THIS IS AMERICAN MUSIC: 10 YEARS LATER

It has recently been brought to our attention that the THIS IS AMERICAN MUSIC tour took place 10 years ago last week. Incredible, isn't it? In honor of the decade that's past I've gathered together a handful of the photos I took during that tour. Enjoy!

Let Me Be Clear

Now, let me be clear. Playing music with my good friends is more fun than anything I've ever done. It is when everything leaves my mind except what is happening that moment. Anyone who has played in bands would probably agree that playing high energy rock music with your friends can often be a cathartic, disencumbering experience. I believe this so much so that I have emotional withdrawals when I don't play gigs for while. I realize that I may be heading into a performance drought when I move in July, but it will hopefully allow me to concentrate on other things that are important to me while giving me a little distance from something that has been a huge priority in my life for nearly 20 years.
While I may have had a harder time relaxing than I may have wished at the D.C. Hoot Night, playing those songs with my bands brought me unparalleled happiness and satisfaction. I will miss that a ton. The music I've been making with Excited States has been extremely fulfilling. As evidenced by our healthy contribution to the hoot night, 90s indie rock is right in our wheelhouse and is my second language. It is the more underground dialect of rock music that helped form my musical vocabulary 20+ years ago. The songs and melodies that Beaty Wilson comes up with are spoken in that dialect and I often know exactly how to respond. Andy Thompson fits perfectly into that three-piece equation by providing a rhythmic stability for our dynamic discourse. No matter what the speed of the dialogue, Andy measures it out and keeps the intensity on a level we can hover around. He is the oxygen atom and to him we are  electrically bonded hydrogen atoms.
That we were able to play Shudder To Think's  "X-French T-Shirt" was huge for me. James Adair introduced me to Pony Express Record in 1994 and that album, and song speciafically, got under my dome in a big way.  On my way to class one rainy winter morning, I remember walking through one of N.C. State's tunnels with the song's outro stuck in my head. It was like that for at least a week. I'm sure songs had been stuck in my head before then, but that was the first time it became a mantra.
"Static" is off of my favorite Jawbox album Novelty. In high school, I learned all of those songs on guitar (to the best of my ability) and it's rhythmic idiosyncrasies and discordant melodies have stuck with me to this day. The song I wrote for my old band eddy entitled "Under The Influence" was directly influenced by Novelty's "Linkwork."
We played eight Fugazi songs which was as cathartic as it gets. At the Holden Beach with my friend Will and his family during the summer of 1990, I remember listening to that album over and over again. It was a true revelation. Having been turned on to heavy, dynamic, powerful rock by Led Zeppelin (and soon thereafter Metallica in my case), Fugazi quickly became a band we fully believed in. There were others we adored like Soul Asylum and Operation Ivy, but Repeater really blew everyone to pieces. The funny thing playing those songs for me was that until we started learning songs for the hoot night, I had never thought to learn any of Joe Lally's incredible basslines. Lally is one of my all time favorite bass players and I had never thought to explore his work. This wasn't weird to me until I learned them all and realized for the 231st time how incredible he and the whole band were. They were such an amazing BAND!! 
The songs Grand Champeen played from Red Medicine were equally as exciting to learn and cover. Grand Champeen has learned a ton of covers over the years but we had never ventured into Fugazi territory, perhaps because it was so daunting. Perhaps because their albums are such masterworks in songwriting, musicianship and performance that it seemed a bit outside our scope. How wrong we were! As Channing intimated the other night at practice, we should have done that years ago.  Of the four songs GC learned, we played two of my favortes from that album, "Target" and "Forensic Scene." I have such strong memories of Red Medicine being in my life in 1995 because I moved to Tennessee by myself three months after the album came out and I know it kept me company and gave me strength when I left friends and family in NC and settled down in the small town Murfreesboro. I rented a room from an ad I saw on a bulletin board near the housing office on MTSU campus and for 8 months I lived with three guys who couldn't have been more dissimilar to each other and myself. When I was home, I stayed in my room a lot and listened to records. For the record, the other album on constant rotation in that rented room was "Tomorrow the Green Grass" by the Jayhawks.
 I gotta go. Grand Champeen is playing with A Giant Dog  at Hotel Vegas April 30th. I'm moving to NC in July so if you want to see Grand Champeen you had better come out.

D.C. Hoot Night a Success

That was fun. Last night's D.C. Hoot Night gave us great performances from six groups of bands or pick-up bands. Dave Norwood from The Gary put together a band with a violinist and played three songs that had a great eerie vibe. Randy Reynolds and Seth Gibbs formed Doctor Club and played a few Television-esque covers. Nick Pelliciotto and friends played a couple Lungfish songs and a great cover of the opening track to Trans Am's debut. Three-fourths of Rainbow Dragon played Shudder To Think and Bad Brains! My sets with Excited States and Grand Champeen included the following songs:

Bed For The Scraping
Forensic Scene
Target
Do You Like Me?
Motr
What About Blighty?
Turnover
Repeater
Brendan #1
Merchandise
Blueprint
Styrofoam
X-French T-Shirt
Static
Make Out Club
Sweet & Low
Smallpox Champion

I have a hard time having "fun" when I play gigs where I work because I'm at work. I find myself being the common thread between everything happening at the bar. The business, employees, concertgoers, and performers require enough little bits of direction and attention to keep me from relaxing. It doesn't put me over in the sense that I'm miserable and wish I weren't there.  It's a unique position to be in and one that probably only happens to a bar manager who is in a band that plays at the bar they run.
An example of this is a night like last night. All six bands were planning on using my band's gear as backline and I ended up being the hub of info. I'm not pissed about it because I'm an organized person with answers so I'm perfect for the job. But it doesn't leave a lot of room for "fun" in the most commonly used sense of the word. 
Fun is a particularly strange notion because it is both treated as if it's a tangible commodity and revered like it's an actual feeling. But when people discuss their feelings, "fun" isn't included along with sadness, anger, happiness, fear, and regret. Perhaps my version of fun has changed over the years. Perhaps I care to much about my job. Perhaps the kinda of fun I'm looking for is sitting under an umbrella on a beach with a cold beer surrounded by loved ones, zoning out to the mesmerizing pulse of the waves rolling over on each other. 

Gonna Get in a Better Habit of Writing

I'd like to start ruminating on my life in Austin as my final days here unfold. It's been a while since I've written in earnest and I'd like to write as often as I can, especially when particularly relevant or poignant feelings enter my head. If I want to actually get them posted, I'll have to sacrifice editing them for sake of time. I'm not getting paid for it so what does it matter? I'm not trying to get the James Beard award for blogging.

An easy thing to do would be to start a laundry list of things I'll miss. Perhaps an even easier thing to do would be to list all of the things I won't miss about Austin. The most difficult thing to do will be to write about how I feel about the future because it's so open. I think I'll do all of these things and it may end up being a jumbled mess but so is my mind, heart, and body right now.

It's gonna be difficult to capture my thoughts as they come because I'm usually driving to work, or at work, or at band practice, or trying to sleep. Unlike a lot of my peers, I'm not in front of a computer all day. It's difficult for me to write as much as I want because life doesn't let me sit still for that long. Nor do I have the luxury of working from home and picking up the guitar every time I feel a tinge of creativity. I'd love to have a little more free time with which to be creative. At this point in my life, I accept that I need to create things or else I'm unhappy.  Lately, I've found peace in learning how to make Texas style BBQ. I feel like each brisket or rack of ribs that goes on that smoker is a blank canvas upon which I try to paint the best picture I can. It's hardly writing a prose or a new song, but it"s satisfies something in there. 

I'd really like to cook BBQ for the rest of my life. Now, I realize that is completely possible and not too large of a goal. But if I want to cook BBQ for other people and have it be something that helps brings people in a community together, then it is. I also want to make music for the rest of my life. I hope that once I'm near Scott Nurkin again that we will be able to make music based on all that we've learned since we last played together (1999). So many ways to go, so much gonna happen.

Tonight I have a gig with both Excited States and Grand Champeen. We'll be playing songs by Washington D.C. bands from the 1990s and I think it'll be awesome. I'm gonna miss playing music regularly with the fellas in those bands. I'm gonna miss it more than words can express but I'm gonna attempt to express it anyway, from time to time. More on that later.  If you like either of my bands you should come to the show tonight because I'm moving to NC in July and these bands won't be performing but once or twice a year.

Gigs: Feb 11 & 12

Last night I played with Grand Champeen at the Elk's Lodge and then with Excited States at ND. While they were rather different shows, both were fun. The Elk's Lodge gig was a joint birthday celebration which allowed Grand Champeen some room to stretch out and play some fun covers. We also played some originals fairly poorly, but that's ok. Right? From what I can remember...

Wounded Eye

You May Be Right (BJ)

Records & Tapes

And Your Bird Can Sing (Beatles)

Cottonmouth

Get Back To The Quiet

Hey Tonight (CCR)

Winterlong (Neil)

Foreplay/Come On Come On (Boston/Cheap Trick)

Root and Branch

Radio Radio (Declan MacManus)

Come On Baby Let's Go Downtown (Neil)

Can't Hardly Wait (Westerberg)

Paid Vacation

Just Want To Get You Alone

Bottleglass

Another World, Another Planet (Only Ones)

All The Young Dudes (Bowie)

Walk Of Life (Dire S.)

At 10pm I hauled ass over to the ND, found a parking spot right outside the door, and walked into The Decade Show's third to last song. They have really spruced up that venue since the last time I was there. I feels like a real club now. Right on. Excited States went on second and delivered a searing set of catchy, angular, rock gems. That set went a little bit like...

Victories

1983

The 15th (wire)

Found Some Tapes

New Song

Pretty Little Cages

Slow Cooker

Feel The Sting

New Song

Under The Weight

Look What the Wind Blew In (Thin Lizzy)

The next evening, Grand Champeen shared the "middle" stage at the Hole in the Wall with Pink Nasty, and The Mother Hips from California. Jack Wilson played short sets between acts on the front stage and helped make a great night all around. Pink Nasty delivered a solo set that was full of good songs and an endearing, stark honesty. Grand Champeen played second and tore the room apart, leaving a splintered stage for the Mother Hips to repair with a couple of hours of smooth Northern California tunes. Despite the nearly unrecoverable state in which we left the room, they managed to put on a great show. Perhaps it was their creative songwriting that displayed their mastery of mid-song tempo changes. Or it may have been their outstanding musicianship and singing abilities. The loyal and excited crowd was a no doubt a big help. I don't know what happened on the first night of the Hips' two-night stand when Smoke and Feathers and December Boys opened, but I hope for them that it went as well as our night did. We did something like this:

Join Us

Good Slot

Diff Sort

Records &

Get You Alone

Root &

Get Back TTQ

Wounded

Death Of

PGPA

Haste

Ides

One &

Rott

Come On Baby Let's Go Downtown

Rest Of

Fakin' It

Or at least I think that's how it goes. Some fella who flew into town to see/bootleg the Mother Hips recorded us as well. I want to find this guy and get a copy. He said he'd give us one. If the recording turned out, it should be a good snapshot.

Grand Champeen in the studio

The next Grand Champeen album, tentatively titled "Feelgood M.D.," has been in the works for quite sometime now. Just a few words to bridge the gap between it and the last record...

It's hard to believe that "Dial T" came out three years ago. In fact, it's so hard to believe that I think I'm plain wrong about it being three years. Nope. Here we go...the All Music Guide* says March 13, 2007. Damn. Anyway, it's really taken that long for the fervor to die down. In the three years since the "Dial T" CD release party at Emo's we've been knee deep in the hoopla surrounding it release and astounding success. It's only recently we've realized that we've actually been ankle deep in the poopla.

By the time we went to mix the last album, its songs had been decided on and road tested well in advance. So when it comes to our next album's tracks, it was in between the aforementioned decision making process and the release of "Dial T For This" that some of them were written. After a few photos I took at a Trinity University radio gig the week "Dial T" was released, we'll move on to the newer songs...

"Haste to Mobilize" and "Just Want To Get You Alone" were both probably written in 2006. I know that "Get You Alone" was around for awhile because it's on the "Georgia Style" tapes. I know "Haste" was written in the fall of 2006 because I wrote it. I also know that "Because of You" came from summer 2007 because I wrote it at the beach on the nylon string guitar. I've always wanted to record a version where a nylon string guitar is the main guitar in a style like I've heard some Violent Femmes and Dead Milkmen songs. "Fakin' the Sound" and "Get Back To The Quiet" are also of a slightly older vintage, due to their emergence on some home demoing Channing did a ways back. None of that really matters though because if they were all written tomorrow, recorded next week, and released in June 2010, the recorded version would be the same one you're gonna (hopefully) be listening to in June of 2020.

The following "diary entries" are from a few weeks last fall when we finished recording the basic tracks for the next Grand Champeen record. I was on a bit of a write-it-down jag which is why there's any written record of the events, represented here verbatim. Right now, it looks like the album will contain 12 songs and with the basics for three having already been recorded

we knocked out the nine tracks we needed. Our gear was all in one room so that we'd be in a comfortable rehearsal-style situation. This set up was decided on because we've realized that we're a rock band and headphones aren't condusive to the kind of music we play. To satisfy this recording concept, we came up with a one-room setup that resulted in suprisingly little bleed between instruments. If a loud rock band like Grand Champeen can record clean basic tracks with all of their gear in the same room, we proved that people tend to get too uptight about isolation and "pristine' recording. Fuck that anyway. We already made that album.

So, the basics for "Gone With the Wind" and "Because of You" were recorded sometime in 2008, I believe. PGPA was recorded and mixed in April of 2009. The rest of the basics were done in October.

Sunday

Ned and I got to the studio around 9:45 and we found Crow and Channing setting up amps and mics. Ned's drums were in the large part of the room and our three amps were on the other side. Our objective is to track live like we're at practice, for the natural feel. Headphones blow.

Channing was having some trouble with a microphonic tube so he spent sometime troubleshooting that.

Monday

We got some more sounds and recorded a bit to make sure all ps put levels were good. Ned had been sick and was still feeling bad and decided to go home and get rest and start the project in earnest on Tuesday. There was some discussion about drum sounds, too. So Channing, Crow and I stuck around to evaluate the drums sounds we had. There were/are so many combinations of mics to use, we had to whiddle them down to a few to check out what we had. It was decided that the snare and the floor tom needed attention. Ned was quite concerned with the kick so after analysing it we realised we had a good one. It was decided what to do the next day and we said goodnight.

Tuesday

This was a productive day that started with Crow and I going to Guitar Center for direct injection boxes. He wanted to be able to have a solid DI signal for the three guitar in case we wanted to screw with their sounds down the road.

Back at the studio, he and I went on a tone quest so that his guitar rig would be ready to go. We also set up a U87 five feet out from the kick to get more rromy, mid-rangey sound. Also, Crow set up a couple more room mics for options. When we all got back together, it was jam time. We tracked versions of "Get Back To The Quiet," "Haste To Mobilize," "Records and Tapes" and Fakin' The Sound." It was a good night and we all felt comfy in the recording scenario. No phones, guide vox, bullshit. Live, practice space, rock band.

Wednesday

We jumped right in with some "Golden Wheel." Sounded great. I think we tracked a few takes of "Just Want To Get You Alone" and "Fakin the Sound." We spent some time rehearsing "You've Got Your Rivals" which is one of Chan's newest. It hasn't seen as much time on the practice field as most of the other pkayers. We also lit up a few takes of "Root and Branch" but decided to revisit it Thursday. Last of the night was a "She Saw A Rainbow" and it was decided to visit it Thursday as well. All in all, a great night in the studio. One of our most productive, ever.

Thursday

Epiphany and Setback. I walk in and the MCI won't stay on. Something is wrong with the power supply. Damn! We rehearse the songs and spend a little time on "Rainbow" then call it.

Sunday

After a few days of inactivity due to the MCI's illness, Hough brought the board back to life and we reconvened after I got off work. We dove straight in to a faster, peppier version of "Back To The Quiet." Good decision on our behalves. We then got keepers of "Root and Branch" and "You've Got Your Rivals." The last to get tackled that night was "She Saw A Rainbow." We got through a whole take but decided to come back to it the next night. At this point we had basics for everything except "She Saw A Rainbow" which is awesome!

Monday

We reconvene between 9 and 10 and get right after "Rainbow." After a few tries we got a solid take. It had been decided to use a click and I think it helped tremendously. Since we had ironed out the structure, we were able to float through it by memory. While the click stiffened things up a bit and some of the ebb and flow that we were used to was smoothed over, I think it ultimately strengthened the track. While Chan and Ned weren't sold at the end of the night, I was.

Thursday

Channing and I returned to the studio to punch anything that needed fixing. I had a couple punched to do, mainly "The Golden Wheel." Chan may have only fixed one song too. The general feel was, "that's fine" or "that's great, leave it."

Friday

Hole in the Wall gig.

Sunday

Channing recorded vocals for "Fakin the Sound" and one other song.

Sunday

I did scratch vocals for all of my tunes so there would be a reference for any work the guys did/do while I'm in NC.

Tuesday (many months later)
Tracked vocals for "Haste To Mobilize" and "Because of You."

Thursday

Crow rhythm guitar to "Because Of You" recorded.

*The All Music Guide doesn't have me listed as a member of the fucking band. Nor does it have me credited for writing my songs on "Dial T." Whoever writes that stuff is an idiot. The internet is full of holes.

Solo Set at Club DeVille, 1/28/10

Last week I played a solo set of music on the indoor stage at Club Deville. Big thanks to the folks who came out to hear me! Gettin' up there and playing and singing is such a weird deal and I don't quite know how to explain why. I believe it was the fourth time I've gotten on a stage by myself and played my songs for people. From February 18 to March 13 at the Hyde Park Thater, my friend Joey Hood will perform a one-man play entitled The Athiest. I will go see this performance realize that what I do is easy! But I can only assume that as with many things, it gets easier the more you do it. And next week (February 11) at Club Deville, I will be performing another set of (mostly) originals. While last week I opened for Miranda Brown's new duo Basketball, next week I will be opening for a fellow named Collin Herring. We have not played a show together but I think it will be a fun night. I am particularly excited about it because my sister will be in attendance!

Last week's set was good because I played old Grand Champeen songs, yet to be released Grand Champeen songs, songs from my unreleased solo album and a couple of songs that are homeless. Here's the set:

Paper Rock Scissors (incomplete soundcheck aka I screwed it up)

Paid The Way

Drop Me A Line

Repeat the Answers

Cashing in the Dimes

Sister

Nine Years

I Am The Walrus

Flash In The Pan

On Your Own

Because of You

Haste To Mobilize

Bayonet

I Can't Help You

Color Me Impressed

Mighta Got Caught

Root and Branch

Pining For Verona

I'm gonna change up the set for next week. Play some different Champeen songs, different covers and another homeless tune. The tracks from the upcoming albums by both Grand Champeen and me will remain on the list. I guess I don't want to deliver the exact same performance. That's boring. Anyways, I have enough songs to where I don't need to.

Since my last post, I have started playing in Beaty Wilson's group Excited States which has been fun. I'm playing bass, Beaty's on guitar and Andy is on drums. I always liked his songs in Fivehead and those that I've heard in his projects since Fivehead was a fully functioning band. We've got about 8 songs floating around the practice space and hope to have more soon. I hope that we'll play a set sometime during SXSW.

I have also started playing with John Voskamp of Peglegasus and Ye Olde Castletons notoriety. He came to me with the idea of playing instrumental tunes as a happy hour group with him on guitar and his cousin Nate on an Ace-Tone keyboard. We got together once and it sounded cool. There's some potential there for sure.

I have also been jamming with George Duron. For that rock, we're playing songs I've written that are more on the aggressive side of rock. I want to mix Polvo, Drive Like Jehu, the Sea and Cake and Sonic Youth and I have 20+ songs that fall into that category. More to come in that department.

Hope to see y'all out next Thursday at Club Deville!

SXSW, Part 2

Wednesday

Tim and Mark picked me up and we headed off to some rehearsal space that Tim had acquired.  This space ended up being on a ranch next to the landfill off 1327.  When we got there, the fellow who was supposed to let us in the gate didn't answer the phone so Stepro walked down the long drive towards the house.  The proprietor ended up being there and we found our to-be-studio in a shed at the top of the driveway.  A few songs into the set and we could all tell that this new pick up band was going to be just fine.  We tackled "The Young Girls," "Burgundy Red," "Broke My Heart" and "Porcupine" first and flew through them with no problem.  We knew we were in good shape and we decided to finish the set anyway.  During "Stormy,"  in walks the proprietor with Pamela and Michael Des Barres!  I'm rockin' out in front of Miss Pamela!  Holy Shit!  That's one step away from Jimmy Page.  I thought that if this is how SXSW is gonna go, then quitting Stubb's and taking the gig with Easton is the best turn of events to happen to me in awhile.  We packed up the rental and headed to Dog and Duck.

The Dog and Duck gig went well.  Hillary York was first on the bill and sounded great with a full band.  We were second and I didn't feel too nervous about the set.  I had half a beer and we ripped it out with few hitches.  Then I had a full beer.  A few people present told me they never would have known that the three of us had never played together before.  Good sign.  Then it was off to the Convention Center to get our wristbands.  It was a mess down there but we found a sweet parking spot... the first time the Parking Gods would smile upon us this week.  We had lunch at Iron Works BBQ and I must say I was impressed.  I hadn't eaten there in many years and I plan on going back there more often.

I met up with Tiffany at Emo's where we saw a set by The Bronx.  Unbeknownst to me, The Young Widows had finished right before we walked and when I found out that I had missed them I was pretty disappointed.  The Bronx was good rock, though.  Tiffany and I then waited in line for 45 minutes to get into the Fader party which would have completely sucked had it not been for the free Budweiser and Southern Comfort.  Needless to say, while Tiffany was taking care of her business I indulged in the flowing booze.  Jennie picked us up at 5th and Waller and took us back to her house where we made a couple Tito's screwdriver roadies for our walk to to see Glossary at Cissi's Market.  Glossary played a "feelers" set that was really beautiful.  They adapted to the intimate setting with no awkwardness.  We were pretty lit so we went to Taqueria Arandas for togo tacos and ate them while we watched Wet Hot American Summer.  That movie really isn't that good and we all fell asleep before it ended.

Thursday

This was to be my busiest day of the week.  I had to take Jennie to work so that I could make it from the Grand Champeen gig at Jovita's to the Easton set at Club Deville 30 minutes later.  Champeen played a 25 minute set of songs that we hadn't played at Beerland two nights before.  Tiffany, Caulkins and I immediately went downtown and set up at the New West party.  I met Aaron who was to play lead guitar on the rest of the Easton gigs and I met Mark Olson and Gary Louris who were to play later that day.  All nice fellas.  Our set as a four piece was even better than the set the day before and we were all feeling pretty good about the group.  If we could only learn 12 new Easton songs and go into the studio immediately... that would be some fun.  The Olson/Louris set was incredible.  It was so wonderful to hear those guys singing together after so many years.  While their set was made up mostly of songs off their new album, the Tomorrow The Green Grass songs really made my day.  "Over My Shoulder," "Two Hearts," "Nothing Left To Borrow," "Blue" and the even older "Two Angels" brought back a lot of memories.  After spending the rest of the afternoon hangin' at DeVille, Jennie and I ordered Homeslice pepperoni and mushroom togo and took a nap in the hour while it was being prepared.  Then it was off to The Hole In the Wall for the Bremen Riot and Grand Champeen gig.  When we got there, Gleeson had just finished and Will Johnson was about to play a solo set.  John Paul Kieth and the 1 4 5's then played their rhythm and blues rave ups with a scorching set by Mandible close behind.  The Bremen Riot set was invigorating and the two new Nicolai songs went off really well.  People are still amazed at how awesome Mike performs as a lead singer.  I'm one of those people.  After a short pee-break, Champeen launched into a set similar to that at Beerland.  At the end of the day I had played four separate sets of music and had logged 6 shows for the week.  Needless to say, I was tired but Tim was picking me up at 10am so I had to get in a shower and a nap before he showed up.  Fall alseep to the amazing Blue Earth...   

      

SXSW, Part 1

Due in large part to not being trapped behind the bar at Stubb's for the first SXSW in five or six years, I feel like I had a week worth recapping.  It was a busy one filled with music, friends, beer and tacos...the way it should be.  No, I didn't bartend all week and I'm not rolling in piles of dirty cash right now, but I've been down that road and it sucks the soul.  I'm gonna go day to day starting Sunday, March 15 and go through yesterday, maybe.

Sunday

Just like all my Sundays recently, I woke up tired and cursed the Mexicans power washing the meatwater stains off my driveway.  Don't they know we're sleeping?  Is power washing on Sunday morning really necessary?  Work was fine.  Sunday front bar shift.  My friend Ben had gotten into town Friday night and we had made plans to hang out when I got out of work this evening.  After pulling a Mr. Rogers and changing into my civilian clothes, my tattoo artist friend Mike and I caught a cab to the Sidebar to meet up with Ben.  He was there with Jody, David, Joey and others troopers in the New Guard Comedy forces (i,e, Danny McBride, Bill Hader) and when they all left, Mike, Ben and I walked over to Shangri-La.  The city had shut down Shangri-la's yard/patio so everyone was stuck inside.  After some beers and shots we got in a cab and went to The Longbranch Inn for a change of scenery.  Ben was fascinated with the moon tower across the street and made the requisite Dazed and Confused references.  The scene there was ok but we were restless so we made it full circle back to the Hole In The Wall.  I wanted to show Ben some local spots and upon entering the Hole In The Wall, that mission was accomplished.  After the Hole, we went back to the Four Seasons and ran into Jody and his wife in the parking lot.  The bar was closed so we searched out a hotel room party.  We found a geeky sausage party but they all recognized Ben from Foot Fist Way and East Bound and Down so we were a hit.  Ben invited them over to his room and we destroyed his mini-bar until security clamped down on us due to a noise complaint.  I took yet another cab home. 

Monday

Wake up hungover and go to work, psyched about life and all that.  Made it through work and directly after, went to rehearsal with both Grand Champeen and The Bremen Riot.  For those of you that don't know, The Bremen Riot is Mike Nicolai and the members of Grand Champeen, together as a band.  We have been playing together for years but just recently we have decided to be a band instead of his backup band.  We have two new songs called "Easy Joe" and "Ruthless, Unbroken and Profane."  We're playing these and other songs again April 11 at the Hole In The Wall.

Tuesday

I woke up and took Jennie to work and then went home to take a nap.  I don't remember whet else I did that day.  I think I ran errands and then picked Jennie up with the intention of going to $2 taco night at Quality Seafood.  Unfortunately, the lot was totally full and we realized it would take too long so we left.  

This evening was the annual Tuesday-before-SXSW-music-festival-Grand Champeen-and-other-bands-at-Beerland show.  Since it was Champeen, Glossary and Two Cow Garage, it was a near-reprise of the This Is American Music line-up.  The show was a blast for all.  It was at this show that I met Tim Easton for the first time.  After weeks of emails and studying his new album, it was a relief to finally meet the guy who was getting me back on the road!  I also met Mark Stepro who was to play drums at all our gigs last week.  Turns out he grew up in Gallion, Ohio which is stones throw from Bucyrus... home of Micah and Andy Two Cow.  (Ohio had a strong presence in my SXSW this year.)  I went back to Jennie's for a nap to rest up for my first day of playing with Easton and Stepro.