I just got back from visiting the hometown. You know, while I was there I was thinking about how it feels like hardly any of my old friends visit anymore. I guess it's just that age -- early thirties, mortgage, kids, busy lives. Then Trevor and I visited with Eric and went to the Old Stan for a drink and punk show. Hot damn! Our old friends Aaron and Hiapo were playing with their band Main Street Militia.
Their show was super -- straight up old school punk rock. They play tight, and Hiapo tears it up on bass. Hiapo gave us a CD too, and while punk is always best live, the CD is definitely going to get a lot of play. Be sure to check out Main Street Militia's MySpace, and if you're in NorCali, check 'em out at one of their dates and pick up a CD. I'll see you there at my first show ever at the Rawhide Saloon (the quintessential redneck bar when I was growing up) June 1st.
At the Old Stan show, Main Street Militia played with Aaron's brother Jesh's band, Farce. Excellent to see a female singer/guitarist who fucking rocked!
Watching that show, I realized I had 1) not been to a punk show in ages, and 2) really truly forgotten how much I love rural punk rock. So much has been written about SoCal urban wasteland punk like Bad Religion, the Descendents, and Black Flag. But the foothills of NorCali have a lot of the same elements that drove SoCal's punk scene, and as such is a prime breeding ground for making music that rebels against the dominant culture. Being surrounded by good ol' boys, endless acres of grassy nothing, and small-town small-mindedness takes the place of gangsters, endless acres of blacktop nothing, and mindless plastic starfuckers, but the ennui, rancor, and desire for change is the same.
And I love myself some moshing hillbillies, at home with Crue or Crass!
--
This just in -- Dave McKean has completed the artwork for John Cale's new boxset. It is GORGEOUS. See it in its fabulosity, and hear a little about the process from Mr. McKean himself, here.
Also, speaking of bass-playing singer/songwriters, David J has completed a musical play about Edie Sedgwick which will feature 10 new songs. The play is called Silver For Gold (The Odyssey of Edie Sedgwick).
David says:
At first I was reluctant as I doubted that there would be enough substance there to sustain a full length production of this nature. However, the idea (and Edie) would not leave me alone. I wrote another song. Then I started to investigate her story, what I discovered was something of a labyrinthine mythic odyssey, Edie proving to be far more complex than I had at first imagined. I started to write the text. Then another song came along and another. More monologue. It felt as if I had entered into a subtle psychic relationship with this beautiful dead girl and she was actively encouraging me to write. She became a bright light that glowed all the brighter whenever I started to create. It was as if she was feeding on the attention. This might sound highly fanciful but that is how it felt. Edie was enduring in her ultimate role, that of the muse.
David is in talks with producers and says he hopes to have the play up and running by the end of the year. In the meantime, you can hear one of the songs, 'Girl on Fire,' here.
Their show was super -- straight up old school punk rock. They play tight, and Hiapo tears it up on bass. Hiapo gave us a CD too, and while punk is always best live, the CD is definitely going to get a lot of play. Be sure to check out Main Street Militia's MySpace, and if you're in NorCali, check 'em out at one of their dates and pick up a CD. I'll see you there at my first show ever at the Rawhide Saloon (the quintessential redneck bar when I was growing up) June 1st.
At the Old Stan show, Main Street Militia played with Aaron's brother Jesh's band, Farce. Excellent to see a female singer/guitarist who fucking rocked!
Watching that show, I realized I had 1) not been to a punk show in ages, and 2) really truly forgotten how much I love rural punk rock. So much has been written about SoCal urban wasteland punk like Bad Religion, the Descendents, and Black Flag. But the foothills of NorCali have a lot of the same elements that drove SoCal's punk scene, and as such is a prime breeding ground for making music that rebels against the dominant culture. Being surrounded by good ol' boys, endless acres of grassy nothing, and small-town small-mindedness takes the place of gangsters, endless acres of blacktop nothing, and mindless plastic starfuckers, but the ennui, rancor, and desire for change is the same.
And I love myself some moshing hillbillies, at home with Crue or Crass!
--
This just in -- Dave McKean has completed the artwork for John Cale's new boxset. It is GORGEOUS. See it in its fabulosity, and hear a little about the process from Mr. McKean himself, here.
Also, speaking of bass-playing singer/songwriters, David J has completed a musical play about Edie Sedgwick which will feature 10 new songs. The play is called Silver For Gold (The Odyssey of Edie Sedgwick).
David says:
At first I was reluctant as I doubted that there would be enough substance there to sustain a full length production of this nature. However, the idea (and Edie) would not leave me alone. I wrote another song. Then I started to investigate her story, what I discovered was something of a labyrinthine mythic odyssey, Edie proving to be far more complex than I had at first imagined. I started to write the text. Then another song came along and another. More monologue. It felt as if I had entered into a subtle psychic relationship with this beautiful dead girl and she was actively encouraging me to write. She became a bright light that glowed all the brighter whenever I started to create. It was as if she was feeding on the attention. This might sound highly fanciful but that is how it felt. Edie was enduring in her ultimate role, that of the muse.
David is in talks with producers and says he hopes to have the play up and running by the end of the year. In the meantime, you can hear one of the songs, 'Girl on Fire,' here.
posted by Ammie at 11:46 AM
4 Comments:
MSM was pretty rad, wasn't it? And, man, what a lucky guy I am to see all these great shows (Decemberists, Neko Case, MSM, umm... oh yeah, David J) with such a beautiful woman!
TC
Actually, ma'am, speaking for "hillbillies," we prefer the term "people of the hills" or "hill folk"--these terms lack the inherent androcentrism of hill-BILLY (what about all the Besses, Brigittes, and Beyonces?) and replace a dangerous and derogatory term.
a concerned reader.
Yes, I do love Girl on Fire. He just keeps pumping out cool projects.
I also love my own personal hillbilly too. :)
"umm...oh yeah, David J"
Subtle. :P
I still love you.
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