Yeah, but for real though, I am getting too old for this shit

Sic Waiting - Great Apes - Caskitt (1/10/2015 @ Tower Bar, San Diego CA)

I woke up this Saturday morning feeling like absolute shit. Not sick, but more exhausted. Since the new year began, I have been sleeping less like a baby, and more like a meth addict. I can definitely feel my shitty body getting old, and it fucking sucks. So needless to say, my original plan for the day was to shut my blinds and forget the world existed. The weekend only comes once a week, and I wasn't going to waste this one by being all proactive and responsible. So I turned on Netflix and watched season 4 of Portlandia. By the end of the last episode, I realized I was actually hungry, and I had an errand to run. Begrudgingly, I put on pants and ventured out into the world. First stop: Wal-Mart. I needed a frame for my awesome poster I picked up at the RVIVR show and because I frame my posters now because I'm an adult. Why Wal-Mart? Because I got that fucking frame for $4. I may be an adult, but I'm still poor. Now to solve crisis number 2. My ever rumbling tummy. I decided I hated myself just enough to go to this hole in the wall Chinese food place that gives you a mountain of food for like 5 bucks. "Food" acquired, I realized I had been out in the real world for far too long and raced back home to eat the 6 pounds of noodles and chicken and watch Silence of the Lambs for the millionth time.

Oh wait, was she a great big fat person?

Why is any of this important you ask? Because this was the plan for the day. To keep on doing this until I eventually passed out sweaty and ashamed. (Un)fortunately, my buddy Rich decided to text me and tell me he was going to the Great Apes San Diego show, he was leaving at 8:30, and he was driving. I figured since I missed (didn't watch, whatever) Great Apes the night before, that I guess I could abandon my grand evening plans and go.

When we arrived at the Tower Bar in North Park, the first thing I noticed was how many fucking people were there. I was shocked, I absolutely did not think this many people would show up for this. I knew for a fact, that at the very least half of our friends who usually go to these shows were down the street at the Ignite show. After we parked and actually rolled up to the bar, it all became clear. All the bands were hanging out in the back parking lot and I could hear the muffled double kick drums and high pitched screeching from inside the bar. Turns out, there was a show before this show. A quick search I did right now tells me it was "Pyrate Punx" featuring the headlining act "Oakland Crust Legends" Born Dead. Needless to say, we had about an hour to kill before our shift started, so we did what any responsible adult would do and headed to the liquor store to buy 40's. Hanging in the parking lot, shooting the shit with the buddies, my belly full of Chinese food and dead brain wouldn't let me enjoy my 40 ounces of freedom, so when we got yelled at for the second time about not being able to drink in the parking lot, I abandoned all hope and pounded ye Monster Energy drink. Caskitt was about to play anyways.

Caskitt

First things first, walking into the bar, it smelled like when you drive past a garbage dump on a really hot summer day. A few of the trash people were still lingering at the bar, trying to extract every last drop of their $3 tall cans of PBR when Caskitt began playing. I decided to watch the reactions of the bullet belted punx, and they did not disappoint. A few seemed to enjoy what they were seeing although with a look of disdain on their faces, a few had the reaction most people have, "the drummer is the singer, dude",  and a few completely ignored what was happening in an attempt to up the punx through shitty beer flavored water. It was all very entertaining. As for Caskitt, I give them 4 liberty spikes/5.

My laziness is starting to show

Great Apes

Great Apes are a band from San Francisco. That is all I know about them. I've heard a bunch that they are a band I would enjoy, and I have even gone as far as downloading their music. But like most new bands I try and get into, I just don't. I sat on Direct Hit! for at least 6 months before they randomly came on shuffle on my iPod, and now they are one of my favorite bands. I always feel like an idiot when I eventually realize I like a band, but sometimes it just doesn't click in my stupid brain. Well, after seeing them play live, it is starting to click. To my musically untrained ears, they played extremely well. The singers voice is the right amount of gruff, the guitarist didn't fuck up, and team rhythm seemed to be on time. I liked it a lot. Since I am not really familiar with the bands body of work, I can't say exactly what they played, but after listening to their albums again I know they at least played Seventeen Years. So the fact that I can remember hearing that song is a good sign. I think. Needless to say, I will be rechecking them out and I suggest you do to. 5 vest studs/5.

I thought it was really funny they had to share a mic for some reason

 

Sic Waiting

Apparently I have a habit of not really watching at least one band at every show. I was so tired at this point I decided to just sit at the bar and have a beer. Its not like I couldn't see the band from there. I wasn't really drinking at this point because I had no money from 1) Surprise unplanned trip to Oakland for new years 2) I had only worked 2-1/2 days the week before. So, I pretty much slow drank a Cali Creamin and listened to Jared ramble between playing songs. 4 del scorchos/5.

 

And that was that! Another day, another show. Don't worry, I did get to finish my just be a piece of shit day on Sunday. Nothing but Carne Asada fries and Broad City!  I highly recommend both. The ladies who made it are geniuses and Hannibal Buress is hilarious. And carne asada fries, pretty self explanatory why those are good.

 

So now I am caught up on show reviews so far. This weekend I will be attending Western Addiction at VLHS and Lagwagon at the Fonda Theatre in Hollywood. Its going to be rad.

 

 

Would you fuck me? I'd Fuck me. I'd fuck me hard. I'd fuck me so hard. Goodbye Horses...

 

Hey man, did you see that girl band?

Bad Cop/Bad Cop - Great Apes - Turkish Techno - Caskitt (1/9/2015 @ VLHS, Pomona CA)

The cool thing about living in North County San Diego, is that I have access to not only San Diego shows, but also shows up north. Today's review comes to us from the mysterious land of Pomona. Now, don't get me wrong, it's a butt hole of a drive from here. I decided to go up the 15 instead of the 5 because google maps claimed it was "faster" and "more gas efficient". Google maps is a disgusting liar and the 15 is a shit hole boring freeway. The 5 4 lyfe!

This show took place at VLHS, a DIY venue in Pomona. If you have never been here, this place fucking rules and puts every other venue to shame ever. It has a glorious "smoking lot" aka parking lot where everyone smokes and drinks and hangs out. A tiny entrance room with a fridge for beer. or wine. or water. or energy drinks. You know, pretty much any liquid you would like to keep cold and consume. This place is BYOB, and there are usually others willing to share, say whiskey, with you. Once you pay, you get a cool hand doodle, sometimes a cat face, this time a Stussy S. You know, those S's you would draw in high school, you throw down 6 lines then connect them because you were bored out of your mind. Then there is the "main room" complete with "stage" and "inconveniently placed skate ramp" and back roll up door for when everyone is breathing and things get a bit too swampy. Oh, and don't worry, they have a bathroom! But with no door knob, so if you go, you better have a friend who can stand guard. Or just go outside if you have the proper means. AKA a dick. Or I guess one of those cup things ladies can pee in to pee outside. I think its like a funnel? And the best part is the man, the myth, the legend, Party Marty, roaming around, giving high fives. Tonight, as everyone was showing up and standing outside smoking, Marty called for everyones attention, "Ladies and gentlemen, I have an announcement" he yelled in his gruff voice silencing the heathens. "Ya'll are looking gooooooood." Seriously, every time I go here, I can't help but smile. I love VLHS.

Caskitt (or the band where the drummer sings)

Up first for the night was San Diego's own Caskitt. They are probably my favorite San Diego band (sorry I'm not sorry other SD bands, step your fucking game up), and it is awesome to see them out and playing in front of different people. Recently, they lost their bass player to the wasteland known as Florida, and Ricky from Western Settings has stepped up to fill in until they can find a replacement. I have seen Caskitt play a thousand times it seems like, and I immediatly noticed the difference in the tone of Ricky's bass. It sounded dirty, kind of like Banner Pilot's, and I liked it. Anyways, Caskitt did what Caskitt does, Matt rocked the drums and sang songs about being found out and not going outside, Steffen shredded guitar, Ricky's mullet/rat tail thing blew proudly in the wind. Shit was tight. I'm pretty sure they made San Diego proud.

The Coronado bridge sheds a tear

Turkish Techno (or the band with the shirt logo made of dicks)

Turkish Techno were one of the first bands I ever saw at VLHS. I remember the first time I saw them I thought, damn, I didn't know a band with such a stupid fucking name were allowed to be so good. Since then, they are another band I have seen play a thousand times, and who I just don't seem to get sick of. Since TT are almost a house band at VLHS, the crowd was super pumped when they played. Running around, screaming along.  It always seems to get crazy-go-nuts when they play. I am a little bummed they didn't play DUI, but you know, who the fuck am I? Shit was tight. I'm pretty sure they made Riverside proud.

I sent this picture to Lindsey to make her jealous

Great Apes (or the band I didn't watch and drank instead)

I fucked up on this one, instead of watching Great Apes, I sat outside and smoked cigarettes and drank some Modello's and talked about how bad we need a VLHS type place in North County, but with Burritos too. Because burrito's rule and should be mixed with punk rock as much as possible. Also, at this point Jackie stumbled by and offered a pickleback shot. If you don't know what a pickleback is, its when you take a shot of whiskey, and chase it with pickle juice. It's heaven on earth. Or in your mouth. Whatever, just do it. Shit was tight. I'm pretty sure they made alcoholics proud.

Bad Cop/Bad Cop (or the band that is all chicks, dude.)

Every time I see someone talk about Bad Cop/Bad Cop, they always mention how they are all females, like that is their gimmick, like they are Masked Intruder or something. I am not here to talk about the merits of punk and how its a boys club and blah blah blah, you've heard it a million times (actually I could be here to talk about that, but I won't because its boring and this is already border line too long), the fact of the matter is they are a kick ass punk band. I remember a long long time ago, I saw them play at the Blue Star in L.A. Linh wasn't even in the band yet and Stacey had a broken foot or something. I watched them play and was blown away by how good they were, so much so that by the next time I had the opportunity to see them play, like 2 years later at Awesome Fest 7 , I put them on my can't miss list. Now here we are a few years later and they are about to put out their first full length, and second overall release on FAT FUCKING WRECK CHORDS. So yeah, they good. Fuck you, get over that they are females. It's 2015, whatever. Anywho, they fucking killed it like always. They played a bunch of new stuff that has me excited to buy their full length when it comes out. I missed a few songs because I had to pee super bad, but made it back in time to hear them play Asshole and Get Rad. Shit was tight. I'm pretty sure they made, I guess San Pedro proud? Also, I lost my BC/BC doughnut button, but got to replace it with the totes appropes BC/BC badge.

 YOU PUNK ROCK LIKE A GIRL!

 

Appropriate merchandise, KISS

 

That was night 2 out of a 3 night music bender. Stay tuned tomorrow to find out how I atoned for my missing Great Apes sin. I'll give you a hint, it involves me going to a show.

I'm getting too old for this shit.