In my line of work, a slow work week is a double-edged sword. I finish a bit earlier and less exhausted, but with considerably less cash to throw around on silly things like horse races & beer & new musical toys & groiceries & rent. This was one of those weeks. Actually, I should say these were two of those weeks. Yegad.
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It was a nice day. Actually had time for a lunch break. Ate completely crappy pastries & drank burnt coffee watching suits & tourists pass by at the top of Viagra Triangle. Watched a couple young canvassers from my old org. work the corner to little avail. I don't miss that job, and they won't, either.
They're shooting in my work neighborhood. Some football movie titled "The Express" with Dennis Quaid. I read somewhere the story is set in Syracuse, NY., which makes much sense ...
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Jerry Falwell passed on this week. I was thinking I must be some low-life, because when I received that bit of news, my gut reaction was "good -- maybe as of now the world is a bit less hateful." Obviously, I wasn't the only person on earth to feel this way, and it was heartening this morning to read Cathleen Falsani's religion column in the Sun-Times to find she had pretty much the same reaction I did.
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That old Everly Bros. tune, "Walk Right Back," in my head most of today.
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Heading home from work ... the blue line lurches doggedly forward filled with a demographic more reminiscent of a Naperville-bound Metra than the mass transit of Chicago's eclectic & hard-working NW side ... some fratboy in a backwards blue baseball cap yells, to nobody in particular, "Cubbies ... how about those Cubbies?"
"Uh, did you just say, 'how about those yuppies?'" a woman's voice chimes. The three of us who did not just walk out of the J. Crew catalog and onto the el had a nice laugh at that one.
18 May, 2007
13 May, 2007
#4 in the series
(note: my band, The Prams, hosts a regular series of shows featuring great bands from outside Chicago: The KICK YOUR DOOR DOWN! series. #4 featured Rosehips, from Columbus, and was supported by The Prams & We Make Thunder! )
In retrospect, it was an anecdote from the bios of our favorite bands: a whiskey-soaked, all-energy train-wreck of a show where any minor mishap is superceded by the unpredictable spirit of true rock & roll, the kind you tell your kids about, the kind 100 people witness & millions claim to have seen. ... woke up this mornin' & I got myself a bee-eer ... I got drunk & I fell down ... Johnny always takes more than he needs, blows a couple chords, forgets a couple leads ... I've been piecing the night together for a week. I really don't black out like this. Fuck.
We brought Rosehips from Columbus, OH. They're a quartet of women with big drums & amps, high-altitude guitar-ing & catchy changes. Their bassist, Jill, also plays in November Loop, who were part of our first 2 gigs ever, so this was a sentimental big deal for us. Anyway, we *always* love playing the Mutiny and we *always* love doing it with friends from out-of-town. Like ham & eggs, or Waylon & Willie.
This show fell on Kentucky Derby Day/Cinco de Mayo. Some of us played some horses ($41 back on $60 of wagers) & drank mint juleps before hitting the venue. It probably wasn't a good idea to drink more bourbon at the Mutiny, but hindsight is so-named for a reason, and rock and roll knows no moderation.
We Make Thunder *tore* through a great set, played their 'classics' and covered Neil Young along with the usual surf & girl-group homages. Each time I moved, somebody handed me a shot. We Make Thunder were that perfect mix of tight and loose. I was pretty tight, myself.
The first thing I noticed about Rosehips was the controlled explosiveness of the Rhythm section. They were set up first, and warmed up around the classic hook of Pixies' "Gigantic." Maybe I threw all caution to the wind from this point on because I knew the show would be a great one. It was. The mix was loud & in everyone's face. The crowd was excellent, both in number & in spirit. Everybody rocked hard & dropped singles, fins & sawbucks into the collection jar. Rock and roll church, y'uns.
I remember the first half of our set being energy, cock, balls & sweat. We had a sing-along on the old Son Volt tune, "Windfall..." Guys from Altgeld Forgotten & Tall Friends were there (love those bands). Some greasy dude claiming to be from Matador was there, too, I later heard. If it were 1993 and not 2007, that would have been cool.
The only other thing I remember is that telling, rock-bio moment:
The end of our set, as we're deconstructing our medley of "Lullaby," "Supersport" & the GbV song, "Smothered in Hugs" into a sonic, 3-string implosion, Steph jumps behind Tom's drums. Andy from We Make Thunder grabs Steph's bass & takes over that implosion. At this point my guitar is off my shoulder & up against my amps making its own feedback & Jill hops up & grabs it, interspersing these angular, Carrie Brownstein-ish riffs with dissonant chord windmills. Steph gives up the Drums to Shawn from Tall Friends. A great, impromptu noise-rock supergroup you'll never see or hear again. The only moment of cogniscence in my blackout. The only one that matters.
#4 will most likely feature those meddling kids from Youngstown, OH, Posture Coach. And another great Chicago band or two.
In retrospect, it was an anecdote from the bios of our favorite bands: a whiskey-soaked, all-energy train-wreck of a show where any minor mishap is superceded by the unpredictable spirit of true rock & roll, the kind you tell your kids about, the kind 100 people witness & millions claim to have seen. ... woke up this mornin' & I got myself a bee-eer ... I got drunk & I fell down ... Johnny always takes more than he needs, blows a couple chords, forgets a couple leads ... I've been piecing the night together for a week. I really don't black out like this. Fuck.
We brought Rosehips from Columbus, OH. They're a quartet of women with big drums & amps, high-altitude guitar-ing & catchy changes. Their bassist, Jill, also plays in November Loop, who were part of our first 2 gigs ever, so this was a sentimental big deal for us. Anyway, we *always* love playing the Mutiny and we *always* love doing it with friends from out-of-town. Like ham & eggs, or Waylon & Willie.
This show fell on Kentucky Derby Day/Cinco de Mayo. Some of us played some horses ($41 back on $60 of wagers) & drank mint juleps before hitting the venue. It probably wasn't a good idea to drink more bourbon at the Mutiny, but hindsight is so-named for a reason, and rock and roll knows no moderation.
We Make Thunder *tore* through a great set, played their 'classics' and covered Neil Young along with the usual surf & girl-group homages. Each time I moved, somebody handed me a shot. We Make Thunder were that perfect mix of tight and loose. I was pretty tight, myself.
The first thing I noticed about Rosehips was the controlled explosiveness of the Rhythm section. They were set up first, and warmed up around the classic hook of Pixies' "Gigantic." Maybe I threw all caution to the wind from this point on because I knew the show would be a great one. It was. The mix was loud & in everyone's face. The crowd was excellent, both in number & in spirit. Everybody rocked hard & dropped singles, fins & sawbucks into the collection jar. Rock and roll church, y'uns.
I remember the first half of our set being energy, cock, balls & sweat. We had a sing-along on the old Son Volt tune, "Windfall..." Guys from Altgeld Forgotten & Tall Friends were there (love those bands). Some greasy dude claiming to be from Matador was there, too, I later heard. If it were 1993 and not 2007, that would have been cool.
The only other thing I remember is that telling, rock-bio moment:
The end of our set, as we're deconstructing our medley of "Lullaby," "Supersport" & the GbV song, "Smothered in Hugs" into a sonic, 3-string implosion, Steph jumps behind Tom's drums. Andy from We Make Thunder grabs Steph's bass & takes over that implosion. At this point my guitar is off my shoulder & up against my amps making its own feedback & Jill hops up & grabs it, interspersing these angular, Carrie Brownstein-ish riffs with dissonant chord windmills. Steph gives up the Drums to Shawn from Tall Friends. A great, impromptu noise-rock supergroup you'll never see or hear again. The only moment of cogniscence in my blackout. The only one that matters.
#4 will most likely feature those meddling kids from Youngstown, OH, Posture Coach. And another great Chicago band or two.
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