30

July 27th, 2016

There’s this venue close to where I went to middle school called Webster Hall. Occasionally someone really big will play a smallish show there but most of the time it’s relatively unknown musicians. They also host club nights. It’s in an old red brick building from the 19th century. On top of the Marquee is a large balloon that changes throughout the year with the different seasons. Growing up, I walked past Webster Hall every morning on my way to school. Often there would be a building manager washing down the sidewalk, kinking the hose whenever someone walked by. It was big news in school whenever the balloon swapped out. You could see it from a few of the classroom windows. It was our own little indicator of the passage of time. We were especially excited on the morning the turkey was replaced by Santa.

When I went to high school on the Upper West Side, Webster Hall was no longer part of my routine. Occasionally I would pay visit to the neighborhood; my younger brother was still at the same school, I had friends in the year below and would sometimes see an old teacher. One year they closed down the gym for construction. They had to find alternative places for a lot of the kids activities. My brother was in the play that year. I honestly can’t remember what the show was, maybe that Billy Joel one Movin’ Out? For three nights they held the show on one of the stages in Webster Hall. At the same time as my bother’s play some rock band had a show. I left to go to the bathroom but really went to investigate the other show. I was finally stopped by a security guard just short of the entrance to the hall where the other show was being played. I could hear the music from outside. It was a band called The Walkmen and after my brother’s play ended I went home and downloaded their albums from Limewire. I ended up buying their CDs a few days later. They continue to be one of my favorite bands ever. Besides that one time at Webster Hall, I never saw them live.