March is Schnipper Month, both on the internet in and in real life!

Schnipper writes this awesome fanzine called Schnipper’s where each page contains a photo of himself holding one record for each letter of the alphabet and a corresponding anecdote. Culled from the four issues of the fanzine, Schnipper has created a month (March) long window installation of alphabetical stories and big pictures of his face in New York City at The Apt in Soho (101 Crosby Street between Prince and Spring). There will be an opening for this on Friday, March 2nd from 7-9 PM.

For those not in the NYC area, he has also recorded 26 podcasts (one for each letter of the alphabet), one of which will be posted each day in March on his website – schnipper.net. The first one is up now for download. The podcasts are Schnipper telling stories or talking about stories related to a record and then a song from the record. In March, he will also be writing daily and alphabetically on thefader.com and those posts will be collected at thefader.com/schnipper

Let me just say that I love Matt Schnipper! He is one of those people that I barely know yet every time I see him I feel like I have a great conversation and a laugh. Back when he was living in Washington D.C., I’d talked to him via a messageboard but I think that the first few times I actually spoke with him face-to-face was at random Hollertronix parties at the Ukee Club. More than likely, I was close to fall down drunk during these conversations and Matt still took the time to sit and chat with me. That alone makes him a saint.

I don’t visit NYC enough but I feel like every time I’m in the Big Apple I run into the dude. On New Years Eve two years ago, Pie, Maggie, Ian and I were frying out brains out on another planet / chilling in Southpaw at The Rub when Ian spotted Schnipps smiling at us from across the room. Matt walked over and Ian said “Are you high? What are you ON???” Schnipper didn’t miss a beat and deadpanned “BEER!”

Some time later, I paypalled him some money for a record. I don’t remember what the record was but I do remember that I never recieved it. I wasn’t too mad about it because I trusted Schnipper and I knew that he was probably too busy to mail me whatever dumb record I’d bought. Plus, it was like four bucks or something. Time passed and we both pretty much forgot about it. One day I randomly happened to be Brooklyn riding some subway train when Ian noticed this guy kinda staring at us. “I think that’s Matt Schnipper!” and, it WAS.

Matt took us to his basement apartment and laced me with the record that he owed me plus a copy of his first A-Z zine and about four other records. He’s just that type of guy.

And, the zine! Man, don’t even get me started…it’s easily one of the most entertaining fanzines I’ve read. There is just something substantial about a cut ‘n paste zine. At the same time, the fanzine’s strength is in it’s simplicity. It is nothing more than what it purports to be; an A-Z catalog of Matt and a record with a story for each record. Nothing could be simpler, yet the concept is so fresh and the stories are perfect snapshots of the man’s life.

I’m really stoked for this project. If it is half as good as the zine then it will be well worth your time. Head over to schnipper.net for the podcast, fanzine purchase information and some other great info and see for yourself.