Entertaining Donavan

Entertainment California Halloween Tour, 2010!

2010-11-24T10:38:00.000-08:00

Flew out this am bound for San Francisco; flight was delayed 2 hours due to low ceiling (fog). Finally picked up van and made the rainy rush-hour drive to Oakland. Got to the Stork club and were welcomed early by the active street life. Set up, met the staff, and walked down to Amazona's Pizza. Also took in a $5 Haunted House across the street at Cory's Adult Super Store...funny, it didn't sound like scared screaming to me. Met the other bands and mingled a bit; had to borrow the opening bands drums; only cost me 3 jager shots. Tis good thing I brought the jiggy-tron cause it's been a while since I played with chinas and 3 floor tomms tuned crazy high;
fun to see what we would soud like as a goth-industrial band though. A decent crowd saw us virtually hack through our set; it sounded pretty bad...better to work the rust off now, and a good way to test sweet James.
"Oaksterdam" is definately a working-man's town...hard living but friendly if you get an in. People were pretty friendly for the most part,
and receptive to what were were trying to do.
Alaric were on last and definately on it tonight..almost scary how good they were. Loaded out, sold the owner a
t-shirt (XXL), and hit up twice more
for a cig. outside, then off to Antioch to Tommy's parent's house for a bed and fresh snicker-doodles.

Entertainment West Coast Tour 2010!

2010-11-24T10:17:00.000-08:00

Official poster and confirmed Dates for California Tour!

Oct. 23 • Deathrock Divebar • Oakland, CA

Oct. 24 • Silver Factory • Las Angeles, CA
Oct 25 • Orgami Records • Los Angeles, CA
Oct. 28 • DISARO Festival - The Knockout • San Francisco, CA

Oct. 30 • Bar Sinister • Los Angeles, CA

New York, Philly Shows, June 2010

2010-11-23T10:26:00.000-08:00

We'll be playing a few shows in Philly and New York with friends Veil Veil Vanish, as well as doing a photoshoot for Confusion coming up in June!

Entertainment Show Aug 21st!

2010-08-24T10:35:00.000-07:00

Playing at the Drunken Unicorn August 21st with Atl. friends Attention System and Hip To Death! Should be fun, bring your spoons!

May 15th Show!

2010-05-15T10:34:00.000-07:00

We played a rare Atlanta show Saturday at the Drunken Unicorn with friends Hip To Death, along with Holy Ghost and Dead Rabbits! Stay tuned for more shows upcoming!
Rad photo by Paul B.

Faith and the Muse Tour - recap

2010-05-14T08:28:00.000-07:00

April 28, Nashville
Arrived at the Rutledge in Nashville around 5:00 just as Faith and the Muse were loading in. Good to see our old friend DJ Lady Sarah again since first meeting her in Chicago 4 years ago.
Met the rest of the band, and discussed stories of Julian Cope with William and guitarist Steven James, who also plays guitar for Christ vs. Warho l along with bassist Marzia and drummer Geoff as they set up. We played a decent show; began with the new intro we worked on for this tour. Excited to see F&M play next, and they definately delivered! Afterwards, cought up with old acquaintences over pictures and drinks. Loaded up and decided to make the unforgiving drive back to Atlanta; home and delirious at 6:30 am.
Photo courtesy of Raywen.org

April 29, Atlanta, 5:15
Trey and I headed to the Highlander to hand off the remaining tickets before the show; arrived at Masquerade and met up with Tommy to load in via the magic elevator, and quickly finished in time to greet a visibly irritated F&M whose faulty navigator sent them past downtown and into the bowels of SE Atl. Then off to Little 5 to pass off a few cd's and vinyl. We decided to scrap the new intro, and stick to the raw set. Heaven stage was massive, but very professional crew and great sound. Cool to see some new and old faces from" the scene" even Mike C. made it from the State Capitol just in time to catch the show. Plans to get together and take a tour of the ATL.
Photo courtesy of Wes L.

May 3, Jacksonville

Sadly our last show with F&M; navigated the monsoon that engulfed the SE for 3.5 hours straight; very eerie feeling listening to the making of Love's Forever Changes while traversing the south GA. backroads...overwhelming feeling of dread and dispair. Arrived and loaded in, saw Max and settled in. Tried out more new material, by far the best of the 3 shows we played, raw and powerful. Finally got to hang out with the band after the show; exchanged cd's, poster
signings, photos, and tequila shots with clove cigarettes and fries with the F&M crew...crawled back to the van between
3 and 5am and we left with mushroom visions of the beach. Afterparty at Max's, more shenanigans, then up early for breakfast with Max, and on the road back to Ga.

Upcoming Shows with Faith and the Muse

2010-04-01T06:32:00.000-07:00

Show recap, Feeding Fingers, Entertainment, We Are the Becoming

2010-02-11T11:52:00.000-08:00

Feb. 6th, 2010

Thanks to those who braved the elements! And special thanks to Joel and Steve P. for sharing the pics!
Enjoy.

Upcoming Show Announcement!

2010-01-27T14:37:00.000-08:00

We are playing Saturday, February 6th at the Drunken Unicorn with Feeding Fingers and
We Are the Becoming! 10:00 sharp show for the kiddies, $8 advance, $10 at the door!

November 14, 2009

2009-12-22T07:14:00.000-08:00

On our way back home...I think we are scheduled back around 8:00....Thanks to everyone for a great tour! Notably, Blessure Grave who were awesome tour buddies, and of course the Keller clan for being such great hosts...Calvin, I'm sending $ for the drum heads! Here are more pics from the trip...Enjoy!

Soundtrack: Giles, Giles & Fripp - How Do They Know

November 13, 2009 - Silver factory

2009-11-20T11:19:00.000-08:00

Sadly our last full day in California...out for coffee and a walk, then out to shop for a few final souvenirs and a stop by Amoeba Records (LA) before conveining back to Echo Park to run through the equipment and setlist options. Decided down to Front Street to pick up some new threads from the always cool Endofanera clothing line to sport for tonight's show.
Silver Factory studios turned out to be a
gallery room within a warehouse space near downtown; nate informes me this is the new thing to do as opposed to the traditional going to clubs to see bands. This was also our last show with the Blessure Grave crew as well, but the line-up was a good one and we had our lovely
LA contingent in tow. Local favorites Bestial
Mouths opened the night to a happy and
enthusiastic crowd, followed by Blessure Grave,
who put on another stellar show; the drums and
bass were especially rocking tonight. We were up third, and started the set off strong until the bass decided to drop out during Queens (SXSW flashback); we limped through China Walls and Flesh, where Jared joined us again and played beautifully despite the technical difficulties, and we recovered strong with Secrets, then proceeded finish the rest of the set respectably. Jared and Colin's band Full Frontal closed the evening and had everyone dancing into 2 encores. Loading out, we got to catch up with the other bands and friends; apparently a very smashed "reality TV winner" was in our midst, but didn't want her picture taken, so she will remain anonymous. We all gathered for one final group pic and closed out a phenominal night. Nate and I decided to drop Tommy off and take in an authentic Echo Park afterparty until the cold late hours of the California am; homemade tamales never tasted better!

Soundtrack: Blessure Grave - Stranger in the House

November 12, 2009 - Music Trader Sports Arena

2009-11-20T11:17:00.000-08:00

Assembled the crew and drove south to lovely San Diego for a pretty kick ass bill, reuniting us again with Blessure Grave, along with Wet Hair and Talk Normal at Music Trader Sports Arena, which is actually more music trader than sports arena. We met at Citi Deli with the lovely Veronica to strategise, then over to Hillcrest to shop and meet the crew at TAANG, and then a stopover in the touristy Gaslamp and a tease of nearby Tijuana before heading over to the venue. Loaded in and shopped a bit in the already crowded store; wanted to visit the Adult Arcade, but decided to head over to the Rhythym Lounge for "Cocktails & Entertainment" and to raid the jukebox befor Hip Hop Night started.

Blessure Grave started first, and played another great show; great bass tone, and vocals, although the levels could have been turned up more. Fierce female Brooklyn duo Talk Normal were

up next, and I really enjoyed their minimal and powerful sound. We played third, and I thought we delivered a nice set as well; Jared joined us

on Confusion and China Walls and did a great job! Iowa City duo Wet Hair closed the night

with a really cool electro keyboard and drum set.

Hung out with Blessure again during load out and talked about tomorrow night's "Aphrodesiac Tea" induced finale in LA. Decided to get on the road and start fresh in the am. Apparently San Diego wanted us to stay, as we were detoured off the 5, then encountered a freak rainstorm, then California's finest decided to block the entire interstate for a stranded vehicle. Homebase for late night Burrito King and fade out to a 2012 bootleg. Looking forward to tomorrow night...

Soundtrack: Kesha - Tic Toc

November 11, 2009 - Break

2009-11-20T07:26:00.000-08:00

Free day to catch up, so a quick stop by
Vacation Vinyl, then off to the Griffith Observatory for the day. We cought up with Einstein, daggered the moon, did our best James Dean knife fight impressions, and even activated the tesla coil. Hilarity ensues...

Afterwards, we conveined back for thoughts of night croquet in nearby Elysian fields park, then to put Jared through a strenous audition to play guitar for Entertainment for the next couple of shows....let's just say someone did their homework, and I was very proud!

Soundtrack - Black Tambourine - For ExLovers Only

November 10, 2009 - Orgami Vinyl In-store

2009-11-18T17:21:00.000-08:00

Out to explore Echo Park, and of course the annual stop at Barrigan's. happy to see some changes in the 'hood. A few errands, then back for a quick runthrough the set at Orgami Vinly tonight. The Gypsy Lounge show was moved, so we were presented an in-store show opportunity instead. Initial idea was to play the set acoustically as we did with the WUOG Public Radio show last year...instead, opted to use the "Jiggytron" and a few pieces of the acoustic set. Aside from the crummy PA, keyboards disappearing after the first song, and jiggytron PA volume down until the middle of the first song, I really dug the sound, a nice departure from the usual set minus, Romance.

Orgami insert
"Come on over around 7pm and check out Entertainment. It has been said...and it is true...
few bands can make music this cold and abyssal; so fiery and enticing. Tonight, November
10th at 7pm. Bring a scarf...or a rope"

Oragami filmed the performance at it's entirety, and has it archived on it's site.

Soundtrack - bauhaus - Hope

November 9th, 2009 - Los Angeles

2009-11-17T18:05:00.000-08:00

Up early to return drums to Sam's and then down to Antioch to retrieve Tommy for our anticipated return to Los Angeles. We opted for the 6 hour drive south on Hwy. 5 through old California, as the coastal scenic route was unfortunately out of the question due to time.
An odd landscape, there were periods of wind turbine and grass covered mumps spaced intermittent with flat pasture and orange groves. Somewhere between Los Banos and Mettier, I could have sworn we were passed by the Fear and Loathing cadillac, equipped with a boom box in the back seat.Got into Echo Park after rush hour to Jared's house to retrieve drums, catch-up and then off for a stroll before load in. Stopped by Orgami Records (where we were to do an in-store performance the next night) to meet and greet and find out we're playing up in the loft. Met up with the gang at the newly relocated L'KEG gallery, loaded in, etc. Tonight's Line-up included us, Haunted Tiger, Seth and his new Sheila, Cariss'a band, Velvet Stars Collide (Seth's first show ever), Lately Blu Blu and LANTVRN. We played last to a pretty sparse crowd, but served as a nice warm up for the upcoming shows... Calvin's drum heads still bore the divets from our last trip to LA. Loaded up and off to the bar to meet up with Nate, Calvin and the rest of the crew, then home for more shots, found videos and Mighty Boosh reruns.

Soundtrack - U2 - Indian Summer Sky

November 8th, 2009 - 924 Gilman

2009-11-17T17:36:00.000-08:00

Drove over to the Haight-Ashbury district for breakfast and an Amoeba Records run. Looking through the newly busted passenger window,
I admit I was a little disappointed with the once "Hippie Mecca" of the world, as I could see the same exact thing at home...minus the Ben and Jerry's ice cream shop. 1 Giles, Giles & Fripp cd later, we headed across the bay and past a nice view of Alcatraz to Berkley to meet up with Tommy's parents. After a late lunch, we loaded
in and took in the historic 924 Gilman space, where back in the day, a band had to scrub the bathrooms in order to play. I scored a shirt,
just in time to catch the first of many great
acts on the bill that night.
Secret Tones started the night as an impromptu 2-piece, who still managed to pull it off; Blessure Grave killed it again with swirling bass tones and textures; we were third up and played pretty well, albeit a little sloppy in my opinion - Swann Danger were really impressive, and then New Thrill Parade (whom we played with earlier this year at Go Bar - TO ABSOLUTELY NO ONE - GO Athens!) finished off the night with a steamy orgasim of sound! (Props to T's parents for enduring the whole thing!) Packed up and back into SF for cheesy macaroni and hashbrowns at
Sparky's. and TV demolition..."And remember,
If you're not first, you're last... "

Soundtrack - Echo and the Bunnymen - Do It Clean

November 7th, 2009 - Kimo's

2009-11-16T15:07:00.000-08:00

Arrived into San Francisco around Noon,
picked up the rental and navigated to
Sam Adato's Drum shop to pick up the set Sam had generously arranged for us, then off to Kimo's to load in and skulk about. Apparently Kimo's was once a gay bar with a concert area located on the second floor; actually reminded
me of the bar on the Morrison Hotel album cover. We loaded in and were then off to explore the coffee shops, restaurants and book stores until dark when we noticed all of the creatures coming out around the Gulch, including Ricearoni, Tucan Sam and the asian "Troll Lady" who would riddle all passers by while wearing no less than 6 layers of sweaters. Entropy Destiny opened the show and brought out the weird and painted Art Rock; Blessure Grave were next in what proved an inspiring initial performance and the first of many we would see while on tour together. We then closed with a decent first set, consisting of a sturdy representation from the Ent. catalog...started with Queens and 2 of the new songs and standards including Romance. After loading up and whisked out, we were abducted by a group of toothless trannies and taken to GrubStake, an all-nite eatery, then saved by Amy from VVV. We then retired with the first
of many, many Mexican meals sure to come.

Soundtrack - Chrome - Eyes In The Center

California Dates Confirmed

2009-10-12T08:26:00.000-07:00

The Final dates for California have been confirmed!

November 7 - Kimos w/ Blessure Grave and New Thrill Parade, San Francisco, CA

November 8 - 924 Gilman w/ Blessure Grave and Swann Danger, Berkley, CA

November 9 - L'KEG Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
November 10 - Gypsy Lounge, Lake Forrest, CA

November 12 - Magic Trader Sports Arena w/ Blessure Grave, San Diego, CA

November 13 - Silver Factory w/ Blessure Grave, Los Angeles, CA

Entertainment/Revel Hotel/White Light Lametta @ Coco66

2009-10-02T09:05:00.000-07:00

Traveled to New York for a quick show in Brooklyn with friends Revel Hotel and the rest of the always stylish, always enthusiastic New York team. For the sake of sounding redundant, I'll just insert here an entry from Shadowtime NYC, a spinoff blog of Bigtakeover.com. Special thanks to Kristen , Hillary and to Todd...

Frankie Teardrop curated an excellent lineup
last night at Greenpoint's Coco66, featuring
electropop duo White Light Lametta; his own band, the increasingly sweepingly excellent Revel Hotel; and Athens, Georgia's dark, damaged darlings, Entertainment. Openers White Light Lametta were unexpectedly charming: the seductive synths and sexy monotone chorus of "U Wanna B My + 1" and their cover of the 80's montage classic "Scarface (Push It To the Limit)" completely won me over. Then came Revel Hotel, who have really come into their own, fusing decadent, glitter-dusted cabaret with jagged slices of heated electronic fervor. (The band's much anticipated debut EP, The Beating of the Wings, will be reviewed closer to its release.)The marvel of the evening, however, had to be Entertainment, whom I'd heard on record, but never saw in the flesh. A slow burn of anarchic pleasures moving between pounding, tribal vigor and creeping, Gothic slither, few bands can make music this cold and abyssal so fiery and enticing. Frontman Trey Ehart switched between keys and guitar whilst alternating between seething seriousness, eyes piercing through the fog, and gleeful, devilish half grins - even efortlessly telling one heckler to "fuck off" with the same bratty bravado. Although I reviewed Entertainment's most recent release, Gender, for The Big Takeover, the band's sound live comes across as more vital and unique. Not merely a tarted up younger sibling of Christian Death or the Virgin Prunes, Entertainment forge beyond their influences with inimitable style, snapping sonic sinew in their wake, leaving listeners bruised and scorched in an auralgasmic aftermath. Post-show, you'll likely require a frozen cold shower.

The rest of the evening was spent at the local hangout until 4:00am, where even then they lock and pull the shades and continue the arsenal of tequila shots and Stella draft (Thanks Robert), just to stumble out onto the streets to witness

all the vampires about, purchasing fresh flowers and deli sandwiches... only in Brooklyn!

Soundtrack: The Faint - The Geeks Were Right

Because California says it's cool...

2009-09-16T08:28:00.001-07:00

Nothing major to report as of late...just a few scattered and sporatic local shows in the predictably fickle Atlanta and Athens music scenes; COME ON ATL! Looking for an escape, we are in the final stages of announcing a short tour of California set for early-to-mid-November with a few notable current bands from the burgeoning west coast underground music scene; confirmed dates coming soon...

Jacksonville w/Christian Death

2009-08-10T08:24:00.000-07:00

Saturday, August 8
One of the greater things about being a musician is being able to visit new places and meet some great people; and sometimes even being able to play with some legendary bands. This time,
we were asked back to Jacksonville for another show, this time to play with Christian Death,
considered by many to be the founding fathers
of American goth-rock. Although Valor Kand remains the only original member of this lineup, we were very excited for the opportunity to join them for one of only a few North American dates before their extensive South American tour.
After a mad scramble back to Atlanta to
pick up the new run of Entertainment t-shirts,
we arrived in Jacksonville for load in just as
Christian Death were running through sound check. We looked on with pre-party drinks of Wild Turkey American Honey liquor and tequila shots; after our sound check, we ventured next door for sushi, then readied for the show with a few fortune tellers and fire dancers. A decent crowd saw us through a set that offered everything including a broken drum stick and guitar string, some new songs to be released on the upcoming album, and a power outage half way through Queens. We come right back with Flesh, newly re-added Romance, and then closed with an enthusiastic Nervous Talks, while a supportive Valor and Chuck watched on.
Christian Death went on next and put on a great show; I honestly wasn't sure what to expect them to play; maybe a few classics, maybe none; turns out, they played both, including Sleepwalk.
I was especially impressed with the newer material from their newly released American Inquisition album; Maitri and Nathan were impressive as well, as they powered through an encore. After the club kicked us out, we took the post party back to Max & T's for more tequila shots and bloody suspender wrestling and stories of early CX exploits. Up sometime the next afternoon to pack-up hangovers and get a sick Tommy back to Athens.
Soundtrack: Brain Eno - Driving Me Backwards

Florida, June 26th, 27th

2009-07-13T06:25:00.000-07:00

Friday, Gainesville

Ventured south to sunny Florida to play a couple of shows and try out the revised tour stategy by first working all coasts, and then slowly working inwards. We got into Gainesville around 7:00 for a quick bite then load in at the Atlantic in the heart of downtown for our show with Sarcastic, Oddknock, and Girls on Film. Wasn't sure what to expect from another college-town while school was out, but there was a surprisingly nice eclectic turnout; even the Chuppacabra made an appearance and seemed to take a shine to Trey during the puppet show. Considering a weeks absence from being able to get together, we picked right up and played very inspired and tight set, further strengthening the new demo songs. After one of the best sets I've seen by GoF, we mingled a bit, packed up and joined the locals at a late-night pizza joint where we judged bikes and tried to teach the official Entertainment hand sign. Special thanks to Electronic Subsouth and the guys from Sarcastic for showing us around, and to Uber Alex for making the trek
all the way from Michigan...
Soundtrack - Joy Division - Transmission

Saturday, Jacksonville

Drove to Jacksonville for tonight's show at Edge 17, run by Tommy's old friend Max. We explored downtown Jacksonville and took in some local fare, and were regailed with stories of the days when Limp Bizkit and crew were playing and recording here.

Back at the venue, wc caught the finals of the local Jacksonville Idol competition before it was turned over to Factory kids. The venue had a very impressive set up; we played the smaller
of the 2 rooms, equipped with strobes

and fog machines. After an impromptu
photo session, we played another strong
set set to a very receptive crowd, so much so the grinding on the dance floor proved too much for a full shows
attention...but, apparently this was a good thing. Afterwards, we caoght up with the rest of the Movement Magazine folks, and discussed coming back for another big show in the Fall. Then back to Max's for an afterparty, then a quick bite, and on the
road home.

Photo by Max
Soundtrack - Rolling Stones - Monkey Man

It's Official!

2009-07-07T13:12:00.000-07:00

After long delay, and to much chagrin from the DR.com folks, Gender was voted Deathrock Album of the Year 2008...thanks to those who voted!

03.23.09 - Drunken Unicorn w/ Attention System and Prids

2009-06-22T12:00:00.000-07:00

Limping in for the final show of the "Austin - Haircuts and Dreams" min-tour found us back home at the Drunken Unicorn with local friends Attention System and west coast lovers The Prids, with new keyboardess extraordinaire, Maile.

We ended-up kidnapping the Prids and took them back to the underground lair with us for late night hot cocoa and pool. Hi-Fi Hillary enjoyed herself so much she decided to stay an extra couple of days, and we bonded over Malasian food and Iron Man.

Photos stolen from Hi-Fi Hillary

SXSW 2009 Recap

2009-04-10T10:39:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the dealy; I'll promise to be more
diligent with the updates and spare myself the nasty email requests for timely recaps!
We'll start out with some pics from our trip to South By Southwest.

Here are a couple from a convenience store in
Dallas; it's true when they say everything is
bigger in Texas...where else can you get over
800 varieties of beef jerky!

Here's Tommy trying out a new hat.

Austin is really a swell town...home of mobile taco trucks on every corner, Lone Star Beer, sundresses and cowboy boots, tons of music venues, and this obnoxiously vocal bird called
the Great Tailed Grackle...

We played on the Post-Punk.com bill with other post punk bands from all across the country. Good chance to meet-up with our contemporaries. Final line-up: Times New Roman, Mother/Father, Shiloe,
The Public, Autodrone, Romance, Entertainment, The Prids, and Blacklist.

Best head in town

Saw tons of shows over 3 days... highlights were the Dumps at the
40-Watt Showcase, They Promised Us Jetpacks, The Proclaimers (yes, that band!), Primal Scream and The Warlocks. We tried to sneak into the Janes Addiction secret show, but apparently we don't smoke...

Deathrock.com Album of the Year!

2009-02-06T14:49:00.000-08:00

Apparently, we are up for the Deathrock.com 2008 album of the year for Gender! Go vote for us if you haven't. You have to join the Message Board to vote, which you should do anyway because the site is going to be hot this year! Go to Deathrock.com to vote!

Entertainment News!

2009-02-06T14:22:00.000-08:00

RECORD RELEASE PARTIES in EUROPE!

We have a new European / World wide distro deal!
"Gender" is being re-released for Europe on March 13th 2009! Here's the record release parties for Gender outside the US:

We also have the re-mastered limited Vinyl edition of Gender from Duchess Archive records (NY) this spring. It'll look like this:

Saturday, January 24th, 2009

2009-02-06T08:18:00.000-08:00

Played the annual Stickfigure Records Showcase,
a 4-day event featuring bands on the local
Stickfigure Records Label. The final showcase night featured Lid Emba, Tenth to the Moon, Entertainment, and Feeding Fingers. Missed Lid Emba, but Tenth to the Moon put on a great performance! We played this show as a 3-piece, and true to previous performances as a "Power Trio", the response was overwhelming... Apparently, the sound takes on a "more raw, punk ethic..." We played a strong 8-song set, which included 2 new songs. Also, christened
the new Roland module; 700 sounds of trigger possibilities. Coyote J & Mrs. Vicky were in attendance all the way from Birmingham, as well as nearly all of the invited local contention; especially good to see nephew Brian and Krista. Feeding Fingers closed the night with a great performance as well. Topped the evening off with Jeff C. and I cursing the parking lot beggars and wannabe's and finally meeting up at the Albert with the crew for a nightcap!

Photos by Kasey L. Johnson of Homeslice Photography.

Soundtrack: Black Rebel Motorcycle Club - Rifles

2008-11-19T15:02:00.000-08:00

Here are a few more pics from the L.A. tour...enjoy!

Tuesday, September 30, 2008

2008-11-18T06:30:00.000-08:00

Up and out to the UPS store downtown to ship off Tommy’s bass and merch, then T, C, Nate and I grab a quick breakfast, then back to the Kellers one last time to pack, say our final farewells and make our way towards LAX to drop off the van and shuttle to airport. I run into Dorass standing at the check-in line and we catch-up a bit. C and I have managed to catch a nasty cold, and settle in for a tiring 8 hour flight back.

Soundtrack: The Church – Reptile

Monday, September 29, 2008

2008-11-12T10:34:00.000-08:00

Sadly, It’s our last full day in California. Tommy and I meet up with Calvin and Miss Maggie for one last meal at Barrigans, and learn of an early echo park childhood game of "see who can jump in the chalk outline the fastest." Then off to meet up with the crew and venture down to Front St. fashion shop on Glendale and pick up some really cool wears from the Endofanera collection; very dark and moody and almost vampire inspired. Tommy and I then get the invitation to visit Mr. Ausgang’s studio, so we split up and head a few blocks away to a nice bungalow overlooking downtown Los Angeles, where we get the grand tour and a private viewing of some of his works. Mr. Ausgang has also been kind enough to give a plug on the call in line for the show tonight at Mr. T’s Bowl Tommy and I leave after a few hours giddy with a signed Bomp! poster and an autographed copy of his latest publication Vacation From Reality. Stop off for groceries, then back to the Kellers to load-up the equipment, and drive to the club. We’re early, so we befriend a local who agrees to take us to downtown Highland Park to pick up Mexican candy and Halloween masks. Get to the venue (a converted bowling alley) and settle in. The two bands before are quite unplugged and I fear we may run everyone out; thankfully the next band is a bit louder. Speaking Russian over vodka tonics and scotch, we notice in the security monitor Tommy being attacked by a giraffe! We soon take the stage and deliver again, a solid and driving set, in which we've included Patroness. Finish, and out to mingle with Mr. Ausgang and a local promoter who wants us to come back and play in April at a deathrock festival. Load-up, and back to the Kellers for our final night with our new friends for more tequila shots and vagina candle spin-the-bottle.

Soundtrack: Elliott Smith – Christian Brothers

Sunday, September 28, 2008

2008-11-12T10:28:00.000-08:00

Today we decided to spend the day at the beach; Nate says he knows a place just above Malibu that’s pretty secret. I elect to drive and we tear through one of my favorites, Laurel Canyon, which empties onto the PCH and a grand view of the Pacific Ocean; we speed past Pepperdine University and make our way to a market where we stock up on sushi and avacados. Find the driveway for the beach parking, and make our way down the cliffs to a gorgeous view into the Pacific ocean! Small wonder these views have inspired countless songs; I was inspired to scribble a few words..

On the edge of the Oblivion,
dark creatures learch forth from the loam above
to witness their miniscule in her vast
power to tinker and mold giant
sandcastles as she lumbers forth to reclaim her own…

We then drive back down the PCH to Santa Monica and walk the pier, and to the Keller’s to get dressed and visit Karrie at Andiamo. Drive home, then Nate, C and I walk down Sunset to an ex biker dive called Happy Joy, for drinks and pool with the locals. Then back to drift off to Reno 911 episodes.
Soundtrack: Doors – Moonlight Drive

Saturday, September 27, 2008

2008-11-11T11:09:00.000-08:00

Up early for coffee and doughnuts at Angelinos, then back to the Keller’s to find out that the show was moved to last night instead of tonight; we missed the email and scramble to find make-up shows for tonight and the rest of the trip. Tommy and I print up flyers and distribute around the neighborhood while Trey and the Kellers work other angles, then over to Nate's bar again. Nate has arranged for us to go to the studio next door and meet a producer friend of his who has in his posession some of John Bonham’s drum takes for Immigrant Song and Livin’ Lovin’ Maid among others. Then, meet up with the rest of the crew and drive over to Burbank for a party at Stephi’s house, where Tommy meets artist Anthony Ausgang who invites us over to see his studio sometime before we leave.

Soundtrack: War – Low Rider

Friday, September 26, 2008

2008-11-11T11:00:00.000-08:00

Up at 9:00 and over to Barragans with Tommy and C for coffee and discussions about tomorrow night’s show at L’KEG Gallery. Later, C and I join Nate and Kerri for lunch in Korea Town for bbulgogi and stew and take in more of the city. Explored the local thrift stores and garment shops, picked up a few things at Y-QUE Trading Post and more coffee from Intelligentsia in Silver Lake, where we ran into Francis from Malcolm In the Middle; then back to Echo Park where we decided to walk down to Historic Echo Park, feasting on food cart fare along the way, churros, elote (corn on the cobb, sprinkled with cheese and chili powder), bacon-wrapped hot dogs, and grilled peppers. Legend has it that the name Echo Park came into use in the 1890s after workers building the newly established city park discovered that their voices “echoed” off the bluffs and hillsides to the east and west. Afterwards, meet up with the crew and all pile into the van and venture over to Amoeba Music; I pick up a Pretty Things best of album and an H.P. Lovecraft cd. Then back to Kellers for pizza and Night of the Demons, then over to Mixville to see Nate.

Soundtrack: Pretty Things – S.F. Sorrow

Thursday, September 25, 2008

2008-11-10T10:52:00.000-08:00

Out to explore the neighborhood; apparently the surrounding area, Angelino Heights, was the first official neighborhood in Los Angeles. Brunch with the crew at Barragans for some excellent huevos rancheros, bloody marry’s, and Mexican coffee; Tommy vows to eat only Mexican this whole trip. Then, next door to a Latino voodoo shop for fetishes, "quit your job" potions and dirty magazines, then over to the Evol Music for a lug tuner and sticks, then to the mexi-mart where Tommy was converted to Mexican Coca-Cola made with real sugar! Tommy, Nate and I then split up for Malibu to pick up merch from Philip’s restaurant called South. Then, back to the Keller house to set up drums that Calvin has been cool to let us borrow for the shows; then a quick run through of Safe and Seduction before load in at Bordello which apparently used to be a downtown brothel, but now an absolutely beautiful Victorian decorated venue, awash in blood red walls and gold interior, along with chandeliers and hard woods. On as the second act of three, our first ever L.A. show is both raw and powerful. The stage looks fantastic; ornate masks and shrines, theres even a sarcophagus! We load out, do a quick round of networking, and venture to a club further downtown for more networking; then back to Keller house to meet up with the crew for homemade artichoke dip, more tequila, and front porch shenanigans.

Soundtrack: Captain Beefheart – Autumn’s Child

Entertainment Tour Diary - Los Angeles, September 24-30

2008-11-07T14:12:00.000-08:00

Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Met up at Airport, check in and board for what turns out to be C’s first airplane ride. 4 spirited hours later, the lights of Los Angeles appear as we land. Plans to stay at Philips beach house fell through; luckily, Trey has some friends that are kind enough to let us stay at their place in Echo Park, somewhere between Silver Lake and Dodger Stadium. We collect bags, pick up the rental van and off to meet the Kellers, Klocko and Seth. Unpack and walk down Sunset to a late night burrito and taco stand for chicken tacos and churros; ¡Necessasito! ¡Buen alimento mexicano de Necessasito! Then over to L.A.’s oldest bar, Taix, for drinks and a fantastic jazz guitar rendition of LZ’s Rain Song. Dodging the motorcycle cops, Nate, Karrie and I navigate to the liquor store to pick up tequila and vodka and meet up with the crew for shots, Stone Roses records, and electronic drums.
Soundtrack: Stone Roses – She Bangs the Drums

Edgefest, September 13, 2008

2008-11-07T14:04:00.000-08:00

Trey, Tommy and I arrived in Birmingham 2 hours early, Central time, so we had time to explore a bit, grab coffee and take in some local antiques while the Matthew’s crew got things in order.Ventured back to the club and waited as all of the bands started to arrive to load in and assimilate, comparing equipment, exploring all 3 floors of Matthew’s as they echoed with sound. During discussions with Justin and Todd from Feeding Fingers, the double-doors suddenly fly open and in sprints a blur of hair and glasses, “Where the F*ck is he!” Turns out, this is the festival promoter Coyote J! When the dust clears, we walk over to express gratitude for having us; turns out he’s a very lovely guy as we discuss the venue and line-up situation. Trey and I decide to walk about and try to find the local music store, and take in a bit of historic downtown Birmingham. This city is covered with great old vacant buildings, but sad in it’s neglect; we come across the science center, where the local skate kids are doing tricks…”Hey man, where’s the music store?” ”Huh?” It’s a bad sign when even the local kids don’t know where the music store is. We make our way back to Matthew’s and meet up with Roman who has made the drive from ATL. and been given merch detail for all of the bands. We find out that Coyote J has arranged for us a hotel room at The Highland, which is about 1 mile away according to Justin; a relief since we hadn’t found a place to stay yet.. So, Trey, Tommy and I make what turns out to be a solid 2.5 mile journey, across the UAB campus, past new condos and late-night cocktail lounges, and directly across the street from the music and record stores! We check in and ride the cigar box sized elevator to the room for showers and change, then taxi back to the venue where people are starting to gather. First band up is Misfortune 500 who, with a stand-in bass player deliver a solid set from beyond the police barricade. Next up is Black Tie Dynasty, who, making the long drive from Texas, play an melodic and spirited set. Then upstairs to transport drums downstairs as Feeding Fingers set-up and start an impressive set of mostly new material. Soon we’re up and I notice Trey has moved that ridiculous barricade from in front of the stage. After a quick set up (thanks Matthews crew), we start with Confusion, which set’s the tempo for what turns out to be a very powerful set; close New Rose and 2 broken sticks, a toppled cymbal stand and shouts for an encore! Baby J was very complementary before he and Kristeen Young took the stage, who sound very reminiscent of Kate Bush. Got to mingle with some old friends and new before IAMX went on and closed out the night on a fashionably high note. We say our goodbyes, sign some autographs, and proceed to take the party back to the hotel for PBR, pizza, and linguini ala room key; finally crash around 6:00 am to the sound of dropping picks and heavy shoes. Up to grab the still functioning and walk down to join the locals, along with an entire girls soccer team from Illinois for breakfast at the Pancake House for a recap of the nights missing socks and hangover remedies.
Soundtrack: Rolling Stones – Citadel