On Sept. 5, 1982, the Dream Syndicate played a 2 a.m. gig at the studios of L.A.’s KPFK-FM. Broadcast live, the raw, ragged set documented on The Day Before Wine And Roses (Omnivore) found the quartet—singer/guitarist Steve Wynn, guitarist Karl Precoda, bassist Kendra Smith and drummer Dennis Duck—blazing and brooding its way through songs from its self-titled debut EP, covers and tracks that would end up on the seminal The Days Of Wine And Roses LP, released a month and a half later. A reconvened version of the Dream Syndicate has been playing shows since 2012. Wynn is also busy with his national pastime-themed band, the Baseball Project, whose third record, the aptly titled 3rd (Yep Roc), is due later this month. Wynn is also guest editing magnetmagazine.com all week. Read our brand new Q&A with him.
Wynn: This Queens music club, named for its proximity to the 7 train, is on the border of Jackson Heights and Elmhurst. The band plays suspended over the tiny bar on a small metal catwalk. You can stare up at them from below while you sip on potent rum drinks. The band can drink as well, but they have to keep their beverages in Tupperware trays or else a spilled drink could mean a small rainstorm on the crowd below.
Terraza 7 books nothing but world music, mostly Columbian, though I’ve seen some amazing shows as well by Moroccan, Cuban and Peruvian bands. World music—that term drives me nuts. It’s even more vague than “rock music.” And most of what passes for world music—feel-good, innocuous, hacky-sack kicking, bland—leaves me as cold as 90 percent of what is labeled as rock music. Hey, saying I’m a fan of rock ‘n’ roll doesn’t mean I have to like (fill in your least favorite band here). But the stuff at Terraza 7 grooves hard and nasty, usually doesn’t move beyond one chord and feels as transcendent and psychedelic as the Velvets or Suicide. Seriously. I’ve been there a dozen times and have yet to see a bad show—or been rained on.
Video after the jump.
