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.
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More shows, more shows, more shows!
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.
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Thanks to the Independents for letting us play three shows with them this past week. Out next show is with the Groovie Ghoulies in Portland on the 28th. If you were looking for a copy of The Kelvis we now offer the “no frills edition”. See the merch page for details.
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.
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Ok, so The Independents totally rock. So does Dustin. Come check them out, him out and us out tonight in Eugene or Sunday in Portland.
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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