Our buddy David's Pics
Pics by Scott Preston of Caribou Studios
Here's my favorite pic from Saturday though:
Find more about the band at sunspotmusic.com
Monday, January 31, 2005
Cool pics from Cincinnati show!
Gotta say that this weekend was absloutely kickass. I'll have to write more about it later, but you can see how much fun we had by checking out some pics from the show:
Our buddy David's Pics
Pics by Scott Preston of Caribou Studios
Here's my favorite pic from Saturday though:
Our buddy David's Pics
Pics by Scott Preston of Caribou Studios
Here's my favorite pic from Saturday though:
Friday, January 28, 2005
Indy Tonight, Cincinnati Tomorrow!
We'll be at CT Peppers tonight in Indianapolis. Thanks to our friends at Dragonfly Entertainment for helping set up the show!
One time when we were in that town, we were playing at a place called Birdy's and there's these guys with shaved heads standing around watching the bands, getting drunk and fucking around. They kicked around a garbage can in front of the stage, it lands by me and I look over and just kind of laugh, ya know. It was before we were up and I was just sitting there with a beer, minding my own shit and all. One of the shaved head dudes looks over at me and says, "What are you laughing at, boy?" To which I laughed in response again. I just figured that, these guys have Southern accents, guys with Southern accents in movies say "boy" all the time. I think the expression that he gave me when I laughed made me realize that these weren't just guys that were going bald. They were American History X-style Skinheads. He repeats the question to me, this time more forcefully. I figure I should shut the fuck up, force myself to smile, and just say, "Nothing." Meanwhile, Ben's over on the side laughing too and the guy goes to Ben, "You better stop laughing before I smack that goatee of your face." That was back in Ben's Ron Jeremy days.
Anyway, we walked away after that and left the Skinheads to their own devices, but I guess I didn't believe that skinheads actually existed in real life before then. C'mon, whose a skinhead, really?
Have you ever talked with a person who you really aren't sure if they're going to fly off the handle at any minute? I hate those fucking people. You always have to worry that they won't be able to handle shit and will freak out. I used to live with a guy like that and it sucked. I could never tell him anything, because I was worried that he would get violent or something. Remember that scene in Goodfellas where they're sitting at the restaurant and Joe Pesci keeps asking Ray Liotta if he thinks he's a "funny guy"? The whole time you don't know if Joe Pesci is going to explode or not. That's what those Skinheads were like.
This is a message to people like that: Chill the fuck out. You're spoiling the people around you's human experience and probably not having a good one of your own.
So, I'm excited about tonight (I even get to leave work early! Booyah!) and I'm excited about The Mad Frog in Cincinnati tomorrow. I gotsta say, that's an awesome name for a bar. We had such a great time at the Chicks Rock! Fest last year and we'll be seeing a lot of the same friends this time. They even did a nice little blurb about us in the Cincinnati Citybeat. Make sure you stop down. And even if you're not in the towns we're in this weekend, fuck the jukebox, you should go see a live band!
One time when we were in that town, we were playing at a place called Birdy's and there's these guys with shaved heads standing around watching the bands, getting drunk and fucking around. They kicked around a garbage can in front of the stage, it lands by me and I look over and just kind of laugh, ya know. It was before we were up and I was just sitting there with a beer, minding my own shit and all. One of the shaved head dudes looks over at me and says, "What are you laughing at, boy?" To which I laughed in response again. I just figured that, these guys have Southern accents, guys with Southern accents in movies say "boy" all the time. I think the expression that he gave me when I laughed made me realize that these weren't just guys that were going bald. They were American History X-style Skinheads. He repeats the question to me, this time more forcefully. I figure I should shut the fuck up, force myself to smile, and just say, "Nothing." Meanwhile, Ben's over on the side laughing too and the guy goes to Ben, "You better stop laughing before I smack that goatee of your face." That was back in Ben's Ron Jeremy days.
Anyway, we walked away after that and left the Skinheads to their own devices, but I guess I didn't believe that skinheads actually existed in real life before then. C'mon, whose a skinhead, really?
Have you ever talked with a person who you really aren't sure if they're going to fly off the handle at any minute? I hate those fucking people. You always have to worry that they won't be able to handle shit and will freak out. I used to live with a guy like that and it sucked. I could never tell him anything, because I was worried that he would get violent or something. Remember that scene in Goodfellas where they're sitting at the restaurant and Joe Pesci keeps asking Ray Liotta if he thinks he's a "funny guy"? The whole time you don't know if Joe Pesci is going to explode or not. That's what those Skinheads were like.
This is a message to people like that: Chill the fuck out. You're spoiling the people around you's human experience and probably not having a good one of your own.
So, I'm excited about tonight (I even get to leave work early! Booyah!) and I'm excited about The Mad Frog in Cincinnati tomorrow. I gotsta say, that's an awesome name for a bar. We had such a great time at the Chicks Rock! Fest last year and we'll be seeing a lot of the same friends this time. They even did a nice little blurb about us in the Cincinnati Citybeat. Make sure you stop down. And even if you're not in the towns we're in this weekend, fuck the jukebox, you should go see a live band!
Thursday, January 27, 2005
More on Summer Homework
The State Strikes Back!
My favorite drunken driver, Attorney General Peg Lautenschlager, fired a retort that said that you can't sue the state because it's the school districts that set the guidelines and not the State Board of Instruction.
The guy that's suing goes to Whitnall High School, where my father, Dr. Bob, taught and coached track back in the Seventies (and he even had a stylish moustache and chops.)
My favorite drunken driver, Attorney General Peg Lautenschlager, fired a retort that said that you can't sue the state because it's the school districts that set the guidelines and not the State Board of Instruction.
The guy that's suing goes to Whitnall High School, where my father, Dr. Bob, taught and coached track back in the Seventies (and he even had a stylish moustache and chops.)
Annex last night
Well, The Annex raised their price for the Wednesday night drink special to $15 for all-you-can-drink. I guess they were upset about people actually showing up on a Wednesday night. That's kinda lame. But we still took advantage of it.
Saw The Snaggs, who we've played with before in Rockford (their hometown), and we'll be playing with them Friday night in Indianapolis. Nice band. Their bassist has an afro that's bigger than life. He looks like OJ from The Naked Gun 2 1/2 (and I looked everywhere for a picture of The Juice from that scene and I couldn't find it.) I have no time for OJ jokes today, though. The "Trial of the Century" was ten years ago now. Kids today only know OJ as a vicious murderer (To be fair, he was acquitted, and even if he was guilty, American celebrities shouldn't have to suffer the consequences of their actions) and not as the hilarious, danger-prone Nordberg. Of course, our generation never knew him as a ballplayer. And why the fuck am I talking about OJ?
It was a good show yesterday. I guess the guitarist belted some obnoxious dude in the head with his axe (didn't we have enough Lizzie Borden today? No.) right before I got there. I'm sorry I missed that. So, if you're in Indy on Friday, you should come out our concert. We'll hit somebody in the head with a guitar too. It could be you if you come out! It's at a place called CT Pepper's. Worst. Name. Ever. (Is that overused yet? It still makes me laugh.) Anyway, it's supposed to be a cool place. Okay, I'm lying about that. I think it's a sports bar. Yeah, I know. But! Sports Bar is only one letter away from Sports Bra. Have you ever thought about that?
If you're in Madison this weekend, however, check out Thoughtcloud at The High Noon on Saturday night.
Saw The Snaggs, who we've played with before in Rockford (their hometown), and we'll be playing with them Friday night in Indianapolis. Nice band. Their bassist has an afro that's bigger than life. He looks like OJ from The Naked Gun 2 1/2 (and I looked everywhere for a picture of The Juice from that scene and I couldn't find it.) I have no time for OJ jokes today, though. The "Trial of the Century" was ten years ago now. Kids today only know OJ as a vicious murderer (To be fair, he was acquitted, and even if he was guilty, American celebrities shouldn't have to suffer the consequences of their actions) and not as the hilarious, danger-prone Nordberg. Of course, our generation never knew him as a ballplayer. And why the fuck am I talking about OJ?
It was a good show yesterday. I guess the guitarist belted some obnoxious dude in the head with his axe (didn't we have enough Lizzie Borden today? No.) right before I got there. I'm sorry I missed that. So, if you're in Indy on Friday, you should come out our concert. We'll hit somebody in the head with a guitar too. It could be you if you come out! It's at a place called CT Pepper's. Worst. Name. Ever. (Is that overused yet? It still makes me laugh.) Anyway, it's supposed to be a cool place. Okay, I'm lying about that. I think it's a sports bar. Yeah, I know. But! Sports Bar is only one letter away from Sports Bra. Have you ever thought about that?
If you're in Madison this weekend, however, check out Thoughtcloud at The High Noon on Saturday night.
Another Wisconsin boy...
...done good. Trying to kill his family with rat poison. I guess if I lived in Portage, I might do the same thing. I'd probably do it Lizzie Borden-style, though. Dude, read that article. If you've ever wanted to know about Lizzie Borden, and I know you do, it's an excellent primer.
*SPOILER WARNING*
Isn't this what the mother in The Sixth Sense did to her daughter? Remember that part? The videotape and shit? Man, what a great movie. I haven't seen The Village yet, but I heard it's alright. I think to enjoy that guy's movies, you'd have had to grow up on The Twilight Zone. I still love that show.
*SPOILER WARNING OVER*
*SPOILER WARNING*
Isn't this what the mother in The Sixth Sense did to her daughter? Remember that part? The videotape and shit? Man, what a great movie. I haven't seen The Village yet, but I heard it's alright. I think to enjoy that guy's movies, you'd have had to grow up on The Twilight Zone. I still love that show.
*SPOILER WARNING OVER*
Tuesday, January 25, 2005
I know the tsunami was horrible...
... but do we have to subject ourselves to "We Are The World" again?
I remember when it came out. I enjoyed the song as much as the next child. I was inspired to send a little money to Africa and so was my sister. She was a Michael Jackson freak (as were all girls who were thirteen when Thriller came out.) That also was the first time I found out who Bob Dylan was and thinking to myself about how awful he was at singing. C'mon, I was eight years old. And I know that all of you thought the exact same thing when you first heard that voice! I love Bob as much as the next guy, but let's be honest at least.
Anyway, I know charity is a good thing, but shouldn't the Tsunami victims get their own song? Like when Princess Di bought the farm, Elton John just rewrote that "Candle in the Wind" song about Marilyn Monroe. What, you can't come up with a new song? You're Elton fuckin' John!
Plus, the metaphor totally didn't work. Marilyn Monroe was a fragile, delicate sex symbol who was married several times, was a substance abuser, and might have been the mistress of President Kennedy. She died early and tragically, an icon of the dangers of Hollywood excess. It was surprising that Marilyn lasted as long as she did. You ever see the Quantum Leap where Sam leaps into Marilyn's chaffeur? That was a sweet one, but that's not my point.
While Princess Diana might have been killed as a result of the public's obssession with celebrity, she wasn't fragile by any means. She didn't live her life "like a candle in the wind" at all.
So, doesn't she deserve her own fucking song? If I was her ghost, I'd haunt Elton, just because of that.
Anyway, please give to charity because people out there need help, but let's be charitable to our ears as as well, by forgetting "We Are The World" ever happened.
I remember when it came out. I enjoyed the song as much as the next child. I was inspired to send a little money to Africa and so was my sister. She was a Michael Jackson freak (as were all girls who were thirteen when Thriller came out.) That also was the first time I found out who Bob Dylan was and thinking to myself about how awful he was at singing. C'mon, I was eight years old. And I know that all of you thought the exact same thing when you first heard that voice! I love Bob as much as the next guy, but let's be honest at least.
Anyway, I know charity is a good thing, but shouldn't the Tsunami victims get their own song? Like when Princess Di bought the farm, Elton John just rewrote that "Candle in the Wind" song about Marilyn Monroe. What, you can't come up with a new song? You're Elton fuckin' John!
Plus, the metaphor totally didn't work. Marilyn Monroe was a fragile, delicate sex symbol who was married several times, was a substance abuser, and might have been the mistress of President Kennedy. She died early and tragically, an icon of the dangers of Hollywood excess. It was surprising that Marilyn lasted as long as she did. You ever see the Quantum Leap where Sam leaps into Marilyn's chaffeur? That was a sweet one, but that's not my point.
While Princess Diana might have been killed as a result of the public's obssession with celebrity, she wasn't fragile by any means. She didn't live her life "like a candle in the wind" at all.
So, doesn't she deserve her own fucking song? If I was her ghost, I'd haunt Elton, just because of that.
Anyway, please give to charity because people out there need help, but let's be charitable to our ears as as well, by forgetting "We Are The World" ever happened.
Monday, January 24, 2005
Beer As Cancer Cure?
Maybe, but it's probably the non-alcoholic kind. Who even thought of that study? That's alright, because I gotta say, St. Pauli N/A is fucking great. Now, if they could just make some that had alcohol in it, we'd be all set.
Homer's quote about alcohol being the "cause of and solution to all of life's problems" is proving eerily prescient.
Homer's quote about alcohol being the "cause of and solution to all of life's problems" is proving eerily prescient.
Mpls Show Review
The good people at RockWatch have a review with pictures of our show at the Red Sea in Minneapolis in December. That weekend was more fun than you can shake a dead hooker at. You'll notice that we're hanging out with our friends in Thoughtcloud in the pics. They're going to be in Madison this Saturday at the High Noon Saloon, GO TO THIS SHOW. They're a great band.
We'll be back in the Cities on February 5th at 4th Street in St. Paul.
Thanks to Phil for the great article and pictures!
We'll be back in the Cities on February 5th at 4th Street in St. Paul.
Thanks to Phil for the great article and pictures!
Most depressing day of the year...
...is today? Wow. I can see that too. I've been getting the Monday "dreads" for years, not so bad anymore, but when I used to work at the TV station, Sunday nights were a nightmare for me. All I could do was think about Monday morning. January isn't particularly depressing for me, I usually sit around feeling bad in the summer (I don't know exactly why.)
Anyway, I can see why they picked January 24th as the most depressing day of the year. It's snowy as hell, cold as fuck, there's another coupla months of winter left, and no more holidays to look forward to. If you're gonna feel bad you might as well do it on a day when it seems appropriate.
Anyway, I can see why they picked January 24th as the most depressing day of the year. It's snowy as hell, cold as fuck, there's another coupla months of winter left, and no more holidays to look forward to. If you're gonna feel bad you might as well do it on a day when it seems appropriate.
Friday, January 21, 2005
Summer Homework?
Milwaukee student sues because of getting stressed out due to homework over the summer. Wow, I haven't been to high school in awhile, but that kinda sucks. Summer homework? For pre-calc? Get outta town!
Actually, I could have used that. I was awful at Calculus. I have no idea how I passed the Calc II AP Exam. I even wrote on one of the problems some kind of plea for help from the test graders in New Jersey. It was like, "Please, just give me a 3. I studied so hard, but I failed the first one and I really need this."
Well, I got a 3 and I never had to take math in school again, until Statistics for Psychology, but we all know that's kind of a pseudo-science anyway (I'll be the first to admit!) and that stats are fucking worthless 'cuz they basically can be manipulated in any way you want them too. I know how important they are to getting grant money, though, so that's okay.
I was just happy to see Milwaukee in the national news.
We have public-funded education for every child and someone is suing over it. Maybe he should go visit one of the places where they not only don't have public education, but children are lucky to reach 5 years old. I bet Sierra Leone is a lot warmer this time of year than Milwaukee is.
I hope he sues his parents too, for raising him to be a douchebag.
Actually, I could have used that. I was awful at Calculus. I have no idea how I passed the Calc II AP Exam. I even wrote on one of the problems some kind of plea for help from the test graders in New Jersey. It was like, "Please, just give me a 3. I studied so hard, but I failed the first one and I really need this."
Well, I got a 3 and I never had to take math in school again, until Statistics for Psychology, but we all know that's kind of a pseudo-science anyway (I'll be the first to admit!) and that stats are fucking worthless 'cuz they basically can be manipulated in any way you want them too. I know how important they are to getting grant money, though, so that's okay.
I was just happy to see Milwaukee in the national news.
We have public-funded education for every child and someone is suing over it. Maybe he should go visit one of the places where they not only don't have public education, but children are lucky to reach 5 years old. I bet Sierra Leone is a lot warmer this time of year than Milwaukee is.
I hope he sues his parents too, for raising him to be a douchebag.
Thursday, January 20, 2005
Man, I look ridiculous
Well, I'm a little bummed out tonight cuz I'm still at work.
But here's the biggest thing. I was looking at some old photos on some of the different sites we've been on and why didn't anyone tell me how fucking ridiculous I look in this picture:
What's that rodent doing on my face? Did I have a goatee for that long? Did I think I was Layne Staley or something? I'm so serious and hairy. I used to think those party shirts were the shit too, I was wrong. Now the only guys you see wearing the party shirts are the dudes whose musical prime passed them by. Ahhhh, the turn of the century... that wasn't so long ago. I can't wait to look at pics of me in five years and ask these same questions.
But here's the biggest thing. I was looking at some old photos on some of the different sites we've been on and why didn't anyone tell me how fucking ridiculous I look in this picture:
What's that rodent doing on my face? Did I have a goatee for that long? Did I think I was Layne Staley or something? I'm so serious and hairy. I used to think those party shirts were the shit too, I was wrong. Now the only guys you see wearing the party shirts are the dudes whose musical prime passed them by. Ahhhh, the turn of the century... that wasn't so long ago. I can't wait to look at pics of me in five years and ask these same questions.
Wednesday, January 19, 2005
I Will Never Love Again
Gillian, I thought we had something beautiful. Did you forgot all those promises you whispered on my television screen? How could you do this to me?
Monday, January 17, 2005
What an idiot
Could this dude be any more of a douchebag?
I'm the first guy against the rampaging oversensitive lunacy of political correctness, but if a guy is this stupid to make a comment like this on Dr. King's birthday, can you really trust him with your weather forecast? Maybe, though, in Las Vegas weather isn't very hard to predict ("and tomorrow it's going to be... uhhh... hot.")
We can debate the finer points of King's legacy but in the 60's, things could have gone very differently than they did and Dr. King's dedication to nonviolent protest was a big part of that.
It was in my parents' lifetimes that they had segregated drinking fountains. It wasn't that long ago. I don't get the day off today and I never have (Mukwonago wasn't the most diverse area around.) But there's a reason we remember it, not all popular politically motivated groups of that era believed in sit-ins and boycotts.
Usually, I'd like to defend people who make verbal gaffes, but this guy got what he deserved.
I'm the first guy against the rampaging oversensitive lunacy of political correctness, but if a guy is this stupid to make a comment like this on Dr. King's birthday, can you really trust him with your weather forecast? Maybe, though, in Las Vegas weather isn't very hard to predict ("and tomorrow it's going to be... uhhh... hot.")
We can debate the finer points of King's legacy but in the 60's, things could have gone very differently than they did and Dr. King's dedication to nonviolent protest was a big part of that.
It was in my parents' lifetimes that they had segregated drinking fountains. It wasn't that long ago. I don't get the day off today and I never have (Mukwonago wasn't the most diverse area around.) But there's a reason we remember it, not all popular politically motivated groups of that era believed in sit-ins and boycotts.
Usually, I'd like to defend people who make verbal gaffes, but this guy got what he deserved.
Verona is...
...a tougher neighborhood than most people realize. You just knew that this dude was gonna off himself once he realized he had no case. The guy comes from a rich family, likes to gamble, likes the night life, likes to boogie on the disco-round... gets in a little too deep, freaks out, and kills three people. Finally, he realizes he's going up the river for the rest of his life. He knows what happens in prison, he's scared shitless, he hangs himself.
I'd like to say I feel sorry for him because death sucks, but c'mon man, who does not know that high-stakes gamblin is inherently dangerous? Everything's on the line, where fo you think the thrill comes from?
It'll probably make a good movie of the week sometime.
This shit happens and also that awful rape/murder a coupla months ago right down the street. These aren't crimes of necessity, it's not Jean Val-fucking-jean stealing bread for his sarving children. These are sociopathic crimes of decadence. Oh well, another player just got voted out of the tribe on Survivor: Verona. This is major drama for Wisconsin, though.
I'd like to say I feel sorry for him because death sucks, but c'mon man, who does not know that high-stakes gamblin is inherently dangerous? Everything's on the line, where fo you think the thrill comes from?
It'll probably make a good movie of the week sometime.
This shit happens and also that awful rape/murder a coupla months ago right down the street. These aren't crimes of necessity, it's not Jean Val-fucking-jean stealing bread for his sarving children. These are sociopathic crimes of decadence. Oh well, another player just got voted out of the tribe on Survivor: Verona. This is major drama for Wisconsin, though.
Saturday, January 15, 2005
Dimebag Benefit Tonight!
There's 9 bands tonight and three different stages. We'll see how it turns out. Looking for directions? Just go to their website.
We play right at 8 and then, well, then we're gonna party.
We play right at 8 and then, well, then we're gonna party.
Friday, January 14, 2005
I finally figured out...
...what I want to do when I grow up.
This guys would have been a hit at my junior high for career day. He didn't mention the low self-esteem and broken home qualifications that are important for a life in the adult entertainment industry, but it looks like he covered the basics.
This guys would have been a hit at my junior high for career day. He didn't mention the low self-esteem and broken home qualifications that are important for a life in the adult entertainment industry, but it looks like he covered the basics.
Thursday, January 13, 2005
Nietzchka died?
Holy shit, I just found out about this a minute ago. 2004 really was a sad year. Nietzchka Keene was one of the Comm Arts video production professors at UW. They're having a tribute screening of her film, The Juniper Tree on January 27th at the Parliamentary Room in Vilas. I saw it at a screening in college. It stars Bjork when she was still in The Sugarcubes, before she hit huge stardom.
Wow, pancreatic cancer. Unbelievable. She had such a soft, quiet voice and she seemed so young. She told me once that I set the record for putting together the longest string of profanities ever uttered in a student video project. That was Andy Cohen's video.
One of my friends as a prank a few years back actually convinced a contractor to start building an addition to Vilas Hall called the "Nietzchka Keene Memorial Wing" (she was still working at UW at the time.) He got it zoned and approved by the city; they broke ground and everything. The only ones who didn't know about it were the University. The prank made it into the Rolling Stone College Issue too. I have it around somewhere, I think. How depressingly prescient.
Wow, pancreatic cancer. Unbelievable. She had such a soft, quiet voice and she seemed so young. She told me once that I set the record for putting together the longest string of profanities ever uttered in a student video project. That was Andy Cohen's video.
One of my friends as a prank a few years back actually convinced a contractor to start building an addition to Vilas Hall called the "Nietzchka Keene Memorial Wing" (she was still working at UW at the time.) He got it zoned and approved by the city; they broke ground and everything. The only ones who didn't know about it were the University. The prank made it into the Rolling Stone College Issue too. I have it around somewhere, I think. How depressingly prescient.
Sacha is a funny name for a guy...
...but Da Ali G Show is usually hysterical (his real name is Sacha Baron Cohen.) According to this article, it sounds like they're working on the new season and Borat's already causing trouble, this time at the rodeo. Sweet.
For some more Ali G fun when you're bored, try entering some phrases into Da Ali G Translator.
For some more Ali G fun when you're bored, try entering some phrases into Da Ali G Translator.
Wednesday, January 12, 2005
Hate Crimes Used for Satanist Beatdown
A Satanist high schooler gets assaulted by a coupla assholes and the prosecutors decide to pursue it as a hate crime. Awesome. I hope these guys get some prison time for being pricks with ears. Why does shit like Columbine happen? Because most bullies in high school get free reign and don't get appropriately punished. Who didn't wish that somebody on their school bus or in their neighborhood would die? Or in gym class? People get pushed too far and fulfill those fantasies. How about Steve Buscemi in Billy Madison?
We could discuss misconceptions about Satanism and selfishness versus altruism all day long, but I've got shit to do.
I think it's cool that they're using the hate crimes statute. Either you're going to punish the thinking behind the crime as well or you're only going to punish the crime itself. This is a good example of taking a law to its logical conclusion. When the lawyer in the article says, "What's next? Someone being accused of attacking a preppie, or a nerd?" The answer should be a resounding yes, the thought police paddy wagon is stopping by your house next. (Well, maybe let the preppie one slide!)
We could discuss misconceptions about Satanism and selfishness versus altruism all day long, but I've got shit to do.
I think it's cool that they're using the hate crimes statute. Either you're going to punish the thinking behind the crime as well or you're only going to punish the crime itself. This is a good example of taking a law to its logical conclusion. When the lawyer in the article says, "What's next? Someone being accused of attacking a preppie, or a nerd?" The answer should be a resounding yes, the thought police paddy wagon is stopping by your house next. (Well, maybe let the preppie one slide!)
Tuesday, January 11, 2005
Where is Andrew W.K.?
Have you been to the Andrew W.K. site lately? A lot of weird stuff going on there. People are saying there was an AWK impostor that played a show of his in New Jersey in December, they're also saying that he's having conversations with himself on his message board as his male alter ego called Steev Mike and his female alter ego named Kristine Williams. If it doesn't make sense to you, don't worry, it doesn't make sense to anyone.
I think most people realized that the mega-positive sometimes-incomprehensible weirdo dork that is Andrew W.K., might be just a character that this regular guy inhabits in order to personify the music. He's like the Tony Robbins of rock, trying to empower you through music. He's a talented guy that's played in a lot of bands through the years, and develops a character that finally connects with an audience.
I've met the guy and even had a conversation with him on the phone and he's a great down-to-earth dude that takes time for each individual fan and he really does make you feel like you're his friend. So, that's his character and his music makes a lot of people feel good. Whatever he does, it's alright with me.
Maybe this should be a new post, but...
On a tangent, doesn't it seem like lying is a new popular form of humor? I guess my friends made fun of each other in a different way, we really did enjoy humiliating each other, but not through trying to make people believe something ridiculous. It's just been about the past year or so, but I've noticed it on several occassions.
Case in point, we play with this band last year in Indiana. They were alright, they had a lot of attitude for the amount of people that they brought to the show, but whatever... but one of the guys is telling me about himself and he lies about how to spell his name and how his parents came up with it, something about hippies or some shit, I don't remember, but when I saw the presskit, his name was completely different. Then, I realize he was joking, was he laughing at me? I don't mind the joke being on me, but I still don't get it.
There's been a lot of examples of people doing this lately and I'm not sure I understand this or think it's funny. What point is the joke trying to make? That the person who believes the lie is a gullible idiot? An idiot for trusting you? Maybe that person just doesn't care enough to not believe you?
I see the humor in tricking someone, sure. I like Candid Camera and I like to see people's reactions to fucked up situations, but I guess the style of comedy I enjoy is something different. Making everyone laugh and not just yourself.
So, if all this Andrew W.K. business is a joke, I don't think anyone's stupid for believing in him and his message. We have more than enough negative and cynical people in the world who bring everyone else down, shouldn't we celebrate the individuals who do the opposite?
I think most people realized that the mega-positive sometimes-incomprehensible weirdo dork that is Andrew W.K., might be just a character that this regular guy inhabits in order to personify the music. He's like the Tony Robbins of rock, trying to empower you through music. He's a talented guy that's played in a lot of bands through the years, and develops a character that finally connects with an audience.
I've met the guy and even had a conversation with him on the phone and he's a great down-to-earth dude that takes time for each individual fan and he really does make you feel like you're his friend. So, that's his character and his music makes a lot of people feel good. Whatever he does, it's alright with me.
Maybe this should be a new post, but...
On a tangent, doesn't it seem like lying is a new popular form of humor? I guess my friends made fun of each other in a different way, we really did enjoy humiliating each other, but not through trying to make people believe something ridiculous. It's just been about the past year or so, but I've noticed it on several occassions.
Case in point, we play with this band last year in Indiana. They were alright, they had a lot of attitude for the amount of people that they brought to the show, but whatever... but one of the guys is telling me about himself and he lies about how to spell his name and how his parents came up with it, something about hippies or some shit, I don't remember, but when I saw the presskit, his name was completely different. Then, I realize he was joking, was he laughing at me? I don't mind the joke being on me, but I still don't get it.
There's been a lot of examples of people doing this lately and I'm not sure I understand this or think it's funny. What point is the joke trying to make? That the person who believes the lie is a gullible idiot? An idiot for trusting you? Maybe that person just doesn't care enough to not believe you?
I see the humor in tricking someone, sure. I like Candid Camera and I like to see people's reactions to fucked up situations, but I guess the style of comedy I enjoy is something different. Making everyone laugh and not just yourself.
So, if all this Andrew W.K. business is a joke, I don't think anyone's stupid for believing in him and his message. We have more than enough negative and cynical people in the world who bring everyone else down, shouldn't we celebrate the individuals who do the opposite?
Monday, January 10, 2005
Magna-Fi Show at The Annex
Well, last night I wasn't really feeling like going out. Very little sleep on Saturday night, the fact that it was sleeting outside, accompanied by The Pack getting humiliated by those Viking bastards really had my groin chiseled. However, I knew it was an important show to our friend Uncle Ritchie and his Icon Entertainment group, so I didn't want to miss it.
Anyway, I got there late because I had passed out and I missed the first band, Seven One Five. I've met them before but haven't heard them yet. They're nice guys, funny, and impressingly unafraid of substances. It's probably like hanging out with Al Jourgensen. Anyway, I showed up right before The Danger played. They were an 60's-retro indie outfit from Milwaukee and their music was pretty good but they a lot of trouble connecting with the audience. Maybe it was because of the Packer game, I dunno. Anyway, since there was only about 15 people in the room at the time, they had a unique opportunity to really get their message across but the relationship between the band and the crowd turned tense for some reason. Anyway, the headliner's drumset was backlining on the drum riser and one of the guys from Seven One Five ripped off the tarp covering it and then started to put it on The Danger's drumset in the middle of a song. The Danger's drummer proceeded to jump over to Magna-Fi's drumset and play it a little at the end of a song.
That ended up pissing off Magna-Fi's drummer and tour manager to the point where they threatened to leave if this band wasn't cut off immediately. It was weird, like watching a self-destruct sequence. Oh well. The antics weren't that interesting and nobody seemed to care that much. It was 9pm, the opening bands were kicked out and most of the headliner were en route from Green Bay because WJJO took them to the Packer game. It was getting to be a total downer.
Around 10:05, Magna-Fi showed up and immediately started playing. At first, no one was paying very much attention and I thought it sounded a lot like nu-metal, so I was just kinda hoping that their set would end early so I could go home. Well, I'll be fucked if Magna-Fi did not deliver a textbook example of how to win over an aloof crowd by just rocking the fuck outta the room. They talked to the audience about the meanings of songs, tried to get people's names who were standing in front of the stage, they just performed like it was a capacity crowd. They played their radio hit, "Where Did We Go Wrong?" after about 45 minutes and that's probably where they usually would have quit, but they kept on playing and throwing out covers like "Hot For Teacher", "Looks That Kill", "Rebel Yell", "Crazy Train", "You Got Another Thing Comin'", even "Superfreak" and a pitch-perfect (but mildly disturbing) version of "Lights" by Journey (you could tell they were a cover band in a former life, and a pretty damn good one.) They played some new songs and ones that they're saving for their next record too. They ended up being not nu-metal at all, but a solid rock/metal act that impressed the shit out of everyone.
These guys easily could have been primadonnas. There was nobody at the show, it started late, and people were disinterested in the beginning. They could have been complete assholes. I've seen local bands who have done that before. But they didn't, they played it right and made it a special experience for each person that was there. I think most of Madison missed one of the best rock shows at The Annex that's happened in a long time. I'm really glad I came.
The one concern I do have is that this show was promoted by 94.1 JJO, The Annex made posters, the price was less than $5, the show started early, the band is on a corporate major record label and is getting a lot of airplay, and the local newspapers made the show a feature of the week.
So, where was everybody?
All the promotional bases were covered. Can we just call it a fluke and blame it on the Packers' defeat and the fact it was an icy Sunday? Maybe, I don't know. But if major label bands are having this much trouble pulling people and they have the luxury of publicists, program directors, advertising money, etc... how much extra work do local and independent bands have to do, just in order to compete?
Anyway, I got there late because I had passed out and I missed the first band, Seven One Five. I've met them before but haven't heard them yet. They're nice guys, funny, and impressingly unafraid of substances. It's probably like hanging out with Al Jourgensen. Anyway, I showed up right before The Danger played. They were an 60's-retro indie outfit from Milwaukee and their music was pretty good but they a lot of trouble connecting with the audience. Maybe it was because of the Packer game, I dunno. Anyway, since there was only about 15 people in the room at the time, they had a unique opportunity to really get their message across but the relationship between the band and the crowd turned tense for some reason. Anyway, the headliner's drumset was backlining on the drum riser and one of the guys from Seven One Five ripped off the tarp covering it and then started to put it on The Danger's drumset in the middle of a song. The Danger's drummer proceeded to jump over to Magna-Fi's drumset and play it a little at the end of a song.
That ended up pissing off Magna-Fi's drummer and tour manager to the point where they threatened to leave if this band wasn't cut off immediately. It was weird, like watching a self-destruct sequence. Oh well. The antics weren't that interesting and nobody seemed to care that much. It was 9pm, the opening bands were kicked out and most of the headliner were en route from Green Bay because WJJO took them to the Packer game. It was getting to be a total downer.
Around 10:05, Magna-Fi showed up and immediately started playing. At first, no one was paying very much attention and I thought it sounded a lot like nu-metal, so I was just kinda hoping that their set would end early so I could go home. Well, I'll be fucked if Magna-Fi did not deliver a textbook example of how to win over an aloof crowd by just rocking the fuck outta the room. They talked to the audience about the meanings of songs, tried to get people's names who were standing in front of the stage, they just performed like it was a capacity crowd. They played their radio hit, "Where Did We Go Wrong?" after about 45 minutes and that's probably where they usually would have quit, but they kept on playing and throwing out covers like "Hot For Teacher", "Looks That Kill", "Rebel Yell", "Crazy Train", "You Got Another Thing Comin'", even "Superfreak" and a pitch-perfect (but mildly disturbing) version of "Lights" by Journey (you could tell they were a cover band in a former life, and a pretty damn good one.) They played some new songs and ones that they're saving for their next record too. They ended up being not nu-metal at all, but a solid rock/metal act that impressed the shit out of everyone.
These guys easily could have been primadonnas. There was nobody at the show, it started late, and people were disinterested in the beginning. They could have been complete assholes. I've seen local bands who have done that before. But they didn't, they played it right and made it a special experience for each person that was there. I think most of Madison missed one of the best rock shows at The Annex that's happened in a long time. I'm really glad I came.
The one concern I do have is that this show was promoted by 94.1 JJO, The Annex made posters, the price was less than $5, the show started early, the band is on a corporate major record label and is getting a lot of airplay, and the local newspapers made the show a feature of the week.
So, where was everybody?
All the promotional bases were covered. Can we just call it a fluke and blame it on the Packers' defeat and the fact it was an icy Sunday? Maybe, I don't know. But if major label bands are having this much trouble pulling people and they have the luxury of publicists, program directors, advertising money, etc... how much extra work do local and independent bands have to do, just in order to compete?
Sunday, January 09, 2005
How did I end up in Saran Wrap?
Saturday's show at The King Club was a great time. The Gomers and Cement Pond were both pretty cool bands (if stylistically different, sandwiched between two laidback rock bands, we must've looked like the hyperactive and troubled middle child.) The King Club is fun. The sound is a little rough there sometimes (even when the room is full of bodies to absorb it) but it's a hip atmosphere and it's right by the capital. It's a place people like going to, I think. It was great to see so many friends out and the night was an unqualified success.
How do you finish off a show like that when you're not ready to go to bed?
By hosting a bacchanal at the Sunspot HQ. That's why we bought a house in the first place. Have you ever partied at an apartment where you're worried about neighbors? That sucks and it really brings the obnoxiousness quotient down. They don't even let me in to apartment buildings anymore.
Taking a cue from The Nine Springs Manor's Halloween afterparty, my highlight of the evening was probably the taco bar that Wendy cooked up (and was also helped out by some of our drunken, hungry friends.) Three words- Squeezable sour cream (and you thought I was going to say Pet Shop Boys!) Wendy singlehandedly saved hours of clean up by getting that. Good thinking, girl! Nice work on the food, when it was just Ben and I staying up on Friday night and partying, the only thing we had to offer to our guests were Cheese Nips. And they were stale.
Plus, Brett's Nacho Monster has moved past the late-night munchies phase into a completely different realm of extraordinary culinary design altogether. It's like a colon-destroying work of art. And he always makes it vegetarian for me. I'm not going to let it get to his (admittedly) already supernaturally large head but fine work, all around.
When the food came out, it was like Dawn of the Dead that we watched the night before. There were flesh wounds because our ravenous friends were biting at anything they could find.
During a game of Twister, I somehow ended up being Saran Wrapped. I don't remember if it was voluntary or not. Thank God that someone kept on poking holes in my mouth so that I could breathe. I guess I forgot about that part. It was fun for awhile but I think we ran outta Saran Wrap before they could finish my legs.
The only memory that's not fuzzy is the one where I can recall having a great time. Nights like that make me realize why I live in Madison.
How do you finish off a show like that when you're not ready to go to bed?
By hosting a bacchanal at the Sunspot HQ. That's why we bought a house in the first place. Have you ever partied at an apartment where you're worried about neighbors? That sucks and it really brings the obnoxiousness quotient down. They don't even let me in to apartment buildings anymore.
Taking a cue from The Nine Springs Manor's Halloween afterparty, my highlight of the evening was probably the taco bar that Wendy cooked up (and was also helped out by some of our drunken, hungry friends.) Three words- Squeezable sour cream (and you thought I was going to say Pet Shop Boys!) Wendy singlehandedly saved hours of clean up by getting that. Good thinking, girl! Nice work on the food, when it was just Ben and I staying up on Friday night and partying, the only thing we had to offer to our guests were Cheese Nips. And they were stale.
Plus, Brett's Nacho Monster has moved past the late-night munchies phase into a completely different realm of extraordinary culinary design altogether. It's like a colon-destroying work of art. And he always makes it vegetarian for me. I'm not going to let it get to his (admittedly) already supernaturally large head but fine work, all around.
When the food came out, it was like Dawn of the Dead that we watched the night before. There were flesh wounds because our ravenous friends were biting at anything they could find.
During a game of Twister, I somehow ended up being Saran Wrapped. I don't remember if it was voluntary or not. Thank God that someone kept on poking holes in my mouth so that I could breathe. I guess I forgot about that part. It was fun for awhile but I think we ran outta Saran Wrap before they could finish my legs.
The only memory that's not fuzzy is the one where I can recall having a great time. Nights like that make me realize why I live in Madison.
Saturday, January 08, 2005
Show at the King Club tonight!
Took in some jazz last night at Mother Fool's where AJ Love was performing. He's back to guitar now and it was nice, laidback, and sounded good.
Then, at the opposite end of the volume spectrum was the Awesome Car Funmaker show at The King Club where we'll be tonight. It was a good party, the music was fantastic. High energy, which I dig. Also, saw The Vanishing Kids and they had a cool Cure-like thing going on. They also had the drunkest merch guy I've ever seen at a show.
Got Taco Hell, came back, and watched Dawn of the Dead (the new version) and it still was pretty fucking scary. I hadn't seen it since it came out in March, and it holds up alright (even though some of the characters' actions still stretch believability.) Not as cool as the original, but the action pretty intense. It's two hours of watching zombies get the back of their heads blown off. It was kind of like a diet soda- All of the visceral pleasures of the violence of the original with none of the guilt of the social commentary! Plus, zombie movies rule.
Did I mention the show tonight? I'm fuckin' excited to play at home, we haven't had a show in Madison since my birthday show in November.
Then, at the opposite end of the volume spectrum was the Awesome Car Funmaker show at The King Club where we'll be tonight. It was a good party, the music was fantastic. High energy, which I dig. Also, saw The Vanishing Kids and they had a cool Cure-like thing going on. They also had the drunkest merch guy I've ever seen at a show.
Got Taco Hell, came back, and watched Dawn of the Dead (the new version) and it still was pretty fucking scary. I hadn't seen it since it came out in March, and it holds up alright (even though some of the characters' actions still stretch believability.) Not as cool as the original, but the action pretty intense. It's two hours of watching zombies get the back of their heads blown off. It was kind of like a diet soda- All of the visceral pleasures of the violence of the original with none of the guilt of the social commentary! Plus, zombie movies rule.
Did I mention the show tonight? I'm fuckin' excited to play at home, we haven't had a show in Madison since my birthday show in November.
Friday, January 07, 2005
Whataburger Wins!
Houston takes the cake! So to speak.
I always thought that Milwaukee was the fattest city in the US? Or maybe that Wisconsin is the most obese state (with a word like "obese" don't you just want to type in big, bubbly letters all jammed together?) I'm not sure if these guys have their facts right, I'm a little disappointed. Have these researchers ever been to Mukwonago? It's like a Weeble convention. Even that douchebag that wrote The South Beach Diet thinks that we're Numero Uno.
Wait, here, are the stats I was looking for. Nope, I don't even think we're in the Top 10. Damn, keep eatin' Mississippi, they get double orders of everything, even their consonants!
Sorry, that was dumb. I just saw the article at the top linked from Yahoo! and I was surprised at hearing that we cheese-eating, beer-swilling, and cow-loving Wisconsinites didn't have a city in the top tier of fatties. We're the home of Chris Farley, ferchristsake!
I always thought that Milwaukee was the fattest city in the US? Or maybe that Wisconsin is the most obese state (with a word like "obese" don't you just want to type in big, bubbly letters all jammed together?) I'm not sure if these guys have their facts right, I'm a little disappointed. Have these researchers ever been to Mukwonago? It's like a Weeble convention. Even that douchebag that wrote The South Beach Diet thinks that we're Numero Uno.
Wait, here, are the stats I was looking for. Nope, I don't even think we're in the Top 10. Damn, keep eatin' Mississippi, they get double orders of everything, even their consonants!
Sorry, that was dumb. I just saw the article at the top linked from Yahoo! and I was surprised at hearing that we cheese-eating, beer-swilling, and cow-loving Wisconsinites didn't have a city in the top tier of fatties. We're the home of Chris Farley, ferchristsake!
Only in Iowa
Here is a good story about a dirty old greeter at Wal-Mart. It happened in the place that is the exact opposite of all that is good and right in the world. Iowa, not Wal-Mart. Here's one man's opinion of why Iowa sucks balls. C'mon, their governor has "sack" right in his name! Does that not just scream suckage to you?
We hated Iowa for awhile because we had a string of awful shows in Iowa in 2001 and 2002, but things have picked up pretty nicely there since last summer. The first time we were at The Reverb in Cedar Falls (home of the fantastic House of Large Sizes, I think we have some pics from our show with them somewhere on the site... if not, we'll have to put them up) the show was a huge bomb that ended up with me calling every pizza place within 50 miles at 3 AM, seeing if they delivered, and then cussing them out if they said they weren't open. It was also the night that I discovered just because you're asleep doesn't mean you have to stop drinking.
The last two times there have been pretty good though, and we've met some cool people. Even the Christian rap-metal band (Jesus loves you, beeyatch!) we played with was a lot of fun. Anyway, it's taken a little while, but I'm warming up to those cornfuckers. I still don't want to see a picture of a naked greeter at the Des Moines Wal-Mart, though.
We hated Iowa for awhile because we had a string of awful shows in Iowa in 2001 and 2002, but things have picked up pretty nicely there since last summer. The first time we were at The Reverb in Cedar Falls (home of the fantastic House of Large Sizes, I think we have some pics from our show with them somewhere on the site... if not, we'll have to put them up) the show was a huge bomb that ended up with me calling every pizza place within 50 miles at 3 AM, seeing if they delivered, and then cussing them out if they said they weren't open. It was also the night that I discovered just because you're asleep doesn't mean you have to stop drinking.
The last two times there have been pretty good though, and we've met some cool people. Even the Christian rap-metal band (Jesus loves you, beeyatch!) we played with was a lot of fun. Anyway, it's taken a little while, but I'm warming up to those cornfuckers. I still don't want to see a picture of a naked greeter at the Des Moines Wal-Mart, though.
Fuel pump?
What the hell does that do?
Why does everything having to do with auto maintenance have to be un-fucking-godly expensive? My 2000 Cavalier (yeah, I know, what a sweet machine, ha) needs a new fuel pump and it's gonna cost $600 to get it and put it in? That's after no one could figure out the problem for a coupla days. That's alright, I took it to a mechanic I trust and it's not overpriced. I'm just venting. It's the week I paid off all my credit cards too. Well, back in the hole. My favorite part about this repair was knocking the headlight off the Cavalier with the Sunspot van as I was backing out of our driveway. Yep, I'm a fucking pro.
That's the price I pay for not really giving a shit about cars, I guess. I'd like to know about them, but I'm not sure I'm that interested enough to make it worth the time commitment involved.
I used to always think that doing it yourself was the best way because you end up knowing more and you'd save some money, but if you have to spend a coupla days working on something and you've gotta go through a trial-and-error process and then you also might fuck something up with your car because you aren't positive on what you're doing, then maybe isn't it worth having someone else do it? I think of all the time I've wasted trying to fix or do shit myself and I wish I had that time back for reading or spending time with people I care about.
I guess I'm not the kind of guy that gets satisfaction out of knowing that I did something myself, but it's only half as good as it could have been if someone else had done it. I can half-ass my way through almost anything (and have!) but if it's something important, maybe it should be handled by the best person for the job.
On a related note: I left the headlights on this morning on the van and now I have to get a jumpstart to be able to get home from work. Ha, I am an idiot.
Why does everything having to do with auto maintenance have to be un-fucking-godly expensive? My 2000 Cavalier (yeah, I know, what a sweet machine, ha) needs a new fuel pump and it's gonna cost $600 to get it and put it in? That's after no one could figure out the problem for a coupla days. That's alright, I took it to a mechanic I trust and it's not overpriced. I'm just venting. It's the week I paid off all my credit cards too. Well, back in the hole. My favorite part about this repair was knocking the headlight off the Cavalier with the Sunspot van as I was backing out of our driveway. Yep, I'm a fucking pro.
That's the price I pay for not really giving a shit about cars, I guess. I'd like to know about them, but I'm not sure I'm that interested enough to make it worth the time commitment involved.
I used to always think that doing it yourself was the best way because you end up knowing more and you'd save some money, but if you have to spend a coupla days working on something and you've gotta go through a trial-and-error process and then you also might fuck something up with your car because you aren't positive on what you're doing, then maybe isn't it worth having someone else do it? I think of all the time I've wasted trying to fix or do shit myself and I wish I had that time back for reading or spending time with people I care about.
I guess I'm not the kind of guy that gets satisfaction out of knowing that I did something myself, but it's only half as good as it could have been if someone else had done it. I can half-ass my way through almost anything (and have!) but if it's something important, maybe it should be handled by the best person for the job.
On a related note: I left the headlights on this morning on the van and now I have to get a jumpstart to be able to get home from work. Ha, I am an idiot.
Thursday, January 06, 2005
Joe Viterelli died?
When did he die? I just heard about this today. Where the Hell have I been?
I loved him in Analyze This and in Shallow Hal. Don't you people tell me anything?
I loved him in Analyze This and in Shallow Hal. Don't you people tell me anything?
The Annex During a Snowstorm
Got rowdy at The Annex last night during the wicked snowstorm. Wendy and I cabbed it #1 because we didn't want to drive in the snow and #2 because we wanted to take full advantage of the $10-all-you-can-drink special. Hot shit.
We went to the show to see Spinderson play, who we've done some shows with in the past. They cancelled because of the storm. There was a cool band from Rockford called Sugarfuse playing, though, so it was worth the trip. They were a lot of fun (They had me with a sexcellent version of "Talk Dirty To Me". Remember when BoRd used to cover that song?) and I bet we'd haev a lot of fun at a show together sometime. Plus, they covered "Swing, Swing" by The All-American Rejects, one of Oklahoma's finest bands. I love that song and I never hear it anymore, except on CDs that I burn myself, so I was pretty turgid about that.
Best moment of the night was when our buddy, Kevin (Punk Rock Sarah's brother), who used to work at The Annex and who had a birthday yesterday, rocked out so hard that he spilled all of his beer, broke his beerglass, and proceeded to slip on the beer and fall onto the stage. It almost looked like he planned it, I don't think Buster Keaton could have done it better.
Yeah, good times. Too bad Taco Hell shut its doors early on Whitney Way last night. They coulda made at least five bucks off of Wendy and I, we even sent the cabbie through the drive-thru, just in case. Oh well, I made some chili when I got home and the girl in the cube next to me just HAS to be hating life today. I should be fined by the EPA for air pollution.
We went to the show to see Spinderson play, who we've done some shows with in the past. They cancelled because of the storm. There was a cool band from Rockford called Sugarfuse playing, though, so it was worth the trip. They were a lot of fun (They had me with a sexcellent version of "Talk Dirty To Me". Remember when BoRd used to cover that song?) and I bet we'd haev a lot of fun at a show together sometime. Plus, they covered "Swing, Swing" by The All-American Rejects, one of Oklahoma's finest bands. I love that song and I never hear it anymore, except on CDs that I burn myself, so I was pretty turgid about that.
Best moment of the night was when our buddy, Kevin (Punk Rock Sarah's brother), who used to work at The Annex and who had a birthday yesterday, rocked out so hard that he spilled all of his beer, broke his beerglass, and proceeded to slip on the beer and fall onto the stage. It almost looked like he planned it, I don't think Buster Keaton could have done it better.
Yeah, good times. Too bad Taco Hell shut its doors early on Whitney Way last night. They coulda made at least five bucks off of Wendy and I, we even sent the cabbie through the drive-thru, just in case. Oh well, I made some chili when I got home and the girl in the cube next to me just HAS to be hating life today. I should be fined by the EPA for air pollution.
Tuesday, January 04, 2005
Of all the things Clear Channel has done...
... this boob job contest is probably the nicest, and people are protesting? That's totally ricockulous. These ladies knew what they were getting into. Why doesn't anyone protest Cosmopolitan? That mag's been making women feel bad about themselves since before I was born.
If you're totally new to the world of mass media consolidation, click here for a little primer.
But... a little truth here, we've taken Clear Channel shows before and we will continue to. Our music has also been played on Clear Channel stations and I hope, that will also continue. Let's be honest. Big business doesn't care about what's good art or music or not. In the past, local deejays might have served as gatekeepers of cutting the wheat from the chaff (even though, I think that's mostly a romanticized past, how about Payola?) Media consolidation is here now, and it's up to fans of local and original kinds of music to listen and pay attention. Clear Channel wants to make money, that's their job, not to determine what rocks and what doesn't. If there's a market to be profited from, they'll find it. So why don't we create it?
We have two local music shows in Madison, The Basement on WMAD and The Local Stage on WJJO. Both of these stations are owned by corporations and one of them by the "evil" Clear Channel, itself. Are you listening to those shows or are you listening to Ashlee Simpson?
People can bitch about the fact that corporate radio sucks ass. And much of it does, I mean, come on, they gave us Creed. For that alone, something needs to change. However, someone was listening to them. All corporate radio did was give people what they want. In essence, that's the way it probably should be. Sure, I'd rather have local deejays and local bands on the radio all the time (there's always WORT), but we need to be willing to listen to all of it and let's face it, sometimes local shit just sucks. Even the worst of the overprocesssed national pop crap and lame-o deejays at least isn't that hard on the ears. Are we willing to become our own quality controllers of what art to like and what not to?
If we don't like it, we don't have to buy what they're selling. They'll follow our tastes, not the other way around. The forces that create trends aren't media corporations (even though through overexposure they often destroy trends), they're the ones who demand something beyond the mainstream.
God, sorry, I didn't mean to get into that hippy-dippy "Think Globally, Act Locally" thing, but sometimes I think people bitch and moan without even thinking through what they're complaining about. I like to call those people douchebags.
If you're totally new to the world of mass media consolidation, click here for a little primer.
But... a little truth here, we've taken Clear Channel shows before and we will continue to. Our music has also been played on Clear Channel stations and I hope, that will also continue. Let's be honest. Big business doesn't care about what's good art or music or not. In the past, local deejays might have served as gatekeepers of cutting the wheat from the chaff (even though, I think that's mostly a romanticized past, how about Payola?) Media consolidation is here now, and it's up to fans of local and original kinds of music to listen and pay attention. Clear Channel wants to make money, that's their job, not to determine what rocks and what doesn't. If there's a market to be profited from, they'll find it. So why don't we create it?
We have two local music shows in Madison, The Basement on WMAD and The Local Stage on WJJO. Both of these stations are owned by corporations and one of them by the "evil" Clear Channel, itself. Are you listening to those shows or are you listening to Ashlee Simpson?
People can bitch about the fact that corporate radio sucks ass. And much of it does, I mean, come on, they gave us Creed. For that alone, something needs to change. However, someone was listening to them. All corporate radio did was give people what they want. In essence, that's the way it probably should be. Sure, I'd rather have local deejays and local bands on the radio all the time (there's always WORT), but we need to be willing to listen to all of it and let's face it, sometimes local shit just sucks. Even the worst of the overprocesssed national pop crap and lame-o deejays at least isn't that hard on the ears. Are we willing to become our own quality controllers of what art to like and what not to?
If we don't like it, we don't have to buy what they're selling. They'll follow our tastes, not the other way around. The forces that create trends aren't media corporations (even though through overexposure they often destroy trends), they're the ones who demand something beyond the mainstream.
God, sorry, I didn't mean to get into that hippy-dippy "Think Globally, Act Locally" thing, but sometimes I think people bitch and moan without even thinking through what they're complaining about. I like to call those people douchebags.
Monday, January 03, 2005
Something of Little Interest...
... to anyone but me, probably. But since we were talking about the whole Christmas thing before, I thought that this court decision was interesting. (WARNING: only click on that if you're interested in reading court decisions, otherwise it's a .PDF and you know what pains in the ass those are to load. Nice work, Adobe. Thanks for making Acrobat Reader a total resource pig!)
When I was living in La Crosse and working at their television sweat shop, WKBT (La Crosse's home of the LOW-ASS wage), the fact that someone was suing the city over a Ten Commandments monument in a city park was a big story. Yep, that's about how exciting news got there. I worked right across from the monument in Cameron Park and I lived by it, often passing it several times in a day. Sometimes on nice days, I even ate lunch there. In all the times I saw the thing, I never even noticed it was the Ten Commandments until somebody sued because looking at it caused them physical distress, I guess because Moses beat them up in junior high or something. Anyway, in a bold move, the city decided to sell that wee bit of property to the community group that put up the monument and make that section a "private park". That wasn't good enough, so the distressed parties sued the city again, well, this time they lost. And thank Jeebus, too. Let this story die.
I used to have to prowl the streets of La Crosse doing a man on the street asking about what people thought of the monument. Most people had first heard about the fucking thing through the news and didn't even know it was there. Of course, some enlightened douchebags from the university were offended by it, but since they also seemed offended by showering, I didn't take their comments to heart.
I don't really ponder much local La Crosse news anymore (even though doing news stories about blood drives was EXTREMELY exciting) but since I saw that court decision linked off a national site, it made me think about it a little.
When I was living in La Crosse and working at their television sweat shop, WKBT (La Crosse's home of the LOW-ASS wage), the fact that someone was suing the city over a Ten Commandments monument in a city park was a big story. Yep, that's about how exciting news got there. I worked right across from the monument in Cameron Park and I lived by it, often passing it several times in a day. Sometimes on nice days, I even ate lunch there. In all the times I saw the thing, I never even noticed it was the Ten Commandments until somebody sued because looking at it caused them physical distress, I guess because Moses beat them up in junior high or something. Anyway, in a bold move, the city decided to sell that wee bit of property to the community group that put up the monument and make that section a "private park". That wasn't good enough, so the distressed parties sued the city again, well, this time they lost. And thank Jeebus, too. Let this story die.
I used to have to prowl the streets of La Crosse doing a man on the street asking about what people thought of the monument. Most people had first heard about the fucking thing through the news and didn't even know it was there. Of course, some enlightened douchebags from the university were offended by it, but since they also seemed offended by showering, I didn't take their comments to heart.
I don't really ponder much local La Crosse news anymore (even though doing news stories about blood drives was EXTREMELY exciting) but since I saw that court decision linked off a national site, it made me think about it a little.
Sunspot HQ has a gas leak!
And it's not the usual Pedro's-induced kind.
So, after driving 24 hours home straight from our last show of the "That Was A Close Call" tour in Dallas (I'll talk about the tour soon, there's much to discuss), we arrive back at the house at about 1 o'clock in the morning. When we open the door, it smells like somebody shit their pants. I thought it was Ben, but I was wrong. Everyone was super fucking tired, but we didn't want to end up like this guy who got his ass totally blown up last year. So, we have to find the number for MG&E and call them in the middle of the night. After giving us a little bit of a hard time, they finally sent over Dan The Repairman to help us out. My favorite part was his little detector, it kinda looked like the nose of an anteater but it clicked like a Geiger Counter. That part was pretty cool, especially went it went fucking crazy by the kitchen. Looks like we had a bad connection from the stove to the gas pipe and over the time we were gone, the house filled up with gas. We're all cool now, at least, I'm pretty sure, but it was a really late night. The HQ is safe for now.
Read this (WARNING: another fricking .PDF) if you'd like to know what you're supposed to do in the case this happens to you.
Moral of the story: Electric's more expensive, but you don't blow up.
So, after driving 24 hours home straight from our last show of the "That Was A Close Call" tour in Dallas (I'll talk about the tour soon, there's much to discuss), we arrive back at the house at about 1 o'clock in the morning. When we open the door, it smells like somebody shit their pants. I thought it was Ben, but I was wrong. Everyone was super fucking tired, but we didn't want to end up like this guy who got his ass totally blown up last year. So, we have to find the number for MG&E and call them in the middle of the night. After giving us a little bit of a hard time, they finally sent over Dan The Repairman to help us out. My favorite part was his little detector, it kinda looked like the nose of an anteater but it clicked like a Geiger Counter. That part was pretty cool, especially went it went fucking crazy by the kitchen. Looks like we had a bad connection from the stove to the gas pipe and over the time we were gone, the house filled up with gas. We're all cool now, at least, I'm pretty sure, but it was a really late night. The HQ is safe for now.
Read this (WARNING: another fricking .PDF) if you'd like to know what you're supposed to do in the case this happens to you.
Moral of the story: Electric's more expensive, but you don't blow up.
Sunday, January 02, 2005
Sunspot Does Dallas (continued)
The way to Dallas was a little slow because everyone had stayed up really late the night before, but we perked up after the stop at Trophy's in Austin (I really dig the people at that place) and even sang the theme song to Dallas, the TV show when we got into town.
The band that played before us at the Across The Street Bar were called The Complete and Total Douchebags. Actually, I don't remember their real name but that's what they should have been called for taking off before(!) we started. I even let them use my bass when their bassplayer broke his E string. Obviously, they've never heard of karma. Oh well, they actually sounded pretty good. If I remembered their name, I'd link to their site.
Click here for some pics from the show. The place was really cool. The whole time we played, Phil the booking guy, was sitting right in front of the stage, looking stone-faced. I was thinking to myself, "this dude fucking hates us!" But right after the show he came up to us and was as complimentary as could be. What a sincerely nice guy and a cool room, I'd definitely come back there again.
We had a great time and seeing our good friends Rikki and Jeff and meeting their friend, Cat, really made my night. We haven't seen them in a long time and because the bonding experience of The Burning Flipside is so intense, we missed them a lot. I can't wait to return.
The band that played before us at the Across The Street Bar were called The Complete and Total Douchebags. Actually, I don't remember their real name but that's what they should have been called for taking off before(!) we started. I even let them use my bass when their bassplayer broke his E string. Obviously, they've never heard of karma. Oh well, they actually sounded pretty good. If I remembered their name, I'd link to their site.
Click here for some pics from the show. The place was really cool. The whole time we played, Phil the booking guy, was sitting right in front of the stage, looking stone-faced. I was thinking to myself, "this dude fucking hates us!" But right after the show he came up to us and was as complimentary as could be. What a sincerely nice guy and a cool room, I'd definitely come back there again.
We had a great time and seeing our good friends Rikki and Jeff and meeting their friend, Cat, really made my night. We haven't seen them in a long time and because the bonding experience of The Burning Flipside is so intense, we missed them a lot. I can't wait to return.
Day 7 - Sunspot Does Dallas
1/1/05 @ Across the Street Bar
We left San Antonio at 1:00 PM Saturday, taking I-35 back up to Austin. We planned on stopping at Trophy’s in Austin again, because Thursday night we had been invited back to play at a barbecue that afternoon.
When we got to Trophy’s, things were looking very quiet and laid back. Everyone was recovering from the party of the night before, so instead of having the bbq we just hung out, had some burgers and beer with Colby, Ellie, Clay, and a bunch of other people we met there.
Then we drove to Dallas. Ben worked his butt off to get this show set up at the last minute so that we’d have a Saturday night show before heading back to Wisconsin. The place is called the Across the Street Bar, and we really didn’t know anything about it except that Phil, who booked the show, was willing to let us play on short notice. With the name “Across the Street Bar,” we weren’t sure what we were getting into, but it really didn’t matter; we were just excited for our first performance in Dallas.
The Across the Street Bar turned out being much cooler than its name might suggest. It is an enormous converted garage that could probably hold about 500 people. There’s a nice big stage on one end, and the walls are covered with murals, including portraits of Marilyn Monroe and Jimi Hendrix.
Our friends Rikki and Jeff, whom we first met in person at the Burning Flipside festival outside of Austin a couple years ago, came to the show with their friend, Kat. It was wonderful to see them and nice to have some support for our show, since we had had absolutely no time to do any promotion for this one (since it was only confirmed a day prior). There were a few local bands playing before we took the stage, so we had a couple of hours to hang out with our friends before it was time for our set.
Right before we started, the local bands and all their friends completely evacuated the place (thanks, guys!), leaving us with a somewhat sparse but extremely enthusiastic crowd. The performance felt absolutely awesome. That’s one of the things I love most about touring and doing several shows on consecutive nights. It’s the combination of a ton of playing and the whole spending every waking minute together that gets the band chemistry into a groove where you just work together better than normal. The only thing that really sucked was realizing that this was the last date of this tour, and that we’d have to wait another week for our next show.
We left San Antonio at 1:00 PM Saturday, taking I-35 back up to Austin. We planned on stopping at Trophy’s in Austin again, because Thursday night we had been invited back to play at a barbecue that afternoon.
When we got to Trophy’s, things were looking very quiet and laid back. Everyone was recovering from the party of the night before, so instead of having the bbq we just hung out, had some burgers and beer with Colby, Ellie, Clay, and a bunch of other people we met there.
Then we drove to Dallas. Ben worked his butt off to get this show set up at the last minute so that we’d have a Saturday night show before heading back to Wisconsin. The place is called the Across the Street Bar, and we really didn’t know anything about it except that Phil, who booked the show, was willing to let us play on short notice. With the name “Across the Street Bar,” we weren’t sure what we were getting into, but it really didn’t matter; we were just excited for our first performance in Dallas.
The Across the Street Bar turned out being much cooler than its name might suggest. It is an enormous converted garage that could probably hold about 500 people. There’s a nice big stage on one end, and the walls are covered with murals, including portraits of Marilyn Monroe and Jimi Hendrix.
Our friends Rikki and Jeff, whom we first met in person at the Burning Flipside festival outside of Austin a couple years ago, came to the show with their friend, Kat. It was wonderful to see them and nice to have some support for our show, since we had had absolutely no time to do any promotion for this one (since it was only confirmed a day prior). There were a few local bands playing before we took the stage, so we had a couple of hours to hang out with our friends before it was time for our set.
Right before we started, the local bands and all their friends completely evacuated the place (thanks, guys!), leaving us with a somewhat sparse but extremely enthusiastic crowd. The performance felt absolutely awesome. That’s one of the things I love most about touring and doing several shows on consecutive nights. It’s the combination of a ton of playing and the whole spending every waking minute together that gets the band chemistry into a groove where you just work together better than normal. The only thing that really sucked was realizing that this was the last date of this tour, and that we’d have to wait another week for our next show.
Saturday, January 01, 2005
Day 6 - Another New Year at Bond's in San Antonio
12/31/04 @ Bond's 007 Rock Bar
Before leaving Austin, we made a quick stop over at Dario’s to help him and his roommate move a couch into their apartment. Then we hit I-35 towards San Antonio. We stopped just outside of San An for some Texas barbecue at a place called Rudy’s that was dee-lish (even though they advertise themselves as the “worst” BBQ).
When we got to San Antonio, the excitement of New Year’s Eve hit. The town was totally alive and hopping with people, many of whom were all decked out for the occasion. Luckily, Priceline landed us a cheap hotel right downtown so we were in the center of the action and only about a mile from the venue. Downtown San Antonio looked absolutely gorgeous, with Christmas lights and decorations still up along the River Walk. One of the main streets was closed off for the New Year’s Eve festival, with bands playing on outdoor stages, street vendors, carnival rides, etc. The temperature couldn’t have been more perfect, at about 70 degrees.
Mike and Ben and I took the equipment over to Bond’s 007 Rock Bar. It was great returning and seeing some of the people we met there last New Year’s Eve (Bill, J.T., Tiny, Robert). They seemed excited that we were back, and of course we were thrilled to be back. That place really does rock and they are super supportive of independent and local music (not to mention, they love to party!). They had made some pretty big changes to the stage since last year – it was extended by about 3 feet on the front and on the side, plus they added a nice sturdy drum riser. They also upgraded the sound system.
There wasn’t any parking for the trailer at our hotel, so we left the van and trailer at Bond’s and walked back to the hotel. The walk took us right through the heart of San Antonio and past the Alamo, which was illuminated and looking impressive as always. It was a great walk, until one of the horses pulling a carriage got spooked and fell over. For a second we thought we were going to be part of a “Real TV” segment, because people were screaming and freaking out... I turned around and saw Ben hauling ass in the opposite direction, and I decided that was a pretty good idea so I followed suit, as did Mike. Thankfully no one was trampled and the horse appeared to be okay after the incident.
We met up with the crew at the hotel, had a celebratory champagne toast with some beautiful champagne glasses that Morgan and Sherri had custom made with each of our names and “Happy New Year 2005” painted on them. Then we went back to Bond’s, where the show was underway. The first two bands were extremely different in style from us, with the first band (Dark Park) being death metal/screamo and the second band (Lucid Dementia) being goth/industrial. Lucid Dementia had some really creative stage antics including a life-sized skeleton like puppet thing that sang along with some of their songs.
We celebrated the ringing in of 2005, and then went on stage at around 12:30 AM. Our first show of the New Year was a blast up until the very last song, when Ben took a spill from the drum riser. I had a terrifying flashback to the Knee Dislocation Incident of 1996, when Ben fell in the middle of band practice and we had to call 911. It was a relief to find out that he had sprained his ankle this time (which still sucked a lot, but wasn’t nearly as painful for him as the other accident). We picked Ben up off the floor, loaded the van and trailer, and then I drove everybody back to the hotel. Then, Sherri, Mike, and I drove back to Bond’s, parked the van, and started walking back. Unfortunately, my great idea of taking a “shortcut” via the Riverwalk resulted in about 45 minutes of unnecessary walking for us – OOPS. But the Riverwalk was absolutely incredible, and by this time of night (it was nearly 4:00 AM) the New Year revelers were off the streets so it was really still and quiet. I’ll post some pictures when I get a chance.
Before leaving Austin, we made a quick stop over at Dario’s to help him and his roommate move a couch into their apartment. Then we hit I-35 towards San Antonio. We stopped just outside of San An for some Texas barbecue at a place called Rudy’s that was dee-lish (even though they advertise themselves as the “worst” BBQ).
When we got to San Antonio, the excitement of New Year’s Eve hit. The town was totally alive and hopping with people, many of whom were all decked out for the occasion. Luckily, Priceline landed us a cheap hotel right downtown so we were in the center of the action and only about a mile from the venue. Downtown San Antonio looked absolutely gorgeous, with Christmas lights and decorations still up along the River Walk. One of the main streets was closed off for the New Year’s Eve festival, with bands playing on outdoor stages, street vendors, carnival rides, etc. The temperature couldn’t have been more perfect, at about 70 degrees.
Mike and Ben and I took the equipment over to Bond’s 007 Rock Bar. It was great returning and seeing some of the people we met there last New Year’s Eve (Bill, J.T., Tiny, Robert). They seemed excited that we were back, and of course we were thrilled to be back. That place really does rock and they are super supportive of independent and local music (not to mention, they love to party!). They had made some pretty big changes to the stage since last year – it was extended by about 3 feet on the front and on the side, plus they added a nice sturdy drum riser. They also upgraded the sound system.
There wasn’t any parking for the trailer at our hotel, so we left the van and trailer at Bond’s and walked back to the hotel. The walk took us right through the heart of San Antonio and past the Alamo, which was illuminated and looking impressive as always. It was a great walk, until one of the horses pulling a carriage got spooked and fell over. For a second we thought we were going to be part of a “Real TV” segment, because people were screaming and freaking out... I turned around and saw Ben hauling ass in the opposite direction, and I decided that was a pretty good idea so I followed suit, as did Mike. Thankfully no one was trampled and the horse appeared to be okay after the incident.
We met up with the crew at the hotel, had a celebratory champagne toast with some beautiful champagne glasses that Morgan and Sherri had custom made with each of our names and “Happy New Year 2005” painted on them. Then we went back to Bond’s, where the show was underway. The first two bands were extremely different in style from us, with the first band (Dark Park) being death metal/screamo and the second band (Lucid Dementia) being goth/industrial. Lucid Dementia had some really creative stage antics including a life-sized skeleton like puppet thing that sang along with some of their songs.
We celebrated the ringing in of 2005, and then went on stage at around 12:30 AM. Our first show of the New Year was a blast up until the very last song, when Ben took a spill from the drum riser. I had a terrifying flashback to the Knee Dislocation Incident of 1996, when Ben fell in the middle of band practice and we had to call 911. It was a relief to find out that he had sprained his ankle this time (which still sucked a lot, but wasn’t nearly as painful for him as the other accident). We picked Ben up off the floor, loaded the van and trailer, and then I drove everybody back to the hotel. Then, Sherri, Mike, and I drove back to Bond’s, parked the van, and started walking back. Unfortunately, my great idea of taking a “shortcut” via the Riverwalk resulted in about 45 minutes of unnecessary walking for us – OOPS. But the Riverwalk was absolutely incredible, and by this time of night (it was nearly 4:00 AM) the New Year revelers were off the streets so it was really still and quiet. I’ll post some pictures when I get a chance.
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