Featuring The Majestic Twelve & Blow Up Hollywood
Walking in to the upstairs part of Club Midway you’re transported to this weird place that looks like a page out of a comic book. Bright colors, curved walls, eclectic lounge furniture and the art on the wall from a guy named Mark A. added to this atmosphere. Downstairs was a small, dark band space with a colorfully fluorescent lit floor. Its unique design can be credited to manager Saundra Schwartzkopf. She lived for a while in Texas and Southern Illinois before moving to NYC to pursue her artistic tendencies.
Formerly known as Scenic, Club Midway reopened in May 2006. Along with a handful of other new clubs in the area, they are working to bring renewed life and positive energy to the East Side of NYC. In recent years, much of the grit and edge that made this the center of new music and underground culture have been smoothed out. This is all part of the city’s effort to create a white-washed, homogenous yuppy haven.
I was here for several reasons. One was to see my friends The Majestic Twelve who were in town from North Carolina to showcase their latest self-released CD called ‘Schizophrenology’. Two was to show support for the sponsors Organic Entertainment, Music Dish and Listen Liberally. Individually and collectively they are working hard to promote truly independent music. Third was to interview M12 front man and one hell of a good egg Kenyata Sullivan for Ugly Planet magazine.
While Kenyata and I chatted about the deterioration of the major music industry and the evolution of the DIY scene, we munched on some delicious mini burgers and corn dogs. These and other treats were courtesy of Eddie in the Midway kitchen. As for the details of the conversation, you’ll have to wait until Ugly Planet publishes their next issue. I will say however that this was easily the longest Kenyata and I have talked in recent memory without bringing up George W. Bush.
After a few beers and more food, it was time to head downstairs to hear The Majestic Twelve. Cramming their intensity into the tiny performance area, they delivered a fantastic set of rock, passion, politics and anger. They opened their set with a viewing of the ingenious video for “Trapped Underwater”. It’s a surrealistic adaptation of the Norwegian film Dypets Ensomhet (Depth Solitude).
Following the Majestic Twelve was an impromptu solo set from guitarist/vocalist Steve Messina of the band Blow Up Hollywood. Apparently a last minute decision was made by the rest of the band to not take the drive down from Boston. Props to Steve for making the trip and for performing tracks from the band’s album ‘The Diaries of Private Henry Hill’, based on the journals of a young soldier who died in Iraq. It was a set that also began with the screening of a video. W.M.D. is an animated tale of men and women fighting in the Iraq war.
Our sponsors for the night are each in their own way working to better the world of independent music. For more information, follow the links below.
See Also:
Photo Gallery
Organic Entertainment
Music Dish
Listen Liberally
Club Midway
The Majestic Twelve
Blow Up Hollywood
