Day Jobs - Eleven Pond

You know those songs that you just absolutely have to dance to whenever they come on? Well, when I used to frequent them fog-fueled goth nights on the weekly – OK, so I still go once in a while – two of those songs were 80s cold wave band Eleven Pond’s “Watching Trees” and “Portugal." Last Thursday, the band’s original members bassist Jeff Gallea and singer James Tabbi reunited for a Brooklyn show at Glasslands, taking the stage for the first time in 24 years. Wait, let me re-emphasize that: TWENTY-FOUR YEARS. To put things in perspective, they haven’t played together since Reagan was president. They were joined by temporary drummer Barrett and synth player Abby (who are also my friends I’M SO PROUD OF YOU GUYS) to play all the hits from their 1986 album Bas Relief.

Before the show, the band and I went out to dinner at some trendy new place called Mercado on Kent, where I juggled a voice recorder in one hand while stuffing Caesar salad into my mouth with the other. I was so nervous and excited that I had to be reminded twice, “Kristen, chew first, then swallow, then talk,” and Jeff had to finish my salad for me in the end. During the band’s long hiatus, I thought they might have settled down with boring, menial jobs. On the contrary, James has made a career of doing something really important and complicated involving jet engines while Jeff is, well, revolutionizing the celebrity sex and leather industry.

Read the rest over at Noisey.