Rubulad's
Chris Thomas and Sari Rubinstein
(04.05.02)
Interview

Dumboluna
(02.01.02)

Top 10 Moments in 2001
(12.28.01)

Roland Politi,
Trash Worship
(12.06.01)
Interview

Sxip Shirey
(10.18.01)
Interview, part 1
Interview, Part 2

The Index

Top 10 Moments in 2001, in no particular order
December 28, 2001

Hungry March Band set
Gazebo in Fort Tyron Park, June 1
After a raucous subway party on the blue train, about 150 people braved the spitting rain and found a large gazebo on the side of a hill. Some lit candles, some danced to tekno on a portable system, maybe a few called it quits and went home to get out of the miserable downpour. But after about 20 minutes or so, the March Band cranked up. We danced, we shared drinks, we laughed out loud in pure delight. The screams at the end of every song were deafening. The March Band is always great, but we're pretty sure they've never been better than this.

Dust devils
Burning Man, Black Rock Desert, Nevada, September 1
Blissed out, watching fireworks and a massive blaze, not even resenting the fire spinners. The heat convection blows the loose dust along the desert floor and two towering dust devils whirl up into the starry sky. You couldn't reproduce it with a thousand tries. And yet it was so perfect someone actually asked, "How did they *do that?!

Sunset at the Running of the Bulls
June 9, Carroll Street Bridge, Gowanus, Brooklyn
There were 300 people gathered at a bridge and waiting for something to happen. This is what we were watching: long shadows, crisp and golden light, and a starburst over the leafy green trees of Brooklyn.

The angel kiss at the end of Sxip Shirey's Blood Is the Only Good Adhesive in Heaven
February 23, Washington Square United Methodist Church, Manhattan
Two mouths pressed together, a simple contact microphone, and reciprocal breathing. We've never heard anything like it.

Dancing with Hungry March Band
Ship's Mast, Williamsburg, Brooklyn, September 14
What do you do when everything changes? We had no idea after the twin towers fell. There were still 6000 people dead in a smoking pit. Hospitals didn't need blood, donations were stacking up in warehouses, and volunteers were just getting in the way. Phones were still a mess and other than close friends we didn't know who was dead and who was alive. The smell was horrible. Drinking seemed like an option, but we weren't sure that we wanted anything to do with fun. It was so grim. We steeled ourselves to go out, not for a party, but for a release -- to turn off the television and connect with other humans. The night unfolded piece by piece. It was so good to see people. Beyond good. Hugs lingered. Smiles broke on weary faces. We talked: Are you OK? Yeah. Are you? I don't know. The first band played quietly in the background. A bluegrass duo made us more comfortable. The Hungry March Band came on next and we instinctively jumped up to dance. We couldn't help it. These were people doing what they do. They reminded us that sometimes we physically need to dance, need to experience joy, need to be taken to some other place.

Spin the Bottle
Flux Prom, October, Williamsburg, Brooklyn, November 17
Sometimes there's nothing better than making out with a cute girl on the couch. Except when she's wearing a pink satin dress and black fishnet stockings.

Panic at Feast of St. Madagascar
Lower East Side, Manhattan, April 13
Everything that could have gone wrong did. Suddenly there were cops everywhere. The whistle blew. It was off. No one was going to light a platform on fire and explode hundreds of dollars of fountains and roman candles in the middle of the street. We were disappointed but somehow relieved that there was no blaze to put out. We were a block away with the fire extinguishers and our roommate when the first firework screamed. We threw two at her, grabbed two ourselves, and ran.

Dancing, in general
Small Change at Rubulad, Jason Blackkat in Jersey, Sxip at Anti-Gravity Sky Loft, Girl DJ at Spacelounge, Hungry at Red Green Blue, Santa jam with Re:percussionists on L train platform.

Mermaid parade finale
Coney Island, New York. Only on sweltering days like this does marching into the water with a dead elephant and a drum corps feel exactly like the right thing to do.

Nap in Rodin garden
Paris, France, September 5
Dappled with afternoon sun, resting in the lap of a lover, and dreaming of the Gates of Hell.

Honorable mentions:
Emerging from a manhole in the Bronx, Dark Passage's Chud. Mark di Suvero sculpture, Storm King, Mountainville, New York. The Mausoleum, Black Rock City, Nevada. Wild ponies, Assateague State Park, Maryland. Implosions, Philadelphia, Williamsburg, Jersey. Post-Lost Vegas meal, Union Street, Brooklyn.