Friday Recap: The Spits, Creepy Creeps, Nihilist @ Ken Club

I knew Friday was gonna get nutty, but I had no idea that the Ken Club could get that berserk. I got dropped off after visiting with my family around 8:30 pm and the bar was already packed as we passed by. An hour later when I headed over, there was a mob outside, random regulars working the door, people trying to "yo, Bro! " their way into the bar. I maneuvered into the bar side. The Dissimilars were already playing but there was no way to get in at that point of the night as they were still assessing how to handle crowd control. The problem was that there were 100 wristbands distributed by Pacific Drive skate shop (and others?) so the club had to limit the amount of non-wristband wearing patrons into the bar so the people with wristbands essentially got their places held. In retrospect, the whole thing seemed like a bad deal, because honestly it wasn't that crowded in either the bar side or the band side...I mean, no more than any other Spits show and still not packed like New Year's or anything like that. Yeah, it was hot as hell, but it was tolerable.

Anyway, I missed The Dissimilars, but made my way into the band room after they finished, in time to see Nihilist. I don't know that I can say I've ever watched a straight up metal band, but they were and they were so proud of it, they even had some song about "poseur nu metal" and "sissy metal". For me a novelty act, but it was fun, nonetheless. Unfortunately I realized my earplugs were at home on my key ring, so I thought my eardrums were gonna explode as I took pics, but I came out reatively unscathed.



I mean, look at this drum kit. Mind you, this is the Ken Club, not Cox Arena...





There were a few people up front living the dream...



I was happy to see Sandra had secured the front booth for us for the evening, so it was nice to not have to fight the crowd for a good spot. Between bands we passed the time taking retarded pics.







Other people passed the time in more creative ways.



The Creepy Creeps were up next and again, there was space in the room, but not much. I like the Creepy's brand of surf rock and there were several requests by the band for people to dance. "Not mosh or slam, just real dancing" but try telling a bunch of testosterone filled dudes to dance. Ain't gonna happen. I've seen the Creepy Creeps don several costumes in the past...this night takes the cake just for how insanely hot it was in the room.



They had their go go dancers getting the boys happy.



The crowd was energized, and usually I'm not a fan of fog machines, but somehow it tricked the brain to think it wasn't as hot in the room as it really was.



I didn't get setlists, but I did get some pics of them.


Creepy Creeps Setlist, 8/10/07, Ken Club

At around 11, the bar had to stop allowing ins and outs because it was just getting too crazy. I was going home to use my bathroom because the line at the bar was crazy and when I got back, was hanging outside when they came out and told people that if they didn't have a stamp and they didn't have a wristband, they needed to leave and find somewhere else to go because they were not going to get in. I made my way back inside and wondered how the hell the Pink Elephant is going to handle crowd control on their inaugural show this week with the Spits.

I was actually surprised when the Spits started that they weren't costumed. I've seen them sport bunny costumes, and more than a couple times with the ex-president masks, but I guess the heat of the room won.










The Spits Setlist, 8/10/07, Ken Club

Their set was high energy and I thought it was cute that as I maneuvered around the pit to take pictures, Craig scolded me to get out of the pit and that I would get hurt. I eventually gave in and got out and went back to our group that had swelled to several people and many many drinks. It was a really fun night. For anyone wondering if Danny Way was actually there, I have no idea. And I don't really care. We made our own party out of all of it.

Ken Club Tonight is Going to be Insane

Danny Way jumping the Great Wall of China

Tonight the Ken Club is going to get kuh-razy. It's not enough that there's a stellar lineup of bands that already draw huge on their own- I mean The Spits, The Creepy Creeps, and The Dissimilars- awesome. But it's also a party for one of the greatest skaters ever, Mr. Danny Way. So I'll be there, stumbling and mumbling, and feeling like an old lady around all the kids, but I'm gonna love every second of it. I mean even if there was none of that, I'd still be there just to see what Jimmy The Worm (Dissimilars) is wearing:

Monday Recap: Dissimilars, Rat City Riot, Hell On Heels

I have to admit that I've never been uncomfortable at the Ken Club like I was when I first walked in on Monday night. All the made up rockabilly chicks and the punk rock boys and all I could think some of those punk board shit talkers were present. But whatever, I found my friends and a spot at the bar and Todd treated me to a shot and I was all good. When I got there, Rich White Males were playing in the other room. Apparently the drummer from the Postals was sick and they had to cancel, but I didn't make it over there to catch them. I did, however, make sure I went to see Jimmy and the Dissimilars. I hadn't seen him which was a definite indication that there was a special costume waiting besides his typical tighty whities. And the thing about the Dissimilars is that they're not just gimmick...they're really freaking good.








The bar was packed, especially for a Monday night. I actually considered staying home for the night but I'm glad I didn't. I hadn't seen Rat City Riot in a very long time and they killed it, too. I like the interactivity of the punk bands, jumping in the crowd, letting the crowd sing. Takes me back to the House of Suffering days in Mitch's garage/basement. And it makes me wanna punch something, and lately, that's kinda the release I need.





Here's a picture of Jimmy- not in a dress...


I didn't really plan on staying but Jim and Sandra were there, and then former Ken Club bartenders Bryant and Junior (the discopunk) showed up and it all reminded me of good times. So I stayed. It was Pete's 32nd birthday, so there was a special appearance:





And Tony said he doesn't read my stupid blog, so I thought I'd post a picture of him so Rob will send him the link... then maybe he'll glance at it.



The night closed out with a show from the Hell on Heels burlesque troupe and I wasn't gonna take pictures but everyone else was and some dude had a gigantic flash at the stage so the lighting wasn't as abyssmal as it usually is. For the record, I've told Brett at least two times that half the stage lights are out. And red bulbs suck. But whatever. At least they painted the busted up wall...









I was actually glad I saw Hell on Heels, because my last experience seeing them was at the crappy Honey Bee Hive. I took some out of town friends there after a House of Blues show. The sound sucked, there was a $10 cover, and the stupid ass bartender decided that since there were so few people there, he was going to close the bar early, swiping our cover charge and booting us out after being there less than an hour...so I was a bit bitter. Anyway, I can now appreciate what these girls are doing and from the reaction of guys around me ("that is the most amazing thing I've ever seen!"), clearly people appreciate the flirty dancing and strip teases the girls do.

Anyway, it was a good night and I think Pete had a good time, despite the fact that he was working. It was also indicative of the crowd a bar can pull any night of the week if there's the right reason to go out. Pyles learned that with Anti Monday League and hopefully other bars get it together on nights other than just Friday and Saturday. I was told the Beauty Bar is going to start hosting Monday night open jam sessions and while I'm happy they're trying, I just don't see that being a lucrative night for that kind of venue. But I guess time will tell. It would just be nice if there were more early week options instead of just karaoke. Tonight, of course, is an exception with people ready to let loose pre-4th. I'll be at the Ken again, this time for Transfer and Apes of Wrath. Maybe I'll see some of you out...

Super ridiculously long weekend recap: Snow Patrol, OK GO, Silversun Pickups, Orion Frequency, Republic of Letters, The Dissimilars, The Postals

The weekend is not quite over. Tonight I’ll be at the Ken Club with five bucks in hand to attend the benefit for Free Radio San Diego and you should be there, too. Support local enterprise and be there.

It has been an interesting music weekend for me in that the bands I witnessed couldn’t be more polar opposites. Friday night was spent at the Ken Club for The Postals, The Dissimilars, and Rich White Males.

This was my first time seeing The Postals, despite knowing Fred from his years of employment at the Ken Club and I always thought of him as such a quiet guy. He spent a year in the peace core teaching English in Moldova and according to him, drinking more vodka than most people should ever consume in a lifetime. His band is an aggressive punk band with that accelerated pace that bands have that allow them to play 20 songs in approximately 36 minutes. They were really fun to catch live.

They did not adequately prepare me, however, for my sweet quiet friend Jimmy when he took the stage with the Dissimilars. I mean, I guess I knew Jimmy had a thing with getting down to his tighty whities before, but he took advantage of the space in the room for sure. It was a lively performance, to say the least, and Jimmy knocked half my drink out of the glass in his mad offstage antics. Not quite as full contact as the Homeless Sexuals but not too far from it. And let me just say for the record, I don’t need to see any more of my friends onstage with their chones purposely partitioned so that one’s balls may be seen. I just don’t need to know my friends that intimately. Witness the madness.

By the time Rich White Males came on I was bouncing around the bar and laughing with Jimmy the Worm that I didn’t need to see his balls. It was only a few short months ago that I allowed him to crash at my pad when he was inebriated and had to sternly lecture, “I DON’T SPOON!” So anyway, Rich White Males played and fit the bill just fine with fast aggressive punk but it was drink o’clock and there were red headed sluts to be had. Oh, and to that stalker guy who told me you dumped your girlfriend and you were “just putting it out there,” I don’t know what made you think I care, but you freak me out so please maintain your distance in the future.

Saturday rolled around and I got up early to see if Shins tickets were onsale at Soma. They were not, but Andrea secured tickets on the Casbah site, so we’re golden. It will be my first show at the mainstage at Soma since it’s been in its current location. I couldn’t bring myself to do it for the White Stripes, DCFC, Muse and a ton of others, but I will suck it up and do it.

Still kinda sick, I rested most of the afternoon until it was time to head to the Open Air Theatre for Silversun Pickups, OK, GO, and Snow Patrol. I went with my old friend David, this kinda crazy New Zealander who I met just from seeing each other at shows like Keane, Starsailor and Stereophonics. Not quite thinking, we had a beer at my house before taking off and unfortunately arrived in time to catch SSPU in their last song, “Lazy Eye”. Bummer. This is the venue I’ve been waiting to see them in, too, because Brian is powerful onstage, too much so for HoB sidestage, the Belly Up, and Rimac is indoor so that brings standard arena issues, but the OAT is the perfect venue for his quiet mellow singing to build up into that scream that he does. Poo.

Ok, Go was next and I thoroughly enjoyed their set. I don’t own any of their CDs but I’ve seen them live a couple times and I like their sound, gimmicks and all. There was no choreography on this night, but some cool moments, nonetheless, like when Damian got the entire crowd to do the wave (“This is like an arena for sports, only there’s no sports.”) and when he got everyone in the crowd, during the second verse of “Tonight”, in lieu of lighers, to hold up cell phones, cameras, self-pleasuring devices, etc. for illumination. It was pretty cool. I don’t know all their song titles, but since they tend to follow the formula of repetitive choruses, here’s my completely inaccurate set list with titles I made up. (If you feel like doing the work, you can grade my accuracy of titles):

You Don’t Have to Be Alone (To Be Lonely)
Television, Television
Seemed Like A Good Idea
It’s Not Over Yet
Don’t Ask Me How I Am
Get Over It
Tonight
Invincible
Here It Goes Again
Do What You Want

I don’t know who put this show together, but despite being annoyed that I missed SSPU, this show was amazing in that the tickets said 7:30, the band started promptly, the set changes were fast but still long enough to grab a beer and return to your seat. My only complaint is the port a potty situation, but that is so standard at pretty much every event it’s just something you have to live with. A guy in front of me took a REALLY long time so I was dreading entering behind him, but fortunately he’d not been taking a dump but smoking a joint, so it could’ve been much worse.

While waiting in line for beer, I saw Brian, the singer of the Silversun Pickups, and we took this pic together. His shushing was because he was being incognito in the crowd and didn’t want any attention. If I hadn’t seen him with his girlfriend at the last show, I might’ve turned my head a little in his direction and napped a besito. Maybe next time.

Snow Patrol finally started and I was suddenly happy that all the cool indie crowd have disowned them a la Coldplay and they are comfortably in the mainstream because there’s something to be said for dancing in your seat, singing along, screaming, and being a total dork through the whole set. Not that I would do such things, just like I wasn’t totally crying during Run, but some people were and they were free to do so. Gary was really chatty which is really different from before, and not just chatty, but witty and funny. This was an amazing show in that it’s a huge venue (4,600 capacity) but still felt intimate. I took pictures, but my zoom disappoints, so this is the best of it.

I did compile the set-list by writing lyrics then going back and finding the nonsensical song titles, so here you go.

Spitting Games
Wow
Chocolate
Beginning To Get To Me
Headlights on Dark Roads
How to Be Dead
Grazed Knees
Chasing Cars
Shut Your Eyes
Set The Fire To The Third Bar
Somewhere a Clock Is Ticking
Make This Go On Forever
Ways & Means
Run
You’re All I Have

Encore:
The Finish Line
Open Your Eyes
Hands Open

The show was done by 10:45 or so, but my night was far from over. I headed out to The Alibi, had a drink, then went to the Sports Club to catch the last of the Nevermind The Cancer benefit. Republic of Letters was playing. They did their Nirvana covers and one of their originals and I found my friends and chilled out for a bit.

When they finished, we ventured to the Alibi to catch Orion Frequency. I, of course, had my earplugs, but Andrea and Kara did not, so we hung out on the patio until we heard the bass line of Waiting Room and came in to hear it. Everyone was going crazy for it and demanded that they play it again, and they did. A request for a third time was denied temporarily until they played their own song, then went back into Waiting Room. Sometimes you gotta give the people what they want. They were good sports about it all. After the show, I dropped the girls off and I was sound asleep with a quickness. Thank goodness today was a total day of rest for me…