Monday, December 3, 2007

Chuck Ragan / Sundowner / Mischief Brew - 12.2.07

First Unitarian Church
7:30

Heather, Kev, Jon and I met at Five Guys before hand for burgers, fries and grilled cheese sandwiches. Damn right. Nothing like five pounds of fries to get you ready for a show.

So, we headed over to the Church and got there a few minutes before Erik Petersen (Mischief Brew) was about to start. I remember growing up listening to Orphans songs, and really loving them, and I liked the first Mischief Brew EP. Erik's stuff is good, and I like it better solo, but I've never been a huuuge follower. He had a ton of kids there eating everything up, and they were singing along to a bunch of songs and requesting others. I recognized "Boycott Me" and "Roll Me Through the Gates of Hell" and evidentially a lot of other "punx" did too. I like Erik's music, but I can only listen to so many songs with similar rhythms and lyrics before I zone out.

After a short break, Sundowner started, sans band. While I liked hearing Chris with just a guitar, I missed a lot of the vocal melodies and string parts that are on the record. He did a lot of originals, a Leonard Cohen cover, and some Lawrence Arms songs ("Boatless Booze Cruise," "100 Resolutions," and one other I'm blanking of). It was a good mix, but his vocals seemed a bit off. I'm not sure if it was just part of playing without the band, or the fact that he's been on tour for quite a while, but he was a bit nasally and off-key. Still, that did little to dissuade the huge Lawrence Arms kick I've been on the last month.

Kev and I made a quick run to Wawa and were happy to see that Chuck Ragan had just started when we got back. I was bummed that I missed half of "Open Up and Wail," but what I hear sounded great. Heather's quote was "I think that one song changed my life." Well, I stood absolutely enthralled for the better part of an hour, while Chuck played every one of my favorites from his LP (Feast or Famine), his live record (Los Feliz), and his many 7 inches. He threw in "God Deciding" for the Hot Water fans, and ended with the Rumbleseat song "California Burritos." The energy that he puts into just folksy acoustic songs is unbelievable. The addition of a banjo and fiddle on a lot of it made it interesting and kept things changing. Not to mention the fiddle player could wail.

As a side note, during Chuck's set some seemingly drunk girl kept trying to get a seemingly reserved dude to dance with her. Next thing I know, they're making out like savages, with her slamming this dude into the wall right next to me (seriously, rubbing shoulders). These two had been attracting attention for a while, but now half the room is expecting them to bang right there, as Kev is screaming "Be real man and fuck her in the bathroom!" over and over. Afterwards, the dude came over to Mike and said "I'd never even seen that girl before in my life!" Hilarious.

Regardless, Chuck was amazing. Absolutely inspiring and made up for the fact that I was pretty underwhelmed by the first two bands/acts. This has me super excited for Hot Water Music reunion in January, which will be outrageous.

Tuesday, November 27, 2007

Welcome

Welcome to Sleeves to Members Ratio. This is a blog documenting the trip that Heather, Kev and I took to Gainesville, Florida for the Fest 6. Remember next time you see a band: add up the number of sleeves the members are wearing, then divide by the total number of members. The sleeves to members ratio should be less than or equal to 1:1.

Fest Day 1

Friday – 10/26
Friday morning Heather and I got a ride to the airport and arrived about 40 minutes before we had told Kev to meet us. I had to check in at the desk, and while I was doing that, Kev came in yelling “Fest!” This became a rallying cry for the weekend. After getting through security, and having the old bait-and-switch pulled on us for breakfast, we headed to the terminal.

At the terminal, we saw a wide variety of Philly punk rock types on the same plane (thecubandan, various members of Paint it Black, AAJ, Amateur Party, some dude that Kev accidentally insulted from Hostages and others). We also met the original drummer from Yellowcard, who unfortunately left due to creative differences with the singer. Luckily for us, he provided us with tons of stories on his near-celebrity, his frustration with having to check his guns with baggage claim, and his obviously intimate knowledge of the Gainesville area. Did you know the hot Fest afterparty was at TGIFridays? We did, thanks to him.

The plane ride ended up being rather tame, other than a few highlights. These included middle age boob (which turned out to be sheathed in a bra – bummer), Kev hitting on any and all flight attendants, and aerial shots of the hellhole that is northern Florida.

Upon landing we ran into Dr. Dan, who flagged us down at Starbucks, and Kev’s friend Aly. We took a cab to the rental car place (our first of many price gouges this weekend), and got the “reserved” car. Except the reservation wasn’t there. It felt vaguely like that Seinfeld episode. We finally got our car, which cost roughly twice the quoted price online, and proceeded to Gainesville. Despite some traffic and a top notch stop at Sonic, we made it there in about two hours. If you’ve never been fortunate enough to travel through northern Florida, do yourself a favor. Rent an underpowered four cylinder car, put on 100.7 (with all your favorite hits by Shaggy, Coolio, Beyonce, et al), and drive the scenic paradise that is 301 South from Jacksonville. You’ll thank me later. At least we can stop at Sonic!

SONIC!
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We get to Gainesville and find out way to the hotel. A bit on the lay out of Gainesville, if I may. Sure, we all know the grid system is an efficient way to lay out a city, but these people found a way to fuck it up. Instead of starting at 1st street and working the numbers up, they have four quadrants, so there are four different sets of rising and falling streets, labeled with NW, NE, SW, SE. It was relatively easy to navigate eventually, but difficult at the beginning, and I can only assume (hope?) that drunk kids get lost there easily.

We checked into the hotel, and dropped off our bags before picking up FEST passes. The whole town was already crawling with punk rock kids, and we wandered around, taking it all in and snagging free zines, beer koozies, fliers, etc. Bands weren’t starting until about six that night, so we met up with Bill, bought a few 12 packs (beer and Coke), and some whiskey, then headed to the rooftop pool. It was a bit chilly and overcast, but people were still swimming and having a blast.

POOL FEST
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When Barlights got into town, we met up with those guys and headed to Gator Dawgs, a spot we heard about in our FEST brochure. Between the eight of us, a safe estimate would be 20 hot dogs, of the meat and vegan varieties. We also got to see the owner’s large sword, which he seemed pretty proud of. A large majority of the time around Gainesville was spent screaming “FEST!” at the tops of our lungs, not wearing sleeves, and throwing high fives out to everyone. Kev and Bill spent a large amount of energy giving out “Schwings” to the ladies of the FEST, and we all felt the FEST spirit.

GATOR DAWGS
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After mapping out our schedule, we finally headed over to Common Grounds to see our first band of the FEST – Planes Mistaken For Stars. I don’t think any of us were really huuuge fans of this band, but they’re a good time, and it was one of their last shows, so it was definitely something to check out. We stayed for a little more than half the set before quickly jetting over to The Venue to catch Gainesville legends, Radon. Despite being up there in years, they turned in a great set, and the hometown crowd really ate it up.

After Radon, a few of us went our separate ways, eventually reconvening at the Sidebar. We watched Party Garbage, a snotty punk band, and then decided what we were doing next. Heather headed back to the hotel for some rest, Kev and Bill hit up Checkers for even more transfats, and Mike and I went to 1982, where we hung out with some people and talked about the legacy of RVA punk rock. Later, I went back to the hotel for some much needed caffeine, while Kev went to see Chinese Telephones (I regret not going). We then started planning out how to get to the real FEST kick off show: Shook Ones and Paint it Black at the Thurnderdome. Thankfully Jimmy Walsh (Shook Ones) and Josh Agran (PIB) kept us posted via text message and we got details on arguably the coolest show of the FEST.

At 1:30 we piled into the rental car and drove about two miles south of Gainesville and into a small apartment complex. We saw a crowd of people and knew that we were in the spot. We went up to find gear all set up and the Shook Ones about to start. After they ripped into the first song, it became apparent that the floor was not prepared to hold 100 kids (?) flipping the hell out. The only person that would admit to living there, Ryan, grabbed a mic to tell everyone this, and that the ceiling below was starting to buckle from the pressure. So, everyone in the middle of the room sat down, leaving everyone against the wall standing, and the Shooks started again. They played four or five songs, including a Descendents cover, and kept the energy up, complete with stage dives onto a seated crowd.

SHOOK ONES
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After they wrapped up, people saw cops in the parking lot, so Paint it Black ripped into their set immediately. The place went absolutely insane and the sitting rule went right out the window. After a few songs, a cop came in and watched two songs (claiming “this is awesome”) and then asked Josh to stop playing. He took Ryan outside, and was gracious enough to give ten more minutes. Paint it Black blazed through more songs, taking requests from the kids crammed into every corner of the tiny apartment. In an effort to keep Josh from being killed by a falling PA, Mike struggled to keep people back while Heather and I continually fixed the speaker stand. Kev just slingerpointed. After the show, Bill picked up some roommates, and we headed back to the room. Mike, Jon and Barlights stayed with us, while Kev went up to Aly’s room to stay in her spare bad. Around 4, we called it a night.

PAINT IT BLACK
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Fest Day 2

Saturday – 10/27/07
I woke up to a crowded hotel room at 8 am and couldn’t sleep. I got dressed quickly and headed down to the lobby, with ringing in my ears. I knew that it was going to be a long weekend if I didn’t get some earplug. I asked Caty, the friendly front desk girl, where I could get to a CVS or something. She told me there was a Walgreens a few blocks up 13th street. A few blocks turned into a mile and a half. I knew I had nothing else to do, so I just kept walking. I eventually made it there, got some fancy pants plugs for myself, and a ten pack for everyone else in the group. Then, I started my trek back.

When I got back to the hotel, I grabbed my laptop and sat around at the hotel bar drinking tea for my already scratchy throat. Around 9:30 Kev showed up, bleary eyed, and we actually sat with the drummer from Radon for a while. We shot the shit for a bit, and eventually woke everyone up to head over to the No Idea house for a giant “garage sale.”

Walking over to the sale, we ran into Kevin Allen, a friend of some of the guys, who said that the place was packed and we’d be lucky to get in, even though it was just starting. We got there, and saw a line stretching around the block. We hung out for a bit, then realized from someone in the front of the line (wearing a Lighten Up shirt, no less) that it took him over an hour to move about 200 feet. Pass. We took off, which probably saved me a lot of money. Amateur Party wasn’t starting for another hour or so, so we went to grab some lunch.

On the way to Harvest Thyme Café, Heather stopped and picked up a new shirt, and Mike posed for a sexy photo op. Once we got to Harvest Thyme, it was pretty delicious. Definitely a spot to check out for fairly healthy, and reasonably priced, food in Gainesville.

We hustled into the Atlantic right as Amateur Party was starting, and as usual I was impressed. They played a lot of new stuff that I’d never heard before, and the new lineup sounded good. Jeff Ziga played his first of three sets that weekend on second guitar, and their new bassist (Scott?) did an adequate job replacing former Philly standout Andrew Martini. Good stuff, and excellent guys.

When they ended, Heather and I headed to Common Grounds to check out the pop punk band Ringers. They were really good and played a nice mix of songs. And, from what interaction I had with their singer later in the weekend, they were good dudes. While we were there, Kev, Bill and Aly went to check out Bridge and Tunnel at Market St Pub. When Ringers ended, that’s where Heather and I went to see Pink Razors. Unfortunately, it was pretty packed, and sounded like absolute crap, so we headed over to The Venue to get in line for the Fat Wreck showcase, which stretched around the block.

Heather and I waited for a bit, and Kev and company came down the street. We hung out for a bit, and eventually Mike came stumbling down too. After screaming “FEEEEESSSSTTTTT” he immediately found us and we went in.

Dead to Me was playing as we got in, and I was impressed. Cuban Ballerina has gotten a lot of play from me over the year, and they definitely brought the energy live. Plus, they were pretty low on sleeves, which is always a good thing. They were quickly followed by Smoke or Fire, who have impressed me more and more each time I’ve seen them. I was underwhelmed when I saw them with Lifetime in 05, but they’ve been spot on the last few times. They were joined by Tim Barry for “Cryin’ Shame” and the crowd went nuts. After much questioning, they closed with “California’s Burning,” which was the first major “too soon?” moment of the weekend (this was the week of the California wildfires).

After a short break, American Steel started. It was my second time seeing them and the Lawrence Arms in a week, and I was a bit bored with American Steel after a bit. I enjoy them, but I’ve never been a huge fan. So seeing them play two 40 minute sets in a week, of material I barely knew got a bit long. Not to mention their set in Florida was almost exactly the same as it was in Philly. The Lawrence Arms, on the other hand, never cease to impress me. I’m always blown away by their mix of songs, and hearing two Broadways songs (“15 Minutes” and “The Kitchen Floor”) for the second time in a week was something that I never expected. They always explode with energy and play a good range of stuff. One of my favorite bands.

LAWRENCE ARMS


What can be said about Avail that hasn’t been said a million times before? One of the hardest working, most inspiring punk bands of all times. These guys have earned their legendary status. They played a fantastic mix of songs, and Tim and Beau Beau bounced all over the stage for about 45 minutes. Beau also entered himself squarely at the top of “best stage dive of the weekend” with a front flip off the speakers into a raging crowd. The last four songs or so were outrageous, and the ending with “Scuffle Town” sent hundreds of kids absolutely nuts.

AVAIL


Finally, the band that the whole room was waiting for: D! 4! Avail was a tough act to follow, and Dillinger Four did their best. They played really well, and their set spanned all releases, but when it comes down to it, they just didn’t play long enough. They were on stage for about 45 minutes and had amp troubles that caused about 15 minutes worth of nothing. Well, not nothing. Any time Paddy is filled up on speed, you get plenty of great comments. He kept the large crowd entertained, but this wasn’t enough to keep me from being bummed over a 30 minute set when an hour was set aside.
DILLINGER FOUR


As this showcase wrapped up, we all filed outside, throats raw and arms finger pointed out and decided to head to Common Grounds to check out Shook Ones for the second night in a row. Unfortunately, the rest of Fest had the same idea, and we knew there was no chance of getting in on time. So, we took off to get some burritos at El Indio with the intention of heading back for Paint it Black. We got our Mexican food, which was pretty damn good and cheap, right as the place was closing, and headed back to the hotel to relax for a few.

Barely letting the beans, cheese and sour cream settle, Kev, Bill, Aly and I headed back to Common Grounds, which Heather and Mike relaxed at the hotel. We walked over with some righteous blokes from across the pond, who informed us that Kid Dynamite was “massive” in England, and that pints in the US were disappointing compared to those in England. Either way, awesome group of guys. The line for Paint it Black was huge, and we wasted time standing in it while we could’ve watched LaSalle or Dear Landlord. Bum times. However, the line was fun, and Kev even got a P4 shoutout (if you don’t know, you weren’t meant to).

We finally got in, about 10 minutes into Paint it Black’s set, but managed to have a blast. They played some awesome new songs, Yemin commented about anything and everything punk rock, and the last three songs or so were spent trying to one up Municipal Waste’s record of “infinity stage dives.” I got some good ones in, and Kev headwalked all over some Philly locals. Nice.

PAINT IT BLACK


We got back to the hotel shortly after 1am, and there was a rooftop pool party going on. Mike, Kev and I headed up, but it was kind of a bust. Lots of dudes naked, and random guys dropping jaws at the three girls gutsy enough to strip down to bikinis. Bummer. Not to mention it was fucking cold. We hung out with some people for about a half hour, if that, and called it a night. Apparently the party got pretty wild after we left, but I could only stomach so many wangs. Mike crashed on the floor, and Kev headed up to Aly’s room for the night at about 2.

FEST Day 3

Sunday – 10/28/07
After getting an almost good night’s sleep, I was up at 10:30 and at the hotel bar again drinking tea. My voice felt like I’d been swallowing sandpaper, and I vowed to not sing along too much today. I swore this. I knew it wouldn’t happen though. How was I going to explain this to my students on Tuesday? Oh well.

We quickly got ready and hit up the pizza place across the street, Leonardo’s, for a quick lunch, and were not disappointed. Solid pizza for being outside the Philly/NYC area, and good salads. The place was packed with a ton of bleary eyed kids and band members who were in a rush to catch Philly supergroup Armalite.
We got to Common Grounds and were in right as they were starting. They sounded good, just as they do every time they play on their “two show a year Philly to Gainesville” tour. There were some tech difficulties with Yemin’s bass, but Mike McKee entertained the crowd with his babbling (as usual) and his “ushering in of vegan hip hop” (hilarious!). They also covered “Fucked Up Kid” by Crimpshrine, which went over with little attention – kind of a bummer.

The crowd thinned out after they left, which was lame because there were two great pop punk bands following them. The Arrivals played rock and roll inspired pop punk, and surprisingly, Paddy (D4) stayed quiet. Weird! They were damn good, and played a short set. Next was one of my favorite bands of the weekend, Off With Their Heads. They came out and played a ton of songs, from all of their random splits, EPs, collections, etc. I got denied on a dive during “Die Today” by some random dude, but it was ok. This was the first band to really break my no-sing-along rule. I love this band and was glad to finally get to see them.

OFF WITH THEIR HEADS


As soon as they were done we hauled ass over to The Atlantic to see Cloak/Dagger. They had just started, and they sounded great. Every time I’ve seen them they’ve had a different bassist, but they seriously sounded good and were really energetic. They had a ton of good merch too; unfortunately I couldn’t pick up any. As soon as they finished, Affirmative Action Jackson got started. As usual, hilarious and raging. It’s amazing that this band never plays, but always does a good job and sounds tight. For playing their third sets of the weekend, Andy and Jeff seemed pretty energetic. I wish I had recorded versions of the new songs.

Heather and I then headed over to The Venue for the final showcase we intended to see of the weekend. Kev and Bill stayed to see New Mexican Disaster Squad and said that they were solid. The Figgs were the first band at the Venue and I have no idea how they got on that show. No one seemed to care, and they didn’t really impress me, but they seemed energetic.

Speaking of energy, The Draft were really lacking it. I don’t know why, but they did not really seem into it, which was a bummer. Maybe it was the fact that it was Sunday, maybe it was the middle of the day, maybe it was all of the Hot Water Music rumors, but I wasn’t super interested which made me feel bad. I have seen them a handful of times and always liked them, but this seemed weird. They played a good mix, but I guess I just wish I was watching Hot Water Music.

Picking up the energy was Lopan Takes Japan, or Less Than Jake. I only know one or two records really well, but they played a ton of songs I knew and enjoyed. They were off the wall, and the hometown crowd lost their minds for everything song, particularly “Gainesville Rock City.” I’m not a huge fan, but damn were they exciting and entertaining.

Up next was the set that crushed my soul. Small Brown Bike was a band I’ve always loved, but hadn’t seen since 1999 at the Troc with Hot Water Music when they were touring on their first record. They killed it. The sound was amazing and the drums sounded absolutely huge. They came out to “The Cannons and the Tanks” and for the next hour I was entranced. They blasted through about 15-18 songs, predominantly in chronological order of full lengths. Then, they closed with “Make This a Holiday” and I officially killed whatever was left of my voice. I have rarely heard a band sound that huge and that full. I really hope they keep it together for a few more reunion shows or something that I can see them again.

SMALL BROWN BIKE


After this, lots of people seemed stoked on Seaweed, but I’ll be honest – I’ve never heard them. We were exhausted, stoked out but starving, so we took off and grabbed some dinner. Outrageous weekend.

All photos by me, all videos copped from random YouTube sites. Thanks to people who upped all of them!!

Saturday, October 27, 2007

Testing

Swish!