Poster for Gary Lucas & Gods and Monsters 20th Anniversary Show feat. Jon Spencer – Blender Theater at Gramercy, 127 East 23rd St, NYC, US.
Players include; Ernie Brooks (Modern Lovers) bass, Billy Ficca (Television) drums, Jason Candler (Hungry March Band) alto sax, and Joe Hendel (The Latest Show on Earth) keyboards and trombone, with special guests including Alan Vega, Lenny Kaye, Peter Stampfel, Jon Spencer and Dean Bowman.
“Exhausted and running on fumes — and when I say “fumes” I mean “Maker’s Mark,” — the next night (Thurs) Jon and I were on stage with Gary Lucas and his band Gods and Monsters. Also officially a Very Big Deal, I was very humbled and flattered just to be part of the whole shebang. Gary is one of the best guitar players EVER (actually he is much more than a guitar player, he is a MUSICIAN, something you kids might want to think about).
Gary is an old beatnik soul, a powerful Jewish intellect-slash-curmudgeon, and a perpetual student of the world. One can learn a lot by listening to his fucked-up blues and evil outer-space perambulations.
Anyway, here’s the ensemble cast of New York superstars he gathered for this ho-down, featuring me whanging on the tambourine at far left, next to Ernie Brooks (formerly of the Modern Lovers), Gary (Capt. Beefheart, Jeff Buckley, et. al); Billy Ficca (Television), Jon Spencer, Lenny Kaye (Patti Smith Group), Joe Hendel, and Jason Chandler.
Usually I play theremin with Gary, but that film is still at the lab, so dig this, a theremin turn I recently did on “Whole Lotta Love,” living THAT dream.” – Mike Edison / PopMatters.com
