Happy 25th birthday Galaxie 500: a quarter of a century, makes a girl think

2012-08-29
Categories: galaxie 500

Happy 25th birthday Galaxie 500: a quarter of a century, makes a girl think

Five years ago I took it upon myself to declare Galaxie 500's birthday as being the 29 August 1987, you can read my full argument for that date over here but in short that was the date that the trio of Dean, Damon & Naomi first played to an audience at an apartment in Front St NYC.

Nobody chose to argue with me at the time although Dean subsequently undercut me a little in Black Postcards a year later...

Galaxie 500 was born the day that Naomi volunteered to play the bass guitar [...] we had our first rehearsal on May 27, 1987

so I may have to concede that I should have put this post together three months ago.

However, while my argument that "it’s when you invite others to judge you that defines when a band is truly born" might be nonsense it is my nonsesne and I can publish it on my website with a fair amount of impunity.

Having made my declaration five years ago - I'll stand by it... for now.

The first ever Galaxie 500 show was during the summer of 1987 at my apartment on Front St. in Manhattan. We played 4 or 5 songs, I can’t remember what they were, but I remember being pleased that I didn’t break any strings. I was working in the Elmer Holmes Bobst Memorial Library at N.Y.U. Damon & Naomi were in town for the summer, and Naomi had decided to pick up the bass guitar – I guess that’s when the band was born for real.
(Dean Wareham – Box set booklet)

So take your pick:
27 May 1987 - first rehearsal
11 August 1987 - first demo recorded
29 August 1987 - first show

but whichever one you choose it means that we're at Galaxie 500's 25th anniversary - their silver anniversary... silver Galaxie 500.

Here's a collection of complete live shows I've shared over recent years - plus a couple I've not shared before. Enjoy them and raise a glass or eat a twinkie in their honour:

OK... I'll have to concede - meet here on 27 May 2017 for Galaxie 500's 30th birthday - pop it in your calendar:

Just in case the title of this post is meaningless... this is what pops into my head every time anyone says "25 years"...