My personal take on the end of 17 years of live music and one very special night
What’s all this talk about Ya-Ne-Zniyoo’s last show ever? Those who have followed this band know that its 17 year career has been a topsy turvy one. Not to mention that, for the past five plus years, Eric Schmitz and I have been performing primarily as an acoustic duo at various open mics in the NYC area. The electric shows were few and far between.
The last real loud full-band show we played in the US was in November 2001 at the now defunct Rodeo/Ristra Lounge in Hoboken. There was a brief reunion of the original line up. Ed ‘Edzo’ Zimmer on bass and vocals, Nelson Pla on djembe and me on guitar. That was in June of 2003, also at the Rodeo/Ristra. After that, we played a couple of rowdy shows in July 2003 in Graz, Austria thanks to the support of some very dear and talented friends. Anne Weinhardt on drums, Albi Klinger on bass and Norbert Wally on guitar.
Why end it now? Recently Eric, his wife Hilary and there young son Felix had the good fortune of finding a house to buy in Pensacola, FL. They got married there in May of 2003 and ever since then had been hinting at relocation. So the idea that they may move was not a new one, but one that never seemed real until now. But over time, the desire to live and raise a child in a less stressful and less expensive environment then that of the NY/NJ metro area became more urgent.
This combined with the fact that, over the past year or so for me, music had taken a backseat to life. I began a new freelance design and writing career and was considering an extended time of travel to get back in touch with myself. Even though in recent months music had once again begun to tickle my creative bones, I really wasn’t sure what direction it would take. If music were to play a part, trying to replace or recreate what Eric and I had for the last 12 1/2 years would be impossible and something I’m not prepared to do. So the time just seemed right to retire the live version of Ya-Ne-Zniyoo and move on.
Which brings us to this special night at Maxwell’s in Hoboken. Though not always an easy town for us to play thanks to what we refer to as the ‘Ya-Ne-Zniyoo Curse’, Hoboken has played an important role in our career. The band has seen a good deal of beginnings, endings and other happenings in this town and we’ve in a way become part of its folklore. The aforementioned curse, by the way, has on occasion brought about record snow fall, driving rain storms, electrical outages, broken strings, cut fingers and more. Tonight would turn out to be no different.
The curse was alive and well as I sat down for dinner with the members of The Fave. While waiting for our food, the unusually warm evening (it was 70° when I got to the club) let way for a major downpour. At that moment we all agreed that from whatever amount of people we expected to show we could subtract at least twenty five. But then, as quickly as it started, it stopped and Mother Nature seemed to be on our side. Well, except for the rapidly dropping temperature. In just a couple of hours, that 70° would become a bone chilling 40°.
The weather didn’t really bother me much. I simply chalked it up to the band’s usual fate and, to be honest, I was more worked up about this being our last show than anything else. I don’t normally get nervous about playing but my nerves were in a bit of a twist. It was finally sinking in that this was it. If we messed up there was no saying, “We’ll fix it next time.” My heart was heavy because this was the end of not just a twelve-year history with Eric, but a total of seventeen years since the project’s inception in September of 1989.
Speaking of 1989, among all of our friends and well wishers, two very special people were present for tonight’s show. One on stage and the other in the crowd. Supplying us with our backbone tonight was Nelson Pla. He was the first drummer for Ya-Ne-Zniyoo from 1989-1993 and helped to define our early sound. In the crowd snapping pictures with his sister Kris’s camera was Ed ‘Edzo’ Zimmer; original bassist, vocalist and my writing partner from 1989-1994. His being there actually made me the most nervous. Just don’t tell him that. I have a reputation as calm, cool and collected to maintain.
The show kicked off with a blistering set from BonBomb. Always a treat for the senses with flashing lights and searing aural sensations. I’ve seen them a few times and think they just keep getting better. Up next was Matt Azzarto with a set of tasty, well-crafted tunes. He was solo for a while and then had drums on a couple of numbers. This was my first time seeing Matt live although I’ve heard and enjoyed some of his songs online.
Then it was our turn. The lineup for this gig was Eric Schmitz on acoustic guitar and voice, Steve Hayden on bass, Nelson Pla on drums and me on guitar. This was it; Ya-Ne-Zniyoo’s last 30 minutes of glory. I was pumped and then, the curse kicked in again. It was like a round robin of fuck ups. First we started the set way too slow, then Eric’s mic went out, then Steve broke a bass string, then the kick drum lost it’s anchor and began to move across the stage, then my guitar went horribly outta tune … round and round and round.
I’ve done this long enough to know that it always seems worse to the band on stage than it does to the folks in the crowd. Thankfully that was the case tonight. I was also pretty happy with how we handled everything considering the fact that we only had four full band rehearsals. And two of those were at a bar called ‘Here’s To The Arts’ in Maplewood, NJ. Now, I’m not exactly sure if drinking several Jack & Cokes and ramming thru a set of music could be considered a rehearsal, but they sure were fun nights.
After our set came The Fave. Always entertaining, always impressive but tonight there was another reason for me to love them like family. A couple of months ago, when Eric and I had decided to retire the live act, we were struggling to find the proper venue. Maxwell’s was always at the top of the list but they book so far in advance, it didn’t look like we’d be able to get a night there before Eric split for Florida. Chris ‘Gibby’ Gibson of Upstart Studios had been working with us in trying to get a gig when he mentioned our troubles to Dom of The Fave. Not long after, Dom approached me to see if we’d want to join them on a bill at Maxwell’s. And that is how this night came to be.
Just how long it had been since we played really hit home as folks I’ve known for years not only gave us loving praise but said they never even knew I could play. These were more than just friends. Many of them were musicians, writers and artists that I truly admire. My ego was swelling by the minute. To hear such kind words about me, the band and the music made me feel all giddy. It also pumped me up to possibly start another project. I’m not sure how or even if that will happen, but the time to consider it clearly is now.
So, is this the absolute end of Ya-Ne-Zniyoo? No, not really. There are plans to release a collection of all of the band’s music recorded prior to our 2003 CD ‘All Is Not Lost’. Much of that material was self released as CD EPs or 7″ vinyl singles. I’m even considering a reissue of the band’s very first album ‘Whatever Goes Where’ first released in 1991.
Eric and I also plan on recording the newer material that we had been performing acoustically. The logistics of that of course need to be worked out considering the new distance between us. Rest assured however, there will be more material coming from Ya-Ne-Zniyoo in one form or another.
See Also:
Photo Gallery
Ya-Ne-Zniyoo
The Fave
Matt Azzarto
BonBomb
Maxwell’s
