A few weeks ago I was shootin' the chat on a downtown street with Nuke front man Fro Sosa, completely off the record, natch, and he mentioned the scheduling debate. He understood Epic's reasoning: Fourth quarter releases swim in a glutted stream with the big fish, whose bait is Chri$tma$ $hopping. "Small" bands such as the Nukes tend to be overlooked when Bruce and U2 and other big movers are shaking their moneymakers at the same time. Nonetheless, I got the impression Sosa was eager to see Dream Another Dream hit the marketplace. Who isn't?
The Nukes' Juan Diaz talked about the decision this past Friday: "I got word yesterday, and I was relieved. I was scared about an October release. That we can't play out is one bad thing, another is the anxiety. We have this album, we finished it, and now there's this anxiety that we want it to come out, we want to start playing, see things happen with it. When they delay it and we're waiting even longer, there's suspense and it's frustrating. But personally I feel it's for the best. Honestly, thank God, because January is a perfect time."
Most Miami rockers wish only the best for the Nukes careerwise, and the band's management and its label seem to want the same. Co-manager Jill Christiansen, of Mike's Artist Management in New York, says, "Epic has a huge fourth quarter. Everyone discussed the matter, and we agreed that January was a better time. The band's been real good about it. Epic is very into this record, and we all want to put it in a place where it won't get swamped." Those of us in the swamp called Miami should be willing to put what's best for the Nukes ahead of what's best for us, which is the opportunity to obtain Dream Another Dream.
Things to do: This Thursday the Clevelander hosts a female outfit called Hotline, contributing to the distaff domination of South Beach during September. The Cactus Cantina's women-in-music-month continues with Gigi Denisco (Thursday), Kathi Gibson and Chris Limardo of Blizzy Nation (Friday), Michelle Hallman of Kick the Kat (Saturday), and more. Saturday, YakMan with Jimi Hatz funks up the Bedrock Bar. The same night Washington Square has a big one with One, Marilyn Manson and the Spooky Kids, and Quit. Also that night, though a bit earlier, Churchill's Hideaway hosts a musical benefit for the Sierra Club, which is attempting to develop a program that will take inner-city youths on outings. The Sierra hotline is 667-7311. Sunday afternoon is the time to hit South Beach - the beach itself. Clean Water Action and a bunch of sponsors spearhead a cleanup of the sandy shores. Afterward take your used syringes - just kidding, I think - to the Island Club for a post-trash-bash party. Call CWA at 661-6992 or the Island Club at 538-1213. Also Sunday, a band called Big Mouth makes an in-store appearance at Yesterday & Today on Bird Road. As a "nonprofit band," the Mouth is selling its new cassette for two bucks. Call the store at 665-3305.
Personal note to you anonymous callers: John Prine opens for Bonnie Raitt at Miami Marine Stadium on September 20. All you gotta do to learn these things is read the "Concert Calendar."
Marilyn Manson and the Spooky Kids have been chosen to play at the New South Music Conference in Atlanta at the beginning of October. Knock 'em dead, kids.
Butthorn of the week: The Miami Herald. Monopolies suck, and here's just one reason. Recently the Herald published a tsk-tsk article about how SAT scores are down-down-down, education has failed us, kids are dummies. Maybe so, but it can't be a new phenom - the Herald had to come back and run a correction of its story. Hey, kids, when that prospective employer bemoans your lack of knowledge, just tell him or her you're a Herald reader. The monopoly-sucks aspect of this is more complex. For the heck of it, I wanted to reread the paper's SAT story. So I called the city desk and asked when it was published. City desk didn't have a clue, but passed me along to back issues. A machine told me to call a 900 number with a five-dollar fee per call. Nothing like public service. (The cocky greed engendered by monopolies would make a heck of a topic for a Dave Lawrence column.)
The media circus: The other day I inadvertently read syndicated columnist Cal Thomas waxing idiotic, stating in too many words that because he liked this one guy's book, and hated a bunch of other published research, homosexuality is a matter of choice, not silly stuff like genetics. Thomas needs a good butthorning for his dizzy abuse of logic and ponderous use of words, but the real point here involves a whole 'nother matter. In his column, Thomas coldly glossed over the fact that "studies" used to evaluate this "issue" involve lab-animal research. Being homo is a sickness. Being homo sapiens, that is.
