ReNew Haven

Issue Tree: the Ex-Amassing New Years Revolution Issue

December 2007 - January 2008
cover by kamakazi ONE
Note From the Editor(?): P
Upon starting this zine I was never sure
what it would become. I hoped to act as more B
of a catalyst than an editor. ReNew Haven has
become a great achievement as well as a bur-
den, a joyous pastime as well as a headache;
its probably almost like having a child. Nev-
ertheless, I’ve been really surprised to see
who has stepped up to become regular fixtures
in producing this zine. I’m also surprised
its the third issue already. I’m sure I speak
for everyone involved in stating that we hope
to keep going further, we’re glad that people
enjoy it, and that its great that it somehow
reaches so many although its distributed in
limited print runs(and on our myspace and at
scribd.com). We would like to include a color
spread again yet we need means of printing T
color cheaply or freely. We hope to host some A
events to benefit local charities in the near T
future so if you would like to get involved in M
those or just contribute to the zine in any way H
at all, feel free to contact me at: kamaoner@ A
gmail.com or on our myspace. Thank you all for A
the support and encouragement throughout the A
past few months!!!- name omitted Y
Poem!
By Orphan Grinder

Tactfully distinguished words

Arranged to seem a little less absurd
Than if they’re spoken
Maybe gracefully convey an open
Heart or wound
A fresh new start
An ending just a bit too soon
A comforting portrayal of events
You never knew.
 Winter's Here!
By William Richo

But, that doesn't mean you have to stash your bicycle in the
closet with your sandals and man-pris. Like a trusty steed, your
bike will never let you down, even in cold weather. Actually it's
even better than the horse since you won't have to kill it if an
appendage becomes disabled. Freezing temperatures will have vir-
tually no effect on a steel frame, other than making it cold to
the touch. For this reason, you'll want to avoid licking the bike,
even if someone says: "I triple-dog dare you." If you do end up in
this embarrassing situation, there's an easy way out. (I assure
you this was not learned through experience). To dismount simply
swing one leg over the top tube and run along side your bike un-
til you can find someone to help warm the steel around your tongue.
You'll have a hard time explaining with words so brush up on your
sign language.
This isn't the only thing that could go wrong on a winter ride.
Proper attire is key to riding comfortably in unfavorable condi-
tions. If you don't wear enough clothing you're going to end up
looking like Jack Nicholson at the end of The Shining;

“My gosh, did you see

what he was wearing
underneath. Why the
hell would anyone have
use for a butt-flap in
2007.”
eyes rolled back into your skull,
frozen snot under your nose, your wife and child running away from
your murderous rampage. An easy way to prevent looking like a vio-
lent sociopath is to wear a face mask. It'll keep you really warm,
comes in a variety of colors to match the anodized parts on your
bike, and it only looks vaguely criminal. It's definitely better
than showing up to work with the frozen snot mustache. I didn't
see what the big deal was but apparently my boss did. He said
something about it being unprofessional or unsanitary, something
that started with -un.
Speaking of -un, you're going to want to invest in some ther-
mal underwear. Actually, no need for all that, just go out and buy
some. You'll want separate tops and bottoms though, because, while
thermals aren't exactly the height of fashion, the one-piece,
butt-flap kind are just completely despicable. I wouldn't want to
get hit by a car, brought by ambulance to the emergency room, and
wheeled inside for surgery only to hear the nurse exclaim as they
cut away my clothing, "My gosh, did you see what he was wear-
ing underneath. Why the hell would anyone have use for a butt-flap
in 2007." Despite their bad reputation, the butt-flap thermal has
beaten the odds and has been marketed to both lumberjacks and her-
mits with great success.
Enough about fashion, let's talk about the thing with the
wheels. Actually, on the topic, the wheels themselves will need to
be adjusted to suit the rougher conditions. You'll want more tread
on your tires for slippery days. Normally, on the road, tires with
big knobs just slow you down, but in this case, knobs are good. I
know, you usually try to avoid the knobs in New Haven, but unlike
the ones that will tell you to grow up and get a car, these knobs
will actually help to keep you on your bike. If you don't have
knobby tires just take an old chain and wrap it around the circum-
ference of the tire for traction. I haven't tried this yet so it's
up to you to discover if this is the best improvement to cycling
since Lycra, or just a complete waste of time. In addition to good
tires, you'll need fresh bar tape. Those trendy bare bars that
were all the rage last summer are probably a bad idea this time of
year. If it starts raining or even worse, if the New Haven clas-
sic wintry mix starts coming down, you'll look like someone trying
to grip a wet fish as you attempt to control your bicycle. Finally,
remember to bring your bike inside. It's bad enough when they're
chained up outside in fair weather, but there's nothing worse than
seeing a bike suffering alone in the midst of winter. Are these
the same people that leave their children in the car on scorching
summer days?
Follow these simple rules and you can enjoy cycling in winter
just as much as any other time of year. So gear up, and hit the
lovely streets of New Haven. Merry riding!
 It's that time of year again. Thousands of New Haveners will grab bottles of Cham-
pagne, head on down to the Green, and brave the frigid temperatures to catch a glimpse of the
crystal ball being lowered from the face of the Omni Hotel. Okay, okay, maybe that's not entire-
ly how it goes around here, but the champagne does seem to be an omnipresent item at most
Elm City New Year's Galas. Well, okay, most of the time it's just a bottle of Asti or a California
sparkler, but c'mon, it's all the same isn't it?

Nope. Not at all.

Sparkling wine goes by many names – Asti, Champagne, Cremant, Cava, Cap Classique,
Prosecco, Sekt, Sovetskoye Shampanskoye (Na zdrowie, comrade!), Spumante, and American
Sparkling to name a few. All of these wines "sparkle", and the production of all of these wines
is tightly controlled by governing bodies to keep age old traditions; well, all of these wines
except those produced by "heathen" Americans. (Sarcasm, kind of)
The wine itself sparkles as a result of carbon dioxide escaping the wine. Carbon dioxide
results in the wine from either natural fermentation or artificial injection. Artificial injection is
used in many low end sparklers and should be avoided at all costs. Unfortunately, nobody goes
around printing, "Artificially Injected" on labels of anything, let alone wine, so the only real
way you're going to avoid it entirely, is to stick to sparklers whose "names" are strictly con-
trolled by the European market, i.e. Champagne, Cava, Prosecco, or Cap Classique.
Natural fermentation results from 2 methods – Methode Champenoise / Traditionelle and
the Charmat Process. Methode Champenoise / Traditionelle is a long process, requiring mul-
tiple in-bottle fermentations and cellar aging both in oak and in bottle. This method results in a
sparkling wine that is approachable now, yet will age considerably well in a proper cellar. This
method is used in Champagne, France (champenoise) and elsewhere (traditionelle) to produce
effervescent wines of quality and stature. The Charmat process, once referred to as Metodo
Italiano, is much quicker, allowing a producer to release a new batch every three months in
most cases. The Charmat process results in a fresher, crisper wine, but must be enjoyed "young"
(soon after bottle release). Most low end producers use the Charmat process, but in some
cases, it can yield exceptional wines. Prosecco is an example of a wine developed in the Char-
mat process.

I'm guessing you're starting to get the idea that there is a difference when it comes to pur-
chasing bubbly. I'm also guessing that the technical jargon is beginning to bore you. Bear with
me, it get's better...

Champagne is PUNK ROCK. Yep, that's right. Okay, it's awfully controlled – It can only be
made one way, in one place, and with three grapes (Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, and Chardon-
nay), but it has a history rife with pillaging, plundering, random acts of debauchery, feminism,
and sharp objects.
 Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin is the largest selling Champagne in the world. It was founded by
Philippe Clicquot-Muiron in the 1770's. Towards the end of the century, his son, then owner of
the company, married Nicole-Barbe Ponsardin. After the turn of the century, Philippe passed
away and left sole control of the company to his wife. A woman running anything other than a
farmhouse was still unheard of at this time, and many of the elites in the wine world were ap-
palled. Many of Madame Clicquot's employees quit. The company was on the edge of financial
ruin.
It is important to note that at this time in history, champagne was served in frosted glass to
hide the bubbles which were still viewed as an imperfection. Madame Clicquot used what little
money she had left to hire the finest glass makers of the time to come up with the champagne
flute, which showcased the bubbles. The trend quickly took over, and the quality of champagne
is measured in the appearance of its bubbles to this day. (Ladies: 1, Wealthy French Males: 0)
The next time you're at a wine shop, look for a bottle of Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin "Yellow
Label" non-vintage champagne. Look at the label. Notice the ship's anchor at the top of the
logo. Read on.
During the Napoleonic Wars, champagne saw another rapid decline in sales. Wealthy Rus-
sians were unable to acquire champagne due to trade embargoes enacted by Napoleon's ad-
ministration. Madame Clicquot purchased and refurbished an old shipping vessel. She outfitted
the ship with smuggled cannons and other weaponry, and hired pirates and mercenaries to
man the ship. She personally escorted the ship, which fought it's way through Napoleon's naval
blockade, to Russia, delivering a quantity large enough to once again save the family business.
(Ladies: 2, Wealthy French Males: 0)
Napoleon did not see this as reason to turn the Madame into an enemy of the state – he
loved champagne too much. He is quoted as saying, "Champagne! In victory one deserves it; in
defeat one needs it." (Words to live by). His feared cavalry were often treated to champagne
at Madame Clicquot's estate, and to impress the rich, young widow, they would use their sabers
to open the bottles. (This process, called sabrage, is still the preferred way of opening a bottle
of bubbly). The Clicquot Estate is still run by a woman, and still adheres to the spirit of their
founding lady-pirate.

With the Euro exchange rate getting worse everyday and our economy following suit, now
may be the last chance many of us have to get a decent bottle of champagne relatively cheaply.
Now's your chance. This New Year's, grab a bottle of real Champagne, bundle up, and head
down to the Green. I'll be the guy with the eye-patch.

Cheers!
Champagne is PUNK ROCK.
Elm City Wino
elmcitywino.com
 The Wagon Riders @ the Fuel Cafe Two Year Birthday Party
Sunday December 16, 2007
Well, seeing as that I spend a good deal of my time as a barista at Fuel, I am constantly being
exposed or re-exposed to things such as bands and people of all walks. At our two year birthday
party I was subjected to both vegan cupcakes and indie country music, the later of which I thought
I didn't really have the right taste to appreciate. However, after a while of being to busy to eat a
cupcake, or have another cup of the yerba mate (which I had brought to share with my coworkers)
I found myself actually humming and singing along to some of the covers they played. The wagon
riders play indie countrified versions of classic country, folk, and rock songs. I'm pretty sure I heard
a tune or two by the Band and by Credence Clearwater Revival. Their music had never really caught
me this way before, yet today when in a smaller more personal and intimate setting I was im-
pressed by the wagon riders more so than ever before. photo by jeff
I was able to talk to Jay Russell for a bit
later that night at bar, he informed me that
they had 38 songs under their belt and that
they were the band he was involved in that
didn't really rehearse. Quite to my amaze-
ment he informed me that they would basi-
cally just pair up and get the basics down
and then play shows. I had commented
on the fact that I thought they were done
playing after the first set when they sud-
denly got back up on their instruments and
impressed me with a lengthy and some-
what familiar second set. The composition
of the band is something to appreciate as
well, with local guitar virtuoso and building
legend Jim Aveni on guitars and the front-
man of all front-men Jay Russell leading
the band, along with bass, drums and pedal
steel; their dynamics will leave you in awe. I
will probably never verbalize the fact that I
didn't really have an appreciation for their
music until it grew on me, but if any of the
members get a hold of a copy of this zine the
fact is that I never really have been a huge
fan of country or of the indie country move-
ment yet this is one of the few bands that is
changing my tune. Onward Wagon Riders!!!
MurderVan: "Jaundice" EP ****** 6/6

I would have to say that Murdervan’s new EP is a gem, well,

maybe a piece of coal on its way to becoming a diamond. Its a
very tight yet rough sounding recording, its crisp. The lyrical
content is slightly reminiscent of CKY and in some instances
the sound reminds me of old school Soundgarden, and is nostal-
gic of all that good heavy rock bordering hardcore punk that
you grew up listening to, it even has a metal feel at times;
as you see I don’t know what genre to attempt to put this one
in. Regardless, Shauns wailing guitar riffs and vocals, backed
by Andre’s solid bass lines and Adonis’ drums, make for a very
pleasantly heavy listening session. The band actually asked
me to knock them a bit in the review when I asked if it would
be ok to do one, but its hard, I refuse to review a band that I
don’t enjoy listening to. You guys are much better at what you
do in my opinion than a lot of other “punk rockers” around here.
Cheers! give “Jaundice” a listen
 Round and Round the Festivus Pole
by CJ

Shopping for the holidays on the bus is, well, not easy. The generosity of my friends with cars is 100% appreci-
ated always. (Thank you friends!!) It’s cold and icy out there so ask for help if it comes along. No load is too big for
the bus if it is not too crowded and you dawn a big pathetic smile to the bus driver. I recently purchased a 6 foot
ladder and brought it home on the bus. Large camping backpacks and foldable carts on wheels do a fine job with
large loads.

As far as I can tell, there are 3 shopping areas available and easily accessible by bus from New Haven: Boston
Post Road, Hamden and Route 80/Foxon Blvd. The most comprehensive is the Boston Post Road area, also known
as “The Post Road.” From downtown the “O2” bus goes from Temple and Chapel to the Westfield/Boston Post Mall
via the Post Road but strays for a short time on back road loop, making some of the stores less accessible by bus.
Before Christmas, a few express buses go straight from Temple and Chapel to the mall via I-95. The final stop is
in the back of the mall’s lower level near Sears. There’s even a warm area in the mall where you can wait for the bus
when you’re done shopping. However, that mall is pricey, overcrowded, and may not have every store you need. Ne-
gotiating the Post Road by foot or bike is dangerous due to the low pedestrian and very high car volume, especially
at night. This makes hopping around from store to store slow since you have to wait for the bus each time.

However, the Hamden shopping area is better for jumping store to store on foot and the bus (the J2 via Whitney
Ave. or D5, D6, D7, D8 or D9 via Dixwell) pulls conveniently right in front of Stop-n-Stop. All lumped in one area are
Toys-R-Us, Bob’s, Walmart, TJ Maxx, Staples, Kohls, and, yes, a brand new Taco Bell! Down the street is a Home
Depot and a few other specialty stores, but if you are looking for gigantic hardware stores, go to Rt 80. This web-
site lists all of the Hamden stores by category: http://www.yale.edu/oiss/images/hamden_shopping.pdf

Route 80 is a big road near East Haven. Take the Q3 going there from Chapel at State and coming home take
any Q bus. The schedules for this bus are odd so be sure to plan in advance or you might get stuck out there! You’ll
find a super Walmart and a giant Lowe’s right next to each other. No other stores are really accessible by foot
there except these two and they are not exactly close. This isn’t the friendliest of areas so be on guard.

Happy shopping!!! You’ll buy so many great gifts with all of that money you’re saving on gas and car payments.


 Show Listing
thanks to New Haven Music
always check shaki presents and cafe 9 for further listings
Dec 23 2007 9:00P Shaki presents KIMONO DRAGGIN, OLD MAN LADY LUCK @ Bar
Dec 25 2007 8:00P Dean Falcone’s Annual Xmas Vomitorium @ Cafe 9
Dec 26 2007 9:00P WEST ROCKERS, POSITIVE VIBRATIONS, JUNGLE MAN, IRIE FEELINGS @ Cafe 9
Dec 27 2007 8:00P COVIN, CLUTCH, PRIESTESS, PUNY HUMAN @ Toad’s Place
Dec 27 2007 8:30P NAGA CULT, VESSEL, INSWARM @ Daniel St. Milford
Dec 27 2007 9:00P THE SIMPLE PLEASURE, THRILL VELOCITY @ Cafe 9
Dec 28 2007 7:00P AEROPLANE 1929, QUIET LIFE, JAMES DOWNES (of CALL IT ARSON), CHRIS LISTORTI @ The Space
Hamden
Dec 28 2007 8:00P CHELSEA GENZANO @ Borders Books & Music Meriden
Dec 28 2007 10:00P GEORGE BAKER EXPERIENCE @ Cafe 9
Dec 29 2007 7:00P UNTIL WE FALL. FORGET PARIS, BEARSTRONAUT, LIKE SKELETONS, SPEAK LOUDLY @ The Space
Hamden
Dec 29 2007 8:00P THE BREAKFAST, ELECTRIC MAYHEM, BAD APPLES @ Toad’s Place
Dec 29 2007 10:00P BILL COLLINS w/GARY "CHOPS" MacCONNIE @ Rudy’s
Dec 30 2007 7:00P MIKE THOMPSON, STEVE BIEGNER, COREY SCOTT, THE BLACK AND WHITE NURSE, TARA @ The Space
Hamden
Dec 30 2007 9:00P Shaki presents THE TYLER TRUDEAU ATTEMPT, THE BLACK NOISE SCAM @ BAR
Jan 2 2008 7:00P SEEKING SERENITY, PICKED ON SALLY, WASHINGTON AVE., AN INTERNAL DENIAL, CHIASMUS @ The
Space Hamden
Jan 2 2008 9:30P SEX+ DEATH U.S.A., THE VILLAINS @ Cafe 9
Jan 3 2008 9:30P Shaki Presents THE MOUNTAIN MOVERS, M.T. BEARINGTON, ORANGE OPERA @ Cafe 9
Jan 4 2008 7:00P DROPSHIFT, BIG TIME NOBODYS, EUPHORIA, RED SUMMER RIOT @ The Space Hamden
Jan 4 2008 8:00P INK, FUNNEL, SILENT MAJORITY @ Toad’s Place
Jan 4 2008 9:30P STEPHANIE HARRIS, JENNIFER O’CONNOR @ Cafe 9
Jan 5 2008 10:00P SHELLYE VALAUSKAS, BABY G, JOANIE LOVES TCHOTCHKES @ Cafe 9 New Haven
Jan 5 2008 10:00P COVIN, PLUTO GANG @ Rudy’s
Jan 6 2008 7:00P FRANK CRITELLI, BRET LOGAN, BLESSING OFFER, CHRIS PETERS @ The Space Hamden
Jan 11 2008 10:00P EULA, SINGING BRIDGES @ Cafe 9
Jan 12 2008 10:00P THE IVORY BILLS, THE TYLER TRUDEAU ATTEMPT @ Cafe 9
Jan 13 2008 7:00P FRANK CRITELLI, SHANDY LAWSON, PAT HULL @ The Space Hamden
Jan 17 2008 7:00P Manic Productions presents MURDERVAN, BLOARZEYD, JUCIFER @ Cherry St. Station
Wallingford
Jan 19 2008 7:30P THE DISTANCE, PRIAPISM, DEAD BY WEDNESDAY, BLOODCLOT, IG! @ Toad’s Place
Jan 19 2008 9:00P Shaki presents CROOKED HOOK, PONTIAK, BLACK PYRAMID @ Cafe 9
Jan 20 2008 8:30P REARVIEW, SISTER FUNK, BOOGIE CHILLUN @ Toad’s Place
Jan 25 2008 10:00P THE GEORGE BAKER EXPERIENCE @ Cafe 9
Jan 27 2008 8:00P Shaki presents WEIGH DOWN, THE MOUNTAIN MOVERS, THE DOG SHOW, DJ MOODY @ Bar
year in review photos
by:
(clockwise from top
left)
jeff, nick, kama, loft,
jamie, sarah.