Tuesday, November 06, 2007

Halloween At Black Box Recording Studio: Hostile Combover, Prize Country, Sirhan Sirhan

I finally got my Halloween pics to upload. Sheesh, Photobucket. (By the way, super shout out to Kim, an SD:Dialed In reader who donated to this site a couple weeks ago. Her contribution has been used for a Photobucket upgrade for this site)

I completely intended to hit up Black Box on Halloween to catch Hostile Combover, then head to the Casbah for Grand Ole Party and the rest of the locals there. But things always change. I went to Blackbox and nobody was really there when I got there, so I went to Turf Club to meet Andrea and some friends, then an hour later we went back to Black Box. It ended up being such a good time, I stayed through the end of the show.

There were a group of bicyclists? cyclists? bikers? who all decided to dress like skeletons (Karate Kid?) taking mass group pictures in the alley as we approached Black Box. If you haven't been to any of the shows here, keep an eye and ear out and get there next time there's a show. Black Box is located in the heart of Golden Hill and it's accessible through the alley behind 7-11. Enter the gate where the bands park their vans and people are hanging around in a sort of BYOB way, though I would recommend against the giant communal Black Velvet passed among some of the crowd. Most people at the show were in costumes, though I have to admit I'm a pooper and didn't dress up. What was funny was that people not in costumes were handed black trash bags to wear as they wished. Apparently in my Wisconsin Badgers hoodie, my over the shoulder cooler, and my coozy to keep my beers cold, and that was enough costume to not warrant a bag over my head.

Eventually the show started and Hostile Combover had great makeup for their costumes, with brains oozing out of the top of their heads.

















The band killed as always, and the set was just long enough to get a nice haze of heat and energy through the crowd. When a performance takes place in a sound studio, you can't really ask for better sound.

When they finished there was a break as they unloaded, then Prize Country took the stage in their flannel jammmies. Their set got the crowd pushing and moshing and occassionally knocking over mics, but in a situation like this, the crowd is pretty good at self-monitoring and helping the people who were getting pushed down, or who merely slipped on the spilled PBR that was in various spots on the floor. One chick dressed as a pregnant chick kept falling and I liked how she stayed in character, kinda holding her back as she'd get back up and fall over all over again.

Prize Country were here a few months ago at the Casbah and had also played at the Zombie Lounge the night before and kept saying how much they love San Diego. Well, we love Prize Country, too.









Last up of the night were Sirhan Sirhan, and they were loud and aggressive and they too had the crowd really into their set, though by this time, the room was steamy and people seemed to be spread evenly between watching the show inside and those who were drinking and hanging around outside. The first time I saw Sirhan Sirhan, the singer was in this dress. Me thinks he really likes the blue dress. But he wears it well, or I should say, he rocks it well.














Eventually the band finished and I scooted off to get my share of sleep before my first day of work. It was good times and I look forward to the next Black Box show. I also look forward to seeing the Long and Short Of It in a couple weeks at the Pink Elephant for Swami Sunday Mass, because any chance to see Ben go nuts on stage, wheter on vox or behind the kit, is always a great time.

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