One of the most vivid and cherished dreams I’ve had in the past couple of years involves a dream in which I discover a secret room in the back of my apartment. How I have managed to live in the apartment for 20 years and never even notice this room is a mystery. In the dream, this approximately 225 square foot room has been meticulously finished with wall-to-wall, floor-to-ceiling cabinetry, and it is the most exhilarating feeling imaginable to realize that I have all of this space in which to expand my world. Seriously, I would compare it to discovering a treasure chest full of $100 bills, and you can perhaps only truly relate to and appreciate that if you live in a NYC apartment.
Can you even imagine having access to an extra 225 ft. of rent-free space to use as, say, a walk-in closet, or to store absolutely every single thing you’ve ever owned in your entire life? That “Undiscovered Room” dream is probably the best dream I’ve ever had, because it gets to the root of an issue that all Manhattan dwellers live with: the desire for More Fucking Space.
Which brings us to today’s Video Clip of The Week, “Most Space,” from the band Worriers. This song and its accompanying video have absolutely nothing to do with discovering secret walk-in closets in your apartment, but everything to do with the lack of personal space with regard to something that most New Yorkers use on a daily basis, which is the NYC subway system. If you’ve ever been alone in a subway car you know what a euphoric feeling it is to not have somebody right up in your grill. And because personal space in the subway is so wantonly abused, all riders will be familiar with the current Rules of the Subway campaign, which has recently been posted in all cars in an effort to get people to behave like human beings to each other. The campaign includes hilarious posters depicting common sense rules including things like Not Eating in the Car, Not Putting on your Makeup in the Car, not using the Safety Poles to perform your “Current Dance Routine,” and, of course, an attempt at eradicating the dreaded Man Spread, an offense which, I believe, should be punishable by death.
In “Most Space,” the band (and some of their friends) have a great time acting out many of the above offenses, and taking some of them to wildly exaggerated extremes, such as practically moving into the car and making it your second home. I imagine they filmed this during off hours, say between 2 and 5 AM, and they are most definitely on a moving train because you can see them pulling into and out of different stations, although I was not able to figure out what line they are on. At any rate, they make their point, which is that everybody wants to be the one with the “Most Space.“ Brilliant.
Aurally, “Most Space” is a pure hybrid of power pop and punk rock and it is impossible not to love. Worriers are probably a lot of fun to see live, and I’m sure the group’s just-released Debut LP, Imaginary Life (Don Giovanni Records), from which this track is taken, is equally excellent. Enjoy!
