2007 Year In Review

by A.P. Smith

Holy Shit, 2007.

ChiefMag.com launched on September 11th, 2006.  And we moved into Chief HQ in January, 2007.  At first our new Greenpoint, Brooklyn headquarters was nothing more than a bare box with 15-foot ceilings and a bathroom.  Immediately we began work on lofting the spot.  In just a short week, working 18-hour days, we built a second floor.

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Then we christened the Chief HQ with the Super Super Bowl Party.
But that was in Febuary.

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Febuary’s Super Super Bowl Party included half-time (and through the second half) performances by The Godamn Rattlesnake, Leaders, and Best Fwends.  And… we served 1,000 buffalo wings!  We were finding buffalo wing bones all over the new loft for weeks. But we threw another party anyway!

The So You Didn’t Get Kissed on Valentine’s Day Party happened on Febuary 16th, with Fur Cups For Teeth and Seasick performing.  We also installed a private, curtained make-out couch and free kissing booth.  Everyone got laid.

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In March, we launched issue #4 that had interviews with Matt and Kim, Haruo Suekichi, and Chrissy Angliker.  We kicked it off with another party, the Jimes CD Relase Party featuring performances by Creaky Boards, Ray Roy, Arecee, and Jimes.  At the show, there was some scary porno playing on a big screen and by the end of the night everyone had eaten acid.

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Then we quickly released issue #5 (Tony Millionaire, Eugene Mirman, Parts & Labor, Hope Gangloff, Mike Houston) and celebrated Jesus’ Resurrection, aka Easter, with another party at Chief HQ: the Zombie Jesus Rump-Shaker Dance Party.  And… it got a little out of hand.  We partied way past 6am that night.  I think it took us like three days to clean up all the beers and shit.

So… we threw another party!  Sr. Editor Ed Zipco’s birthday falls on April 22nd, so sometime around then we had all or favorite bands come over for a reunion of sorts: Death Country Night!  O’death, The Goddamn Rattlesnake, and The Lonesome Doves played stellar sets to a packed fuckin’ house.  And we got it all on tape!  We’re holding onto it for now, but we do like when Rattlesnake screamed into the mic, ending the show and the recording with a simple statement: “Uh… the cops are here. Everyone go to Lulu’s.”

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In May, we launched issue #6 (Todd P, Joe Garden, The Mangina, John the Dog) and sort of took her easy. We wanted to give our neighbors time to cool down a bit.  And we buckled down for the summer.

June’s Summer Solstice Super Soaker Showcase, which featured a free outdoor show at Ft. Greene Park (The Bones of Davey Jones, …Ship, Captain Captain) followed by an all night dance party at Silent Barn with Hey Hey, Le Rug, Rocket Surgery, and Snakes Say Hissss!  It was a wild fuckin’ day and a ridiculous way to kick off the summer.  Some of us, not all of us, but some of us ate mushrooms.

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Then, somehow, we launched issue #7 with High Places, Mark Cobrasnake, Derek & Simon, and St. Vincent.  Oh, and in July we partnered up with Lauren VHS and Space 1026 for an exhibition of their work at Chelsea’s Bravin Lee Gallery. Oh, and there was that Mongol Rally Party we threw at Glasslands… the meat saddle, the fermented yak milk drank from 20-foot dangling teats… all that weird beer and secret vodka… what the fuck happened that night?

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Issue #8 came in August and included interviews with PaperRad, Brad Neely, Bloodhorse, Sarah Small, Matt Furie, and Ponytail.  Then we went on vacation.  And when we came back, we thought, “Let’s throw one more house party.  On the roof!”  It was Maggie Lee’s birthday and we strung Christmas lights across every edge and railing and invited just our friends.  JUST our friends. Well, you know how it goes.  Friends invite their friends and they invite their friends and, yeah… 600 people showed up.  It was mayhem.  I was way too drunk to remember most of the night, but a shit-ton of cops came, kids threw bottles, blood was spilled… let’s just say it was a good thing no one died.  But goddamn was it fun.

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In September we partnered up with Dana Sterling for Amateur Female Jello Wrestling.  Yes.  It’s pretty damn amazing: bikini-clad girls wrestling the shit out of each other in a pool of Jello.  I mean, not everyone was in bikinis, one girl wore a full-on bear costume, but whatever… our very own Stephanie P won her first couple of bouts and done made Chief proud.

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And to close out the summer, we threw the Last Night of Summer party at Lost and Found Bar with The Swet Band and The Huxtables.  The free beer went damn quick and someone broke something in the bathroom that caused a flood but hell… it was a damn fine party.

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Issue #9 came out in October and included interviews with Pop Rally, Cory Arcangel, Maya Hayuk, and Famous Class.  We took Halloween for ourselves and hit the streets dressed like your worst fuckin’ nightmare.

Friday, November 2nd: The Silent Auction, Not So Silent Rock Show.  We took over Brooklyn’s creative art space 3rd Ward for the night and opened the doors to a free party with free beer.  We hung 80 works of art from the year’s stable of Chief artists and started the bidding at $50.  The evening kicked off with an early film screening of comedy shorts followed up with live performances by Le Rug, The Swet Band, Ninjasonik, and Rocket Surgey who released their latest album at the party.  In the end, we gave away over 2,000 beers to over 3,000 people, garnering write-ups in The New York Times, New York Magazine, Flavorpill, and The Village Voice.  I can’t thank everyone enough.  What a night!

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After recovering for a couple weeks, we launched issue #10 (Ninjasonik, Kate Ruth, Max Ryazansky, and The Death Set) on Thanksgiving Day.  And we invited all our friends back to Chief HQ for a home-cooked turkey, stuffing, potatoes, and pies.  We all got shit-house drunk. And in the morning, there wasn’t even enough leftover to make a turkey sandwich.

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In December, we partnered with Red China Magazine and The Dick Pig Review for our big holiday bash, the Mistletoe Make-Out!  Performances included Precient, Le Rug, and Pony Pants, not to mention the SugarShack Burlesque.  We figured, what better way to close out the year than with bare tits?  No better way.

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Goodbye 2007.  You were really good to us.  But ya know what?  We got a new girlfriend now.  Her name is 2008.  And we love her.


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