MODERN ARMS came in to do a few songs. Their music is really nice and lush with a bit of Neil Young and Springsteen influence. The guitars are really key in this band and it's a nice fender vintage blend.
The rest of the month was spent on the road with Animal Collective. here's a recap.
The tour started in Seattle at Neumo's. During sound check, I thought that it was incredibly hot on stage. I was pretty sure that I would pass out if it was that hot when no one was there. The monitors were really fucking loud, but with earplugs, it was OK. When we hit the stage...I was right. It was really loud and hot, so I took off my pants and played with just wizard costume and boxers (a trend that would follow me throughout the tour). the Animal Collective set was amazing. The lights they have are run by Rev Green and are so psychedelic. It looks like you are on LSD even if you are not. I'm sure most couldn't figure it out.
Vancouver was next. We had to play sans Ben but John and I had a great trip up there and got to talk a lot, something that we hadn't been able to do since he moved back to Seattle. The border crossing was easy and everyone at the theater was cool and friendly. AC was late because of a border screw up, so we really only got a line check, bit that's OK. The show was cool, but the club had weird acoustics which made the conversations of the people in the audience really loud on stage. it was almost as if their conversations were the main level and we were providing an ambient background to them. No bother though. The set was cool just the same, but different because it was just John and I. We got major applause when the prison came down. This continued through the rest of the tour, maybe because they were really happy that we were finished or maybe they were were amazed that the prison could collapse like that.
John and I decided to bail right after the show and drive back to Seattle. We got to the border around midnight just as a shift change was happening. It didn't look good to me, the guard put out the orange cone and motioned us to approach. I mean, how dismal is it that you work the midnight to 8am shift at Blaine, WA. I felt bad for the guy.
The first thing he said was BBBBRRRRR DNNNNMMMMM VVVVVRRRR NNNNN PARK! What? And then he repeated it. For some reason, John understood mental patient and said, "put the van in park". I started to turn white as I really thought we were in trouble because the guard was on meds or mentally disturbed or something. He opened the van door and looked inside and then he looked in the back in the van and mentaled something about $10,000. I didn't know what he said and I was sweating. I just said, "$10,000?...No no no" and he said goodnight. Then he turned around and asked us about Tees and CD's and I said "no" and we were on our way. FUCK! that was scary. Once we were away from the situation, I wondered if he did that on purpose to to amuse himself. Now that would be funny.
The next day we hoped down to Portland and got it with attitude. "Where am I?" I THOUGHT I was in Portland, OR not Shithole Asswipe. The stage dudes TOLD us how the night was going to go down and after our set they would be throwing all our gear off the stage. I explained that we had lots of wires and computers and stuff and it wasn't like a rock band that you could move an amp and some drums. They bent a bit but it was stressful. Sure enough after our set, they hustled our shit off stage into an elevator and dumped it into the "green room". There is really no reason for this. I mean, we are all citizens. The AC set was amazing and it was the first time I got to see the whole thing. Damn, these guys are good.
After the show we decided to drive to Eugene and stay a few hours before heading to SF. It's a really long haul. We checked into this motor lodge. It was about 2am. We settled and then started watching Batman - the movie with Adam West. It was so fascinating that we couldn't sleep. About 3am, we forced the issue and got up at 6am to hit the road.The night guy, who just checked us in a few hours ago was bewildered that we were already checking out. We grabbed a few bagels and coffee and hit it.
Bleary eyed, we arrived in SF to the nicest, funniest and coolest staff ever. The Fillmore was amazing. Maybe I was excited because I saw the Residents on this very stage 6 times, but really it was very cool. There was a tiny bit of shit I had to wade through but everyone was reasonable. The sound was amazing, the crowd was amazing, the lighting was especially cool. The guy GOT it and looking at the video later, i realized that we had the right guy for the Priz. He had these spotlights roaming around the stage in prison search style. It was sooooo cool. Our wives flew in to see this show and that made it even more special. Unfortunately John had to leave the tour at this point which was really sad as we all bonded and were playing really great shows. C'est la vie
We got up early to drive to LA. Had to leave the wives behind which was really weird. I think it's common knowledge that I HATE LA but I think Ben understood it immediately because as we entered LA, he said,"what's happening? It's like everyone took the prick pill" . INDEED!! We arrived at the theater and the attitude started AS WE ENTERED the THEATER. This is why I hate LA (attitude attitude attitude). I really don't want to go into all the gory details, but lets just say that I know how to interpret LA speak and my interpretation was , "We are gonna make your lives difficult because we can. We are gonna fuck you before you even have a chance of thinking about fucking us." . Then there is the guy telling me I have to pay $450 to film my own performance and some more money to record it. I thought about the Mooninites leaving earth and giving the earth the finger. Where Am I? Is this some sort of weird Vortex? Do we really care about a party where Van Halen played to 300 people. How many people bought bootlegged back stage passes. Should I just shit in the sink or get out my flame thrower and end it right now! Fuck LA!!!!
OK...I'm calm now. we have a day off that I spend with real friends that just happen to live in LA. It was fun, relaxing and cool. we cried at Amoeba, saw Mullholland drive, ate amazing Cuban Food and headed out of town late to shave a few hours off the drive to Tucson.
Tucson was the complete polar opposite to LA. I think everyone was sooo laid back that they fell over. I got to se my friends that run blackmetal.com which was cool and the AC set was amazing again. Unfortunately this was our last night with them, . They are such cool dues and it was hard to leave the tour and go our separate way, but it had to be done.
Ben and I speed-balled it back to SF to a super sweet Mil Valley retreat . Super nice folks with super nice attitudes and a super nice pad. The next morning we went into SF for the Godwaffle show which was amazing and another dream come true. Originally I wanted the first WP show to be at Godwaffle but 666 came about first. Doesn't matter, we had a great, short set with a bunch of great artist . Of particular mention was Bean Dip Troubadours which were two old men playing noise music theater. It was the funniest thing I'd seen since sliced bread. Ben and I separated for the afternoon. He napped while I ate Mission burritos and waxed poetic about my career. We met up again at Amoeba in SF and cried, ate amazing Thai food and headed over to the 5lowershop for an all out rave of noise music and debauchery. We did a special show of trance, hypno mind control. It was well received and the nicest people around.
Back to the Mill Valley retreat and had a leisurely afternoon of luxuriating in bed, chowing and looking at trees. After a few raw oysters and some chowder, we headed over to 21 Grand which was the coolest space and the nicest people. I was looking forward to playing here for soooo long. The show was sparsely attended but we were able to meet everyone there and they seemed like instant friends. Pigs in the Ground blew me away. Heco had this barrage of sound that was sooooo interesting and Tainted Pussy was mesmerizing. All in all a good show. SF rules LA blows. Case closed
The next morning we had to leave early and high tail it to Eugene. This show was cool because it was in an art gallery of sorts. The people were cool and the crown was reactive. The perfect end to the perfect tour
Headed back to Seattle but not before stopping in Portland for another Powell's excursion and some amazing food at Ten 01. I'm talking truffle oil fries with soprosetta sandwich . Food of the gods.
Finally made it back to Seattle to our wives and all was good in the kingdom. And as we drifted off to sleep, I pressed the T bar on the TNT charge placed neatly under the Henry Fonda Theater and said goodbye to Wliley and woke up in Paris. --