1 MAY
"Mark! Mark! Did you see this shit?" Mimi storms into the loft and throws down a copy of The Village Voice in my lap. I scan the page quickly, and my eyes fall on the article.
"Hungarian" Singer Not So "Well"
It was three years ago when Roger Davis, then 22, found out that he was HIV+. He had everything then, a band, a girlfriend, and a heroin addiction.
"My girlfriend was getting sick and finally went to the doctor. I never saw her alive after that. I came home from a gig and found her in the bathroom. She had slit her wrists."
What followed then was a six month long battle for recovery where Davis became a recluse.
"I never left my loft. My roommate would beg me to go out, but I just couldn't. I couldn't believe that I had this disease, and I didn't see any reason to keep living."
He finally snapped out of it that Christmas with the help of friends.
Less then a year later, after losing a close friend to AIDS, Davis relocated to Santa Fe, only to return to New York in two months. It was then that he contacted his former bandmates, all who had moved on to different projects, and convinced them to reform The Well Hungarians.
"I was playing in a band where I had no creative input, and I was bored." Says the bassist, Tony Malucci. "Though honestly, when Roger called, I wasn't sure about starting up the band with him." Malucci speaks about Davis' erratic behavior during the last year of the Hungarians existence. "He would only show up to half the rehearsals, and sometimes when we had gigs, he came so f*cked up, that he couldn't even play."
But Davis convinced him that he was now clean and sober. "I haven't touched heroin since I was diagnosed. After over a year of being blocked, I was able to write songs again. I was anxious to get the band back together and start playing in front of people."
"The band was a little concerned about my HIV status. I explained to them that I am just as healthy as any other guy in their early 20's."
Yet, Davis did end up in the hospital earlier this year in a drug related incident. "It was a mistake, someone gave me a pill that they told me was completely herbal. It reacted badly with my meds. I was out the next day, it was no big deal."
The Hungarians have just recently signed with Generic Brand Records and are currently touring the East Coast in support of their new CD.
"I know I don't have all the time in the world. I want to somehow leave my mark, leave something behind for people to remember me. The best way I know how is with my music."
You can catch The Well Hungarians tonight at the Bowery Ballroom. All ages, $9 at the door.
I tighten my fist around the paper, crumbling it.
"Did you know he was coming back?"
I shake my head, "I haven't heard from him since he left."
She falls on the couch next to me. "Oh God, I don't know what I'm going to do when I see him.
I slide over to her and put my arm around her, squeezing her shoulders slightly. "Me either."
"He's going to be so pissed when he finds out I'm back in this building."
I laugh, "He's going to be so pissed when he finds out HOW you got back in the building."
"Oh be quiet. I know you only think I got back with Benny because I couldn't afford my rent.
"Why else would you get back with him?"
"Why not? He's good looking, has a great body, and he treats me good."
"Yeah, and he's married."
She sighs, "Technicality." She rips the paper from my hands. "I just want to have fun." She reads the article again, "I can't fucking believe him." She throws the paper on the floor.
"I don't know, I guess becoming famous was more important to him that we ever thought."
"But it isn't! Or at least it wasn't! All he wanted was to write and play music. Now, I don't know what he wants."
"Fame, money, girls…" Mimi shoots me a look, "Sorry, I'm just saying."
"What happened to being a bohemian and starving for your art?"
"I guess I have that taken care of."
"Oh Mark, your film is wonderful, you know that. Fuck anyone who tells you different."
"I guess." I think for a minute, "Mimi, are you upset about the publicity thing, or the fact that he left."
She shrugs, "I don't know, both I guess. You?"
I nod in agreement, "Both."
"At least he mentioned you."
I look at he blankly, "Huh?"
She picks up the paper and points. "My roommate would beg me to go out. No mention of the girl who inspired him to write his first song in over a year."
"Oh, I'm sure he did, they just probably edited out."
"I doubt it." She sighs again. "I just wish I didn't miss him."
We both hear the footsteps at the same time.
"Shit." She stands quickly and pulls down her skirt and fluffs her hair. "I'm not ready to see him. I look awful."
"Calm down, you look great." But I felt nervous too.
"Honey I'm home!" The door opens and Roger enters the loft with a big smile. He drops his guitar and notices Mimi. "Hey, what are you doing here?" He goes over to her and tries to kiss her, but she turns away. He pretends nothing happened and goes towards me, reaching out his hand. I go to shake it, but he pulls me in for a bear hug. "Mark, good to see you."
"Hey Rog. Welcome home."
"It's good to be back. I missed New York."
Mimi stands there staring at him. She has one hip out and her arms folded. "Nice of you to let us know when you were coming back."
"What are you talking about?" Then he looks at her and scowls, "What are you doing here anyway?"
"I live here. Well downstairs, and I was visiting my friend, Mark."
"You live in this building again? What, are you fucking Benny again?"
"Oh fuck off!"
"Christ, what I'm gone five minutes and you're back with him?"
She glares at him and starts swearing in Spanish. She is still ranting while she leaves the loft.
"What a fucking whore."
"Roger! That's Mimi you're talking about."
"Yeah, and she's a whore. How long was I gone for before she was fucking him?"
"I don't know, how long were you were gone before you hooked up with a random groupie?"
He smirks and shrugs. He then spots the paper, now resting on the couch. "Oh, is The Voice? There is supposed to be an article about the band in here."
"Yeah, right there."
He grabs it and reads it silently.
"Wow, that's a great article, don't you think?"
I shrug.
"Look, Mark, I know you don't believe in what we are doing, but at least you could support me. Do you think I should I be hiding the fact that I have AIDS?"
"HIV." I correct him. "No, but you shouldn't be using it to sell CDs."
"No one would buy a CD just because the singer is dying. But curiosity gets them in the door. They hear the music. They dig it and they buy the CD." He smiles. "And a t-shirt."
"A t-shirt? You have t-shirts now?"
He nods excitably and reaches into his bag. He pulls out a black short sleeve t-shirt with The Well Hungarians logo and a picture of the band. "That's for you."
"Oh gee, thanks."
"Why can't you be happy for me?"
"I don't know. Are you happy?"
"Yeah, I had a blast on the road. It was so much fun and I didn't have to worry about anything."
"Did you take your meds?"
"Yeah, mostly."
"Mostly?"
"Well, sometimes I forgot. But I'm fine. I'm healthy. I didn't get sick the whole time."
"Huh." I don't know what to say.
"What about you? How are you doing?"
"I'm ok."
"Still working like a maniac?"
I shrug. I don't want to tell him that I quit the week before. "Not really."
"Been working on your film?"
"Not really."
He laughs as he pulls out his guitar from the case. "Then what have you been doing?"
"Well, I was seeing someone…"
"…I can't believe Mimi ran back to Benny." He begins strumming the guitar. "I'm sorry, what were you saying?"
"Nothing. I've been doing nothing."
"Hey, I have an idea. Why don't you come to the gig tonight and film? You haven't done that in a long time. It would be really cool. The club should be packed. Our agent said it is practically sold out."
"Nah, I'm ok." I pick up my camera. "I have enough footage of The Well Hungarians."
"Yeah, well, I didn't want to tell you this, but fuck it. They want us to make a video and I think I convinced them to let you direct it."
"Me? Why?"
"Because that's what you do, isn't it?"
"I make documentaries. Not rock videos."
"Well you can just document the band. Come on, it is a great opportunity."
"I don't know…"
"Just say you'll come tonight. You can meet Randy."
"Randy?"
"Our agent. He's really cool. Then you can film some shots of the crowd and us. It will be great."
"No, I don't think so."
"Come on Mark, for me?" He looks at me and he knows he got me. I can't say no.
"Fine, I'll go. But I'm not making any videos."
"We'll see about that." He says laughing.
I pick up the newspaper, crumble it and toss it in the garbage.
"Mark! Mark! Did you see this shit?" Mimi storms into the loft and throws down a copy of The Village Voice in my lap. I scan the page quickly, and my eyes fall on the article.
"Hungarian" Singer Not So "Well"
It was three years ago when Roger Davis, then 22, found out that he was HIV+. He had everything then, a band, a girlfriend, and a heroin addiction.
"My girlfriend was getting sick and finally went to the doctor. I never saw her alive after that. I came home from a gig and found her in the bathroom. She had slit her wrists."
What followed then was a six month long battle for recovery where Davis became a recluse.
"I never left my loft. My roommate would beg me to go out, but I just couldn't. I couldn't believe that I had this disease, and I didn't see any reason to keep living."
He finally snapped out of it that Christmas with the help of friends.
Less then a year later, after losing a close friend to AIDS, Davis relocated to Santa Fe, only to return to New York in two months. It was then that he contacted his former bandmates, all who had moved on to different projects, and convinced them to reform The Well Hungarians.
"I was playing in a band where I had no creative input, and I was bored." Says the bassist, Tony Malucci. "Though honestly, when Roger called, I wasn't sure about starting up the band with him." Malucci speaks about Davis' erratic behavior during the last year of the Hungarians existence. "He would only show up to half the rehearsals, and sometimes when we had gigs, he came so f*cked up, that he couldn't even play."
But Davis convinced him that he was now clean and sober. "I haven't touched heroin since I was diagnosed. After over a year of being blocked, I was able to write songs again. I was anxious to get the band back together and start playing in front of people."
"The band was a little concerned about my HIV status. I explained to them that I am just as healthy as any other guy in their early 20's."
Yet, Davis did end up in the hospital earlier this year in a drug related incident. "It was a mistake, someone gave me a pill that they told me was completely herbal. It reacted badly with my meds. I was out the next day, it was no big deal."
The Hungarians have just recently signed with Generic Brand Records and are currently touring the East Coast in support of their new CD.
"I know I don't have all the time in the world. I want to somehow leave my mark, leave something behind for people to remember me. The best way I know how is with my music."
You can catch The Well Hungarians tonight at the Bowery Ballroom. All ages, $9 at the door.
I tighten my fist around the paper, crumbling it.
"Did you know he was coming back?"
I shake my head, "I haven't heard from him since he left."
She falls on the couch next to me. "Oh God, I don't know what I'm going to do when I see him.
I slide over to her and put my arm around her, squeezing her shoulders slightly. "Me either."
"He's going to be so pissed when he finds out I'm back in this building."
I laugh, "He's going to be so pissed when he finds out HOW you got back in the building."
"Oh be quiet. I know you only think I got back with Benny because I couldn't afford my rent.
"Why else would you get back with him?"
"Why not? He's good looking, has a great body, and he treats me good."
"Yeah, and he's married."
She sighs, "Technicality." She rips the paper from my hands. "I just want to have fun." She reads the article again, "I can't fucking believe him." She throws the paper on the floor.
"I don't know, I guess becoming famous was more important to him that we ever thought."
"But it isn't! Or at least it wasn't! All he wanted was to write and play music. Now, I don't know what he wants."
"Fame, money, girls…" Mimi shoots me a look, "Sorry, I'm just saying."
"What happened to being a bohemian and starving for your art?"
"I guess I have that taken care of."
"Oh Mark, your film is wonderful, you know that. Fuck anyone who tells you different."
"I guess." I think for a minute, "Mimi, are you upset about the publicity thing, or the fact that he left."
She shrugs, "I don't know, both I guess. You?"
I nod in agreement, "Both."
"At least he mentioned you."
I look at he blankly, "Huh?"
She picks up the paper and points. "My roommate would beg me to go out. No mention of the girl who inspired him to write his first song in over a year."
"Oh, I'm sure he did, they just probably edited out."
"I doubt it." She sighs again. "I just wish I didn't miss him."
We both hear the footsteps at the same time.
"Shit." She stands quickly and pulls down her skirt and fluffs her hair. "I'm not ready to see him. I look awful."
"Calm down, you look great." But I felt nervous too.
"Honey I'm home!" The door opens and Roger enters the loft with a big smile. He drops his guitar and notices Mimi. "Hey, what are you doing here?" He goes over to her and tries to kiss her, but she turns away. He pretends nothing happened and goes towards me, reaching out his hand. I go to shake it, but he pulls me in for a bear hug. "Mark, good to see you."
"Hey Rog. Welcome home."
"It's good to be back. I missed New York."
Mimi stands there staring at him. She has one hip out and her arms folded. "Nice of you to let us know when you were coming back."
"What are you talking about?" Then he looks at her and scowls, "What are you doing here anyway?"
"I live here. Well downstairs, and I was visiting my friend, Mark."
"You live in this building again? What, are you fucking Benny again?"
"Oh fuck off!"
"Christ, what I'm gone five minutes and you're back with him?"
She glares at him and starts swearing in Spanish. She is still ranting while she leaves the loft.
"What a fucking whore."
"Roger! That's Mimi you're talking about."
"Yeah, and she's a whore. How long was I gone for before she was fucking him?"
"I don't know, how long were you were gone before you hooked up with a random groupie?"
He smirks and shrugs. He then spots the paper, now resting on the couch. "Oh, is The Voice? There is supposed to be an article about the band in here."
"Yeah, right there."
He grabs it and reads it silently.
"Wow, that's a great article, don't you think?"
I shrug.
"Look, Mark, I know you don't believe in what we are doing, but at least you could support me. Do you think I should I be hiding the fact that I have AIDS?"
"HIV." I correct him. "No, but you shouldn't be using it to sell CDs."
"No one would buy a CD just because the singer is dying. But curiosity gets them in the door. They hear the music. They dig it and they buy the CD." He smiles. "And a t-shirt."
"A t-shirt? You have t-shirts now?"
He nods excitably and reaches into his bag. He pulls out a black short sleeve t-shirt with The Well Hungarians logo and a picture of the band. "That's for you."
"Oh gee, thanks."
"Why can't you be happy for me?"
"I don't know. Are you happy?"
"Yeah, I had a blast on the road. It was so much fun and I didn't have to worry about anything."
"Did you take your meds?"
"Yeah, mostly."
"Mostly?"
"Well, sometimes I forgot. But I'm fine. I'm healthy. I didn't get sick the whole time."
"Huh." I don't know what to say.
"What about you? How are you doing?"
"I'm ok."
"Still working like a maniac?"
I shrug. I don't want to tell him that I quit the week before. "Not really."
"Been working on your film?"
"Not really."
He laughs as he pulls out his guitar from the case. "Then what have you been doing?"
"Well, I was seeing someone…"
"…I can't believe Mimi ran back to Benny." He begins strumming the guitar. "I'm sorry, what were you saying?"
"Nothing. I've been doing nothing."
"Hey, I have an idea. Why don't you come to the gig tonight and film? You haven't done that in a long time. It would be really cool. The club should be packed. Our agent said it is practically sold out."
"Nah, I'm ok." I pick up my camera. "I have enough footage of The Well Hungarians."
"Yeah, well, I didn't want to tell you this, but fuck it. They want us to make a video and I think I convinced them to let you direct it."
"Me? Why?"
"Because that's what you do, isn't it?"
"I make documentaries. Not rock videos."
"Well you can just document the band. Come on, it is a great opportunity."
"I don't know…"
"Just say you'll come tonight. You can meet Randy."
"Randy?"
"Our agent. He's really cool. Then you can film some shots of the crowd and us. It will be great."
"No, I don't think so."
"Come on Mark, for me?" He looks at me and he knows he got me. I can't say no.
"Fine, I'll go. But I'm not making any videos."
"We'll see about that." He says laughing.
I pick up the newspaper, crumble it and toss it in the garbage.