HOW TO LIVE & DIE IN LOW SOCIETY

OR AT LEAST HOW TO DO A GOOD JOB AT MAKING BELIEVE YOU ARE!!

"... a coward is a man who can foresee the future, a brave man is almost always without imagination." Charles Bukowski from A Quiet Conversation

Well, so here we sit in the armpit of the American wet dream and slowly spending what's left of our time, slipping past suffering and fear. I mean who can say the future is brighter ahead with a straight face. Maybe more importantly, just who are they trying to sell this bill of goods? The whole making a difference, sells. The modern creature finds joy in surrender. Think about how we all have the feeling of joy and relief, when we give up and turn over and fall off to sleep. Nothing is constant and everything is planned disposable. Of course, the recycling, the catch phrase of the 90s. We recycle everything from culture to cans. The words of new and improved stamped firmly on the package. Then when the work and the worry is too much, off to the recycle bin for a new kick. It's all been done. Hell, we're already writing the scheming way to bring back the dead hero for the thrid film. The same plot over and over. Flog the dead horse cause I know there is at least one more kick in it. dawn, this is when? Just years? So last for the winter Artic night. Keep going through. OH dawn, it's always Kansas before. and Oz. leave us within power we had all along. all Knowing entertainment. A morsel for next mouth to drool at. while in the dark. in the dark being enjoyed. a needed excuse, and behind the hiding pleasures Voyeuristic curtain. That peeking joy, we love so much. take we dead. our heros that's My beens. So what about the Anti-Heros are they out of vogue again? Did they really ever exist or were they just another plot twist. Less cartoonish and more like us but still too scary for the Tipper Gore. How does one balance being a hero and a fuck up at the same time. Could it be that we all have a little of this inside us? Can we all be the drunk and the knight in shinning armor? Sitting in a stained T-shirt in our own piece of the American pie nightmare, double wide trailer park.

Enough of what's wrong with the world stuff. I'm getting too deep for my own good or at least that's what I've been told. It's like that X line, "I used to live the night life and now the night life is living me." I killed or met all my heros long ago and I once owned a white hat but it's covered with Guinness stains now. So let's get to the wake up in the middle of the night drunk. So, have a seat and feel free to grab a drink.

I'm going to just hit the highlights. First off, my son Quinn was born September 4 and I got to finally meet him about 2 weeks ago. Without a doubt meeting him and being around him is beyond anything I've experienced before. You know often I think that the older generation had something in this whole marriage thing. So I deal with someone weekly that I never wanted to see again and try to hide the fact that regardless of what happened between us I still care about her. That one really busts your balls cause you wish you could just stay mad at her but.....

The Quincy Punx and Sex Offenders played here back in September. Good show with the new Bassist for the Q PunX and a new female singer for the Offenders. SO did a cover of the Avengers' Thin White Line which made the night for me. That and also their new singer is Cute (say it in a southern accent, its funnier). After the show my friend and hero (hey wait I don't have those) Sophia drove my drunk guy ass to El Reys. As we were leaving a local girl came up and informed me that she was leaving with the band to make a video and then removed her top. I was told later that I was so drunk I just stood there and stared at her breast and said, "You hungry? We're going to El Reys." 

The really big show was the Agnostic Front, Dropkick Murphy's, and US Bombs show. There was another band but they sucked. The US Bombs were great as usual but I had heard that Dwanne was forced onto the wagon after falling down a flight of stairs in Detroit. Even though he did not receive one drink from the bar, he seemed a little drunk by the time he hit the stage. The guys from AF kept calling them the US Pimp mainly because they tend to always get the girls. Dropkick's new singer sucks and that's all I'm saying about that one. AF was a real flash back to my youth. It was nice to see them but it would have been cooler to see them 10 years ago when I was more into them.

My friends the Chicken Hawks came through and played on their way to NYC. Their new CD on RARF is well worth checking out. Also the B-movie Rats came through and blew the pig fucking roof off the place. The best band from Chicago, The Teenage Frames did a show back in August (on Safari's owner) Jakes birthday that included two girls giving him a lap dance during the Chezwicks set. Jake got too drunk and did a really good job of making an ass of himself including almost making Mike from Radio Caroline give him oral satisfaction so Mike could stay after close. Be afraid, be really afraid!

One other highlight was the true greatness of AT The Drive-In. They once again graced the club's stage. Proving once again that they are, if not the best band in the world, they do a great impersonation. For those that are wondering about what is up with Silpknot, they left the last week in September. I talked to Paul last week and things are going well and they should be back the second week in November. They met Kiss and Alica Silverstone and have been living the high life under the sun of California.

On a sad note my friend Sophia left KKDM and has moved back to Lincoln, NE. We've lost the last (maybe the only) person on the air that really gave a damn about local music. She helped to get Slipknot, Atomic Fireballs (Detroit) and Sister Solia (Chicago) signed, brought us the local battle of the bands, DotFest 1 & 2 and helped to promote or bring Rev. Horton Heat, The Urge, Reel Big Fish, Social Distortion, Atomic Fireballs, Offspring, Fastball, Everclear, Joykiller, Goldfinger and the list goes on and on. She worked long and hard and asked for little more then a pat on the back. So not only did I lose a good friend but Des Moines lost it's strongest supporter. She will be sorely missed.

Well that's all for now, DaVo 10/30/98