Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Tompkins Sq. Punk - Free Speech and BEYOND

Free Fucking Speech (9.27.08) tompkinsSo, a great, (wet) weekend on Tompkins - despite the weather we soldiered on. keeping with our motto:
STICK TO THE PLAN.


Here's a Video smörgåsbord / look back at the weekend, especially featuring: STAR FUCKING HIPSTERs
( who's album TILL WE'RE DEAD comes out TODAY! on FAT Records )...
SFH: 9/11 was an inside joke: ( tompkins 08 )

SFH: Life Causes Cancer (classic / 05)

SFH: Mothers Behind Bars ( classic / 05 )


plus more videos to come:
including Wombat in Combat- & the bike pit
Till then, here's a look forward towards the many upcoming Fall 08 TOmpkins SHowS,
((((decibel meters be damned:)))))

===========================================================================
THE TOMPKINS SQUARE HARVEST REBELLION IS ON!!

Join us for free shows in New York City's Tompkins Square Park, featuring
great music, political speakers, information and lots of surprises!!

[East 7th Street + Avenue A, from 1:00pm - 7:00pm]

These shows celebrate the vitality of the counter cultural scene that has
survived on the Lower East Side, despite the rampant gentrification,
soaring rents and lost venues that have contributed to the cultural
genocide sweeping New York City.

> October 12: THE SHADOW Presents: David Peel, Rubber Room Rats, The Pigs,
El Muchacho, Endangered Feces, Fisherman Vibraphonic Orchestra (More
performers to be announced)

> October 25: DIGITONE RECORDS Presents: SOAP, The Influence, Since 1913,
Cinema Cinema, Terry Garland (More performers to be announced)

> October 26: WAR (Women of Art + Rock) Presents:
GLOB (Gorgeous Ladies of Bloodwrestling), Deth Race, Skum City, Blackout
Shoppers, Trauma Team, Gutter + Spine, Penny Pollack, Renata Terase

For more info, go to: http://tsplive.org and http://shadowpress.org

REBUILD THE TOMPKINS SQUARE PARK BANDSHELL - Sign the petitions at the
shows!!

Sponsors needed – please call 212-631-1181 (24hrs) or
email us at: theSHADOW@MediaFilter.org

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Saturday, September 27, 2008

Free Speech, Free Stza, Free Donuts

FREE! FUCKING! SPEECH! RALLY SAT. Sept 27th, 2008 2-6 PM –FREE— TOMPKINS SQUARE PARK ( live music by Star Fucking Hipsters, 2-Man Advantage, Joe Coffee, Wombat in Combat, Xris Spider,.. more ) -A Reaction to a Reaction to a Reaction- ----------------------------------A BRIEF HISTORY--------------- Against all odds and seemingly insurmountable douche-bag’ism, the East Village and Lower East Side artists, residents, patriots, anti-patriots, old, young, people of color, and all those who “haven’t gone anywhere” hold down the fort of Lower Manhattan until the great even’ing. Sometimes these stubborn world citizens have cautiously raised their voices… successfully holding political rallies and concerts. That was UNTIL, a NEW Weapon was unleashed upon the masses of non-masses: -------------------------------THE DECIBEL METER….. The latest cowardly Attack on Free Speech comes in a device that seems as innocent as a Tazer, but far more dangerous. The Tompkins Square rallies and concerts, often containing un-popular speech dating back to the 1800’s, are now being selectively shut down when they reach levels of 70db at 100 feet ( or approximately 5 words of dissent per minute). By comparison, a vacuum cleaner generates 70db of noise as far as 25 feet away, and a passing city bus easily sends the decibel meters over 70 db at almost any time. Ironically, the crowd applause level after a song or speech at these events is usually loud enough on its own to allow the dream police to shut the entire event down. While the similarly amplified Charlie Parker Festivals, bag-searched screenings of Batman Begins, and H.O.W.L. festivals seemingly only generate 100+Dbs of more pleasing speech. Can the NYPD, in the midst of a bicycling crisis and fake election year, afford the resources to send enough officers to physically hold the decibel meters, shut down concerts, and taze teenagers…? Sadly, read on ------------------------------------- CURRENT EVENTS---------------- On SUNDAY AUG 3rd 2008, At last months' 20th Anniversary of the Shameful Police Riot in Tompkins Square, the scheduled Concert/Rally was forced to turn the “volume” down and down and down again by decibel meter holding officers, to the point where no one could make out much of anything. The electric bands eventually being completely shut down, the Hungry March Band swooped in like avenging angels and continued to perform in no-electricity-required glory. As a result, the desperate police, with no plugs left to pull, cowardly imposed a $1500 fine and promises to the organizers that more fines would be arriving by mail. --------------------------------------NOT IN FRONT OF MY HOUSE---------------- On FRIDAY SEPT. 5th 2008 As a reaction to the this -Selective Enforcement- of ridiculous, unconstitutional, police determined laws, levels and regulations, a concert was held DIRECTLY OUTSIDE the East Village’s 9th Precinct. Although the organizers made every effort possible to reduce the officers’ commute time, making their efforts to destroy free speech as exercise-free and exertion-free as possible, all the participants interested in FREE SPEECH, instead of FREE DONUTS were still met with a heavy hand. Each subsequent musician and political speaker was forced to turn down to lower and lower volumes, until the rally devolved into a simple unplugged Sing-A-Long. The climax of which found an acoustic guitar wielding Stza Crack ( possibly not his real name ) leading the crowd through songs that would have made Pete Seger and Woody Guthrie proud. Assuming they would find pride in the fact that their legacy is now continued on in the form of troubadour singing about burning churches, killing cops and smoking crack. ----------------------------------DOLLARS FOR DONUTS--------------- At the end of Mr. Crack’s set, someone in the crowd handed the modern son of Dylan a box of donuts, which in a disgustingly wasteful manner, may or may not have ended up being individually hurled in the direction of law enforcement professionals, who were reported to be watering at the mouth. What their mouths were watering for is still unconfirmed, but this act was the final tasty straw for said city employees, who spent the rest of the evening leading a city-wide canvas in order to capture Mr. Crack. The elusive yet public figure had slipped away after the concert by brilliantly changing from one completely black outfit, to a different completely black outfit, assuring his escape from the detail oriented detectives. -------------------------------TAZERS INTRODUCED, NOT RECEIVED WELL------------ Fortunately Mr. Crack, ( again, name unconfirmed) was later found in Tompkins Square Park, unapologetically strumming his acoustic guitar and was quickly whisked into a Police Cruiser heading to the Tombs. Soon a bevy of young fans were tazed and arrested after laying in front of, jumping on, or dumping trash on the cruiser. Realizing the futility of “telling the officers to not taze them”, the youths accepted the punishment, though not completely in silence, if ones counts the screeches of pain. The music / constitutional law / surrealism fans were soon hauled off to jail along with the cop killing, donut throwing, church burning Mr. Crack, who somehow, despite all these felonious activities, had managed to escape arrest for all these years. This SAT: the SAGA CONTINUES…. Tompkins Square, It’s Everywhere -Xris Spider. More on INFO on this weekend’s FREE!FUCKING!SPEECH! CONCERT / RALLY, VISIT: http://www.myspace.com/slidingscaleproductions For Photos/Videos/ & more detailed accounts of recent Jelly Glazed Donut related events, VISIT: http://www.teamspider.blogspot.com Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

Friday, September 26, 2008

BUSY WEEKEND ! ( Wall St Demo, Crit mass, Red Hook Gig, Tompkins )

whew,,, hard to keep up.. (though that's better than being bored.)
First Up, here's what went down yesterday on WALL STREET, for those who couldn't attend.feel alone.pissed.confused. (see video)

Cops were very cool, respectful , and sympathetic to the public's response.

TONIGHT! is Critical Mass NYC, 2 months ago they violently tackled/assaulted a guy, last month Riders pleaded to "go back to the old days"..(see video)

--
TONIGHT! ???what will happen tonight??? ( 7pm'ish... Union Square North)

View Larger Map

Well one thing will happen.. We are gonna leave Critical Mass early so the ole TEAM SPIDER can rock out w/one of our favorite Brooklyn Bands: the Spunk Lads (@ rocky Sullivans, 34 Van Dyke st, red hook, BK, 9pm sharp. spunx at 10, Blackout shoppers 8?)

Then maybe bike up to Death By Audio to watch AN ALBATROSS kick off their tour at Midnight.. ( death by audio, south 2nd, williamsburg BK)

View Larger Map
THEN,..
We TRY to catch some sleep, so we can be peppy for Saturday's "FREE FUCKING SPEECH" rally
Free Fucking Speech (9.27.08) tompkins
at which Xris will speak, do some acoustic numbers ( including maybe --Know That I love you-- )
-flashback "know that i love you" on tompkins-


And $AM wil be performing with Wombat in Combat.. spreading the marsupial reality..

View Larger Map
Pedal Fast, and Try to keep UP
T.S.

Thursday, September 25, 2008

Why we need a FREE SPEECH RALLY !

FREE! FUCKING! SPEECH! RALLY
Free Fucking Speech (9.27.08) tompkins

SAT. Sept 27th, 2008
2-6 PM –FREE—
TOMPKINS SQUARE PARK
( live music by Star Fucking Hipsters, 2-Man Advantage, Joe Coffee, Wombat in Combat, Xris Spider,.. more )

-A Reaction to a Reaction to a Reaction-

----------------------------------A BRIEF HISTORY---------------

Against all odds and seemingly insurmountable douche-bag’ism, the East Village and Lower East Side artists, residents, patriots, anti-patriots, old, young, people of color, and all those who “haven’t gone anywhere” hold down the fort of Lower Manhattan until the great even’ing. Sometimes these stubborn world citizens have cautiously raised their voices… successfully holding political rallies and concerts. That was UNTIL, a NEW Weapon was unleashed upon the masses of non-masses:

-------------------------------THE DECIBEL METER…..

The latest cowardly Attack on Free Speech comes in a device that seems as innocent as a Tazer, but far more dangerous. The Tompkins Square rallies and concerts, often containing un-popular speech dating back to the 1800’s, are now being selectively shut down when they reach levels of 70db at 100 feet ( or approximately 5 words of dissent per minute). By comparison, a vacuum cleaner generates 70db of noise as far as 25 feet away, and a passing city bus easily sends the decibel meters over 70 db at almost any time. Ironically, the crowd applause level after a song or speech at these events is usually loud enough on its own to allow the dream police to shut the entire event down. While the similarly amplified Charlie Parker Festivals, bag-searched screenings of Batman Begins, and H.O.W.L. festivals seemingly only generate 100+Dbs of more pleasing speech. Can the NYPD, in the midst of a bicycling crisis and fake election year, afford the resources to send enough officers to physically hold the decibel meters, shut down concerts, and taze teenagers…? Sadly, read on

------------------------------------- CURRENT EVENTS----------------
On SUNDAY AUG 3rd 2008,
At last months' 20th Anniversary of the Shameful Police Riot in Tompkins Square, the scheduled Concert/Rally was forced to turn the “volume” down and down and down again by decibel meter holding officers, to the point where no one could make out much of anything. The electric bands eventually being completely shut down, the Hungry March Band swooped in like avenging angels and continued to perform in no-electricity-required glory. As a result, the desperate police, with no plugs left to pull, cowardly imposed a $1500 fine and promises to the organizers that more fines would be arriving by mail.

--------------------------------------NOT IN FRONT OF MY HOUSE----------------
On FRIDAY SEPT. 5th 2008
As a reaction to the this -Selective Enforcement- of ridiculous, unconstitutional, police determined laws, levels and regulations, a concert was held DIRECTLY OUTSIDE the East Village’s 9th Precinct. Although the organizers made every effort possible to reduce the officers’ commute time, making their efforts to destroy free speech as exercise-free and exertion-free as possible, all the participants interested in FREE SPEECH, instead of FREE DONUTS were still met with a heavy hand. Each subsequent musician and political speaker was forced to turn down to lower and lower volumes, until the rally devolved into a simple unplugged Sing-A-Long. The climax of which found an acoustic guitar wielding Stza Crack ( possibly not his real name ) leading the crowd through songs that would have made Pete Seger and Woody Guthrie proud. Assuming they would find pride in the fact that their legacy is now continued on in the form of troubadour singing about burning churches, killing cops and smoking crack.

----------------------------------DOLLARS FOR DONUTS---------------
At the end of Mr. Crack’s set, someone in the crowd handed the modern son of Dylan a box of donuts, which in a disgustingly wasteful manner, may or may not have ended up being individually hurled in the direction of law enforcement professionals, who were reported to be watering at the mouth. What their mouths were watering for is still unconfirmed, but this act was the final tasty straw for said city employees, who spent the rest of the evening leading a city-wide canvas in order to capture Mr. Crack. The elusive yet public figure had slipped away after the concert by brilliantly changing from one completely black outfit, to a different completely black outfit, assuring his escape from the detail oriented detectives.

-------------------------------TAZERS INTRODUCED, NOT RECEIVED WELL------------
Fortunately Mr. Crack, ( again, name unconfirmed) was later found in Tompkins Square Park, unapologetically strumming his acoustic guitar and was quickly whisked into a Police Cruiser heading to the Tombs. Soon a bevy of young fans were tazed and arrested after laying in front of, jumping on, or dumping trash on the cruiser. Realizing the futility of “telling the officers to not taze them”, the youths accepted the punishment, though not completely in silence, if ones counts the screeches of pain. The music / constitutional law / surrealism fans were soon hauled off to jail along with the cop killing, donut throwing, church burning Mr. Crack, who somehow, despite all these felonious activities, had managed to escape arrest for all these years.

This SAT: the SAGA CONTINUES…. Tompkins Square, It’s Everywhere

-Xris Spider.


More on INFO on this weekend’s FREE!FUCKING!SPEECH! CONCERT / RALLY, VISIT: http://www.myspace.com/slidingscaleproductions
For Photos/Videos/ & more detailed accounts of recent Jelly Glazed Donut related events, VISIT: http://www.teamspider.blogspot.com
Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

Labels:

Friday, September 19, 2008

beat Me w/ a Spatula ( rev billy arrest )



cookin' up change

(get it)
werd.
x
more to come.. incl Dinner Infiltration tape

HIGH QUALITY version ( faster connection )

Beat Me with a Spatula ( Rev Billy Arrest ) from Xris Spider on Vimeo.

Labels: ,

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

An Albatross - Music Video

I've recently been asked to help make a music video for our old friends AN ALBATROSS.
---"classic" Aa VIDEO- (requires faster connection) /vimeo/

An Albatross - LIVE on Team Spider TV from Xris Spider on Vimeo.

These are old dear friends of the TEam SPider, some of whom went to the same high school as myself, and all of whom loved ZAK making him a happy man with their antics and constant invitations to have him inroduce them at big live events...

ZAK would consistently announce: "And now, it's America's favorite band..." ( even back when Aa were playing to rooms with 10 people ).

Well. i don;t know if An Albatross are going to become America's favorite band, but in Zak's mind they already are..
---- "classic" Aa video ----- (playable on all connections) /youtube/
here's a !FLASHBACK VIDEO! from the last time they were on our cable show to tide you over, LOOK OUT FOR THE NEW VIDEO!

-xxoo XRIS

New An ANLBATROSS album out next month, Hear the upcoming single: "And now emerges the silver pilgrim"
  • An Albatross on MYSPACE

  • Video to Cum

    Wednesday, September 10, 2008

    Donuts Disappear


    So.. the mysterious disappearance of the “Donut Incident” video appears to have demanded an explanation…

    Alhough I usually find myself living by the wonderful words –‘C.a.u.t.i.o.n. is a word that I can’t understand’-,
    Certain twists of fate have conspired to respectfully ask and / or pressure me to remove the video… at least until the families of the officers, donut’ed in the line of duty, have had proper time to mourn.

    The glaze has barely been washed from the city sidewalks and already friends’ homes have been visited, law interpreters have had to been brought on board, and allies introspectively question ‘who has their backs’.

    SO, in honor of the word I can’t understand, spoken with the same ease as the Fonz sayin’ –Liver-, so shall the videos be banished from the series of tubes known as the interwebs…

    Special thanks to the 28,245 people who watched, laughed, commented, spread vicious lies, cowardly comments, or broken English cheers,
    And especially to Team-mate Sturgalicous, a.k.a. Mr. Time to throw the Donuts, a.k.a. the Man in Black w/ the Cruel’er Attack… ST-ZAH, who told me tonight:

    “You’re my best friend, AND my worst enemy”

    love ya too STZ,
    (know this is true)

    Xris…..

    Tuesday, September 09, 2008

    CRITICAL TACKLE - "One Month Later" - (do the cops apologize?)

    In July 2008, a CRITICAL MASS cyclist was randomly targeted and TACKLED clear off of his bicycle in Times Square, NYC...

    Without the VIDEO EVIDENCE widely circulated on YOUTUBE, the cyclist wwas facing jail time for "assaulting a officer."

    One Month later, after being
    -heavily EMBARRASSED in the media,
    -forced to SUSPEND the assaulting officer,
    -and DROP ALL CHARGES,
    ...the Police come out in full force for the next CRITICAL MASS... do they come bearing Gifts, or Grievances... YOU BE THE JUDGE!!!!


    Vimeo hosted Version ( higher quality )

    CRITICAL TACKLE - "One Month Later" - (do the cops apologize?) from Xris Spider on Vimeo.
    Youtube hosted Version ( medium quality)

    Saturday, September 06, 2008

    STZA Tracked, Arrested.


    Arrested for free Speech, Donuts...

    FRI Sept 5th 2008

    East VIllage, NYC


    A political rally held near the 9th Precinct in NYC's East Village ended in Police Violence at nearby Tompkins Sq Park. The point of the demonstration was to protest the selective issuing and enforcement of sound permits for political events in Tompkins Sq. Park.

    Ironically, the unreasonable permit the demonstrators were issued that day required the bands Team Spider, Banji, and the Crack Rock Steady Seven to struggle to keep their audio levels "below 70db's at 20 ft away". A vacuum cleaner is approximately 70db at 10 feet away.


    Each band constantly turned down or off their amps, replacing drum sticks with brushes, and covering drum heads with T-shirts, all in an attempt to not have the rally, which had been targeted by police since its conception, shut down completely. Police and organizers systematically wandered around the event with their respective Db meters, often having to wait for city buses to pass, which alone produced more than 70db of noise. Eventually all amps were turned off and the crowd sang accapella with the acts.
    --[video-part 1] THE MUSIC, THE DREAM, THE DONUTS...



    Singer Scott Sturgeon, aka Stza Crack of Leftover Crack ended his unplugged set by releasing a previously incarcerated box of donuts into the wild, much to the delight of the crowd.

    Long despised for his "anti-police, anti-organized religion" lyrics, Mr. Sturgeon was later tracked by police to Tompkins Square Park where he was performing acoustic songs with /for a small group of fans. Despite Mr. Sturgeon's attempts to disguise himself as a striped sweater wearing young urban professional, he was arrested and put in a black sedan.




    Young music fans attempted to lay in front of the surrounding police cars as large officers would single out, tazer and violently throw the children to ground, often kicking them in the head and face for added public safety.

    --[video-part 2]THE REACTION, THE BEATINGS, THE TAZINGS...


    Currently. approximately 6 arrestees, including Scott Sturgeon, are being held in New York City jails.

    --[video-part 3] THE 9TH PRECINCT, THE FREEDOM, THE AWAKENING....


    quietly, sincerely,
    Xris
    11:45 am Sat Sept. 6th 2008
    see more video at http://www.youtube.com/teamspider


    --