Five Firsts: Howard Glassman of Grainbelt

NAME: Howard Glassman
BAND AFFILIATION: the Grainbelt
INSTRUMENT: Fender Telecaster, G harp, plumb bob

1. THE FIRST ALBUM I EVER BOUGHT WAS … it was either the Beach Boys’ “Endless Summer” or Elton John’s “Don’t Shoot Me I’m Only The Piano Player,” and as a nine-year-old I don’t remember how I got the money to buy them.

2. THE FIRST CONCERT THAT I EVER SAW WAS … The Clash at the RPI Field House 1982. The greatest thing I have ever seen. Ever. Really.

3. THE FIRST MUSICAL INSTRUMENT I EVER OWNED OR PLAYED WAS … a piece of crap Strat copy and hunk of shit amp that I bought off of Marc Schermehorn in 1978 for something like $20, and as a 13-year-old, I don’t remember where I got the money to buy them. At the time I didn’t know you had to actually tune the guitar every once in a while, so I got frustrated and didn’t try and play for another 10 years. I was then presented with Fender Squier Telecaster that I still use to this day. Eventually I will tune it.

4. THE FIRST SONG THAT I EVER PERFORMED IN PUBLIC WAS … “The High Road” by the Feelies. Seth Kaufman (of Mambo-X) taught Jim Garbe and myself just enough for us to perform it at the QE2 during an open mic. It. was. not. good.

5. THE FIRST BAND I WAS EVER IN WAS … The Dugans. We were like an expansion team (think ’62 Mets), an exercise in futility that managed to entertain at times and eventually we won the World Series (think ’69 Mets) only to succumb to injury and eventually die (think Gil Hodges). Good times.

Howard Glassman and his Grainbelt bandmates will break out their tunes once again for their annual Black Friday Drinking Binge show at 6pm on Friday at Valentine’s Music Hall, Albany.