Portland! I’m playing a show tomorrow. That’s right, I’m not on the flyer…last minute addition! Katie O’Brien’s, 2809 NE Sandy Blvd. I play first, get there by 9ish!
See you there,
- Aaron
(Photo by Tim Hunt!)
This is what I did last weekend. I was transported to a simpler time…an easier time. A time when I lived in a town where everywhere worth going was within walking distance. When my commute to work was a path through the gorge. When my friends and I made music that was, if not great, at least unequivocal. When I didn’t worry about 34 year-old worries; I did 26 year-old things. I have no regrets, and life is still as it should be, I suppose. But goddamn, Fire When Ready was a great band. And as of last Saturday, they still are. Thanks to Steve, Brandon, Justin, Travis, Oscar, and Phil. You bring me back, and keep me there…where I belong.
Not a Single Damn of the Day
In anticipating of the release of The Hobbit, Brian the Unipiper rode through Portland on his unicycle in full Gandalf garb while playing “Concerning Hobbits” on the bagpipes.
you win, my friend…
Portland, baby.
Ithaca Show Is ON! (Okay, it’s actually in Danby, just outside of Ithaca.) An old friend recently moved to town and offered to open his home for the show. I am super-excited about this. Two great local performers are joining the fun, and it should be a blast. Thanks to the incomparably generous Matt Gauck for letting me poach his artwork for this weird-looking flyer.
If you come to this show, consider sticking around town for the huge Big Day In show the following day. Fire When Ready (reunion!), Oscar Albis Rodriguez, Batista, Summer People, and a lot of other great bands for only 5 bucks!
Brooklyn show! My triumphant return to the East Coast!
(Clarifying statement: not entirely sure over whom I’m triumphing, and it’s more of a one-stop-shop than it is coastal-visit. That said, if you know anyone in Ithaca who is down with me playing in their living room and inviting a few strangers for the following day, please please please let me know!)
- Aaron
I heard a hot rumor that the entire Black Numbers discography is available for $50 hard copy or $30 digitally for the rest of the weekend. That means you can get the Attica! Attica! Napalm & Nitrogen vinyl along with 10 or 11 other vinyl records, a bunch of CD’s and a good handful of other digital tracks for just 50 bones, or over 200 digital tracks for 30 bucks. Do it.
PS…don’t you think digital should be called “soft copy”? Think about it…
Song Tabs, Part I
With some nudging from my pal Clayne, I put together the chords for Tires and Mint. I’m working on getting more of my songs on paper like this, but here’s a start:
Am G7 Am
bright, the flash of the knife
G7 C E
blinding glimmers of light bouncing back off the scalpel
Am G7 Am
shrill, the whine of the drill
G7 C E
the sickening chill of spinning steel ‘gainst the nerve
Am G7 Am
choke, the heat of the smoke
G7 C E
the blood starts to soak the smell of burning molars
Am G7 Am
pain, his words are deranged
G7 C E
we’re gonna try this one without novocain
Am G7 Am G7 C E
Am G7 Am
fangs, sparsely arranged
G7 C E
i hate to complain but this looks kind of strange
Am G7 Am
doubt, just pull the rest out
G7 C E
i think that my mouth would be fine with some dentures
Am G7 Am
shit, aw sonofabitch
G7 C E
something is amiss, why is the dentist swearing
Am G7 Am
attack, of copper and wax
G7 C E
my gums turning black pull back the molds and you’ll find
E E C
bloody designs, my mouth is a fire-bombed skyline
G Am
a bony playground geek hiding secrets in my cheeks
E
never smiling
C G Am E
they teased my snaggleteeth now this butcher’s carving me like holiday turkey
Am G7 Am G7 C E
Am G7 Am
grin, now stick out your chin
G7 C E
we’ll glue porcelain onto those nasty chompers
Dm Am G
see you next time and thank you for the potty mouth
Dm Am E Am
now i’m kissing asses and eating shit
Dm Am G Dm Am E
have the magazines send down a photographer for my before-and-after pics
Am G7 Am G7 C E
Am G7 Am
stunned, i rinse off my gums
G7 C E
the lingering scum tastes like tires and mint
Am G7 Am
alive, somehow i survived
G7 C E
the dentists hi-five and say now you’re perfect
(via everybodytosafety)
Help a Friend, Win Attica! Attica! Prize Pack (and Tons of Other Swag!)
My friend Barrie (who has helped me out plenty in the past) is in need of some support. Her mother is in the hospital and money is slim. If you donate, not only will you be helping some good people, you will also be entered into a raffle where you can get some DECENT stuff. I am contributing a SwagBag (not an actual bag) which includes a Napalm & Nitrogen vinyl test press, a regular colored vinyl copy of N & N, a copy of the Under the Influence 7” split w/ Ruiner, a t-shirt, and a patch. If you want that, donate to the cause and you can request to have your name thrown into the drawing for the A!A! prize.
OR you can throw your name into one of these awesome drawings. Full up-to-date list here.
- Unrestrained/Incendiary split 7” on CREAMSICKLE vinyl (only out of 15)
*donated by Justin Sitner and Unrestrained*
- Apart “Gray Light” 12” LP and Code Orange Kids “Cycles” 7” - TEST PRESSES!
*donated by Bob Farley and Mayfly Records*
- 2 free tickets to ANY concert or show put on by the Bronx Underground (Bronx, NY)
*donated by Anita Colby and Bx Underground*
- Shook Ones/Easel split 7” on yellow vinyl (LONG OUT OF PRINT!)
*donated by Kelly Aiken and Shook Ones*
- Polar Bear Club swag TBA this weekend
*donated by Nate Morris and PBC*
- Banquets swag gift box - “Top Button, Bottom Shelf” LP, Banquets sunglasses, T-shirt (please specify size!) and stickers
*donated by Dave Frenson and Banquets*
- Hostage Calm swag also TBA soon *donated by Chris Martin and Hostage Calm*
- Bridge 9 Records gift box (NOT mystery box, just random B9 junk)
*donated by Brian Shultz and Bridge 9 Records)
- 25 prints of the cover art/painting of the Generic Insight Volume 2 digital comp (http://genericinsightradio.bandcamp.com/album/generic-insight-radio-volume-2)
*donated graciously by the lovely artist Genna Howard*
Looks like I’m not the only one who was deeply affected by the great blackout of ‘03. This book looks pretty awesome. It’s striking how similar the experience in NYC seems to the experience I had in the small town of Ithaca. Most significantly, in both places it inspired a sudden willingness to show hospitality to strangers.
