dirtbag challenge 2009

played a smokey killer show in SF at the Dirtbag Challenge 09 on Sunday. Totally amazing time had and much like being dropped into a different world, stripped down low-rent mind boggling and dangerous - just the way I like it. Basically anyone can enter, you can only spend $1k and build a bike to race and then trash in the burned out industrial complex at the end of Revere street, real close to the SF Bay where that super fund site is. I'm talking about the place thats got a DMZ like chain fence around it, so toxic that the dirt sometimes catches on fire and everyone from the neighborhood comes to watch the firetrucks try and hose down the ground so it will stop spontaneously com-busting. All kinds of bikers from all around the bay do their best to burn the rubber right off their tires while bands play hellacious rock to back em up. This whole thing is put on by Pinky and Paul who work their asses off to get stuff ready. East Bay Rats, SFMC, even Hells Angels show up to demo the rides and get throw some M-80's into the crowd. It makes burningman look like a pikers picnic. When we played we got 3rd spot which means everyone was doing burnouts and trying to broil 2 strokes into melted aluminum, so we ended up blowing an amp and some of the PA. It was a damn good time and there was also a bunch of people there filming so maybe it's gonna be on TV or in a movie, information was hard to get and even harder to hear when I did find a couple people who seemed like they knew what was going on. Hey what more do you need? Liquor, bikes, fireworks, bands, grilled food?!?!? It was like mad max died and went to apocalypse heaven. DUDE!

Trailer

last stop Philadelphia

Johnny Brenda's in the Fishtown district of Philly is one of those Venues where you always wanted to end a tour. All kinds of beer, a great selection of food and an expansive and beautiful sounding room. It was with some heavy-ness in our hearts that we set up and rocked the crowd into a little bit of blissful space - dedicating our set to the generosity and good will of the guys in Wovenhand. It was really great to get to know their music and themselves and to be challenged by the nightly process of throwing out the best set of music possible. They were able to bring some new element to their set almost every night, and we in turn were encouraged to do the same. There was a beautiful symmetry in the arc of the tour, with leaves changing and falling from trees and life turning from summers heat and throb to winters cold burning ache. Philly is a great town as far as I can tell there was even an interesting guitar shop up the street called DiPinto guitars, Ego Sensation almost bought a bass that had stars on the frets but at the last minute decided it would take another look.

DaveW, Ego Sensaton and myself all have given in to the art, thrill and chore of making the rock happen for quite a few sated audience members across the north and mid states this fall. If you ever get a chance you should certainly check out Wovenhand and White Hills. Thanks for reading.

Brooklyn Bell House - back in NYC

The radio show at MIT was simply a blast, quite literally. We drove directly into some weird University catacombs from the highway and loaded gear into a tiny radio studio through the cafeteria entrance, played a blistering 40 minute set that was recorded for radio broadcast and loaded the van back up; on our way back to NYC. It really seems much like a sonic induced daydream now.

Beautiful venue and stellar show in Brooklyn at the Bell House - Silver Summit opened, Wovenhand closing it down and White Hills as the straight bonding agent in what was going on this ear-delicious sandwich. Proper backstage where lots of backslapping and laughter was ringing out among the prairie fire shots and the bustub of rolling rock. At this point all the bands have their sets down to artful explosions, throwing down the brew in the first few minutes and slowly adding all the ingredients until a masterful mix of beats and bombs comes raining down on the audience by close of the set. My first time seeing Silver Summit left me with a feeling of dark happiness - the kind when anticipation comes by turns through tension and excitement. This band does not disappoint in it's delivery of soothing and beautiful vocals over eerie and psych cannons of swelling authentic songs. Many turns of drum and string later we all heaved our stuff out of the club for what would be the 2nd to last time, although we didnt know it yet.

Montreal - shot back to the states

Sala Rosa was this huge old hall made of wood and ornate facing, the stage was deep and rich with lots of facing and detail, I felt like a super-star sonic son when I was playing and we set up our instruments in a line that night so that I was even with guitar and Bass. The audience was pressed up to the stage and right in front of my kit. We all used makeup to give ourselves the tribal-space detail and I also was sporting a bindi on my forehead. Wovenhand was totally in their element, and each successive show for them has taken the intensity and dynamic higher. These guys play some deep and inspired sets for sure and many of the songs are from their latest release "Ten Stones". On this night we reached a common sonic tonic and all the elements just merged into one thunderous tribal praise to rock and the temporal energy it brings. There was lots of sharpie fun at this point, DaveW drew eyes on his hands earlier and finally it culminated in fingernails, rings, and knuckle words.

Incredible changing colors of leaves all the way down from Montreal to Boston. I haven't been in the east coast for many years and forgot how ultra-mystical all the earthen hues look and feel. The forest slides by the windows of the mini-van I am encased in and seems to beg us to stop, inviting us in. Of course once you enter you may not ever find your way out, wandering forever in the eternal fall leaves until the inevitable dead of winter.

Which brings me to the latest White Hills release timed perfectly for this passing of seasons - "Dead" dropped by Thrill Jockey on October 6th is an EP of incredible proportions. We have been supporting this release on the current tour with Wovenhand and so far the reviews are positive.

dead.

The next stop was MIT in Boston and a live radio broadcast that will be delivered to the airwaves and the internet on Friday.

guerilla post dans le hotel

In montreal, just commandeering the computer in the lobby. laptop has died and lost the pictures on that, so much for computer skills.
Akron/ Musica was surreal - the club was a litle cafe type place, very clean and uber-professional and despite our warnings the soundguy mic'ed everything and it was like a gale force assult on the mostly deserted downtown crowd that we brought. Not to say there wasnt about 30 or more people at the club, but outside the club it was apparent that everyone drove some distance to get there and the foot traffic was non-existant. Wovenhand was powerful, and very measured. Their set built over the course of the hour or so the played and it became obvious of their strength in crisp musical power strokes delivered to the eager crowd. There was nowhere to go outside the club walls so in a sense it was a captive audience. *edit* it has been confirmed that this club will never be played again so on with the backstory: when we arrived and were met by the club manager steve, he was completely disorganized and seemed to try and confuse us at every turn. We were the only band that did not get a soundcheck, and when we were in the throes of our last song the soundguy broke into the PA and cried "times UP!" Totally lame and more like some cheesy amateur battle of the bands than a real music venue. Part of the problem was the idea of having 4 bands go on between 9pm and 1am. Each band got barely 30 minutes (somehow the locals got a bit more time) and in our case there was the audible admonishment from the soundguy at 30:05. Club people take note: this is the kind of ridiculous behavior that convinces bands they never need to go to your town again. Both Wovenhand and White Hills agree.

Buffalo/ Mohawk Place was almost polar in contrast. A welcoming and darkened dive bar with glass on the floor from the night before, the staff of Bill and Nick were so generous and very appreciative that we came to play. The stage was set back into the furthest grotto of the club and it was a little like playing in some archaeoligical dig in a foreign country. Lots of people packed out the club and although doentown Buffalo was mostly deserted in that post-industrial way it lent rather than detracted from the whole "last show on earth" feeling. This was the first night when we were at the top of our scale and the set was even and exciting. Downtown Buffalo was eerily empty except for the bars that had TV's showing the first Sabre's game of the season. I also was accosted by a very drunken guy who mumbled and slurred "hey, big guy huh? Put 'em up!" It was comical and I looked around for the camera's because it just seemed so staged.

Montreal is another country, complete with language and money. The show was at a Spanish social club and 3 flights of stairs up. Looks like my time is up on this machine, more missives from the outlands later.

chicago

the Empty Bottle and WovenHand were both amazing - it was a packed house and the people from Thrill Jockey were on hand to see the spectacle. I have to say that the staff at the Bottle made every effort to help us out, most of what happened that night was a result of their efforts and support. DaveW had the silver face paint in full effect leaping and throwing himself and his guitar around the stage in blinding arcs of light and sound. We did get to visit Thrill Jockey HQ before the show and got introduced to the staff, some very good people who are totally dedicated to the art and business of getting rock music to the masses who need it. It started raining on us after soundcheck and didn't let up until early the next morning, creating some interesting moisture and smells in the dodge caravan we are touring in. Eric from Thrill Jockey let the band stay at his house and provided plenty of crazy stories as well as a very comfortable futon. we piled into the van the next morning and after securing some medium blend sockwater coffee hit the road to Ohio.