| Mix Cd |
[21 May 2008|08:50pm] |
I like to make mixes, so here's a mix CD I made. If you want one, let me know, because I also like to give my mixes to people.
"It Ain't Easy Being White"
Modern Life Is War - Humble Streets
Valient Thorr - Goveruptcy
Rites of Spring - For Want Of
The Power and The Glory - Call Me Armageddon
A Wilhelm Scream - Our Ghosts (contemporary/consensual)
Bear Vs.
Shark - Entrance of the Elected
Poison Control Center - Don't Go
Propagandhi - Name and Address Withheld
Remembering Never - White Devil
Baroness - Isak
The Rolling Stones - Bitch
The Replacements - I Will Dare
Old Crow Medicine Show - Wagon Wheel
Samiam - Storm Clouds
Pelican - Far From Fields
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| Modern Life Is War |
[27 Apr 2008|06:56pm] |
Modern Life Is War has officially broken up. This past week has been a week of mourning the loss, but in a celebratory way, just like they would want it.
Last Saturday was the show in Des Moines. Tyborn Jig opened and it felt really good to play. Ace had knee surgery two days before, but he was up there, rockin as hard as he could. He's the man. Hercules was incredible. Sioux City Pete and The Beggars then took the stage to scare the shit out of everyone at the Mews. No one was prepared for what they do. They play noisy blues-punk, with Lexi and Amanda just commanding the stage, flaunting intimidating sexiness and withering detachment. And when Joe Ross in on drums, they're an unstoppable locomotive. Modern Life Is War worked in their set, going just past the Mews' strict 9 o'clock curfew, playing what Jeff called the best show they've ever done in Des Moines. I was very happy to hear that.
The next night was Cedar Falls, at the Reverb. Grave Digging Shovels opened, which features Brooks Strause, Ben Driscoll and Adam from Beat Strings. Good stuff. For The Beggars' set, I asked Pete if I could sing a part of their cover of Gun Club's "For the Love of Ivy." Pete loved the idea, and I got to sing my favorite Gun Club verse:
Gonna buy me a graveyard of my own
and kill everyone who's ever done me wrong
Gonna buy me a gun just as long as my arm
and kill everyone who's ever done me harm
It was so much fun. Modern Life Is War opened their set with "Young Man Blues," and killed it from there.
I have Wednesdays off, and after remembering that Modern Life Is War and The Beggars would be playing in Sioux Falls the same day, I decided to make the drive up. Going by myself and spending lots on gas may not have been the best idea, but it was absolutely worth it. I first got to go to Buffalo Wild Wings for the first time, with Josh, John and Tyler. Maybe that doesn't sound impressive, but I had fun. I wiped the last of the wings off my face, ran back to the venue, and walked in right as The Beggars started. Perfect. Pete then let me sing not just the second verse of "For the Love of Ivy," but the entire song. It was the most fun I've had on stage in a long time. The Blinding Light played after, and were pretty decent. Now this show had a shitty turnout of maybe 50 kids, but Modern Life Is War clearly were not deterred by this. Jeff especially gave it his all, and poured his heart out for the few kids who were into it. The absolute best part was them doing a cover of Black Flag's "Nervous Breakdown," with Pete on vocals. Pete sprinted onto the stage and proceeded to give the most energetic performance I've ever seen a 40-year old man give. Absolutely fantastic. I love Pete so much, and have a great love for the rest of The Beggars. Lexi is a sweetheart, and we all know how I feel about Joe Ross. He's a king among men.
It all culminated last night at the final Modern Life Is War show, in Marshalltown. More than 600 people came, many of them from out of state, some from out of the country. I got there just in time to see a few songs of William Elliott Whitmore, who is just phenomenal. I finally got to see Old Scratch Revival Singers, and I was highly impressed. Brook Strause performs like his life depends on it. And then the reason everyone was there, Modern Life Is War, took the stage. But the stage wasn't having it, as 30 seconds into their set, due to kids losing their minds, it collapsed. 20 minutes later, after moving the stage out, the show started over, this time on a six inch-high rise off the floor. This added a potential for danger to the band, but kids were mostly respectful. They also went off and sang along to every word that Jeff Eaton screamed out, knowing they'd never get to do it again. That was maybe the worst part, watching them play a song like "By the Sea," and realizing that soon these songs would be a part of the past. But again, I didn't want to be sad. I wanted to have a great time, and that I did. They played a great selection of songs, and surprisingly, didn't close with "D.E.A.D.R.A.M.O.N.E.S." They instead closed with "Hair Raising Accounts of Restless Ghosts," and even though that seemed like an odd choice at first, the ending proved more fitting than anything possible:
And we don't care anymore
I don't give a fuck
'Cause I'm one of them
Our rebel hearts will turn restless ghosts
They can never truly kill us, and we will never truly die.
It's hard to put a finger on what it is about Modern Life Is War that appealed to me so much. Part of it was their ability to freely walk a line between hardcore and punk rock, while winning fans on both sides of that line. They didn't compromise any sense of style or genre, and their music was abrasive but so very memorable. Jeff Eaton's lyrics will no doubt be held in the highest regard for years to come, and he deserves every bit of praise he gets. That man put his heart out for everyone to see, and told everyone that it was okay to do the same. That maybe if you show your feelings, and come to terms with what's inside of you, that you can pull yourself out of your rut and start to do something positive.
Modern Life Is War embodied the idea of turning darkness into light. Even though they're no longer a band, that light they created is going to keep a lot of people going strong for a very long time, and I thank them for it.
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| Beatles nerdery |
[20 Apr 2008|10:53am] |
I just finished reading an 850-page biography of The Beatles. There couldn't possibly be a better researched, more thorough book about them, so I don't think I'll even try to read any others. This thing was absolutely exhausting, not in a bad sense, but in the sense that it just has so much information and analysis. Reading it has prompted me to write about the most written about band in the world, so have fun!
The best thing about this book was that it doesn't get to the beginning of Beatlemania until about 300 pages in. A lot of attention is given to the childhoods of everyone, especially John, who had a really weird upbringing where his aunt raised him, but his mom was still kind of in the picture. And then his mom got hit and killed by a speeding car. Bummer times for John. It really sets up a background for John's later frustrations and anger towards people in general. He felt like everyone was going to fail him, and so he was more or less rude to everyone. But as far as the band goes, it was fascinating to hear about them forming the Quarrymen, which was their first band. All they wanted to do was play American rock'n'roll, and they gradually got better and better at that, eventually forming the sound that broke them huge.
Everybody has seen the footage of Beatlemania, with girls screaming and being held back by policeman and all that, but this book goes even further with showing just how ridiculously insane it was. Girls almost died becuase there was often trampling, tons of girls fainted and had to taken to hospitals, and it was like The
Beatles had a price on their heads. These people wanted THEM. Girls would run up and cut off a piece of their hair, or rip their shirts off, just to have a part of The Beatles. The book kind of makes the case that this all was started by a few groups of crazy girls, and then simple mimicking by girls who saw footage of that. It just became the cool thing to go crazy and lose your mind when you saw The Beatles.
It's also really impressive that as they started to progress musically, trying different things in the studio and not just writing love songs, their fans went right with them. Somehow, the public just knew this was good music and they trusted that The Beatles knew what they were doing. And everything they did clicked with their fans. They sold so damn many records, shattering any previous top marks set by other artists, I can barely even believe it.
I had always been confused by the fact that they stopped touring in 1966. There was obvious demand for Beatles concerts, and playing music is really fun, so I never understood that decision. After reading this book, I absolutely understand. Playing live was a miserable experience for them. Remember all the girls screaming, and how loud it is on the footage? Well, it was even louder for The Beatles, because they could barely hear anything they were playing. At Shea Stadium, when they played for something like 50,000 people, they couldn't hear each other at all. Ringo said he was only going by John, Paul and George's body movements to know where they were in the songs. Combining that with the constant harrassment by fans, and mismanagment of their tours by Brian Epstein, they couldn't wait to stop playing live. It makes total sense.
Yoko Ono sucked. She sucked bad. Her performance art was really stupid, as it involved things like her sitting in a bag, for hours. People would pay to just watch her sit in a bag, and occasionally move around. I hate stuff like that. So when her and John met, she essentially cast some spell over him where he had to have her around at all times. The worst of this was him bringing her into the recording studio. The Beatles had hardly ever let anyone in the studio when they recorded, and now John was having Yoko literally sit right next to him while they wrote songs, discussed arrangements and recorded everything. Yoko demanded that she have a mic for herself, so she could do her awful screaming and also to make suggestions about songs. Paul, George and Ringo were furious about it. The Beatles would have eventually broken up, probably because of Paul ordering people around, especially George, but the popular myth is pretty much true: Yoko Ono broke up The Beatles. She was constantly telling John that their music was boring and that he was better than them. And for whatever reason, he believed her. It's really frustrating to read about.
More than anything, reading this book has reignited my interest in listening to The Beatles. Just knowing the meaning behind certain songs, or knowing who did or didn't play on songs, has made me listen much closer and gain more appreciation for what they did. I've said it before: The Beatles are looked at as the greatest band in rock music history for a good reason. I don't know if I'm personally prepared to say they were the best ever, but they sure were close.
If you've got the time, go read the book. It's by Bob Spitz and it's just called "The Beatles: The Biography." Don't be scared by how long it is. If you're a fan, it's very much worth the effort.
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| I'm sick and tired of paying these dues |
[16 Apr 2008|05:59pm] |
As if my job wasn't getting frustrating enough, a class of new hires came in Monday. Among them is Ryan Lebo, my manager when I worked at Hot Topic. If I had to make a list of the worst people I've ever encountered in my life, he would be right at the top. He is an absolutely awful man. A paranoid, pathologically lying piece of shit whose only goal in life is to make people think he's cool. He made five people quit, and he actively tried to get people fired, especially Breann. And now he works in my fucking department. He tried to be cool to me and say hi, but I barely acknowledged him. Hopefully he got the drift, that I do not want to be friends with him. This is seriously one of the most awful things that could happen at this job. Luckily, I talked to the girls who coordinate the training, and they were totally understanding, agreeing to keep him away from me as much as possible. Let's hope they stick to that.
I also just found out that the Jimmy Eat World/Paramore show is sold out. I'm really disappointed. I've never seen Jimmy Eat World, and I've loved them for such a long time. I was getting really pumped to sing along to their stuff, but because so many 14-year old girls have to love Paramore, there is not a single ticket left for Elliot. Bummer times.
But onto better things.
The Video Update on 42nd and University is going out of business, so they're having a DVD sale. For just under $40, I got The Baxter, Babel, The Departed, Notes On a Scandal and Little Children. I went with Breann and Bickley, which was great. Big thanks to Breann for alerting me to this sale, and a big thanks to Bickley for being a terrific little lady, even though she says she liked it better when I had hair.
Oh yeah, I shaved my head. I'll post pictures of that. I also got a tattoo like a month ago, and haven't posted a picture of that either. Big changes in Elliot City.
I'm 13 movies away from completing the Clint Eastwood filmography. The only stinker so far has been City Heat, with Clint and Burt Reynolds. I know, it sounds like it would be sweet, but oh god it wasn't. However, the Dirty Harry movies have been really awesome. I'm just dreading having to watch shit like Bridges of Madison County and Space Cowboys. That won't be fun.
Last week I called in sick to work, so I could go to Iowa City to see Converge and Baroness. It was very much worth it. If you haven't heard Baroness yet, you are missing out huge. They gave Converge a run for their money. But of course, Converge came out and owned everything. It's good to see a solid hardcore show like that, to restore my faith in heavy music.
Speaking of heavy music, Monstro is getting back in action. We finished a new song last night, and I love the direction we're going in. Still having fast stuff, but just getting heavier and more brutal. We want to sound gross. Also, if we made them, would you buy a shirt that says, "Get Shitty With Monstro?"
Please come see Tyborn Jig this Saturday at the Mews. It's Modern Life Is War's last show in Des Moines, and Hercules and Sioux City Pete and the Beggars are also playing. Ace is having his surgery two days prior, and will be rocking out in a wheelchair. If you have any crutches at home or anywhere else, please bring them, because we want to have a Crutch Party going on during our set. This will be such a fun show, and I'd love to see lots of friends there.
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| The days change at night, change in an instant |
[26 Mar 2008|11:06am] |
Last Sunday in Omaha, I got to see X. For anyone who doesn’t know, X started in 1978 in L.A., one of the first punk rock bands in that area ever. They’re great because it’s like punk rock with a rockabilly backbone, and the dual vocals of ex-husband and wife team Exene Cervenka and John Doe just make the whole thing shine. They’ve been doing shows for the last few years, with the original line-up, but I had never been able to see them until now.
Richard came with me, even though he had never heard an X song in his life, so I thank him very much for that. The show was at Sokol Underground, so I knew I’d be able to get right up close for their set, and that I did. I was front and center, directly in front of Exene. Just looking at the setlist before they started made me lose it. When they came onstage, I felt more excited than I have been in a long time at a show. They launched into "The Once Over Twice," and were just relentless. So many good songs. It’s pretty amazing how after 31 years, they’re still able to play this fairly challenging music so perfectly. They almost weren’t going to play "We’re Desperate," but thanks to some last minute set changing by John Doe, they did it, and I absolutely lost it.
Going to this show made me reflect on how long I’ve been into X. I realized that I bought their album in March of ’98, when I was in 8th grade. That’s ten goddamn years ago! Amazing. It really was a fantastic experience, especially being so close to them. Exene was inches away from me at times, and we definitely made eye contact. I sound like a schoolgirl, but I don’t care. It was special, and I’m so glad I went.
In other non-X news, I went to Dubuque a couple weeks ago. Hung out with my grandpa and went to the Panera where he is beloved, probably so he could show me how much people like him. He’s weird that way. Had some great dinner with my family and chilled hard. I mostly came up to hang with my cousin Bob and to see his band, Old Panther. Bob just recently had a friend pass away and it was a pretty big deal for him, so I thought he needed some bro-time, or some cousin-time I guess. We bought stupid amounts of music at CD’s 4 Change, and hung at the show together.
By the way, once Modern Life Is War breaks up, Old Panther will officially be the best band in Iowa. Every member of that band is just unstoppable, from Jon Eagle’s larger-than-life drumming, to Bob’s genius lead lines, to Aaron Hefel’s almost-too-passionate vocals. If they can get out there and tour, I’m convinced they could be huge, just because their songs are that fucking good. Anyways, they played a great set, which felt even stronger than usual with the passing of their friend. Closing with "Two Beards and a Beard," they screamed out the last line: "The first one to give up was me," and then just blasted out the final section of the song. I’ve never seen Bob play with so much heart and feeling, and I know he meant every second of it. Bob, I love ya, and I know things are gonna get better.
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| The pattern is embarrassing, it only makes it sadder |
[28 Feb 2008|10:57am] |
Just finished watching the second season of Dexter. It was absolutely amazing. I don't know if I've seen a show that's as good at building up a storyline so intensely that you can't even stand to watch another episode. I dreaded continuing the season after each episode, because I couldn't bear to see what happened next. That's how good it was. A huge, huge thanks goes out to Sxotty for letting me borrow it.
All the music for the Tyborn Jig album has been written. The last song will be over five minutes long, which is a damn marathon for us. Lyrics need to be written for one more, and then we'll be ready to record, hopefully at the beginning of April. We want to get it as tight as possible before it's recorded.
Death and Taxes, my electro-punk-rock-goofy side project with Saeed and Scott, has a show on March 17 with the Tanks. So we're spending this time getting new songs ready so we can actually have a set to play in front of people. Expect a couple covers and other shenanigans.
My tax return is fit for a king. I got money, honey.
Now this stupid winter just needs to be over, so we can get swingin in summer.
Oh, and music I've been digging:
I'm listening to this Black Mountain band right now, and it's pretty tight.
Shellac made one of the weirdest albums ever with "Excellent Italian Greyhound," and I love them for it.
A Wilhelm Scream is still fucking great. Go buy "Career Suicide," because after about 1,000 listens, it has not gotten old in the slightest.
Torche.....damn. Torche rules.
"Sticky Fingers" rocks and rolls all over the place. Those Stones sure got a bright future ahead of em!
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| I am chained to everything I tried to leave behind |
[30 Jan 2008|10:48am] |
My step-grandfather passed away a little over a week ago. It was a pretty unfortunate accident, where his van slid into a lake, and he wasn't able to get back to shore. Virgil was really fit and healthy, so even though he was 79, this was still an unexpected death. My brother and I went to the funeral in Bellevue, which is just outside of Dubuque. As you can imagine, it was not a particularly fun time. The worst part of funerals is having to see everyone else be sad. My stepfather gave the eulogy, and he did an amazing job, but I had an awful time holding it together for that. They had a 21-gun salute for Virgil, as he was a Korean war vet, so that was neat. Virgil's wife is doing remarkably well, and I hope she gets lots of help up there in Bellevue. Virgil was someone who you kind of always assumed would be around, so it's very weird now that he's gone.
Aside from the funeral, I had a really good time up there. We met up with my cousin Bob at Isabella's for their open mic night, and for the first time in over four years, I played my solo stuff live. I also did a few covers, and even though hardly anyone was there, it was way fun. And Aaron Hefel and Jon Eagle, of Old Panther, are super tight dudes. There was also much hanging out with both sets of aunts and uncles and my grandfather and my parents and brother and sister. My stepfather was in a good mood by the end of Friday night and was telling stories about Virgil, all of which are really great. I really love all of them, and feel incredibly lucky to have such cool people to call family.
So that made Saturday night even sweeter. Monstro played our first show in almost three months, at the Haunted Basement. There are certain times, when you play in two bands, that you end up focusing more on one of them and not so much on the other. That was happening with Monstro. But after Saturday night, that shit has changed. I felt so good about our set and how we played, that I just want to get things going again in a big way with that band. Of course, we have to wait for Keith to get back from Europe, but after that, it'll be on. We're all intent on making the harshest, most focused music we possibly can. Richard, Keith, Benjy, Kyle.....let's do this! SO, after us the show was amazing. Hercules especially just owned it. It was awesome to see Aaron again, as he's still one of the realest and most genuine people I've met in these ten years of playing music.
And hey, let's not forget about ol' Tyborn Jig! We're basically writing a bunch and getting our shit together so we can record an album. That will be a ton of fun.
Check out It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia. I've been watching a bunch of it, upon TJ's recommendation, and I'm glad I did. Who woulda thunk that a comedy show on the FX network could be hilarious?
The weather in Iowa can shove it.
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| Top 5 albums of 2007 |
[03 Jan 2008|12:24pm] |
I've decided to not actually rank these in any order, because that's too hard this year. But you can probably infer my ranking from how I'll list it, so whatever:
Bad Religion - New Maps of Hell
I used to say that Rancid was my favorite punk band, but considering how average their last album was, and how Bad Religion keeps pumping out fantastic music, I gotta go with the Relidge. New Maps of Hell might be the best album they've put out since....god, Stranger Than Fiction? I know that's a bold statement, but they really surprised me on this one. Experimentation for Bad Religion used to mean making the songs slow, but they know better now, as the songs twist and turn without losing any momentum. How these guys can be nearly 30 years into their career and still have the ability to do this so well is a mystery no one will ever be able to crack. I hope they never, ever break up.
Modern Life Is War - Midnight In America
Since Witness was so universally praised, there was an enormous amount of pressure on MLIW to come up with something as good, if not better. The result is an album that throws an even bigger wrench into the gears of hardcore, hiding nothing and catering to no one. Jeff Eaton's vocals aren't vessel-bursting explosions anymore, since Jeff understands that to pull back the vocals creates more tension. His lyrics show that he really is at heart a writer, with nods to Plath and Bukowski on "These Mad Dogs of Glory." The rest of the band finds deeper grooves and harsher sounds to compliment. Modern Life Is War are still the best band operating in hardcore today, and what they do in the future will surely be essential listening.
A Wilhelm Scream - Career Suicide
I can't thank Ben This City enough for basically forcing me into buying this album, because if I hadn't, I would have missed out on possibly the most creative release of the year. A Wilhelm Scream plays a style that can be best described as technical pop-punk. The songs burrow into your head with fantastic melodies, but these guys couldn't write a boring song even if they tried. Each song jumps and whips into new verses and breaks and fills at a million miles an hour, without ever getting too cluttered. The guitar playing on here is absolutely amazing, and so is the bass playing, and how many other bands can say that? What really puts Career Suicide over are the vocals and lyrics of Nuno Pereira. If my band said, "Hey, we're gonna write songs like this, now you have to put lyrics to them," I would just quit. But Pereira has stepped up and crafted lyrics that not only fit perfectly in every spot, but say something unique and thoughtful. I literally cannot stop listening to this album.
The Minor Times - Summer of Wolves
Of course, you put out your strongest album yet, make Elliot want to see you really bad, and then break up at the end of the year. Dammit, Minor Times! It sucks, but I can forgive them, because holy crap does this album rule. One of the few bands that has ever been able to tap into the spirit of Botch without sounding exactly like them, The Minor Times excel in making gross music that you actually want to listen to. The tempos and patterns are difficult, and there are certain riffs that almost make my stomach turn. It's the same story with the vocals, which are threatening and feature lyrics that have threats in them. But put it all together, and it's just one of the most gloriously sick pieces of audio I've ever heard. Maybe I can convince them to play one final show, in Des Moines, in my basement.
Coliseum - No Salvation
Their self-titled LP and Goddamage EP hinted at signs of greatness, and now with Kurt Ballou of Converge behind the control panels, No Salvation shows a band in top form, an unstoppable rocking machine. Coliseum are like a crusty Motorhead, playing fast, uncompromising hardcore punk rock with brains. Ryan Patterson is pissed at religion, Republicans, and anyone else who doesn't use their head. Patterson's creativity in his guitarwork is at its best here, and new drummer Chris Maggio is a monster. These are 13 songs that pummel with equal force, but have varied structures and methods. Here's hoping that they get even bigger than they already are, because they deserve it.
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| Peaceful progression is the only way |
[20 Dec 2007|10:43am] |
Went to Iowa City on Sunday night for a spectacular evening of fun. The accompanying group was Ace, Kristy, Richard and Brian Dingeman. We met up at Thai Flavors (yeah, there's one in Iowa City!) with Andy Dahm, Nicole, Nathan, Andy P and Nash. It was seriously great to see all those people, even though Andy P is pretty much the worst human alive. It was then off to the show, where Black Cobra was good, The Sword was good, and Valient Thorr blew my ass away. I know this is just me being self-centered, but I simply cannot understand how anyone could have liked The Sword better than Valient Thorr. It's been a very long time since I've seen a band with so much energy and enthusiasm, not to mention so many fucking great riffs. They were perfect.
I don't think I've mentioned on here that we have a new dog at our house! His name is Vega, he's an American bulldog, and he's pretty much the king of the world. Clint and Carli have been doing an amazing job of training him and disciplining him, so we don't have another Riley on our hands. No one wants that. But yeah, Vega has a great balance of being a crazy puppy, but also being the most loving little guy you could ever ask for. He's a champ and I like him approximately 800 bajillion times better than Riley. He even peed on my foot once, and I still think he's great.
Monstro is taking a break for a little while. No shows until March, at the earliest. Sorry to the 14 Monstro fans out there.
Tyborn Jig played Aeon Grey's EP release, which went extraordinarily well. Big thanks to Juice for printing the wrong name under our picture, but not even that could tarnish it. An excellent time. And we possibly may have a small label putting out our record in the spring. More details on that when it's all locked down.
I have now watched 17 Clint Eastwood movies since August. I have 30 more to watch in order to complete the Eastwood catalog. That's not projected to be done until April 2008, possibly May or June. But I AM going to do it. Just you wait.
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| I'll leave it all behind. I'm gonna rock'n'roll. |
[12 Nov 2007|08:29pm] |
Here's a list of shnit that's been rocking me lately:
1. Monstro. We played a show last night at the Sweet Bee Infoshop (which is basically our practice space), and there were like 75 people there. We rocked way hard, and In Defence had one of the biggest circle pits I've ever seen.
2. Tyborn Jig. Today we met at Drake Diner at 10:30am for a band breakfast, and then had a practice right after it. Finished a new song that I'm really into, which is on top of another new one we've written that will have Aeon Grey doing a guest verse.
3. Aeon Grey. Speaking of that guy, he asked me if I could play bass on one of his new tracks, and I of course said yes. Played on a track called "All In the Wrist," and not only is it a fantastic song, it now has bass courtesy of Elliot Imes. It's an absolute honor for me to be a part of it.
4. Dexter. This is a show that has Michael C. Hall of Six Feet Under fame playing a forensics investigator who's also serial killer except he only kills criminals. It started a little slow, but it has become mindblowingly good. I am pumped beyond belief to watch more of it.
5. Frank's Pizza. If you live in Des Moines, and you haven't been to Frank's, then get there as soon as you can. This is a new pizza place, right across the street from Hairy Mary's, and it's awesome. Some of the best pizza I've had in my life. Yes, it's a little pricey, but you can't expect to pay Pizza Hut prices for top notch pizza.
6. Dallas Cowboys. My bros are 8-1 so far this year. Things are looking mighty nice, and a trip to the Super Bowl could easily be happening. And to everyone who makes fun of me for liking football..........can't you just let me be happy? For once???
7. Soccer. Okay, so I haven't started playing it yet. But I will! I'll be playing in an indoor soccer league starting in January. Richard, Benjy, Allison, Josh, Hoef, and Jeff Eaton and Tyler Olson from Modern Life Is War will be on the team with me, hopefully with a couple others. Our team will most likely be terrible, but it's gonna be fun, and I'm stoked to get back in the soccer game. My elementary school experience will come in handy.
8. Abraham Lincoln. I just finished reading a book about him called Lincoln's Melancholy. Mostly, it deals with the major depression that he fought for most of his life. Who knew? He was a fairly gloomy guy who talked about suicide a decent amount. But he took that depression and used it to fuel his passion and convictions, becoming one of our greatest presidents ever. He was an amazing person, and I'm glad I know more about him now.
9. Tony Bennum and Paul Covill. My two co-workers at Wells Fargo who make every day at work hilarious. We can bullshit about girls, sports, music, customers, and anything else. They're great, and I need to actually hang out with them more outside of work.
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| I gotta go, my wife is having a contraction. |
[22 Oct 2007|08:27pm] |
Wells Fargo has been treating me pretty decently these days. I've made good friends with Tony and Paul, two guys who are kinda sportish but are genuinely hilarious. I went golfing a couple weeks ago with them and Casey, a nerdy dude we also work with. This was one of the best experiences I've had in a while. Casey accidentally threw his club into a shitty pond on a practice swing, and we almost died. So amazingly funny.
And Tony was killing me today with not only his spot-on Morgan Freeman impression, but a recreation of every sweet black dude that's ever called us. The recreation involves a lot of rhyming, which we hope someone will actually do to us someday. Things like:
"Hello, this is James Jackson
and I'm requestin some action!
What is this transaction?
They got my statement in fractions!
This is a gross infraction!
Can you do addition or subtraction?
You know what son?
It sounds like you need the Lord in your life!
Now I ain't talkin bout no landlord,
no vicelord,
and I sure ain't talkin bout no druglord,
but the good Lord!
I can hear it in your voice.
You need the Lord!"
So yeah, work is fun.
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| It's almost too much to bear. It's hell, and it opens your eyes. |
[15 Sep 2007|10:12am] |
One update every month is probably appropriate, don't you think?
Sam is moving out in a week. He bought a house in Valley Junction and is wasting no time in getting out. I can't be mad at him, since he's wanted to do this for quite a while and it will be a great start for him establishing home ownership, but I'm definitely bummed. It will be very hard to find a roommate as tight as Sam. Nobody will be able to effortlessly rip me a new one like Sam, and no one will be able to go to bed early and shut themselves off like Sam. He will be sorely missed at The Complexxx.
So this means that we are definitely looking for a new roommate. If you or anyone else you know needs a place to live, please hit me or Clint up.
For the first time in forever, money isn't a huge problem. Only a small problem, and I can deal with that.
Right now I'm in Dubuque for my mom's birthday. She's 49. That's old! And I'm only pointing that out because I know she'll read this and I'm allowed to poke fun at my mom every now and then, right?
Tyborn Jig and Monstro have a practice space now! It's right by House of Bricks, in the same building where a bunch of other bands practice. Our room is a really good size, so that's a plus. The sound is a little muddy, so we'll have to work on putting up some mattresses or carpeting or something. And the door is not as secure as we'd like it to be, but we'll work on that. Mostly it's just fucking awesome to have a space where we can practice as late as we want whenever we want. Both of my bands now have all the time we need to get totally solid and write way more songs and be amazing. So this is great.
Speaking of my bands, Monstro is playing tomorrow at House of Bricks with the almighty Modern Life Is War. Young Widows, Get Rad, and some Christian dude will also be playing. It'll be $8, doors open at 4:30, and the show starts promptly at 5. Please don't be late, since we play first. Hope to see you there!
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[16 Aug 2007|10:50am] |
Um.......I turn 24 today.
That's one year until I turn 25.
Which is five years until I turn 30.
Scary stuff!!!
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| You shone too soon |
[08 Aug 2007|04:54pm] |
Tyborn Jig fully wrote a new song on Sunday, even though Ed wasn't there. Sorry Ed! Like I told Kristy, this new song will rub shit in your face. It's that good.
We have a show on Sunday at the Mews, where unfortunately we will not be playing the new song. But! It will be a really, really sweet show. Kittens of Rhythm, my cousin Bob's band, will be rocking. Hushabye Mountain, Keith's new band, will be rocking. Our boys in Beati Paoli will be rocking. And some guy named Geoffrey Geoffrey will be doing something. It's gonna be great! 5pm on Sunday, and it's only THREE BUCKS! You got something better to do? Didn't think so!
Another big event on Sunday was buying a new amp head. It's a Peavey Valve King, and it sounds like a dream. Really heavy and crushing, so it will be perfect for Monstro. And now that Benjy has a new amp head as well....Monstro is pretty much going to end your life. That's all there is to it.
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| It's so hot up in the club that I ain't got no shoes on |
[05 Aug 2007|11:07am] |
Since last time.......
Rusty's band Battlefields played at First Cup. They were really good, and they're great guys. Their drummer Rob offered to do a show for Tyborn Jig up in Fargo, and I think we're gonna have to take him up on that.
Tyborn Jig opened for Against Me! on Wednesday. We played right before them, third out of four bands. I can't think of the last time I was that nervous for a show. Roughly 220 people saw us, which is kinda bonkers. Aside from a few screw-ups, it went pretty well, and I think we got a good reception, despite the fact that no one bought our shirts. But if you want a shirt, they're only $8 and they're nice. We're playing at the Mews on Sunday the 12th, so come see us and buy a shirt, ya clowns.
Thursday was Monstro's show with Perth Express and Trap Them. The cute thing was that Richard officially cancelled on us they day before, because he decided to work security at Lollapalooza. It was a boner move on his part, and we're gonna beat him up when we see him. But it's all good, because Cecil, Servo, Joe, Dan, Brizzi, Brendan, and Derek from Trap Them all came up and helped us out with vocals. It didn't matter that they knew no lyrics and barely knew how the songs went. We had a grand time. And Perth Express and Trap Them tore everbody a new one.
I watched Bickley last night, only for about an hour, and then had to put her to bed. But that hour was great, especially when she was showing me "Everybody Poops," as she totally lost it to all the drawings of poop. I wish I didn't have to work so late, so I could have spent more time with her, but there will hopefully be more Bickley hangouts in the near future.
I've come down with a cold, and it's no fun at all. Getting a cold in the summer is the worst, because you have no excuse for yourself. Your immune system has failed you, and that's that. I'm kinda miserable.
But watching Newsradio again has brightened my spirits. And as always, watching Six Feet Under with Kristy takes all the blues away.
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| If you think I'm fine, it just ain't true |
[29 Jul 2007|04:07pm] |
Again, it's been like two weeks since I last updated, so here goes a long one.
Bickley had a birthday party at this new place called Pump It Up. It was tight. All the kids were amped and going nuts, and Bickley was loving it. She is getting so tall it's not even funny. Watching her grow up has been a great experience, and I love that child to death.
Another Campy Camp Camp went down at Bill and Amy's house Friday night. Allister was hanging out and yelling a bunch and trying to talk, which was adorable. We watched Riki-O, and it had been way too long since I last saw that. Zombie Bloodbath was the other movie, which just made me want to see a Chiefs game. Don't ask.
The big show is this Wednesday! Tyborn Jig is opening for Against Me, and I'm actually kinda nervous about it. We'll be playing in front of a lot of people. But above all, I'm just plain excited for it. Should be great!
Monstro is not playing on Thursday anymore. Richard is a goofball and has cancelled, so no Monstro. But still please go, because Trap Them is awesome, and Perth Express is from Germany. It's at First Cup (2100 E 14th st), starts at 9, and it'll be $5. Pleeeeease go!
I'm very close to being done with the Wrestlemania box set. Currently I'm on Wrestlemania 19, Triple H against Booker T. It's rockin!
Every now and then, I'll become enamored with a song on the radio, for no particular reason. Right now, the song of choice is "I'll Wait For You" by Elliott Yamin. It's got soul, it's got class, and it's got a seriously catchy melody. Yeah, it's stupid, but I can't stop loving it.
And I kind of have to, because the tape deck in my van is broken, and I can no longer listen to anything but the radio. God....dammit.
I also got moved around at work, so now I'm on a totally different team with a totally different supervisor. It'll take a bit of getting used to, but it sounds like the best-looking girl on my floor is going to be sitting right next to me. Aww seeya!!!!
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| You're a bad, bad man |
[15 Jul 2007|09:59am] |
Saeed convinced me to go with him to Iowa City on Wednesday, to see Modern Life Is War. It took some convincing because they're on a tour right now with He Is Legend and Maylene and the Sons of Disaster, two bands that in my humble opinion, totally blow goats. But anytime that I'm able to see Modern Life Is War, I find it impossible to deny the opportunity.
And I'm glad I didn't, because I ended up having a great time. We got in for free, thanks to John and Jeff from MLIW being swell dudes and getting us on the esteemed guest list. It was great to just sit down and get to talk to Jeff for once too. He's the man. And Sjarm is the man for getting a shitty tattoo on his arm that says "Tits 'n' Ass." So then we headed in to the Picador and watched MLIW just tear the roof off the place. Seriously, they were phenomenal. Maybe the best I've ever heard them sound. Their new record, "Midnight In America," comes out August 21st, and you'll be doing yourself a huge disservice if you don't buy it.
After their set, I hurried up to Ragstock, where Nash and Molly were working, and where Andy was playing Lil Moby Dick's "Out of the Box" album over their soundsystem. Truly a wonderful moment. We then got ol twisted ankle Saeed and went to Pizza Hut, where Nash accidentally spilled Mountain Dew on my pizza, but it was still cool. I wanted to hang out longer, but Saeed's ankle was giving him a lot of trouble, so I gracefully understood, and we got the hell outta town. But it was sweet seeing Nash and Andy.
I saw Sicko with Saeed on Friday night. Not the kind of movie to watch if you want to feel hopeful about anything, but I still really enjoyed it. Mr. Moore did a solid job.
Last night we went to that fancy Italian place across from the Mews, The Trattoria. Shit was excellent. And then later, Mason and I watched an old episode of Mystery Science Theater 3000, "Hobgoblins." I hadn't watched MST3K in quite a while, and that reminded me that I should do that more often. We laughed a lot.
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| Ought to know what a liar I am |
[08 Jul 2007|10:23am] |
Kurtis still wanted to throw something together for at least some of the bands yesterday, so we ended up getting Letters In Binary on a house show here in town. It was at a crusty kid's house, but that was fine, because Letters In Binary totally tore it up. Those guys are my new best friends, basically. They're tight with the Towers/Philly crew, they dedicated a song to Chris Benoit, and they're hilarious. Oh and their band rips. I'm very glad that we were able to help them out.
Last Monday was kinda stupid because I accidentally slept in late and had to call in sick for work. It's all thanks to Nash and his dumb ass for being such a tight dude and keeping me up so late!
Friday night we had Campy Camp Camp at Bill and Amy's house, which was essentially just us eating pizza and watching shitty horror movies. I had a seriously awesome time being there, and I had an even more awesome time getting to see Bill's baby boy, Allister for like five minutes. He didn't seem too happy to see me, but I guess he was just tired. I forgive him.
Oh and my mom and my sister came into town briefly on Thursday night. We had Hu Hot, so you know it was all good.
Don't forget that Monstro is playing First Cup Cafe on Tuesday, at 9pm. Show is $5, the other bands are sweet.....what else do you need?
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| nope |
[07 Jul 2007|09:38am] |
Monstro's show with Battlefields tonight has been cancelled. Thanks to really shitty communication between people who don't know what they're doing, First Cup has been booked with a wedding for almost two months, and I never knew. It's stupid.
So, apologies to anyone who was planning on coming.
Monstro is actually playing at First Cup on Tuesday, with Thrash Wave and American Ghost Band. So go to that, please.
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| huuuuge show |
[04 Jul 2007|03:47pm] |
BATTLEFIELDS - huge, heavy, melodic. from Fargo. with Rusty from Dispensing of False Halos.
ROSETTA - "hardcore for astronauts." from Philly.
GIANT - brutal, epic, political. from North Carolina.
MONSTRO - local heaviness.
NED KELLY - local screamo. THEIR LAST SHOW EVER!
LETTERS IN BINARY - frantic, grindy. from Detroit.
SATURDAY JULY 7
FIRST CUP CAFE (2100 E 14th St.)
doors at 6, SHOW STARTS AT 6:30!!!!
$6
Six bands, six bucks. You can't beat that, so please come out!!!!!!!
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