Sunday, December 10, 2006

Recap 3: 94/9 Holiday Hootenanny

I don't even know where to start with this show. I was asked by Owen what I was gonna say and I told him it was the single best radio station hosted show I've ever been to. When asked to elaborate I did, and so I will here for you now, too.

I picked Andrea up by 5 and we were on our way to the show. I grabbed a great spot but as we walked to the venue saw a huge line as the doors weren't opened just yet. We instead grabbed our 21+ wristbands and called Mike, the Facilities Manager who we'd met on Sunday. We met him by the box office and he let us enter the venue through the VIP badge entrance. Mike, you're the best!

We went through the venue into the beer garden area. UCSD is normally a dry campus for events so whatever strings were pulled to let this happen need to be pulled for future events. We quickly ran into Owen and Tim Pyles. Pyles had an extra VIP pass which he allowed us to use for some complimentary adult beverages. We chatted with Lyn Chickrawker for a while and then watched The Delta Spirit.

I have seen them before but let's just say I've always been a little less than sober, so this was my first time really taking them in. They have a great southern rock with a touch of gospel feel and it was clear why they are so tight with Cold War Kids. I really enjoyed their set, but some of their songs are a bit too Christian for me. I don't have a problem with a band being Christian, but I enjoy a bit more subtlety in lyrics. Like if you read the CWK lyrics, you have to understand the biblical undertones to even notice them. The Delta Spirit on the other hand are very much about "I can't wait, the Lord is coming" and that's just really not my thing. Still, the music is solid and a lot of people in the crowd were dancing and grooving to the tunes. I grabbed their set list so here's that(as it's written):

Tom G, People Come On,Street Walker, Around,I Am Waiting, French Q, Children Stay Away, Motivation, Time All You People

We stayed in the garden for some time. Pete Yorn was hanging out in the VIP area, so Pyles snapped a picture of us together. When I asked if I could snap a picture with him, he kinda looked at me like I was speaking Chinese and then he checked the pass around my neck. We snapped the shot and then he pointed to the "no smoking" sign behind us...I guess I annoyed him. Then he told me he wasn't really checking my pass but my Liar's Club sweatshirt...he has a friend in Chicago(or somewhere) who owns a bar by the same name. Getting the feeling he didn't wanna chat, I thanked him and bailed the tent. We talked a while with Beth from the Belly Up and her roommate John. Tim also introduced me to a couple other radio people including Garrett, the morning show host on 94/9. Tim is always really good about introducing people while it never occurs to other people to do so, so it is definitely appreciated. Andrea was getting well lubricated on the red wine, so I said my "see ya laters" and went in to catch Silversun Pickups. The show ran a little late...they were supposed to start at 6:30 but still hadn't hit the stage by 7. I maneuvered up toward the front side of the stage but decided to take a seat in the unmonitored VIP seating area. I sat in the second row until I smelled something. Turns out the guy two seats down barfed and bailed. Ew. I went back down to the floor to watch the show.

This is now my third time seeing SSPU. I never thought I would like a band better in an arena than in a small venue but that's exactly how I felt about their set. They only played for a half hour but it was great and while the floor wasn't exactly packed yet, a lot of people were into them. What is kinda funny to me is that "Little Lover's So Polite" is the single in LA, while 94/9 has been spinning "Lazy Eye", so obviosuly this crowd went crazy for Lazy Eye. (See Chickrawker's blog for set list)

As soon as they finished I made a bee line to the beer garden and managed to not be without beverage the entire time. A light drizzle started to come down and after 15 or 20 minutes in the garden, a heavy rain poured down. People get all crazy when it rains, why I will never understand. I mean, I guess I'm not exactly the sandals and dress wearing type, so my clothes can pretty much withstand the elements. I was trying to find where our pass had gone, but to no avail, so I headed into the venue to catch Pete Yorn back up in the front, this time with Andrea, Dustin, Andrew and Matt. Pete Yorn's cousin Westerns tours with him, sells merch, shoots videos and pictures, and always posts the set list on MySpace.

Here is his set list: life on a chain, for us, when you see the light, undercover, black, how do you go on, closet, georgie boy, for nancy

Again when the band finished, we headed to the Garden. Is it clear that I loved the Garden?On our way there, Dustin and I bumped into Nikki from SSPU and talked to her a couple minutes and complimented their set. In the garden, the station had equipment set up to play music and broadcast the concert on multiple televisions, but apparently the rain created technical issues. They had turned on the field lights, probably so people could see the wet grass beneath their feet and avoid mud. A lot of people seemed to be really enjoying the beergarden. We witnessed a guy pee out in the open trying to act like nothing was happening. I bumped into Nick Montes and Hellman and Troy Johnson so it made me wonder if every other spot in San Diego was completely abandoned.

Eventually it was time for the Shins. We sat up in the seating area for their set and were kinda surprised that people were crowd surfing. Really? For the Shins? Weird. Anyway, it was a good set though the band commented that it was clear a lot of people already had their new album, not to be released until Jan 20. I am guilty myself but I feel like if I'm gonna buy the actual album anyway, what's the diff if I have a bootleg now and talk about how much I love it? They played a good mix from all their albums and if my neck wasn't killing me from bad sleep, I would've been even more into their set.

We went back outside but the garden was closing. We still hung around a while as people filtered into the venue for Modest Marr. We went back to our spot near the front but this over eager idiot seemed to not notice anyone around him and was bumping me. It was either move or punch the guy in the face, so Dustin, Andrea and I sat in the front row behind the soundboard. I have never seen Modest Mouse live but I was really impressed. They had two full drumsets on stage which made for a really rich heavy sound. Still, it was late, and while I'm not the kind of person who leaves a ballgame in the 7th inning to avoid traffic, it had begun to pour outside and my old beater doesn't have a defroster.

Dustin laid on top of my bike in the back of my car while Andrea slept in the front seat as I drove while wiping my windshield with a towel most of the ride. We went to the Beauty Bar, but only in time for a couple Vinyl Radio songs. Bobby, the drummer, was soaked from the rain leaking in on the edge of the tent. Puddles were forming in the back patio. I had no cash on me and decided I'd rather spend my dinero at the Ken Club than open a tab and have to spend $20 at the really crowded Beauty Bar, so I made sure everyone had a ride home, and I headed to my house, put on some dry socks and shoes, and headed to the bar, hitting the ATM across the street.

I hung out on the bar side for a bit but one of the tv's had this horrible Rodeo World Championship on that I just couldn't stomach, so I went to see who was playing and it was Dan Padilla (the band not the man). Gene was on drums on the stage (topless, I might add) and the guitarist and bassist were playing on the floor in front of the stage. I've seen them a few times and never get over how much they remind me of old Fluf crossed with some of the old faster punk like early Pennywise (though that probably is completely unflattering to the band). Definitely check them out when you get the chance. Oh, except keep and eye out, because even though there weren't a whole lot of people watching the band, several beer bottles were shattered, there was pushing and shoving that looked like a fight but was really among friends, and some extremely trashed patrons talking shit.

I hope it is clear why today I really, really, slept in. Time to go watch the Chargers clinch #1...

2 comments:

adamg said...

I am shocked and dismayed that there is no mention of you quizzing me and some random girl what the space between the balls and asshole is called. "Not the taint!" said Andrea.

Rosemary Bystrak said...

NIFKIN!

As I read your comment it came to me. I kept saying "gerkin". Phew! Glad that one is settled.