News as of 08/21/00
Ten Months later....
....the Crosstown Cafe undergoes it's first official update! Crikey....talk about slacking! That's not true....like most of you fine folks out there, I do have a life that includes such minor things as school and a full-time job. And this past year has been very hectic for me, so CC's had to be put on the back burner. However, things are slowly starting to fall into place, and (semi)regular updates are now possible. While my goal was to revamp the site and add a whole bunch of new stuff, that wasn't very realistic, so the changes and additions to CC will be more gradual. Some of them have already taken place. For those of you who do visit the Cafe regularly, you've no doubt noticed the new pictures I've put up. This is one seciton of the site that is constantly being updated, as people are regularly sending me new photos and those get posted as soon as possible. If you want to contribute your Push Stars photos to Crosstown Cafe, please email them to me in JPEG format. Thank you to all of you who have already allowed me to use them for this site - you're awesome!
Another new addition is the Crosstown Cafe Message Board! I've been babbling about this idea for months now, and I finally got it up a couple of weeks ago. It's still a little slow, but as more people learn about it, it should move a little faster. Stop on by and say hi...you never know who might show up. There's a link to the message board on the front page of the site, right under that cute little picture of the guys.
The BIG news for me to give y'all right now is that the long-awaited interview with Chris Trapper is now complete and posted (woo hoo!). We've both been busy since we tried this interview thing last December, but we finally got in touch and I'm proud to say I've begun the long process of picking his brain (he's got a lot to say, that Chris guy). I haven't quite figured out where to link the interview yet since I don't have an interview section on the site, but for now, you can access it through the News page by clickin' here. He was very generous to have spent so much time answering my questions thoughtfully, and it was FUN to see what he had to say. He's an extremely intelligent, thoughtful guy with a bizarre sense of humor.....but you guys already knew that. And for those who think the Push Stars are these serious, calm guys.......well, just look at the second picture on page 2 of the photos' section. The look on Chris's face says it all.
Actual Push Stars' News...go figure!
In addition to being a slacker, I'm a pathological liar. Didn't I say that the next time I did this news thingie, the Push Stars' news would be first? Oh well...
- After a VERY successful and rockin' tour with The Samples, the boys are taking time off to record their new album (wooooooooooooooooooooooo hoooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!). No word on when we can get our hands on it, but as soon as I find out, you'll be the first to know.
- The guys will start playing again starting in September, with some dates across the East Coast. Several MTV Choose or Lose shows will have the honor of having the Push Stars perform. For more details, see the main site's shows page.
- Congrats to the Push Stars for their win at the Boston Music Awards where they were given the Debut Album of the Year - Major Label award, and on their AMAZING performance on the Craig Kilborne show in June!
Well, that's all I have time for today. Stay updated by visiting the Message Board and the main site's discussion board. News gets there faster than it does on here, but I'll stay on top of this. :) Any comments, questions, or political statements, email me!
Lots of Pushstar Lovin',
--Kimberly
News as of 10/21/99
Crosstown Cafe is open!
Well, folks, after many technical difficulties, this little Push Star site is now open for business. This is the first issue of The News, and in it, I'd like to take the time to introduce myself.
Me...
My name is Kimberly, and I'm a 23-year-old Psychology student at UC Davis, in the bustling metropolis of Davis, CA (if you know anything about this town, you are laughing right now....an evil, sarcastic laugh). If you've read the band page, you know that I am a fairly new Pushstar fan. But new doesn't always mean uninterested. The first time I saw these guys in June, I was immediately hooked. I've said it once, and I'll say it again, for the most part opening bands are an ordeal. But The Pushstars were not! Everything about them just intrigued me (especially how genuinely friendly they all are), and I have been a huge fan ever since - as big a fan as I am of Better Than Ezra! One of the main reasons that I love BTE so much is because of how friendly the band is, but I do have to say that the Pushstars even beat that. These guys are the nicest people I have ever met, and they aren't afraid to make you feel like you're one of their closest friends. That is a very difficult trait to come by these days in the music business.
What we're about:
I have a website devoted to BTE (one of many in cyberspace), because I truly admire the band and wish to share as much as I can about them. It occurred to me one day, however, that there aren't nearly enough Pushstar sites out there. I have listed the select few that I could find, but other than those, Bandjoe.com and the official site, this incredible band is not being represented well enough! So I got inspired.... a couple thousand listens to After the Party and some evil weeks of technical glitches and javascript frustration, and Crosstown Cafe was born.
This is basically a fan site. It is not connected to anything regarding the band officially, it is just a fun way to get information about the guys. I plan to have tourdates, news on what's happening with the guys, pictures to browse through, and some fun facts as well. In the future, I'd like to have some of the fans contribute their Pushstar experiences; it's something I do on my other site, and it's refreshing to see other people's points of view. I'm also just a glutton for concert reviews!
Any and all feedback is greatly appreciated (unless it is inflammatory and rude, of course). If you have any questions regarding the band or this site, I'd be more than happy to hear from you! Just email me, and I'll get back to you.
OH! You wanted PUSHSTAR news!!!
Hehehe, I can give you that, too. Here's the latest scoop on what Chris, Dan, and Ryan have been up to:
- "Drunk Is Better Than Dead" was featured on the WB's new series, "Popular" on Thursday, October 14.
- On 10/18/99, The Pushstars did a live interview with Dunbar on New Orleans internet radio, FastBand GlobalCast. They played an excellent acoustic set and talked about the band, their tour, and Phil's pyromaniacal tendencies in San Francisco this summer. It has yet to be archived, but I'm working on that. :) As soon as it is, I'll let you guys know!
- WRAX in Birmingham featured yet another Pushstar interview on 10/20/99.
- The band continues to tour with Guster and Jump Little Children for the rest of the month, then moves on to play some solo dates at various clubs across the country. (West Coast would LOVE to see you guys before the end of the millenium!)
- Tickets for the Birmingham, AL New Year's Eve show with Train and Vertical Horizon are on sale right now! For more info on how to get them, go to www.wrax.com
- Well, that's it for this edition of the news. I've babbled enough. :) Next time I promise to start out with actual band news, I swear.... Enjoy your stay here at Crosstown Cafe!
Pushstar Lovin',
Kimberly