The Death of a Beastie Boy

Judging by the many positive Facebook posts concerning the passing of Adam Yauch (MCA), I’ve decided to publish this post sooner than later. So, please excuse the type-os and grammar mistakes.

Back in 1986, my brother, his girlfriend and my good buddy Bill Jarvis were driving over to the Wheeling Park to go ice skating.

“Check this out,” my brother said tossing a cassette tape into the back seat. “This is awesome, you gotta hear it.”

I grabbed the cassette box and stared at the image. A smashed airplane on the cover. Licensed to Ill. The Beastie Boys. WTF?

Sure, I had heard ‘Fight for Your Right to Party’. Who hadn’t. It was a national rock/rap anthem for our generation. A call to arms to stand up and party ‘til you puke. I had even seen the video on NBC’s Friday Night Videos – our only outlet for fresh, new videos waaaaay before our family signed up for cable and Mtv.

My brother tossed in the tape. I was hooked.

“Who the hell were these three white guys,” I thought to myself. “Rapping like black guys and doing a kick-ass job at it, to boot.”

Paul Revere. Slow and Low. Rhymin’ and Stealing. Brass Monkey. The New Style.

This music was new. This music was fresh. This music was different.

I bought the tape myself a couple weeks later. Matter of fact, I had that same cassette tape with me in 1990 when I headed off to Columbus. By the time, I moved to a CD, the cassette tape was completely worn off. I had to take a black Sharpie marker and etch ‘Beasties’ on the side of the tape.

Along with my other two buds - Matt Dieter and Chris Vermillion - we performed ‘No Sleep Til Brooklyn’ during our sophomore year dressed as The Beastie Boys in a lip-sync contest. It was one of the ballsiest things I had done at that point in my life.

Then, in 1989 - 18 days after my 17^th birthday - Paul’s Boutique was released. I bought the cassette at a mall in Myrtle Beach with my buddy Brian Zupko. This was an insane album, sampled to the nines with music from Johnny Cash to Bob Dylan. It was another musical masterpiece, which catapulted these guys to another level.

Egg Man. Hey Ladies. Looking Down the Barrel of a Gun. The Sounds of Science. Shadrach.

This music was new. This music was fresh. This music was different.

Three years later, with the Beasties a distant high school memory, during my freshmen year at Ohio State, there were small murmurs and whispers from Rolling Stone and other high-profile entertainment magazines that the crew was releasing a new CD.

To my surprise, during Spring Break of 1992 in Daytona Beach, it was announced that The Beastie Boys would be premiering their new video and single ‘Pass the Mic’ from their upcoming album ‘Check Your Head’.

We bought cases and cases of beer and drank, and waited, and drank, and waited until 5 p.m. (or was it 6 p.m.) constantly checking the clock in anticipation of the video premiere. As the hour turned, the video came on, the jambox volume turned down and the TV volume cranked up. ‘Pass the Mic’ played and, three and half minutes later, the Beasties were back on the map.

A couple weeks later, my buddies Benny Dewitt, Jim Nipple and myself hung outside the local CD store during a midnight sale; anxiously awaiting our copy of Check Your Head. The line wrapped around the entire parking lot. After buying a couple 40-ouncers, making a quick stop to White Castle for some burger, we drove to Benny’s apartment and listened to, quite possibly, one of the best rap albums ever produced. We were in awe.

Funky Boss. Something’s Got to Give. Professor Booty. So What’cha Want (prophetically proclaimed by my buddy Tom Hawk as one of the best songs from the Beastie Boys after hearing it only once).

This music was new. This music was fresh. This music was different.

“If these guys tour,” Benny said. “We’ve got to see them no matter where they go.”

I nodded my head in total agreement as I sipped the last drop from my Mickey’s Malt Liqour.

Which, leads me to the first time I saw the Beastie Boys.

It was spring of 1992. Two carloads of guys drove down to Bogarts in Cincinnati. We met up with Matt, who was attending UC at the time. I was pumped. Firehose and Basehead opened up. And then, in all their glory, my three heroes popped up on stage. Ad Rock, MCA and Mike D, in the flesh.

And they played everything.

The played most of their licks from the Licensed to Ill album, choice raps from Paul’s Boutique and virtually all the songs from Check Your Head (or so it seemed).

Not lying. This was one of the best concerts I’ve ever been to in my life, with Faith No More’s Angel Dust performance at Newport Music Hall a distant second.

Another road trip three months later in the dead of winter with two carloads of guys (and girls) to the Agora in Cleveland to see them with opener L7.

Three or four months passed and I got another call from Benny.

“Dude, Beasties are in Dayton,” he said. “We have to go.”

I didn’t have the money. But, utilities be damned, I went anyway. Thus, another road trip to the Hara Arena to see the trio with Rollins Band and Cypress Hill opening.

Three Beastie Boys concerts in under one year’s time. Life was good. Life was grand.

Two years passed and I had the opportunity to see the Beasties during their Ill Communication tour when they co-headlined Lollapallooza – a slot that they were supposed to share with Nirvana.

Once, in Columbus, where the sod flew. Then, again in Indiana, where the acid and mosh pit took control.

I didn’t see them live again. Not that I didn’t try.

I had a chance to see them in Cleveland during their Hello Nasty tour, but couldn’t scrounge up the dough.

I bought tickets to see them again - with about 20 friends – after their announced American tour with Rage Against the Machine. However, Mike D broke his collarbone in a biking accident in New York and all of the shows were cancelled.

And, finally, I had a chance to see them when they released ‘To The Five Boroughs’ and shot ‘Awesome I fucking shot that’ in Madison Square Garden. Alas, the tickets didn’t’ come through.

Dammit.

Fast forward to 2009. I heard Yauch had acquired some sort of cancer. Something with his salivary glands. Something that both he and Ad Rock made light of during a five-minute video on BeastieBoys.com. Doing some research, I also found out that it wasn’t that big of a deal. Almost like getting the ‘Good Type of Hodgkins’. Operation. Chemo. Radiation. New Album. Ready to Tour.

I held out hope that Yauch would get well- that, selfishly, I would get a chance to see these guys one more time. That I would call all my buds and we would rekindle our college years one more day and scout out a concert location like we did when we saw Nine Inch Nails and Jane’s Addiction a couple years back in 2009.

I was hoping for one last weekend with The Beastie Boys and my friends. One more trip down memory lane. Hanging out with my best friends and listening to the music that defined us and created so many memories.

Last year, I took a day off of work to celebrate my birthday (July 6). On that very day, the first thing that I did was travel to Target and purchase the Beastie Boys new album, Hot Sauce Committee Part 2. With my wife in Singapore during my big day, I traveled Northeast Ohio blaring the beats and rhymes of The Beasties, who kept me company throughout that day.

And that’s why I’m writing this.

To me, this group was more than a group. They shaped the very fabric of who I was, who I am, how I think and how I act. They pushed the limits of their music and their capabilities. In turn, they motivated me to take chances with my drawing and my writing career and my life. If three white boys from Brooklyn can climb to the top of the charts as rappers, imagine what I could do?

For the past 25 years, these guys were constantly by my side via my headphones, my VCR, my DVD, my computer, my car stereo, my jambox, my CD player, and my iPod – everywhere and anywhere. The beats, the silly rhymes, the camaraderie, and the fun still seeps through me, motivates me and inspires me through the years.

Hell, this group will be with me until the day that I die.

Now, with Adam Yauch’s passing today, it has all come to an end. Done to soon.

I severely doubt that The Beastie Boys will tour again. There’s no point. The three made up the group. MCA’s raspy voice cannot be duplicated. And, what’s the point in diluting the band that was and always will be three MCs and one DJ?

In a way, the passing of MCA and the ultimate end of The Beastie Boys as we know it is truly sad, truly devastating. But, viewed another way, I’m just happy that I was able to live almost three decades with these rappers, these performers, these rockers, these merry pranksters and musical creators.

Kurt Cobain’s death was a tragedy. An unnecessary death by an unstable man.

However, I must say that Yauch’s loss is different in the sense that he had a lust for life, a zest for creation and innovation. He was a talented entertainer who didn’t necessarily want to leave this Earth at this moment. Or so it seemed.

Rest in Peace MCA.  It’s been a helluva ride, with a helluvalot of memories.

Your music will live on.

However, it was much nicer having you on this planet knowing that you were making music with your other two partners in crime.

What do James Brown, Sinead O' Connor, Public Enemy and Madonna have in common?

A couple days ago, my wife and I were listening to 'I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got' by Sinead O'Connor. Great album/cd/download by the way.


THE SONG 'I AM STETCHED ON YOUR GRAVE' CAME ON...


"HEY," I SAID. "THAT SOUNDS EXACTLY LIKE 'SECURITY OF THE FIRST WORLD' FROM PUBLIC ENEMY"


"HEY," MY WIFE SAID. "THAT SOUNDS EXACTLY LIKE 'JUSTIFY MY LOVE' BY MADONNA"


"HEEEE-AAAAY," JAMES BROWN YELLED FROM THE AFTERLIFE. "THAT SOUNDS A LOT LIKE MY SONG 'FUNKY DRUMMER' " (forward to 5:34 on the below track)

What Five Songs Will Be Played At Your Funeral?

Sometimes, when I'm jogging, I cut into this graveyard and do a couple laps on this 1/4 mile cul de sac.

This past Saturday, I decided to say 'Hello' to my little ghostly friends.

As I rounded the corner and passed the metallic graveyard gate, I looked up and my shoes came to a cartoony screeching halt.

Lo and be hold, a funeral service was taking place.

People dressed in black, were standing next to a casket with a pastor reading scriptures. Two women were dabbing their eyes with tissues. Their husband's consoling arms were draped around their shoulders.

Add some snow flurries dropping from the sky and five plus inches of snow on the ground, and you've got a stark funeral scene straight out of the movies.

Having never, ever seen anyone at this particular graveyard, it was an eerie sight to behold. So I decided to forgo my jaunt amongst the dead, and opted for a different route home.

Personally, I would feel a little weird if I was at a funeral and a jogger in a hunter's orange cap listening to an I-pod ran by. Wouldn't you?

On the run home, my mind reverted back to the funeral.

Then I started to think about death.

Then I started to think about my death.

Then I started to think about my funeral.

Then i started to think about the five songs I would request to be played at my funeral.

Now, if anyone has seen High Fidelity with John Cusack, The making of a great compilation tape is hard to do.

To quote Rob Gordon from the movie:

"You gotta kick off with a killer, to grab attention. Then you got to take it up a notch, but you don't wanna blow your wad, so then you got to cool it off a notch."

Magnify that times ten for the perfect Death Mix Tape at your own funeral.

Seriously though, it would be tough to choose the five perfect songs from your vast collection of musical memories.

In addition, you would have to pick music that's somewhat uplifting, yet a bit melancholy. Although you would want people to have a good time and remember you in a good way, you wouldn't necessarily want people to pull out the cardboard and start breakdancing at your funeral.

Or maybe you would.

Plus, you have to choose music that not only defines who you were on this planet, but music that digs deep into your soul and portrays the heartbreak, the happiness, the sorrow and the joy you experienced on this Earth.

That said, if Death walked up to me today, tapped me with his sycthe and told me I was going to croak in 24 hours, here are the 5 songs I would request to be played at my funeral...

1. Sing It Again by Beck


2. I Don't Know by The Beastie Boys


3. Hurt by Johnny Cash


4. Wish You Were Here by Pink Floyd


5. Big Balls by AC/DC

Keep in mind, if you talked to me in a week, a month or a year, some of the above songs wouldn't even be considered.

That said, more than likely, I will probably always include a song by the Beastie Boys, Johnny Cash and Beck. Some other artists under consideration were songs by Radiohead, Jack Johnson, Guns N' Roses, Cake and Lucinda Williams.

Seriously, depending on the day and how I'm feeling, the possibilities for my Death Music Mix are like Death's job on this Earth...endless.

Now I'm curious, what would your five songs be if you were going to die in 24 hours?

And please be sure to leave your name. I need to put a face to the songs, man. I need to put a face to the songs.

10 Great Film Endings Set To Fantastic Music.

I just finished watching King of California yesterday. It's a good movie with fine acting by Michael Douglas and Evan Rachel Wood.

The final scene, which segues into the end credits, played to the song "California Stars" by Billy Bragg and Wilco pretty much summed up the entire film experience for me.

In my opinion, the final song in a movie can represent a film's entire soul.

Then, started to think about some other great films with spectacular final scenes set to great music.

Off the top of my head, here are ten great examples:

PULP FICTION
The Lively Ones' Surf Rider kicks in as Jules and Vincent exit the diner in flip flops and dorky t-shirts.



FIGHT CLUB
The Pixies' Where is My Mind brings it all together as buildings crumble while Marla Singer and Tyler Durden's alter-ego hold hands and contemplate their future.



THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT MARY
The Farrelly Brothers and the rest of the cast ham it up with Build Me Up Buttercup from The Foundations.



THE SHINING
As Jack's fate is sealed in the hedge maze, Kubrick tosses in one more red herring with a cut to the hotel and a slow camera pan to a small portrait of New Year's revelers (with a surprise guest!) circa 1921 set to the eerie music of Midnight With The Stars and You performed by the Ray Noble Band.



THE MATRIX
Had there not been any sequels, this ending set to Rage Against The Machine's Wake Up would have went down as one of the all-time best. It completely sets the tone of the entire experience.


THE BREAKFAST CLUB
As Principal Vernon finishes raeading Brian's hope-filled prose summing up a long day of Saturday detention, on the football field John Bender raises his arms in the air and The Simple Minds' Don't You Forget About Me kicks in.
Click here to listen to Anthony Michael Hall's Breakfast Club prose.


TRUE ROMANCE
After going to hell and back, Alabama, her husband (minus one eye) and son are sitting beside a sunny beach. While we listen to her narration, our ears are dabbled with Hans Zimmer's feel-good score You're So Cool. Perhaps Tony Scott was foreshadowing a happy ending throughout the film with this musical choice?
Click here to listen to You're So Cool.


STAND BY ME
As an older Gordie Lachance (played by Richard Dreyfuss) types in the final sentence to his coming-of-age novel, Ben E. King's Stand By Me begins and the credits roll.


DONNIE DARKO
The viewer is taken on a journey of all the main characters while Gary Jules performs the Tears for Fears hit Mad World in this striking end sequence.

CLOSER
In this beautiful end sequence set to The Blower's Daughter by Damien Rice, Natalie Portman walks the streets of New York City to many rubbernecking males while, in London, Dan finally realizes the true identity of Alice Ayres.


I'm curious, what's your favorite? Are there any that I missed?

Good, New Music...Where Have Ye Gone?

The more I listen to the radio and new music, the more I hear a different band singing the same shitty song over and over and over again.

Is it me or is all of the new music out there today junk?

Okay, I've heard of Fall Out Boy and My Chemical Romance and the guy that sings the song "You're Beautiful". But that's about it. And they're really not that fantastic.

It's not like I want to diss new music nowadays. On the contrary, I'm trying real hard to like some of today's artists. I actually want to listen to some twenty-somethings get their angst out in album form.

When thinking about the short attention span of the music industry and music fans nowadays, I'm reminded of the movie That Thing You Do.

Written and directed by Tom Hanks, the movie follows a band in the 60's who record this great little diddy called (surprise) That Thing You Do. They're signed by a record company and proceed to tour the country and, basically, sing the same song over and over and over again. They don't have any follow-up music as good as the tune that catapulted them to the top of the charts. Eventually, the group crashes and burns.

It's not a great movie, but it's sort of mirroring what's going on nowadays. With I-tunes, music downloads and all the pirating going around, it seems like we're going back to the times of the 50's and 60's when 45 record singles ruled the world and one-hit wonders were king.

Have new bands lived such a privy, non-suffering life that they have nothing to sing about besides love ballads to their high school sweetheart?

Need some inspiration? Go do some drugs, head out to a bar and bust someone's teeth in with a beer bottle. Then go home and write a song about it.

Just gimme some good music. Will ya?