Yid Vicious
In December of 1999, a 20-year old Hasidic Jew, “Chaim,” stumbled into a The Right Bank Café where “Vic Thrill and The Rev. Vince Anderson” were performing some hardcore experimental rock. Chaim was immediately taken by the “loose,” free feeling of the music, and by the band itself.
A few weeks earlier, Vic Thrill had asked God to introduce him to a Hasid, thinking that he was living right next to these mysterious Jews in Brooklyn, but didn’t really know anything about them.
During an intermission, the two meet and exchange phone numbers. Chaim calls Vic a week or so later, visits the band’s recording studio / apartment / “salon,” and a year later Chaim starts performing with the band.
Listen to this truly unbelievable story on This American Life (Episode 268, 6/25/04).
And stay tuned for an upcoming feature film written by SNL’s Tina Fey about the pair.
What does “Yid Vicious” have to do with this?
I suspect either you didn’t know this was a real band ( http://tinyurl.com/3msv4 ), or I’m unaware of the connection between this band and the aforementioned artists.
Sounds like an interesting story, tho.
Definitely did not know it was a real band… Just lazily thinking of clever post titles. Thanks for the link.
Quite the show, I listened to the whole story and I think I’m going to steal some samples for use in electronic music.
Bands named with Jewish puns can have a hard time expecting to keep their names “original.”
I should know, I’m in one.
The Yid Viscious band is actually defunct.
The Curly Oxide story was a real gem on This American Life. I remember listening to it a few weeks ago and appreciating what a gentle story it was. The movie treatment I read online was awful and not very true to real story, which could be a great movie.
The story has that “art brut” aesthetic, so sad and so beautiful. Basically gawking at outsiders.
I also heard that story on This American Life.
What a tale!
It’s very hard to be a rocker (or any kind of professional musician other that in a Jewish band) and a frum Jew.
I’ve just been dropped from a band because of my Shabbos issues so it’s on my mind.
What I found most facinating about this story was:
A) Vic Thrill’s genuine interest in this guy as a Jew and a human being and and
B) The ending- in the end it all boiled down to chosing between marriage to a Chassidic girl and being a semi-celeb rockstar. If it wasn’t a true story you’d think it was just so Disney or something….