Hovercabs and Pike’s Villain May 1
Yes, Charles is right. Being in a band is 10% playing a show (or less perhaps), and 90% waiting around trying not to get drunk. 15% trying to find something good to say about the place you are playing, or some of the bands you are playing with. Luckily the last few shows we’ve played with some great bands and some generally nice people. The sound guys have all been good too.
So, adding to Charles’ writings about the inappropriate nature of our email interaction, I must admit I initiate many of the topics or keep the ball rolling on others. Mainly, this is just a way to make it through the work day without going insane or falling asleep. The best emails are the ones where uncontrollable laughter ensues and you have to explain to your coworkers or students (two of us are teachers, scary) why you are laughing. The explanation, of course, is always a lie.
Baltimore was an interesting place, we saw two robberies, one of which was an attempted purse snatching right in front of our well-lit hotel, and the other was at 9 am—a luggage theft directly out of the trunk of a parked car.
Back to the show, Charles and I literally did sit at the bar for 4 hours, occasionally getting up to use the pisser or to check another clock to see if the clock in front of us was actually correct. I can’t really complain though, that’s just part of the deal. I did complain of course. Even though our set was cut short by 2 songs because the bar was closing, I think we played our asses off. We were all drenched in sweat and exhausted, probably a combination of it being hot and it being 2 am. We packed up our stuff and somehow ended up with a Penthouse magazine–solid payment for a night’s work. We also got to hear a really good local Baltimore rapper, Pike’s Villain, check him out on Itunes.
After the show was the real reward, sharing a bed with Aaron and drinking luke-warm Pabst Blue Ribbon then passing out around 3. It’s amazing how a 50 minute drive home in the morning goes by much faster than a 2 hour and 45 minute haul up to Baltimore on a Friday afternoon.
I’m looking forward to a relatively home-based show tonight at TT Reynolds. We go on at 9:30 and will play for about 40 minutes. Hope to see you all there.