11.10 A wknd w/ My Son The Doctor
Brooklyn's (un)official MDs on vitamin gummies, Michelada/vaccine combos and Saturday's TURKEY SLAMDOWN at Rubulad
May this newsletter find you #blessed, #boosted and ready to take on the weekend because THE DOCTORS ARE IN, BABY. And they’re writing you a prescription for punk (no CVS ExtraCare card needed 😎).
The who: My Son The Doctor, Power Snap, Connector & 2 v special (v sick) surprise guests
The what: BdBK + Local Bops present TURKEY SLAMDOWN, a benefit show for Make the Road New York
The where: Rubulad
The when: Saturday night, 7:30 PM
The why: This should be obvious, but… uh… if you need another reason: John’s birthday!
Excellent.
Alright, okay. Having decided we needed to get away from the screen and be more HANDS ON with our music coverage, we recently asked if we could spend a few hours with My Son The Doctor and document the ~glamour~ (lol) of being in a Brooklyn band. They kindly (foolishly?) agreed, and on October 20th we met up with Brian, Joel, John and Matt before their show at The Sultan Room and hung out for five and a half glorioussss hours before their set.
A (shortened) documentation of (some of) our afternoon with one of the most fun bands in BK is below—
Plus some v cute… and maybe kinda NSFW… pics. ROCK N ROLL, BABY!
OCTOBER 20TH, BROOKLYN, NY
4:20 - We meet up with Matt in front of Sultan Room, where he has arrived alone because he didn’t fit in the Uber with the rest of the band: “This is my nightmare.”
As we walk in, Brian apologizes. “Sorry man, the Uber driver was not having it.”
4:25 - It is revealed that two moms of My Son The Doctor will be in attendance tonight—and THEY actually ARE doctors!
4:20 John is setting up drums while Joel and Brian sit on the floor and Matt looks for his lost key.
4:30 John is still setting up drums.
4:35 Brian: “When can our band be paid in high-end espresso machines?”
Matt: “Hopefully for a month and no more than that… then it’s diminishing returns.”
4:38 Cartwheel practice commences.
4:40 Brian asks if Doc Martens are a nazi brand. Everyone says no.
Brian: “Well, I’ve been telling everyone that for years.”
4:42 Discussion about whether or not the cowbell is happening.
John: “Brian and I are in talks.”
Brian: “So I go rogue on the beat? That’s jazz, baby.”
5:02 Soundcheck starts with vocals.
Brian (singing): “Start with the most important part of the baaaand.”
5:05: It’s determined that “the amount of ‘verb has been good.”
5:06: Brian does one upward dog.
5:27 Soundcheck ends.
5:42 While waiting at an outdoor table for their Döner Kebab order, it’s established on the record that MSTD is “pro Tech Deck.” A lot of conversation about finger-boarding ensues.
5:43 Matt gets excited about a dog.
5:45 Re: the traditional pre-show Red Bull — it’s determined to be a 12-oz. night.
5:47 Reminiscing begins.
5:52 Brian yells “Oh, FUCK!” then sprints inside to grab food.
5:55 Brian gets the hiccups.
6:01 Stage-banter planning begins.
Matt: “More like Liz MISTRUST!”
Brian: “Maybe this is the night I eat a whole rotisserie chicken on stage.”
6:07 Brian leaves for bodega to get three Red Bulls and one green tea (+ a sugar-free Red Bull for this reporter, who is not above receiving gifts. At least of the drinkable variety.)
6:09 Discussion turns to boy-band archetypes.
Matt: “That’s why I can’t be Lance Bass — I couldn’t be an astronaut.”
6:11 Matt (looking at phone): “This motherfucker became a certified cosmonaut”
6:24 Brian “What time is it?”
Joel: “6:24”
6:27 We enter the green room, where for the record there is no cocaine mirror. (Just a very provocative wi-fi password.)
6:28 Wardrobe discussion begins.
Matt: “We have really got to start coordinating. I wore a Hawaiian shirt.”
6:30 Brian tries on his dad’s suit with a reversible leather/mink jacket.
6:30 Joel emerges from bathroom in a white jumpsuit: “I didn’t wear the right boxers.”
6:34 Matt explains the difference between Ashkenazi and Sephardic Jews.
6:24 Brian comes out in suit with vest and breaks out a yellow button-down.
John: “Oh I love that one. Your Malkmus shirt.”
Brian: “You can’t Malkmus if you’re not tall.”
Matt: “You just tuck.”
6:26 Brian puts yellow shirt on under vest.
Joel: “This is doing it for me now.”
6:50 Discussion about Abraham Lincoln’s sexual orientation.
6:55 Brian’s hiccups return.
7:05 John and Joel leave green room to set up merch. Quality Brian/Matt time begins.
7:56 Talk Bazaar takes the stage; Red Bulls are cracked open.
8:30 Their Moms The Doctors arrive. <3
8:54 Brian goes to green room to warm up. Rolls some R’s, stretches, applies nasal spray. Can’t find his Claritin.
8:58 Joel walks in: “Looking for some clars?!” (It’s found.)
6:59 Brian asks Joel what he should wear.
Joel: “Malkmus shirt, suit, tie, boots.”
9:01 John walks into green room, pulls out drumsticks, starts warming up on his thighs.
9:03 Brian pulls out spiral notebook and writes out setlists.
9:08 John puts his hair up.
9:13 Brian gives away his drink ticket (another drinkable gift!): “None of us drink before shows.”
9:15 Joel starts stretching; has opted out of white jumpsuit: “It’s not summoning me.”
9:18 John ties Brian’s tie.
Matt: “You look like everyone’s divorced dad”
Brian: “Who needs a used car?!”
9:19 Matt asks Brian if he’s going to pee.
9:23 Matt and Brian emerge from the bathroom and Matt displays photo: “This right here is a single cover.”
9:24 Joel walks back in and slaps both his own cheeks.
9:26 Matt: “If Joel’s tucked, should I tuck?”
9:42 Pre-show huddle begins, concluded with holy circle of slaps. (Do yourself a favor and watch here.)
9:45 The band takes the stage: Showtime, baby!
Annnnnd FIN.
ALRIGHT! Now that you’ve enjoyed that bit of gonzo journalism (or something like that), ONTO THE WEEKEND! Read on for three days of fun c/o these sweet n beautiful boys, and don’t miss the band liiiiiive at TURKEY SLAMDOWN on SATURDAY NIGHT. (Tix here.)
The performances are guaranteed to be killer, and while we don’t know exactly what the MSTD dudes will be wearing, we can guarantee there will have been quite a bit of discussion about it. ;)
[BUT FIRST: PRESS PLAY]
Your recommended listening for this setlist is here.
FRIDAY
Morning
6am. You rise with the sun, kiss your dreaming lover on their nose, and quietly take your vitamin D gummy. You’re fiending for caffeine, so you head to Little Skips on Myrtle Ave in Bushwick.
In a real-life fever dream, you arrive only to remember it hasn’t been there in years, and that no coffee shop has filled that void in your heart. Confused, you walk to Sey Coffee ($$) for a marvelous cup of joe and scroll through Oh My Rockness to plan your weekend.
Afternoon
After a medically-concerning amount of $6 coffees, you stumble to the Food Story ($) grocery store on Morgan Ave and order the My Son sandwich. While they pretend they don’t remember the recipe, you explain to them the delicious contents: A chicken cutlet on a hero with sauteed onions and mushrooms, topped with cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomato, and chipotle mayo.
One day we’ll be on the board. (The Italian Combo is pretty solid there too.)
Evening
Before you head to your pick of the Punchlove show at Berlin or Di Ivories at OWL, you hop on a Citi Bike and take your local bike path to the Navy Yard Wegmans ($), where you'll find big carts and reasonable prices. We'd recommend ordering a large variety of premium cured meats and low-lactose cheeses. Dried organic dates and Van Leeuwen dairy-free ice cream would go a long way too.
Go ahead and shoot us a text with your address and ETA when you're heading home.
SATURDAY
Morning
5:30a. You rise with the sun. Your heart is still throbbing from yesterday's caffeine intake - or is it your excitement for this evening's entertainment? You aren’t sure - and have an extra vitamin D gummy.
You head to the Park Slope Y ($$) for a dip.
Afternoon
Because of your hard dawn workouts and your night terrors, you decide to catch a movie to conserve energy. You skip Metrograph ($$) since they’ve been shifting towards DCP prints over 35 or 70mm and instead take the G to Spectacle ($$) in Williamsburg for the microcinema and general pretension. While the film is confusing, you relish the fact that onlookers can’t see you breaking your strict ketogenic diet with milk duds and ginger ale. The movie fades as you slip into a blank dream state.
Evening
You'll obviously be heading to our show ($) at Rubulad because you pre-bought tickets here, which brings you next to our favorite taqueria in Bushwick: Mally's Tacos. It's a seriously underrated spot and just one block away from Rubulad.
You arrive at Rubulad at 7:30 sharp, ready for an absolutely insane lineup that your doctor sons have been very excited about for a very long time. The special guests will blow your mind.
SUNDAY
Morning
You wake up at noon and you’re with me, feeling a phone to your right and helping me ask if you’re uptight. Then, you head to Heavy Woods ($) for a handful of Micheladas, all washed down by their catfish po’ boy and 4-5 servings of deviled eggs.
Afternoon
Make sure you get nice and loaded on Micheladas because on Sunday afternoon you're heading to urgent care ($-$$$) on Knickerbocker and Himrod for your flu and booster combo, then shooting a message to your workplace giving them a heads up that they should not expect you to be productive this coming week.
Evening
Finally, swing by KCBC ($$) and snag a couple 4-packs of whatever is most expensive. Then head to Los Hermanos ($) and order for 5. We’ll be holding down a table.
Itinerary above written + submitted by My Son The Doctor. Follow the band at @mysonthedoctorband, buy their music on Bandcamp and add their songs to your Spotify playlists!
Feature image (provided by the band): Sara Laufer
MORNING ANNOUNCEMENTS
The first wave of the New Colossus Festival lineup just dropped and it features an array of amazing imported artists + a heaping helping of local faves. Check out the lineup here and grab your badges for the fest—March 8-12, 2023—now at newcolossusfestival.com.
RELEASE RADAR
New(ish) stuff from local (+ occasionally, once-local) artists we love, listed in no order whatsoever:
“Witness” // Royal Blush
“don’t listen to this song” // Bentley Robles
Easy Hell // Caravela
S.C.A.B. // S.C.A.B.
Faux Porteño // Pleasure Island
IT’S HAPPENIN’
Here’s a look at the events we’ve got coming up. Mark your calendars and come hang!
11.12 BdBK x Local Bops x My Son The Doctor present: TURKEY SLAMDOWN, a benefit show for Make The Road NY w/ MSTD + Powersnap + Connector + 2 ~special guests~ @ Rubuald - tix here
11.17 BdBK Presents: Two-Man Giant Squid, SAFER, Nancy Whitaker, Bug Seance @ Arlene’s Grocery - tix here
+ ICYMI
Around the blog + on the radio + from the archives:
PREMIERE: “Blondie” from Talon
Thx 4 reading! Find more fun stuff at bandsdobk.com and @bandsdobk. <3
Order the Bands do BK BOOK (!) (out now via Lit Riot Press) here.