And then, this afternoon....

There were Raspberries.

TV is one of those things I can live mostly without; a few years ago I went through a period sans cable and ended up not watching nearly so much, and listening to the radio a lot. But once I got the new job it became a) a necessity and b) a business expense! So I went and got cable. (Another advantage, c) meant I could finally afford a cable modem. Whee!)

Since then, there is really only one channel that matters to me, and that's VH1 Classic. I don't think it's unfair to say it's most of the reason I even keep cable, because I still don't watch much TV. Or if I do, it's background just to keep me informed; most TV shows don't require a full brain to process. But VH1 Classic is videos, videos, videos! And largely from the 1980s! I get to regress into nostalgia every morning while I sweat up a storm on the exercise bike, and it's been such a treat to see videos I've never seen (Beat Surrender) to ones I know by heart (Take on Me) to ones I never knew had a video (Games Without Frontiers). And if you can name the three bands who sang those songs, this is a network you should have.

Today I had cause to go and visit the VH1 Classic studio, which is on the 7th floor of a building in the garment district, tucked away and small and buzzing with sweet things far too young to have really been there. The general manager is 38, and he's like an elder statesman there. Nice guy; we had a good chat. Since I know everything, I even asked if I could submit show ideas. I have no idea how this works, but he was interested and told me how to get them copyrighted first (the poor man's copyright, that is, which is to mail them to yourself and not break the seal on the envelope) before discussing them with him. I'd be stunned if it actually played out, but we shall see.

In any case, I was there to interview him and then stick around for the to-be-taped performance of the band visiting the studio. And it was the Raspberries. A band which hadn't toured together since I was about 4, and who I largely knew via the singer Eric Carmen, who cursed us all with the maudlin "All By Myself" and much later, songs on the "Dirty Dancing" soundtrack that included "Hungry Eyes." I'd heard they were a real bastion of pure power pop outta the 70s, a la Big Star, a band who can be clearly heard in Fountains of Wayne but are rarely heard as oldies on the radio. I'd certainly never heard much, and figured I'd stick around a bit and enjoy a few tunes then duck out.

Oh. My. Word!

It was lovely, purely lovely, I tell you. There's a song called "Last Dance" which practically had me in tears, except then it shifts course the way "Band on the Run" (Wings, folks, Wings) does and ignores your interest in sentimentality. There was the cute but memorable "Overnight Sensation (Hit Record)" which is sly in a very presicent way, plus three others whose names currently escape me. The harmonies were tremendous, not quite as surfy as the Beach Boys but along those lines; the guitar was clean and exquisite. And this is from guys who not only just reunited last November having not played together in about 32 years, but who're far from being the young sprogs they were when they formed the band in Ohio back in the day. Here they are rehearsing for their NY gigs this weekend, just two days ago.

And they were nice guys, despite that some smoke like chimneys (having not been around smoke in a long time it reminds you just how obnoxious it is; that said, it's hardly rock and roll to tell someone to douse a butt). I had a quick chat with Eric and the drummer (I gotta get his name); Carmen's a bit overtanned and leathery but it is true that somehow rock is a great preservative -- they all looked quite fit and generally had good hair.

Once again, radio has let us down in not giving these tunes more play. I'm not surprised, just annoyed. I'm also going to go get myself a greatest hits album straight off.

What could be nicer than going to your favorite place in the world and discovering something even cooler inside it?

One last thing: I've been informed that Paul Weller may be coming back in September to play in the VH1 Classic studios. I've made friends. I will be there. Yay!