The Best Thing Ever

Last updated
The Best Thing Ever
Origin Boston & Westchester, U.S.
Genres Punk
Years active2003 – 2014
LabelsHIG Records
Members Noah Britton
Alex Billig
Jen Page
Past membersEmilyn Brodsky

The Best Thing Ever is a punk band/performance art group formed by autistic singer/songwriter Noah Britton [1] [2] in the summer of 2003. The label "punk" is adequate to describe the band's influences and ethics, but the sound that they exhibited changed drastically from show to show.

Contents

Biography

The Best Thing Ever's original lineup consisted of Noah Britton, Alex Billig, Jennifer Page, and Emilyn Brodsky. Although the band officially consisted of four people, they played in various incarnations. Britton was the only constant member.

Brodsky landed the band big gigs opening for such acts as The Dresden Dolls, The World/Inferno Friendship Society, and The Gossip, but when she was offered a spot opening for the Magnetic Fields at New York University (NYU), she decided to leave The Best Thing Ever to make it on her own.

On May 1, 2006, Britton, Billig, and Page officially revived The Best Thing Ever moniker before embarking on The Bathroom Tour. For twelve straight days, The Best Thing Ever invaded bathrooms across New England to perform their music for unsuspecting audiences. [3] [4]

The Bathroom Tour DVD, which documents the events of the tour, was released in April 2007. [5] Part of it was filmed by Josh Safdie. [6]

In the summer of 2007, the band reunited for The Surprise Tour, playing exclusively unbooked shows all over the country with acts including Andrew Bird and Gravy Train!!!!. Venues included the Kansas Barbed Wire Museum, the Mall of America, Corn Palace, and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, where they put up their own exhibit as inductees for the class of 2007. [7] A film documenting the tour was released on April 1, 2011, edited by Benny Safdie. [8] [9]

During the last week of June 2008, the band went on what they claimed would be their last tour, The Retirement Tour, a tour of retirement-related venues. However, in April, 2009, they played a surprise show at a donut shop in Allston, Massachusetts. They now claim that The Retirement Tour never happened, and that they will continue to perform occasionally. [10]

In February 2010, the band went on The Animals Tour, performing exclusively for animals in the New York City area, including surprise shows at a zoo and an aquarium, and a booked show at a dog shelter, which was filmed and edited by Benny Safdie. [11]

On April 1, 2011, The Best Thing Ever premiered The Surprise Tour DVD at UnionDocs in Brooklyn, NY. [12] They decided to only screen this film every April 1 in a different state, and continue to do so annually. [13]

In April, 2024, The Best Thing Ever performed a 20th anniversary reunion concert in Cambridge, Massachusetts, backed with a choir, as well as a performance in Northampton, Massachusetts where they were backed by Young@Heart Chorus. [14]

Filmography

DVDs

YearTitleLabel
2007 The Bathroom Tour HIG Records
2011 The Surprise Tour HIG Records

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References

  1. ↑ "Asperger's Are Us". BU Today. Retrieved 2018-07-28.
  2. ↑ "Noah Britton;". Autism Higher Education Foundation. Archived from the original on 2011-09-04. Retrieved 2011-09-20.
  3. ↑ "On the Download: The Best Thing Ever;". The Boston Phoenix. Retrieved 2009-09-29.
  4. ↑ "Interview;". Tiny Mix Tapes. Retrieved 2010-08-05.
  5. ↑ "Flyer of the Week: Best Thing Ever's Bathroom DVD Premiere;". Village Voice. Archived from the original on 2008-10-06. Retrieved 2009-09-29.
  6. ↑ "The Bathroom Tour;". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved 2023-09-21.
  7. ↑ "went through the rock and roll hall of fame". The Best Thing Ever. Retrieved 2023-09-20.
  8. ↑ "FINALLY!". The Best Thing Ever. Retrieved 2011-03-07.
  9. ↑ "The Surprise Tour". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved 2023-09-21.
  10. ↑ "retirement? what retirement?;". The Best Thing Ever. Retrieved 2009-09-29.
  11. ↑ "The Best Thing Ever Coming to an Animal Palace Near You This Long Weekend;". The Village Voice. Archived from the original on 2010-02-15. Retrieved 2010-02-27.
  12. ↑ "The Surprise Tour, Featuring, The Best Thing Ever;". UnionDocs. Retrieved 2023-09-21.
  13. ↑ "Sorry it's been a while ;". The Best Thing Ever. Retrieved 2023-09-21.
  14. ↑ "Hello again ;". The Best Thing Ever. Retrieved 2024-03-27.
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