MIX IT UP AND SMASH IT ALL TO HELL.











Take everything you know about the Fiery Furnaces... For those of you that know nothing about them get the hell out of here and only come back once you're less ill-prepared.

Now where was I? Take everything you know about the Fiery Furnaces. Put it in a small little box. Now crush that box. Make sure you destroy it to the extent you cannot recognize one fucking atom. Now you may slightly know the Fiery Furnaces.

Folks, what the Friedbergers did last night was redefine rock & roll. I though I'd witnessed a rock show two nights earlier when The Eagles of Death Metal rocked the Commodore, mustache-style. However, FF did what I described above (the small box smashed thing) with every single song they played. This is a band that does not rest on any recorded laurels, or if they do, they rest only a minimum amount of time.

I was quite stoned and getting tired just thinking that I had to wake up this morning at 4 a.m. so I was actually feeling like I would make my way home after a few songs. Within 20 seconds of the opening "Chris Michaels" from Blueberry Boat I knew otherwise. While most of their albums have had an abundance of keyboard and samples spread throughout, there was not a synthesizing machine in sight last night. All they needed was a guitar (sometimes two when Eleanor picked one up), a drum kit (played by a guy that looked a lot like Gene Troutman (Eagles of Death Metal) and a bass (played in his own classic style by Jason Lowenstein; yes he of Sebadoh). After seeing/hearing Matt Friedberger play guitar live I'm putting him right up there with legends such as Dean Ween and Prince as far as live guitar goes. Absolutely, insanely amazing.

Every single song was completely different from the albums, as you would expect with the absence of keyboards. None of it sounded tired or out of context. Eleanor stood stage right and belted out stories one after another with brother Matt occasionally dropping a few lines in here and there. Lowenstein grooved it hard and smooth beside Eleanor and the drummer (I didn't catch his name) played like no one at Richard's since Dave Grohl played with QOTSA there in 2002.

They played a lot of material from the new album, Bitter Tea, and quite a few from Blueberry Boat. Their grandma was nowhere in sight so we were denied her spoken word from Rehearsing My Choir.

I tried. I tried hard to get some of you to come with me last night. It's hard not to gloat in situations such as this. Of all the shows over the years I've been to by myself, this is the one where I really wish some of you were there to witness it. Once again, you've all let yourselves down. This show will never be reproduced. It was a little piece of heaven that has now been lost forever in notes, sweat and cheer.

I thanked Matt after the show and told him I loved what he did with the music live. He shook my hand and gave me several genuine "thanks". I wish I could have met Eleanor. I would have asked her ice-skating.

WE'RE BACK, AND WE'RE GONNA HAVE THE CUP IN TOW

Ted Nolan, the greatest coach to ever do his thing in the NHL is back. Along with Neil Smith and Pat Lafontaine the Isles will bring the Stanley Cup back to Long Island after a too long absence. That's a guarantee. Get on the wagon now.