-------------------------------------------------
History
of Pushing9 Media
"'My
name is Ozymandius, king of kings:
Look on my words, ye Mighty, and despair!'
Nothing beside remains. Round the decay
Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare
The lone and level sands stretch far away."
-Percy Bysshe Shelley
You may or may not know (or care), but Pushing9 Media is actually the
last vestige of a once-vibrant local music organization that at its peak
included a production house, a booking agency, and a print zine.
P9 Media traces its roots to the 1996 compilation New Brunswick Underground,
produced by Mike Doktorski, which spotlighted the vibrant and eclectic
music scene of the city of New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA. Shortly after
the release of NBU, Mike teamed with local musician Andy Gesner to promote
a series of live shows at the Budapest Cocktail Lounge, a sleepy neighborhood
bar in the city's Hungarian district. The first few months of Budapest
shows were extremely successful, and the bar's ownership green-lighted
Mike and Andy to do whatever they wanted. Soon, the initial focus on the
New Brunswick Underground acts gave way to a broader booking policy
that encompassed bands from other parts of NJ, then touring bands from
across the country (and beyond).
Encouraged by their success, by 1998 Mike and Andy had expanded their
'NBU Productions' to other venues (including a series of sold-out showcases
at NYC's Arlene Grocery) while maintaining their weekly series at the
Budapest. Also in 1998, NBU launched the print zine New Brunswick Underground
which by its third issue included a companion compilation CD.
Plot NBU's story on a graph (if that's your thing) and it's obvious that
this was the high point. But peaks are hard to sustain. A few of NBU's
charter acts broke up in 1998, and plus New Brunswick had become quite
incestuous, with local musicians playing in three or four bands each with
no time to focus on any one of them -- in hindsight, an unwelcome byproduct
of a close-knit scene.
In early 2000, Mike and Andy ended their series at the Budapest Lounge
and that was really the beginning of the end. The Budapest had been the
epicenter of NBU's universe, and without its gravitational pull everything
else began to spin away. The partnership carried on nominally for another
year, but in early '01 Andy left NBU for good.
Mike opted to keep NBU going, albeit in a more modest format, until 2007,
bringing the decade long project to a close.
1996
October 18-19, 1996 »»» NBU officially launches
with the release of the compilation CD New Brunswick Underground,
on 
Childlike Records. A 2-day record release party at the Court
Tavern
features performances by 14 out of 16 bands on the CD.
November 1996 »»» Mike Doktorski and Andy Gesner
launch a Saturday night music series at the Budapest Cocktail Lounge,
234 Somerset Street, New Brunswick.
1997
June 1997 »»» NBU presents the first of its Budapalooza
multi-band open air events, held annually from '97 to '99 on the corner
of Somerset and Harvey during the city's Hungarian Festival.
September 1997 »»» Mike and Andy co-produce a
pair of cassette-only compilations, Buda 
Bootlegs
Vols. I and II, consisting of live recordings made at the Budapest
on "nothing more than a cassette player set up on the other side
of the room recording everything as it happened."
1998
March 1998 »»» With NBU's Mike and Andy as publishers,
and local music writer Jennifer Salvato on board as editor, the zine New
Brunswick Underground launches with a 32-page Issue #1.
May 1, 1998 »»» New Brunswick invades Manhattan!
NBU hosts its first industry showcase at Arlene Grocery, featuring sets
by Bionic Rhoda, Fatty Lumpkin, Boss Jim Gettys, Suran Song in Stag, Prosolar
Mechanics, and Bunt.
June 1998 »»» Issue #2 of New Brunswick Underground
features exclusive interviews with Matt
Pinfield and Ween's Mickey Melchiondo.
July 1998 »»» One of NBU's top acts, Bionic Rhoda,
calls it a day.
September 1998 »»» NBU releases Issue #3 of its
zine with a companion 18-track
promotional
CD with songs by Bionic Rhoda, Boss Jim Gettys, Evelyn Forever, Velour
44, Love Gas, Hi Pro Glo, and Yummy, among others. Issue 3 features an
exclusive interview with Smithereens Jim Babjak and Dennis Diken.
November 13, 1998 »»» NBU celebrates its 2 year
anniversary at the Budapest with a show by ex-Velvet Underground drummer
Moe Tucker.
December 1998 »»» The 72-page Issue #4 closes
out a busy year for
NBU. This issue includes Jen Salvato's story on brand new band Ben Trovato
(whose frontman was an 18 year old Val
Emmich).
1999
April 1999 »»» NBU lends logistical and planning
assistance the Independent Music Festival, which features performances
by 85 bands at multiple New Brunswick venues April 7-11. NBU also hosts
IMF shows at The Budapest and coordinates the release of Issue #5 (which
by now has been re-named simply The Underground) as the festival's
official program. Issue 5 also features an exclusive interview by with
Glen Burtnik, and an interview with The Milwaukees by Laura Lifshitz (who
went on to enjoy some minor stardom as co-host of MTV's Say What! Karaoke).
April 1999 »»» Childlike Records releases the
compilation Parachute Pants, featuring local acts covering80s hits,
produced by NBU's Mike Doktorski and Bunt frontman Chris Martine.
June 1999 »»» NBU hosts its fi
nal
Budapalooza while simultaneously releasing Issue #6 of The Underground
featuring a coverstory on Fountains of Wayne and an interview with NJ
Film Fest coordinater Al Nigrin. 
July 1999 »»» Issue #6 is a huge hit with the
kids at WHTG's Surfstock which is headlined by Underground cover
boys Fountains of Wayne.
August 1999 »»» Boss Jim Gettys, another charter
NBU act, calls it quits.
Summer 1999 »»» NBU hosts a weekly, Thursday-night
music showcase at the Harvest Moon.
August 1999 »»» The Underground receives
the first of its two Asbury Park Music Award nominations in the category
"Best News Publication to Support Local Music."
Sept 16-18 1999 »»» Hurricane Floyd hits New
Brunswick and the Raritan River overflows, completely flooding Rt. 18
and devastating most of Bound Brook (including
the old Palmyra Tea Room..now the Hamilton St. Café).
September 1999 »»» Issue #7 of The Underground
includes a companion 22-track compilation CD produced by Mike, Andy, and
local musician Brett Neilley (now the bassist for New
Blood Revival),
and features an exclusive story on the 30th anniversary of The Aquarian
by NBU editor Jen Salvato.
December 31, 1999 »»» NBU hosts a New Year's
Eve gala at Harvest Moon, featuring a performance by Little T and One
Track Mike (who are signed by Lava/Atlantic a year later).
2000
February 26, 2000 »»» After 3 years, 3 months,
and nearly 200 shows, NBU concludes its music series at the Budapest Cocktail
Lounge. A year later, the bar is sold, re-modeled, and subsequently re-opened
as a sports bar. 
March 2000 »»» NBU releases the eighth and final
issue of The Underground, featuring a cover story on scene newcomers
Last
Perfect Thing
and a new
compilation CD co-produced by Mike Doktorski
and Heinz Remus of Buffalo, NY.
Apr-Nov 2000 »»» NBU lends assistance to Smithereen
Pat DiNizio's failed Senate campaign,booking a series of fund-raising
events featuring performances by Pat and various NBU acts.
2001
Jan 2001 »»» Andy Gesner leaves NBU to launch
to launch his own music marketing business HIP
Video Promo.
Mike Doktorski re-launches NBUnderground.com as a news service and definitive
e-resource for the local music scene.
Feb 2001 »»» An NBU show at Maxwell's featuring
The Milwaukees, Ex Number Five, and Penfold draws 194 people.
Mar 2001 »»» The venerable Melody Bar closes
its doors for good, signaling the end of an era for many in the New Brunswick
music and arts community.
June 2001 »»» Love Gas plays its final show at
an NBU event at the Court Tavern.
2002
Feb 2002 »»» NBU's final show (@ Maxwell's) features
performances by The Milwaukees, Errortype 11, Penfold, and Nebulous Thoughts
and draws 221 paid attendees...officially selling out the venue.
2007
June 17, 2007 »»» NBUnderground.com goes offline.
