paragraph

In the spring of 2006, maybe it was early summer, i went to a dive bar in Staten Island called "martini red."  i went to hear my buddy and his friends play an open mic.  I wasn't expecting much, but i was looking forward to hearing my friend play a couple songs.  he is a really good guy, and is genuine about music.  so I expected things to be low key but cool.

i think it was before my friends went on that a group of what looked like 16-17 year old skinny guys in skinny jeans got up on the "stage".  the "stage" was just the room further back, maybe it was elevated a couple inches, maybe the wood was a bit darker.  in any case, this group of four guys is getting ready to play, and the dive bar is pretty full, maybe 75 people.  the guy who is setting up the lead singer mic, likely the lead singer, is wearing a tour de france hat with the brim flipped up, a lose fitting tank top and probably some plaid pants.

these young guys plug their guitars in and tune the stings with the electronic modules at their feet.  the drummer sets up the kit with a beat-up snare and a tambourine attached with duct tape to the top of the high-hat.  the skinny, tallish-but-not-that-tall lead singer does a quick mic check.  and within a couple minutes they brake into this song:



from the first few notes, i'm lovin it.  the lead singer reminds me of an effeminate Jim Morrison.  he sings so exposed and soft, but still so confident and a bit out of control. he seems so vulnerable, but so okay with it.  it's weird, kinda crazy.  their music reminds me of some of the bands I love: my first thought was modest mouse, but I also heard some talking heads in there, as well.  I was really impressed, shocked really, totally not prepared to encounter such talented kids at martini red.  the crowd was really into them, too.  they were like little staten island rock stars.  a whole row of girls was hootin' and hollerin' during their brief set.  i'm 28 years old at the time, and all of their fans might be 18.  but i'm still like damn, that's some good shit.  so after the "show," they played two other songs, I walk up to the lead singer and just tell him how much i liked the music.  he was really cool, nice guy, super young.  i ask, "what's the name of your band," and he says "paragraph."  i didn't hear the "para" i only heard the "graph" so I'm thinking, "cool, a graph" and I'm imagining a 3D graph on a computer screen, the kind that shows with criscrossing lines a cone shape, going down like something to fill.  i'm enjoying this image of the graph in my head, but i realized i didn't really hear what he said, so I asked again, "what was the name?" and he's like "paragraph" and i'm like oh, okay cool, and now i'm thinking, "paragraph, literary, storyline, narrative, i like it"  and i tell him, "well cool, i really liked your gig"  and he's like "cool, thanks man!" super happy.

much love,
Anthony