Blah, blah...
So we drive about 5 hours to Plattsburgh, the van smells like a trapped fart at this point. Or would it be a fart trap? Either way, from the long drive we aquired a "TOURCAT." He's nice. Still no sleep for me, enter delirium. We get to Plattsburgh, but in the wrong place. Even though that was the address we got. Our new friend, Matt Hall guided us to his apartment where we witnessed Matt and Sean (who both play in Long Cat) prepare a film splicing projector show for their set later. Old war film end credits, close up of a nervous, human eyeball and ab workouts. I can dig it. We hang for a bit, a few of us get high, Joey the drummer arrives and we head to the venue. I'll have to admit that it was pretty sketchy walking up to this bar, Olive Ridley's. Looks like a place your parents go on a Tuesday night for a beer and a burger. Relief sets in when we get to the basement. This is where we'll be playing. People had already started piling in, everyone seemed real excited just to see a show. The first act to go on was called Irradiated Beef. A one-man-in-a-cow-suit-with-gas-mask Noise/Grind band. I don't have to tell you how awesome this was. Loops coming through a massive amp while this dude played drums as fast and hard as he could. Definitely something to wake me up. The next band was Lie Captive. Not my cup of tea, but talented group of kids. Halfway through their set, I went up to the bar with Bear and Drew. We drank a couple of beers, but I couldn't wake up. I started to mumble and sway back and forth, so Bear put on some Michael Jackson. "Man In The Mirror" to be exact. After a much needed sing-a-long, I was ready to destroy all! We get back downstairs just in time for Long Cat. Matt Hall, who booked the show and seems to be single handedly rekindling the scene in Plattsburgh, is in this band. They fuckin' killed it. Fast and spastic with the weirdness of the projector film on the wall to the side of them, made this the best set of the night. Their set made us pull our shit together and play (what I thought) our best set during this little tour. Everyone seemed to like it; we like Plattsburgh. After the show, the Long Cat boys guided us to where we would be staying that night. 56 Elm Street, the most accomodating punk house I've ever had the pleasure of staying at. Pizza, weed, jugs of red wine, a pull out bed and a X-Men arcade game were waiting for us. It was overwhelming. The people of 56 Elm are champions. After some X-Men and good conversations with Sean of Long Cat, I finally crashed. We all woke up around 9:30, wrote a love letter to the inhabitants and ran back to the van. The rest of the story involves a trip to Betty Beaver's truck stop and diner, more dumb videos with Sean's magic phone and Rickey and Sean getting dropped off in Brooklyn. I don't like Rickey and Sean because of that side trip to Brooklyn. These stories are kind of pointless, but I wanted to say something about this silly trip and the awesome people involved.
All thanks to Nimbus Terrifix, Malcolm, Josh, Matt and 56 Elm. We don't deserve this kind of generosity.
-Squibbles
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Monday, January 10, 2011
TOURCAT #1 (cont'd.)
Alright...
Friday: We drove to Syracuse, NY and it only snowed for 5 minutes by Scranton, PA. HA! We get there around the time the show is supposed to start and try to get comfortable. Badlands is this rad community building/art space on E. Fayette Street. If you play fast music, I suggest you make a stop here one day. We park, give the Nimbus dudes high fives, load the equipment into a hallway, some of us go get vegan food and some of us wait (awkwardly in the corner) for the show to start. The band that opened the show up was Empty Threat. These dudes are something like 14 or 15 years old and are playing powerviolence... radical. These kids spazz the fuck out for 15 minutes and we're floored after their set. I didn't even know what powerviolence was at that age and they nailed it. The dude who held the microphone in this band was also the dude who booked this show, Malcolm Flannigan. We can't thank you enough, Malcolm! After them comes us and we butcher a cover of "Seein' Red" by Minor Threat. Fuck us, right? Yeah, I think so. Nimbus Terrifix is up next and do what they do best. Shred everything. They even closed their set out with a cover of "Bleed For Me" by Dead Kennedys. BET! White Guilt was the end band of the night. Pissed... that is the word for this band. We loved every second of it. These dudes rage for about 20-25 minutes with the microphone holder of this band, Josh, spitting over the crowd, kicking both of his shoes off (one of which, whacked the bassist in the face.) and putting a group of people through the wall. I picked up their LP after that one. Solid as an Ice Giant's dick, they were.
Show over, now to find a place to stay. Josh of White Guilt lived at Badlands, but upstairs. He let us stay in the show space, hooked us up with some cups and the key to the back door. We end up getting some beer, juice and chinese food for me and Bear. There is a Hip-Hop party going on in the space next door, Rickey and Jesse head over to check it out. Rickey tells us it's like a "7th grade dance", so I go pass out on the drum rug. An hour later, I wake up to these two girls sitting on our equipment and trying to remember all the names of the "Rock stars" they just met. That would be us. The rest is kind of a blur. I know we stole some jugs of Hawaiin Punch and I didn't sleep much, because I didn't bring a blanket or pillow. Good times, bad food (raw tofu pizza). Wake up, grab great vegan breakfast at Stolen Hearts Cafe, say goodbye to Josh, get a tape adapter and make our journey to Plattsburgh, NY.
Last show story tomorrow, I don't think I'm gonna do this again.
-Squibbles
Friday: We drove to Syracuse, NY and it only snowed for 5 minutes by Scranton, PA. HA! We get there around the time the show is supposed to start and try to get comfortable. Badlands is this rad community building/art space on E. Fayette Street. If you play fast music, I suggest you make a stop here one day. We park, give the Nimbus dudes high fives, load the equipment into a hallway, some of us go get vegan food and some of us wait (awkwardly in the corner) for the show to start. The band that opened the show up was Empty Threat. These dudes are something like 14 or 15 years old and are playing powerviolence... radical. These kids spazz the fuck out for 15 minutes and we're floored after their set. I didn't even know what powerviolence was at that age and they nailed it. The dude who held the microphone in this band was also the dude who booked this show, Malcolm Flannigan. We can't thank you enough, Malcolm! After them comes us and we butcher a cover of "Seein' Red" by Minor Threat. Fuck us, right? Yeah, I think so. Nimbus Terrifix is up next and do what they do best. Shred everything. They even closed their set out with a cover of "Bleed For Me" by Dead Kennedys. BET! White Guilt was the end band of the night. Pissed... that is the word for this band. We loved every second of it. These dudes rage for about 20-25 minutes with the microphone holder of this band, Josh, spitting over the crowd, kicking both of his shoes off (one of which, whacked the bassist in the face.) and putting a group of people through the wall. I picked up their LP after that one. Solid as an Ice Giant's dick, they were.
Show over, now to find a place to stay. Josh of White Guilt lived at Badlands, but upstairs. He let us stay in the show space, hooked us up with some cups and the key to the back door. We end up getting some beer, juice and chinese food for me and Bear. There is a Hip-Hop party going on in the space next door, Rickey and Jesse head over to check it out. Rickey tells us it's like a "7th grade dance", so I go pass out on the drum rug. An hour later, I wake up to these two girls sitting on our equipment and trying to remember all the names of the "Rock stars" they just met. That would be us. The rest is kind of a blur. I know we stole some jugs of Hawaiin Punch and I didn't sleep much, because I didn't bring a blanket or pillow. Good times, bad food (raw tofu pizza). Wake up, grab great vegan breakfast at Stolen Hearts Cafe, say goodbye to Josh, get a tape adapter and make our journey to Plattsburgh, NY.
Last show story tomorrow, I don't think I'm gonna do this again.
-Squibbles
TOURCAT #1
NO SNOW! That was rad. Anyway...
Thursday: Show at Hagg Mansion (Sean's house) went extremely well for telling fucks about it the day before it happened. Nimbus Terrifix are one of my favorite bands right now. We were supposed to the three days with them, but they couldn't come to the last show with us due to work. Understandable, unfortunate. They split the house in half with the wind coming off of their arms, wrists and fingers. These dudes do it faster and better than any Hardcore band out right now; I'll stake my life on that. Most people in attendance just watched in awe... try not to think about it. New Miseries played next. We've been waiting for the Vena brothers to start a band that lasted more than a myspace demo and local, shit shows. This has got to be it! They played in almost total darkness and were tighter than ever. Plus, it brought the danger aspect of a Hardcore show back to life. I felt like I was 16. No one could escape it. Our good friend, Kevin Dare made the room move to his benefit after a bottle of Schnapps and a 40oz. of Hurricane laid to rest in his belly. Gross combo. Robby Vena left Sean with a shiner. Great fuckin' set. The show was closed out by Anthony and Pete of Glory Bound playing an acoustic set. A bit odd, but this is what we do. TAKE A WALK! These dudes put all the love, hate and comedy into their performance. Glory Bound write great, passionate punk songs and it doesn't matter if it's electric or not. My favorite part of the night came from this set. Pete covered "J.A.R." from Green Day. I'd have to say I was souped. Show over, time to watch "Angus".
I'll get the stories of Friday and Saturday tomorrow. Not like anyone reads this, but I'll get them to. You'll see...
-Squibbles
Thursday: Show at Hagg Mansion (Sean's house) went extremely well for telling fucks about it the day before it happened. Nimbus Terrifix are one of my favorite bands right now. We were supposed to the three days with them, but they couldn't come to the last show with us due to work. Understandable, unfortunate. They split the house in half with the wind coming off of their arms, wrists and fingers. These dudes do it faster and better than any Hardcore band out right now; I'll stake my life on that. Most people in attendance just watched in awe... try not to think about it. New Miseries played next. We've been waiting for the Vena brothers to start a band that lasted more than a myspace demo and local, shit shows. This has got to be it! They played in almost total darkness and were tighter than ever. Plus, it brought the danger aspect of a Hardcore show back to life. I felt like I was 16. No one could escape it. Our good friend, Kevin Dare made the room move to his benefit after a bottle of Schnapps and a 40oz. of Hurricane laid to rest in his belly. Gross combo. Robby Vena left Sean with a shiner. Great fuckin' set. The show was closed out by Anthony and Pete of Glory Bound playing an acoustic set. A bit odd, but this is what we do. TAKE A WALK! These dudes put all the love, hate and comedy into their performance. Glory Bound write great, passionate punk songs and it doesn't matter if it's electric or not. My favorite part of the night came from this set. Pete covered "J.A.R." from Green Day. I'd have to say I was souped. Show over, time to watch "Angus".
I'll get the stories of Friday and Saturday tomorrow. Not like anyone reads this, but I'll get them to. You'll see...
-Squibbles
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