Peace, Love, and a Whole Lotta Rock & Roll!

More importantly, this week was the somber commemoration of the 13th anniversary of the Sept. 11th terrorist attacks on U.S. soil and to me it felt like a good time to blog about things that are important and meaningful because this week we also had our amazing friend and musician, Chris Carter (who words cannot express how much we love him) and his beautiful wife, Susan visit from Alabama and see the city for everything that it has to offer. I thought it was such a poignant week for them to come in to visit the city. As I was in my office busily working all week, I enjoyed their Facebook posts of all the beautiful sights of NY that they were getting to see and do–the High Line, The World Trade Center Memorial, The Village Vanguard, and it just made me very proud to be part of this incredible city.

Chris used to live in NYC and be the lead guitarist in one of Dave’s former bands, Gringo Love Show, and this week, while he was in town, the GLS band arranged to have a reunion gig. They hadn’t all been together in probably 10 years or so. This really sparked my concept of taking a walk down memory lane with friends whom Dave and I have met through all things rock & roll. You’ll see some little nuggets of fashion content too!!

Nothing But Trouble (circa 1992)

Dave and I first met in August of 1992 and he was the guitarist in a heavy duty rock band called “Nothing But Trouble”. This was the last bastion of hedonistic metal/rock music. We were still enjoying the decadence of overindulgent ’80’s hair bands.

Sam, Dave, Steve, and Loren are Nothing But Trouble (yes really!!) I especially like my signed autograph from Dave!!

They played songs like–Cries Like a Baby, Back at the Ranch, Brother, Rat Pack and they played awesome rock venues like The Underworld, China Club, Tilt, The Bank, Danceteria, Scrap Bar (where the guys were lucky enough to have Alice in Chains watch their gig). It was when the rock and metal scene was still rough and tough. Massive dance clubs like Limelight and Palladium were still having a ball. The Limelight had it’s Sunday “Metal Church” night.

Nothing But Trouble were a bunch of young early twenty’s guys relatively new to the city just looking to get signed to a major label. The people involved with managing and promoting bands were sketchy. This was the seedy NY that existed prior to the city getting it’s Disney squeaky clean make-over.

Practicing before a NBT gig

Belt it out Sam!

Another great image from a promo photography shoot

I do love the look of the clothing of the time. It feels like part of my genetic make-up. It’s a period of time that was so pivotal to myself and probably many of you too. Mason (Sam) Swearingen, the lead singer, had the tightest black leather pants that required a person to fully lace or unlace them at the crotch in order to get in and out–no smart zippers. Who’s the crazy person who designed these? I think it literally took him a 1/2 hour to get ready for a gig. And he would just have to hope that after all those thirst quenching beers he would be able to hold it for a while….

Nothing But Trouble lasted for about 3 years and the guys have all remained good friends. Two of my favorite things about this band are that 1) from this point on, Dave and Sam, have continued their love of performing rock and been involved with many bands together up to this very day. And 2) when I first met Dave and the band at their rehearsal studios and I was still a student at F.I.T., I met Sam’s relatively new girlfriend named Linda Levin. We were both just starting our relationships with the guys that summer. We, out of necessity, because the guys were in the band, became good friends. We both had a love of rock music and we soon found out that we had more in common than music, and the band. Our friendship became more than just built around the guys. And wouldn’t you know we both ended up married to our guys!!

A shot from this Friday’s gig at Woodhaven House–Sam and Linda still a hot rockin’ couple!

Linda back in the day! Look at those old cars in the background!

Your blogging fashionista circa 1993 and look–some things never change–I still have a glass of wine!! My guess is I would not even drink whatever “wine product” is in that glass today.