This week’s Rock-a-Ramas were written by Mandy Brownholtz, Dan Morrissey, Grace Scott, Maria Sherman, and Joe Sicilio. Read last week’s reviews, here, courtesy musician Tony Molina.
Oneida, Success
In 1988, I was in a high school play called The Wakefield Mystery Cycles, where we reenacted a bunch of Bible stories. I played the part of “Torturer” (of Jesus, natch). This was a far cry from my previous, meatier roles as Baby John in West Side Story and Ariel in The Tempest, so I was pissed. (My high school acting trajectory was like a miniature version of Jon Hamm’s career, from Don Draper to Angry Guy in Top Gun: Maverick.) One of my fellow Torturers was Pat Sullivan, a really nice kid who I had no idea would one day become Papa Crazee of Oneida. I went to a beer blast at MoMA PS 1 in summer 2000 and there he was, up on that stage, owning the crowd like no Torturer ever had. He has since left the band, but whenever I hear their name I think of that shitty Bible play. Pat was great, though, he made the whole thing tolerable by torturing Jesus with me.—D.M.
Madonna, Finally Enough Love: 50 Number Ones
Remix albums are like cheating. This is a greatest hits album of remixes, so it’s sort of like the greatest hits of things no one really cares about. Did you know Maroon 5 has one of these too? I bet that’s a winner.—J.S.
