Friday, November 21, 2008

The shows pt1

So the day came. February 20, 1997. Roseland Ballroom. One of our friends parents drove us, I believe another picked us up, still just the kids from school. So we're at the show, enjoying it a lot. I ran into one of the only cool kids from the summer camp i had been attending for many years. He was there with the best counselor I ever had (still in contact to this day), hung out with them a bit. Counselor got kicked in the face by the singer of orange 9mm while they were playing. the kid, named rob weil, kept crowd surfing and coming back, i thought that was crazy. so the show continued, i moshed for the first time ever, with alex, as face to face started playing disconnected. so the show ended, we all went home, siked on the show.

went to camp that year, some of the older kids were into 'punk', but thats really it. the kids my age were into numetal, they liked VOD a lot (all the kids were from long island). a bunch said theyw ere going to see vod with a band i had actually heard of (but didnt know), fahrenheit 451, at irving plaza the day after camp ended. i said i'd come along, live music seemed to interest me.

so i got to the show and couldnt find any of them. while i know that my parents picked me up from the show, i may have taken the subway to it, and probably did. so i was by myself, at a huge hardcore show at irving plaza, and new no bands or anything. somehow i ended up right up front at the front of the pit, while some spin kicks landed on my arm, it was nothing except a rush.

much later that year, a bunch of my friends said they were going to go to see the toasters and ruder than you at the wetlands after christmas. i convinced my sister to take me and attend the show as well, as she was in town for the holidays. so she did. the show was awesome.

the next show was alex's bands first show, president lemon, at skaters world. after going to a few sw shows and another irving plaza show, my friends and i all went to a show that alex had some hand in at some point...at abc no rio. so within 7 shows, i had gone from Roseland Ballroom...to ABC No Rio. looking back, I think that's pretty impressive. at abc, the show was '82 gremlin, useless ID, and distraught.

our parents continued to drive us to shows at skaters world, with us sometimes getting to shows in the city and our parents picking us up from them, until the oldest of us started driving, but that wasnt for a while.

In the beginning...

We'll start from the beginning. End of fifth grade, "Longview" becomes a hit on the radio. I liked it. I listened to it and many other 90s alt bands on the radio and was into it, including Rancid, who had the song "Salvation" on the radio (and soon to come their other hits as well as The Offspring). My sister went away to college around this time. She would call the house and talk to me sometimes about how she was so excited to be able to go see bands play (she said "I can finally go to concerts!"). Apparently either she hadn't tried to or our parents didn't allow her to when she lived at home.

So she said she had gone to see Rancid a few times and got me something, it was a Rancid "And Out Come the Wolves" tour shirt, which I still have to this day. She also talked to me about this band she saw and was pretty into named the Voodoo Glow Skulls. I thought the name was real cool. I found out later that the first time she saw them it was at a Checkers that at nights on the weekends was turned into a showplace, fucking weird.

Over the time of talking to her, at some point she said something about "black flag is pretty cool, but you probably wouldn't be able to find their cd in normal stores." to which i said "oh! i've seen them in sam goody when i was looking for black sabbath!" she was surprised. she told me to pick something up from them. one day at the end of school year for sixth grade (1995), my friend Ed and I and possibly one or two more were in a barnes and noble in the cd section. I found "Everything Went Black" and went to buy it. He comes up behind me on line, looks at what I have, to which he says "Why are you going to buy that shit?!" I looked at what he was holding. It was Marilyn Manson's "Smells like Children". I said, "whatever man." a week later my father drove us and two other friends to action park, i offered ed to listen to the record, and he flat out refused saying it sucked. my two other friends agreed with him.

My bar mitzvah was the next year, my musical tastes were apparent. It was dubbed, "Doug's Rock-a-Rama" with the kids tables named for bands: I sat at "Nirvana," while other tables were named "Sex Pistols," "Black Sabbath," and "Black Flag." On the shirt there was a variety of bands, including Rancid, nirvana, sex pistols, meat puppets, smashing pumpkins, pink floyd, and nine inch nails (i told you, 90s alt). My sister got me a cd: NoFX's "I Heard They Suck Live." In all honesty, I didn't like it at all. She told me later it was between that and operation ivy's energy, i was confused. she said i had told her i didnt like 'ska' so she got me the nofx cd. i was thoroughly confused.

That year, 7th grade, we had a new kid on our block, i was the first to make friends with him. He had moved from florida. He was really into less than jake and face to face, along with 90s alt. Him and our friends formed a band and 'played' my bar mitzvah, it was cool.

So the next school year, i received a postcard in the mail, talking about an "offspring secret show," at tramps with the joykiller. I was pretty jazzed, and asked my parents if i could go. They said yes. The postcard said that tickets were going on sale at generation records on a certain date. I ended up heading down a day or two later, I cant remember which. It was my first time using the subway by myself, I remember getting onto the wrong platform and not knowing what to do so i left and went to my dad's office to ask what i should do, ha. So I get to gen records and obviously its sold out already. they say to try ticketmaster. So i look around the pretty cool store and area (i'd heard a lot about bleeker and the village) and went back to the office. down the block was an HMV record store, which had a ticketmaster in it.

So I went to the store, I went up to the counter, and my friend ed had just bought tickets to something! i asked what to, and he said that him and alex and a bunch of people were going to the sno-core tour...with face to face, less than jake, and voodoo glow skulls. i said, "i love vgs! and i know ltj and f2f are good because of alex" so they said the offspring show was sold out (just a funny corollary: two of the people that played with f2f at that show are now in the offspring)...i thought for about...3 seconds, and said i wanted to buy a ticket to the sno-core tour. It was only $17.50 after ticketmaster charges.

Friday, November 14, 2008

face to face and guttermouth at sunset strip HOB reviewed

Got there a little after 7 to make sure i got a ticket, then was informed that face to face would take the stage at 10:50....cool. The parking situation in this area of hollywood is downright dire. After grabbing a bite to eat and watching the end of the jets/patriots game, i drove to santa monica and back and then paid $10 to park at a tiny strip mall. It was odd.

I walked into the place. It's just like the anaheim HOB, with an extra small tier of bar space, which made it much more comfortable (the anaheim HOB is tiny). I'd only been to the atlantic city and san diego HOB which are both much bigger, and incomparable to these other two.

On the way in, I hear from the security guard checking IDs that there is someone who has collapsed on the floor and may be seriously injured. Next, a different one walks outside and goes "Oh, god." I walk in.

Guttermouth is on stage, commenting on the "body." After a little while they start playing again. I really don't know much about them. But now, I know this: Guttermouth is funny. Played a song about kung fu, chicken box, and closed with perfect world. They were all dressed in skimpy workers clothing and short shorts, with sunglasses and creepy moustaches. It was excellent.

After that, I went to get a nice spot where I wouldn't be bothered by dem mosherz, and then saw that there was barricade space, and good spots too, I snagged one between where scott and trever would be. It's kind of funny, the only bands I've ever stood against a barricade for were face to face and..........that's it, but like 4 times now. Anyway, they went on, and killed it, playing these songs, in order.

You Lied
Struggle
Bill of Goods
I'm Not Afraid
Ordinary
I Won't Lie Down
What's in a Name
Disconnected
You've Done Nothing
Pastel
Blind
I Want
Walk the Walk
Nothing New
I'm Trying
Big Choice
A-OK
It's Not Over
1000X (request)
Bikeage

It was awesome, there didn't even seem to be that many people there, but it didnt stop the drunk contingent from trying to get up front and being drunk. The best was during It's Not Over, some kid managed to jump over me and land on the stage and kept trying to get to scott, pretty funny. Not too many crowdsurfers compared to other times...thank god. After the set, scott gave me the setlist, which was pretty cool.

Sunday, November 9, 2008

face to face in anaheim

So I rolled up to the Downtown Disney parking lot with no time to spare, in fact, they had probably already started playing. Ran through downtown disney to the house of blues only to find that the will call windows were closed...I asked a passing HOB employee what the deal was, she took my id and came back an agonizing 2 minutes later telling me there were no tickets for me. I just started stuttering like "uhh but uhhh uhhhh uhhhhh" and she asked when and how i bought the ticket...I told her about 5 days ago through ticketmaster. She left for another agonizing 3 minutes and came back telling me that she was going to let me in because I was in the computer but they for some reason had no physical ticket.

I then took off up the stairs into the venue...i thought that a big reason the show had sold out was because the band rufio was having a reunion and the other HOB shows hadnt sold out...I was incorrect. running into the main room, it was completely packed. I believe I walked in and face to face was playing ordinary, but i could be wrong. I likely missed 3-4 songs.

THE SET!!! aside from the songs I missed, they played these songs (no order unless indicated): A-OK, disconnected, you've done nothing, i'm trying, pastel, struggle (i think!), big choice (also, i think.), velocity (A SONG I HAD REQUESTED ON A SIGN AT THE SHOWS IN APRIL! THANK YOU TREVER), blind, ordinary, I won't lie down, and shoot the moon (another song i requested on their myspace after not playing it in april either...had a poor reception from the audience unfortunately, probably only 1/5 the crowd sang along if that.). They closed with It's Not Over, and then came back with a two song encore...the first song was Bikeage which was cool (also the second time in a week i have seen a band cover that instead of playing their own songs which i'd rather hear), and finally closed with 1000X.

There was a circle pit going on for basically the entire show, seems to be the case usually in california apparently. awesome show, i left feeling so much better about the show than the night before where i went to this same venue to see the bouncing souls, who had spoiled me a week earlier with a pre-96 set, the set they played in anaheim had good songs but just didnt seem to play what i wanted to hear.

Wednesday, November 5, 2008

The Fest 7 in Gainesville, Florida

Flew in thursday night, first thing bought was yuengling. It was late, so we just went straight to the hotel and checked in (Super 8). The next day, woke up earlier than I should have and around 11, we headed over to the fest hotel to get ready to register.

We're just standing around as no one knows where to go or anything, and I notice people i recognize walking by. It was the bouncing souls, and they tried to check in and only one of their rooms was ready. Trying to figure out how to decide who got it, Shamus suggested Odds and Evens. They did it, and the loser (the drummer) protested that he "wasn't ready". Then shamus suggested that there should be an outside referee, and they appointed him. Thusly, he caused greg to lose, even as DJ values siked him up for the challenge.

Upon our entry upon the premises of the holiday inn, we went up to the registration spot and got on a pretty short line with really only about 50 people in front of us, within 20 minutes we were registered and checking out the 'flea market'. Pretty unremarkable, except when they switched out one of the tables selling glass with a pro-obama table, keeping the small price signs, which led to funnyness like a picture of obama with a sign over it that said "Glass pipes, $15".

We went up to the third floor rooftop pool reception and hung out for a while, everyone that jumped in the pool freaked out over how absolutely freezing it was, which was funny. After a few hours, we decided to walk around towards the downtown and the venues.

First, we went to "Common Grounds", for myself to see Ringers, and for shamus to see them, chinese telephones, the falcon, and underground railroad to candyland. As I was very worried about not being able to get into venues (a fear that i later found out was completely unfounded but not until it was too late the last day), I left after only seeing 4 Ringers songs. But they were good.

I headed over to The Venue, which was the main venue for The Fest. First up in the small side room, was Gimme Drugs. They were really, really good. I really was into Jesse(????)'s vocals, and just enjoyed the music. Next, up first on the mainstage, was Rehasher, who I don't know very well but what I know, I like. It was their first show in 2 years, and they were great. When their set was coming to a close, they said "OK, we ran out of songs, but we're going to play two covers....this band is breaking up. fuck you! dont break up you assholes!" and went on to play the ergs pray for rain and saturday night craporama...and it was awesome! The kids that knew what was going on freaked out, myself included. Right after they finished and i was so jazzed about it all, I turned around only to see my friend Kate running at me and yelling my name, I was surprised, amused, and happy. Up next on the main stage was Ann Beretta, playing their last (electric) show. I got a great place to stand, two steps up from the floor directly in front of the singers view, so he could see my Worthless shirt the entire set. He saw it, and glared and grimaced the entire time. They didnt play fire in the hold, but they did play another song that sounded like a Worthless song. All in all, band isnt so bad when they arent ripping off worthless. After them was Strike Anywhere, opening up with two older songs, and I thought that maybe i'd be real into the set after all. Not so, as after that they just started playing lots of stupid new shitty songs. I left only to come back later as they were closing with sunset on 32nd.

Finally, Less Than Jake was set to play, I was happy to see them in their hometown. To the soundclip at the beginning of Hello Rockview, they came out dressed as cops and went straight into Last one Out of Liberty City, and then played My Own Flag. Other songs they played included automatic, sugar in your gas tank, johnny quest, never going back to new jersey (with intro), doug hastings, jen doesnt like me anymore, help save the youth of america from exploding, all my best friends are metalheads (with intro), scott farcas, look what happened, the ghosts of me and you, plastic cup politics, two songs from the new record, and closed with gainesville rock city. Even though they didnt play other songs I wanted to hear, it was a great set, at one point coming out with boxes upon boxes of doughnuts and throwing them into the crowd. I lost my voice shouting for them to play "malt liquor tastes better...". After the set I felt like I was seriously done for, even though I hadn't even moshed at all.

Headlining the first night were The Bouncing Souls doing an entire pre-96 set....and it ruled. They stuck only to material from good bad argyle and maniacal laughter and didnt go further back. Songs included i like your mom, the guest, 80s movies, joe lies, some kind of wonderful, old school, neurotic, and all of maniacal laughter. The 80's movies quote was: none, they just yelled and kept going in the song. Everyone was into it. Finally, they said "we're going to play one that isnt pre-96" and played True Believers. Great set.

After this, Paint it Black had planned on playing in the lot across the street from the venue. I left the venue even as cops were coming in to shut the show down, apparently. Across the street was a vacant lot, and beyond that and across another street, was a parking lot with a crowd of people...and a Uhaul truck. I ran over and heard only drums and singing. Kids were jumping off the top of the truck. When the song ended the band kind of just stopped, until kids started singing another song. Dan dove from the truck and sang. The next thing you hear is someone yelling "460! RUN!" to which someone else replied, "Horses? I dont see any horses!" The next thing you hear are tons of whistles, cop cars and firetrucks at the venues. And horses. cops on horses. With whistles. Those cops assaulted everyone with the threat of trampling by horse...for no reason. After the cops made everyone disperse (........?) I walked to my car, and not four blocks away almost got mugged. Great use of police. Then, I was not one block away on the same street when these two drunk black girls pushed each other in front of my car. Again, GREAT policing in that town.

Saturday. Headed over to the Market Street Pub and caught this band The Swellers. Personally, I have no idea what they were like. At some point I headed over to the venue, again, to make sure that I would be able to get in. Up first was Atom and His Package. Very unremarkable. Then Coalesce went on, to some of the worst dancing I have ever seen. Band was pretty alright. Up next, The Lawrence Arms played and only played two songs i knew. Great, drunken stage banter though, even if they forgot to say what number show they were playing. After them, None More Black took the stage. Opening with We Dance on the Ruins of this stupid stage, they also played nothing to do when you're locked in a vacancy, oh theres legwork, peace on mars, everyday balloons, dinners for suckers, banned from teen arts, wallpaper looks like paint, zing pong, opinions and assholes, peanut butter, and closed with drop the pop, to the end of which i lost my mind and ran a bunch of people over. Great set. After that, Paint It Black played a set, commenting on the attack of centaurs at the attempted show the night before, "Half man/half pig". After them, Municipal Waste took the stage, and proceeded to throw out many, many small shot bags of vodka to the crowd, and had everyone take the shot at the same time. Hilarious. Then, they proceeded to play one of the craziest, funnest sets I have ever seen. I dont know any of their songs really, but it was still a good time. They even covered SOD's "United Forces".

After Municipal Waste, I headed over to The Kickstand to catch the degenerics. I got there early and saw Slingshot Dakota, who was pretty cool, and the sidekicks. When The Degenerics went on, there was so much jersey around. cashman. jay insult, j. porter. fid. it was an awesome time and they played an awesome set. After them, the Star Fucking Hipsters went on, I watched a song but then left and got the car and waited for shamus so we could head out to the middle of nowhere...

About 5 miles out of town, there was a small warehouse/storage area over some train tracks off a highway. One of these garages had been turned into a practice space. And in this space, they were holding a show. While I forget the name of the first band, I certainly remember the name of the second. None More Black played to about a hundred people, with Colin saying "This is the REAL fest!" They played an abbreviated version of the set they had played earlier, but were that much drunker, and that much more excited. It was absolutely awesome. Following this, I felt like I was dead, and didn't care to see the new mexican disaster squad play their last show, or the shook ones, etc, so I went to the hotel and passed out.

On the final day of the fest, shamus and I checked out of our super 8 motel, headed to the downtown area, and ended up at the market street pub first, and caught Jawsome. I didnt really like them. Next, I planned to see san diego's own Dan Padilla at the Atlantic, but the line refused to move. So I headed over to the venue and saw a bar across the street that was part of the fest and went into it. Called Durty Nelly's, this irish bar looked pretty cool. The band also looked pretty cool, Deep and Holy Sea. However, they took way too long to go on and i was restless so i left and seriously walked like 3 miles within this 2 block area back and forth, waiting for something worth checking out. After going into various venues and being bored, I finally got on line for the venue. The Arrivals went on first and were all right. I wasn't into Off With Their Heads at all. Toys that Kill were much better when I saw them at babe's warehouse in long beach.

Then, The Ergs went on. I'm not going to go super into detail here, but for the first set they played a mix of really old songs and newer songs. The set was good. Towards the end, a comment from the band: "We have a few songs left, and then we're up next". Up next was them playing all of dorkrockcorkrod, and it was a blast. Mikey didnt know the words to a few songs, but that was only funny. Coming to the end, I thought they would close with upstairs downstairs, but instead DID NOT PLAY IT!>!?>!JIOfjeoiajfd and played two covers instead. While bikeage is a great song, I'd rather have heard them played upstairsdownstairs and destroyed everything.

After that, we headed to the failsafe warehouse again, hearing that the lawrence arms were playing at 10pm. Unfortunately, the show actually started at midnight, and they werent playing. We caught a few bands including anti-lectual, who played a horrible cover of a face to face song (ordinary), as well as another band who covered coffee mug. After that, we headed over to the fest hotel which we were staying at that night, and shamus got caught in an elevator.