May 2, 2007 01:27 PM
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New York, 5:44 AM
Wed Feb 10
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When emo-troubadour Pete Wentz opened Angels and Kings, a bar in the East Village, our douche canary in our douche mineshaft keeled over and died. First of all, Pete Wentz is going to be there. As he tells Page Six: "Yeah, I'm just gonna be local and drink umbrella drinks." So this isn't your normal dive. According to one of his business partners, this is a dive where "anyone can go and have sex in the bathroom and not get in trouble." So it's located in international waters? We sat down with Maura Johnston, editor of our music blog Idolator, to discuss the musical and societal implications of the bar the kids like to call AK-47.
RHYMES WITH MOSH: How do you think pete wentz's new bar will affect the emo music scene?
MAURA JOHNSTON: Well first and foremost, it will give the lyricists more opportunities to compose drunken laments about the women who screwed them over. In addition, they'll have a new target of ire: the local community board! And if this concept works—meaning if the bar doesn't get shut down within the week for excessive noise—look for hot topic's 'evolution' to include mini-angels and kings outlets in malls across america
RHYMES WITH TOSH: are you suggesting we might be in for an anti-community board 3 album?
MAURA JOHNSON a double-album, if things evolve as quickly as i think they will.
RHYMES WITH FROSH: Interesting. mr. wentz was recently quoted in a paper of repute as saying he wanted the place to be safe for those fond of bathroom sex. Is this an oblique reference to the song "Meet me in the bathroom" by the Strokes or is this just a familiar trope in the alternative music scene?
MAURA JOHNSON: Yes. it's eternal. i suspect, though, that the bathroom sex "enjoyed" by angels and kings' patrons is as shiny and polished as the bands' music. i seriously doubt things are gonna get as grotty as they were in the CBGB loo, you know?
RHYMES WITH WASH: Agreed. In many ways, it represents an idealized CBGB's that is more palatable to the masses. As music has become more comodified, musicians have become less interested in ideas and more interested in marketability—hence Fall Out Boy is selling the idea of a dive, a simulacrum if you will.
MAURA JOHNSON: Yeah, umbrella drinks to the idea of a dive. It's a mess of signifiers!
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