been busy, will continue

Not much time to write a real update, but...

I just wanted everyone to know that I AM SEEING R KELLY LIVE AND FOR FREE tonight!!! Should be a spectacle of wonderment, sociologically amazing, and overall entertaining.

Then tomorrow morning I drive to visit my parents in Omaha, NE for a few days. Let's hope the joy of seeing such a whack-ass like R Kelly will carry me through the week with family.

The Guest List

I'm going to the Beat Kitchen to see Mount Saint Helens' CD release. One of Nate's bands is opening, so I get to be on the guest list. The list is always interesting to me. On one hand it's great that I don't have to pay for the dozens and dozens of shows of his I go to. I used to pay because I liked his bands, but now that we are dating I don't pay. So now I feel sort of like a prostitute. It's not as crude as "we sleep together so I get paid in the price of free shows" but in a way it is. And when you look at the guest lists at shows, it's almost exclusively the girlfriends of the dudes in the bands (because other than Amelia I don't know any other women in a band in Chicago...oh wait Rachel too). Occasionally I've seen other people on lists if they have friends coming in from out of town, or if the guest list can include more than four names. So it's usually like a list of people the dudes get it on with. You could probably compile the guest lists to see who was dating whom at what time. Like a scrap book. Anyway, it sort of embarrasses me because I start to think that the doorman (always a man) sees me as some bimbo who doesn't know anything. And that's not true! It's strange - I should just be happy I don't have to drop the 8-12 bucks a show and not get all strange at the door.

stinks

Last night Jake's band, Ettrick was in town, playing with xbxrx and KK Rampage at Schubas. Jake did a great job - they added some new gadgets and sounds to their set-up which worked well. As usual the dueling sax part went on too long for my tastes, but that's just me (and anyone else who hates saxophones). XBXRX did a good job. It was weird seeing all these Bay Area people in Chicago. I had fun catching up on SF gossip and such.

What I really wanted to talk about was KK Rampage. First, a text I sent JP and Nate describes them pretty well: "1995 called, it wants its sound back. and put your shirts back on k thanks bye." JP said when she came to the show, one of the band members heiled at her. As in, nazi style, arm up and out stiff. They had swastika shirts on, and looked like a bunch of dickheads. The dorks had recently gotten "kk rampage" tattoos on their left pecs and were showing them off. The best part about that was one of them was like "argh my tat is peeling, hook me up with the lotion bro" and proceeded to goober up his tattoo. Way to be a "real man" dude.

They set up in about 15 minutes, then didn't play for another 40 minutes. Who did they think they were? They had this aura of "we're hot shit" all around them but they were the most miserable band I've seen in years. The did one of those "we play ten minute sets and we are so hardcore and artistic" bits. Singer had some serious fall-out boy eyeliner action going on, and doused the place in water, which Schubas really wasn't happy about. He rolled around on the floor like a jackass. They played without shirts. It was this disgusting display over overt masculinity that made me want to vomit in the corner (which is where I was sitting the entire time). They finally ended, and then acted like it was the best set ever, like they were famous. Too bad their style was so ridiculously outdated, and even if they had been playing back in the heyday of GSL/three one g bands, they would have sucked balls.

Then towards the end of the night the cocktail waitress came in and told everyone who wasn't 21 that they needed to leave. They all started cat-calling at her, and as she walked out one said really loudly to the other, "I'd like to stuff her in the trunk and take her home know what I'm saying owww!" A bunch of laughter follows. My head explodes.

So let's see. Strike 1: Art-school losers acting like nazis to get a rise out of people. Strike 2: worthless music. Strike 3: sexist pigs. Even if all of this is just posturing, just some sort of artistic display to provoke, it doesn't make me like them any more. Grow up and lose the 'tude dudes.

Then after the show I had the usual bit of sitting around and waiting for the bands to pack up so I could take them back to my house. Audrey and Jake reunited, and I had Jake drive me to Nate's house (awkward?) so I could go to bed. Woke up this morning, went home to a house that had rice on the floor and stunk like hell, and then came to work.

This post makes me sound like I'm 40. Good thing my 26th birthday is in a few weeks.

Lazy Saturday

Last night I went with Nate to see Low, a band I'm not that into but that he loves. I was already exhausted before showing up, and the slow music didn't help much. They were pretty good though, just not for 90 minutes live. By the end I was pretty cranky and needed to fall asleep. Perfect timing for us to get into Psycho Cab. The cab driver was insane. He just started talking out of nowhere about how he beat some guys with this pole, then he showed us the pole. He also discussed all these things about how he knows cops who get drunk in uniform, and just kept on going. Yuck.

I slept until 11 today, then spent the afternoon on IM with my brother watching baseball. Sox offense biffed it. I also watched Acts I and II of When the Levees Broke, Spike Lee's documentary about before, during, and after Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans. Predictably, it was super depressing. By the end of the first act I was sobbing. The doc is really well done, just interviews with citizens of NO, public officials, scientists, major media players who covered it, and African-American leaders. I learned a lot about Hurricane Betsy, the worst Hurricane to hit NO prior to Katrina, and about a Mississippi river flood in the 20s. So many people in the documentary were fourth, fifth, and sixth generation NO natives and listening to their stories of how their family got thrown across the country after this was so awful. People were just herded on planes and buses and weren't told where they were going until they got there. That bit, and a man telling the story of watching his mother die in the convention center, were the two that really messed me up. I should have rented both parts from netflix at the same time, as now I have to wait for disc two.

I may go see a friend's band tonight, but I don't know. I'm enjoying just being alone all day with Audrey. This is the first day in weeks I've had absolutely nothing scheduled and I feel like I should maximize on that. Pretty in Pink is on tv, I made good spaghetti, and my apartment is cozy. However, if I go I'll get to see a bunch of friends I haven't seen in awhile...

Finally, I spent some time checking what upcoming shows are out there and figured I'd write them down so I can remind myself to go.

May 12th, Mastodon, Against Me!, Cursive at the Riviera
June 9th, Gang Gang Dance, Ocrilim (Mick Barr of Orthrelm) at the Empty Bottle

I skipped out on both Mastodon and GGD shows last time they were in town due to laziness and cold weather. I won't skip out on these unless finances prevent it.

Way to blow it indeed

I totally didn't write my sexism post. I started on it yesterday by doing some image searches, thinking of what I wanted to say, then life got in the way. Life keeps getting in the way of my blog, I don't know how to handle it! I guess my blogging against sexism post will have to be late. If you really want you can just check all my posts labeled feminism...they all get that shit covered. Except transsexism and misandry.

Speaking of life getting in the way, I'll be on vacation all next week with my life-long best friends. I've been dreaming of this day for months, and its finally here (almost)!

Saw DPC open for the sold-out Bishop Allen show last night at Schubas. Bishop Allen brought out all the finest in d-bag fans. The place was full of serious ass-hat Lincoln Park types. It was super odd. Aside from jennifriend and her bf and Sam's gf, I was the only DPC friend there out of our 'crew'. As a result I pretty much stood in the corner the whole time. Tons of fun, yup. I remember doing that at the ex's shows in SF. Sort of strange to be doing it again. Not that it really bothers me, it was free, I got out of the house, got to hang out with Nate and watch silly people.

I reach out to you and our hearts collide

This week was pretty intense in all aspects. Therefore last night's festivities were a welcome retreat from a ton of stress. A bunch of my friends have birthdays right around now, and all happen to be in bands too. So Rollo Tomasi, Sleep Out, Dialogue, and May or May Not celebrated the birthdays by playing the Metro. Thanks to Nate, I got an all access pass which meant free beer and jackassery. I also got to stand on stage to watch some of the sets. Tyler and I spent a good half hour reminiscing about going to fests and being assholes. That may be my favorite part of the night. The rest was spent in a haze, rapping for people and being dumb. Happy Birthday pals, the show was a lot of fun.

Tonight Nate's coworker Nick is having a birthday party. Its cold and yucky, so hopefully I'll only be there for a little while and we can return to my house to watch last night's Office and 30 Rock episodes. Then on Saturday we are meeting up with my coworkers to see one of my coworker's band play at Schubas. Should be interesting to see him in that environment.

An update on the landlord: I called them and said I'd sign but only if they gave me in writing that the dishwasher will be fixed by March 15th or else the lease is void. I'm feeling good about this choice. Moving sucks, I don't have to stress, don't have to bug my parents...and Nate got me excited for some stuff I can do to the place to make it feel more cozy for me and Lil Audrey.

P.S. I can't stop listening to Cut Copy's "Bright Like Neon Love" album. Phew, is that a dance party or what?