Sept. 11 Tribute Concert Brings Indie Acts to Washington Square

Washington Square Park has (like most public spaces in New York City) its fair share of distractions, especially on a sunny Monday afternoon. This, of course, was a Monday that "New York will Never Forget," but that didn't stop the swarms of students from lounging around the central fountain, skating, buying hot dogs and taking photos of each other with their cameras. It did, though, mean that Washington Square Park's annual free 9/11 indie-rock showcase was in full swing. From 11am to 4pm, New York City's Parks department packed in eight different groups that performed in the park's south east corner to sell CDs, t-shirts and other junk to passers-by during performances.

When I arrived, the guy on the mic was lazily strumming his guitar and repeating "Consciousness stew… consciousness stew… I cook it every morning and eat it at night…" which has to be one of the stupidest hooks I've heard this week. The next was some weird synth/sitar-type group which, while thankfully did not have any vocals, didn't get much attention either. New Yorkers are just too busy to notice quiet mediocrity, and if you're going to perform outside, you'd better yelp.

That is exactly what Don Van Conrad, the lead singer of headlining group The Medics, did when he got up on stage. Not that you could understand him but I think it was something about animals, and possibly losing an eye, before bashfully asking if anyone in the crowd had a bottle opener for his soda. The homeless guy in front was happy to oblige. When The Medics played an early set at this event last year, they were still working on their first CD (entitled Shangri-La released in January 2006). Heck, they were still in high school. Now they've been through their fair share of record contracts, venues, and broken guitars, having honed their poppy, Beach-Boys-playing-punk-music-in-their-Dad's-garage-style music down to a science.

Their sound was so forceful that lectures in surrounding New York University's classrooms were abandoned, and park loungers perked up and headed over to the stage to enjoy the show. Cameron Wisch, only 17, plays the drums so fast you can barely see his hands while Adir Cohen keeps the whole thing together with his bass. The two guitarists, Will Vunderink and Don Van Conrad, live together in a recording studio in upstate New York; their time together shows as they burn through the 45-minute set like it's nothing. By the time The Medics finished, half the crowd was up front to get their hands on one of the band's CDs or shiny white analog records.

The Medics are playing an all ages show at Don Hills on Thursday, September 21. It's a dingy little space, but it's their dingy space, and seeing them at home is worth crossing Canal Street for. For more information go to www.TheMedicsMusic.com