Junior Boys Webster Hall disaster

not even 3 songs. like 1 song and 2 partial songs.

but Kelley Polar was incredible and made it worth going. i tried to make it for Max Tundra, but only caught the last song (the 'so long, farewell' song from The Sound of Music). Seemed fun though.

That was def hard to watch.. they should've just kept playing tho. I'm hoping they redo the show.

Did anyone go to Santos last night? I think Junior Boys and Max Tundra were supposed to guest DJ there

Typical BV haters. The show was awesome! Best show of 2009!!!! Stop hating. Junior Boys can do no wrong.

Why'd them lil' guys eqiptment not work?

He looks so ashamed in that photo, hehe

The boys had to stop 6 different times - it appeared that their mixer just kept freezing or something. They'd have a beat going and get through 20 - 30 seconds of the song and then the beat would just quit. After the first break, some sound guys messed with the mixer for about 10 minutes, and then Jeremy came out with a guitar. Another false start and they finally got something going, and managed to eke Double Shadow.

Three songs total - I was impressed by the number of people that stuck around. They should have brought Max Tundra back out ... he killed it!

The burlesque show downstairs saved the night! Hot Stuff

It was their sampler that was broken.

A sampler?!? Maybe if they played real instruments this problem wouldn't have happened.

They apologized to everyone, but at the same time cashed in their checks. No refunds.

wow i also almost went, so glad i decided against it

no refund! I'm outraged. I'm smelling class action lawsuit.

no refund or makeup show? are they trying to be more bloggable like crystal castles?

The equipment in question was an Akai MPC. Details can be found at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Music_Production_Center

they specifically said, "Hold on to your tickets. We'll be back." They clearly intend on having a make-up show. Chill out.

That was so, so disappointing. Looking forward to their return...just can't listen to their music for a while without getting bummed.

We went to the after-party at Santos, didn't see them, no idea if they were supposed to be upstairs or downstairs. weird shit

tough to watch. they where in agony the whole time. they should have done it acoustic though I thought. with live drums and leave out the sampler. just improvise...

live by the sword, die by the sword.

From Bowery Presents:
Junior Boys - Tickets for May 7 Junior Boys performance can be refunded at point of purchase.We are working to re-schedule this show and your ticket will be good for the newdate. Check back for further updates and thanks for your understanding.

TBA would never screw up like this

drewo -- you have a link for that?

it didn't look like they were in agony to me...it looked like they didn't really care and just wanted to get the hell out of there. i lost a lot of respect for these "performers" who can't perform just bc of an equipment issue -- you gotta have a backup plan!

http://www.bowerypresents.com/fullcalendar

I think the reschedule date is for April 2011 according to Ticketmaster.

I talked to Didemus at Santos later that night, he said maybe sometime in July. Watch venuszine.com for the story tomorrow.

^ no one reads that site

"they specifically said, 'Hold on to your tickets. We'll be back.' They clearly intend on having a make-up show. Chill out."

What tickets?! Webster Hall uses will call, don't they?!?

Chillax. TBA filled in for them and saved the show.

For cryin' out loud - give 'em a chance to figure it out - it's less than 24 hours since it all went down!

I felt terrible for them. You could see the pain on Greenspan's face... he really felt like shit. No worries though, the fans stuck it out and applauded at the end. We'll all be back when they return (hopefully with a backup pre-programmed MPC).

How about instead of a backup MPC they learn to play their parts. Revolutionary, I know.

The drummer was great and the only one worth feeling sorry for.

Why on earth would you feel bad for these guys??? What they did was utterly lacking in professionalism. This is like a guitar player who doesn't bring a backup to a gig and then has to end his set because he starts having problems with his pickups.

People are paying you good money to watch you perform. This is your job. Treat it like so. If you don't have a backup contingency plan, then you shouldn't be doing it in the first place...and certainly not when you're at the level of playing places like Webster Hall.

I seriously hope these guys get shamed into learning to play real instruments, or just give up and quit the biz altogether. They're an embarrassment.

"What tickets?! Webster Hall uses will call, don't they?!?"

NOT true.

Sorry, I meant to say that they use paper tickets AND will call, so some people do in fact have physical tickets.

In response to Anonymous | May 8, 2009 3:13 PM regarding his/her statement: "I seriously hope these guys get shamed into learning to play real instruments..."

Have you forgotten that Jeremy plays bass, guitar and keyboards. They have a live drummer. Yes, Matthew is the only one that doesn't play a 'real' instrument but his electronic noodling is part of Junior Boys' sound; without it wouldn't be the same.

All you fuckers who came to the Junior Boys show but want "real instruments" - I don't get it, do you hear "real" instruments on their albums? Did it not sound like the metal-fest that their recordings sound like, that wall of guitars and live drums you're so used to?

I understand being disappointed, but to the haters who like the sound of JB records but somehow want it to be MTV unplugged live, please go stick to trite-ass rock shows and leave us fags with samplers alone. I say that proudly. In fact, go suck Steve Dahl's dick!

They had extra samplers and ALL broke that night. Not only did they not make money, the lost lots of money. It's called bad luck. Have a heart.

-a jb fan

They should have just played their CD...No one would have known the difference!!!!!! Laughable

They should sue the makers of the samplers!

The new Junior Boys album is outstanding. Kind of short, but still brilliant.

I think they were a bit too precious about it all - sure, you can't play your original songs JBs, but there's a lot of people out at webster hall on a thursday night, mostly buzzed and drunk, so just play any old shit and get the room moving for f**ks sake. Just sayin'. I mean, I was so drunk, I would have danced to any old s**t after they screwed up the third attempt.

sometimes shit happens and great fans take it all in stride

I admire Junior Boys' professionalism last night. Playing the CD loud or playing a show with bad sound does not honor what the paying ticketholders came to see. My job is to serve people espresso--good espresso--and it is my duty to only serve the espresso if it is good. I'd sooner force a customer to wait indefinitely than serve a nasty shot. Same deal with the Junior Boys last night. Many other bands would have gone on, but they displayed quality control. Anyone who doesn't respect that needs to step back and re-assess their conditioning by consumerism. You paid for the show and all you want is "something, anything"? Shame on you. You should want the best because that is what you deserve.

I will be at the rescheduled show and I know it will rock. I've seen them before and that show was amazing.

And to those of you who criticize them for not playing "real instruments"--why did you go to the show in the first place? Clearly you don't appreciate electronic music. So stay away from it.

wow...and here we are...to the point where people who sling coffee feel that they are somehow comparable to musicians...and dolts who push buttons on sequencers are somehow comparable to real musicians.

Enjoy your cultural decline, America. You've earned it.

"They had extra samplers and ALL broke that night."

that is perhaps the most bullshit statement ever posted on this site.

I'm really glad I didn't go, I would be pissed if I made an hour and 15 minute trip (one way) to see 3 half assed songs. I'd have gone if it was at the Bowery (saw them there twice), but Webster is too big for Junior Boys, and only has good sound about half the time.

The point was that he doesn't just fucking "sling" coffee. What the fuck do you take seriously that I could take a shit on?

So these guys replaced TBA on the bill for that evening, and then they didn't even perform? Man...that's cold!

did anyone see the little twat in the audience with the massive feathers in her hair.

she kept flipping the band off every time they had to stop, yelling for them to keep playing regardless.

she's a fucking idiot.

Why use samplers? Why not just press play on an mp3 player? It's the same thing.

Because to most people pressing play on an MP3 player doesn't look nearly as "cool" as pressing play on a sequencer. Of course, anyone who knows anything about music knows that it's the same fucking thing. People are easily impressed/stupid.

I just came across this post and have to say...

BWAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

despite thursday's show, their shows are amazing. at least these guys, as opposed to many other electronic groups, have a drummer, and play keyboards and guitars.

try going to chemical brothers or daft punk show. it's two guys hiding from the audience and spinning and playing pre-recorded stuff.

anon 3:58

what was i thinking? chemical bros and daft punk ARE far inferior to junior boys, especially inasmuch as their equipment doesn't break down during sets

They had two Akai samplers and were verbally trashing the company during the show. The first one broke and they tried to use a memory card from the other one (which was also busted) and had it taped into the machine - it just wasn't staying. They admitted afterward that if they made it through the show one of those samplers was getting smashed, guitar-style, against a wall.

i don't think chem bros and daft punk are inferior to jr boys. i was just making a point that it's nice to see real instruments being played in an electronic group.

and how do you know whether chemical brothers or daft punk have NEVER had any equipment malfunction at ANY of their shows? do you follow them that closely?

Well lets not get crazy and start lauding the JBs as live electronic wizards. Their first tour consisted of the two guys behind drum machines and synths standing around. No live instruments. Its nice that their stage presence now includes a drummer and live instruments, but that hardly makes them on par with various other live electronic acts. They are not in the same ballpark as a Daft Punk either musically (shockingly electronic acts are not all the same), nor historically (Daft Punk careers > JB careers).

They are a pop band that appeals to all the kids who once smoked pot and strummed acoustic guitars while listening to Elliot Smith in college who now listen to the JBs and Hot Chip and think they know what electronic music is. There is very little 'actual playing' on stage. I criticize them, but Im a fan, I just know what this music is, and its the kind of music that fails when one shitty drum machine dies. No matter how forgiving you want to be, watching them fail made me nostalgic for the guitar, bass, keys, drum bands.