Death + Taxes Magazine

Friday, August 29, 2008FREE JUSTICE IN ALBANY!

Albany's Altamont Fairgrounds will host Justice, MGMT, the Whigs, and others for a free show courtesy of the Southern Comfort Music Experience on September 13th. Doors open at 2 p.m, and you must be over 21 to enter. Justice are festival vets, so it promises to be a tremendous show. For directions to the Altmont Fairgrounds, go here: http://www.altamontfair.com/directions.html. For any other querries on how to get the event, check www.dt-mag.com.

It's about a three-hour drive from New York City. It's worth it. I mean, think about how many times you've wasted three-hour intervals this summer. Probably a lot. If you saw or Tropic Thunder or The Hulk, well that's two right there. Come out and make up for it. - SB

+More

GOOD BYE McCARREN POOL

It was a gigantic empty pool filled with half-drunken revelers, over-serious dodge ball games, oddly relaxed sunbathers, enthused slip n sliders, local fashion designers, ballpark-style food, and most importantly, indie rock bands old and new, blasting tunes on a massive stage, and it gave us the finest Sunday afternoons any Brooklynite could hope for.

Yes, the last of the infamous McCarren Pool Parties has finally taken place, and this one, packed to capacity with Titus Andronicus and Yo La Tengo supplying the parting graces, both epitomized and bode farewell to what the great outdoor celebrations were all about.

The line wrapped all the way around the colossal pool structure (about a decent-sized city block) and an air of both giddy anticipation and incredulous melancholy mingled with the dance-punk tunes being blasted by the early afternoon DJ. This was the spot, after all, that many of these folks waiting in line had returned to, summery Sunday after summery Sunday, for the last three years to see the likes of TV on the Radio, MIA, Blonde Redhead, Band of Horses, the Liars, MGMT, the Hold Steady all for free, and all in a casually twisted, state fair-meets indie rock show environment. Even the New York Times could not help but get a little glum about the series drawing to a close.

I must admit, I found myself getting a little nostalgic as YLT spewed their sonic chaos from the stage. The distortion wafted into an awed, sun-drenched, drunken, appreciative crowd, and maybe it was just because I myself was a little sun-drenched and drunken too, but I kept expecting the emcee to come out at any moment and say, "We are on for next summer!" like he did the year before.

No such luck. After Titus Andronicus joined Yo La Tengo onstage for a joyously charged cover of the Misfit's "Where Eagles Dare," the dazed crowd was left with the somber synth sounds of YLT's classic "Autumn Sweater" to wind down not just the day, but the best concert series ever to come to Brooklyn. - Brian Merchant / Photos by Aaron Cansler

+More

Thursday, August 28, 2008DNC - Worse Than The Fuckin' "Notebook," Man!

Or at least that's what my room mate just emailed me. ...and I have to agree with her! Vice President nominee, Joe Biden's speech last night was one goddamn tear jerker. That shot of his eldery mom? Fuh-get about it. Tears were streaming down my face. They might as well have followed that up with puppies and orphans. D+T loves Obama but part of me wants Biden to be President too. Can we change the constitution and have co-Prezes? Hmmm? - SK

+More

First Annual D+T Scavenger Hunt - Best Day Ever

For those of you that made it to the First Annual D+T Scavenger Hunt, we applaud you. It was certainly a day not to be missed. 13 teams met us at McCarren Park at the very early (for a Saturday) time of 1pm. They then spent the next 4 hours scouring Williamsburg for items including gay porn, pizza crust, a photo of Michael Phelps and even a photo of a team member high-fiving a Hasidic Jew. And, of course, mayhem ensued. Let's just say one team was detained by the police while another two teams got into a friendly fight. We partly blame ourselves for the latter, considering our only instructions were, 1) meet at Union Pool at 5pm sharp, and 2) sabotage is encouraged.

The after-party at our favorite bar, Union Pool, was even better then the hunt, as teams relaxed with free tacos provided by El Diablo Taco Truck and free beers provided by PBR, while judges tallied scores. (To see who won, check out Issue 16, on stands 10/27.) And, if that weren't enough, participants even got to enjoy a free show featuring The Suckers, The Blacks (who kindly flew out from SF just for the event) and Amazing Baby.

If you missed the mayhem this year, be sure to get your shit together next summer as we're obviously going to be doing this forever ever.