PLAY ME! (Dungen-‘Det Du Tänker Idag Är Du I Morgon’, 2004)

J. MASCIS FROM DINOSAUR JR. ON HIS BEDFORD BALLROOM EXPERIENCE!

A FEW ANECDOTES FROM SOME OTHER ‘NOTEWORTHY’s’

‘Bedford Ballroom?! Wow, where to begin?  Yeah, Yeah, Yeah’s were basically there from the get-go, so we knew those guys.  I kind of had a little crush on Mike, the booker.  He was cute, a little awkward, but super supportive…before we really hit our stride. The other guy, Seth..really positive, but I always got the sense that either he, the venue or both could go off the rails at any moment—sort of like an unintentional chaos agent. Does that make sense?  They say he got it from his Grandpa Marty; now that old guy was a trip!  Insert every stereotype here…they all apply!’ —Karen O, singer for Yeah, Yeah, Yeah’s

—————————————————————————————————–

‘Bedford Ballroom?  You had the usual—bathroom BJ’s, mountains of coke, full-on brawls, yada, yada….whatever. There WAS one night with like a dozen of us hanging out in the front bar after a show.  This dude walks in, and he just had that vibe, ya know? (Bends his nose with his thumb). He’s asking to see the boss about the jukebox and the ATM’s.  Seth is sitting there with his mouth shut tight; he wants nothing to do with this guy  So Leo, who worked the ticket booth (gun to head gesture), decides he’s gonna handle this…. busts into this perfect Russian accent, and tells this goombah that the boss is sleeping over in Brighton Beach, and tells the guy to come back the next day.  Dude never came back! Totally convinced that ‘ownership’ was Russian mob. You wouldn’t know to look at him, but that Leo had some friggin’ balls.’ —Shane Smith, Vice founder

—————————————————————————————————–

‘Bedford Ballroom…the big double B!  I’ll always give those dudes major props, cause nobody was doing shit out in Brooklyn at that time—no real venues, no scene…like, nada.  Tenacious D did a show right after they opened the club in…what…2002? Imbibed a few brew dawgs with Seth and Mike after our set—super cool guys. Not much in the way of experience running a club—a little hairy—but they had great intentions, and let’s face it…they kind of spearheaded that whole Williamsburg scene…like it was a school of something (pensive expression)’. —Jack Black, actor/musician

‘I’m on the guest list, bro!‘