by Amy Haben - I don't know about you, but I cringe when someone invites me to see a tribute band. So when my friend invited me to see Bootleg Blondie, (a Blondie tribute band) while in London, I wasn't sure how to feel.
It was a tight squeeze for the Heartbreakers, L.A.M.F. show featuring original member Walter Lure, Tommy Stinson of the Replacements, Wayne Kramer of the MC5, Clem Burke of Blondie and guest stars jumping on stage.
It's just another Tuesday night in the Tribeca area of New York City. As I enter The Roxy Hotel's toasty Django Bar, I see a room full of familiar faces. Littered across the intimate space were a gaggle of elite rockers known to swim in the same circles as the uninhibited downtown crowd. Rock photographer's Bob Gruen and Mick Rock, Andy Rourke of The Smiths, Bob Bert of Lydia Lunch's Retrovirus, David Johansen, Chris Franz of the Talking Heads, among other notables.