Anyone familiar with The Airing of Grievances (no, we are not talking about Festivus) knows that Titus Andronicus’ Patrick Stickles is not kidding around. At times, he’s a bit tormented, and possibly crazy, but honestly, a very logical, good-hearted and extremely bright young chap. So when the cool kids at VICE decided to throw an irony-fueled, 1994-themed Halloween party at a warehouse in Williamsburg and asked Titus to perform Weezer covers after Bad Brains and Jesus Lizard played, it’s safe to say it was going to be a pretty good night.
Wrong. At least according to Stickles, who wrote a very lengthy rant on the event, which, through his account, was an absolute disaster and a glimpse of a troubled generation. Exactly what you’d expect from a VICE party in a warehouse in Williamsburg on Halloween with free tequila. To be honest, no real “good,” can come from this, save another Doc Marten to the dome courtesy of Jesus Lizard’s David Yow, who always seems to be in tip-top shape. According to Stickles description of the night, Jesus Lizard was hard to enjoy due to swarming Arab Parrot wannabe’s constantly photographing every inch of cocaine/tequila debauchery—the hedonistic, depraved aesthetic that VICE has long championed in its publications, and to some extent, lived themselves for years.
While coke, annoying people, lame security, irresponsible management, phoned-in performances (courtesy of Bad Brains) and complaining from Patrick Stickles is what some people actually go to VICE parties for, the real question is why? Why do we play into this shit? We, the current youth, are a generation constantly advocating change, yet we consistently short change ourselves by playing into these moronic stereotypes, ideas that we are merely over-educated, over-privileged, irony-obsessed idiots desperately hoping to land a picture of us doing blow off one another on a party site. Sure, that sounds fun, but why limit ourselves to this when we could be doing anything, literally ANYTHING, that may, someday, to someone, make a difference. If there is one thing we should learn from the misguidance of our parent’s generation—those who set to change the world, but fell prey to dirty bank loans and scheming investments, preferring quiet comfort to making the world a better place—it’s to not do what we’re doing. If we don’t stop acting like children, we’re always just going to be children.
Stickles closes his note with a few strong words for the youngsters. “Kids, we are blowing it. Everything they say about us is true.”
Take this as a call to arms: Don’t fall into the trappings that so many have fallen into before. It wouldn’t be ironic. It would suck.
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November 2nd, 2009 at 3:59 pm
sounds like someone doesnt like fun
November 2nd, 2009 at 6:19 pm
Sounds like someone won’t be hired much more due to lack of sense in crapping on event after the gig. perhaps it was b/c they were hired to play cover tunes. wah.
November 2nd, 2009 at 7:33 pm
Isn’t Tripwire owned by The Fader, a Vice competitor that recently had to cut down to 6 issues a year? This post reads like some tough economy sour grapes…
Also spotted in attendance: no less than 10 Cornerstone/The Fader employees, and more in line that couldn’t get in.
You shouldn’t rip on your own staff so much, they are good people.
November 3rd, 2009 at 11:02 am
fader is a vice competitor? uh, no… unless fader is going to start putting coke mirrors on the cover or dedicating issues to mentally disabled children.
November 3rd, 2009 at 1:08 pm
Man, the day a VICE employee gets arrested for buying drugs is going to be so rad. Blow off of a mug shot!
November 3rd, 2009 at 7:57 pm
Hey Jaxson Arpinto (cool name btw!)
I remember those issues of Vice too, like 2002, wasn’t it? You and me are OG Vice readers. I loved those issues too! Nice.
I more meant business competitors. Seems like they work with a lot of the same companies, have somewhat similar readers. Vice/Fader/Nylon are all somewhat in the same world.
Lemme know if you need anything else clarified!
November 4th, 2009 at 1:22 pm
hey in-the-know music blog, the name of the band is The Jesus Lizard
thanks