God Street Wine, The Bedroom Sessions

God Street Wine, The Bedroom Sessions



"I daresay the Geffen people got quite a demo out of us; now it belongs to everyone. - Lo Faber
In 1993 while at a H.O.R.D.E. festival at the Garden State Arts Center* (after being dropped off by my friend's mom waaay early, cuz we couldn't drive yet), I stumbled upon a band that would change my life. God Street Wine holds a special place in my heart amongst my most favorite bands. I used to weasel my way into 7 Willow Street and the Fore n' Aft to see these guys play until 4am (and show up late for HS in the morning after getting 2 hours of sleep). Their beautifully composed and oftentimes hyperactive jamming always rocked. Their songs spoke to me, made me happy, and the guys were all super cool & tolerated my shenanigans taboot.

GSW played roughly 200+ shows a year, all across the country. Their fans-- Winos (of course), traded cassette tapes of live shows (BLANKS & POSTAGE, man) to share the music. Tape trees flourished. It was a different time. Downloading music from the interwebs didn't even exist yet. Only a handful of songs ever ended up on GSW's 6 official cd releases. To hear the rest of 'em, you had to go to a show or get a tape.

(photos courtesy of Michael Weiss)

left to right: tomo, lo, aaron, bevo, dan
Sadly, GSW called it quits in 12/99 with a couple of farewell shows at Wetlands. It sucked. It was as if my heart had been ripped out. I cried. I'm not made of stone, people. Since then, besides having enough kids to fill a soccer team- they've gotten together a number of times, including last year's tribute concert to legendary Wino, Paul Ducharme- part of which took place in a Wyckoff, NJ basement. There, God Street Wine conjured up some weird energy, turned the air upside down, and transported us all back in time to 1993**. There was some weird shit going on down there.

That kind of re-energized it all. It was a sign. With efforts from Winos everywhere, the past year has been spent encouraging GSW to play more. There's a facebook group, "Bring Back God Street Wine", dedicated to the cause. The group's 1000+ members (that include a few band members too), frequently post videos, photos, live shows, etc. on what has become an evolving shrine of sorts.


Adding to the pot, not only have GSW recently put all of their albums up for free DL on iLike, but they have also put the famed Bedroom Sessions (links below) up on the archive for public consumption. The Bedroom Sessions are 31 of 33 songs recorded in Lo's bedroom at the house in Ossining. They were originally used as a demo for Geffen. Lo tells the full story behind these babies on the archive pages and I suggest you read it. This shit was done the old fashioned way-- uphill, in the snow, both ways... barefoot (okay, maybe fuzzy bunny slippers).



This is the motherload. The Bedroom Sessions are A MUST HAVE FOR EVERY WINO OR POTENTIAL FUTURE-WINO. It's all the songs you wanted to hear more of, if only you could find the right tapes, and provided those tapes hadn't been sitting on the floor of your car for many an August heat-wave and/or January Blizzard***. GSW have essentially released a free box-set of some of the most treasured and cherished songs that made God Street Wine who they were: A mind-blowingly amazing rock n' roll band, playing amazing songs, capable of going from Country to Blues to Jazz to Lounge to Haiku, at the drop of a single cue. Songs you couldn't hear anywhere else, delivered with a swagger. That was is GSW.


What's funny is that they recorded these as a live band and only did a few takes for each song. Lo once told me he never sings the wrong lyrics- he always sings the ones appropriate for that individual moment. I'm pretty sure there's a couple of those moments here and that only makes The Bedroom Sessions sweeter. During an intense Snake Eyes, Lo sings about getting some pizza.

The highlights are ridiculous:

New Eyes is one of my most favorite GSW songs and up until now, I had 1 copy of it-- from 10/27/94 at the Fox Theater in Boulder, CO.

Epiphany is another most favorite. Bevo rocked this shit!

When She Go is another favorite- a rarity. So so catchy. One of the only raggae songs I've ever liked... sung by white guys.

Bring Back the News-- beautiful, bouncy, sweet, and one of the first songs I ever heard GSW play. It always stuck with me.

Stupid Hat-- the sheet music to this song looks as gorgeous as it sounds-- and now there's a studio version for us to enjoy!

6:15, Cheap Utah Blues, Change Your Mind, Funny Kinda Love, Hungry Again--- these songs still blow my mind! How did this not catch on?!?

And the rarities!!! Miss Leonardo!!! Seein' Yer Meanin', Whatcha Gonna Do About It, God Street (WTF??!)!

The God Street Wine magic is still there. It's festering away inside of them. Inside all of us. It's in the water. It's in your water. All this GSW 'vine chatter, including a recent article in Relix where Lo points at the possibility of another reunion, is just throwing fuel on the fire. Rumors are swirling of something happening very soon. I feel news on the horizon and it pleases me.

And so do these Bedroom Sessions. It's insanely brilliant to have some "new" God Street Wine just one-click away (it's that easy now!!! CLICK THAT SHIT!)-- but-- where the fuck are Dirty Little Secret and Light My Candles??? GSW, The Bedroom Sessions: 10 HUZZAHS!!!!


BEDROOM SESSIONS I
01 Molly
02 Straight Line
03 Stranger
04 Tina's Town
05 6:15
06 When She Go
07 Change Your Mind
08 Bring Back the News
09 Henrietta
10 Hungry Again
11 Cheap Utah Blues
12 Thirsty
13 Epiphany
14 Crashing Down
15 Electrocute
16 Stupid Hat

DL BEDROOM SESSIONS I: http://www.archive.org/details/GodStreetWine-BedroomSession1

BEDROOM SESSIONS II
01 Into the Sea
02 Imogene
03 Miss Leonardo
04 Ballroom
05 Lady Fingers
06 Seeing Your Meaning
07 New Eyes
08 Vanity Street
09 Funny Kind of Love
10 Call it Love
11 God Street
12 Snake Eyes
13 Whatcha Gonna Do About It
14 Deep Drag
15 Nothing Left to Lose

DL BEDROOM SESSIONS II: http://www.archive.org/details/GodStreetWineBedroom-session2

ALSO: feel free to peruse & download some live GSW from the archive!


* That's what it was called back then.
** The black mold probably helped.
*** It used to snow in the Winter.

god street wine, 5/30/09, a love ducharme

god street wine, 5/30/09, a love ducharme
ridgewood & wyckoff, nj


Wow, it's been a loooong while since I've reviewed a GSW show and I couldn't be more thrilled with the opportunity to do it. Winos have been waiting years for God Street Wine to get back together, unfortunately it turned out to be for a pretty shitty reason. Legendary first Wino (and taper) Paul Ducharme passed away in April. Perhaps you have some early GSW tapes from Paul? If not, you should download one and hear what the band sounded like in '89*. Thusly, the one and only God Street Wine got together for the most appropriate tribute to Paul: a full day of GSW that became a reunion on many different levels.

The afternoon started out with a tribute to Paul at Citizen's Park in Ridgewood, NJ, where friends & relatives shared thoughts about him. They played some of his favorite music and the band Native played a set. However, the bomb-diggity happened when God Street Wine gathered from various parts of the globe and made music together again. It's been roughly 8 years since the last reunion happened at Wetlands Preserve before it's doors were closed for good. Too long.


The set was peaceful, beautiful, and sweet. Highlights? Well, pretty much everything- I ain't gonna complain. Shocked to hear Weird Dream, captured by Driving West, 6:15, Borderline. Shit. I wanted to hear the whole thing over again. 8 years? The familiarity came right back. It could have been last week. The audience was a bizarre mix of people which included both friends of Paul's & assorted Winos collected over the years. It was certainly interesting to see band members now with full families (a full soccer team roster of kids), das Bullethead (now a father-- scary), and those who haven't aged a day in 15 years (Dan Pifer).


But there was a little something extra up everyone's sleeve- namely, a full-on Jersey house party complete with GSW show.


What the hell is going on? A few hours later we converged upon the unsuspecting hamlet of Wyckoff, NJ where God Street Wine was about to go back in time and play their friend Steph Rein's basement. Literally- a basement**. Cinderblock, foundation, old fridge, exposed plumbing, B-A-S-E-M-E-N-T. Ohh, what will the neighbors think? Native opened the night with a set of soulful & funky hippie rock. Totally awesome but honestly, I can't remember much because I was incredibly preoccupied with the thought of another GSW show-- 2 in 1 day! In 2009! I had seen Lo & Aaron play during Echofission's set the previous week at Mexicali- but a full GSW show??? AGH!




We all scrambled to get good spots, people fiddled with a/v equipment, smoke filled the air and GSW took the "stage". No lowlights really, but highlights for sure: Gretchen, Pussycat. Other Shore was pure madness, jaws dropped, wide smiles all around, and a surreal feeling overcame us all. I don't know if it was from inhaling the black mold or what, but during the 2nd set- specifically, during Crazy Head, something mysterious happened- the air in the basement actually turned upside-down and then when Henrietta kicked in, every single one of us was transported back in time to the year 1994. I don't know how else to explain it. Something weird happened in that basement and only the witnesses can attest to it. My skin crawled, but it felt warm, exciting, and good.




Hey Joe, Electrocute, Epiphany, Diana-- all of it magical. A few of Paul's friends grabbed some instruments and played St. Stephen as a tribute. Then came the therapeutic chanting- a hypnotic seance of sorts as Aaron told the story of the origin of the chant, and everyone repeated "a Love Ducharme, a Paul Supreme". Wine, smoke, chanting, and a strange energy filled the air. Then, a touching Epilog, a fun & high energy GOTT, and a wailing Into the Sea.





It was amazing to see the guys but even more amazing to hear them after so many years apart- there were moments you couldn't tell the difference- they were rippin'. My ears couldn't have been happier***. Something very special happened in that basement and I'm incredibly fortunate to have been invited to share it. I want to thank all of Paul's friends for organizing such a special day and letting some random Winos (such as myself) crash and feel welcome. It was amazing to see tons of familiar faces and reconnect with such good people after so many years. The entire day embraced the theme of love & celebrating Paul's attitude by sharing some of his favorite music, it will always bring a smile to my face.


I got yelled at for suggesting that the Phish shows were anticlimactic because the GSW show was so mind boggling. You know what? Eff the haters, I'm standing by my words. GSW were back and they rocked my world. No- you cannot have my Phish tickets.

11 HUZZAHS! (yes, it goes to eleven).


DAY SHOW, West Side Presbyterian Church, Ridgewood, NJ
DEFINITELY DL THE AFTERNOON SHOW!
Stranger
Weird Dream
Waiting for the Tide
Driving West
6:15
Imogene
Blackbird
Dear Prudence
Borderline

NIGHT SHOW, Steph Rein's basement, Wyckoff, NJ
AND MOST DEFINITELY DL THE NIGHT SHOW!
SET I
Good Dream
Goodnight Gretchen >
A Love Supreme >
Brand New Pussycat
Fortress Of Solitude
Other Shore >
A Love Supreme >
He's Gone
Home Again
Hellfire->
A Love Supreme

SET II
Somewhere Over The Rainbow
Lighthouse
Crazy Head
Princess Henrietta
Hey Joe
Electrocute
Epiphany
Diana
St Stephen #
A Love Ducharme - A Paul Supreme
Death Don't Have No Mercy
Epilog
Get On The Train
Molly
Into The Sea

# w/ Andy Berian on guitar & Roger Sands on drums

SLIDESHOW! & FULL GALLERY!


ADDITIONALLY: Mike Weiss has an assortment of footage up on his youtube page from both the afternoon and night shows- give it a looksy!




*author's note: they sounded much better in '92+ so you may want to DL one of these shows too, the band would probably appreciate it. try THIS ONE or THIS ONE.
** Legend has it that GSW played this very basement in the early days
*** One lone complaint: we were totally gypped out of an encore- not even a Nightingale or Wendy? Hm. Better be saving it for next time. They'd better... (shaking fist angrily)