Monday, April 16, 2007

Putting the "Boots" back in "VU Boots"


You are all probably wondering where esteemed Titus Andronicus guitar-slinger VU Boots (Dan Tews to his enemies) got his amazing nickname. Well, it is a long and enthralling story, but the thrust of it as follows - I first became acquainted with VuBu via that modern marvel you are now enjoying, the internet. A mutual friend made both of us aware that the other shared his love for the Velvet Underground, and I was delighted to find out that my new friend had a large collection of Velvet Underground bootlegs, such as the famous "Guitar Amp" tape and a recording of that famous show they played in Boston with the MC5. He was more than happy to share these bootlegs with me, as Velvets fans are wont to do, and so "VU Boots" was born. Get it? VU Boots = Velvet Underground bootlegs.

It didn't stop there, however. Before long, the newly-christened VU Boots was bringing his trusty handheld cassette recorder with him everywhere he went, especially to notable concert performances. It stands to reason, then, that since he became involved in the band, he has done extensive recording of Titus Andronicus concerts. Previously, they have been used as references - much in the same way a football team will review tape of a previous game, we musicians will listen back to the recordings and look for areas in which we could improve or expand upon. Of course, they are such terrible quality that little can be inferred. Useless as they are, we figured it was time to share them with all of you wonderful people. Here are links to a few of our recent concerts for your listening (dis)pleasure. Again, let me remind you they are no-to-negative-fidelity and should not be held up as evidence that Titus Andronicus sounds bad live.

Titus Andronicus @ Pianos, NYC 3/10/07

Titus Andronicus @ somebody's house, I guess, Brooklyn 3/24/07

Titus Andronicus @ Goodbye Blue Monday, Brooklyn 1/31/07

Don't forget that Titus Andronicus is playing at the world-famous Knitting Factory, albeit the dank basement, this coming Thursday. This could be your chance to see VU Boots in action! You don't want to miss that.

Your friend,
Patrick

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