Show Journal 2012-11-17
When I think back to our first shows in Portland I think of rock clubs. Not clean all-ages rooms that double as art spaces, but gritty bars and dingy clubs. I think of layers upon layers of stickers and flyers, scratches and gouges on all walls, holes in the floor, and load in areas that probably double as a homeless shelter on an off night. I also think of stages. Small, covered in cords, a PA that has seen better days, and lighting that doesn’t really do anything. Aside from the negatives I think about the positives. I think about walking in and hearing music you like on the sound system, a cool staff that appreciates music and being at a place your friends may hang out at even if you weren’t playing. Satyricon. EJ’s. Tonic Lounge. They weren’t perfect, but you learned to love them, ugliness and all. By those criteria, the East End was a rock club in every sense of the word and tonight was one of those nights that took me back to the 90’s. Aside from my overwhelming sense of déjà vu, the show was pretty excellent. Stumblebum played first and dished out solid songs with a touch of hot rod sensibilities. Thundering Asteroids were second and awfully good. Catchy, energetic and fun with songs about skating and video games. It was nice to see Dwight again after all these years as we first shared the stage with his old band Thrust a few times back in 1997. Finding another old guy in the scene always makes me feel better. We “headlined” and the set felt really good. We have a very active front row who knew all the words and made the show all the more fun to play. We saw a couple of familiar faces and a few news ones. Not a bad night. Thanks to the East End for having us, Scott for setting up the show and those who stayed up late to rock out with us.
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