The Joy Formidable NYC Tour Blog Part 3

This will wrap it up for TJF’s NYC tour blog. Thanks again to Ritzy for taking the time to write this for us!

11/01/10

“Man, it’s so loud in here, When they stop the drum machine”

We’re late and Joel’s mad. He’s even madder when he loses us to a Dunkin Donut in the Bronx. Morning session with the brilliant WFUV at Fordham University. I get to play an Elvis Costello song. Choose Lipstick Vogue, but later wish I’d chosen Alison.
Union Hall is in Brooklyn, so we lump our gear on the subway. Great views as we cross the bridge, dusk is falling. Brilliant venue. Upstairs 2 Bocche lanes… do they call them lanes. Anyway, a space to play Bocche. The jukebox rocks and the IPA tastes good. Stage is small, it’s going to be sweaty and a picture of Mrs Doubtfire is hanging on the back wall.
There’s also a cabinet with “freak” items in it: a 2-headed chick and a racoon penis bone (which surely isn’t out of the ordinary)
Soundcheck is curious. Feedback central. Contemplate tinnitus.
Dinner across the road at a Mexican Bistro. Ever since eating a plate full of Sauerkraut before a gig in Vienna, I’ve been wary of food pre-show. Opt for the prawn cocktail. Joel has tortilla in chocolate sauce. The guacamole is the best I’ve ever tasted.
Return to a sold out sign.
Show is loud and sweaty. Audience are fist pumping. Encore is butchered by a broken guitar but they seem forgiving. Drinks. No bocche though. No takers.
Subway home reading The Big Takeover.
Bed.

12/01/10

“100 bottles hanging on the wall and if one those bottles should accidentally fall, there’ll be 99 bottles hanging on the wall”

I’m always dubious of the words ‘delicacy’ and ‘world famous’ when it comes to food items, but in the case of Lindy’s cheesecake I concede. It’s the last day and we start it with an NYC-special and a bloody Mary.
Got an acoustic session at RXP 101.9. Arrive at the building and they won’t let us in because we’re minus ID. We haven’t washed either. Finally someone comes to vouch for us.
Enjoy meeting Matt Pinfield. Contagious energy. Play Whirring and Austere. Matt thumps a guitar case.
We get a cab to the lower East side and Pianos. Guitar is fixed and soundcheck is great.
Having lived in the States, there’s been a few things I’ve been eager to re-visit.
Matzo Ball soup
Cherry Blossom trees
Chipmunks
The Fox and Hound jukebox
Paper shopping bags
Cruise control
Burritos and
Dirty Martinis

Pianos makes a great Dirty Martini. Matt said they were salty. Rhyds drank his quickly. I enjoyed and thank you to everyone who treated me to one. Next time I’m on the hunt for a Blue Cheese Dirty Martini. Thanks for the tip.
Warm up exercises before this show included pissing off a guy in the office who was trying to count money and squats. Matt and I think we might have a career in writing children’s songs.
Upstairs there’s an acoustic night. Love the double bass and great Cajon playing too. Never seen anyone use their foot like that.
Difficult to get to front of stage because the place is packed out. Quite overwhelmed. Another great audience & plenty of reason to celebrate.

Tags: the joy formidable