We also went to Esoteric Records last night (which is across the way from the Hof Brau and definitely worth the trip) and encountered a pack of the best kids ever. There were like 5 of them, all boys, I guess around the age of like 13, 14 or so ( I didn't get a good look at them because I instinctually avoid eye contact with teenagers in fear that they might start bagging on me). A couple of them had total slacker, long-hair Cali style. One of them was looking for a record for a Christmas present for his dad. There were at least four things we heard that were the best:
1) One of the kids (the one who was getting the record for his dad) seemed to have a signature line as if he were a character in a sitcom. Everytime someone would say does your dad like this band or that band the kid would reply "Does he!?" in an emphatic way and the effect was somehow incongruously old-fashioned in a funny way. He did it like ten times
2) There was a adult there we later nicknamed "the Goob" who had a slightly creepy and space-inappropriate mien. He kept getting too close to me at the record racks and I would have to move. He was eavesdropping on the kids and condescendingly said "so what got you guys into vinyl?". A long-haired one replied "a turntable". SHUT DOWN! It was awesome.
3) The kids proceeded to debate the relative merits of Darby Crash and Jim Morrison (I am going to wager that this is the first time this debate has ever occurred, anywhere) and one kid's viewpoint was that Jim Morrison was way smarter and read and stuff. The other kid said, "No way, Darby Crash heckaread and heckawrote". Excellent use of Cali slang!
4) They all agreed that Frank Zappa sucks.
Do you see what he ended buying for his Dad?
ReplyDeleteBrew
I mean DID you see...
ReplyDeleteMan! I love funny teenage boys!
ReplyDeleteI'm going to jail!
nope, as i said i wouldn't really look at them so that they wouldn't start making fun of me. maybe smiller saw.
ReplyDeleteMaybe they ended up with the Conan record.
ReplyDeleteHey Becks...did you hear that Animal Collective is playing the cattle club (or whatever its called these days) in March? Try not to overdo the weed this time.
ReplyDelete-biz
I just searched it. March 4th at the Library?! That is so weird! How the hell did they get booked there? I'll be there and hopefully I can finally get a picture on napkinnights.com! This time I won't smoke weed, I'll just eat a tiny bit of mushrooms and I should be fine.
ReplyDeleteThose kids were the best! They basically ascended on the dollar bin & started yelling out every artist they saw in case it was the perfect present for the dad. "Eagles!" "Rolling Stones!" "Monkees!". When one of them yelled "Neil Diamond!", the kid goes "oh he loves them!" & one of his friends goes "It's a guy, stupid". All the other kid could come back with was "I know". This conversation was even better the second time it happened. And I never did see what they bought. For little skater river rats, they knew a pretty good amount about 60's & 70's music!
ReplyDeletemiller
This story gives me hope for a brighter tomorrow. Or at least for stoner kids in the Arden-Arcade/Carmichael area hanging out in record stores, for there was a time long ago when that was my job description.
ReplyDeleteAt least I didn't grow into being the "goob." Yet...
Wait -- did Darby crash come up as a topic because yesterday was the 25th anniversary of his dying, or was it just one of those freaky-assed, hair-raising, unsettling cosmic conidicidences?
ReplyDeleteThe "goob" is a permanent, revolving fixture at Esos. I keep forgetting to go out there. I really miss the downtown one. People complained about it, but I always found good shit in the new arrival pile on the floor. I miss having the goobs that work there act all nonchalant and too-cool-for-school when they rang me up.
ReplyDeletebrew
Hey, Arden/Charmaichel brought us Milhouse, Charles, and Jef Melendez, did it not?
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