The Wondrous Night of First Exposure
So amid crippling stomach problems yesterday, most likely anxiety-related due to upcoming tour and absence of girlfriend, I went down to Holocene around 10:00-ish to check out the PDXPOPNOW compilation CD release party. With a $5 cover and a free copy of the CD for all attending, it was packed. Absolutely packed. There must have been 400 people there. I was stationed behind the raffle-table with Greg and at the door with Cary for most of the event, and I watched the count of CDs rapidly, rapidly dwindle. It was pretty remarkable. At the time that I left (about 1:30), there were a total of about eight CDs left ALTOGETHER, including the ones given out to stores (which, by the way, have been selling like wildfire themselves). This is eight left from a pressing of a thousand. Larry Crane was shitting a brick.
I haven't blogged in a while, and was eager to jump back on, and I consider myself in a unique position to post on this matter because I haven't spent the last three months utterly committed to the architecture of PDXPOPNOW, and entrenched in all the concomitant planning and grunt-work, as my bandmates have. Last night brought my first taste of the PDXPOPNOW experience, and I was thrust violently into the reality of what a big deal it is. Somehow, despite all the scuttlebutt, and the supposed prominence of the comp's tracks on KNRK (I say supposed because I have still not tuned in to confirm), I remained pretty much in the dark about what a phenomenon this initially little idea had turned into. It took a first-hand visceral interaction with the monster itself to wake me up. It's really taking the whole scene by storm, and we're right at the epicenter; lucky us!
So in other news, Ethan won a gift certificate to Reverb at the raffle last night, and Lucas and Katherine won a messenger bag stuffed with a book about the history (?) of Doc Marten boots. I had two tickets in hand, and naturally was holding out for the 5 hours of free Jackpot! time, but ended up leaving before the announcement, and entrusting my tickets to Greg. I get the feeling if we'd won, he would have e-mailed me. It was not to be. Also, Ethan was going around asking everyone he ran into if they could remember the plot to "Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH." I realized, in a moment of panic, that it had been literally sixteen years since I'd read that. All I could pull out of mental mothballs was that it involved a wise old Teiresias-like rat named Nicodemus.
Anyways, to conclude: with a turnout of over 400 at the comp release party (21-and-over, $5 admission), I can only imagine what kind of throng will beat down the door of the three-day event itself (all ages, free of charge). This will undoubtedly be the biggest show of our puny little lives, even if our set does begin at 2:40 in the afternoon. Pretty thrilling.
In other news, I'm lockjawed with anticipation about the prospect of tour. I can't contain my excitement. We just booked a show on the 17th in SF, which then would necessarily take us out of Portland on the 16th, and would give us the 18th to just idly soak up the city, unless we end up booking something in Sacramento for that day. Then we've got another gig on the 19th, and then two on consecutive days in LA: the 20th and 21st. This is all pretty overwhelming. To play a show in LA at a venue that is neither the Natural Fudge Co. nor my garage has been a dream for a good long while.
Did you hear about Brando's death? That came as a shock to me. I guess I didn't realize he was as old as he was. He always just kind of seemed indestructible, which I guess was an impression that stemmed from that almost other-wordly strength and potency that he tended to radiate in his performances. Also, I've just woken up, I mean minutes ago, so if none of the above makes even the slightest smidgen of sense, I can only be blamed inasmuch as I decided it'd be wise to blog immediately upon waking up. So I guess that means I can be blamed entirely. Shut up.
I haven't blogged in a while, and was eager to jump back on, and I consider myself in a unique position to post on this matter because I haven't spent the last three months utterly committed to the architecture of PDXPOPNOW, and entrenched in all the concomitant planning and grunt-work, as my bandmates have. Last night brought my first taste of the PDXPOPNOW experience, and I was thrust violently into the reality of what a big deal it is. Somehow, despite all the scuttlebutt, and the supposed prominence of the comp's tracks on KNRK (I say supposed because I have still not tuned in to confirm), I remained pretty much in the dark about what a phenomenon this initially little idea had turned into. It took a first-hand visceral interaction with the monster itself to wake me up. It's really taking the whole scene by storm, and we're right at the epicenter; lucky us!
So in other news, Ethan won a gift certificate to Reverb at the raffle last night, and Lucas and Katherine won a messenger bag stuffed with a book about the history (?) of Doc Marten boots. I had two tickets in hand, and naturally was holding out for the 5 hours of free Jackpot! time, but ended up leaving before the announcement, and entrusting my tickets to Greg. I get the feeling if we'd won, he would have e-mailed me. It was not to be. Also, Ethan was going around asking everyone he ran into if they could remember the plot to "Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH." I realized, in a moment of panic, that it had been literally sixteen years since I'd read that. All I could pull out of mental mothballs was that it involved a wise old Teiresias-like rat named Nicodemus.
Anyways, to conclude: with a turnout of over 400 at the comp release party (21-and-over, $5 admission), I can only imagine what kind of throng will beat down the door of the three-day event itself (all ages, free of charge). This will undoubtedly be the biggest show of our puny little lives, even if our set does begin at 2:40 in the afternoon. Pretty thrilling.
In other news, I'm lockjawed with anticipation about the prospect of tour. I can't contain my excitement. We just booked a show on the 17th in SF, which then would necessarily take us out of Portland on the 16th, and would give us the 18th to just idly soak up the city, unless we end up booking something in Sacramento for that day. Then we've got another gig on the 19th, and then two on consecutive days in LA: the 20th and 21st. This is all pretty overwhelming. To play a show in LA at a venue that is neither the Natural Fudge Co. nor my garage has been a dream for a good long while.
Did you hear about Brando's death? That came as a shock to me. I guess I didn't realize he was as old as he was. He always just kind of seemed indestructible, which I guess was an impression that stemmed from that almost other-wordly strength and potency that he tended to radiate in his performances. Also, I've just woken up, I mean minutes ago, so if none of the above makes even the slightest smidgen of sense, I can only be blamed inasmuch as I decided it'd be wise to blog immediately upon waking up. So I guess that means I can be blamed entirely. Shut up.
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