something wrong, Astro ? ... he he he ... had to ask, right ?
21 : 00 CST PM JUNE 30TH, 2006
I was waiting outside with two other people, noticing that we were delayed, and it also seemed karmic when the train was slowly running south on the track besides Rubber Gloves and parked right in front of the street, blocking it! I was lucky to get their early and not have to wait, till it eventually moved ... eventually, the road crew for the gig showed up, along with other people, including a guy who looked a bit like Rick Steves, if he was still going to college, instead of doing a traveling show, and was a backpacking hitchhiker with a fondness for World Cup soccer. I had made the mistake of entering during sound check, but it was cool. People started filing into Rubber Gloves. I noticed that they moved out the jukebox, that was facing the entrance last time. People started drinking, chatting and smoking. Sound check continued as a small crowd soon formed, the whisp of Camel smoke filling the waiting room, as some people sat at the bar in the far back, shooting the shit with the bartenders, some sitting at the booths up front and some sitting at the small tables in between. Astronautalis and the guy who was his acoustic guitar backup [and the opening act, News Travels Fast ] arrived ... finally they opened the double doors of the dark, concert room. They sold three, fairly priced CDs and various t shirts in the back.
23:00 PM CST News Travels Fast started first. He had a very light, yet deep style on the electric guitar that reminded me of Devo meeting Sara Hickman ... very awesome. He did " one cover " by a group called the Shits ... He mentioned in intermitten banter that we were much better than audiences in the East coast, that he was glad for Rolaids, after having taquerias, that he wondered why they called it Charm City where he was from, when they had a high consistency of sexually transmitted diseases and drug abuse there ... very good preparation for what was in store ... oh, and he did kick ass on his one acoustical number ...
Next, came PPT. Well, at least P & T [Pikhasso & Tahiti] (I found out later that they have started since February !). They definitely rocked the crowd with old school waving hands in the air commands as they said to keep those " damn hands in the air!" They rap & sang, poplocked and apologized for (a) not having Picnic, since he had a conflict of schedule and (b) being late ... noone cared as it started off with a parody of the A Team intro ... they kept the blood pumping and the fists swaying back and forth, as they slapped palms and rapped a solid show. They reminded me of old school rap, era : mid Russell Simmons; they came down into the audience sporadically, identifying with us and making us definitely feel the love, even though they told us to say " F* PPT ". Really, after busting up the night with a solid performance, how could you? I LOVE 'EM !!!!
Finally, Astronautalis ... he did about three songs off the new album, some singing and some rapping ... some of his old hits from " You And Yer Good Ideas " ... not one, but two freestyles !! ... and pumping his soul evidently into his performance, as you could just feel the beats and drum and the guitar just push his vibratto into the audience ... his neck muscles and veins straining to stay under the skin ... he opened with " Meet Me Here Later " ... did " My Dinner With Andy ", " A Love Song For Gary Numan " , " Astigmatism ", " Somethin' For The Kids ", " Gaston Avenue " and " Oceanwalk " ... He was building up to a fever pitch so much so, that he had to take a sit break before the second freestyle ! The first freestyle was rock themed , as he covered a plug for the Riverboat Gamblers [ a Warped Tour band , originally from Austin , that was playing Rubber in a couple of days ] and the second was more reggae themed. He mentioned that he had played there for 5 years and that this was his favorite place! He also mentioned that he is checking out China, so that was super-cool! He joked about the cheapness it would to get a kid from there! And he wrapped up the night with a rap and a story about Rerog's 30th birthday that involved a pinata full of McDonalds and Taco Bell [ value meal indeed! ], a surreal freestyle , skateboarders doing backyard wrestling, inside the house and contest puking done by next door neighbors ....
All in all, a very solid and heart reanewing show !!!
Sorry if it's not more detailed. My brain is slowly disolving.
So, if you like Ghost Dog : The Way Of The Samurai, Jackie Brown, Pulp Fiction, Being John Malcovich or The Crow [ i.e. cult movies ] ... bottom line, these artists will rock your ass and keep your blood pumping and your mind continually pushed in a positive way !!! Believe the hype !!!
Fri Jun 30 (Doors open at 9pm; $6)
Astronautalis - CD Release Party!
PPT - (picnictyme, pikahsso, tahiti)
News Travels Fast
p s : met all the artists that performed. Very cool people, period!
Till next blog
Jules: Nobody's gonna hurt anybody. We're gonna be like three little Fonzies here. And what's Fonzie like? Come on Yolanda what's Fonzie like?
Yolanda: Cool?
Jules: What?
Yolanda: He's cool.
Jules: Correctamundo.
Pulp Fiction (1994)
dr phibes
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