"the stop"

another sold out show at the rhythm room, and the band delivers the goods. a square cinderblock room with a sketchy PA, but this crowd pays no attention to that and continues to throw down. on drinks, and merch. good show. good crowd. good energy. a fun place to set your values aside for a moment and get lost. check your judgement and collared shirts at the door, you won't be needing them. you have entered a time lapse capsule, and currently the driver is busy mixing a drink. if you want off you have to jump cause this ride does not slow. great fans, and great staff. a beacon stop. on the way out or way home.

warmer temps and vintage toilet roll dispense

why did they put the toilet paper dispenser uncomfortably close in older days? i can't imagine that it became inconvenient over time, it must have always been that way. hotel/club congress is a hip old place, and good setting for a show with an adventurous restaurant menu and side bar, but the toilet roll is very close and akward. nearly behind you. an all in one, but with class and style. the show had low energy and dragged mostly, but the crowd was appreciative and showed love. the tour legs have taken a hit, so a night of re-cooping is in order to stand them straight.

vegas holes

vegas. where you can drain your bank account for 8 minutes of good time in several holes. i chose gambling as i keep my AIDSY situations to a minimum. sirens appeared and whispers of "you are a winner, go big" entered my ear. although, the "go big" part was shining through, the "you are a winner" became blurry as the night grew. maybe, that was the red. either way, late night gambles lead to breakfast buffet scrambles, but all worth the loss. and at this point we are not tallying, or recognizing atm withdrawl receipts. only placing a high value on that good time by reliving a few good hands of play that al end with me throwing it back into the vegas hole. the venue is what you would expect of a hard rock cafe, but the treatment and crowd better. well, outside of the skimpy artist dinner menu., which in turn became inspiration for a new soundcheck song that has worked it's way into the set. the first two songs were killer. one of which being a big blue sea version with the vocal live efx box. then, the show turned, energy and flow were lost. leaving the encore a good place to regroup and draw up new plays which proved to be worth the ticket price alone. overall a good time and night ending with the bus pulling down the strip, while jay and i dash from the buffet grip. i'll need twice the sleep and size of erasure i used in sparks to rid this vapor.

rainy san francisco

the rain beat the street as we took a curbside seat around 8am. graveled some bean bag coffee, and soon headed to san rafael for a solo house show. a rewarding experience. after, we stop for two pounds of chocolate before heading back to the venue. somewhere between san diego and san francisco an evil choco phase grew like a crushing wave. crushing all regards to post self loathing or caloric concern with equal deception. making regular stops, but not for the average bar. the winter tooth has seen it's shadow and only accepts purchases in pounds. onto the show. the vibe, venue, band, and crowd are over the top good here. one of my favorite places bob plays, not to mention the friendly staff and overall feeling of appreciation from the venue and crowd as a whole. a genuine connection. not pretentious. a genuine venue. not hob horrendous. it's rare when all of the necessary good show factors come together and really fly. a great FRUNK as well. jay had the room and recording dialed in while the group delivers a smokin' set. literally.

sometimes the only perception of a town is derived by the number of christian bookstores you comes across in a day

the show was hit and miss. the crowd was pleasant and vocal. without prompting they chimed in on the piggyback answer lines. a surprise that more crowds don't do. fun melodies and lyrics too. some things vibrate and please the human body to the point that it cannot help but reciprocate a similar sound. i often hum along. the staff was very helpful and the owners genuine. a quaint town with a beautiful mountain backdrop. the show was done, and like old people missing the dinner rush after their early bird discount, we navigate the gear through the booty dance all stars getting their floss on, pack the bus, grab some after show burritos, and burn the tires getting out. oddly, the show went from 30s homeowners to early 20s grind fest in less than 10 minutes after the band's set. i expect that in nacodoches, tx, but not in an affluent california mountain town. good times and good people.

what time is the main course serving, again?

sunset sessions. basically a few day industry party in the hills of sunny san diego country club style completely void of average band digs. better said, not one person on stage could afford to be here any other week of the year, or live in the neighborhood. very posh, and accommodating, but stale. i didn't get the vibe of celebrating creativity. more so, like a large boxing ring of bands in their respective corners while their mgmt spread the vasoline over the cuts to minimize bleeding and spouting words of encouragement while they peak around the corner to get a better look at the opponent. not really about the bands or music, but more for industry reps to use the company dollar to throw a party. a fitting pic and logo because when i think of music and conferences to further artist success and celebrate creativity i picture an attractive slim woman lying half naked in a grass skirt on the beach under a palm tree sipping fruity drinks while an instrument leans in the area. i imagine every band that saw that immediately found comfort and reassurance that they were a part of something hip and cutting edge. alas, a good time and appreciated chance to hang with friends of other showcasing acts. a short set that proved to be good choices for the environment. the reaction was good, and the connection was in the room if it was to be made. great coffee and dinner. there is something about big brassy coffee dispensers, a guy in a tuxedo tending the area, white table cloths, and clean heavy white coffee mugs that excites me. but stay away from that cream cheese bread cracker thing. not good. live and learn.

hodad's and a beach walk

fuck live nation and really, fuck the house of blues. they suck artists and fans dry of money, and the staff is generally agro. no other venues i've worked has there been more teeth pulling and overall rude rubs from the situation as a whole. each time i step through the doors i feel the slime growing and sucking the life from my pores. scales try to form. worms try to penetrate the brain and leave trace parts of magnetic greed. they charge bands and fans ridiculous fees and hide behind wordy legal sleeze. i will likely never buy a ticket for a show at a house of blues venue or spend an honest dollar in their establishment. they are the cock of satan. that being said, the show was solid and the turn out was respectable. appreciative crowd and fun fans. some delectable. the next day was spent in ocean beach around newport avenue. thanks to martie for the suggestion and blair for letting us park the bus in front of his bungalow and roam the beach streets for a day. a hodad's hamburger, new shades, and a walk on the beach. the complete opposite of the house of blues, and i find something to redeem.

"get on your boots"

the troubador is an institution, and doesn't disappoint when asked to bring it's rock boots. the names and shows passed through here could fill a museum of "remember whens and whose whos". a near 500 gather for the show while the band delivers a few rail slides and near crashes complete with a star spangled banner attempt. two things to remember when singing this song. 1.) the key or note you start on. 2.) know the lyrics. the set was strong and the crowd was down for the sing along. during big blue sea, bob lays out and the crowd takes the lead. unprovoked, they drowned him out and eat their song cake, while he concedes . a good time and a good night.

meth fest

a mardi gras tent fest complete with meth and clusterfucked set up. they built the stage and tent in the street starting at noon and ending somewhere after doors with nair a sound made from stage. we spent most of that time jockeying for parking space and waiting for the load in go ahead, which came 4 hours late and 20 minutes before the set. the situation turned into a guerilla style throw-n-go free for fall headed by the talented jay thomas. no matter how small the window, he can fit through it. the show was a short 45 minutes or so as the band's set was squeezed from a full hour. not great but it happened. tonic closed the street show, while i shad a few early college days memories for the hits. there are many great reasons to come to california, modesto lands low on the list of "must sees". as the night grew on, so did the tempers, and cops piled in to arrest a slew of fighty festies. trash comes in many forms. it's at this point you look out of the front window of the bus staring at the growing line of guys n cuffs on the curb while the fest dj spins hip hop beats and mounds of useless scratching over the top of johnny cougar's jack and diane you realize your time here has expired. first off, that sounds like shit and i have a hard time finding the art or talent in matching tempos betwixed two songs and obnoxiously playing them on top of each other. that's about as talentless as me at age 10 thinking i was a badass dj cause i could stop and start my dual cassette player to make a beat. even i had to look at myself after 20 minutes and say "that sucks", move on, and just let the cassettes play as the real creators intended. secondly, if you get into a fight in any situation while that song is playing, then you are probably being a douchebag unless it's with the dj. overall, another show and appreciated experience. now let's get back to the regular program.

music. food. love. synonymous

another great sold out gruene hall show. 4 things that never disappoint here: 1.)the band 2.)the crowd 3.)the staff 4.)the gristmill. the usual starter chips, queso, torpedo poppers, and hot wings were in order. from there its a solid walk around the stable of menu choices, including coffee. it's likely folgers, but the nostalgia and dirt on your boots adds the rest. the house was buzzing and love was in the air. i however, am not able to see that shade so i give it a blank stare. but a man can lose sight on a night like tonight, letting his guard shake and be sucked into the light. while the purrs stir and perch for prey, like urban jungle cats plotting to play. he must hone is bone, skill his will, and hold his stones at weddings, friendly new year's eve house parties, and especially on valentine's day.

a foggy grind

not much to say of this place. a college dump really. a place where they remove the drains in the bathroom floors because of regular yager bomb voms and the like. a place where you feel like you should just pee on yourself because there's really no difference. walls painted that mid 90s color of forest green you might have bought in your early 20s and impressed a few ladies with. maybe even did the walls in a two tone with a deep burgundy color to give it some pop, while blasting the latest. a small college town all in one dance club, restaurant, music venue, pool hall, and sports bar with a swimming pool and deck where you might even pay your rent check and do laundry at. mostly a set of requests. a fitting platform. the crowd was unconventional but appreciative. we could not get out of the way fast enough for the next crowd of 150 or so coming into get their grind on. set was good, we packed up, and headed back to austin facing fog most of the way. not settling.

meeting expectations

the house was full and the show went well. a solid monday night.

"hey ladies"

all things considered, this was an above average aardvark show. it stayed on course and the crowd had a good time. the BBQ is getting better with each visit, while the pattern has been established. 1.) one or a collection of brosephs will attempt to use their undergrad business skills to "work a deal on merch" usually starting with "hey bro, is there a discount for being the first person to buy something" with hints of "the customer is always right" speeches and usually end with "that's not right bro". 2.) one or a collection of those bros will spill their drink/beer all over the merch table. there are few places where more people have less control of their hands and what they have in them, including cigarettes. i pair spilled drinks and cigarette ashings on merchandise together as many times it happens all in one motion or the same guy will come back later with multiple infractions. 3.) the room will be filled with attractive women. if for any reason, this. guys, take notice.

fencing with darts

this is one of the shows you look for when you are on the fence about attending. sitting at the office desk letting that thought rattle around all day. calling partners or friends looking for decision support and coming up baffled. throwing darts at a calendar on the wall to pick one monday night show of the month to go to and finding no comfort. you would have wanted to aim in the direction of tonight. solid show with some classic versions. i heard things i had not heard in some time, some ever. reasons for accolade and high grade. B+. a good time. better than your average 2 hours spent anywhere else.