11/1/14

Bigfoot Chester was back for an "All Saints Day" show. We went on at the Longbranch around 11, first on a bill of three.

With Davy still "out of the loop" we played as a four piece, like it was 18 (or so) years ago when I first started out in the band. Except we are all older and the drummer is a different guy.

The crowd was good and our set was solid as we rocked through our regular stuff. A couple of songs were a little on the lean side, but I think that kind of thing can get ironed out with practice and we didn't practice for this show... It's a recent theme.

Speaking of themes, a bunch of people dressed up, including us. A few hours before the show (and twenty minutes before we were gonna practice) the texting began. "Are we gonna dress up?" Over the next hour there were forty eight texts about it... Literally, 48. FORTY EIGHT TEXTS ABOUT DRESSING UP FOR THE DAY AFTER HALLOWEEN!!!! (I wish I was kidding...) it was decided (and not by me) we were dressing up for the evening.

Bill did Lucha Libre, Walter did Harpo, Trey was some kinda fighting guy (I barely talked to him off stage and I couldn't figure it out on my own) I wore a suit and told people I was in Churchwood.

El Pathos and the Flash Boys played off in to the night and I stayed for both 2AM closing times (DST was over so we saw it twice). I got home at 4AM, but it was really 5AM in yesterdays reality. I was whipped and slept most of the next day.

10/4/13

ACL Week One Day One.

It was the Hickoids at the Longbranch. I got there as Black Salve was finishing up. Great crowd for for the first day of the fest. A pleasant surprise. You could tell there was a lot of out of town "talent" in the club. Folks keeping the party going all weekend. Why not, it's a music vacation and one of the best things to do in Austin.

 Can you say my favorite word? Backline! The only gear I carried was my bass and some cords. So easy. And parking is FREE in East Austin. Ahhh...

The Bulemics were up next they whipped it for a quick half hour. Followed by the Dolly Rockers. They have a seriously good looking singer! And a couple of the Poor Dumb Bastards in the group. They brought the ugly, she brought the hot!

PDB were next. They started out the second song and it was all screwed up. Byron stopped then restarted and whipped it. I love it when a band restarts a song. I know it can look "unprofessional" or something, I look at it as humans make mistakes and they can get past them.

We went on a little after one. Our theme for the night was classic Hickoids. All old stuff, nothing from the new records. It was a drunken orgy of stupid. Smitty started saying "Show us your tits!" A couple of ladies whipped them out (yeah!) and then several guys took their shirts off and started rubbing on each other and kinda wrestling and bro hugging (no!) Bringing it back to ancient Greece when men could stand shirtless with other shirtless men and make the band feel uncomfortable...

Infest with the Ladies tonight.

8/16/13

Day two of the HCAS release weekend. This time it was in Austin at the Longbranch.

Misty White was first with a solo set, it wasn't as rocking as last night since Lance wasn't helping out, but she held her own. Talking with her the night before she told me that people would probably listen at the Longbranch so solo was the way to go.

After Misty it was Cunto! Big, loud, dumb and sweaty, just like we like them. Although I was a little disappointed they didn't bring the skillet...

We were last and since there is barely any room on the stage Tom's amp was on the floor. He and I switched who was on stage from song to song. Basically if I wasn't singing I was on the floor, rubbing my ass on the audience. Lance brought the gong, but he set it up on the other side of the room so Jonnie Hell (!) could play it! So cool. We'd be hitting the end of a tune and from across the room GOOOONNGGGGGG!

Another successful night as a Hickoid.

Three Show Wrap-up

I'm late by three shows... Lame Lame Lame...

How can I improve this? By stepping up the lame a little more with a THREE SHOW POST!!

#1

Hickoids in Dallas. We were up to play a scooter/motorcycle fest at Lee Harvey's. We hadn't been back from Europe for a week and we made the drive. Well, I made the drive back and flew up (!) rock star style. Money to burn....

Good, happy crowd. They liked us a bunch and we were still pretty tight (but tired) from the tour.

Near the end of our set most of the bikes started peeling out and the smell of burnt rubber was making me think an amp was on fire. Then ALL of the bikes started up and it smelled like Midland. It was real hard to breathe, but we made it to the end.

We hit the Czech Stop on the way home!

#2

David Nobody benefit at the Longbranch. David fucked up his hand in a nasty way right before SXSW this year. Like most Austin musicians (like me) he had no insurance. So we benefit.

We were right before Churchwood (awesome as always) and after a stripped down Shootin pains (dandy work, fellas). I love the shit out of the sound of an acoustic through a tube amp.

We kicked ass. Still high off the tour it would have been hard for us to mess up.

#3

Two days later at the Mix. Stevie Tombstone was out for a few dates and the night was him solo and us. He did about 45 minutes and we did an hour and a half. It was a long slow build and by the end we were in full on rage mode.

They close the smoking deck at last call so the last fifteen minutes the place was packed and we were on fire. Lots of good, happy, drunk folks with nowhere else to go. Hickiod putty!