Holes in backs / Hoof sound
Part 3: the usual story told in order from start to finish.
Left late on Wednesday from Philadelphia. I didn’t complete any of my projects on time and brought them to Mike’s. Amber helped me fold and staple two zines while Mike burned CDs. We practiced in the basement for twenty minutes, power feedbacker in the good way and loaded into the car.
In Pittsburgh we found Carly and her boy John (who does exist). Drank beer and ate chili and brought our stuff up to their apartment. Out to the car and to karaoke, Stuey met us, sang war pigs. Left to go to a bowling alley, it was closed, we went to Ryan’s house instead and played Risk from 1am-5am listening to a five disc changer on random. Drank budweiser tallboys and mystified by clear smoke. Six person game, ended with defeat declared by Carly and I as Asia and Aus were well contained. Slept on the futon and woke up late and ate eggs and bullshitted and on out. If you are in Pittsburgh I recommend staying with Carly. Jeremy Hedges and co were unavailable, bummer. Next time dudes.
Afternoon drive to Columbus through light snow and rain. Went to Meg Buzzi’s house and rolled in with hangover faces and raw voices to a little dinner party. Meg gave us beer and delicious food and we sat and talked about Barone things and Susy things and music and we riffed for a while. Brian Harnetty was there, asked us where we were playing next, Kenyon, oh, I’m a music professor there. Awesome dude – listen to his music, drink beer and hang out with him at Meg’s house if you have the opportunity.
The Columbus show was a total disaster of a mess. Was a franz ferdinand bands show, some of the dudes were friendly, one was being a real dick about us playing. We drank a few beers and decided to peace out and spend the rest of the night working on CD packages. Giant bummer but whatever. In the morning I poured a bowl of grapenuts and went to put sugar from the sugar bowl on them, but the sugar turned out to be salt. My car had snow on it when we left.
Kenyon College is our favorite place in the continental US. Highest concentration of hilarious, motivated and fun young guns anywhere. When we left last time, it was after talking about drinking mimosas for hours and then not doing it. This time we went for it. I think we got there around 1PM. Sat in the coffee shop for a while, went to the liquor store around two, sat outside and drank two bottles of champagne watching the classes change. We opened them in the graveyard and didn’t recognize anyone until four, when all familiar faces appeared at once. Richard and Mirra and Mariana and Nora at the shop and we sat there for a while and went to buy more champagne. Went to Nora’s room where we drank white wine and then red, then to Richard’s house where we drank more champagne then Rogue stouts and eventually a “gin bucket” which is pretty much what you’d expect. Steffen and Tucker and PEEPS extended crew were all in attendance and we listened to pitched down Boards of Canada and I sprawled on the floor thinking about their labyrinth. We eventually went to a party and danced and danced drunk and loud, I met and talked to Andrew for a while, Mirra split her knee open and we worried that she would never dance again and Nora choked Mike.
Second day hungover piled out and had dust-stomach eggs for breakfast, same crew reunited and proceeded to get more champagne. Mike and I made our slow stagger to the Horn Gallery where we loaded in and played for maybe three hours. Cafeteria stomached only apples and oranges, still too exhausted and without appetite. Drew some t-shirts and worked on CDs for a while. Mimosas, mimosas and tallboys leftover from Pittsburgh. We played with Ed’s band Sushi Girl(?), Liesel danced perfectly, Mike and I watched it all from the shadows and I felt golden hexagonal energy spinning inside. We played three songs for maybe forty minutes, Mirra projected video and drummed super minimally. Incredible show, near perfect realization of the new material and so many good vibes. Afterward we went to a dorm party, drank a guy’s beer, I played Washing Machine and School of the Flower on his computer jukebox, got into an accidentally super heavy conversation with Ben (ps: if Ben or associates reads this, dude, email me – also Richard should email me too, tom at dog chirp), put on the Grey Album and moved drunk through many shoulders. Mike decided to party in the elevator and got everyone in trouble. We went back to the cottage and watched True Stories projected mute on the ceiling. In the morning snow covered everything.
Pulled out into Ohio clouds and got lost on the way out. Ice windshield and we listened to our set from the night before. Saw five cars completely flipped over on the way to Lexington. Perfect gray white day skies and seas one. In Lexington we loaded in and hung out. Ben and Daryl were good hosts and their cat Francis was huge. Listened to dub records and watched muted tv, ate pasta with srrachi, worked on merch for a while. Watched the Exorcist and time stretched and it was 10PM and we went, oh whoa, I guess we should play? Ben plays as CAVES – his shit was intense double bass manipulation, super low and brutal. We played a short chirp set, satisfying and sweet slow, only mics and cello – no bass or guitar. We went back upstairs, watched Adult Swim, drank whiskey and Tony came in and riffed for a while and we went to sleep. Ben took us to the Tally Ho in the morning for breakfast.
In Atlanta we stayed at Katie Bug’s. Drive was sinister – Tennessee cops everywhere, speed limit changed every five seconds. Her mom was hilarious and her dad (who has played 200 date years as Smoke Rise) told us we should cover the lick at the end of Dodge Ram commercials in our set. We watched those Different Drummer videos of Jesco White and Amazing Delores – highly recommended. On the way out we left a bag of muffins on the trunk and a guy beeped his horn at us a million times, rolled down his window, and yelled You gonna lose you muffins!
Was up all night working and being stressed and slept only four hours. Drive to Savannah was fast and easy. Savannah water still tastes like standing pond water. Met up with Amber and Michelle and bought champagne, ate a croissant and went straight to the space – burned out abandoned building without a front facing an art gallery. Celebs + Rowan and Hastings were in effect, super good vibes from the show, great to see Patrick Parker and John again. Played maybe twenty minutes, drank three Andre bottles and some beer, went to John and Patrick’s and listened to the Beatles until. Michelle’s dog Hobbes big and beautiful and well-behaved. Esteban gone and not forgotten. Mike and I went to Tybee in the morning and I walked fast and far and could hear the drums of death.
Columbia: Carlene’s dogs destroying everything, Dino still the best dude in America. Jeff’s house dark and strange – gave us presents, played us records, great dude alone in the wilderness. Played a smoked set for twenty minutes, bad feedbacker but heavy as hell ending, real slow burning meditator… no sweat and screaming, no chokes, but still up and out. Recorded this on video and haven’t played it back yet. Ate the best sandwich I’ve ever had for dinner, drank wheat beers, watched trailers for on demand movies until early morning. I’m fading out and am not doing a good job of telling this story anymore but I am going to finish it and supplement it later.
Durham yesterday fucking TEMPLE OF BON MATIN most killer set! Zach Kouns in his underwear absolutely annihilating to the audience of four – cafe owner’s mind blown – recorded it and will post it later, so, so, SO good. Our set was twenty minutes again, good stuff, Mike had problems with his vocal setup which was a bummer. Recorded it and will listen to it in the car today. Slept at Jonathan’s house and his kids in the morning staring at our wake-up. One asks, What are you doing in my house?
Charlottesville tonight and we’re done. So much left out. So much more to report that defies reporting.