Robert:

Friday night in Bakersfield. Hey hey hey.
Hotter than an oven each and ev-a-ree day.

Feel free to use that couplet. it's all yours.

So, I can't get a reading just yet on the actual non-weather-related atmosphere here. I do know that the last time I played at good old Jerry's, there was some problems, some miscommunications... But hey, I'm a can-do kinda guy and willing to let past issues become water under the bridge. Let's start over. Let's start over.

I do know that after taking a stroll down Truxton amongst the alphabet streets, that there is a staggering amount of law offices and churches here. I believe the quota to be 3 of each to one city block. This place must be buzzing on "Take a Lawyer to Sunday Mass" Day. I'm losing my train of thought. It's too hot.

Friday night in Bakersfield. Hey hey hey.
Lawyers in the churches down on avenue a.

Again, help yourself.

A word of warning to potential future tourers - Do not let yourself get caught up in the following endless vicious cycle:

You have too much junk scattered around. Everyone is getting annoyed with the lack of space. So you think, "Great balls of fire, I have an idea. I'll marry my cousin!" ... No wait, that's Jerry Lee Lewis... Can we get some air in here? ... OK, what you really think is "Great balls of fire, I have an idea. I'll go to some mega-market and buy some organizational devices to make life easier for everyone!" So you do it. And you know what you've just done? You've doubled the amount of junk. So now you have too many organizational devices scattered around. Everyone is getting annoyed with the growing lack of space. So you think, "Great balls of fire, I have an idea. I'll marry my cousin!" And it just continues on from there.

It's sort of like the age-old dilemma of - where do you throw away broken garbage cans? Or maybe it isn't. Anyone have one of those fans that shoots out water as it spins? Send a box of them to Jerry.

***

It's later. We're at the show. I have an opinion.

I have a whole little story written about trying to talk and be friendly with the locals. Turns out I was given a bunch of fake names... But I'll save you the grief, and the woe-is-me junk.

Keep drinking.

***

Well, what do you know. The show was a lot of fun. I promised San Francisco that I'd update them on the Bakersfield situation... and I won't hesitate to say that it has improved... And lastly, David said I should mention him.

David.

***

Norman - I will get you an address soon. I need that CD! Sounds fabulous... It was great to see you, as always...
posted by Robert at 5:20 PM ***

Norman:

I have no plans this weekend, and don't call me, because I'm not making any. I'm cleaning the house and finding things to sell and get rid of and, in between all that I'll be lounging out with the Trading Spaces weekend.

Since "the guys" didn't post about their San Francisco show, I will. It was a lot of fun seeing everyone again, even though the time was mostly splintered. The show itself was fun, I thought, and things sound good with Michael. (Especially on the youth crew back-up vocals. Nice!) Bob uses a lot more picks than I've ever really noticed, which is fascinating. And Damon's stick-twirling seemed extra twirly. I related this story to Andrew while we watched HM play: Many years ago, when I lived in New York and played in this other band, we became really good friends with this band called Shift. Their drummer, Samantha Maloney, was so fucking awesome. She had a really cool style and she was known for being the stick-twirliest drummer in the New York hardcore scene. So, anyway, one day we were talking about influences and stuff. I was saying how I felt like I wanted to do something in-between Minor Threat and U2 and she was saying how she really liked Whitesnake. I talked about her stick-twirliness and I said, "What are you doing in Shift? You should be in Motley Crue!"

About four or five years later, I was living in Chicago and I got a call from Sam and--what dooya know?--she was playing drums in Motley Crue.

The moral of the story is this: Damon, keep twirling.

Now, I told Bob how I spent 2 hours before the show trying to make a mixed CD for him, but my CD burner rejected every CD I put in. I still plan to burn this for him, but if you have the time to scour the internet for the MP3s to make this CD for him first, then you should, because it's a good one and I like it. It's definitely heavy on the import records (read: Brit-pop), but I didn't think Bob would appreciate a CD full of Morton Feldman, Loren Mazzacane-Connors and Bogdan Raczynski. (If you don't like the stuff, you will be repulsed, but I didn't make it for you so step off.) Anyway, I aim to please. Here's the tracklist:

Bjork - "All Is Full Of Love" (Stigmata Mix) (The beats make it spooky.)
Unbelievable Truth - "A Name" (Just as good as his brother's band. Just different.)
Charlatans - "A Man Needs To Be Told" (Ooh. Brit soul.)
DNTEL - "The Dream of Evan and Chan" (Static is one of the best musical tones.)
Doves - "There Goes The Fear" (Steady kick-drum like a house tune.)
Ash - "Shining Light" (I actually don't like this band very much, but this song is a moment.)
Danielle Howle - "Trees" (I used to see her play in New York a lot. I think we could be friends.)
The Love Scene - "Darling Be Home Soon" (A Lovin' Spoonful cover from a good friend.)
Curve - "Perish" (The closest Kevin Shields has come to making a new MBV album.)
Super Furry Animals - "Its Not The End Of The World" (It's got a very cinematic quality to it.)
Nico - "I'll Keep It With Mine" (We should cover this in Germany. It's a Dylan tune, but this arrangement is breathtaking.)
Whiskeytown - "The Ballad of Carol Lynn" (I like songs that say things like, "You can count on me." Very Revelation Records circa '87.)
Oasis - "Stop Crying Your Heart Out" (I don't care what you say.)
Coldplay - "See You Soon" (Another band I didn't like until Jason forced me to.)
Elbow - "Asleep In The Back" (They compared them to Talk Talk, and that's a lot of bullshit. But I like it anyway. It reminds me more of Peter Gabriel, who we all know is better than Phil Collins.)
Mark Eitzel - "Aspirin" (It was between this one and the one about the transvestite hooker, but I didn't want Bob to think I was trying to say something here.)
Embrace - "I Had A Time" (I'm sorry Bix, I just like the UK one better.)
Lowgold - "If People Were Vinyl" (You gotta love the lyric: "If people were vinyl, you'd be a hit.")

That's it. Next time, I'm making Bob a New York CD, which will cover everything from Larry Levan to Bad Brains to Missing Foundation. If I can find any Missing Foundation records. (I'm looking. Help!) They were the most fucked-up New York band ever. In the late '80s, every street corner was spraypainted with their logo--an upside-down champagne glass, with a line slashed through the poured-out alcohol (which meant "The Party's Over!") and the year 1933 spray-painted besides it. The music was noise and mostly they'd just break glass and smash stuff, but it was pretty amazing. They were banned from almost every New York club and then they just disappeared. If anyone knows what happened to them, I want to know. It would be so disappointing to find out that they just turned into a bunch of stockbrokers or something.

I'm done here.
posted by Norman at 4:22 PM ***

Ryan Snyder:

I day off in Oregon. Too bad it's completely hazy outside from all the forest fires going on. Several people on the bus are getting sick, hopefully we can heal super quick and not spread the sickness. Afterall we are mutants!!!
posted by Ryan Snyder at 5:51 PM ***

TBELL:


Blogging over at GTA today..
posted by TBELL at 4:29 PM ***

Robert:

The new website is up... Expect lots of additions in the coming weeks...
posted by Robert at 3:30 PM ***

TBELL:


Also, as you can see from Ryans post, I've turned everyone to the dark side with QOTSA and The Notwist on this tour, it's official. The Queens makes a good record pre-show to get us all pumped up and ready to rock and the Notwist is a good post show chill out. Buy them! See you tonight!
posted by TBELL at 12:03 PM ***

TBELL:

Monday July 22, 7:46 am

The blister on my thumb isn’t as big as it usually is after I bowl, and my scores where better. A respectable 113 and 104 in two games. As long as I break a 100 I’m satisfied. My game has definately been down hill lately. Bob amazed everyone by beating his personal record with a 225. How does he do it? Have’nt seen him throw rocks like that since Braid beat the Promise Ring in a head-to-head bowl-off back in the day. Hopefully we’ll have some good photos showing up on the blog soon of our team bowling effort yesterday on our day off in Boise. Two teams, nine people in all. Fun, bowling, and beer. We opted for the bowling instead of the movie that Ryan was talking about earlier.

It’s early in the morning and a few of us are up just waiting to arrive in Portland. I got some laundry to do and some friends to hook up with this afternoon. Tonights show should be fun. Lately, I have’nt been sleeping well. I’ve been up early every morning with a sore back. I think it’s repercussions of my skateboarding accident I had a few weeks ago. Lifting heavy stuff and rocking out on tour does’nt seem to be the prescribed method of healing I’d hoped for. Sleeping on a crappy matress every night isn’t helping any either. Boo hoo, I sound like a big baby. I just popped some Advil and now that I’ve stretched out my back a bit sitting here blogging, so now I’m going to try to catch a little more shut eye before getting in to town. Night.


posted by TBELL at 11:55 AM ***

Michael:

Grand Theft Auto...........skunks...........and mutants.......get it? Why yes.

Born to rock.
posted by Michael at 6:15 PM ***

Ryan Snyder:

A day off and we're camped out in Boise, Idaho. The show last night in Salt Lake City was a bit frantic but turned out well. Piebald had to cancel due to Travis's voice being completely shot, hope he's feeling better. Koufax underestimated the long drive time and showed up in the nick of time to headline the show. I'm glad they made it safely and were able to play. It's good to have a day off but what do you do in Boise? Luckily we rented a car and are probably going to catch a movie later.

Been listening to the new Flaming Lips a lot as well and I can't wait to go to Amoeba in San Francisco. I just have to get some Queens of the Stone Age and the new Notwist (or any for that matter). Oh yeah, we've been playing so so much Grand Theft Auto, so addicting!
posted by Ryan Snyder at 6:07 PM ***