THE RIDER: Gustaf's Top 10
The band on awesome smoothies, souvenir socks and two very specific sandwich orders
HAPPY FRIDAY!
As a reward for making it through the week, we invite you to pause your New York Times notifications and disassociate a bit to the sick sick tunes of our hometown heroes Gustaf, who—we feel confident making this claim— are the only band in the world to employ both a rubber chicken and a coffee can for percussion purchases.
For those not in the know, the band o’ bffs started this project in 2018 and went from grinding away on local stages (scoring the #1 slot that year on the Oh My Rockness list of NYC’s Hardest-Working Bands) (and #2 in 2019) to—a few years later— “playing alongside many notable acts such as IDLES, Yard Act, Sleaford Mods (all British), OSEES, LCD Soundsystem, Sleater-Kinney, Martin Rev, and James Chance (not British).”
THAT’S BOTH SIDES OF THE POND, BABY!
In other words: a very rad trajectory. Here’s (sorta) how it started.
As they told us in the Bands do BK book (published 2022):
Lydia: Greenpoint Studios. Our whole life changed. You can get married there, or something. It’s like a venue space…
Cage the Elephant wanted to have a tour celebration party and have local artists come perform. So it was like Matt [Shultz], and then, you know, he and Beck were on tour together and they were doing like a little secret performance at the end. And a friend of Matt’s was asked to help find people, and she DM’d me on Instagram, and it was just one of those moments…
We were at Tarra's house shooting a music video, and you’re like, what? None of us really knew what it was… All we knew was we were gonna do it. It was just magical.
Tarra: And now we’re sendin’ Beck birthday cards.
They’re now Beck’s favorite band, btw. Dude’s got good taste.
And to further illustrate the scope of the members’ (Lydia, Mel, Tarra, Tine and Vram’s) talents and creativity, here’s another snippet from the book that you (probably) won’t find in any band bio:
Melissa: Vram and Lydia did an amazing performance called “Bird Funeral” that’s one of my favorite Gustaf performances I’ve seen with my own two eyes. Lydia dressed up like a bird, and Vram played classical guitar and read a script about Lydia’s life growing up as a bird and dying as a bird and it was beautiful and tragic and amazing.
Vram: That was so fun.
Lydia: … I think it started with Vram being told by one of his friends that he’d make an ideal person to play a bird funeral… a funeral for a bird. And he wrote a wonderful piece. I feel like I did the least in all that. I just showed up with some outfits.
Vram: You had like four costume changes.
Melissa: It almost brought me to tears. It was so good.
Lydia: Vram’s music was great.
All to say: We love these people, we love this band. And while (bad news, birders!) (and funeral fans?!) they probably won’t be reprising this piece any time soon, you CAN catch Gustaf in a few weeks when they open up for a little band by the name of LCD Soundsystem at the Knockdown Center (December 5th - 8th).
Oh, and while we’ve got you: On a ~totally unrelated~ note, a band called FUTSAG (😉😉😉) is our sort-of-secret headliner at this weekend’s TURKEY SLAMDOWN —the third-annual rager organized by BdBK bffs MSTD and raising funds for Make the Road NY, a 27,000-member-strong organization dedicated to “building power of immigrant, Black, and brown communities to achieve dignity & justice.”
Again, totally unrelated.
Read on for Gustaf’s (we repeat: not Fatsug’s!) top 10, and if you happen to see one… or all… of the band members on Saturday—idk, by chance—consider offering them a sandwich, some socks or a vat of oregano oil. Which certainly wouldn’t be one bit weird at all.
GUSTAF’S TOP 10
1. Post-show Desert Lady Sandwich made by Alberto after midnight from Hana Foods on Metropolitan in Williamsburg
Alberto is a sandwich making legend!! I’ve been ordering this sandwich since he made me one on Christmas Eve 2012. He works most nights and will make you the best sandwich you’ve ever had! (Tarra)
2. Libby Library App
With my NYC library card I can download 3 e-books and/or audio books at a time (for free!) to read on the road. It helps pass the time on long drives and prevents me from mindlessly scrolling as much as usual. (Tarra)
3. Bufalino
The finest sandwich you can buy at an Italian gas station. (Vram)
4. Oregano oil
The best way to stay healthy on tour is with a couple drops of oregano oil. (Vram)
5. Sitting in the warm sun…
Drinking an awesome smoothie. (Mel)
6. Getting hit with that feeling…
Where I remember I am on a planet floating in space and then suddenly everything that’s been stressing me out feels small and insignificant. (Mel)
7. A jug of water
I aim to drink a gallon every day, but during long drives, I stick to two liters. I love feeling hydrated, and my skin appreciates it too. (Tine)
8. Washer and dryer
There's something so satisfying about taking clothes fresh from the dryer, folding them neatly, and knowing you have clean clothes waiting for you. (Tine)
9. Souvenir socks…
Like the ones I got at the Iowa 80 truck stop aka “the world’s largest truck stop.” (Lydia)
10. How the breeze feels on your face…
When it is coming through a cracked bedroom window (preferably at night).(Lydia)
Itinerary above written + submitted by Gustaf Follow the band at @gustaf_nyc, buy their music on Bandcamp and add their songs to your playlists!
Feature image (provided by the band): Miles Kalchik
THE SETLIST by Bands do BK is a reader-supported publication that’s freeeee. BUT! If you want to become a paid subscriber to show some love and support the work BdBK is doing… well, hey. That’d be pretty rad of you. <3