know him, the oil tycoon said. Is he good?
He’s great, I said. He’s the king of partying.
The oil tycoon’s eyes lit up and he said hey I party too! You party?
Wanting to honor the reputation of Mr. W.K. I said of course I party.
The oil tycoon reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a little vial of cocaine.
I said oh oops no thank you!
And then second Andrew W.K. showed up so I went home.
HEY CAN I GO OFF ON A HALLOWEEN-RELATED TANGENT REAL QUICK?
I was at the store buying Halloween candy the other day (for myself, fuck the trick or treaters) and MC Hammer’s 1991 hit “Addams Groove” came on. This was a song he wrote for The Addams Family movie but which also bafflingly appeared on his album Too Legit to Quit (cassette version only). Imagine you’re listening to the hot new hip-hop album and there’s just a song about the Addams family on it? Telling your boy in the passenger seat, “Hell yeah dawg turn this shit up Uncle Fester is my jam.” The music industry of the 90s was built different, man.
Anyway, listening to these lyrics back, I’ve got to believe there’s no possible way Hammer was in any way familiar with the Addams Family, right?
They do what they wanna do, say what they wanna say
Live how they wanna live, play how they wanna play
Dance how they wanna dance, kick and they slap a friend
The Addams family
Fuckin… what? How does any of that even remotely describe the Addams family?? Especially when compared to the lyrics of the original TV show theme song:
They’re creepy and they’re kooky
Mysterious and spooky
They’re all together ooky
The Addams family
Yes! Spooky. Kooky. Now THESE are words that generally describe the vibe of the Addams family. Way more than kicking and slapping friends anyway. What the hell, man.
Thank you I really needed to get that off my chest.
Onwards.
THE TRIUMPHANT END OF MURDER BY DEATH
It’s not often that you get to know when you’re watching your favorite band’s final performance. Bands suddenly break up between tours all the time. Or they take “hiatuses” that never end. Or other unforeseen tragedies and hardships force them off the road. You have likely already seen some of your favorite bands for the last time and don’t even realize it.
Sorry. Didn’t mean to bum you out. I just mean that it’s a privilege to know when the final time will be. I kept this in mind this week as I got emotional watching Murder by Death, a band I’ve loved for over two decades, take their victory lap on their farewell tour.
I’ve seen Murder by Death once every year or so since about 2003. They’ve soundtracked so much of my life and have become good friends along the way. I even got to take the photo on the cover of their final album, Egg & Dart, and let’s also not forget the time I convinced them to cover my favorite song. You’re welcome.
I’ve been trying to wrap my brain around what it means that this regular presence in my adult life will just… cease to be. I will save these thoughts for my eventual Murder by Death magnum opus but for now here are some photos from the show at the Belasco in Los Angeles this Wednesday.
Ten albums, 25 years, over 1,900 shows, one cult fanbase. One of the most legendary runs to witness. MBD forever.
Oh and of course shout out to the homies AJJ who opened and, predictably, rocked.
WATCHING MORRISSEY / RECKONING WITH MORRISSEY
I attended a Morrissey concert last weekend. Not something I’ve ever said or thought I’d say in this lifetime. I would describe myself, at best, as a Morrissey agnostic. I enjoy the hits from his Smiths/solo work but my fandom doesn’t plunge much deeper from the surface. The strongest connection I have to Morrissey is that I once wrote a long history of the time he ruined Bill Cosby’s appearance on The Tonight Show (RIP to music journalism), which weirdly became the most popular thing I’ve ever published online.
As a casual fan, I don’t think much about the uhhhhh let’s call them latter day public transgressions of Morrissey’s aging mind. When he says something vaguely racist or xenophobic in an interview, it’s really no sweat off my back because I don’t count myself as a superfan. The most generous interpretation would be that he went so far contrarian that he accidentally ended up aligning with far right stances. Whoopsie! We see this happening all the time among fading punk rock stars who are so obsessed with pursuing the Most Countercultural Position that their worldview suddenly aligns with that of MAGA’s. Again, whoopsie. (When I am president I will pass a law requiring all beloved countercultural icons to turn in their phones at the age of 50.)