Today is an email cleanout day, so I'm gonna post some random stuff. Some of it is old news, some of it really old news, but in case you hadn't heard....
Troy Johnson has a new TV show! His Food Network series, Crave, makes its debut tonight at 8:30 pm. David Moye wrote about it for HuffPo here and you can see Troy's first blog for the network here. Check out the video that landed Troy the gig.
After playing SXSW and Lollapalooza and winning Album of The Year and Best Alternative Album at the San Diego Music Awards, Little Hurricane will be playing at this year's Austin City Limits, return to San Diego for the San Diego Music Thing, and then hit the road as tour support for Manchester Orchestra. The duo is playing a not-so-secret free show on Tuesday night (21+) in San Diego. I'm not supposed to tell you until tomorrow, so check back in the morning.
Last week (and as already reported in CityBeat), San Diego's Grand Ole Party announced they would be releasing their sophomore album, Under Our Skin. According to the press release, "In early 2009, the band went in the studio with producer Ben H. Allen (Animal Collective, Deerhunter, Gnarls Barkley) and recorded a new record - finished in July 2009." By August of that year they broke up, JP was off working on stuff with The Hot Moon and later with releasing solo work as Vegetarian Werewolf and Kristin, as Dee Dee, blew up all over the blogosphere with the Dum Dum Girls. The band is still broken up, but the full record comes out tomorrow. Grab a free download of the single, 'All Night' below.
And, not to be outdone, Wavves was chosen by MTV to serve as guest composer for their new scripted series, "I Just Want My Pants Back" under the music supervision of Nic Harcourt. The show premiered last night after the Video Music Awards and featured Wavves' "I Want To Meet Dave Grohl". Music from the episode, which also featured Pepper Rabbit, Saint Motel and more, can be downloaded here.
Last week, my friend Sal Filipelli's home was burglarized and all of his gear was stolen, including 3 guitars, a bass, two computers, two recording microphones, a car stereo, piano tuning tools, and an ipod. You can see photos of all of the equipment here if you have any information or see anything shady while you're perusing craig's list, hit him up on Facebook.
And while I'm speaking of burglary, Josh Damigo was hit for the 4th time. His San Diego apartment was broken into twice before he relocated to LA, and now his car has been hit for the second time (while parked in secured parking). People suck. But forget the burglaries, why don't you just prove that most people don't suck, and help with his next record and donate generously to his Kickstarter campaign?
Back to the inbox. It seriously feels like it never ends...
Showing posts with label troy johnson. Show all posts
Showing posts with label troy johnson. Show all posts
Monday, August 29, 2011
Tuesday, July 08, 2008
Troy Johnson's Family Outing- More Reviews
Reviews are trickling in little by little about Troy Johnson's hilarious memoir, Family Outing. It's funny how you recognize media consolidation when the same review appears on a dozen newspaper sites, but I guess that's the way of the world. It's like the time I was at dog park and was interviewed about the Bush administration's policy of listening in on international calls without search warrants. I thought I was being interviewed for North County Times and ended up on websites nationwide as an AP article, saying,
Yeah, that was weird. For a time, if you Googled my name, it came up in hundreds of papers with the same quote. Had I known that, I might have attempted greater eloquence of my political position. Turned out the guy interviewing me was the son of a teacher at my elementary school, so he took me off guard. Still, the more widespread the reviews for Troy Johnson, the better, because the book is so good, he deserves all the attention.
From Bay Windows, Windy City Times
"Not so fast, says Rosey Bystrak, who works for an architectural firm in
San Diego. "Bush thinks he's a king and not a president, so it doesn't surprise
me," she says, referring to the recent revelation that after 9/11, the president
authorized the interception of communications between the US and other countries
without a judge's approval.
Yeah, that was weird. For a time, if you Googled my name, it came up in hundreds of papers with the same quote. Had I known that, I might have attempted greater eloquence of my political position. Turned out the guy interviewing me was the son of a teacher at my elementary school, so he took me off guard. Still, the more widespread the reviews for Troy Johnson, the better, because the book is so good, he deserves all the attention.
From Bay Windows, Windy City Times
Troy Johnson’s new book Family Outing is a scathing, funny, ribald case study in what can go wrong when that honesty and openness are missing. At 10 years old, in the middle of the Reagan era, Johnson found out his divorced mother was a lesbian when her ex-girlfriend outed her. His descent into juvenile delinquency, alcohol, and heterosexual promiscuity might seem like proof of the ultra-right’s assertion that LGBT people shouldn’t have children, but Johnson makes it clear the root causes were the secrecy, homophobia, and shame imposed by society, not his mother’s sexuality itself.From Gay Bee
The book chronicles his journey to this realization without sugarcoating his own initial bigotry. Instead of "feel-good psychobabble about ’embracing our differences’" he says, "someone needed to say exactly what a shallow, self-absorbed teenager thought about the situation while he was experiencing it." He spends most of his adolescence trying to reassure himself he is not also gay. His chapter on COLAGE is titled "Freaks Everywhere." Even in the early chapters, though, he weaves in pointed observations about homophobia and religious bigotry that hint at a transformation to come: "One day you’re nodding along [at church], going ’Yep, they’re going to hell. Yep, them, too. Fry those suckers!’ Then the next day it’s ’Yep, they’re going, too - wait, what? Mom?"
This is a story of personal growth and redemption, a tale of coming-of-age as well as coming out as a member of an LGBT family. Johnson’s message is stronger because he never makes the process seem easy.
Family Outing tells the story of the angst-filled teen years of a young man coming to terms with having a lesbian mother. To make matters worse, the way he found out his mom was gay was less than ideal for any kid. The cards were stacked against him having a healthy, open relationship with his mom. Family Outing details his journey from that place into one of more open acceptance and understanding. Beneath all of the pain and acting out, however, is simply a kid who loves his mom and wants to feel safe. It’s a theme we can all identify with. Family Outing is very well written and humorous. The author has a fresh, sarcastic way of communication, and in telling his own story he comments on society at large, our strengths and our shortcomings.If you haven't read it yet, pick it up. Honestly, its a quick read and you'll be done in a couple days and you'll love it. Everyone's a voyeur in some way, and Troy invites you right in.
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Troy Johnson: Family Outing
The night before I took off on my vacation, I had a pretty full evening. The first stop was at Barnes & Noble in Mira Mesa to check out Troy Johnson's book reading.
I already wrote about how much I loved the book, but you can read some more reviews below.
CityBeat
Edge (Boston, MA)
Troy on "These Days"
LesbiaNation
I already wrote about how much I loved the book, but you can read some more reviews below.
CityBeat
Edge (Boston, MA)
Troy on "These Days"
LesbiaNation
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Troy's Book Reading Correction
Just wanted to point out that at 7:00pm, Troy Johnson will be doing his book reading at Barnes & Noble in Mira Mesa (not Border's).
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Family Outing: Due Out June 16
I mentioned that last week, Troy Johnson stopped by to drop off a copy of his memoir, Family Outing: What Happened When I Found Out My Mother Was Gay that is coming out on June 16th by Arcade Publishing. I've been meaning to write about it because I could not put it down and finished it in just a couple nights.
As most San Diegans are familiar with Troy from his days at CityBeat & FoxRox, as well as his Padres pre-game show and now the gameshow on Channel 4, I imagine most people who know Troy might read the book a little different than someone who doesn't know him. As a friend, it was hard not to feel like I was secretly reading a friend's diary. And as we're used to the way he speaks, it was hard not to feel like Troy was reading me his own diary, as it is very much written in his immistakable voice.
The book takes you on a time travel through Troy's life growing up- all of his insecurity and arrogance, sensitivity and brashness, chauvanism and adoration of women. It follows a general time line starting back when he got the news (quite awfully and awkwardly, I might add) but some of the chapters move quickly through time when related to a specific theme, like being sent away then references to how that time affected him in his later years. It's perhaps heartbreaking at times but easy to know that Troy is all good now (er, relatively :) makes some of those awkward and cringeworthy moments outright hilarious. As for his relationship with his mom, I'll let you read the book for all of that, but it's all very relatable; I mean especially when you're a tween, you're not really supposed to like your parents all that much anyway, then you grow up and realize you wouldn't have had it any other way.
Congrats, Troy, you wrote yourself a great first book.
Check out the MySpace page and catch one of the readings if you get the chance:
Jun 12 2008 7:00P "FAMILY OUTING" reading @ Barnes & Noble Mira Mesa
Jun 18 2008 10:30A "FAMILY OUTING" on "THESE DAYS" (KPBS 89.5FM radio)
Jun 19 2008 7:00P "FAMILY OUTING" reading @ Borders Mission Valley
Jun 20 2008 9:00P Book Release Party @ The Whistlestop (w/ Joanie Mendenhall and Angela Correa)
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Troy Johnson is Back On Channel 4
This time around, however, Troy will be hosting "Brainwave", which I think is what we used to call Academic League or Academic Olympics. You know, a couple high schools go head to head answering math equations, trivia, etc. Check it out here, or just tune in Sundays at 4:30 on Channel 4 SD (The Padres Channel).
thanks, Bart for the head's up.
thanks, Bart for the head's up.
Tuesday, October 09, 2007
Reposting Info: News After You've Already Heard It
1. Troy Johnson is leaving CityBeat.
2. Natalie Kardos had her photography featured on Pitchfork Media this week.
So why didn't I post sooner? Well, my feeling, since both Troy and Natalie are close friends of mine, and since both have blogs of their own, that it was their information to post. But, now it's out there for both, and both deserve as much credit and publicity as they can get in their endeavors.
The funny thing I probably haven't mentioned on this blog before is that Troy and I actually met because of my old blog (taken offline in 2006). I had written about meeting him at an event and referred to him as "a tool" and apparently he found my old blog and e-mailed me and was everything but a tool. The next time I saw him at the Casbah, we were introduced and have been friends ever since. I admire Troy for the impact he's had on music in San Diego. Between Troy Johnson, Tim Mays, and Tim Pyles, you'd be hard pressed to find guys doing more to promote this town. Troy is moving on, getting his hands outta the local music scene, but I guarantee you'll still see him out on the town still supporting the music. As music editor of CityBeat, I've loved reading the weekly over the years with his input on what's going on, and it's because of him that I'm now contributing to CityBeat. I couldn't be more proud of my friend.
That sentiment goes for Nat as well. We met from going to shows and mutual friends and her photography, well, it speaks for itself. It's no surprise then, that bands have taken notice as she's shooting more and more bands, and it's also no surprise that Pitchfork would take notice as well. The thing is, Natalie is a scientist by day, and photography has been more of a hobby for her, but I think she's finding her place in both worlds and balances them both well. Natalie will be moving to San Francisco next year, but I know that she'll stay connected to San Diego and covering the music she loves even when she's up in the Bay Area.
I just feel lucky to know both of them and even more so to call them friends. Congrats to both of them.
2. Natalie Kardos had her photography featured on Pitchfork Media this week.
So why didn't I post sooner? Well, my feeling, since both Troy and Natalie are close friends of mine, and since both have blogs of their own, that it was their information to post. But, now it's out there for both, and both deserve as much credit and publicity as they can get in their endeavors.
The funny thing I probably haven't mentioned on this blog before is that Troy and I actually met because of my old blog (taken offline in 2006). I had written about meeting him at an event and referred to him as "a tool" and apparently he found my old blog and e-mailed me and was everything but a tool. The next time I saw him at the Casbah, we were introduced and have been friends ever since. I admire Troy for the impact he's had on music in San Diego. Between Troy Johnson, Tim Mays, and Tim Pyles, you'd be hard pressed to find guys doing more to promote this town. Troy is moving on, getting his hands outta the local music scene, but I guarantee you'll still see him out on the town still supporting the music. As music editor of CityBeat, I've loved reading the weekly over the years with his input on what's going on, and it's because of him that I'm now contributing to CityBeat. I couldn't be more proud of my friend.
That sentiment goes for Nat as well. We met from going to shows and mutual friends and her photography, well, it speaks for itself. It's no surprise then, that bands have taken notice as she's shooting more and more bands, and it's also no surprise that Pitchfork would take notice as well. The thing is, Natalie is a scientist by day, and photography has been more of a hobby for her, but I think she's finding her place in both worlds and balances them both well. Natalie will be moving to San Francisco next year, but I know that she'll stay connected to San Diego and covering the music she loves even when she's up in the Bay Area.
I just feel lucky to know both of them and even more so to call them friends. Congrats to both of them.
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Troy Johnson's Novel "Family Outing" Set For June 2008 Release
I have to say, as a friend of Troy, and for knowing about this for a while and keeping it to myself, as I was asked, you'd think I would've at least gotten the press release when it was issued on August 30. Ahh well, I'm proud of my friend and decided to post the press release in its entirety. And if you wonder why he's been MIA, he's been hard at work getting it all together for the publisher.
San Diego CityBeat Music Editor Inks Book Deal
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Troy Johnson, music editor for San Diego CityBeat, has sold his first book to New York City's Arcade Publishing--set for a June 2008 release date. Arcade has put out books by Samuel Beckett, Bertolt Brecht, John Irving, Jon Papernick and Malcolm X, among others. Titled "Family Outing", Johnson's book is a memoir about growing up with a gay parent in the Reagan '80s.
“Back then, there was little to no degree of 'cool' associated with homos,” Johnson says. “Judging by what I heard from the media and even family members, it was hard not to believe I was being raised by a woman who had gotten caught in the psychological wood-chipper and come out a pervert. There was a time when I actually thought my mother might want to give me a hand job. Crazy and delusional, but true.”
Johnson decided to write the memoir because of what he saw as a lack of honest, unfiltered accounts from kids who were actually raised by a gay parent during that era.
“All of the books I found on my 'unique family' were feel-good psychobabble about 'embracing your differences' and crap like that. Sure, that's nice, but how many teenagers really speak like that? How many are that noble? I was a self-absorbed, superficial me-me-me organism who absolutely resented my mother's sexuality. And most kids of gay parents I've talked with were pretty pissed off for a very long time.
“I've been listening to countless politicians debate the effects of gay parenting. So I figured it was time for someone to tell it from the first-hand perspective. What a kid of a gay—or at least THIS kid of a gay—felt about the whole situation, from the time of my mother's outing to the time when I realized I was a real asshole and a massive bigot.”
The twist is that Family Outing is written as a dark comedy (chapter titles include “God Hates Fags,” “Mommy's Little Metrosexual” and “Coital Overcompensation”). Now a “card carrying friend of gay,” Johnson found a bit of humor in his years as a homophobe. He lampoons religious leaders, politicians and--especially--himself as he goes through his own sexual coming of age.
“Originally, I wanted to write a heavy-hearted, serious book that would make Oprah's studio audience cry,” he says. “I started to do just that, and it was tripe. So I did what I know how to do best--find a little humor in what, at the time, felt like hell.”
And, yes, Johnson’s mother is fully supportive of the book.
San Diego CityBeat Music Editor Inks Book Deal
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Troy Johnson, music editor for San Diego CityBeat, has sold his first book to New York City's Arcade Publishing--set for a June 2008 release date. Arcade has put out books by Samuel Beckett, Bertolt Brecht, John Irving, Jon Papernick and Malcolm X, among others. Titled "Family Outing", Johnson's book is a memoir about growing up with a gay parent in the Reagan '80s.
“Back then, there was little to no degree of 'cool' associated with homos,” Johnson says. “Judging by what I heard from the media and even family members, it was hard not to believe I was being raised by a woman who had gotten caught in the psychological wood-chipper and come out a pervert. There was a time when I actually thought my mother might want to give me a hand job. Crazy and delusional, but true.”
Johnson decided to write the memoir because of what he saw as a lack of honest, unfiltered accounts from kids who were actually raised by a gay parent during that era.
“All of the books I found on my 'unique family' were feel-good psychobabble about 'embracing your differences' and crap like that. Sure, that's nice, but how many teenagers really speak like that? How many are that noble? I was a self-absorbed, superficial me-me-me organism who absolutely resented my mother's sexuality. And most kids of gay parents I've talked with were pretty pissed off for a very long time.
“I've been listening to countless politicians debate the effects of gay parenting. So I figured it was time for someone to tell it from the first-hand perspective. What a kid of a gay—or at least THIS kid of a gay—felt about the whole situation, from the time of my mother's outing to the time when I realized I was a real asshole and a massive bigot.”
The twist is that Family Outing is written as a dark comedy (chapter titles include “God Hates Fags,” “Mommy's Little Metrosexual” and “Coital Overcompensation”). Now a “card carrying friend of gay,” Johnson found a bit of humor in his years as a homophobe. He lampoons religious leaders, politicians and--especially--himself as he goes through his own sexual coming of age.
“Originally, I wanted to write a heavy-hearted, serious book that would make Oprah's studio audience cry,” he says. “I started to do just that, and it was tripe. So I did what I know how to do best--find a little humor in what, at the time, felt like hell.”
And, yes, Johnson’s mother is fully supportive of the book.
Friday, March 30, 2007
Friday Newsy Bits: Troy Johnson on the radio
As you know, our boy Troy Johnson and his show Fox Rox got the axe from Fox.
A week later, his other TV show, Outta Left Field, a Padres pre-game show, saw the axe swing, too.
Well, he's back on the saddle and will be on Free FM 103.7 tonight from 10p-12a with Edwin Decker doing a talk show. They will talk about anything and everything, so if you're around a radio, tune in, and if you're really fired up about something (like corporate television stations not willing to take a loss for community programming) call in and talk to them. The number to call is 619.570.1037.
Good luck, Troy. We're all pulling for ya.
*****
There's a dude whose music project is called The Secret Handshake and his shit ain't half bad. It makes me wanna shake my ass and you know I'm not one who usually shakes my ass. He's filming his music video in San Diego next week. He needs people to be in that video. Here's his message:
i'm gonna be filming my next MUSIC VIDEO for "SUMMER OF '98" - SATURDAY APRIL 7th and SUNDAY APRIL 8th in SAN DIEGO, CA... NEXT WEEKEND!!
i need people to be in it !!
so if you're in the SAN DIEGO/LOS ANGELES area ext bweekend and are available sat or sun - send an email to: talent@etypical.tv
please include your name, email, phone and myspace address so they can get in touch with you and give you more details!
see you there!!
-luis
*****
That's the news for now. I'm off to wine cabana to pretend I'm a lawyer for hosted wine and hors d'oeuvres. You should, too! (hey, they put it on a public website. I can't help it.)
A week later, his other TV show, Outta Left Field, a Padres pre-game show, saw the axe swing, too.
Well, he's back on the saddle and will be on Free FM 103.7 tonight from 10p-12a with Edwin Decker doing a talk show. They will talk about anything and everything, so if you're around a radio, tune in, and if you're really fired up about something (like corporate television stations not willing to take a loss for community programming) call in and talk to them. The number to call is 619.570.1037.
Good luck, Troy. We're all pulling for ya.
*****
There's a dude whose music project is called The Secret Handshake and his shit ain't half bad. It makes me wanna shake my ass and you know I'm not one who usually shakes my ass. He's filming his music video in San Diego next week. He needs people to be in that video. Here's his message:
i'm gonna be filming my next MUSIC VIDEO for "SUMMER OF '98" - SATURDAY APRIL 7th and SUNDAY APRIL 8th in SAN DIEGO, CA... NEXT WEEKEND!!
i need people to be in it !!
so if you're in the SAN DIEGO/LOS ANGELES area ext bweekend and are available sat or sun - send an email to: talent@etypical.tv
please include your name, email, phone and myspace address so they can get in touch with you and give you more details!
see you there!!
-luis
*****
That's the news for now. I'm off to wine cabana to pretend I'm a lawyer for hosted wine and hors d'oeuvres. You should, too! (hey, they put it on a public website. I can't help it.)
Thursday Recap: CityBeat Music Issue Party: The Airlines, Swim Party, Grand Ole Party
I know I am not speaking for myself when I say last night was amazing in many ways. No cover for three amazing bands, amazing band posters and music photography hanging on the walls, hosted Han Vodka drinks (at least for the first hour or so), and a ton of local music supporters, including many in bands that were reviewed in the demo issue of CityBeat. And for those of you bitter about bad reviews, Seth Combs was there so you missed your chance to kick his ass. Along with most of the CityBeat staff, Tim Pyles was there hanging out, as was Chickrawker, Roman Spring, some of Vinyl Radio (among many others) and Ruggy (Notorious R.U.G) and Jamal (Kid Lightning) were on the tables. I got the chance to talk to John Paul and recommended that GOP blog about their SXSW experience so hopefully they do that soon. Like the girly girl I am, Kristen and I chatted in the baño about music, SXSW, blogs, and people who diss San Diego. The whole deal was a pretty rad night, to say the least.
The Airlines were the first band on. Troy was embarassed that in his introduction he said that he liked their recorded stuff but had never seen them live so "they could totally suck." They didn't suck, in fact, and I was wondering where they've been hiding because they were really good.
They were described to me as sounding very "Strokes-ish", but I'm not really a Strokes fan so that description didn't really work for me. I wish I could offer up better, but did I mention there was FREE. VODKA.???
Anyway, I loved them, and they're all pretty damn sexy, too.
Extra points for the singer using the box in front of the stage as a stage extension. I tried to convince Eric of Swim Party to use the box but he politely declined. Can't win em all.
Double extra points for bravely playing a sped up version of "California Stars."
By the way, I'm really glad that I was basically described as an annoying photographer by CityBeat because it gave me license just squeeze on up and take pics.
No review for Swim Party and Grand Ole Party because, well, you already know I love both; I think both are amazing not only for their music but because they represent the best of what San Diego has to offer. Good peeps and good tunes. Doesn't get much better than that.
Swim Party:
Alex, is that a big hunk in your pocket??
Grand Ole Party:
I! N! S! A! N! E!
Let those record deals pour in! And now I shall lay myself down for a looong nap.
The Airlines were the first band on. Troy was embarassed that in his introduction he said that he liked their recorded stuff but had never seen them live so "they could totally suck." They didn't suck, in fact, and I was wondering where they've been hiding because they were really good.
They were described to me as sounding very "Strokes-ish", but I'm not really a Strokes fan so that description didn't really work for me. I wish I could offer up better, but did I mention there was FREE. VODKA.???
Anyway, I loved them, and they're all pretty damn sexy, too. Extra points for the singer using the box in front of the stage as a stage extension. I tried to convince Eric of Swim Party to use the box but he politely declined. Can't win em all.
Double extra points for bravely playing a sped up version of "California Stars."
By the way, I'm really glad that I was basically described as an annoying photographer by CityBeat because it gave me license just squeeze on up and take pics.
No review for Swim Party and Grand Ole Party because, well, you already know I love both; I think both are amazing not only for their music but because they represent the best of what San Diego has to offer. Good peeps and good tunes. Doesn't get much better than that.
Swim Party:
Alex, is that a big hunk in your pocket??
Grand Ole Party:
I! N! S! A! N! E!
Let those record deals pour in! And now I shall lay myself down for a looong nap.
Tuesday, February 06, 2007
Anti-Monday League Recap: Stellastarr* & Monsters Are Waiting
I was at home all day yesterday with an earache and no decent computer access, but thank goodness, or I might’ve missed the live hearing of Lisa Nowak, the astronaut who allegedly planned on kidnapping a fellow astronaut over a dude. I love the psychologists analyzing her as if something snapped. In my opinion, women are raised to hate one another. Think “Mean Girls”. It’s not even that the guy is worth it, just a mentality of “if I can’t have him, that bitch ain’t getting him.” I’m not defending her, I’m just saying people shouldn’t be so surprised, astronaut or not.
That said, I’ll jump back a couple days to Monday night at the Casbah for Anti-Monday League. I arrived with Jason having just missed Minipop. I was really surprised to see how crowded the bar was for a Monday night, and at $12 at the door. I have no history or knowledge of Stellastarr* but Monsters Are Waiting are mentioned and played on Indie 103, so I wanted to check them out. (Total sidenote: Indie has a version of the Gnarls Barkley song “Crazy” performed by the Kooks that is phenomenal.)
So after hanging out with Jason and Brooke and Troy and Tim for a bit in the patio, finally Monsters Are Waiting started. If you are a fan of MayStar, you would love Monsters Are Waiting. This girls vocals were a bit too baby sweet whispers for me, but her backing band rocked, and either she couldn’t fake the baby thing through the whole set or she felt more comfortable with a stronger voice but it became less whispers and more straight up singing later. The band is a 4 piece: drums, bass, guitar, and vocalist with mini-keyboard for vocal effects. I had to go to the patio to listen but when I heard the bass line of “I wanna be adored” by The Stone Roses, I made my way back into the show. They should’ve ended on that song. Jason should’ve hit the guys yelling “Woo! Pixies!” *ahem*. They played a few more songs and I was tuned out. They lost me. People loved them. Indie loves them, saying they are “one of the best live bands in LA right now.” I just did not. The single on Indie is just as breathy, so I should’ve known that style is not for me.
That said, I’ll jump back a couple days to Monday night at the Casbah for Anti-Monday League. I arrived with Jason having just missed Minipop. I was really surprised to see how crowded the bar was for a Monday night, and at $12 at the door. I have no history or knowledge of Stellastarr* but Monsters Are Waiting are mentioned and played on Indie 103, so I wanted to check them out. (Total sidenote: Indie has a version of the Gnarls Barkley song “Crazy” performed by the Kooks that is phenomenal.)
So after hanging out with Jason and Brooke and Troy and Tim for a bit in the patio, finally Monsters Are Waiting started. If you are a fan of MayStar, you would love Monsters Are Waiting. This girls vocals were a bit too baby sweet whispers for me, but her backing band rocked, and either she couldn’t fake the baby thing through the whole set or she felt more comfortable with a stronger voice but it became less whispers and more straight up singing later. The band is a 4 piece: drums, bass, guitar, and vocalist with mini-keyboard for vocal effects. I had to go to the patio to listen but when I heard the bass line of “I wanna be adored” by The Stone Roses, I made my way back into the show. They should’ve ended on that song. Jason should’ve hit the guys yelling “Woo! Pixies!” *ahem*. They played a few more songs and I was tuned out. They lost me. People loved them. Indie loves them, saying they are “one of the best live bands in LA right now.” I just did not. The single on Indie is just as breathy, so I should’ve known that style is not for me.
Stellastarr* played after and I am still kinda surprised by how long their set was. Certain bloggers complain about complacent Casbah crowds and while I’ve never had a problem with it, I know that if this show was at the Beauty Bar, everyone would’ve been dancing. This crowd is probably too cool to admit liking the Killers or Bravery, and in fact, would probably object to the comparison, but Stellastar’s roots are tightly planted in the 1980’s new wave rock arena, as are those other bands, that just jumped on the wave later and got all the credit for it.
I thought they were fun to watch and I liked their sound, but alas, it was a packed house and so I found the smoking patio to be a more comfortable place to enjoy the show. The crowd diminished little by little but there were still a lot of people emptying out after the show finally ended around 1 a.m. I really need to look into sleeping pills because no matter how tired, it is hard as hell to fall asleep right after a raucous show. But eventually I did.
I was hoping to have a review of Julieta Venegas, but between my earache, my sister’s pregnancy sickness, and poor communication with my friend who was hooking up the tickets, I decided I could use a night in. I will post pictures from the evening later.
Sunday, January 28, 2007
Weekend Recap: Friday/Saturday
What a weekend, and it’s not even over. I haven’t blogged all weekend because I’ve been out doing and that really is the meat of this blog, isn’t it?
After my half day of work on Friday, I headed to Chula Vista to hang out with the kids at my mom’s daycare. I know it sounds weird, but hanging out with 3 and 4 year olds is kinda therapeutic for me, so it was cool. Did you know that gas in Chula Vista is significantly cheaper than everywhere else? I paid $2.25 a gallon while the Arco is Kensington is still sitting at $2.59. Ridiculous.
Anyhow, Friday night started out as a bust. Andrea and I headed up to the Che Café to see Old Man Hands and Kite Flying Society. We arrived a little before 9 and Gabriel told up he was playing at 9:30 (despite his e-mail that they would start promptly at 9). We opted to stick around instead of going to Porter’s for a drink. 9:30 rolls around and OMH didn’t start. Instead it was a guy on guitar and the drummer for OMH calling themselves Swambujo or something. He played crappy protest songs (Fallujah, it’s a bloodbath, we’re only there for oil, etc.) and Andrea and I grew irritated really fast. After 6 or 7 of his shit songs we just decided to bail because we didn’t wanna miss Republic of Letters at the Ken Club. We had also found out that The Vision of a Dying World would be playing before KFS, and a whole night at the Ché was not in the cards for us.
Back in Kensington, we had a beer at my house then walked to the bar. We saw a couple songs from Silver Sunshine. The singer looks like Alex, the singer of Roman Spring. They played a style of classic rock with soaring guitar solos and long jams between vocals. I didn’t really see enough to make a judgment either way but I probably wouldn’t go out of my way to see them again as I like my rock with a little less cock.
Republic of Letters played a really short set because apparently Chris’ voice was thrashed. If it was, I didn’t notice. They’ve been recording a lot so and they're expected to drop the EP in March. I’ll stick with my assessment that Republic of Letters sounds a lot like early U2 with a dash of Blacksmith Union, who were one of my favorite local bands back in the day. Some people love them, some don’t. I side with the band and think they are really talented and every time I hear Saving Grace I can't get it out of my head. You can hear it, too, on the their Myspace page.
I didn’t really get a chance to see A Scribe Amidst the Lions, but I did capture some pics, so I’ll post those tomorrow with all the rest of the shots I’ve taken this weekend.
A friend of mine crashed at my house and we were up till 4 or so, so when Saturday rolled around I slept way in. I missed the war protest but did arrive to see Rob Crow at M-Theory for the instore performance. He had a bassist, guitarist and keyboardist/computer operator with him. I haven’t heard but one track from his solo CD, but the songs aren’t a major deviation from Pinback songs. A lot of the songs were short and rolled right into another leaving the crowd confused about when to clap. Rob said they’d only practiced the material 4 times, so they had to keep reminding each other how the songs started which was kinda cute. There were a lot of people with kids there, which was cool to see. Later, we dubbed them “Indie Breeders” in jest.
Troy Johnson was there, and I finally met Ryan Orion, so after the set of about 12 songs (some guy snagged the set list as I was heading for it), we decided to get lunch at El Zarape. Adam Gimbel had been at the in-store and invited us to the Rookie Card acoustic set at the Hole later that night. After lunch we decided to grab a drink (or three) over at Lancer’s and talked music, blogs, etc. Sitting between Troy and Ryan, I started feeling like a music numbnut and feeling like I really have no business blogging about music. The two of them know a whole lot of shit about a whole lot of shit. Still, it was fun and after a few rounds we decided it was time to catch Rookie Card.
Apparently The Hole was/is a gay bar, but it is a really cool spot that would be a fun spot for shows. There’s an outdoor patio and a stage, and their beer is really cheap. Rookie Card was playing to warm the crowd for a play. Adam is not only a great songwriter, but he has the best stories and between song banter. Theatre people are so enthusiastic, too, and had no qualms about going right into a clap along during the first song. Make sure you check out the Music Trivia Night that Adam is hosting at the San Diego Sports Club next Friday.
When Adam & Dylan finished, we decided to skip the play. Ryan had to get his gear for his gig at the Zombie, and Troy and I were headed to the Casbah. I raced home, let my dog out, took a shower and got ready and was back out in about a half hour. No three hours to get ready for this lady…
I picked up Troy and we arrived at the Casbah with time to spare before Vinyl radio started. The bar was pretty empty but by the time VR took the stage, a good amount of people showed up. Because their new drummer hasn’t had the chance to rehearse much, Morgan Young played drums for them. We all know I love Vinyl Radio and as far as I’m concerned, they’re better every time I see them.
Ari Shine played in the Atari Lounge but I missed him as I ran around the bar chatting with friends and whatnot. I will point out that he was selling American Apparel shirts with his 6 song ep for the bargain price of $10 for both. Bands, take note. Cheap merch sells! Andrea and Kara both bought from him. Unforch those babydoll tees won’t cover my ginormous chest or I might’ve made the purchase, too.
When the Powerchords started I looked at the stage and was confused, because I didn’t recognize the band onstage. Upon closer inspection, I realized it was the ‘Chords, but the singer has chopped off his long locks and man, what a difference a haircut can make. Mike of Jezebel and I were joking that you shouldn’t wear a t-shirt of the band you are emulating, but then I thought that the drummer wearing the Buzzcocks t-shirt is a smart move because it’s kinda giving credit where credit is due.
I said my goodbyes to everyone at the Casbah and headed out to the Zombie Lounge and arrived while Orion Frequency was setting up. I have missed the opportunity to see them in the past. I finally met Riyadh, the manager of bill, and Dave who is in bill. Riyadh and Ryan are roommates so it all came together why Orion Frequency and bill have played together in the past when their music is so vastly different. I tried buying earplugs at the Casbah because Ryan warned me that they are loud, but the machine was empty, so I was hoping my ears wouldn’t be destroyed. Ryan hooked me up with some rad earplugs, so I was stoked that I wouldn’t have to listen from the bar as is sometimes the case at the Zombie.
I can’t even begin to say how impressed I was with their set. They’re a three piece and Rip and Ryan alternate on vocals. They play rock with a dash of punk and they were fun to watch because they were having so much fun onstage. The guys from Two Word Name were there as was Catdirt. The mic seemed to jump away from Ryan at times, but other than that there were no technical glitches, and while it’s true they are loud, it wasn’t overwhelming and the vocals were clear and audible. I’m only against loud when vocals are drowned out, like when the Sess play and it’s a full on aural assault.
After the set a bunch of people headed over to the drummers house where we had a beer and laughed as he passed out in front of his tv and was chided for playing Coldplay from his iPod. Rhiannon, his girlfriend, got him into bed and Rip and I left to my house for some 4 am beers and talking. Sorry, I know you wanna hear about makeout sessions but there was none. He grew up in Chicago and is full of great stories, but as 6 am rolled around it was finally time to call it a night. Finally.
For those counting, that was 1 record store, 4 shows, 4 bars, and 5 bands in one day. Fucking rock n roll. Pictures will come soon.
After my half day of work on Friday, I headed to Chula Vista to hang out with the kids at my mom’s daycare. I know it sounds weird, but hanging out with 3 and 4 year olds is kinda therapeutic for me, so it was cool. Did you know that gas in Chula Vista is significantly cheaper than everywhere else? I paid $2.25 a gallon while the Arco is Kensington is still sitting at $2.59. Ridiculous.
Anyhow, Friday night started out as a bust. Andrea and I headed up to the Che Café to see Old Man Hands and Kite Flying Society. We arrived a little before 9 and Gabriel told up he was playing at 9:30 (despite his e-mail that they would start promptly at 9). We opted to stick around instead of going to Porter’s for a drink. 9:30 rolls around and OMH didn’t start. Instead it was a guy on guitar and the drummer for OMH calling themselves Swambujo or something. He played crappy protest songs (Fallujah, it’s a bloodbath, we’re only there for oil, etc.) and Andrea and I grew irritated really fast. After 6 or 7 of his shit songs we just decided to bail because we didn’t wanna miss Republic of Letters at the Ken Club. We had also found out that The Vision of a Dying World would be playing before KFS, and a whole night at the Ché was not in the cards for us.
Back in Kensington, we had a beer at my house then walked to the bar. We saw a couple songs from Silver Sunshine. The singer looks like Alex, the singer of Roman Spring. They played a style of classic rock with soaring guitar solos and long jams between vocals. I didn’t really see enough to make a judgment either way but I probably wouldn’t go out of my way to see them again as I like my rock with a little less cock.
Republic of Letters played a really short set because apparently Chris’ voice was thrashed. If it was, I didn’t notice. They’ve been recording a lot so and they're expected to drop the EP in March. I’ll stick with my assessment that Republic of Letters sounds a lot like early U2 with a dash of Blacksmith Union, who were one of my favorite local bands back in the day. Some people love them, some don’t. I side with the band and think they are really talented and every time I hear Saving Grace I can't get it out of my head. You can hear it, too, on the their Myspace page.
I didn’t really get a chance to see A Scribe Amidst the Lions, but I did capture some pics, so I’ll post those tomorrow with all the rest of the shots I’ve taken this weekend.
A friend of mine crashed at my house and we were up till 4 or so, so when Saturday rolled around I slept way in. I missed the war protest but did arrive to see Rob Crow at M-Theory for the instore performance. He had a bassist, guitarist and keyboardist/computer operator with him. I haven’t heard but one track from his solo CD, but the songs aren’t a major deviation from Pinback songs. A lot of the songs were short and rolled right into another leaving the crowd confused about when to clap. Rob said they’d only practiced the material 4 times, so they had to keep reminding each other how the songs started which was kinda cute. There were a lot of people with kids there, which was cool to see. Later, we dubbed them “Indie Breeders” in jest.
Troy Johnson was there, and I finally met Ryan Orion, so after the set of about 12 songs (some guy snagged the set list as I was heading for it), we decided to get lunch at El Zarape. Adam Gimbel had been at the in-store and invited us to the Rookie Card acoustic set at the Hole later that night. After lunch we decided to grab a drink (or three) over at Lancer’s and talked music, blogs, etc. Sitting between Troy and Ryan, I started feeling like a music numbnut and feeling like I really have no business blogging about music. The two of them know a whole lot of shit about a whole lot of shit. Still, it was fun and after a few rounds we decided it was time to catch Rookie Card.
Apparently The Hole was/is a gay bar, but it is a really cool spot that would be a fun spot for shows. There’s an outdoor patio and a stage, and their beer is really cheap. Rookie Card was playing to warm the crowd for a play. Adam is not only a great songwriter, but he has the best stories and between song banter. Theatre people are so enthusiastic, too, and had no qualms about going right into a clap along during the first song. Make sure you check out the Music Trivia Night that Adam is hosting at the San Diego Sports Club next Friday.
When Adam & Dylan finished, we decided to skip the play. Ryan had to get his gear for his gig at the Zombie, and Troy and I were headed to the Casbah. I raced home, let my dog out, took a shower and got ready and was back out in about a half hour. No three hours to get ready for this lady…
I picked up Troy and we arrived at the Casbah with time to spare before Vinyl radio started. The bar was pretty empty but by the time VR took the stage, a good amount of people showed up. Because their new drummer hasn’t had the chance to rehearse much, Morgan Young played drums for them. We all know I love Vinyl Radio and as far as I’m concerned, they’re better every time I see them.
Ari Shine played in the Atari Lounge but I missed him as I ran around the bar chatting with friends and whatnot. I will point out that he was selling American Apparel shirts with his 6 song ep for the bargain price of $10 for both. Bands, take note. Cheap merch sells! Andrea and Kara both bought from him. Unforch those babydoll tees won’t cover my ginormous chest or I might’ve made the purchase, too.
When the Powerchords started I looked at the stage and was confused, because I didn’t recognize the band onstage. Upon closer inspection, I realized it was the ‘Chords, but the singer has chopped off his long locks and man, what a difference a haircut can make. Mike of Jezebel and I were joking that you shouldn’t wear a t-shirt of the band you are emulating, but then I thought that the drummer wearing the Buzzcocks t-shirt is a smart move because it’s kinda giving credit where credit is due.
I said my goodbyes to everyone at the Casbah and headed out to the Zombie Lounge and arrived while Orion Frequency was setting up. I have missed the opportunity to see them in the past. I finally met Riyadh, the manager of bill, and Dave who is in bill. Riyadh and Ryan are roommates so it all came together why Orion Frequency and bill have played together in the past when their music is so vastly different. I tried buying earplugs at the Casbah because Ryan warned me that they are loud, but the machine was empty, so I was hoping my ears wouldn’t be destroyed. Ryan hooked me up with some rad earplugs, so I was stoked that I wouldn’t have to listen from the bar as is sometimes the case at the Zombie.
I can’t even begin to say how impressed I was with their set. They’re a three piece and Rip and Ryan alternate on vocals. They play rock with a dash of punk and they were fun to watch because they were having so much fun onstage. The guys from Two Word Name were there as was Catdirt. The mic seemed to jump away from Ryan at times, but other than that there were no technical glitches, and while it’s true they are loud, it wasn’t overwhelming and the vocals were clear and audible. I’m only against loud when vocals are drowned out, like when the Sess play and it’s a full on aural assault.
After the set a bunch of people headed over to the drummers house where we had a beer and laughed as he passed out in front of his tv and was chided for playing Coldplay from his iPod. Rhiannon, his girlfriend, got him into bed and Rip and I left to my house for some 4 am beers and talking. Sorry, I know you wanna hear about makeout sessions but there was none. He grew up in Chicago and is full of great stories, but as 6 am rolled around it was finally time to call it a night. Finally.
For those counting, that was 1 record store, 4 shows, 4 bars, and 5 bands in one day. Fucking rock n roll. Pictures will come soon.
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
This Just In: Thrasher ASR Party & Movie Tonight at the Ken Club/ San Diego CityBeat Blog
I couldn't decide what I wanted to do tonight and the KLSD party was whack (sorry, KLSD, I still love you even though you're owned by the corporate devils at Clearchannel) and then I just saw this from the Ken Club:
Skate or die, dude...I'm so there.
*****
Also in "this just in" news...CityBeat has finally jumped onboard and started a blog. Read for yourself here.
*****
My sitemeter says I have not had a single hit on my blog today, which I know for a fact is not true, but if you come by today, please leave a comment so I know you're reading. I won't publish if you don't want me to. Just say hi...
The guys at Thrasher skateboard magazine are showing the premier of a new
movie tonight . dj's and a movie.
Skate or die, dude...I'm so there.
*****
Also in "this just in" news...CityBeat has finally jumped onboard and started a blog. Read for yourself here.
*****
My sitemeter says I have not had a single hit on my blog today, which I know for a fact is not true, but if you come by today, please leave a comment so I know you're reading. I won't publish if you don't want me to. Just say hi...
Sunday, January 07, 2007
Weekend Recap: The Roman Spring, A Week's Worth, etc...
What a great first weekend of a new year. I started my weekend after my halfday of work on Friday by scooting home and taking care of business, then heading downtown with Sara to see The Holiday. It’s standard romantic comedy fare, which translates to me crying over silly moments and trying to decide who I love more…Jack Black or Jude Law. I enjoyed the movie and recommend it if you’re already feeling a bit of nostalgia for Christmas.
After the movie I picked up Andrea and we headed to Happy Hour to meet Scott and Sophie (CatDirt and CatDirtWife). They were going to the show at Horton House/Stockton House. Troy Johnson was initiated and showed up at the bar, too, along with Seth Combs. In all honesty, if my night had ended there, I would’ve been fine with that because we were having such a good time, but alas, we all had other plans.
Andrea and I made it to the Casbah just as the Roman Spring had started their set. This is my second time seeing them and I really noticed a lot of growth and a more fluid sound. Tim took more risks with guitar solos and I think the sound mix was just a lot better than the last time I saw them.
As expected, it was a packed house, which is just a great commentary on San Diego local music at the moment. The Prayers were on next and I’ll definitely have to check them out another time when there isn’t so much to otherwise be distracted by. I ventured out to the patio during their set and pretty much remained there throughout the remainder of the show. I went in a couple times for Grand Ole Party and UV Tigers but I feel like I’ve seen both bands in the past 6 months more than I’ve seen my own mother, so there was nothing new going on and I didn’t feel compelled to pay close attention.
Saturday night I wasn’t much motivated to do anything. Knowing the I’m going to the Casbah tonight (Sunday) as well as tomorrow for the Anti Monday League show, I decided that I’ll have to catch Swim Party and Modern Rifles somewhere else. Transfer is another band I’ve seen quite a bit lately, too, so I wasn’t concerned about missing them. Matt called and told me there was some sidestage show happening at the House of Blues. He told me that Vinyl Radio and Grand Ole Party were originally supposed to play, but now the lineup was Lady Dottie and The Diamonds and Delta Spirit. I headed to his house and we ventured downtown. On the ride I got a preview of the rough tracks of the new Vinyl Radio and it is strong. Some mixing needs to be done, but the preproduced product sounds great already. You can still pick up their free CD at various locations. They had a bunch at the Casbah on Friday but I don’t know how many were left. There should be more there for the show tomorrow.
After grabbing some bar fare and a couple drinks, we came to find out that both bands had cancelled and now the show was just going to be Buddy Akai, though I suppose I would’ve known this had I checked the MySpace bulletins.
I’ve seen Buddy Akai before and I enjoy them for what they are, but when manager Erika Jessup (of the Beauty Bar) told us that the band might not play because their laptop was missing we both kinda cringed. Matt is of the belief that computers have no business on stage. I’m not that extreme, but my feeling is that a band should be able to pull off a decent set with or without a laptop. Later that night, Shiloh and Jason and I had a discussion about it and they shed some light on the value of a computer for the electro-rock that bands like Buddy Akai play, but I’m not sure I’m sold. I feel like their sound has already run its course and isn’t really a style with any longevity or staying power once the resurgence of the 80’s passes and we inevitably draw from another era. The boys from Augustana were at the show but left after the first song.
Matt and I were pretty tired from having to wait so long for their set to even start, so we took a cue from Augustana and left after the second song. I picked up my car and wasn’t ready to call it a night so I decided to head to Rosie O’Grady’s in hopes of catching A Weeks Worth and also as a bit of surveillance to check out the bar as a venue. I really believe that bands need to play different venues. The Beauty Bar, The Casbah, The Ken Club and the Sports Club all have their merits, but the crowds at these bars draw from the same pool. There are also places like Brick By Brick or Dream Street or Winston’s that have their own qualities that might help in expanded exposure, even if it seems like nobody is paying attention, as was the case for Rosie’s.
I’ve lived down the street from Rosie’s for seven years now and have to admit this was maybe my fourth time there. I’ve never seen a band play there. I found a stool along the bar and ordered up a Smithwick’s (Rosie’s has a good beer selection) and eventually A Week’s Worth started playing.
They are a local three piece and I have to say I really enjoyed their performance, although I caught them at the end of the night for their final abbreviated set. There’s something about that bar that is foreign to me. Like I love the look of the bar, but the crowd is built in, whether there’s a band or karaoke or whatever, so to me not being a local, you get the feeling like you wish you could transport 50 friends there. Everyone was talking through the music that I kept thinking of the scene in Beautiful Girls when the Afghan Whigs play live but as just background music in the bar. Aside from some random chick dancing up front, nobody seemed to be paying attention to the music except for me and the two guys next to me because we were right near the band’s setup, and the woman taking pictures.
Still, none of that takes away from the fact that A Weeks Worth are a good band. I’ve been laying on my bed and have listened to their album twice all the way through and I am trying to find a way to describe the music but I’m coming up blank. I guess the fact that I can lay on my bed and listen to a self produced local album all the way through twice should alone say something. I’m feeling Nada Surf, early Better Than Ezra, Longwave…somewhere along those lines. Just do yourself a favor and listen to them.
After the show I came home and was ready to settle into a late night movie but Jason and Shiloh came over so we watched Next on MTV for a bit, played a late night game of Scene It! and then called it a night. They took off around 4:30 and I nestled in for sleep.
At this moment I plan on heading to the Casbah tonight for Stephen Malkmus, but Sunday’s are hard, so we’ll see how I feel about it in 4 hours or so. In the meantime, I hope everyone had a good weekend and I’ll be updating the Things to Do shortly.
After the movie I picked up Andrea and we headed to Happy Hour to meet Scott and Sophie (CatDirt and CatDirtWife). They were going to the show at Horton House/Stockton House. Troy Johnson was initiated and showed up at the bar, too, along with Seth Combs. In all honesty, if my night had ended there, I would’ve been fine with that because we were having such a good time, but alas, we all had other plans.
Andrea and I made it to the Casbah just as the Roman Spring had started their set. This is my second time seeing them and I really noticed a lot of growth and a more fluid sound. Tim took more risks with guitar solos and I think the sound mix was just a lot better than the last time I saw them.
As expected, it was a packed house, which is just a great commentary on San Diego local music at the moment. The Prayers were on next and I’ll definitely have to check them out another time when there isn’t so much to otherwise be distracted by. I ventured out to the patio during their set and pretty much remained there throughout the remainder of the show. I went in a couple times for Grand Ole Party and UV Tigers but I feel like I’ve seen both bands in the past 6 months more than I’ve seen my own mother, so there was nothing new going on and I didn’t feel compelled to pay close attention.
Saturday night I wasn’t much motivated to do anything. Knowing the I’m going to the Casbah tonight (Sunday) as well as tomorrow for the Anti Monday League show, I decided that I’ll have to catch Swim Party and Modern Rifles somewhere else. Transfer is another band I’ve seen quite a bit lately, too, so I wasn’t concerned about missing them. Matt called and told me there was some sidestage show happening at the House of Blues. He told me that Vinyl Radio and Grand Ole Party were originally supposed to play, but now the lineup was Lady Dottie and The Diamonds and Delta Spirit. I headed to his house and we ventured downtown. On the ride I got a preview of the rough tracks of the new Vinyl Radio and it is strong. Some mixing needs to be done, but the preproduced product sounds great already. You can still pick up their free CD at various locations. They had a bunch at the Casbah on Friday but I don’t know how many were left. There should be more there for the show tomorrow.
After grabbing some bar fare and a couple drinks, we came to find out that both bands had cancelled and now the show was just going to be Buddy Akai, though I suppose I would’ve known this had I checked the MySpace bulletins.
I’ve seen Buddy Akai before and I enjoy them for what they are, but when manager Erika Jessup (of the Beauty Bar) told us that the band might not play because their laptop was missing we both kinda cringed. Matt is of the belief that computers have no business on stage. I’m not that extreme, but my feeling is that a band should be able to pull off a decent set with or without a laptop. Later that night, Shiloh and Jason and I had a discussion about it and they shed some light on the value of a computer for the electro-rock that bands like Buddy Akai play, but I’m not sure I’m sold. I feel like their sound has already run its course and isn’t really a style with any longevity or staying power once the resurgence of the 80’s passes and we inevitably draw from another era. The boys from Augustana were at the show but left after the first song.
Matt and I were pretty tired from having to wait so long for their set to even start, so we took a cue from Augustana and left after the second song. I picked up my car and wasn’t ready to call it a night so I decided to head to Rosie O’Grady’s in hopes of catching A Weeks Worth and also as a bit of surveillance to check out the bar as a venue. I really believe that bands need to play different venues. The Beauty Bar, The Casbah, The Ken Club and the Sports Club all have their merits, but the crowds at these bars draw from the same pool. There are also places like Brick By Brick or Dream Street or Winston’s that have their own qualities that might help in expanded exposure, even if it seems like nobody is paying attention, as was the case for Rosie’s.
I’ve lived down the street from Rosie’s for seven years now and have to admit this was maybe my fourth time there. I’ve never seen a band play there. I found a stool along the bar and ordered up a Smithwick’s (Rosie’s has a good beer selection) and eventually A Week’s Worth started playing.
They are a local three piece and I have to say I really enjoyed their performance, although I caught them at the end of the night for their final abbreviated set. There’s something about that bar that is foreign to me. Like I love the look of the bar, but the crowd is built in, whether there’s a band or karaoke or whatever, so to me not being a local, you get the feeling like you wish you could transport 50 friends there. Everyone was talking through the music that I kept thinking of the scene in Beautiful Girls when the Afghan Whigs play live but as just background music in the bar. Aside from some random chick dancing up front, nobody seemed to be paying attention to the music except for me and the two guys next to me because we were right near the band’s setup, and the woman taking pictures.
Still, none of that takes away from the fact that A Weeks Worth are a good band. I’ve been laying on my bed and have listened to their album twice all the way through and I am trying to find a way to describe the music but I’m coming up blank. I guess the fact that I can lay on my bed and listen to a self produced local album all the way through twice should alone say something. I’m feeling Nada Surf, early Better Than Ezra, Longwave…somewhere along those lines. Just do yourself a favor and listen to them.
After the show I came home and was ready to settle into a late night movie but Jason and Shiloh came over so we watched Next on MTV for a bit, played a late night game of Scene It! and then called it a night. They took off around 4:30 and I nestled in for sleep.
At this moment I plan on heading to the Casbah tonight for Stephen Malkmus, but Sunday’s are hard, so we’ll see how I feel about it in 4 hours or so. In the meantime, I hope everyone had a good weekend and I’ll be updating the Things to Do shortly.
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