A Special Guest Shopper...Thursday, February 22, 2007
As we started to chat, another good friend COOLOUT called me on my cell to find out what was going on. When I told him where I was, right down the street from where he was, he told me he'd be right over.
The ensuing conversation delved into the article in a recent publication about the demise and conflict of the "Native Tounge" movement in early 90's hip-hop, a heated debate over Cappadonna's legitimacy as a solid rapper apart from WU-Tang, and How people who strive hard in the industry promoting themselves and putting stuff together get labeled as ego centric and camera hogs by their bandmates/partners.
As the sun started to set on our hours long conversation, we all decided to hit the Great Escape Record Store (although Invisiblist went for their comics section) and do some final browsing before calling it quits.
Upon arriving (of which I did first because they decided to walk instead of drive) I immediately went to the 99 ¢ 12" section.
Nothing New
Then I went to the newly created Hip-Hop DJ 12" section and found "Christmas On Death Row"
and a bunch of stuff I'd already picked through a million times before.
Since there was no new 12" stuff, I decided to look for crazy Christmas stuff (as some of you know I collect weird and wacky records. The more innapropriate and bizzare the better!) in the center of the store where they usually keep their xmas shit hidden by the 45's.
In the middle of the very small isle are a few of the manager/owner types who usually are blocking access to the isle to restock and move shit around. As usual I pardon myself and squeeze past them to get where I need to be, which at this point is right underneath their feet.
I get where I need to be and squat down to look for the xmas box when I hear a very recognizable squawkish voice say, "Does that say Christmas on Death Row??"
I look at the record in my hand and then up at him and say, "I do believe it does."
I go back to looking for the VERY OBVIOUSLY MOVED xmas box, when it clicks in my head that the person practically in "fart in my face range" is JELLO BIAFRA. (also instantly remembering, as if to validate my thought, that he was scheduled to speak at the Belcourt that night.)
Not wanting to be rude, but definitely wanting to say hello, I stood up and said, "Mr. Biafra?"
"Yes?" he confirmed.
"It's been awhile since I've seen you. The last I saw you was at H2K2 (Hackers On Planet Earth Conference 2002) in NYC. We both performed there."
He shook my hand and told me he was in town for the show at the Belcourt that night.
I told him I'd try to make it and then promptly let him continue shopping. The last thing I want to do with celebrities is be a nut-swinger or time hog douchebag.
At this point I notice Coolout and The Invisiblist walk in and jot to seperate ends of the store.
I go over to Coolout, who is perusing the old music gear magazines and tell him of my encounter. He promptly tells me about
how he loves digging through all the old gear magazines for the reviews of gear he already has.
As I'm kneeling down with himm to look through the magazines, what's right next to the magazines in an oddly soggy box, but the Xmas records I was looking for. (In which I found...)
Being the only good record in the box, I put down the "Christmas On Death Row" (Which really isn't the greatest record) and went to look through the Misc. and Gospel Sections that often garnish good results in the strange and odd records search.
I picked up a copy, which I actually bought later, of "Senator Sam at Home" some elderly southern senator who was performing spoken word versions of "If I Had A Hammer" and "Bridge Over Troubled Water".
(NOTE: Senator Sam Ervin was key in the ending of the McCarthy Era and Bringing down Nixon. This album recorded after his retirement actually earned him a grammy nomination in the 1974 Best Spoken Word Category)
"He does a spoken word version of Bridge Over Troubled Water on that"
I look up and it's Jello from across the isle digging through country western records (searching for Louvin Brothers records so he could get them signed at WRVU where Charlie Louvin was being interviewed that night.)
At that point we start to talk weird records and dig, occasionally holding up cool records we find and asking each other about stuff we're looking for.
I ask him about Etsus Pirkle and he quizzically looks at me until I tell him it's the preacher that Negativland samples on "Christianty is Stupid". He asks me if I've heard Flight "F-I-N-A-L", and I tell him it's plentiful here in Nashville as this is where it was pressed and lots of copies never made it too far out of the area.
The Invisiblist inturrupts and asks if I'm going to Bonnaroo to see the Police. I told him I'm broke and i probably wouldn't go. He yells at some friends across the isle and they tell him the same story. He stares at all of us in disbelief.
Just because I knew what his answer would be, I asked Jello, "What about you, going to see The Police?"
Mr. Biafra retorts, "I've been able to avoid them thus far!"
Well, to make a long story short, I finished up my conversation with Coolut, The Invisiblist and Jello Biafra and got out of there with the "Senator Sam at Home" record and one that Jello recomended
"It's got a song called Pickin' For Pizza on it!"
(It was a PIZZA HUT sponsored bluegrass record by Nelson Young and the Sandy Valley Boys)
All in all, I have to say that it's always awesome shopping for records with someone who shares your passion for the same type of records you're looking for. So, if you come across this, Mr. Biafra, thanks for your time!
