#46 - SPRING EDITION

By Sarah L. Myers
Editor-in-Chief
New York, USA

Temperatures are rising! In New York City that means two things – we meet OUTSIDE of Rudy's, and we take the party on the road (or more specifically, the NQR train to Coney Island). It's been a busy month in the land of Trash, culminating with three brilliant nights with Mr. Nick Cave. Strap in and get ready…this is a wild one!

 

Miami Trash…

Thirsty goes where Tony Bourdain goes. I'd been to Miami several times but never had the pleasure of bringing a friend along to experience the Thirsty Miami. I'm a big believer in the "When in Rome…" philosophy, so it was straight to Ocean Drive for 2-for-1s and people watching. As a New Yorker, something about Miami doesn't quite connect. I've written this before. It's as if the entire city was picked up and dunked in glitter. People are different, some speaking like their brains were fried by the sun. But the Thirsty Miami is different. The Thirsty Miami is the Wynwood Arts District, where we took in roasted pork belly and Kenny Scharf murals at the Wynwood Kitchen. It's also Little Havana and its outdoor markets, the constant stacking and clacking at Domino Park, and the Cuban sandwiches with sangria on Calle Ocho. Any Thirsty reader also knows the lure of "the Deuce" – that neon haven on the corner by 14th and Collins, where the drinks are lethal and the sun never shines. Jennie and I vowed to only stay one hour, which quickly turned to three, which quickly turned into my quest to play as many Cramps songs on the jukebox as possible. Danny the bartender's mom was in attendance, so the patrons were on their best behavior – not a single pirate patch in sight! It was a challenging morning, but we made the best of it. At least we got a new expression out of the whole experience. If you ever hear someone say they got "deuced", you'll know exactly what they've been up to!

 

 

Nick Cave Trash…

Nick tricks us once again with "Push the Sky Away", the latest Bad Seeds record. "We No Who U R", the lead single released back in December, is both gentle and menacing, with a quiet piano and an evocative lyric. It's a ballad, but it's not the hymn we know from the man who gave us "Hallelujah" and "Oh My Lord". It's icier, chilly in more ways than tonal. This was the one he'd open with on tour, and I knew that pin-drop atmosphere he creates so well would be present at New York's Beacon Theatre March 28th. I'd already seen my first show March 24th in Boston, but the 28th, the first of three consecutive NYC appearances, was the most special. He came out in his shiny black suit, as dark and elegant as ever, and threw that curved shadow right up on the scalloped walls. I grabbed my friend, ignored security, and lunged straight to the front as he beckoned the crowd forward for "Jubilee Street". This was the one song I'd waited to see. If Nick aimed to transform just as the man in this song, he succeeded. This one swells and climaxes beyond anything I've ever seen. Nick thrashed and paced throughout as every instrument flooded the room with waves of noise. With each exclamation of "look at me now!" he thrashed harder and our hands went higher. It was all over then, we were his and he knew it. The list of moments goes on, and Thirsty readers know what I was feeling that night as he pulled the bench to the piano for "Into My Arms", "Love Letter", and "The Ship Song". Resting my arms directly on the stage, I only had a minute to relax before that first pluck of "Stagger Lee" shot me up to the stars. The only thing that will ever top that song is the day I finally see it performed with Blixa Bargeld. With gunshots and screams and moans filling the room, it's odd to hear something so scary and sexy at the same time. No one does sleaze like Nick. This was the grinderman we'd been waiting to see! The night ended with a stark, stirring performance of "Push the Sky Away", for which Nick was joined onstage by a youth choir, the Harlem Voices. With Jim Sclavunos's blanketed beat the only sound in the room, Nick's voice put us all straight to sleep. It's a song I swore I'd heard before. And that's just what Nick does. This music is so much a part of my being it's already there before he creates it. We shared a photo later that night, and though I was to see him again for another show, the 28th was extraordinary. It was another night in Thirsty's history…

 

Thirsty for More?

There's so much on the radar this month I'm not sure how to list it all! Album of the month goes to "Specter at the Feast", Black Rebel Motorcycle Club's masterpiece. We have some surprises up our sleeves, so stay tuned for more on this one. London's Brandy Row gets intimate with NYC, and I can't wait to sit down with the tattooed rocker to speak about our mutual hero, Johnny Thunders. The gang heads out to Coney Island to support our freakshow friends, and preparations for the annual Joey Ramone Birthday Bash are underway! It's spring in NYC kids, gabba gabba hey!

Until next time…

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