Tuesday, December 31, 2002
2002
Jan. 2, 2002 @ Flamingo Cantina in Austin, TX w/ Never Heard of It, UTI and Root 22
Tonight turned out to be a really fun show. We were a little worried because it was our first time playing at Flamingo Cantina...plus Alli With An I, the band that set up the show, had some van trouble and had to cancel their tour. We were looking forward to seeing them, so we were kinda disappointed. Also, because of other line-up changes, the show ended up starting two hours later...luckily that was a good thing for most people.
So, we got there around 9:00, just as Never Heard of It was loading in. They got set up and after doing some pushups behind the drumset(I guess to warm up...it was REALLY cold), they started playing. Despite some technical difficulties, they played a good set. Four cute boys from LA playing punk rock....what more can you ask for.
Next up was UTI. We've played with these guys before, so it was cool because I actually knew some of their songs. They had a four-person mosh pit going throughout most of their set, which is always a good sign.
Third was Root 23. These guys were pretty funny...in a good way. They did a cool cover of "Crazy Train" and had the whole club rockin' out.
We played last. We weren't really supposed to, but another band canceled last minute. So...we were able to play for as long as we wanted...which wasn't much longer. The bad thing about trying to stretch out a show, is I start rambling and end up saying some pretty retarded things into the mic... We played a good show...except I had to start "Crazy" three times before I got it right...I'm still not sure what I was doing wrong. I think it was so cold, my fingers were numb and I couldn't feel the strings. Anyway, we jumped around a lot to keep warm, and we even played an encore...one of the privleges of being the last band, I guess.
Thanks to Alli With An I for setting up the show, even though they couldn't play, Steven for taking some cool pictures, and NHOI for entertaining us all night.
Jan. 5, 2002 @ The Chicken Wire Ranch in Austin, TX w/ Blood Burnin', The Chris Toast Trio, The Crack Pipes and Electric Cock
Benefits at The Chicken Wire Ranch are always a good time. Lots of people, things to look at, good bands and lots of beer(for those of you that drink). This particular benefit was for Eldercare, and the party didn't disappoint. A band made up of some of our Whole Foods friends played first. I think it was only their second show, and they were pretty good....they definitely got the crowd in a rockin' mood.
We played next. There was a decent sized crowd there considering how early it was. The stage was really small and we were playing behind chicken wire(hence the name), so it was kinda hard to move around. Everytime I tried, I would smack my guitar on the chicken wire, so I finally gave up and stood still. The crowd was pretty responsive, and i saw a few people singing along. It was pretty cold out, and by the time my fingers warmed up, the set was pretty much over.
The rest of the bands were all good from what I heard, although I'll admit I didn't pay too much attention. Maggie and I missed one of them because we had to take our equipment home(it was kinda a shady area and we didn't want to leave the stuff in the van)...then for the rest of the night I was too busy getting my mac on to pay much attention...hehe.
Overall, the night was really fun, and from the amount of people there, I think the benefit was pretty successful. Thanks to Trey for the juice!
Jan. 8, 2002 @ The Deli in Norman, OK w/ The Festival City Saints
We decided last minute to drive through the night, so we packed up and left Austin around 11:45pm. We got to Norman around 5:30am and went straight to sleep. Got up around noon, ran errands, rented movies for the van ride and got ready to rock our hometown....well mine and maggie's hometown at least.
We went over to The Deli (the first bar SDS ever played at) around 9:45, and The Festival City Saints pulled up a few minutes later. A bunch of friends we hadn't seen in awhile started showing up which it was a good way to start off the night.
The FCS played first and put on a great show. It sucked because the mics kept cutting out, but other than that, they totally rocked. The crowd was into them and it was fun to see them play again...i think it had been over a year.
We played next. I think we got the mic problems worked out before we started, and we got to use our new banner for the first time. We duck-taped it up behind Maggie and about halfway through the set it fell down. Luckily, it didn't fall on her, just behind her.
The show was fun, and it was awesome to be back in Norman. Thanks to all our friends for coming out.
Jan. 9, 2002
Today was a travel day. Got up early, went to pick up our roadie Naomi, and started the trek to Chicago. Made a pitstop at the McDonalds museum, watched movies, knitted and slept. We stopped in St. Louis at a casino boat called the Casino Queen across the river from the arch.. We planned on eating at the casino buffet, but it turns out St. Louis buffets aren't as cheap as Vegas buffets. So instead of eating, we all lost a couple dollars, snuck up onto the closed observation deck to check out the view, then decided we'd had enough old people and stale smoke smell, and it was time to leave.
In the lobby on the way out, a couple of St. Louis locals stopped us and wanted us to talk to them. One of them asked if we "were rolling". Not being up the current drug lingo, Maggie thought they were asking if we were "rolling in dough"(makes sense since we were in a casino), I thought they meant we were rolling, as in leaving(also makes sense since we were on our way out). We were both wrong, so Lisa asked what they meant...they explained they were asking if we were on ecstacy...what a random question. Then after admiring our booties, they asked our names...Lisa and Naomi ignored them, Maggie and I gave fake names(Candice and Reese)...then we ran away and got the hell out of St. Louis.
Quick summary of the rest of the night: drove, ate burgers at Waffle House, drove, got motel, watched MTV, slept
Jan. 10, 2002 @ Fireside Bowl in Chicago, IL w/ Face First, The Banned, Jinxpack and The Role Models
Got up early to eat the Continental Breakfast buffet, then drove into Chicago. Since Lisa was the only one that had been there, we took her advice and went to the Field Museum. We somehow managed to sneak our way in through the back door, so we killed a few hours checking out the exhibits. I wish we 'd had a little more time to hang out, but we'd only put two hours in the meter, so we had to leave. About that time we started to get hungry, so we decided to try to find soem Chicago style pizza. We found pizza, but it wasn't very good. In fact, I think I should call this the Bad Pizza Tour because we ate pizza for dinner too and it was also pretty gross.
We went over to the Fireside around 5:00...all the other bands showed up around then too, but the promoter wasn't theer to let us in yet, so we had a little band party on the sidewalk. It turned out that we stayed in the same hotel as one of teh other bands(Face First) the night before...kinda weird considering all the hotels along the side of the highway to chooes from. Finally, we got inside, loaded in, and got ready to rock. Face First started off the night. These guys call themselvse "New Jersey punk with horns", and that's exactly it. They put on a fun show and all the girls loved them. There was even breakdancing! We played next. It was a cool show. The Chicago crowd kind of reminded me of the Austin crowd...they didn't really danc or move around, but they seemed pretty attentive, and acted like they were having a good time. Teh Banned, from New York, was third. We'd met these guys a few nights earlier when they played Austin on their tour so ti was cool to see some people that we knew. Fourth was Jinxpack. These guys rocked and I've been listening to their DC alot. Catchy pop-punk with good harmonies...a couple of their songs remind me of Millencolin. Last to play were The Roel Models. These guys were really good too. Sort of rockabilly, but with more of a punk feel...they sounded like FBI, a badn we used to play with alot in Oklahoma. The show ended pretty early because there is a curfew in Chicago, so we just wetn back to our friend Kevin's house played with the cats, and went to sleep.
Jan. 11, 2002 @ Klub Phenomenon in Freeport, IL w/ Face First, Mutual Disrespect, The Supermints and Dexter
We'd originally planned on starting the drive back to Oklahoma today, but our buddies in Face First were able to hook us up with this show in Freeport. So, we got up, went to eat some breakfast with our friend Amy (not pizza), then took off for the show.
We pulled into Freeport about an hour before load-in, so we decided to check out downtown...that took about 5 minutes. Found a used CD store...I got a Lonestar CD and a No Fun At All CD. There was only one place to eat...it was called something like JR's Fryhouse. Basically, it was a little hole in the wall with a refrigerator and a deep-fryer. Naomi and I had fried hot-dogs, Maggie had chicken fingers and french fries, and Lisa had a hamburger and mozzarella sticks. It tasted alright, but I learned a valuable lesson about eating fried foods before I play...don't do it!
Anyway, we found out about 10 minutes before the show was supposed to start that we were opening. We'd been told that we were playing third originally...but I guess there was some miscommunication somewhere. So, we quickly set up our stuff, got the PA working and started the show. I was amazed by the crowd in Freeport...first of all, it's a pretty small town, so the fact they have shows there is really cool. A lot of kids came out, they danced and cheered and basically were an awesome crowd to play for. Plus, people in Freeport snowboard, so we actually had some appreciation for "Gunna Ride".
Next up was Mutual Disrespect. These kids rocked. I'm not sure how old these guys were, but they were young! I'm guessing in the 13-15 age range. If they keep it up, they will be awesome in a few years. The best part was the singer bought one of out shirts and played the show in it. If you ever get a chance to see them, definitely check them out.
The Supermints were also really good. They were catchy pop-punk from Wisconsin. When the guitar player broke a string, the singer picked up an acoustic guitar and played a pretty love song...no dead air...always a good thing.
Fourth was Face First. Their set was insane. I guess they have played Freeport before and they have a bunch of girl fans there. A group of girls showed up with homemade FaceFirst wifebeaters, and during the show I thought I was at a Blink-182 concert with all the high-pitched screaming going on. They played really well, and they even dedicated their cover of "SOS" to us(which was awesome because I love that song).
Last was a local band called Dexter. More pop-punk, which was a surprise because for some reason I thought they were going to be metal. The drummer lit his cymbals on fire which was definitely a good finale to a very fun show!
Thanks to Jarrett and Face First for hooking us up with the show, and Chris for giving us a place to crash that night.
Feb. 4, 2002 @ Emo's in Austin, TX w/ Inspection 12, Lust and Near Miss
Wow! What a great show! First off, Slayer and Hatebreed were in town playing a show and after they finished, they came over to Emo's to hang out. We finished a little early, so I don't think Slayer actually saw us play, but it was still pretty cool to be kickin' it in the same bar as them. Second, it was our first real time to headline at Emo's, and it didn't disappoint.
Plus, the show itself was really fun. Inspection 12 from Florida played first. They were really good. They had some amazing harmonies...plus they covered Kokomo by the Beach Boys. They played it just like the Beach Boys and I was really wishing after the first verse they would break into a punk rock version. It would have been so cool, but they didn't. It was good anyway though, and if you get a chance to check them out, you should.
Next were our friends Lust from Atlanta, GA. Two gals and two guys dressed up in sailor suits rockin' out are always entertaining. The girls kept making comments about being hookers and trying to get some action on tour...it was pretty funny.
Third was Near Miss. Supposedly, this was only their third show but I wouldn't have known it if they hadn't told me. They were fast and catchy, and had their stuff together. I'm glad these guys are from Austin because I definitely want to see them again.
We played last. We had a little longer to play than usual, so we threw in some songs that we don't play very often...like Sound Check and Lucky. We also debuted our new song "nyc". I think it went over pretty well. I was a little nervous, so I don't think I played it quite as well as I had been in practice, but it still sounded pretty good...plus the boy it was written for liked it, so that's what counts, right? Also, mine and Maggie's birthday started right before we played, and Lisa surprised us by playing Happy Birthday on the bass. She said she was gunna sing and try to get the crowd sing too... which would have been cool...but she chickened out b/c she was afraid she'd be the only one singing.
Anyway, we all had a great time. Thanks to all of our friends for coming out on a Monday night...especially the underage ones that had to pay more, and thanks to Emo's for letting us rock.
Vacation to Canada (Feb. 10 - 14)
Since I don't have any shows to write about, I've decided to tell everyone about our trip to Whistler. I figure since the whole band went, it makes sense to write about it in the show journals.
To tell the story right, I have to start the night before we left. On Saturday night, there was a big Mardi Gras celebration downtown, so Maggie, Lisa and I decided we should go check it out. So, we hopped on our bikes and rode down there. Didn't do anything exciting, just hung out at The Ritz, played some pool, did our normal thing. 2:00 finally rolled around and it was time to go home. We went outside....the streets were totally packed with drunken guys trying to get a peek at girls flashing for beads. We hung out for a little longer, when Maggie and I realized that Lisa was gone. Since there was no way we would find her in the sea of people, we decided we would just ride home....since we still had some packing to do and we had to be at the airport at 6:00AM...and hope she found her way home. Turns out she had gone with some other friends to get something to eat....the bad news is the girl that drove them decided she didn't want to stay and left them at the restaurant. So...Lisa ended up having to ride all the way home in the cold. She didn't get home until about 5:30 and had to finish packing....she was finishing up when our ride to the airport showed up. Maggie and I each got about 30 minutes of sleep.
Since we stayed up the whole night, we all pretty much slept the whole way to Portland. We were all really pissed because we slept through the beverage service on the first flight....if I'm gunna pay for a plane ticket, I at least want my coke and pretzels!! When we got to PDX, our friend Eric picked us up and we started the drive to Canada...Maggie and I continued to sleep pretty much the whole way to the border. When we pulled up to the border, the Canadian border patrol says "I need proof of citizenship....driver's licenses don't work...either a birth certificate or passport". Of course none of us had thought to bring anything more than our DLs. We've all been to Canada before and had no trouble getting in, but it was before Sept. 11, so I guess that makes a difference. Anyway, the guy starts asking us all kinds of questions...the best was when he asked if we had any weapons on us, and what kind of personal protection we use in the US....Eric answered with "fast sneakers". I think this witty comment won the guy over, and he let us through, but not without warning us that we'd get a big lecture from the US border patrol when we came back.
We drove on to Vancouver, where we'd planned on staying that night.... it was much cheaper than the condo in Whistler. Maggie and I had prepared in advance, and we'd booked a room at The Dufferin....a old hotel downtown that sounded pretty cool on the Expedia description. When we pulled up to the hotel, we could already tell it looked a little shady...the big red neon sign outside was our first indication. We decided to check it out anyway, so we parked outside...where the first thing we saw was a big naked guy standing in one of the windows. Maggie and Lisa went in, and were back outside in a matter of minutes. They said when they went in, they first had to walk past the hotel bar, which had a big rainbow flag on the window and was called The Back Door. They went into the lobby, which was full of drag queens and men. Feeling somewhat out of place, they turned around and walked out without even going up to the desk. Basically, Expedia failed to mention in their description that The Dufferin catered to an alternative lifestyle...which is perfectly fine, but we didn't quite feel comfortable staying there.
So....we decided just to drive to Whistler and hope that there was a condo for us...even though Expedia refused to let us cancel our reservation....so much for planning ahead. The drive to Whistler was fine, except a blizzard started about 20 miles from the mountain. For those of you that don't know, I'm really scared about driving in the snow...due to a couple sliding off the road near-death experiences.....so I pulled out my snowboard helmet and wore it the rest of the way, which made me feel a little better. Anyway, Eric was a champion snow-driver and got us to The Blackcomb Lodge safe and sound.
The rest of our stay in Canada was awesome. Here's a quick summary. There was a room for us at The Lodge, even though it was last minute...and we somehow managed to get a free upgrade for the second night. We ate some delicious meat/potato pies at a restaurant that only served pie...my kinda restaurant. The weather was beautiful...the first day of riding there was so much snow(since it had snowed the night before)...and we got to ride in powder all day long. The mountains are huge, and the runs took forever so we didn't waste much time riding lifts. Lisa took a lesson the first day, and had a really good time(we were all a little worried she wouldn't like it). The second day Maggie and I found a cool run that we could go fast on, and had a couple little kickers so we could practice our jumps. There were cute boys everywhere...although every boy looks cute when he has on a beanie, goggles, and is on a snowboard....haha. Most importantly, no one got hurt...too bad.
We left Canada after the lifts closed the second day...we'd originally planned on riding three days, but Eric's band 800 Octane got a show on the third day we were there, so we had to go back to Portland. It ended up being ok because we were all pretty worn out. After getting the promised lecture at the US border, we stopped in Seattle and stayed the night with a friend of Lisa's. Next day, we finished the drive to Portland, where we hung out at Eric's apartment until the show. We went on our first tour with 800 Octane, so it was cool to get to see them play again...we all wished that SDS could get up and play some songs. The best part was that people kept coming up to us saying "Hey, you're in Same Day Service, right?" or "Are you guys playing a show?"....it was cool because we've only played Portland once, so I guess we made an impression.
Next morning, we were dropped off at the airport. The flight was pretty uneventful...they showed "Heart of Atlantis"...I wouldn't recommend it. Finally got home, rested for a couple of hours, then went downtown to see H2O at Emo's. They rocked...definitely an good ending to an awesome trip.
March 14, 2002 @ Flamingo Cantina w/ One Fifth Griffith, Stellary and more
This show took place during the week of SXSW...so there were tons of people in town. It wasn't actually a SXSW showcase, but a lot of the clubs have shows during the day...that's what this was. The afternoon b/4 the show, Maggie, Lisa and I walked around and passed out flyers to all the important or cool looking people we could find. I'm not sure how much good this actually did, but I think I did see a couple people in the crowd that I'd handed a flyer to.
Anyway, we had an awesome time playing the show. I love playing during the day. For some reason, I feel like I've accomplished more when I'm all hot and sweaty after playing...and this is always the case at a day show. A lot of people came out to see us, and everyone looked like they were having a good time. Flamingo Cantina even gave us free hot dogs!! We didn't really get to see the other bands...just alittle while we were loading in and out.
Thanks to Chris at Flamingo for hooking us up with the show, and all our friends for coming and rockin' out with us!!
March 27, 2002 @ The Backroom w/ Misguided Lemming
Even though it was a Wednesday night, our first time to play at The Backroom was really fun. I was pretty excited because The Backroom was the first club I saw a show at in Austin...way back before I lived here. We showed up for load-in, and found out the first band had canceled. Fortunately, we didn't have to start any earlier...which was good since we'd told all our friends we were playing at a certain time. Because we had plenty of time, we got to do a full-fledged soundcheck. The best part was the guys from Misguided Lemming dancing during our soundcheck song. By the time we got up on stage to play, a decent-sized crowd had shown up...and we were ready to rock.
For those of you that have never been to The Backroom...it's pretty big. Big stage, big room, big sound, big lights, etc... When we got up on stage, they turned all the lights off and gave us an introduction, then I guess expected us to just start playing. However, we weren't quite ready, and Lisa was just looking at me, whispering "I can't see anything". Finally, after standing there for a couple seconds, Maggie says into her mic "Uh...Lisa can't see". So, they had to turn a few lights on for us...so much for a dramatic start!
The show went really well. Lots of running around on the giant stage, and no major mistakes. We even tried a not-quite-finished new song, and I think it went over pretty well. The guys from Misguided Lemming kept dancing throughout the show right in front of the stage, which was cool. The best part was on "Punk Anthem" when we told everyone to jump, and our friend Jace jumped through the entire song. I kept looking over at him and he just kept bouncing away. Misguided Lemming played a good show too. Those guys have a ton of energy and the crowd seemed like theywererreallyy getting into it.
After we were done, we hung out at the merch table, where everyone admired and tried on the beanies that we sell. Just so you know...YES, we(as in SDS) make the beanies ourselves...they do not come from an "all-you-can-grab beanie bin", like some people thought! So that said...I'll conclude this journal with thanking Mike and The Backroom, and all the rockers that came out to the show.
March 30, 2002 @ Big Pauly's in College Station w/ Naptown Amplifier Co.
Our first time in College Station was a little weird, but fun. We played with Naptown Amplifier Co. a couple weeks ago at Flamingo Cantina, and they mentioned playing with them in College Station. They actually came through with the show...so with my parents in tow(they were in town visiting for Easter) we drove up to College Station to show them Aggies what SDS is all about.
The club was small, but seemed pretty cool....the only problem was that it is a pizza place too...which normally would be awesome, except they were out of cheese...so no pizza. It was just a big tease. Anyway, NACo played first. They sounded good and looked like they were having fun, although I really wanted their bass player to sing some background harmonies. The drummer smiled through the whole set, which always makes me smile too...yah, I know, it's cheesy, but it's true.
We played next, and it was crazy. There were a bunch of people from Ft. Hood(the military base) there, and they were awesome!! They danced, jumped around, stuck SDS stickers on there arms....basically just had a really good time. We weren't charging a cover, so we had a tip jar set up on stage. One of the girls saw it sitting there, grabbed it and ran around the room collecting tips for us. She kept running back up to the stage to show me how full it was, and to ask how much more we needed....she ruled!! One guy even tried to stick a dollar in my guitar strings while I was playing. Because there was so much energy in the audience, it made it easy for us to rock out too...I even hit myself in the head with my guitar.
It was a cool show and thanks to NACo for asking us to play...hopefully we'll make it back to College Station soon.
Also props to everyone from Ft. Hood!!
April 12, 2002 @ The Rock Against Racism Benefit at Lake Bryan in Bryan, TX w/ Pavlov's Dogs, Skate Around Chippy, Canvas, Groceries, Mr. Body, Thanks for the Update, TwoSpy and We Talked About Murder
Not much of turnout, which really sucked because there was potential for an awesome show. We had a good time anyway though...watched other bands, swam in the lake, ate some DQ, and played a good set. Even though there weren't many people there, all the bands looked like they were having fun. Props to Brooke for all her hard work, and to Bryan, Sam and Myeva for showing up a day late!
The Soda Fountains and Hardwood Floors Tour April 15-28, 2002
I'm posting these journals a little differently than I have in the past. Usually, I list the show that is most recent at the top. However, I also have always been able to update the journals throughout the tour. Since, I wasn't able to this time, and I actually kept up with the journals, I'm going to write them just like they are in my notebook...for those of you that are regular readers, you probably know that I tend to ramble and this will be no exception...so feel free to skim, or read half now, and half later...whatever it takes!
April 15, 2002 (drive day)
We are finally leaving Austin for our tour of the midwest. We always seem to get a late start, but I guess it doesn't really matter since we are just driving to Oklahoma tonight. We just ate at Subway...we are attempting to do the Subway diet on this tour. We'll see how that goes.
April 16, 2002 @ The OU Union Food Court in Norman, OK w/Special Disaster Team
We were in charge of picking up and setting up the PA, so we showed up early at the Union and started loading stuff in. Let me just say how happy I am that I don't have to load a PA in and out at every show. We all ended up having these weird bruises on our forearms from carrying the PA speakers.
Anyway, Special Disaster Team showed up and set up their stuff. A lot of kids started arriving...it's always cool when there are a lot people at show right from the start. We decided not to charge at the door for this show, but before the music started Maggie got up on stage and asked that people give $1 donation...I was really impressed with how many people came over to the merch table and stuffed money into the donation cup...what nice kids in Norman. SDT finally started their set, and I was reminded why I love playing with these guys. I'm normally not a huge ska fan but these guys always have so much energy and are a lot of fun, not to mention they are really good. The crowd dance to their entire set.
We were up next. I was actually a little nervous playing for the hometown crowd...plus our old guitar player Kristen was there and I always get kinda nervous playing my variations of solos she wrote. All my worries were erased however, when after the first song, one of the SDT boys yelled at us and asked if we'd please give him the formula for rock! The show ended up being very cool, even though I messed up every single one of my lead parts! Plus it's always awesome to play for a crowd full of friends and familiar faces.
While I was playing, I saw a lot of people in the crowd that I didn't get a chance to say hi to...so I'm saying say hi now to: the L-town kids and the boys from Ninja Finja....next time you guys better hang out and say hello! Thanks to Nancy at the UPB for helping us set up the show, Quentin for the PA, Kyle for helping carry stuff and sell merch, and of course Naomi for being the best roadie ever .
April 19, 2002 @ Indienet in Nashville, TN w/ Monday Pickle, Kreis and Julius Seizure
This morning was the best Subway ever...we all ordered the Kids Pak, which is definitely the best deal. Just enough food and it's cheap. But, they ended up being out of deli-style bread, so we all got 6 inch subs, plus she threw in 2 cookies, and gave us big drinks(this is only our second Subway so far...since my parents were paying for food in Norman we ignored the diet!)
We spent last night right outside of Memphis in KOA campground, under the neon glow of a giant Super8 sign. We fell asleep to the roar of semi's driving by on the highway bridge that was practically right over us. Our new tent rocks, and I'm ready to take a real camping trip...maybe when we get back from tour.
Right now we are stuck in a traffic jam 37 miles outside of Nashville. I just saw a sign that says we are on the Music Highway. I wonder how many bands have stopped to take their picture under that sign.
......Later That Night.....
Got to Nashville, went downtown, walked around, checked out country record stores, bought souvenirs.. The coolest part was that at 2:30 in the afternoon, all the bars are open and have live music. So, we stopped in one and listened to a cowboy named Bart sing for awhile. Went to our first soda fountain of the tour and ate burgers and banana splits...so long Subway. After that we headed down to Indienet for the show.
Monday Pickle played first. These kids were pretty young I think, and they have definite potential to be rockers. They played a good set...kind of the old punkrock sound. The best part was they had a friend with a mohawk who'd cut a whole in his baseball hat, so the mohawk could stick out. Kreis was up next. These guys had their drummer quit 2 hours for the show. They managed to find a friend to fill in on drums and were able to still play. The singer's mom was there and she rocked out for the whole show.
We were third...our favorite slot to play. It was a really fun set...kinda reminded me of a show we played in Bakersfield, CA last year. The crowd was really energetic and they danced through the whole set. We all got sweaty and tired which is always a sign of a good show.
Julius Seizure played last. Fun, pop-punk with good harmonies. The singer was very entertaining to watch...he kinda reminded me of the singer from Grade, with all his pelvic thrusting.
Once we found out where we going to stay the night, Lisa started praying to the baby jesus that the house wouldn't have hardwood floors...no such luck, thus starting the hardwood floors part of the tour. Thanks to Aaron for setting up the show and giving us a place to sleep, Emily for the cake, and the neighborhood boys for showing us their dance moves.
April 20, 2002 @ Sudsy Malone's in Cincinnati, OH w/ Amy
Stopped in Louisville for lunch. Ate pork BBQ(which was a treat since in TX, there is only beef), sweet tea and burgoo(also called road-kill stew). It was all delicious. Louisville seemed really cool and I wish we could have stayed and played a show there....hopefully next time.
Showed up at Sudsy Malone's(a cool bar/laundomat), loaded in, then sat around forever. Someone had told us the area we were in was cool, but a little shady, so we didn't really feel like wandering around. Turns out, one block over was the University and I think we would have been perfectly safe venturing out of Sudsy's. The opening band canceled, so Sudsy's brought in this girl Amy to play. It was just her and her keyboard. She did covers of top-40 pop songs, even did an accapella version of Shakira. I think it might have been her first show, so she seemed a little nervous...although I have to say, I can't blame her. It definitely takes guts to get up on stage all by yourself, with no band to cover up mistakes.
We finally played. There weren't many people there, so it was a pretty intimate show...we even went around the bar and asked everyone's names, and waited for people to return from the bathroom before we started the next. We finished the set with intention of playing another one later, but when it was time to play again we didn't really feel like it, so we packed up.
Thanks to Pope, Chris and Felicia from Sudsy's, and to Quincy and "Dilly"(Fred) for a place to sleep...even though it was hardwood floors(no thanks to the baby jesus). Hint to touring bands...don't play laundromat/bars on Saturdays... no one does their laundry on a Saturday night.
April 21, 2002 @ Subterranean Records in Ft. Wayne, IN w/ Fat Ass
Cruised to Ft. Wayne today. Stopped in Decatur at this cool Rock n' Roll soda fountain. We weren't even that hungry but when we saw it, we turned around and went back. Lisa had a fried peanut butter and banana sandwich...she said it was good, but I thought it tasted a little weird.
Made it to the record store...no thanks to Mapquest. Played a good show. When I was playing, I looked out in the crowd and saw a few people singing along that I didn't recognize...it's always strange to be in a town you've never been to and see people singing along to your songs. Turns out it was this girl that had mail-ordered merch from us. She lives in Ohio and her parents drove her and her friend down for the show. It was pretty cool.
Fat Ass tried to play next, but during every song they would blow the power. They sounded good from the 3 songs I heard before they decided to quit. After they were done, Maggie came up and told me one of the guys in Fat Ass had offered us a place to stay. He had hardwood floors, but he said he'd give us the bed and the couch, and he'd take the floor...plus he said he had a clean shower. Dan, the guy that set up the show, said he would put us up in a motel, but we decided to just stay at the house...might be more fun. We get to the house, which turns out to be an efficiency apartment, where the shower is basically in the living room, and I think you might have been able to see into from the bedroom loft.
No big deal...we'll just go another day without bathing. Anyway, we sit around talking for awhile, then Sal (the guy who'd promised us a bed) gets up, climbs the ladder to the loft, and gets in bed. Lisa, Maggie and I think at first that he's just getting nightclothes, or some pillows, but we quickly realize that he's not coming back down....and we get the floor again! I lucked out and got the couch. Maggie and Lisa tried to make little pallets out of cushions, but from what I hear it didn't work to well. So, the moral to this story is never ever turn down a free motel room. Thanks to Dan for setting up the show, the Eldred cousins for coming to the show and Sal for more hardwood floors...we given up on praying.
April 22, 2002 @ Tazzma's Rock o' Rama in Lafayette, IN w/ The RunnAmucks, Fallout and Greaser's Palace
Drove to Lafayette, walked around Purdue campus, slept in the Union for awhile, went to the Triple X to eat but couldn't take more greasy diner food so we ate Jimmy John's instead, showed up at venue...Tazzma's Rock o' Rama, with a name like that it's gotta be cool.
We played first...lots of fun. This guy Mikey, who happened to be Lafayette's self-proclaimed best dancer and a little person, danced to our entire set...it was awesome. Next was Fallout...I think it was only their first or second show. They were pretty good and I think once they get some more shows under their belts and are more comfortable performing, they'll rock. The RunAmucks from Florida were next. They were nearing the end of a 5-week tour. They were really tight, and put on a good show...I could tell they'd been playing almost every night for the past month. Last was Greaser's Palace. From the name, I expected rockabilly...which they were not. I'm not sure how to describe them, but they did a Britney Spears cover, which I thought was cool.
Taz, the owner of the club said we could stay the night there, so we ended up having a slumber party with The RunnAmucks. Ordered pizza, played pool and slept on the carpet-covered cement. The next morning we washed our hair in the industrial sized sink (that was filled with turpentine covered paint supplies)...clean hair never felt so good.
Thanks to Taz and Laurie...especially the cupcakes.
April 24, 2002 @ Fireside Bowl in Chicago, IL w/ Punching Grey, Fallout Boy and Motion City Soundtrack
Yesterday we had the day off, so we decided to drive back to Cincinnati to see the Face to Face show. It was fun!. Thrice put on a rockin show as always. The Movielife and Midtown were also really good. Of course, Face to Face was awesome. Maggie had seen them once before, a few years ago in San Francisco, and has always said it was one of the best shows ever. They played lots of old songs, and the new ones were all pretty good too. We are opening for this show when we get back to Austin. Seeing it made us really excited, but also kinda nervous...there were a ton of kids there...even for the opening band.
After the show, we decided to start driving to Chicago. We're cruising along, I'm in the backseat singing to myself, when all of a sudden Maggie and Lisa scream, then there is a thump...silence...thump,thump. Turns out a big bird(hawk, owl, something like that) rose out the grass next to the highway and flew right into the van. I think it hit the grill first and the wind held it there for a second, then it fell to the road where we proceeded to run over it. It was amazingly loud for a bird.
We decided to get a hotel halfway to Chicago. It was very nice to have beds, clean showers, and a few minutes of MTV before we went to sleep.
Anyway, today we played at The Fireside Bowl in Chicago. We've played here before, so it was cool to actually be returning to a place on tour...it seems like we are always going someplace new. We had to load-in in the rain which sucked, especially because it quit raining as soon as we were done.
We played second out of four bands. First was Punching Grey..they were pretty excited to just be playing Fireside. They said they'd been going to shows there for a decade and they were honored to finally be playing there. We were next. I think as far as playing, this was a best show so far. Motion City Soundtrack was third. These guys were great. I can't wait to listen to their CD. Fallout Boy played last. I also liked these guys alot. Kind of a pop-emo sound.
Overall, Chicago was pretty cool. Everyone at Fireside was nice, and I found the new Millencolin CD for $8.99...what a steal.
April 25, 2002 @ The Theta Beta Potata House in Iowa City, IA w/ Kathryn and Oh Jesus
Slept in the van last night...wasn't too bad, just a little cold. Driving to Iowa City in the morning, we stopped at Iowa 80, the world's largest truck stop. It was definitely big!
Got to town about 10am, found campus and the "cool" part of town. Ate some really good breakfast wraps. I'm usually not a big fan of wraps, but these were exceptionally good...must have been the Iowa bacon. After that, we walked around, found the Information Arcade (computer lab), ate some ice cream, Lisa passed out handbills for the show, got the oil changed, took a nap in the van, etc...
We finally went over to the house where the show was supposed to happen, and were informed by Ross, one of the roommates of the guy that had booked the show, that the opening band had canceled, there hadn't been much promotion, and the show might not be happening. Turns out the guy who booked the show was in a band that was playing at a local bar and they were waiting to see if we could be added to the bill. We were given the option of continuing to wait to see if we were added to the bill(everyone said the bar kinda sucked), or trying to pull something together and still have the house show. We didn't really care either way, but since everyone said the bar was lame, we decided just to keep the show at the house...good thing since the bar ended up saying they wouldn't add us anyway. So...Ross called a bunch of people, made a party that was happening down the street move to his house, and found a couple other of bands to play...all in about 20 minutes!
Despite all the confusion, the show ended up being really fun. It was very laid-back...more like a party than a show. Kathryn, a girl and her guitar, played first. She was so good. Her voice was really cool and the lyrics to her songs were great. We played next(since it was getting late, and people weren't sure if the cops would come and shut it down.) Everyone seemed to be enjoying it, including one lady who had some really weird dance moves. After we were done, someone told Maggie that we were the first "happy" band to ever play there. Last was Oh Jesus. These guys were good too, although I wish I could have heard the vocals better...I didn't realize until too late that I was standing behind the PA speakers. They were also all hot boys...I kinda felt like I was in the middle of an Abecrombie ad...cute boys always add to the appeal of a band(unless they just totally suck!). When they were done, people just hung out and jammed, danced, etc... until a cop was spotted down the street. It was really fun.
Thanks to Ross for all his help, John for giving a place to sleep(we all had couches..woohoo!) and all the kids in Iowa City for being so nice.
April 26, 2002 @ Hyde Park in Wichita, KS w/ Christine and Ernie's Meter Repair
Don't feel like writing, so here's a quick summary of the day:
Long drive to Wichita, (so long we were almost late) Lisa drove forever and I slept forever.
Played Wichita about a year 1/2 ago and it was a lot of fun...kids have been writing asking us to play again since then, so here we are.
Christine played first. Good show...singer's cowboy boots were especially cool. Ernie's Meter Repair was second. They were funny...reminded me of very early Blink-182. We headlined...good show, kids singing along, old SDS shirts in the crowd.
Show over by 10pm, went to eat with Christine, Maggie and Lisa ate "chicken nubbins", drove to Norman, OK and slept at my mom and dad's house. Thanks to Eric for setting up the show.
April 27, 2002 @ ESPN X-Trials Invitational in Grand Prairie, TX @ GPX Skatepark w/ Mortal Treason
Got up early so we could make it to the contest in time to see the bmx flatland finals, but we got there just as they were announcing the winners. Shoulda slept late! Hung out at the contest all day, saw friends that we don't see very often which was cool, tried to get in touch with the girl that booked us, but we never did. So, around the time we thought we should load-in, we drove the van around to the espn compound. We'd been told security would know we were coming, but of course they didn't. A little bit of drama as they tried to figure out what to do, finally told is just to unload from where we were. No big deal, but I definitely think it was the farthest I've ever had to carry my equipment.
We ended up playing after the contest was over for the day...this kind of sucked because by the time we started a lot of the spectators were already gone. It wasn't too bad though..there were still a few stragglers that stuck around, plus a lot of the athletes and people involved with espn were still there. Turns out we were playing during the bike street practice. They turned off the music that usually plays, so everyone had to ride to us. Good show to end the tour with. Thanks to Chris C. for helping us get it. After we were done, Mortal Treason played. I didn't hear too much of them, because I was busy making the trek back to the van to load our stuff. From what I heard, they kinda sounded like christian death metal...I'm not really into that kind of music, but they sounded pretty good. They told Maggie it was their first show with that line-up, so I was impressed.
After the show, we went back to the hotel. Ate some free food, hung out with some friends at the cowboy bar in the hotel where Maggie and Lisa went wild on the dance floor. Finally went to sleep(thanks Ike), and after 30 min. the fire alarm went off, so we all had to go outside(thanks Ike, again)...it was not fun.
On Sunday, we jumped in the hotel pool instead of taking showers....I think it worked pretty well, except later someone told us we smelled like chlorine..I guess that's better than smelling like funk. Ate McDonalds breakfast(our first of tour), hung out at contest, went to dinner with friends, drove a very long 3 hours home to Austin. TOUR OVER.
May 1, 2002 @ The Backroom in Austin, TX w/ Face to Face, Midtown, Thrice and The Movielife
What more can I say about this show, other than it was AWESOME. It was so cool to share the bill with these bands...I listen to all of them, and owned at least one album for each band...after playing, I own more. They all rocked, and I'm happy to say, I think we held our own.
Of course, no show is perfect and the bad part of this one was someone's inability to open the doors on time(they were supposed to open at 6:30, didn't open until about 6:55, and we had to start at 7:00), therefore making friends that were at the end of the 30 minute line have to listen to our set from outside the club. I also have a hard time understanding why there always have to be problems with guestlists...I think once a band hands their list to the club, it should be the club's responsibility to make sure the guests get in....not Maggie's, and certainly not the headlining bands. Even with the problems, the show was still one of the best I've played
Random Facts about the show: Lisa and a guy from The Movielife wore matching Recover shirts(not on purpose), it was awesome to finally see Face to Face, plus they were super-nice guys, and the space we played in was so small that when Lisa moved she knocked over the bass drum mic.
Thanks to Maria for selling our merch...although I hear she was more busy being a smart-ass than actually selling, and of course thanks to Face to Face for asking us to play!
May 11, 2002 @ Beerland in Austin, TX Benefit for Bust Magazine
Lisa was pretty excited to play this show because she's been reading Bust since the very first issue...I was kind of indifferent, but I ended up having a pretty good time, as did everyone else in attendance...at least it looked like it. We were the first band to play, but there were plenty of people there by the time we started....especially because we started a little late....I had a horrible time finding a parking spot for the van, so by the time I got back to the club, I pretty much had to jump on stage and start rockin'...no prep-time at all!!
After we finished, we stuck around and watched the Regrettes...it was one of their last shows, so we couldn't miss it, but then we had to leave because there were some other bands playing down at Emo's that we really wanted to see. From what I hear, the rest of the show went well... I think the most exciting part of the night was Pink(the singer) was hanging out at Emo's...I didn't actually see her, just heard she was there.
Thanks to Anna for setting up the show, and Jared for being our roadie(don't worry Nomi, you haven't been replaced.)
May 16, 2002 @ The Backroom in Austin, TX w/ Racketbox and Left of the Dial
Racketbox was cool...they kinda reminded me of Blink-182...not really their sound, but the way they looked and acted. They put on a fun show. Left of the Dial was good too. Their bass player played some cool stuff. I kept thinking there were two guitars, but really it was the bass. That's about it...nothing too exciting, but definitely a fun show.
May 22, 2002 @ Antone's in Austin, TX 101X Homegrown show w/ Manatee and Cruiserweight
I love it when we have really great show...it reminds me why I love being in this band, and why it's worth it for practically everything in my life to revolve around SDS. Let me back up a little and start with this morning. Maggie and I did an interview and played an acoustic version of "New York" on the morning show on 101X. I think it went pretty well. I was kinda nervous about playing the acoustic guitar...my fingers aren't used to it, but Lisa (who was listening at work) said it sounded fine...either way our first (if you don't count The WIRE) radio interview was a piece of cake.
Anyway, we showed up at Antone's around 8pm to load-in, and there were already a bunch of kids there...I think this is always a sign of a good show. By the time Manatee started, Antone's was packed...and it's a big place. I'd never seen Manatee, but I'd heard good things about them. They didn't disappoint. I thought they were really good, as did the crowd. They had a couple of sing-alongs...which I love. It's so cool to hear the crowd singing, instead of just seeing lips move.
We played second. It was so much fun. In the middle of the set, some boys kept yelling for "Summer Boys"... a song we haven't played in forever...so I busted into an impromtu version of the song. Lisa said she tried to join in, but couldn't remember how it went...which was fine, because I only played two lines.
Cruiserweight played last and they always rock. In fact, they rocked so hard that Urny broke his guitar strap and had to play half the set with no strap. Lisa tried to go fix it while he was playing(it worked for a second), and has now decided that she wants to be a guitar tech...so anyone in need of a tech, get in touch. Anyway, we've been talking about playing a show with CW for a long time, so it was rad to finally get to. This is cheesy but I love them because everyone in the crowd always has a big smile on their face for the entire set...myself included. Like I said this was a really great show. Thanks to 101X for supporting local bands, Urny and the Cruisers for helping us get on the show, and everyone that came out and rocked with us!
June 1, 2002 @ Whole Foods in Austin, TX Dog Wash Day Benefit
We played at 11:15am...definitely the earliest show ever, if you don't count 4am on the public access channel. Because of the way the stage was set up, we basically played to a parking lot full of cars...except for Lisa's sister Julie who sat right in front of us. It was fun anyway, we played well, and I think a lot of people were listening even though they weren't watching...we had a couple "good shows" from people that i didn't see until we were done...plus we got some tasty spring roles out the deal. Thanks to Julie for sacrificing her eardrums so we'd feel like we had an audience, and Jace for his neverending support.
June 19, 2002 @ Emos in Austin, TX w/ The Sweethearts, Dirtbike Annie and Sniffy
Yet another fun show at Emo's. All the bands rocked and it seemed like everyone had a good time. The Sweethearts were up first. When we first moved to Austin, Lisa got their CD, but we had never seen them play...so it was cool to finally check them out. Dirtbike Annie was second. We played with these guys last year at our very first show at Emo's...so it was kinda like an anniversary show for us. They were really good and the crowd got into it. We were third...good show....people singing along and yelling out songs. Sniffy played last. Sounded good, and they looked cool in their matching purple polyester shorts.
Warped Tour 2002 June 26 - 30
June 26 - Travel Day We got up at 5AM to start the drive to Kansas City. We stopped in Norman, OK to have lunch with my mom and dad, and to pick up Naomi, our roadie. After hanging out for a few hours, we got back on the road. While we were driving, we decided to turn off the AC to conserve gas. Just as we rolled down the windows, a semi full of beehives passed us. There was a big mesh box around the whole thing, but there were still bees everywhere. It was a little scary for a second, but luckily none of them got in the van. Then in Kansas there was a huge thunderstorm. Lightning, lots of rain, wind, green clouds...we were all on the lookout for tornados. Fortunately, we weren't meant to star in a remake of The Wizard of Oz, and we made it to Bonner Springs, KS safely, where we got a room at the American Motel and passed out.
June 27 - Bonner Springs, KS Got to the venue right on time at 9:00 to check in. We pulled into the parking lot, and saw our friends' van from Never Heard of It(very easy to spot, since the band name is on the van). Maggie proceeded to walk over and wake them all up...it was time to be awake anyway. Then we headed off to find our stage and see what was going on. After wandering around for awhile, and getting hassled by security because we didn't have laminates, we finally got checked in, found out what time we were set to play and got our stuff loaded in. Since we weren't playing until 7:00 that night, we had the whole day to just wander around and check out bands. Finally it was time to play...I think it was an awesome show. The kids were rockin' out, and there were even some familiar faces from Ernie's Meter Repair(a band we played with on our last tour). After we were done, someone informed us that El Hefe from NOFX was spotted watching our set...I'm glad I didn't see him, otherwise I would have been really nervous.
After we finished, we watched a few more bands, then loaded up and started the long, boring drive to Dallas. The most entertaining thing that happened was running into The Mimsies and Thrice at a gas station....it was kind of weird to think that there were a bunch of punk bands driving down I-35...it was like a giant caravan of rock. The only bad thing about this show was it took place in a parking lot made up of dirty, white gravel. By the end of the day, everyone's equipment, shoes, and clothes were covered with white dust...not to mention what our noses were full of.
June 28 - Dallas, TX I think this was my favorite day of the tour. We saw lots of friends from Oklahoma which was really cool...thanks to those that came by and watched our set. Today Lisa busied herself passing out SDS stickers with our set time, and managed to score us an interview. After the set, we did another interview with Shelby, this really cool girl that writes most of the stuff on the Warped Tour website. Today we also made friends with another band playing on our stage...Gametime...they rock. The highlight of today was when the three of us were standing around watching Eiffel and this guy comes up and says "You're Same Day Service, right?" Turns out he works for Epitaph and he'd received the two CDs we've sent over the past 3 years and recognized us from the pictures. He said he thought we rocked. Unfortunately, he's not in charge of signing bands...but he passed on our CD to the right people. So, even though we haven't been offered a record deal from Epitaph, it's nice to know that someone actually gets and listens to the CDs.
June 29 - Houston, TX We finally got to Houston around 6:30 this morning. A drive that should have taken about 3-4 hours instead took us 7 hours. We were all so tired that we had to stop twice to sleep. When we got to the venue, we parked the van, and I took a sleeping bag, spread it on the parking lot and tried to take a nap...as soon as I started to fall asleep, it began to rain....and it continued for the whole day. Luckily, the show was half-indoors, half-outdoors so most of the bands got to play....of course, we were one of the bands to get cut. We still set up our merch though, and managed to do ok....the conference center was so full of kids, it was like a punk rock convention. We also had to take scary showers in the visiting teams locker room in the Astrodome. We had run through the pouring rain, then walk through endless corridors, and finally found the showers. It was creepy....I most definitely felt like I was in a horror movie.
June 30 - San Antonio, TX Last day....it rained again, but as far as i know nothing was canceled. Our set was pretty early today, so we got to play to an energetic crowd that wasn't worn out from a day full of rock. We even had a mosh pit for a little while. A lot of our friends from the tour came and watched, so that was really cool. I didn't see much other than the bands that were on the main stage...the place was too big and I didn't feel like walking. I did finally see Bad Religion...they rocked and their new drummer was amazing
I guess that's about it...I'm sure I have tons more stories, but i'm sure it's more than you want to read. Thanks a ton to Naomi and Brad...you guys rule, Kevin and Laura for helping us out, and all the people we met on tour for making it so much fun.
August 24, 2002 @ Blue Fish Companion XI in Norman, OK w/ Ambassador Bill, The Pistol Arrows and Forty Minutes of Hell
So, I've gotten a little behind on my show journals...and I haven't written about a couple. Here's a quick summary: July 29 at Room 710. The Bad Apples played first...they got us the show. They played well and the singer dancing around in a tutu was awesome. We played second, not our best show but still fun. The Signoffs were last...a rockin' band from Cleveland that reminded me a little of Guns n' Roses.
The other show I slacked on was August 11 at Flamingo Cantina with The Lonely Kings, One Point Style and Failsafe(plus two more whose names are escaping me at the moment). All the bands rocked and it was a really fun show.
OK, back to the Blue Fish show. A little background first...our friend Quentin(from 40 Min. of Hell) has been having these great parties(always themed with a Blue Fish..not sure why) for the past few years. He used to have them at his house, but they've gotten so big, he's moved them to the American Legion building and have bands play. He asked us to play and of course we said yes...it was an excuse to go visit my mom and dad, plus a guaranteed good time.
We got to Norman at about 1:30, and hung out for awhile. Went to the mall, ate dinner with my mom and watched Trading Spaces. Then finally went over to the show. When we got there, Ambassador Bill was getting set up, and finally started their set (a little late, due to waiting for more people to show up). I admit I didn't see much of their set, I was busy talking with friends that I hadn't seen in awhile, but what I did see was cool. They have a very original sound and look, and were definitely entertaining.
We played second. It was very hot...I was sweating even before we started. We played pretty well...except when some jerk spit beer at us, I got a little flustered and yelled at him, and it made me mess up, but I got right back on and continued to rock.
The Pistol Arrows were third. They were really good, although they sounded quite a bit different from how I remembered them. They have great harmonies and catchy songs...what else can you ask for.
Last was Forty Minutes of Hell...these guys are insane. It's amazing watching their personalities change when they start playing. At one point, the guitarist got hit in the head with the bass drum...I think it knocked him out for a minute. Anyway, they played a great show and definitely ended the night well.
Overall, the party was awesome and amazingly didn't get shut down. We even made it on the cover of the entertainment paper. Thanks to Quentin for putting on a great show and keeping Norman entertained on a Saturday night, Julie for selling the merch, and all our friends who came out to rock.
August 25, 2002 @ Emo's in Austin, TX w/ Farhaven, Glu, The Huntingtons, 40 Second Scandal, Failsafe
Got up this morning and went to eat All You Can Eat breakfast at this cool little cafe at the airport in Norman. It was awesome...I got stuffed with eggs, bacon, toast, grits, pancakes and homefries for $3.89...can't beat that. After eating. we headed back to Austin. The drive was miserable because there was a ton of traffic, then the van started to overheat. I pulled over about 50 miles from Austin..I just randomly chose a shady parking lot, and it turned out to be a sno-cone stand place...woohoo...so that kept us entertained for the 30 minutes we chilled to let the coolant stop boiling.
Luckily, we made it Emo's. We went straight there, so it really felt like we were on tour. This was kind of a weird show because the first three bands were "christian bands", or as they put it, bands with christians in them. The last three bands were local Austin bands. Although, I can really only speak for SDS, I'm pretty sure that 40 Second Scandal and Failsafe don't consider themselves Christian bands. Needless to say, the crowd was pretty diverse. Anyway, we got there just as Farhaven was finishing, so I didn't really hear them. Glu was good, but they were a little preachy, so I didn't listen much. I've seen The Huntingtons before...they played a good show and the crowd seemed to dig it.
We played next. It was a good show, we played well and had fun.
Next was 40 Second Scandal. People always have good things to say about these guys, and I'd have to agree. Last was Failsafe. Although the crowd had thinned out a little, they still put on a good show. I really like the singer's voice and their songs get stuck in my head.
Thanks again to Julie, and to Karen and Marnie for being our front row cheering squad and dancing for the whole show.
August 31, 2002 @ Graffitti's in Pflugerville, TX w/ Greaser, Naptown Amplifier Company
Graffitti's is this little burger joint/bar in the middle of nowhere just north of Austin. We got added to the show kind of last minute, but there still ended being a decent crowd which was cool. Greaser played first...they were a. rockabilly band. I haven't heard that kind of music since I moved to Austin so it was cool to see them play...we used to play with rockabilly bands all the time in Norman. Next was Naptown Amplifier Co. We've played with these guys a couple times and its always fun. We were last...we played a fast set and we had a good time...but I once again made the mistake of eating a hamburger before playing. You'd think I'd learn my lesson!
Sept. 6, 2002 @ The Backroom in Austin, TX w/ Manatee, New Automatic, Interstate 808, Good in the Sack
Manatee started off the show, which was awesome because they rock. I was a little disappointed in the crowd b/c usually during one of their songs there is a sing-a-long, but it didn't happen at this show. Oh well, they still put on a good show and looked like they were having a fun.
We were up next. My new guitar wouldn't stay in tune, so at the last minute I grabbed my old one and played with that one....so I started off the show a little annoyed, but I got over it pretty quickly. We debuted a new song tonight...I think it went over pretty well.
New Automatic, Interstate 808 and Good In the Sack ended the show. Everyone seemed to have a good time. After the show was over, Mike from The Backroom wanted a picture of all the bands...I kinda felt like I was at summer camp...but it was cool. Lisa almost missed it cuz she was sleeping in the van, but someone found her in time.... Thanks to Collin for helping load our stuff, and everyone else rockin'.
Sept. 14, 2002 @ The Ritz in Austin, TX w/ Hobble and Sexy Finger Champs
Finally after years of hanging out at The Ritz, we got to play there. Someone once told us it was a boys' club, so it would be hard for us to get a gig there, but we showed them! Anyway, Terrible One, a bmx company here in Austin, has decided to start putting on rock shows and this was the first one.
We had a pretty full weekend because on Friday night there was an art show at the Ritz featuring a bunch of BMX riders, (Maggie had some stuff in it), then Saturday was the show....so I spent a lot of time at that bar over the past few days. Because of the art show, we had some friends in town that don't ever get to see us play, so it was cool that T1 decided to put on the rock show the same weekend.
We played first and it was a lot of fun. We played a new song tonight and I surprised myself by actually remembering the words. It was also a little weird playing "Bobby No Morals" since a lot of the people in the audience know the guy it is inspired by...but i only got comments from a couple people so it was ok.
Hobble and Sexy Finger Champs are both wild bands, and they both put on very entertaining shows. I think my favorite parts were Oriah from Hobble singing through his shirt when it got stuck on his head as he was pulling it off, and the latin dance portion of SFC set.
This was definitely a cool night...thanks to T1 for doing the show, Taj for selling our merch, and Jeff, Ryan and Taj for helping us carry our mammoth equipment up and down The Ritz stairs.
Mini Oklahoma Tour
Sept 21, 2002 Mike's College Bar w/ 40 Minutes of Hell
This was a fun show, but it was also pretty weird. We got to Stillwater, loaded in, then started setting up the PA. Luckily Quentin from :40 showed up early and owns the exact PA Mike's has, so he was able to put it together pretty fast. There was a home football game at OSU(which they ended up winning), so there were all kinds of people out on the streets...most of them drunk and saying strange things. We walked down to the Coney place and ate hot dogs for dinner(i had a kraut dog), then went back to Mike's to watch :40 of Hell play. Although, I thought they played a good set, and even though they had some people rockin in the crowd, Brandon cut the set short because he thought they were running people off. I guess they should change their name to 15 Minutes of Hell...because that's as long as they played. We were up next...just the usual show. Fun as always, and we even played an encore. Thanks to Mike for letting us play and the :40 guys for playing with such short notice.
Sept 22, 2002 Midway Jam 6 in Norman w/ Bob French, Infinite Jets, D-lux Vortex, Klipspringer, Golden Eggs, VHS or Beta, Burtschi Brothers, Tyson Meade and American Boyfriends
First off, for those that don't know, The Midway Jam is a music fest that a cool little corner grocery/deli called Midway has put on for the past 6 years. The grocery has been there for as long as I can remember....and has become somewhat of an institution among Normanites, especially Norman musicians.
We got to Midway during D-lux Vortex's set...we walked around, socialized and saw a lot of old friends that we hadn't seen in awhile. It was beautiful outside and a perfect day for the Jam. We finally got to see Klipspringer play which is the band our old guitar player Kristen joined. I've seen them play before, but not since Kristen joined. They rocked, and even though it's been two years since she left, it was still a little weird(but cool) to see her playing with someone else.
We played next. It was a really fun show...there were a lot of friends in the crowd...which always makes a show great. Sometimes Klipspringer covers "ATC", so we had Ty come up and sing it with us....the funniest part about that was after the show some girl went up to Maggie and told her she thought it was cool we'd covered a Klipspringer song!! Maggie set her straight though.
All the other bands were great...there are too many to talk about them all. VHS or Beta totally rocked the street...they were on tour and Midway was nice enough to add them to the bill. Unfortunately, the show got shut down early(noise complaints) and American Boyfriend didn't get to play. Even so, we had a great time and thanks to Kristen for all her hard work and asking us to play.
Oct. 04, 2002 @ Graffiti's in Austin, TX w/ Slabtrash
We found out last minute that we were playing about two hours early than we originally thought. It wasn't that big of a deal because I'd told most people to call the club to get more info about the show...which is weird because I usually try to at least give an estimate of the time we'll play.
Anyway, we were up first. We played well and everyone seemed to dig it. Slabtrash was next. They were good, but they were honestly one of the weirdest bands I've ever seen. Kind of punkrock/rockabilly music with a cowboy (boots, hat, belt buckle..the works) screaming. The bass drum head was a confederate flag and there was a cymbal in the shape of Texas. We didn't stay for the whole set, but what I heard and saw was entertaining. The best part of the show was we were done by 11:30 and still had time to go do something else..although Maggie and I had to drive the van home and ended up just staying there...Lisa took advantage of the extra night though.
Thanks to Slabtrash for asking us to play, and everyone who came out early to see us play.
Oct. 12, 2002 @ The Chicken Wire Ranch in Austin, TX w/ The Band with No Name, Astroblast and Dirty Mary
This show was awesome. I had so much fun. We played last, and although I was really tired once I got up on stage and started rockin' out, I totally forgot I'd been ready for bed only a few minutes before. Everyone danced and sang through our whole set, and we even had a circle pit! The best part of the show was during "Bobby No Morals" when we sing the last line "Bobby No Morals lost his edge" all by ourselves...the crowd singing with us totally overpowered us (i'll admit I backed off the mic a little, but it was still rad!) Everyone had a really good time and hopefully some money was raised for the Pecan Springs Elementary book program. Thanks to all the other bands for playing and Trey for throwing a great party.
Oct. 22, 2002 @ Flamingo Cantina in Austin, TX w/ Comfortable Silence, Casual Friday, The Mofobees and Dempsey
Tuesday night shows often suck...fortunately for us, this one didn't. Although there wasn't a huge crowd, it wasn't bad. There were actually a few more people there than i expected which was great. It was all local bands, but I hadn't seen any of them before, so it was cool to hear all of them. Everyone sounded good and looked like they were having a good time. Thanks to Jeff from Casual Friday for asking us to play and everyone who stayed out late to rock.
Oct. 25, 2002 @ Tacoland in San Antonio, TX w/ Cogswell, Naptown Amplifier Co. and 13 Steps
This was our second time playing in San Antonio(kind of amazing since it's only an hour away). We played at the legendary Tacoland..supposedly Nirvana or someone played there. I thought the coolest thing was a Good Riddance sticker on the stage from their 1993 tour. The show started off a little shaky because there was confusion about the order of bands and what bands were playing, but everything ended up turning out ok.
During our set, a big, old drunk guy got really into the rock and tried to do a windmill on the floor in front of us (picture a 300lb, old biker looking dude with a long grey beard). Next he ran up onto the stage (there wasn't really much of one...maybe a step off the ground.) He almost took Lisa and I out, and Maggie said she was really scared that he was just gunna keep going and run right into her drums. Luckily his momentum ran out. Then he went back to his table, threw an empty beer can at Lisa and passed out drooling. The bar said if he wouldn't wake up they were just going to cover him with a blanket and leave him there. That was pretty much the excitement of the night. It was fun, we met some cool people and now we can say we've played Tacoland. Hopefully we'll make it back to SA soon. Thanks to Julie for pushing the merch.
Dec. 5, 2002 @ Flamingo Cantina in Austin, TX w/ Jackass, O'Doyle Rules and Divit
OK...so I got really lazy during the month of november and didn't write about any shows...sorry to all the loyal readers(mom). Lisa said she was gunna write a couple, but i guess she never got around to it either...oh well. Anyway, I was pretty excited about this show because Flamingo is always fun to play, plus there were a couple bands that I really wanted to see playing with us. Jackass played first. The ex-drummer from Bad Religion is in the band, so it was cool to see them since BR is the first punk band I ever listened to.
We were next...it was a good show. Decent crowd, lots of energy and we played really fast.
O'Doyle Rules from Houston was third. They were good, but when you start playing songs that don't have complete lyrics, it usually means you've played long enough.
Divit played last. I'd heard a couple of their songs on a Nitro comp and liked it, so I was excited to see them live. They didn't disappoint, and everyone who left early missed out. Near the end of Divit's set, our friends from The Ataris showed up. They had played earlier at Emo's, and as they were walking by, saw our name on the marque at Flamingo...so they stopped in to see if we'd played already. Unfortunately, we already had...but it was still a cool surprise to see people we only see twice a year. Anyway, it was a fun show, we sold lots of beanies and thanks to Frank for helping load-out.
Dec. 7, 2002 @ The UT PunkRock Club Punkfest @FAC21 w/ The Accidents, Interstate 808, Lunchbox Ave., Dempsey, Protocol 13, Manikin, Slum City and The MoFoBees
It's so cool when a show that I'm expecting to be "just another show" turns out to a lot of fun. The Punkfest was a perfect example of this. We were all kind of tired, I felt like I was starting to get sick(which I was) and basically none of us were very excited about playing. We got to the venue, and although there was a decent amount of people there, the room was pretty big and everyone was sitting at the desks...which were pushed back from the stage to make standing room. We loaded-in to Dempsey(who sounded really good...even with the not-so-good PA), then settled down at the merch table to watch some bands and eat our dinner of Wendy's junior bacon cheeseburgers(which were surprisingly tasty). Finally it was our turn to play. We decided to play a short set because everything was running a little behind and there was only one working mic, so I was singing solo tonight. We had just started to play, when I noticed that people were actually out of the chairs and standing in front of the stage...the show was definitely looking up. People danced and rocked out for the whole 20 minutes, but the best part was during "Bobby No Morals". Since we only had one mic, I asked the crowd to help out...and they were awesome. I could totally hear people singing Maggie and Lisa's parts....even over the guitar, bass and drums. Very cool! Thanks to Sumeet and Reese for putting on a good time and all the other bands for rockin' out.
