Memorial Day weekend & everyone has plans (camping, graduation, out of town...blah, blah, blah). Echovalve is playing @ The Local. That's where I'll be. No doubt.
I fly solo to the show, no big deal. I arrive at The Local & realize that the screen on my phone has decided it doesn't want to work any longer. I walk into the venue a little ruffled about the state of my phone, but still happy to be in the building. I immediately see Jess & Mark with some friends in a booth. I go over and promptly complain about my phone. They take a look at it & then we proceed to do the intros. Jess offers to work on my phone just as I see Ben sauntering over. I go to say hi & decide that we need a drink. I leave Jess to mess with my phone while Ben & I go over to grab a beverage. I decide that we need a pitcher, so we obtain one & go chill in a booth. Menial convo is exchanged. Ryan cruises by, Mikey says hi, Jackie comes over, then Ari arrives. Soon our booth is overflowing with folks we like to refer to as the 'EV family'. At that very moment, I see Dee walk in. I jump up to go greet her (it was our first meeting). She grabs a drink & we go over to a booth to chat it up. I am not too sure what to talk about, so I grab Ryan & they talk for a few. She shares her experiences with Def Leppard & a little about Kid Rock. I bounced from one booth to the other, but of course I ended up back at the booth with Dee. Jay meandered over and sat down, just as I had finished my beer. So, naturally I stole a sip of his cocktail. Good lordy, I think I grew chest hair it was so strong.... I did the introductions & we all conversed about randomness. Mathieu walked by & parked in the booth behind us with Mikey & Jackie. I dug in my purse for the gum I picked up for him on the way in. I tossed it over & he informed me that the piece he had in his mouth, he'd been chewing since 5:00 Friday. Impressive.
Eventually we made it into the venue. Both Ben & I wanted to catch Midnight to Twelve. Everyone said they were good. Plus, some of the boys from Crazy Anglos & Rehab came out to see their set, so they must be alright. & they were. Dee was quite impressed & I really thought they rocked. I didn't enjoy them as much as the Nigel Dupree Band (they opened up the last EV show I went to), but they were impressive. As I was watching M212, I spotted Boze, the frontman of Crazy Anglos. I know it's lame, but I recognized him from MySpace. I found that to be extraordinarily lame, yet fantastically humorous at the same time. I approached him, said hi & took a snapshot. It might have been one of the most lame acts I have taken part in. Oh well, moving on.
We drank & chatted til it was time for the headlining act, Echovalve. I positioned myself in my usual spot, right in front of Jay. I usually try and get Jaime somewhere near me, cuz he is fun to rock out with. Luckily I landed in between Jaime & Karman, with Diablo right behind me. Good thing he is a nice guy, cuz I repeatedly stomped on his toes. Sorry!! This location was true prime real estate. Plus Ben was behind me to my left, so I could assist in the consumption of the cocktail. Suh-weet. The boys played, I sang along with Karman & shot up my middle finger at Jaime every time Mathieu said 'Stand Down'. Apparently while Karman & I were chatting, Mathieu said something about something that had to do with me.... I am still not sure what was said. But, thanks buddy. I really appreciate all the musical genius you put in my ear! Anyway, I was a drunken, singing, sweating mess & having a fabulous time. So, the set was coming to an end & it was time for 'Operation Guitar Give-a-way'. Somehow, I luck out a lot in this sweepstakes. Hmmmmm.... ;)
So, the show was great & I was Tipsy Lou Who. Ben offered to let me ride with him & crash. His buddy Gene was going to scoop us so that no one had to drive. Yay. Turns out Jay is coming along as well... with me, Paige, Ben & Gene. We gather Jay & start to walk towards the car. This wierd dude yells for us to hurry up & get to the car. Uh, we were already walking in that direction. He gets a little too close for comfort & suddenly he is up on us & people start to yell. I jump in the middle hoping no one will hit a chic. I was not in the mood for a fight & whatever mess that might bring along with it. Fortunately my antics dissipated the arguement & we all got in the car. Feuf. Drama avoided.
So, we get to the destination & crashed....on bunkbeds. hee hee. I can't remember the last time I slept on a bunkbed. I think it was summer camp, 1982.
The next morning, Ben & I rode in the back of Gene's truck to our cars at The Local. It was another fun filled Echovalve night.
****I was advised that I need to talk less. Listen buster, I realize that I flap my jaw. I'm working on my loquaciousness. I am still slightly intimidated by the fact that I actually interact with you guys. So, you are going to have to deal with the nervous chatter until I feel comfortable enough with silence. Many thanks for bearing with me through this tough time.
---->>>Big shout outs to Lenzi!! I met Lenzi for the first time & she's friggin AWESOME!!
Thursday, July 3, 2008
still Masquerade show stuffs
Ok, this post may be a bit lame and a little off of what really happened because a) I'm not really in the mood to write this and b) It's been a little while since it happened & my memory isn't so good.
So, I had some folks over to my house before the show. I invited only a select few over. Aisha arrived first (she works with me). Then, Tony. Tony and I go way back, almost 10 years. Then the rest of the crew started to filter in. Bridget and her son, Matt, arrived. Nikki (who I had just met at the last show, but she was a real cool chic), Jess & Sheldon (more cool peeps I had met at EV shows), and then Reggie and his crew (Reggie is my security!).
We all hung out for a bit. We munched on some apps and had some drinks. We jammed out to Echovalve and just kind of chatted amongst ourselves. Jackie text me to come on down to the Masq, so off we went. We took 4 cars down. In my car was myself, Nikki and Tony. We blasted Echovalve and were all singing at the top of our lungs. Since we were carrying on, we didn't hear the phone ring sooooo many times. It was Jess & Sheldon and they were lost. They needed directions on how to get to The Masquerade. I did my best to navigate for them (I stink with directions). We stopped for gas and cruised into the Masquerade.
As we walked in, we said our hellos. I went down the steps and saw Jay first (it always seems to happen like that). We chatted for a sec and then I went over to say hi to Ryan and his dad. Then, over to say hi to Mathieu. All of the guys are so gracious and friendly. Rock on.
We made our way over by the stage and jammed out to 'Love Said No'. We struggled through the next band and then it was time. The main event. The feature players. You can feel the vibe in the venue change. The anticipation is heavy in the air as the boys set up. It's like a teenager right before the bell rings at last period.
So, Jay is testing his equipment and we settle right in front of him (that is my spot at every show, not just for EV). People start to crowd the stage, jostling for position. It is cute, really. I just milll about, letting the newcomers up front so that they can soak in what I already know. I am now positioned comfortably between Nikki and Tony. This time I was super excited to have Nikki by my side, belting out every word with me. Suh-weet. I rocked around for the whole set. I sang with Jess, Nikki, Sheldon...well, pretty much whoever was near me. At one point Mathieu really leaned into the crowd. The girlies up front all had instant sparkles in their eyes. It is so neat to watch the reactions of the crowd. We rocked out for what seemed like hours. I was really living in the moment, but every so often I glanced over to make sure Tony was enjoying himself. He was bobbing his head and had a grin on his face. Mission accomplished, another Valve-O-Holic has been created.
So, the show ends and Mathieu steps into the middle of the crowd and jets back to the merch table. That was pretty rad. I liked that move. However, what was about to happen made me much happier. Jay was about to hand his guitar to Sheldon (who is very shy), but he wouldn't take it. So, I got it. I knew that Jay wasn't trying to give his guitar to some lucky fan...but, I played along. I unplugged the guitar and went to run out the door. ahhahaahahaha I traded Jay his guitar back for his beer. I am no fool. I drank 1/2 of it and returned it with a smile. I think that Jay is one cool dude.
We meandered around to the merch table to say bye to everyone. Mathieu had some posters, so I decided to get all 4 boys to sign one. Mathieu had the only Sharpie. So, I got him to sign and nabbed the Sharpie and passed it to Nick. He signed and dripped sweat onto the poster. I promptly licked the bead of sweat off the sheet. Yeah, I am so that chic. I grabbed the marker and had Ry sign, then went over to Jay. He put the beer I had drank 1/2 of down and went to sign the poster when he spilled beer all over it. I was not about to try and get each of them to sign again, so I wiped it down and handed Jay the marker. He rolled with it. So, I got my hancocked poster and mosied on home with Tony and Nikki.
On the way home we stopped by Waffle House and grubbed. When we got back to my place, Tony jumped in his car and went home. Nikki crashed at my place. It had been a stellar eve. I enjoyed myself immensely. I love the ECHOVALVE. ;)
So, I had some folks over to my house before the show. I invited only a select few over. Aisha arrived first (she works with me). Then, Tony. Tony and I go way back, almost 10 years. Then the rest of the crew started to filter in. Bridget and her son, Matt, arrived. Nikki (who I had just met at the last show, but she was a real cool chic), Jess & Sheldon (more cool peeps I had met at EV shows), and then Reggie and his crew (Reggie is my security!).
We all hung out for a bit. We munched on some apps and had some drinks. We jammed out to Echovalve and just kind of chatted amongst ourselves. Jackie text me to come on down to the Masq, so off we went. We took 4 cars down. In my car was myself, Nikki and Tony. We blasted Echovalve and were all singing at the top of our lungs. Since we were carrying on, we didn't hear the phone ring sooooo many times. It was Jess & Sheldon and they were lost. They needed directions on how to get to The Masquerade. I did my best to navigate for them (I stink with directions). We stopped for gas and cruised into the Masquerade.
As we walked in, we said our hellos. I went down the steps and saw Jay first (it always seems to happen like that). We chatted for a sec and then I went over to say hi to Ryan and his dad. Then, over to say hi to Mathieu. All of the guys are so gracious and friendly. Rock on.
We made our way over by the stage and jammed out to 'Love Said No'. We struggled through the next band and then it was time. The main event. The feature players. You can feel the vibe in the venue change. The anticipation is heavy in the air as the boys set up. It's like a teenager right before the bell rings at last period.
So, Jay is testing his equipment and we settle right in front of him (that is my spot at every show, not just for EV). People start to crowd the stage, jostling for position. It is cute, really. I just milll about, letting the newcomers up front so that they can soak in what I already know. I am now positioned comfortably between Nikki and Tony. This time I was super excited to have Nikki by my side, belting out every word with me. Suh-weet. I rocked around for the whole set. I sang with Jess, Nikki, Sheldon...well, pretty much whoever was near me. At one point Mathieu really leaned into the crowd. The girlies up front all had instant sparkles in their eyes. It is so neat to watch the reactions of the crowd. We rocked out for what seemed like hours. I was really living in the moment, but every so often I glanced over to make sure Tony was enjoying himself. He was bobbing his head and had a grin on his face. Mission accomplished, another Valve-O-Holic has been created.
So, the show ends and Mathieu steps into the middle of the crowd and jets back to the merch table. That was pretty rad. I liked that move. However, what was about to happen made me much happier. Jay was about to hand his guitar to Sheldon (who is very shy), but he wouldn't take it. So, I got it. I knew that Jay wasn't trying to give his guitar to some lucky fan...but, I played along. I unplugged the guitar and went to run out the door. ahhahaahahaha I traded Jay his guitar back for his beer. I am no fool. I drank 1/2 of it and returned it with a smile. I think that Jay is one cool dude.
We meandered around to the merch table to say bye to everyone. Mathieu had some posters, so I decided to get all 4 boys to sign one. Mathieu had the only Sharpie. So, I got him to sign and nabbed the Sharpie and passed it to Nick. He signed and dripped sweat onto the poster. I promptly licked the bead of sweat off the sheet. Yeah, I am so that chic. I grabbed the marker and had Ry sign, then went over to Jay. He put the beer I had drank 1/2 of down and went to sign the poster when he spilled beer all over it. I was not about to try and get each of them to sign again, so I wiped it down and handed Jay the marker. He rolled with it. So, I got my hancocked poster and mosied on home with Tony and Nikki.
On the way home we stopped by Waffle House and grubbed. When we got back to my place, Tony jumped in his car and went home. Nikki crashed at my place. It had been a stellar eve. I enjoyed myself immensely. I love the ECHOVALVE. ;)
Masquerade Show 02/26/2008
First off, I am going to put out there what we all feel/think/say... this blogging stuff is hella wierd. It's like a diary that I am letting the world read.... um, b-a-r-f.
Soooo many of you have told me how lame this shit is and how only those wierd emo kids with gobs of black eye liner and no dates do this shit (yes, I said shit.... I also say "suck it".... I'd say other things, but I am now affiliated with some cool ass dudes called ECHOVALVE & they have an image and those boys deserve the best...so, I'll leave it at that.... ;) )
Moving on....---->>>>
I wasn't going to post about this show......but, well......posting is good for business, so here I am. If you have read my other posts, this one starts like all the rest. There is a disclaimer, "If you are offended easily or are a juvenile, RUN FROM JEN"..ahhahaha...no, really. You have been warned. I am the coolest UNcool person in the world.
~please remember I am a promoter~ ---->
This was a Tuesday show and weekday shows are super-doooper hard to promote if the band isn't a nationally recognized act. So, I asked myself....How do you get people out to this show on a friggin Tuesday??? First answer to come to mind is....either you pay them///or you give them free drinks.... But, this is ECHOVALVE, damnit. People come see them cuz they are siiiiick. Simply stated, **their show is off the hook, **the guys are superb individuals & **the music will move you, your cousin and your mother. {uh, hello} At this point (in my promoting mind) what I fail to realize is that they are not a national act (YET. Quote me on that.} Mkayyy.... My mission is to get people to the show. Not just bodies, I want people that are into the music. So, if you like mediocre, go back home. My job is to find those people that have passion and heart (Thanks Reggie)...I am not here to fill the room with numb bodies. I don't want people to come to the show for any other reason exept for the fact that ECHOVALVE rocks their fucking face off. Perhaps I am being irrational, but I have never done any promoting on a local level. I have worked with established acts so, then my job was easy... I am not good at 'easy'....
I heard ECHOVALVE once and knew that they were destined for greatness. These boys have talent. Period.
Please don't think I am best friends with the band, because I am not. I am simply aquainted with the boys. I am honored to have hung out with them, to have connected with one or two of them, to be able to work with them.... I am a fan just like everyone else. Urrrrghhhhh.... now I am getting all emo with gobs of black eyeliner. That is just gnarly. barf.
Since that was so lengthy, I am going to make this into 2 parts. I am so done with this right now.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Stay tuned for details of me licking Nick's sweat, Jay's handing over the guitar to me (not the brightest idea), Mathieu leaning in for a photo op with an interesting character & Ryan's dad being the coolest....Stay tuned.....
Soooo many of you have told me how lame this shit is and how only those wierd emo kids with gobs of black eye liner and no dates do this shit (yes, I said shit.... I also say "suck it".... I'd say other things, but I am now affiliated with some cool ass dudes called ECHOVALVE & they have an image and those boys deserve the best...so, I'll leave it at that.... ;) )
Moving on....---->>>>
I wasn't going to post about this show......but, well......posting is good for business, so here I am. If you have read my other posts, this one starts like all the rest. There is a disclaimer, "If you are offended easily or are a juvenile, RUN FROM JEN"..ahhahaha...no, really. You have been warned. I am the coolest UNcool person in the world.
~please remember I am a promoter~ ---->
This was a Tuesday show and weekday shows are super-doooper hard to promote if the band isn't a nationally recognized act. So, I asked myself....How do you get people out to this show on a friggin Tuesday??? First answer to come to mind is....either you pay them///or you give them free drinks.... But, this is ECHOVALVE, damnit. People come see them cuz they are siiiiick. Simply stated, **their show is off the hook, **the guys are superb individuals & **the music will move you, your cousin and your mother. {uh, hello} At this point (in my promoting mind) what I fail to realize is that they are not a national act (YET. Quote me on that.} Mkayyy.... My mission is to get people to the show. Not just bodies, I want people that are into the music. So, if you like mediocre, go back home. My job is to find those people that have passion and heart (Thanks Reggie)...I am not here to fill the room with numb bodies. I don't want people to come to the show for any other reason exept for the fact that ECHOVALVE rocks their fucking face off. Perhaps I am being irrational, but I have never done any promoting on a local level. I have worked with established acts so, then my job was easy... I am not good at 'easy'....
I heard ECHOVALVE once and knew that they were destined for greatness. These boys have talent. Period.
Please don't think I am best friends with the band, because I am not. I am simply aquainted with the boys. I am honored to have hung out with them, to have connected with one or two of them, to be able to work with them.... I am a fan just like everyone else. Urrrrghhhhh.... now I am getting all emo with gobs of black eyeliner. That is just gnarly. barf.
Since that was so lengthy, I am going to make this into 2 parts. I am so done with this right now.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Stay tuned for details of me licking Nick's sweat, Jay's handing over the guitar to me (not the brightest idea), Mathieu leaning in for a photo op with an interesting character & Ryan's dad being the coolest....Stay tuned.....
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