welcome to Purgatory...

in 2 days...

Tue, 01 May 2007 17:49:19 GMT

the time has come:
This Thursday, May 3rd
Mac's Bar
doors @5, bands at 6 so get there early!

ONLY CRIME is the punk rock supergroup containing ex or current members of:
-The Descendents
-GWAR
-Black Flag
-Bane
-Converge
-All
-The Loved Ones
-Hagfish
-Good Riddance
...and very very rarely tours. Lansing is the only Michigan date, so let's prove we can still host shows like this.

If that wasn't enough, throw in
No Trigger (Strike Anywhere/Rise Against-ish, on NITRO Records)
Flint's The Swellers
and Lansing's punk rock Cirque de So'lame the Cartridge Family

Weekend fun...

Thu, 19 Apr 2007 18:07:27 GMT

--Sunday night, CAVALCADE will be at the Panopticon (131 N. Hayford) along with a barbeque, for which the weather is supposed to be fantastic:

Also, Lansing events of interest for tonight, Friday & Saturday:

tCF plays tonight at Mac's at 6:45pm sharp,

Then Hamtramck where we play Smalls at 9:30pm
(first Detroit show since last Fall)

This weekend:

Brad gets to show off his metallic left brain/right brain--

--Tonight 10pm-2AM, on 88.9, the Impact (if you're in range of MSU's radio station) with his death-metal band, Genocya

--Friday night (tomorrow), Genocya goes on at Mac's in Lansing at about 11pm

--Saturday night (unrelated to Brad but you should still go), our good friends and label-mates in Hell or Highwater play Replay Entertainment Exchange in Lansing at 8pm

I'm excited about this!!!

Wed, 04 Apr 2007 16:05:04 GMT

Cavalcade is playing an early, all-ages Russian Circles show at Mac's tomorrow with our new lineup!!!

From Allmusic.com:
Russian Circles are a heavy rock instrumental trio from Chicago, and Enter is their debut long-player. Comparisons to Pelican and Isis have been tiresome at best — and inaccurate at worst — as RC differ in key ways. The construction of their tunes is more intricate, not reliant as much on the heavy riff and the elegant phrase — though it's not quite as delicate as Explosions in the Sky or Growing, either. On the opener, "Carpe," it's easy to hear that there's a lot happening. Guitarist Mike Sullivan and bassist Colin DeKuiper engage in musical counterpoint, which is not knotty math rock, either — dynamic ranges are not built as much as employed in each section of the tune. Repetition between three-note vamps is present, but only as a grounding point. Drummer Dave Turncrantz has both great responsibility and great freedom. The tune crunches, folds back on itself, and then comes out on the other side with an entirely new musical statement to make, carrying just a hint of its origin. What's amazing is that this happens in each of this platter's six longish tracks. The placement and arrangement of the drama and flow within dynamic ranges make these tunes feel like songs, complete with bridges, crescendos, and intros and outros. "Micah" is another example. The cut begins to build on its fairly simple melodic fragment quite quickly, and then, as the three high strings are meandered upon by Sullivan, he tosses in a set of lines that are more intricate and winding, as DeKuiper moves him toward something else, something foreshadowed but not articulated, almost departing the rhythm section. Turncrantz's drums hint at what's coming: the cut explodes into raucous glorious heaviness and just as quickly eases back from the sonic abyss. This is not some kind of Godspeed You Black Emperor! trip. This also doesn't mean that Russian Circles are incapable of roaring into metallic frenzies (check out "Death Rides a Horse"); they most certainly are, complete with knotty stop-and-start-on-a-dime pyrotechnics. While there isn't a weak cut here, and each becomes part of some musical journey into tight, constructed yet somehow sprawling rock, there is vulnerability amid the heaviness and noise. It's like a form of instrumental poetry, woven, articulated slowly and deliberately, and all designed to take you "there," wherever your particular "there" is. The buzz on this band in Chicago has been big and it's easy to see why. Enter is a very impressive debut.

To hold you over until then, here is a pic of local artist Craig Horky at the press conference announcing the show:

Red, Blue, where are you tonight...

Thu, 29 Mar 2007 06:16:30 GMT

I was talking to Ozzie the other day about how every guy seems to go through this period where they are fucking annoying as shit, somewhere in the vicinity of mid-30's through late 40's (kind of like your teenage years revisited as in, it's a time you think you have it all figured out, but you really don't realize that you don't know as much as you thought you did until later). Pretty much all of the guys I know that were in that age-range (and had kids at some point) hold by our theory. They get with the program again when they once again achieve some sort of peace of mind around age 50 when they let it all go. I don't know what it is, and I know it's a good number of years away for me, but I'm not interested in going through it myself. If anyone has any tips short of offing myself, let me know. In the meantime, I will just enjoy today.

Ripping off bass lines from the Scissor Sisters...

Tue, 27 Mar 2007 20:46:11 GMT

Every day at the end of work, my head feels like a zit that's about to pop.

I need to simplify things, but I'm not entirely sure how to do that without compromising everything I've worked for.

It's been months since my last real post, but that's where I'm at. I'm picking this LJ thing back up.

Who's gonna' pick you up, and take you home tonight...

Fri, 15 Sep 2006 17:29:45 GMT

Stolen from the Zach's & Will:

1. Have you ever licked the back of a CD to try to get it to work?
Nah, I just do it for the buzz.

2. Have you ever puked at a bar or club?
Yeah. And I tipped the guy who ended up having to clean it up too.

3. What's the largest age difference between yourself and someone you have dated?
Had to be that summer I dated my way through the youth soccer team I coached. Crazy!

4. Have you ever dated someone you met online?
Usually we just hook up in the Taco Bell parking lot.

5. Have you ever smoked pot at a concert?
Can't say that I have.

6. Have you ever dated/fooled around with a coworker?
I should hope not, I work mostly with starchy middle-aged dudes.

7. If so, how did that turn out?
That would be a front-page-of-the-Free-Press level scandal, I imagine.

8. Ever been involved in a hit & run?
Are we talking cars or are we using the parlance of Paula Abdul circa: "Straight Up"?

9. Were you popular in high school?
First 2.5 years, no, then the last year and a half, I was obscenely popular. I think that might have been right around the time I brought alternative to Morenci and invented chewing gum.

10. Have you ever been on a blind date?
Kind of. I was in a chat room when I was 16 and this girl said she was from Toledo, so we met at the Cooker. I felt equally rebellious and lame.

11. Are looks important?
Depends on who's looking.

12. Do you have any friends that you've known for 10 years or more??
Yeah. Due to our pathetic inability to make new friends, we all just moved to the same town and down the street from each other.

13. By what age would you like to be married?
Bikeage.

14. Does the number of people a person's slept with affect your view of them?
No, visual obstructions affect my view of thems.

15. Have you ever sacrificed yourself so your friend can get in good with a person of the opposite sex?
Nah, most of my sacrafices are not made to God of sloppy bar hook-ups.

16. Have you ever drank milk that was past the expiration date?
I prefer to think of it as eating cottage cheese.

17.have you ever made a mistake?
This survey comes to mind.

18. Are you a good tipper?
Definitely. Service employees are nature's panhandlers.

19. What's the most you have spent for a haircut?
Ugh, I got my hair cut at the Union for like $20 when I first came to college and it looked like I had a persian cat on my head. I cut my own hair now.

20. Have you ever had a crush on a teacher?
Where have you gone Mrs. Robinson?

21. Do you know all the words to the first verse of Ice ice Baby?
Lemme think. Yeah, for the most part.

22. Have you ever had crispy bangs?
I don't care for breakfast cereal.

23. Have you ever shaved off your eyelashes?
No, but I might for Halloween. I'm going as 'Powder'

24. What was the worst hairstyle of the 80's?
I'm leaving Zach's answer: "That's like asking what the worst death at Auschwitz was, you know?"

25. Have you ever peed in public?
Between two parked cars, on a well lit street. (Any short music for short people fans out there?)

Strange Questions Survey

1. What is the middle name of the first person you ever slept with?
Patrice. Which I can now only associate with a fat, black comedian who isn't even remotely funny thanks to Patrice O'Neal.

2. What kind of underwear are you wearing and what color?
A neon orange bannana hammock w/ half of a blue plush shark sewn on the front so he looks like he is jumping forth from my groin (that would be a lot more exciting than these tartan plaid boxers)

3. What is the song you want played at your funeral?
Rock n' Roll pt. III by Gary Glitter (he's writing the sequel to Rock n' Roll pt. II for my funeral)

4. Would you tell your parents if you're gay?
Meh, just like any other person I'm dating, they'll find out when I show up with them to Thanksgiving.

5. What would your last meal be before getting executed?
It'd be a toss up between curried chicken and rice or napalm in order to avoid giving those bastards the pleasure.

6. Beatles or Stones?
Beatles for an album. Stones for singles.

7. If you had to pick one person on earth who should die, who?
I think I've actually done that accidentally a couple of times. I'm not gonna' tempt fate here.

8. Beer, wine or hard liquor?
Meh.

9. Do you have any phobias?
phobophobia

10. What are your plans for the future?
Move back to Morenci and pass out in a puddle of corn whiskey behind the Village Inn.

12. Do you walk around the house naked?
Only when someone steals my towel.

13. How many drinks does it take to get you drunk?
Depends on what's in my sippy-cup.

14. Where is your best friend?
Probably about 10 miles down there road, wearing a tie and wasting space like me.

15. Hair color you like on someone you're dating?
My girl's hair changes color like a mood ring. I must say, that I definitely enjoy the variety.

16. Would you rather be blind or deaf?
blind, by a mile. Haha, last person I heard asked this question said, "man, that's some Anne Frank, shit." (I think he was going for Helen Keller)

17. Do you have any special talents?
I've learned how to cry in perfect silence.

20. Favorite hateful thing to do to someone?
Make love to them.

21. First movie you can remember seeing as a kid?
Hm...Labyrinth? Poltergiest? Godzilla? They were all around the same time and I can't remember what was first.

22. What do you do as soon as you walk in the house?
Insult Nala.

25. Do you like horror or comedy?
Horrrrror, gore, dark comedy. This can all go hand-in-hand.

26. MISSING?
Have you seen me on a milk carton lately?

27. WTF??? Where did 27 go? How about I add one? Name your favorite thing.
Rain drops on roses and whiskers on kittens.

28. If you weren't straight, what person of the same sex would you do?
Aron Lozo's voice. (just realizing that Aaron Lozo may read this...how embarrassing. I love your voice dude. What can I say?)

29. Where do you want to live when you are old?
Too late.

30. Who is the person you can count on most?
Too close to call between Brad VanStaveren and Sean Elowski.

31. If you could date any celebrity past or present, who would it be?
Hm. It'd be a toss-up between early 60's Grace Slick, late 90's Katie Holmes and 'Secretary'-era Maggie Gyllenhal.

32. Where was your first kiss with your current significant other?
In my room, under the N.W.A. poster, right after getting kicked out of the Temple Club after the last Punks vs. Pokes show. That all sounds a lot more rebellious in retrospect than it probably was in actuality.

33. Favorite drinking game?
The one where I impress friends and onlookers by pounding a gallon of milk in one sitting.

34. What did you dream last night?
I vaguely remember Nas being involved somehow.

35. What is your favorite sport to watch?
Olympic curling followed closely by basketball on TV and baseball in person.

Shiny, bald, militant, head like Lou Gosset

Mon, 11 Sep 2006 18:28:16 GMT

1.

...I'm apparently on their mailing list now? Monday nights start tonight!!!

2. The Litter Box is sweet. Many, many, many triumphant pictures of unbridled fun are on the way.

Following Dan and Zach's example will get you here:

Wed, 30 Aug 2006 23:08:04 GMT

Two things:
1) I find it incredibly humorous that the only picture in my computer that it could process was this particular attempt at trying to capture rock bottom. Considering that fact, I look thrilled with my "celebrities."
2) The one that really didn't surprise me was Haile Selassie. I mean, just the other day, I was at Flapjacks and this lady comes up and starts referring to me as her "imperial majesty." Then we had that whole awkward moment where I had to stop her and say, "this is so embarrassing, but..."

I love Whitney Houston, En Vogue and Toni Braxton

Tue, 08 Aug 2006 15:13:20 GMT

Todd Karinen (formerly of Gaytar/currently of McKultra Culkin) puts on noisey shows the 2nd Tuesday of every month in the Temple Club's Red Light Lounge.

Tonight, Woa, Hey, Whatthefuck!?! in a somewhat reconfigured fashion.

Rob is moving to Detroit so come share a general dissatisfaction for the status quo with and us before he's not around as much.

9:30pm, $5

tCF at Mac's TOMORROW (Wednesday)

Tue, 25 Jul 2006 20:43:30 GMT

Yeah. 2 more cool shows at Mac's left. We're playing one of them tomorrow. Check it out...

...we have big stuff brewing...so, more on that later though...

I've got to build up from the inside

Wed, 12 Jul 2006 17:39:59 GMT

It seems like lately I have so much to say in the mornings. By the time I get around to actually having a moment to sum them up, they're just not there anymore.

Never before have I felt like so much of a different person in the morning, afternoon, evening and night. I can't tell if this is becoming a problem, though I am sure (as any temperment seems to be with me) it is only temporary. It might just be the fasting though. This morning brings the projectile vomitting count up to 3, but it's funnier than it is gross...since it's just water. I really want this. heh.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Also, the end of my article on Uncle Sam's Record Emporium in the City Pulse this week seems to have gotten cut off with no continuation. I went to check and see if that happened on the Pulse's website as well, however it was apparently </i>"hijacked by an offshore hacking group"</i>? If you're interested (and if you buy music, you should be, the place is amazing), here it is in its full/original version which makes a bit more sense:

UNCLE SAM'S RECORD EMPORIUM OPENS IN OLD TOWN

Bullet Train to Vegas in-store acoustic performance/meet n’ greet
Uncle Sam’s Record Emporium, 100 E. Grand River, Lansing, MI 48906
Tuesday, July 18th 6PM

Bullet Train to Vegas (full live set)
Gone Wired Café, Tuesday July 18th, 8:30PM
2021 East Michigan Ave, Lansing, MI 48912
wsg Cavalcade, Shoelace, and Young Bison

“What came first, the music or the misery? People worry about kids playing with guns, or watching violent videos, that some sort of culture of violence will take them over. Nobody worries about kids listening to thousands, literally thousands of songs about heartbreak, rejection, pain, misery and loss. Did I listen to pop music because I was miserable? Or was I miserable because I listened to pop music?”

The memorable quote above, uttered by broken-hearted record store owner, Rob Gordon, a character played by John Cusack in the cult movie favorite High Fidelity, not only poses an interesting question, but also frames the collective consciousness of Ryan Horky and Sam Makula, the arms and legs behind Uncle Sam’s Record Emporium in Lansing’s Old Town district. It’s not unusual to catch entertainers subconsciously revealing their influences in conversation; however it is rarer to catch business owners referencing movies and albums influencing the ideas behind their work.

The new record store, already open in a limited capacity (the grand opening is yet to be scheduled at time of print), was born out of a labor of love for Horky, Sam Makula and third parter, Dennis Makula (Sam’s father), who still works his day-job at a bank about 90 miles from the store. “Denny always appreciated a lot of music and would go to concerts with us,” remembers Horky of his friend and business partner. “He always dreamed of opening a record store of his own but he ended up progressing in his career and never got the chance to do it.” Enter Horky and the younger Makula. “We had each gone through a very difficult 2005 and it seemed the only constant was playing and listening to music,” recalls Horky who also plays drums for local bands the Cartridge Family and the Ryans. “Denny came to us with the idea of opening a record store and after careful consideration, we decided to go for it.

Though its recent growth is impressive, Lansing’s Old Town district is still on the mend and doesn’t exactly have a reputation as a can’t-miss site for new businesses. Considering the location and Horky and the Makulas relative inexperience as entrepreneurs, the Uncle Sam’s crew knows it will have to develop a record store that can be to music geeks what the neighboring Elderly Instruments has become to, well….music geeks. “We’ve already gotten a lot of foot traffic from Eldery,” notes Horky. “We hope to be able to follow in Elderly’s footsteps and stay competitive due sheer volume, selection, organization and ability to track down, literally, anything anyone wants.” The volume side of competition shouldn’t be an issue; the building in which Uncle Sam’s resides gives the business an infrastructure to hold the most extensive selection this area has seen since Tower Records in East Lansing folded.

On the heels of yet another local record store closing (Wazoo in East Lansing), the first time owners know they’re going to have to be creative to garner the interest of a market that has been somewhat sapped by technological advances. The store is already on the right track, in this respect, having scored an in-store acoustic performance/meet and greet with San Diego’s Bullet Train to Vegas, a band that is touring on its critically acclaimed debut album for Nitro Records (a label owned/operated by Dexter Holland of the Offspring). “We noticed that they were playing an evening show at Gone Wired Café on Tuesday, the 18th, so we made some calls and were able to set it up,” says Horky adding that he and the younger Makula hoped they could create some excitement in the area with events that Lansing isn’t often treated to such as in-store appearances. Due to the owners’ connection to the local music scene, they might have a slight advantage on the average shop in this respect.

Seemingly confident that Uncle Sam’s will offer something that no local record store (past or present) has been able to offer, Horky recounts the story of one his good friends’ reaction to the news that he would be opening such a store. “He asked me if we planned on selling drugs or guns out of the back,” Horky chuckles. “He said the only successful record stores he knew of were the ones dealing contraband under the table.” Horky says that rather than black market-fare, the store hopes to make its name on nothing more than the most extensive collection rock, punk, blues, jazz, psychedelia, pop, metal, polka, noise hip-hop, reggae, local, world, and electronic music that Michigan has to offer in the form of CD’s, DVDs, vinyl records (Horky notes that the store is getting a shipment of 78’s, 45’s and 33’s this week that includes records dating all the way back to the 1930’s), cassettes and any other format that conveys entertainment through bonded molecules of some sort. It’s not all safe though, as the High Fidelity quote suggests, the Uncle Sam’s crew plans on peddling something much more dangerous than weapons or illegal substances: the sweet misery than only pop music can deliver.

Tue, 11 Jul 2006 22:23:44 GMT

I'm excited about this:
!

Tuesday, July 18th (one week from today) at 8pm
Gone Wired Café
Featuring:
(follow photo links for mp3s)
BULLET TRAIN TO VEGAS

--San Diego’s monsters of jagged, shrapnel-biting punk rock on none other than NITRO records

CAVALCADE

--Cough syrupy expirimentation and heaviness from the creators of ‘the Cartridge Family’

SHOELACE

--Lansing’s professionals at “getting’ it started, in here”

YOUNG BISON

--Lansing newcomers who write really, really good songs and utilize more instruments than the box they passed out in kindergarten…not to be missed

Be Sure to check out the Bullet Train to Vegas guys doing an in-store at the newly opened (sorta’) Uncle Sam’s Record Emporium at 6pm, before the show.
Uncle Sam’s is in Old Town and is localed at the corner of Washington and Grand River (100 E. Grand River)
Check them out if you get a chance:

Thu, 06 Jul 2006 04:17:59 GMT

Last 4th was the worst ever, this one was the best ever…..

..…that crew, the one that Steve represented, was always more of the steak and onions, big cigars, politically incorrect type.

Pictures/good times EVERY times brought to you by (the one on the left)

Things I miss:

Making instead of watching/consuming.

Gore.

--Apparently I don’t miss much, and those things are easily remedied. So yeah, I’m on it!

This generation needs a Len Bias...

Mon, 19 Jun 2006 21:15:47 GMT

So I went to this big, all-day concert festival this weekend. During the last band at about 11pm, I was standing in the back, simultaneously watching the band and the crew by the soundboard that had spent the whole day putting on the event...

...they were joking around, celebrating and drinking beers as they had almost reached the end of an event, well-done. It was as entertaining/wholesome/heartwarming as anything.

I felt like I would have been infinitely more comfortable on stage playing or back there with them than as a spectator.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Len Bias scared a percentage of his generation off of various nefarious practices. It seems like nothing has hit home with people quite that same way lately.

I ain't got it all and that means I'm barely home

Fri, 05 May 2006 03:58:57 GMT

I know that I painted you a prettier picture, baby

Great Lakes! I don't need no great escapes...

Tue, 07 Feb 2006 21:34:57 GMT

Did you ever wonder why people only seem to care about the infinite nature of the universe or life's meaning when they are somehow altered or of such a ridiculous level of intillect that they are unable to enjoy any simple nuances of life?

A gross generalization, perhaps, but it seems to me, none of this will come to pass in our time. If a discovery is made alone in the forest, is it really made at all?

I'd much rather study the ins and outs of the human brain and it's pesky nature...

;)

wipe the sleet from your rusting eyes, I want you to see me for the 1st time...

Fri, 27 Jan 2006 17:04:58 GMT

Out of commission for a couple weeks with the flu and being really busy.

Since last time we met, I added a shipwreck to my home piece:

credits: the lovely Rusty, for the artwork and the slightly less lovely, but still pretty bad-ass Mikey Vigilante for the ink...
Oh! and these unfortunate souls for the inspiration.

I also finally came up with a better explanation for my hesitancy toward anything on my life side (better than the token "I hate symmetry" excuse I often toss out for the sake of absurdity). Metaphorically speaking, I think it is wise to use one side to document my past and leave one side a blank slate as to be open to the future.

I don't think I have any terribly strong long-term plans at this point in my life. The only things I had planned out for me are done, so it's all choose-your-own-adventure at this point. That's pretty exciting when I actually think about it.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Other than that, the most exciting revelation in my life over the past two weeks is that I, as more of a lark than anything, sent some Cartridge Family .mpegs to Ron Artest's label, Tru Warier, a while back when I first heard about it and I got a request for more .mpegs this week. For what it's worth, it kinda' makes sense.
I'm not expecting anything and I'm totally happy doing our shit myself, so not having to feel that pressure, yet being open to anything is already paying off.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Recently, the City Pulse tapped me to do a story on the "new Mac's" and made me feel like they kind of wanted me to write it in a way that didn't particularly characterize how I actually felt about the direction of Mac's as a venue.
The story actually ended up being one of my best writings in long time (I believe so, at least) because I managed to encapsulate my Editors' take that Paul Fata is a great bar manager and Mac's will benefit with a dose of him as well as my take that Paul Fata has no sense of what Mac's has meant to a great deal of its patrons over last 3 years and is, essentially, turning the venue's proverbial back to them.
Not everyone is a local culture geek like me, but I know there are a few on my friends list that are and will really appreciate this, so I'm going to provide the full-story, unedited, under the cut in case the Pulse decides not to run it next Wednesday (or runs a severely castrated version of it).

Mac’s Bar Turnover—

After several months of speculation regarding the fate of many a twenty-something Lansing-ite’s favorite dive tavern, a new owner – or an old owner, depending on your take – has regained control of Mac’s Bar. “I owned Mac’s for the majority of the past decade,” recalls owner Paul Fata, who recently reacquired the bar from the man he sold it to three years ago, Matt Ellison.

Fata, a lifelong Lansing resident is more than equipped with the surefire know-how and savvy necessary to pump life into a struggling establishment. “I’ve been in the bar business for nineteen years,” states Fata, giving nod to his involvement with such notable locales as the Westgate Tavern, Reno’s West, Shortstop Bar, and Paulie’s Pub among others. “I’m just here to make sure the customers are happy, the employees are happy, everyone’s happy and (I’m) hoping to straighten things out a bit.”

Over the past three years, Mac’s Bar has gone from a dive bar with character to a dive bar with renown reputation around the Midwest as solid touring spot for original bands, to eventually gaining that same reputation with bands nationally (and even internationally) yet struggling mightily on the financial front. Booking agent Steve Lambert, who is largely responsible for Macs’ rise to a prominent tour stop for mainstays on the college rock charts, is still working with Mac’s however has found himself having to move some larger acts that require an eighteen-and-over crowd to other venues. “Drink sales are a bar’s bread and butter,” notes Lambert. Some speculate that the all-ages and eighteen and over crowds have deterred a portion of Macs’ more liquor-centric patrons and steered them to similar area hang-outs on Lansing’s East side such as Dagwood’s or Stober’s. Fata has planned to counter this defection by making the majority of Mac’s events twenty-one-and-up, as well as keeping a better inventory of drinks in stock.

Mac’s patrons and bands have noticed subtle differences since the ownership change took effect. “The place seems mostly the same with the biggest noticeable difference being service,” notes Ryan Roberts, drummer of local punk-rock upstarts, the Battle Scars. “When we most recently played there, we noticed a few new faces that wouldn’t be as quick to come out to the all-ages shows. There were always friendly waitresses available to get you anything you needed, as well.” “More than anything,” adds Roberts, “having the reality settle in that we could have lost Mac’s just seems to have made us appreciate it more.”

Though it is still operating as a venue for mostly original music at the moment, another change in format could not be far off. “I’m here to get things on track,” says Fata, “but we are still looking at prospective owners.” As most are aware, anything is possible when a business changes hands.

Guitarist of local metal act My Friend Rudra, Scott May, sees Mac’s not changing much at the moment, but knows things may not stay that way long. “Last time we were there the sound was great as always, with Matt McDonald behind the boards,” he says. “The prices seemed about the same but there was a lot more liquor – offering more creative drinks.” He continues, “it seemed like there were more tables and seating but they ripped most of the cool shit off the walls. That was part of what gave it its ‘dive-y charm’…like it was one of the last ‘true blues.’” May addresses Macs’ financial troubles, despite its ability to attract large national-acts, as a potential case of too much for too little. “The bands and the reputation just seemed to outweigh the size of the venue and interest.”

This may just be the case in Lansing. Perhaps the overhead involved in running a bar puts too much pressure on the almost entirely separate venture of large-scale booking (i.e., keeping the entertainment satisfied and still managing to pay the bills)? Maybe there is a reason why that undertaking is predominately reserved for either Clear Channel (the conglomerate that monopolizes most big-time concert promoting/hosting) owned ventures or enterprising young people renting out halls and centers? Mac’s has found a way to combine the world of the friendly dive-bar and the main-event show destination but it remains to be seen as to whether that combination can substantiate the necessary profits for either end of those business archetypes.

May’s comments echo much of what I’ve witnessed personally of the “new” Mac’s. It’s strikingly similar to the Fata-run Mac’s of three years ago. It remains top-shelf when looking for that “fun, dive-bar” atmosphere, yet does little to separate itself from other local music venues. The patrons seem to be bar-goers, enjoying themselves, though paying little attention to the band on stage. The free popcorn is always full, the drink menu includes anything from run-of-the-mill mixes and beers to that oddball concoction or microbrew your uncle from upstate New York hipped you to, there are always servers available to get you another drink, and only a handful of the patrons are paying any mind to the band, its music or its merchandise.

dddddddddddddddddddddduuuuuuuuuuuuuuu mmmmmmmmmmbstuff

Mon, 09 Jan 2006 16:12:34 GMT

The Pink Razors from Richmond, VA are sweet.

Oneida is especially good to listen to when you're sick and zoned out on cold medicine.

Skelletones is fucking huge now.

I'm pretty sure Craig is playing bass in Cavalcade as of this past Sunday. He is also living on my couch for the time being.
(this reminds me, Josh, I would like to talk to you soon)

Erin is deceptively amusing on multiple levels. Most notably, her penchance for drawing Gary Glitter.

Is there a more amusing and mysterious character in pop culture than Gary Glitter?

Gone Wired and Magdalena's are insanely untapped potential at the moment...not to mention, on my block.

The Eastside neighborhood of Lansing that I live in gets infinitely cooler every day...well, minus the serial arsonist.

I just sold two Alkaline Trio records for a grand total of nearly $150 on eBay. I have the music on celluloid anyways, and I need the scratch at the moment. Kids are seriously insane.

I hope to be attending the ULTIMATE FISHING SHOW (that's bolded because it is on the ticket which is of a $9 value) at the Novi Expo Center either Thursday or Friday with one Mr. John Krohn. I have an assload of free passes to this, so if you have an even remote interest in fishing, and/or myself and John Krohn, you should, you know, "get at me."

As per my Christmas gift, I will be adding an inked artistic rendering of the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald to the Michigan folklore cluttering my right arm next Monday.

Also, this weekend, the Bomb's 'Indecision' skyrocketed itself to the very top of my list of favorite albums of 2005...a list that would probably also include (in no particular order):
Smoke or Fire -- 'above the city' (this year's version of Challenger's 'Give the People What they Want in Lethal Doses last year...instant gratification, not a whole lot of depth)
Trail of the Dead -- 'world's apart' (losing all music geek credibility for enjoying this "as an album" more than Source Tags & Codes)
Prodigal Sunn -- 'the Return of the Prodigal Sunn'
Hell or Highwater -- 'dichotomy of the damned' (say I'm biased all you want, but it's fucking great)
LaSalle -- 'expedition songs'
Om -- 'variations on a theme'
Pelican -- 'the fire in our throats will beckon the thaw'
Sufjan Stevens -- 'illinois'
the Blackout Pact -- 'hello sailor'
the Gibbons -- 'hope, inc' (the best smart/catchy punk rock album I heard all year...my top Michigan album of the year and probably top overall)
I probably forgot some, but those are 10+1 albums from 2005 definitely worth owning if you find that your musical tastes are even remotely similar to mine.

JEALOUS AGAIN...

Fri, 06 Jan 2006 15:05:36 GMT

I was marveling at how I've managed to be so incredibly procuctive this week, while taking just enough time for leisure to keep my head straight...

...then I got on here and saw how much further along every other band, writer and label under the sun is. I know I blow this out of proportion and get wayyyy too paranoid, but I hate feeling like the vehicle I'm driving is getting lapped by upstarts. It's cool though, I guess. That's what keeps it fresh, exciting and different every time. That's why a week I think I worked really hard will be followed up by one where I work twice as hard. Motherfucker.

Mon, 28 Nov 2005 20:34:56 GMT

It was strangely relaxing, albeit, twisted little Holiday break.

Kubrick did a good job of keeping my focus off of the obvious missing element at Thanksgiving with such misguided, but painfully cute antics such as trying to steal the tennis balls off of my elderly Uncle Frank's walker...
I was too distracted to feel the bite 'til Saturday night. I appreciated the company more than you'll ever know.

I watched a LOT of movies over this time as well. Every other one made me think. It's weird when you re-watch a movie that you haven't seen in years and you realize it was a cautionary tale toward a certain message when you somehow remembered it glorifying that message the first time you watched it.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This Txgiving weekend was spent being equally thankful of these elements:

Tx to Nate Frusti for the photo

Death comes to those who oppose
Knocking at the door, holding a rose
In plain clothes with a face that’s ice cold
You can lock your windows
But still I come in when the wind blows
Come in slow, suddenly your eyes close
Then your body sets through your soul
It rose
Turn into a black crow and fly into the eternal night
That’s when I also take flight
I turn into a great falcon
With mighty wings, when they flap, they move mountains
I leap on your back, like a wild fucking monkey
Eyes are blood shot red with a growling tummy
Beat your fucking back out like a gorilla
When I was tore I figured my way out from a house of mirrors
I show up to a recording session with no facial expression
I'm just there like I crept in
Escape through the east gate, return through the west ends
When the sun sets, I'm like the Westerns
Beneath the moon light and the Crescent
Priest
I have a stance, that's strong
When I perform
I transform, into a sandstorm
Leaving one third of the land torn
I'm like mice, I react strange
I’m like a terratrane, I react crazy when the weathers change
Then the father of a hurricane
Handcuff pain
I whip tornados with iron chains
I make volcanoes scream out my name

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I look outside and it's pouring rain, I have to get two blocks but I don't have a coat or umbrella.
I imagine I won't get wet
Proceed.
It's raining cats and dogs but every drop seems like it's missing me, somehow...
I've got to be imagining this...
The object of this trip spots me and says:
"How did you manage not to get wet on the way over here?"
They were really missing me?
Unfuckwithable.
True.Story.

duckin club promoters/pass the money over/be alarmed/when u hear the er urrr/it's on

Mon, 21 Nov 2005 21:57:47 GMT

So I spent last Thursday and Friday dreading a weekend filled completely with things that are, in theory, fun. Just that all of them involved on a lot of people counting on me and having to be (and get a lot of people) a lot of places at once. I need to refocus and keep things in perspective. Being in a band is fun. Playing shows is fun. Getting things done is fun. Throwing a party is fun. Making music is fun. Having a barbeque is fun. Going to a show is fun. I shouldn't need a reminder of that, but Reeny is a great centering influence as far as that goes. Cooler heads prevail.

At any rate, show Friday in Grand Rapids was status quo (other than having my Mom and little sister there). Had fun, got asked to leave, dined and parted ways.

-----------------------------------

Saturday we had some pictures taken (thanks again Nate!) then came back and recorded two Christmas songs, one of which will, in theory, end up on the Suburban Sprawl Christmas comp. These will be our first recordings with the new, full Tower of Power-esque instrumentation.

-----------------------------------

The Bermuda Mohawk fake band party yielded (once we reach 12 tracks, I'm thinking we release these results as a "mix tape" style novelty...although there are and will be some more very good stuff on there):

Xheyyyy,dudeX: "branded with an X" -- (Shoelace, Sauter, Horky, and Aymor) Wrote a straight edge punky-country song recorded by and extremely drunk Otis, featuring a pretty much improvised solo by Aymor that is hotter than a yeast infection.

Moonface: "to grandmothers house we don't"-- (Me, Brad, Robbie, Steph, and Erin) Probably the weakest effort, but definitely the weirdest. Brad and I played our typical funk-meets-stoner-meets-noise guitar shit with Robbie queesily drumming through the sludge, as Steph/Harriet, Robbie and Erin drove some lycanthropy inspired lyrics over it that could comfortatbly rest somewhere in between Thriller, Portishead, and anything Mike Patton's done recently.

Fuckin' Kayne: "how cannibalistic spider sex can make you a genious" (Ozzie, Otis, Craig and Hasheesh) -- Ozzie works the turntables, Craig manipulates the rapmaster/keys/beats, while Otis plays bass and produces. Ozzie drops the first verse in his laid-back, grimey-smirk method man-esque style, Craig mans the second verse like a not-quite-as-high-pitched but equally as violent, smarmy and massochistic Eazy-E, and Hasheesh does a surprisingly nimble-tongued del-the-funky-homosapien-esque third verse.

All-in-all, a success. I'll eventually have the results collected in some sort of physical format.

---------------------------------

Sunday, the barbeque was really cool. I think we can still foster community, even without regular house shows. My mom donated a toilet that we started a fire in for warmth. It kind of disintegrated eventually though. H,L,R played one of the most energetic sets I've seen at Mac's in recent months. They also played even about 8 to 10x better than they did at Jackson's Halloween Party.

---------------------------------

'No Said Date' is really, really, really, really good. As far as the solo projects go, I rate it on par as top-3 with Liquid Swords and Supreme Clientele. Better than even Cuban Linx, Return to the 36 Chambers, Tical, and Bobby Digital in my opinion.

the Scott Farcas affair...

Thu, 10 Nov 2005 22:03:08 GMT

I hear ya'.

When I think of how things are
right now it feels like
yeah it all feels like some kind of circus show
and how this town it keeps you pinned down
with the same old song from years ago
and y'know this place will chew you up and spit you out
before you go
and when they drag you
kicking and screaming from the scene you know
it's time to leave
when I think of this town right now
it's filled with speed freaks and assholes
and all kinds of creeps
and somehow every new face in every single case
in a year or two will be erased
and to think of how I'm feeling right not somehow
I still remember how I felt 4 years ago
and when I think of how things are right now
it's still the same old song from years ago
what do I know?
that it's still the same old song from years ago

Uhhhhhhhhhhh...

Wed, 02 Nov 2005 22:19:34 GMT

You Are 18 Years Old

Under 12: You are a kid at heart. You still have an optimistic life view - and you look at the world with awe.

13-19: You are a teenager at heart. You question authority and are still trying to find your place in this world.

20-29: You are a twentysomething at heart. You feel excited about what's to come... love, work, and new experiences.

30-39: You are a thirtysomething at heart. You've had a taste of success and true love, but you want more!

40+: You are a mature adult. You've been through most of the ups and downs of life already. Now you get to sit back and relax.

What Age Do You Act?

Still don't know why this got bumped for the Gore Gore girls article?

Fri, 28 Oct 2005 14:52:42 GMT

Yeah, so this was supposed to run in the Pulse this week. I strongly suggest checking this show and this CD out:

Fri.Oct.28: LaSalle 'THICK RECORDS CD RELEASE PARTY' w/sgs The Holy Fire , Calliope , Paradise *18 and over $3/WITH A COSTUME $5/WITHOUT A COSTUME AND 5 ADDITIONAL LOSER POINTS doors@9pm

Lansing , Michigan's LaSalle isn't trying to reinvent the art of storytelling on its upcoming release, Expedition Songs, so much as it is incorporating it into a style its members have already proven to excel at. Guitarist/vocalist Mike Reed carved his niche in Marshall/Lansing, Michigan's Small Brown Bike which managed to make a name for itself touring the United States and releasing several widely acclaimed albums that focused largely on introspection and urgent-sounding music. Bassist/vocalist Katy Reed, meanwhile, cut her teeth in Charlevoix, a fundamentally moody post-hardcore outfit. Drummer Dan Jaquint remains a holdover from both acts.

"We've unconsciously moved to writing more in the third person," states Mike Reed when questioned about the band's approach to Expedition Songs. "Truthfully, the lyrics have always been secondary to me," he continues. "Usually we focus on the music and build the song…then the words are the last thing to come around." "We're just getting to the point where stories are more captivating than songs that revolve around 'I' or 'me,'" adds Katy Reed. For most listeners, it might seem hard to imagine the stories on the album as afterthoughts to the music. The Reeds prove themselves to be more than adept at capturing the sadness, boredom and grey characters of mediocre small-town Midwest. The album artwork, provided by local artist Chadwick Whitehead ( www.cwhitehead.com) is worthy of note for capturing these themes as well.

As Expidition Songs develops, it's hard to avoid notions that the band might have let a hint of personal sentiment creep into its stories. On 'the Grand Mariner of 1989' the male/female vocals trade on and off amidst the lines, "Now no one talks about us/I gave my life to their cause/the ship we sank gets no respect/I can't forget this mess now/I can't forget this mess," and it's hard to not hear that as a potential metaphor toward the demise of past projects the members have been involved in.

The songs 'Little Kicks' and 'Oasis in the Sun,' in particular, have a feel as though they could have been tracks written for Small Brown Bike's the River Bed album. Mike Reed assures that any similarities to past projects are merely circumstance. "I don't have it in me to consciously avoid anything like that. I'm just not that angst-y." He further states, "Bob Dylan could play Metallica songs and the aesthetic would be totally different." "It's always going to sound similar but different when you're writing with someone else," notes Katy Reed. "I think these songs definitely have a feminine edge to them."

The music on the album maintains a great sense for atmosphere, fitting with the ennui on display lyrically and artistically. LaSalle has a way of not sounding ear-poppingly original, yet belying any reasonable comparison to any of the other indie-rock bands that people have attempted to use while in the midst of futile attempts to describe its music. The Pixies are often brought up in descriptions of the band, presumably as a nod to the male/female vocal formula that LaSalle employs, but the music on Expidition Songs is certainly more claustrophobic than anything released by the Pixies. The band's sense for empty space and the occasional musical angle can recall Fugazi at times, however, the band never really sounds like Fugazi. The album closer, 'Don't Call' even has a borderline alt-country feel to it (though still fitting with the other tracks on the album) as pedal-steel collaborator Dave Feeny (who has, most notably, lent his skills to country legend Loretta Lynne's latest offering) adds a melancholy twang to the band's formula.

Expedition Songs is challenging in a sense that one could be completely under whelmed upon their first listen (especially if they were predominately familiar with the members' past projects), however by the third, fourth and fifth listens, the music has a tendency to take its hold almost subliminally. The songs 'Flip Flops & White Suits,' along with the aforementioned, 'the Grand Mariner of 1989' will almost certainly end up stuck in your head before you've even noticed that they've caught on with you. "We really wanted to make a well-rounded record that's not so immediate – short of comparisons, but still familiar," Katy Reed replies in response to the album's subtle bend. Most listeners would be hard pressed to disagree that LaSalle has accomplished this goal and more with Expidition Songs

Xombies in white belts/buckles on the side/huge wounds for fucking/Halloween 'oh Five

Wed, 26 Oct 2005 14:59:10 GMT

Holy fuck.

10/24/05 (12:01 PM EST): The words "Cartridge" and "Family" are uttered in tandem on Pitchforkmedia.com.

10/24/05 (12:02 EST): Hell freezes over.

Coincidence? You decide.