Beautiful Burnouts

Underworld came rolling into town for All Points West, and for an exhibit at the Howard Gallery on the Upper East Side. Even though I missed the whole “East 50’s” art thing back in the day, it’s fun trying to sniff out ghosts. The Beautiful Burnout Artjam was part of the pro-Tibet Art of Peace Foundation’s collaboration with APW and a CD. Several artists, including Underworld contributed a track.
I finally landed an interview with them for Resident Adivsor, so I was looking forward to meeting Karl Hyde and seeing them live again. At the reception, I ran into fab shooter Tina Paul and Arhlene (Hi Tina, you self-Googler, you!) and met the ladies from Magnum PR. Siouxz the queen bee of NYC indie publicists gave me my first interview with Dot Allison for Urb – 6 years ago. Ever since, we’ve had a good time working together, despite all the unfulfilled RSVPs. Also there was Craig Roseberry, whose BPM write up on Marving Gaye’s “Here, My Dear” album was in the same issue with my Quiet Village piece.
We got drunk on free beer and wine, talked shit about the state of the magazine and music business, swore to start something new, and dripped sweat into our drinks in the hot, crowded gallery. One piece included fresh paint, and as the night wore on and the kegs tapped out, I noticed more than one person wiping their clothes off. Tragic groupie that I am, I introduced myself to Karl, and stalker-like babbled about seeing them “in Miami, in Central Park, and now New Jersey!” As he began to point out a few of his pieces (Artjam’s a collaboration with their Tomato studio), someone else came along and snatched him up. Touché! (Besides, there was a Brazilian beast across the gallery playing look-away with me.)
After the exhibit, a few people made their way to Gilles Peterson at Cielo, or Soulwax at Hiro – or both. Me, I had an early meeting the next day, so I stumbled to 5th Ave and hopped a cab across the park and home. The next day, after work and several meetings, I hopped the ferry to Liberty Park in Jersey City. Whenever I burn out on this whole hustle, I have a beautiful night (and weekend) like this and I remember why I lived on unemployment and couch-surfed for 2 years to make it happen. Up next, Morgan Geist for BPM, and Bomb the Bass for Earplug. Hey, somebody’s gotta do it.