Show Journal 2005-05-27
Woke up early in a truck stop somewhere between LA and Sacramento. It had been a while since we had to sleep in the van and I didn’t miss the experience. We got driving around 9:00 and made plans to stop for food and gas near Stockton. Unfortunately the van had plans of it’s own and as we were cruising along at highway speeds I felt a shudder in the tire that felt suspiciously like a flat. We pulled over in a hurry and got out to inspect the tires. Looked ok. We got back moving and right away it was bouncing all over the place. Could it be the wheels? The suspension? The engine? We pulled over again to look closer and it turns out the inner wall of the tire had ripped open leaving the inside of the tire exposed to the road. Scary. Normally you would put on the spare right? Not really an option for us. After our tire mishap in Arkansas many years ago it now takes power tools to remove the spare tire and can’t really be done roadside. We limped down the side of the highway and got off at the next exit. Dave started calling information and looking for tire shops in the area. I saw a radiator shop and pulled in with hopes they could point us to a reputable dealer. While there we also inquired about the overheating problem we experienced in LA. They said we needed a new clutch fan and that was why it ran hot when we idled and cool at highway speed. The price tag? $245. About that time we called over to a tire store to see how much for a tire. They quoted us almost $200 and had a two hour wait time. No thanks. So we ended up deciding to barter a little bit. We asked if for the $245 they would also help us change the spare tire (since they have the right tools). They said no problem, recommended a Mexican restaurant and said to come back in an hour. It was a little spendy, but we fixed the overheating, bought ourselves some time on the tire purchase all in less than an hour. After eating breakfast burritos and grossing Justin out with talk of bowel movements we picked up the van and headed onward. Not much else interesting to report on the drive. Watched some movies on the PS2 (most notably Sealab 2021 season 2), listened to some music and stared out the window watching the landscape fly by. We got to Eugene around 9:00. It felt like we were just at John Henry’s a few weeks ago. Oh, wait a minute, we were. Tonight was actually a little better than the last visit. The whole evening was a little blurry because we were so beat from all the driving over the previous three days. Not to mention we were loading onto the stage after midnight. We loaded out just before 1:00, watched the last band (who played until 2:00) and then headed home. Total drive? 2000 miles in 2.5 days. Expenses? $344 in gas, $245 in repairs and $300 in new shirts. Money earned? $84 and the free meal at the HOB. You do the math. Quite a loss. I’ve been saying this a lot recently but I gotta admit despite all the mishaps it really was a pretty good time. I’m not sure how other bands do in those situations but I think we handled it in stride. Seems we’re all in a place where we are just happy to playing, meeting people and hanging out. When you look at it that way it’s hard not to enjoy yourself. Lastly … happy birthday to Justin and Dustin. Next time we’ll try not to spend it in such close proximity to Oregon’s most rotten smelling toilet.
Show Journal 2005-05-26
Last Saturday Dave got a call from Nick 13 of Tiger Army asking if we wanted to play at the House Of Blues with them for a sold out show in their hometown of LA. Uhh … yeah, I think we would. It’s just less than 1000 miles so we headed out Wednesday night after work at around 7:00. We drove and drove and drove and drove and then we drove some more. In fact we actually drove straight through the night all the way to LA and arrived bright eyed and bushy tailed at the House Of Blues just before noon. We checked in and got assigned to our dressing room. Everyone there was super cool and friendly. The rooms were awesome looking and we all commented that we couldn’t believe how spoiled the bands that play these sorts of venues were. Eventually the stage manager (Joe?) came in, closed the door and said “Guys, I just got a call from Nick 13. He has strep throat and the show for tonight has been cancelled. The call just came in 10 minutes ago. Sorry.” We waited and waited for the punch line but it never arrived. We looked at the each other seeing if we heard something wrong. He was as serious as a heart attack and that 17 hours of driving we just endured came crashing down on our collective conscience like an anvil. He ushered us out to the restaurant and hooked us up with some free food and he went down to call some local promoters at some smaller clubs (you know, smaller ones … like the Whiskey and Roxy!) Dave got on the phone with Nick and gave him some grief for letting us drive so far for nothing but apparently the decision was made that morning while we were en route. He said he’ll try to get us on the two make up dates in July. If that’s the case then it’ll all be worth it. If not this will go down as the most disappointing drive to a show in modern recorded history. One of our collective favorite bands personally invited us to play a sold out show at one of the coolest venues around and we got nothing to show expect for a free sandwich and about $170 of gas bills. Not to mention we have to turn around and do it again. Strangely enough no one really got pissed or overly irritated. Obviously we were definitely bummed, but we all just made jokes out of it and took it in stride. The manager came back up with some leads for shows but we gracefully denied and said anything else would be a disappointment and that we’d rather just enjoy LA, see some friends and head back early. He invited us to hang out and get cleaned up in the big dressing rooms (with showers). After a stop by the Hustler store (and a sighting of Greg Proops) we decided it would be fun to head over to Universal Studios since no one but me had seen it before. During the ride over we noticed the van was overheating in the stop and go traffic, This is a little alarming since all LA has to offer is stop and go traffic. Nothing like driving down Sunset Blvd. in 80 degree weather with the heater on full blast. It got up to the red a few times, but we arrived at Universal without incident. We were all stoked to see the Psycho house and tram ride with Jaws. One problem. Actually … 53 problems. It now costs $53 per person to get into Universal. No thanks, I’ll just buy the postcard. After sweet talking the parking guy Dave called up our friend Staci and had her meet us over at the Universal City Walk which is basically just a glorified shopping center with shops and food. To pass some time we decided to go see Amityville Horror and relax in the air conditioned theater. The movie was ok, but the bad part was paying $3.24 for a 20oz Coke. Of course it was still $49.76 cheaper than getting into the god damn Universal studios. The movie ended and we tooled around for a bit and met up with our friend Robert at an Italian restaurant there. Between the 6 of us dinner was a blast and it definitely helped keep everything on the positive tip despite the circumstances. We picked up our new shirts from Robert and headed back to Eugene. Dave and Justin shuttled us across the grapevine and as hard as I tried I couldn’t just keep my eyes open and dozed in and out of sleep occasionally waking to find ourselves at different places and gas stations. Some time late in the evening (or early in the morning) Dave pulled over and got prepared to sleep in the van. Arrangement wise I usually sleep on the floor on the van. We brought a different cooler this time that was bigger than the usual one. (The usual one had transformed into ripe mixture of antifreeze and moldy food.) The new and improved cooler took up a big chunk floor space so I had the idea to tilt it on its side to save space. Had I not been so tired I would have realized that doing this would cause all the water to spill out the top. Unfortunately my brain functions were at an all time low. In mere second I ended up with a wet floor, wet mats, wet sleeping bag, wet pillow and a totally crushed sense of self worth. I toweled up the van floor and eventually fell asleep still wondering what it would be like to play at the House of Blues. It was so close, yet as I laid on the damp sleeping bag I realized it was still so very far away.
Show Journal 2005-05-24
I’ve always had a love/hate relationship with the Tonic Lounge. I’ve been to lots of fun shows there but have never had a good experience actually playing there. They have misspelled our name on the marquee twice, forgot to run ads on several occasions and once even had us load in the snow only to ask if we wanted to load back out since no one was in attendance. With the bar set so low you would think there was nowhere to go but up. Nope. Not tonight. The first band cancelled making it a two band bill. Turns out the second band (all the way from Texas) played to literally 5 or 6 people. In fact they commented they might not come to the NW because it was so far to drive for so little reward. I can’t say I blame them. We drove about 3.2 miles round trip and didn’t even make our gas money back. Our set was a little better as we had about a dozen people watching. By Tonic standards for us 12 ain’t half bad. Although the turnout was weak for some reason it was still a strangely enjoyable evening since hanging out with your friends isn’t ever too bad. Thanks to Cal for making an effort, the Misfats for showing up and best of luck to Sleezus Fist on their tour.
Show Journal 2005-05-19
It’s been a while since we played at a skate park. Every time we book one I think about a particularly miserable show we had in Salt Lake City a few years ago where we performed to about a dozen people in a warehouse about the size of a football field. Thankfully the turnout tonight was a little better. The setup was a little weird because the bands were on top of one ramp and the “crowd” was out across an open space on top of another ramp. It definitely felt odd playing with people so far away so we asked people to come up front. Eventually a few people wandered up onto the ramp right in front of us and that’s when the show started to get fun. We had a pretty good time but really I’m just thankful that the strobe light didn’t give me a seizure. For a minute there I honestly thought the sound guy was trying to find my frequency. Big thanks to F Capone and PB Army for the fun night. We are also give thanks to the gods of gravity for ensuring that no injuries occurred when we attempted to skate on the open ramps.
Show Journal 2005-05-17
Back to Dante’s again for another fun show. Hang was up first and seemed like a nice group of guys. We played second and had what I thought was another great set. The on stage sound left a lot to be desired and in retrospect I don’t think Dustin could hear either guitar. I don’t know how he played it but he did. We busted out a few rarities including Apology To You and Anything, Anything. At some point Dave started telling everyone in the crowd that I go to Bally’s and kept referring to my “bronze and buff” physique. I’d like to take the floor for a minute and dispel some of these claims. I have never stepped foot into a Bally’s location (other than the casino) for any reason. As for the “bronze” claim, I can suure you that the skin under my clothes is so pale it could illuminate a darkened room. Lastly, one cannot get “buff” eating at Taco Bell three times a week. Ok, back to the show … Punk Rock Karaoke was a blast to watch. I figured it might suck in a 21+ crowd (especially on a Tuesday) but I’d go so far as to say it was far more entertaining than the last time I saw it at an all ages venue. The people tended to sing better, appreciate the band more and due to the effects of alcohol everyone offered far more engrossing performances. All in all a pretty good night. Thanks to Thrasher Presents and Dante’s.
Show Journal 2005-04-28
I think tonight was honestly one of the best bar shows we’ve ever played. It was also the first time we had ever played Dante’s and I gotta say it was far more packed than I ever could have imagined. The Jacuzzi Bros were first and were pretty damn amusing. Part Tenacious D and part stoner rock, it’s nearly impossible to describe without seeing it first hand. Blackout Radio was second and man I surprised how good they were. Usually when I see a stand up bass on stage, I prepare myself to sit down and be bored to tears. Not the case, because they freaking rocked. We had the main support slot and we’re a little nervous after such a good show by Blackout Radio. Thankfully as we setup the area in front of the stage filled in with people who seemed genuinely excited to see us play. It was so nice to see so many of our friends there standing up front. I probably recognized 30-40 faces in the front area and that is such a good feeling when it happens. The set was fun and we even got to play a few songs we hadn’t played in a while (Waving Goodbye and Dead Air). Dustin did very well and seems to be settling in nicely. I’m sure there a catch with him somewhere … we just have to find it. The Ghoulies were up last and they totally owned it. There were so many people singing and dancing along you would have never guessed it was a 21+ show. They are so likeable it’s almost scary. After the show we said our goodbyes and headed over to Voodoo donuts and called it a night. Big thanks to all our friends who came out to the show. There are way too many of you to thank individually, so take a second to give yourself props. Extra thanks to Dante’s, the Thrasher Presents crew and the Groovie Ghoulies for being one of the coolest bands around.
Show Journal 2005-04-17
Tonight was the last of our three shows with the Independents and just like the others ended up being pretty damn fun. Lots of friends came out which is rare, especially for a bar show on a Sunday, so thanks to all of you. The Gallows were first and included a guitar player, stand up bass, washboard player, standing drummer (think Stray Cats) and harmonica player. Definitely a welcome change to the usual bands we play with. The Railers were up next and we went on right after them. Our set seemed good, not too many mistakes, no broken equipment, and no long pauses. It’s nice to be playing sets without distractions again. The Independents were up last and did a great job once again. They are a totally unique band and we’ve been stoked to get to play with them. Thanks to Sabala’s!
Show Journal 2005-04-15
At long last … our 400th show. How far have we come since the first show? Not very. We arrived 30 minutes late, watched The Independents sound check and then set up on stage. After that we sat around for two very long hours waiting to play. When we played there were about 3 people in front of the stage, maybe 7 if you include those loitering between the bar and stage. There were a few more people towards the back but after being dubbed “Portland’s Motorhead” I realize we might have been too loud for an opening band. After we finished we wandered off in search of food, eventually locating a hot dog cart around the corner. I remember remarking, “that looks good but I bet it’ll make me sick”. I’ve never spoken words more true. About the time The Anxieties started I was left frantically hunting for a clean restroom. The club one was not an option because you could literally smell it from 40 feet away. Every other place was a packed college bar. Eventually I wandered long enough to locate a hotel with clean facilities. Walking in the mirror I noticed a layer of crust on my right eye. Good thing I had been talking to Alex, Glenn and the guys from The Independents with a layer of pink eye induced sludge hanging from my right eyelid. I wandered back towards the club, and after getting about 3 blocks I realized I hadn’t actually paid any attention to where the club was so I wandered the streets for about 10 minutes. There aren’t any real landmarks in downtown Eugene, but it didn’t matter too much because I realized the wrath of the hot dog cart was returning. Back to the hotel. Afterwards I ventured back downtown in the opposite direction and found the club ok. Due to my detour I missed The Anxieties and most of Satin Fury. The Independents were last and sounded great. They have got to be one of the nicest bands we’ve ever gotten to hang out with. Thanks to John Henry’s. No thanks to the hot dog cart.
Show Journal 2005-04-14
I can’t believe seven months had passed since we played in Longview. Of course last time we had a “regular” drummer was just about seven months ago so I shouldn’t be surprised. Then again is any drummer really “regular”? Amazingly we were only 15 minutes late to the show and considering Justin’s flat tire that is music to our ears. We wandered over the local casino for a quick bite to eat. During that time we missed all of BXF’s set which included a genuine 100% unplanned guitar smashing by Joel. I only get to see that stuff on TV, never in real life so I’m bummed I missed it. Arrrgh. Arrows For Eros (formerly the Ted Dancin’ Machine) was next and sounded tight and professional as usual. The Independents ended up going 3rd despite being the headliner of the show and on a 2 month US tour. I always hate going after the huge bands, but they requested it so who are we to complain? What a tough act to follow too. Dave has been a fan of theirs for years. I had heard their albums in the van and thought they were ok, but they totally kicked ass live. The Elvis cover, the Danzig cover, the Necrophiliac song … all so good. I think the people at Reid’s were impressed. This was our first show with Dustin and despite wearing brown, he did a pretty good job. The new songs went over well and I’m glad everyone stayed out on a Thursday. Thanks to the other bands, Sam and Chris Reid, the normal Longview posse, the girls gone wild, and those who traveled from PDX. Apologies to anyone who contracted pink eye from my pus ridden eyes.
Show Journal 2005-03-26
Near the beginning of our set, Dave announced that we were on the verge of our 400th show. Yes, it was show #398 but it might as well have been the 2nd or 3rd. This being said here are things you would expect to see from a band that has played this much: 1) You would expect Justin to have working stuff. When the first guitar stops working, the second guitar should work. When handed a third guitar you would expect that the tuner would work properly. That’s just not how we roll. 2) After this many shows, you would think we would know some better jokes and be able to handle down time a little more gracefully. Since every song tonight ended with three minutes of chatter and waiting for someone to get ready it should have been our chance to shine and display our comic genius. In Dave’s defense though, how many Newport vs. Lincoln City jokes are there to be made? 3) For this many shows you would also expect to see the same drummer on at least a monthly basis. By next month we will have yet another person sitting behind us. I’m thinking it’s time to give the drummer a mask and a cool stage name. Then we wouldn’t have to bother with explanations and introductions. Just get a warm body and no one would care. When I stop to think about it I suppose people don’t come to see us for our professionalism. Despite the awkwardness of our set, the show was actually pretty good. At first it seemed very sparsely attended because of the room size but started to fill in when Blue Turns White started. They got some heads moving, and some horns up and then everyone got nice and rowdy during Thirty3’s set, which picked up the energy level for the rest of the night. I ended up missing Idle Class and Reprisal’s (?) set because apparently I have a future in taxi driving. Thanks to the folks who set up the show, the local bands who I apologize for missing, The Casketeers for driving far enough to earn a plug for their band, and everyone who took a chance on some bands they might not have ever heard before.
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