UKUK Ladies and Gentlemen!
No pressure.

Last nite was Friday nite and last nite was UKUK at the Knitting Factory and this morning is when I tell you about it. Hold on to your seats ladies and gents cause it was indeed, a wild nite.

The evening began when Gypsy, you know, the lead singer of the band, came home between work and the show. When I heard a door slam in the hallway, I knew something was amiss. "Dear Gypsy, what ails you?"---He responds, "I am afraid we will be playing with one less bandmate this evening my friend." If only it really went that way. It was more of a highly concerned, wanted to yell but wanted to stay calm half whisper yell..."He quit and he's not playing tonight."

Collective "fuck" rumbled thru the apartment.

Okay, okay, so this is what they wanted anyway, it just happened a little too soon and without any practice under their belts. Of course they'll still go on! Of course they'll rock into the nite. Of course! But for now we mope.

I spent the rest of the evening chatting with Gypsy and making sure he was alright while juggling the phone in the other hand. "Let's meet at 9 at the subway!?" "I'm in from Tennessee, yes I wanna see you. Ukuk?" "No, let's meet at 930 at the other train." "What do you mean you're not going? You said you would last week!" "What should I wear?"

Skip forward a step. Gypsy has left the apartment and we're all getting ready to go. The neighbor, the boy, myself and the friends from down the street begin the short trek from Park Slope to the Knitting Factory in the cold cold rain. Let's hear it for the Q and three stops to Canal. However, the 6 block walk in the rain wasn't exactly thrilling.

So we arrive at the venue and the excitement starts mounting. The greatest part about this excitement? It's not for the fact that we're finally out of the house and being social, it's soley for our friends, UKUK. We get our tickets and to my happiness and surprise UKUK is actually printed on the face! I notice a perforation right down the middle of the band's name and try and devise a plan to get the guy to rip it elsewhere. However, my attention is drawn when I reach the Office Lounge door and woops, now all I have left is a "k".

We enter the space and discover the band before them hasn't even hit the stage yet. At this point it's 1030 so we assume an 1130 start is where we're at. So we all get comfortable with our cheap tap Heinekens and begin taking off the layers.

Skip ahead. I spent the whole time while the band before them was playing waiting for the girl from Tennessee. Apparently standing in the rain was a good idea in comparison to watching them. All I got out of the people who continued leaving during their set was "They sang a song about pirates...I think."

Finally, everyone is there and we're approaching the 1130 hour. Friends from all around have arrived, some show up in cabs like celebrities, some drenched from having walked the walk. Some we haven't seen in months, some we saw just yesterday. Either way, it was an amazing turnout.

And then the warm up began. UKUK was about to take over the room with their sounds and people prepped themselves by refilling their drinks and moving a little closer. Then it happened...they started the set.

Gypsy, wearing a button up shirt w/tie, pink headband and jeans, started to sing. The band began wooing us with their sounds. There was absolutely no difference without the 5th member except for one thing...OOoo that's tight! The main concern with the missing band mate was playing the tunes and having them sound empty. However, they only sounded tighter, more put together and more clear.

I spent the first song yelling at the patrons (as I danced) to move up! Don't be scared! Every show I'm at I end up being in the front dancing alone like a fool while everyone else stands 10 feet from the stage. Perhaps it's Gypsy's electricity and burning eyes? Or perhaps it was Rondell Fondell's (lead guitar) half sleeve of tattoos? Maybe even Max Lounge, the bassist, intimidated the crowd with his zen like air. I wouldnt be surprised if it was Rascal on the drums. Have you seen him cause if you have, you'll know what I mean. OR! Maybe it was the collective air of the band that made the crowd inch away in shock and awe. ((~cough~)) "How can we stand so close to such musicians?! We're simply not worthy" Yes, I'm sure that was it.

There were a few sound mishaps here and there which are to be expected at a show of this size and nature, but they trucked right thru it. Besides, what's a punkish/garage bandish sound without a little feedback eh?

Gypsy, as he introduced a brand new song called "Death Parade", yes that's right folks, stripped from his button up and tie straight down to a cut off Mets t-shirt...this is truly when it all began. Swinging his stringless, pink and blue guitar haphazardly over his head, banging on his cowbell, crawling into the audience and groping Rondell were all part of what made an amazing performer on that stage last nite.

I must say again that they were the tightest I have ever heard them and it seemed, the most relaxed. Before the last two songs Gypsy invited all the 10 feet away people to move on up to the stage...and so they did. Just as if he were parting the red seas, the crowd filed in down center and began to bop their heads more frantically than they were before. Myself and a few choice people were right up front as Gypsy swung the guitar one last time and the neck broke. The guy standing next to me and I looked at him waiting for the go ahead...we got it...SMASH! Rock and roll style! First GYPSY swung it to the ground and then we proceeded to kick it and smash it as Gypsy's followers of course. Picking up pieces and showing them to him with pride! "See! See what we did?! We're so rock and roll too! Let us be your minions!" Gypsy nodded with approval as the band took us into the last song.

Right when we thought it was all over, the crowd continued cheering until UKUK played us an Encore. We danced and banged and flung guitar pieces until it was all over and we were all left breathless as if we'd just finished a good nite of.......working out.?.

I walked around the crowd....scratch that, I hopped around, my heart still slamming into my rib cage from the dancing and found out the general opinion of the crowd. I kid you not when every last one who had seen them before said it was the best yet. People who had never seen them? Fell in love. One girl even compared them to her all time favorite band. The boy himself said it was the best he'd heard of them and loved it, which trust me, is a big deal. They kindly passed out free demo cds and they were snagged like 100 dollar bills by sweating hands in need for sounds to take home with them.

We hung around for awhile and slapped the guys on the backs. "Well done men, well done indeed. Please say you'll come back!"

And that my dears, was last nite. The beginning of a new era for UKUK, the official 4 piece band. The band that's won my heart over and over.

Yes, I did take photographs. Being that kind of jack of all trades journalist and all. I will tease you with one here and then link you elsewhere, because teasing is what I do best.


The rest of the pictures are HERE and HERE.