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.

Monday Recap: Hostile Combover, Dragged By Horses, The Long and Short Of It @ Ken Club 10/15/07

I couldn't be more thrilled that there was an awesome show at the Ken Club on a Monday night, and even more thrilled that a decent sized crowd turned out to see it. I remember asking Ben a while ago why his bands were playing on a Monday night, and why at the Ken (where there aren't normally shows on weeknights), and he was so emphatic in his belief in Dragged By Horses that he set the whole thing up, and I knew it was a show I wouldn't miss.

I also knew that a Monday night show at the Ken Club meant I had to get myself over there a little earlier than usual because there are still neighbors, and out of respect the show couldn't be a typical Ken Club show where the "headliner" hits the stage well after midnight. This was definitely an exception to the regular weeknights at the Ken, but proof that if there's a good lineup, people will come.

First up was Hostile Combover who brought their melodic hardcore to the stage. All that shit about a "muddy" sound in the Ken Club didn't matter tonight, because the band brought it and brought it hard and loud. Even Ben's mom was there rockin out.









Next up was Dragged By Horses from Humboldt county. The singer, Pablo, won me off the bat with his shirt that said "Que La Chinga" which he later told me was the drummer's old band. Their music was still hard, but the vocals were clear, and I especially liked to hear their songs in Spanish... Hardcore en Espanol if you will. It didn't take long to get into the band and their sound, and to understand why the guys in Hostile Combover and The Long And Short of It were such fans.









The bands were good about quick stage changeovers, and while the bar wasn't packed by any stretch of the imagination, it was actually great to see the bar side of the Ken Club more or less empty while everyone was on the band side of the club.

Closing out the night was The Long And Short Of It and Ben is the ultimate stage man. It's funny that even though we're friendly enough with one another, when he's onstage I get the same feelings as when I saw Henry Rollins at ComicCon- like here's this amazing guy with amazing stage presence and how are we this lucky for him to play for us? To be right there in front of us? Eh, call me the blogging journalist groupie I guess, but the whole show was just phenomenal and I'm pretty sure everyone else in the room felt the same way.

Pink ELephant Confirms First Shows

The Spits, Friday, Aug.17. $5
Hostile Combover, Thursday, Aug. 23. Free show
Bob Log III, Monday, Sept. 10. Free show

I can't wait to see the Spits again...

Thursday Recap: Benefit for Free Radio San Diego 96.9

I really intended to hit three shows last night, but when I realized I had forgotten my camera and I only had half hour to get to UCSD, get a permit, get parking, and get to Porter's Pub, I knew it was just not gonna happen. Oh, and did I mention my empty gastank? So no, I did not see Great Glass Elevator or the Modlins. At that point, I took all of it as a sign that I should just stay close to home, and decided to skip What Made Milwaukee Famous at the House of Blues, too, and from what I've heard, I missed a good time, but sometimes it's just gotta be that way.

So my night instead involved me watching Gray's Anatomy for the first time this season. It was a special two hour episode to spin off a new show following Addison as she moves to California. After missing the whole season, it took about two seconds to catch up and I realized I don't miss not watching Gray's. Though the fact that I watched all two hours just shows I don't like to leave things incomplete. (This also explains why I've banned myself from the Lifetime network. Two minutes of bad acting and predicatable plotlines and I'm hooked.)

After that and catching a beer buzz (gotta watch the spending), I walked to the Ken Club for another Free Radio San Diego benefit. I missed Barfer again, as well as Lilith Velkor, but bounced between the show and the bar for Chaz, Vena Cava, and Hostile Combover.

I liked Chaz, kinda poppy punk, but easily digestable. They had two dudes in cloaks onstage dancing behind them at one point, and then released 2 garbage bags full of helium balloons with confetti in them. Fortunately, I was not confetti-ed because how would I have explained that one at the day job?







Vena Cava was great as usual, though they were rocking the stage so much, the drum mics kept shifting and required adjustment. I tried to get a good pic of Big P, but no such luck.





The night was finshed off by Hostile Combover and just watching Ben go nuts is always fun. I had almost left the house without my earplugs but thankfully I remembered or my ears would be ringing all weekend. The room thinned a little because it was well after 1 when they finished. By the looks of things, Free Radio did pretty well getting some cash for their station and by the amount of empty glasses, I think the bar did well, too.





There are bound to be some complaints, so I do wanna say that I love the Ken Club and I treat it like I have a vested interest in its success. I don't work there, but it's not unusual to see me collecting empty glasses, covering the door, and getting refills of TP and paper towels for the women's restroom. But last night was ridiculous, not at the fault of the bar, but I blame the chicks. Seriously, are girls such pigs? I hadn't used the bathroom all night because the line was always long but at the end of the night, I went in and OMG. ew. The toilet was totally clogged (thankfully with just paper) and about to pour over the edge. Here's what I don't understand: there is a plunger RIGHT. NEXT. TO. THE. TOILET. Are chicks too stupid to know how to use it, or think they're somehow above using it at a bar, or are they just too fucking lazy to let one of the bartenders know there's a problem? You mean to tell me that you would rather squat in the guy's bathroom with no lock on the door than use a plunger? Disgusted, I took care of it, which was literally thirty seconds of my life. If you're one of the chicks who went in there at some point in the night when the toilet wasn't flushing, I have a little link for you here.

Happy weekend everyone. I feel like I'm getting sick, so I'm probably sticking close to home this weekend, but you might catch me out here and there. Ciao...

Anti-Monday League Photos: Hostile Combover, Bob Wayne and His Outlaw Carnies, Waxy

Hostile Combover:






Bob Wayne & The Outlaw Carnies:










Waxy:





You can really only see the kick drum. Sorry.