trenches and sidelines

I can’t say that a festival is a setting that gets me exited. Camping is only fun with the right person and even then it is to get away from people. Price is steep and altho you can save money for all the AAA bands it is such a dent in my pocket the months around it feel lean. The 7th st entry or triple rock can get you at least nine nights for the same price. You never get all that close and no chance at all of meeting the bands. Some of that money might get you into play or comedy club.

But looking at the bigger festivals lineups are some of the best way to tell what is truely popular at any given time. Radio and TV have gotten to meta into what they are selling. “Coachella” headliners, the black keys, radiohead, Dr. Dre & Snoop dog. the black keys headline is jest super duper neato. Bon Iver, Jeff magnum, ok pepole got taste I guess but unexciting. “Godspeed you! black emperor” thats something to wax on.

 ”Godspeed you! black emperor”, fist thought was I did they not brake up.  the  apocalyptic soundtrack half hour songs never got radio playtime. I only know of them since someone in my high school click was into picking up CD with no English on them at cheapo. they tended to be one in the basement as I played tetris waiting for others to show up before carvaning out to metal shows.

I saw them live it was my first show at first ave. It was the night America went to war in Iraq. a powerfully somber night, I left feeling small.

so some Canadians are playing a big outdoor show. would the same draw drift somberly on a sunset? I don’t know but it is nice to know that it might

It has been back and forth in my head for a week now but I don’t know what to make of that last show. I know that… 

A. I liked it

B. it was pretty gay

Not that it was stupid or anything, but well it was gay. Or at least the main act, but for a group called “Hunks and his Punx” that is not to surprising. and punk has always had its gay voice jet boy jet girl, Johnny are you queer, sort of stuff like the music got the romance, but for some reason it caught me off. I knew nothing of Hunks tell night before the show wheen I learned that “NoBunny” and Shannon of “Shannon and the Clams” was his Punx backing band. I was there to see “Heavy Cream”.

My friend Brandon had to cancel last minute so I was there all alone, all ages show door opens at six got the six thirty figured it there be a locale band to kill the time. NO, you have to to kill the a lot of time and to make it worse the door man gave me the X thinking my MN state issued ID was fake. 

So no one to talk to and I can’t drink. Neither are that big of a deal but having that big black Sharpie X on my hand put at a odd discomfort. Maybe it having was spending all the time with Jackie that I started feeling ashamed at my mid twentys, but the shows mostly the 7th street entry 18+ was such a dive into the things I needed for myself, the time I did not feel out of place well it was new. 

killing time at shows for me is people watching, odd that the bands even when I don’t what the bands look like they tend to be the one that grasp your eye. not much to say on this one ask me bought the “Jeff the Brotherhood” show. Oh the “Heavy Cream” Drummer is pretty cute.

In time the first band starts to play. it “Heavy Cream” to use to the nine to two am entry shows with a sideshow of odd stuff before the main act. A to much of a office worker was upfront and center the rest of the crowed held back a bit. the girls gave it there all and I was quite impressed. The set did not fall into the  proplum that a lot of this stuff can sound the same from the song to song. the lead singer jumped into the crowed, good stuff. Come back and play a bigger show.

“Hunks and his Punx” was a cool throwback to lover lane trip of music but with johnny loving johnny, not quite surreal, kind of LAish, nice change up from song to song, front man could hold a crowed. kind of sad Nobunny held back.

nice blend of crowed motion a almost pit on one side the other some nice waltz both bumping me around a bit. having lived throw my share of hardcore pits fist fights and wall of deaths the amount of real dancing going on at shows brings a tear to my eye. It seams to me that that some real happiness in coming out in the world right now. and at the show its not the E I jest spent a forty spot for happy  but that real human stuff.

I picked up some vinyl from bouth bands, and got me some sigs on them. After, as I was walking off heavy cream’s drummer, Tiffany I think, called out my name she had big eyes and a big smile gave a big thumbs up and said thanks.

Now if only the show did not end at nine.