the Sweet Nothings - July 15, 2008

THE SWEET NOTHINGS @ Hooligans in Winnipeg, Canada

CPC Gangbangs and the Hot Live Guys - June 4, 2008

Maybe I just feel like making observations when they're pessimistic. It seems to me that as Summer arrives, less people are attending shows and there seems to be less enthusiasm in general. I was surprised how few people decided to check out Montreal's CPC GANGBANGS. The theme for the evening seemed for the most part to be silent and observant. Maybe there was some hard partying going on in the nights leading up to June 4th, I dunno.

Well, unfortunately, the headliners proved not to quite have the firepower to decimate such a crowd. Perhaps this could be blamed on the muddy work of the soundman. I enjoyed some songs more than others and it seemed the band was having a bit of an off-night. I'd check them out again to determine just what it is that all those effects pedals do. At least they had their looks down; macho new wave hair-farming sleazes just back from Mardi Gras... with the exclusion of the bassist, who was more bent on an acid-washed crust/rockabilly hybrid mutation.

Some rock'n'roll salvation was supplied by THE HOT LIVE GUYS; the particular moment I am referring to is when lead guitarist Joe crashed on the floor to the side of the stage and thrashed around on his back while continuing to play. Some girl decided it was time for her potty break and she was almost, almost crippled by a barage of bicycle kicks. Joe, work on your aim. Fuck potty breaks.


THE HOT LIVE GUYS @ the Royal Albert Arms in Winnipeg, Manitoba




CPC GANGBANGS



The rest of Jason Penner's photographs from this show can be viewed here.

KEN mode - May 31, 2008

KEN mode released their new CD/3x7", Mennonite, on the last day of May. Winnipeg's loudest band, and they finally secured themselves a roadworthy bassist, so expect them to hit the road with greater frequency.


KEN MODE @ the Royal Albert Arms in Winnipeg, Manitoba



The rest of Jason Penner's photographs from this show can be viewed here.

the Gorgon, Search + Destroy and the Sweet Nothings - April 3, 2008

THE SWEET NOTHINGS @ the Royal Albert in Winnipeg, Canada




SEARCH + DESTROY @ the Royal Albert in Winnipeg, Canada




THE GORGON @ the Royal Albert in Winnipeg, Canada







The rest of Jason Penner's photographs from this show can be viewed here.

the Sweet Nothings - March 29, 2008

From the ashes of THE DETENTIONS, the terrific SWEET NOTHINGS rise and deliver on providing Winnipeg with brilliant tuneful punk.


THE SWEET NOTHINGS @ Hooligans Pub in Winnipeg, Canada

Electro Quarterstaff - March 22, 2008

I've uploaded photos from Electro Quarterstaff's free March 22nd performance at War On Music. These are my digital shots. I shot a roll of film but it might be a while before I get around to developing and printing it.







The rest of Jason Penner's photos from this show can be found here.

Fashionable Idiots Blowout II - March 14, 2008

Fashionable Idiots Records celebrated their 2nd anniversary with a basement show in Minneapolis on March 14th, 2008. My band, UNDER PRESSURE, had not only the pleasure of working with label owners Andy and Eric on a record but were also invited to play the anniversary show with Twin City locals CONDOMINIUM and THE AGENDA, UH OH from Milwaukee, as well as Los Angeles rockers SHOOT IT UP, who were kicking off their US tour that night. It was a very brief but welcome excursion from the monotony of winter living in Winnipeg. All the bands were entertaining although it was CONDOMINIUM who stole the night for me. Hopefully they'll be coming up to Winnipeg in May. Thanks to Andy and Eric for releasing our record and for inviting us down for the show, and to Brad and Matt from CONDOMINIUM for letting us crash at their place.


Mike and Cam getting ready to pound it down with some Megaritos.


I'm a little apprehensive.


Janelle and Cam have yet to feel the effects of consuming their Extreme Pitas. Taking it to the max!


Lovepower Church in Minneapolis, MN


CONDOMINIUM @ the Alamo in Minneapolis, MN
















UH OH @ the Alamo in Minneapolis, MN




Colin and Mike taking in THE AGENDA.


THE AGENDA @ the Alamo in Minneapolis, MN




SHOOT IT UP @ the Alamo in Minneapolis, MN










Taking pictures of crap at the Big Chief truck stop driving home from Minneapolis. "Black Ice: Extreme Fat Burning System... Can you handle it?"




"I'll penetrate your asshole with my stiff nipple!"



All of Jason Penner's photos from Fashionable Idiots Blowout II can be viewed here.

Under Pressure US Tour - Day 10 - August 3, 2007

New Brunswick, New Jersey...

I can't remember much of the morning in New Brunswick. We didn't stay in town to do anything more than find a supermarket to eat out of on our way out. I really enjoyed the drive up to Syracuse for the most part. The forests, the rolling hills, and the occasional tired old town that we saw made me wish I could just wander the streets and look in old store fronts. We had concerns to stay on top of though. It was still hot out and our van was still overheating. We tried to find a speed and a driving method that would keep the temperature as low and as long as we could. This meant coasting down hills and timing our acceleration into an approach as best we could. We got stuck in some road construction a couple hours away from our destination, Syracuse, but while it had us worry whether we would make it on time to the early all-ages show, it did give the van a break. And as it turned out, all the other bands were running late.

We pulled up to one hell of a large house that looked to have been built around the turn of the last century. Chuck, the promoter and who also sings in BLACK SHEEP SQUADRON, was there to greet us. The show was still a while from starting. Only a few members of the opening local band were around.

As it turned out, not that many people showed up. But those who were there were friendly and seemed to be in the mood to have a fun evening. It's hard to be bummed out about that. The opening band, a female-fronted hardcore band who's name I can't remember, finally started. Although there were three other touring bands missing in action--probably stuck in the same stretch of road construction as we had been--the show had to go on. I crossed my fingers hoping that at least DRY ROT would make it.

We waited around for a while after the first band's set wrapped up. Chuck gave us the call to set up and get ready to play because there was still no word on any vans showing up. I was hoping to play later, and in front of more people but what can you do? We played a pretty solid set, and just after we finished, both DISNIHIL and DRY ROT pulled up to the house.

DISNIHIL went on first and played TRAGEDY-inspired hardcore, and by the time they were done, THE JURY from New Jersey had arrived and they played a solid set of fast snotty hardcore punk.

DRY ROT closed the evening and once again failed to disappoint. Small, cluttered show spaces are ideal for this band. Their bassist Cam stumbled across an old pair of rollerblades and put them on. He didn't appear very comfortable standing with instrument in hand. I wondered if we'd be in store for a concussion this time around.

Drew showed no signs of having recently suffered an chemical burns to his bodies and lurched and jabbed across the basement. At one point he started pushing Cam around on his rollerblades and miraculously, Cam managed to stay on his feet. Towards the end of the set, Drew put on the inserts from said rollerblades and put them on his hands, and then a large plastic bucket over his head. He howled away and banged the microphone onto the bucket and Cam finally had his feet fly out from under him as the band descended into another chaotic ending.

Chuck paid us out from the door, then had everyone follow him to a nearby gas station where he put some gas into all of our tanks. That was really decent of him, certainly doing that out of his pocket as not that many had paid to get in. I've since found myself occasionally in a similar situation, where the local support decided to stay home on the evening of a show, and I haven't hesitated to help make a band's trip a little more worthwhile if I can.

While everyone else went to Chuck's house, DRY ROT went with us to a nearby all-night supermarket to grab some food. For some reason I had a lot of fun walking through the store, the air conditioners blasting, the bakery dark with the skeleton crew all hovering around the cash registers, turning to look down an aisle and see someone familiar every time despite being so far from home, laughing at Joe for his ridiculous meals involving clearance items such as liquid cheese spread or dinged no-name clam chowder soup...

After hanging out in the entranceway of the supermarket for a while, comparing deals and meal selections, we made our way to Chuck's place. Folks were already settling in for the night. Drew and Jordan were preparing noodles in the kitchen, so I set with them for a while and talked about some great psychedelic music that I had been getting into as of late, like VULCAN and ARTHUR BROWN. Conversation was later steered over to concern about Drew's burns. He showed me the damage. I suppose it could have been a lot worse but I had no desire to ever find myself in his state. After a quick bite it was time to crash hard. Joe was out on the 2nd floor deck, surrounded by some guys who were smoking cigarettes and chatting. Almost all of the house's floorspace was taken. I rolled out my sleeping pad and stretched out, much to the dismay of Mike, who found himself too close to my feet. A couple of portable fans that we had brought with us on tour were plugged in and I drifted away to the loud hum.

"Dragon Cake" from My Poetry Is Out Of Control by Jason Penner

My errant communication to God:
"Out-sized, out-matched
An elongated, soft-bodied invertebrate
An inch at the most
I'll call you Dragon Cakes"

God pays me a visit:
knock knock

Me answering the door:
"Oh-wandering one
Why don't you stay a while?"

God's retort:
"I am a god, you faggot!
I could fit not even a toe
inside your house
But let us see
What I can stuff in your butthole!"

Impostors
Taking it to glorious new heights

[For those stumbling across this and not aware of an earlier entry in which I explained both the concept of "honking" and my mandate to write one poem a day no matter what, I offer no apology.]


Dan.


Hanging around outside between bands in Syracuse.


DRY ROT at a house in Syracuse, New York.








Drew throws a bucket over his head and adds percussive sounds with the handy microphone.




Drew attempts to feed himself into a portal a.k.a. "the bucket".




Don't bother arguing this; there's nothing more fun than hanging out with friends at a supermarket in the middle of the night.




This is what a bleach accident does to your flesh.





All of Jason's photographs from Under Pressure's 2007 US tour can be found here.

Under Pressure US Tour - Day 9 - August 2, 2007

Allentown, Pennsylvania...

We had just enough time to drive across town and check out Double Decker Records for an hour or so. It was easily the best punk record store that I've ever been in, although I haven't been to Octopus Ink in Edmonton. Sadly, this proved to be a missed opportunity, as I was completely broke. I ended up walking away with an earlier Damned single and a reissue of a heavy psych band called Morgen. I wish I had the money to get an original pressing of American Wino. One day I will visit such a store and have $500 to blow in 5 minutes. Not that I'm that kind of guy but it'd be something to do once.

The drive to New Brunswick, New Jersey was uneventful. We pulled up to the Fuck Mountain house and saw the SEA SICK guys loading everything out of their van; they had arrived from their tour just 15 minutes before us and lived at Fuck Mountain. Actually, they lived in a duplex. In the back yard was a shed called Fuck Mountain.

Joe and I ended up hanging out with Mark for a bit. He told us about the grease trucks--where you can get sandwiches filled with pretty much whatever you want--along with other trivial things, apparently all to do with New Jersey. Sadly, Jon Bon Jovi never came up. Though I did find out what a brass monkey was; a Colt 45 drank down to the end of the funnel and then topped off with orange juice. (Isn't that referenced in a Beastie Boys song?)

Rather than wander around the neighborhood (some of the guys ended up shooting for the grease trucks) or sit outside in the heat, I invited myself inside and enjoyed the air conditioning. I collapsed on the couch and watched the guys in SEA SICK mill about, being greeted by girlfriends, talking about what they wanted to do first thing now that they were home. I like that feeling, of returning from a long trip. The air is buzzing, everything is slightly off balance, everything old is briefly new again. Sometimes it can help shake up my life, get me started on doing things living and working at home rather than daydreaming about the next road trip. I was looking forward to having a renewed perspective upon walking through my front door after over four weeks on the road. It was too soon to think about it though, so I walked back outside. The only way I was going to arrive at that state was if I truly left my home behind and lived in that drifting personal nowhere land that changes with every moment, every block walked, every room entered, every time waking up from a nap during a long drive.

Felix Havoc had arrived and was already setting up the merch table in the tiny backyard that was squeeze between the house and the shed. I greeted the REGULATIONS guys, and was then introduced to Ian, the promoter who was setting up the New Brunswick and Brooklyn Regulations dates to which we'd been added.

Two local bands, KILLIN' IT and of course SEA SICK kicked things off as people slowly filed their way down the narrow pathway that ran between adjacent houses and into the show. It became apparent that everyone was here to check out the headliner. Most people stayed outside of the really cramped and hot space of the shed until the REGULATIONS went on. I can't remember much about UNDER PRESSURE's set, so it was most assuredly neither a disaster nor a life-changing experience for the folks who stood witness. You know, to be honest, I initially wasn't so much into THE REGULATIONS records but seeing them live does it for me every time and now when I listen to their records I'm transported to memories of catching them live. Their songs are fun and catchy, and they just seem totally on every time they launch into a set. It was a great one. People finally decided to cram their way in and within minutes the shed had become a filthy sauna and my fingers were turned into prunes. We would be playing 3, maybe 4 more shows with these guys, and then we'd be rejoining DRY ROT for more dates. I love touring with other bands who charge me up.

After the show I sat on the back porch with Otto (REGULATIONS singer) and Jens (drummer) and Otto's younger brother Henrik who was on tour with the band and visiting the US for the first time. Henrik and I hit it off right from the start. Our conversation was derailed when a drunk frat girl approached the chain link fence that closed in the back yard and started asking us drunk questions. Our answers only served as encouragement and before you knew it, she was tumbling over the fence and repeatedly giving us high-five's and telling us we should go play on the swings. I was amused at first but then got bored and left her with the other guys. It was getting late and after the girl was successfully ditched, we all sat in the house's kitchen and continued our visit before finally passing out. A great night spent with great folks.

"Grease Trucks" from My Poetry Is Out Of Control by Jason Penner

Frankenstein, drunk
Begging to take you over to the swings
He'll tell you anything
He'll tell you that isn't piss running down his leg
And he'd be right
Ditch him and shoot for the grease trucks
Hook him up with a jug of bleach
Sick him on the Swedes
Don't ride no monkey
Don't get electrocuted
Don't slide no slide
Ride the grease trucks
Don't climb up into no jungle gym


Going through the records at Double Decker. As foretold, some punk memorabilia hanging up on the wall...


...the jacket worn on THE ABUSED Loud And Clear EP. I'd rather be listening to SWEET though.


Silver shorts, a yellow reflective safety vest, Greg Norman's golfing hat and a beat-up acoustic guitar. Wish I could have pulled off a better shot as we drove out of town.


We arrive at Fuck Mountain.


THE REGULATIONS @ Fuck Mountain in New Brunswick, New Jersey.






I think I impressed Jens with my idea of starting up a punk band called RETARD. "I am... RETARD.". I think you would have had to have been there. Errr, or something. Marcus is trying to get a good night's rest.


Good times, having a late night chat with Henrik, Otto and Jens.

All of Jason's photographs from Under Pressure's 2007 US tour can be found here.

Under Pressure US Tour - Day 8 - August 1, 2007

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania...

After a good night's sleep we said goodbye to Lika the dog (Andy was already at work), then went out for a pretty tasty vegan breakfast with Greg, one of the guys who set up the show. He told us about the possibility of Mr Roboto Project relocating to another building. I hope the DIY space survives and continues to thrive.

During these relaxed visits we always have the opportunity to pick up on trivial knowledge on the city we're in... Like how there are corner convenience stores in Pittsburgh that, in defiance of licensing standards, have unlicensed bars set up in them. For some reason I found this amusing. I mean, surely it would be worth a few chuckles to walk into a corner convenience in the West End of Winnipeg and see a bunch of cranky old-timers sitting at a small table in the back next to the Doritos display getting shitfaced. It's unfortunate that we didn't have enough time to seek one out.

We didn't pull up to Jan's Room in Allenstown, Pennsylvania until 7:30 PM. Either I was wearing down or it was getting hotter out... and more and more humid by the day. The humidity just kills me. I concluded that we were riding a heatwave. It was sucking the life out of me and I was starting to run a fever. I hoped that I wasn't coming down with a summer cold.

Jan's Room was located in a factory; a room located within a factory. A factory warehouse that contained at least one business, and appeared to have no intentions of suspending operations for the evening. As we loaded in we were instructed not to leave our equipment in front of a door that workers would need access to in their coming and going. The show space was down a hallway... A high-ceilinged room with a concrete floor and concrete walls. There were no windows or vents; just a single door that was kept closed while bands played. It was the perfect size for a show; people wouldn't be too scattered.

The DRY ROT guys were already there and we greeted them. There were a few locals who were slowly arriving and filing in. Then I noticed two "older" guys (being in their 30's and not in their teens or early 20's as was everyone else present) standing in the hallway. One appeared to be holding camera equipment, so I assumed that this was Scott, the photographer who Andy told us would be accompanying him to the show. Andy is half of the operation behind Escape Artist Records, one of the labels we work with. I walked over and made introductions, then shot the shit for awhile, until I decided to check out the tail end of the opening band's set. I think they were called WE HAVE HEAVEN. It wasn't my thing; amateurish Sonic Youth-wannabe instrumental soundscapes.

Second up were MIDDLE AMERICA. I thought they were alright. A little sloppy but pretty fiesty stuff. Their bassist smashed two bass guitarst during their set. I found this comical. Something went wrong with the first bass so he immediately threw it across the room. The band continued tearing through a song as the dude picked up and plugged in a second bass. Then, a song or two later, he got fed up with that instrument and smashed it on the ground, then switched back to the first bass.

Before playing, Adam and Scott took us upstairs into a stairwell and shot some photos for an upcoming magazine feature. I told Adam in an e-mail about Dan's deciding to eat lots of lemons on tour. Sure enough, Adamn brought a huge bag of lemons and they were used to produce sour faces while Scott shot away.

Getting back to the show space... Small rooms; great in forcing people to stand close and have fun rather than maintain a huge bubble of personal space around them. Also great for turning a concrete room into a bonafide sauna during a heatwave. We played hard and the kids in attendance made our exertions worthwhile. Upon our conclusion, I realized that I was dizzy and could hardly breathe. I felt weighed down, my clothes so drenched with sweat that I could have just as easily had been swimming in a pool with my clothes on. I packed up our gear as fast as I could and carted it into the hallway, then retreated to the van.

It was dark out, and the van was half a block down from the venue. It was still hot out but comparatively it was a welcome relief. I looked down the street, the sidewalks, the vacant lot. Suddenly it was really quiet, dark shadows moving around in the distance. I started to shiver, then stripped behind the van and changed into dry clothes. I felt recharged and wondered why I hadn't changed immediately out of wet clothes after performing before. I was still concerned about my health. I felt as if the extreme heat and exertion had me sweat out a cold. That's good if I had the virus beat; could be bad if it came back and I put myself through the same thing every night of the tour. Could break me down.

I quickly made my way back inside and got my camera ready for DRY ROT. They just got better and better live. Drew continued throwing reckless abandon into the performance, grabbing an old wood door left in the space and dragging it around, then screaming through its window at the audience. Four or five songs into their set, he ran into Jordan. Jordan retaliated, sending Jordan off balance, then grabbed a jug and dumped its contents all over him. I continued shooting, trying my best to capture the moment. I then looked down briefly at the preview screen on my digital camera and noticed that Drew's pants appeared to be changing color. I looked up and saw patches of white expanding across the denim fabric. It was I inhaled and smelled the burning chemical that I realized what Jordan had just done. That bottle of bleach that I had noticed in a photograph I took on our first show with DRY ROT back in Detroit had followed the band from city to city. It was carried with a purpose; a climax when the time was right.

Drew started to pull at his jeans, attempting to get out of them. His entire body was covered with a different sort of sheen, that wasn't like the sweat on other shirtless bodies; he looked glazed. Drew screamed into the microphone and the band hurtled onward through the song. He fell to the ground, then moments later, dropped the microphone and ran to the bathroom outside of the show space. The atmosphere inside was literally like a sauna, and now it was like a sauna that had been doused with bleach. No ventilation. People started coughing and left the room as quickly as they could. There was absolutely no doubt in anyone's mind that the show was over.

Ryan, DRY ROT's roadie, looked after Drew, flushing water over his body. After checking to make sure that Drew wouldn't need to go to the hospital and was doing alright, I got some "fresh" air and visited with Adam and Scott until it was time to load out and head over to the Jordan's house to crash.

We found a parking spot not far from the house, threw our belongings inside, then took a walk down to a nearby convenience store with DRY ROT. While I was inside buying myself a 1 liter bottle of amazing Turkey Hill ice tea, this black dude approached those of us who were waiting outside and asked for a cigarette. When he discovered that there was none to be had he became pissed off and warned everyone that things were about to get "buck wild". As I was walking away from the till, I noticed the guy sneak into the store as if he were hunting an animal with his bare hands. Finding his intended target, he grabbed a prized box of Slim Jims, then walked back out of the store, shoving through our party and staring us down. Intense but awesome. I hope he enjoyed his late night snack.

Back at the house, our hosts soon went to sleep. We took the opportunity to sit back and have a really good visit with DRY ROT. Cam, Joe and Mike sat around a table with DR drummer Pat and Ryan while I eventually decided to slip off into reminiscing my youth and watching a VHS copy of Ghostbusters II. All these years later, it's still pretty awesome. I still have a crush on secretary Janine Melnitz.

"Denim Gauntlet" from My Poetry Is Out Of Control by Jason Penner

Don't ride no train
Ride the hills
Don't stop for groceries
Don't help no old lady cross the street
Ride the hills
Ride the meatwave
Ride the meatwave
Ride the meatwave
To the Northwest
Don't ride no subway
Ride the meatwave
Ride the meatwave
Ride the meatwave
Your empty pockets


Scoring a pretty tasty vegan breakfast with Greg in Pittsburgh.


Under Pressure: where Gross St meets Friendship Dr.


Cam, checking out... I think it was an upstate New York swingers mag. Hot couples looking to bounce flab off each other's privates and all that jazz.


AMERICAN @ Jan's Room in Allentown, Pennsylvania


DRY ROT @ Jan's Room in Allentown, Pennsylvania








Bleach comes into play.








Scott and Adam (Escape Artist).


Hanging out, drinking some Turkey Hill ice tea after the show. I hung back from the conversation; my attention was focussed on Ghost Busters II.


Photo by Scott Kincade.

the Gorgon - December 2, 2008

the Gorgon's Corpse Whale CD release show @ the Royal Albert in Winnipeg, Canada

the Untrained Eyes, the Sweet Nothings, Tight Genes, Tony Two-Fist & the Terribles - January 26, 2008

Great show. There was a rural Manitoba band that opened things up. I wasn't into them much but they did have a fairly authentic-sounding So-Cal influence, and covered "Bloodstains" which was alright. I was expecting a spectacle with TONY TWO-FIST & THE TERRIBLES and was not disappointed. But instead of just drunken lunacy, I was given even more. Picture a happy-go-lucky GG Allin attempting to play covers mostly straying to the tuneful and post-punk side of things. The most retarded and amazing rendition of "12XU" that I've ever heard. Ditto for "Whips & Furs". It took me a while to figure that one out, but when I did I was floored. What the fuck?! Seeing Tony shake his fist to the beat, attempting to remember the lyrics before settling once again into the relief of the familiar chorus, then telling the laughing audience to fuck off was brilliant. TIGHT GENES went on next. I had only heard their early demo recordings and heard that they had been pretty sloppy live. They were tight with the new lineup although I didn't hear live what I had heard in the demos; a bit of a REAL KIDS influence. I'll check 'em out again when they next play out. THE SWEET NOTHINGS went on next and floored me. Winnipeg's scene had been lacking in one particular area ever since the demise of Jill Clapham's previous band, THE DETENTIONS. Now paired with a new and rock solid backing band, she completes the total package of superbly delivered pop rock'n'roll. Wow, the range and power of her voice effortlessly pulled off BUZZCOCKS and DICKIES covers. They're working on releases already and I can't wait to hear them. One of Winnipeg's best kept secrets, THE UNTRAINED EYES, closed the night. There had been delays earlier with a malfunctioning PA amp, which left the band with only enough time to play four songs. Then there was a fight that broke out and spilled outside, which caused me to miss about a song-and-a-half. Bummer. THE UNTRAINED EYES are also working on a recorded document; they were supposed to record the weekend of the show before instead committing to playing out. Overall, a fantastic night presenting a nice array of bands in the more garage-y end of the local underground spectrum.


Tony Two-Fist & the Terribles @ the Label Gallery in Winnipeg, Canada




Tight Genes


the Sweet Nothings




the Untrained Eyes

Under Pressure US Tour - Day 7 - July 31, 2007

Cleveland, Ohio...

I woke up and took my first conscious breath of the morning. Hot, stale air. Then the aching pain came, running the length of my contorted body. Not what you might occasionally get from sleeping on a hardwood floor or a lumpy couch but from sleeping in a van. A full-sized van that was designed to haul entire families but can't provide me with any means of comfort. I can't even stretch out. The aches had arrived and were not going anywhere anytime soon. Next to arrive was awareness of the sweat-damp, greasy clothes adhered to my skin. I just tried to breathe for a while. That really didn't do anything; didn't wake me up, didn't cool me off, didn't lessen the feeling of being smothered in a miasma of tour filth.

I tried to turn back, to sink back into blissful unconsciousness but I was stuck. I contorted my body further and saw Cam's tangled mop of hair hanging over the edge of the loft. He was still sound asleep. I was in such a haze I can't quite recall... but I think I wandered around the parking lot for a while, then checked inside the restaurant to find everyone still asleep. I probably tried relaxing in the van for a while longer, checked a few more times for any sign that Cam might be waking up, became increasingly more bored and restless, then finally broke down and woke everyone up, which I was no doubt thanked for. It sucks to always be the first one awake on tour. I do remember Cam telling me that some crackheads had wandered around the van briefly and stared at us through the windows. I hate that shit. Fortunately I'm pretty good at blocking thoughts of being looked at in my sleep... or worse.

Once everyone was good to go, we said our goodbyes to SEA SICK--who we'd see again soon--and got out of Cleveland. We made good time driving into Wilkinsburgh, a suburb of Pittsburgh, arriving at 3:30 PM, just before rush hour. Perfect. We parked right across the street from Mr Roboto Project, one of the US's great DIY venues. There was no sign of life so we gave Andy/BRAIN HANDLE a call. He was stuck at work until show-time so he gave us a few points of interest. Joe had disappeared though, so we had to organize a search party. It was ridiculous how long it took to catch the guy. He was always popping in and out of sight, just always rounding corners a couple of blocks ahead. I was wondring if, when we finally caught up with Joe and tapped him on the sounder, he was going turn around and instead be some long-haired woman wearing a red t-shirt and skin-tight pocket-less bellbottom jeans. Fortunately, we had our man. If he wouldn't have been listening to music on headphones we would have been able yell him down.

Once reunited, we made our way across town and checked out the town's punk record store, Brave New World. I visited with Rob, the store's manager for a while. We, of course talked music, then I left him some records on consignment before joining the band in grabbing some Middle Eastern food at a restaurant located below the store.

It was back to the venue. I had a 45-minute nap in the van and woke to find people slowly making their way to the show. As I sat up and cleared my eyes I noticed that Bill and Eric of CAUSTIC CHRIST were hanging out in front. We caught up and I spoke a bit with Bill about THE PIST reunion shows and his getting married. I ended up missing the first band in the process. Then the second band went on but unfortunately I was looking after some issues regarding my laptop and computer equipment so I didn't have much of a chance to take them in.

Sometimes when I play a city and have a great time it's something that exists only in that moment, in that set of variables. Other times, I get the sense that I was fortunate to become part of something that is alive and thriving in that local scene, something that can be revisited.

After playing Mr Roboto our first time a couple of years ago I had the impression that there was a really great energy driving the local scene. There were folks of all ages in attendance and the atmosphere was really friendly and social. The old-timers at the show weren't jaded and seemed to be fueling the scene with as much momentum as the kids who were excited to get their first band off the ground. I don't think this is a very common thing and after returning to this place I'm glad that little has changed.

I love the character of Pittsburgh's old 3-story family homes; no two exactly alike. The city's winding streets that change from concrete to asphalt to brick to cobblestone in a blink of an eye, its hills and valleys which house monuments to expired industry... and I love how welcome and at home I feel here. I hope that doesn't change on my next visit, and I have a feeling it won't.

DRY ROT were incredible again. Drew climbed up on top of some high speakers again and probably got his band a little nervous. He ended up taking a pretty crazy head-first dive over Cam's head. I thought he would have injured himself. When I looked at my capture of his tumble, I can now see that Drew has the grace of a cat.

We played a great set, as I knew we would. It ended with "I Explode". Joe hurled himself through the audience and towards the back of the room. I soon after threw myself into him and we ended up thrashing into each other on the ground. Our struggle took us into a pile of garbage bags and before you knew it, plastic was torn and garbage was kicked around the room as we flailed around. Some were entertained, a few were pissed off by the mess.

After the venue was cleaned up and the bands were loaded out we made our way to Andy's apartment, introduced ourselves to his dog Lika and got some much-needed sleep in a comfortable apartment absent of mould.

"Deep Value" from My Poetry Is Out Of Control by Jason Penner

Fang boner
Yellow, right on time
Right from birth
Procrastinating upon the altar
Of the unborn
Hovering above porcelain plastered with dead sperm
Fuck karma
Fang boner


Mr Roboto Project in Wilkinsburgh, Pennsylvania


DRY ROT @ Mr Roboto Project in Wilkinsburgh, Pennsylvania



All of Jason's photographs from Under Pressure's 2007 US tour can be found here.

Under Pressure US Tour - Day 6 - July 30, 2007

Lima, Ohio...

Woke up, checked out the Christmas decorations that filled the house, watched Joe drink a breakfast beer, then walked outside to say our farewells to John, Jim and our fellow Winnipeggers. KURSK were at the tail end of their US tour. They had been on the road, all crammed along with their gear in a tiny run-down minivan. The only way you can accomplish such a thing is with one hell of a system, and they had it down. They looked like astronauts, contorting themselves to fit just so. And up until a day or two ago, they had another passenger, photographer Jon Schledewitz. Unfortunately, he had to leave the tour early on account of a family emergency.

Back on the road in rural Ohio... We were in bible country. Billboards, murals painted on walls, stickers on the backs of vehicles... even declarations of support for the troops and war against abortion rights painted on company vehicles. America's Taliban. I'm sure they're a lot nicer than those other Taliban guys. We weren't tortured or blown up, thankfully.

It was evening when we pulled up to Now That's Class, Cleveland's punk bar. A lot of cool shows went down here and members of the local scene's bands owned and worked at the place. We loaded in, set up the merch table, then introduced ourselves to the other touring band, Sea Sick, who were just wrapping up their tour and returning to New Brunswick, New Jersey.

Eventually, it was time to start up the show. Unfortunately, there was no one at the bar. I had a sneaking suspicion that not that much promotion had been done. On the other hand, despite the abundance of wacky hell-raising punk bands that Cleveland has, not one was able to play. Actually, that probably had a lot to do with the absence of locals... and it being a Monday night. I hope QUESTION and DIAGONA had better luck with their show the day before.

Let's see... There were a couple of folks behind the bar, the janitor who also sang in OUT WITH A BANG, a guy named Charlie who worked at the local record store (and picked up some records off of us which was great), Steve from 9 SHOCKS TERROR/HOMOSTUPIDS and a few other people who paid at the door. Excluding members of the touring bands, we might have played in front of 10 people. Cleveland... rocks. Now That's Class is a great punk bar though, and maybe one day I'll be there when the locals are in. Maybe one day my band will play in front of them.

SEA SICK played straight-forward modern hardcore. All the guys in the band were really outgoing and friendly, and we looked forward to playing another show with them in a few days in their hometown.

It was our turn. Joe spazzed out, jumping off the stage and performing acrobatics while wailing on his guitar. Then we were done.

It was then time for DRY ROT to take the stage and they blew me away from the very first note. I no longer cared that Cleveland could give two shits about our bands. It sunk in that my band was going to be playing a whole bunch of shows with an incredible band. The first notes; a cover o BLUE CHEER's version of "Summer TIme Blues". That's what I was hearing in their sound; fuzzed out madness. Maybe there was something reminiscent of NO TREND as well. Drew was all over the place, climbing up on top of a speaker and violated Cam's face with a microphone. The set ended with Drew crawling all over stage and grabbing every mic, throwing them into a pile and howling into it.

I walked over to chat with Steve after the show but he and Charlie were preoccupied with recording a radio piece with DRY ROT. As the bar closed, we were given directions to the place we'd be crashing for the night. We were initially told "you'll be sleeping at a Chinese restaurant tonight". Then one of my bandmates was told that the place used to be a restaurant, and in fact was the restaurant filmed at the end of A Christmas Story... You know, the one about the kid wanting a Red Rider BB gun?

DRY ROT were crashing at Steve's place, so we drove down to the old restaurant with SEA SICK following us. It took us a while to locate the building, even with a GPS. The building was really run down and in a pretty rough-looking neighborhood. There was a parking lot to the rear that was a little closed off from the street, which was probably a good thing.

By the time we made it into the building, which seemed more like an old garage than a once-Chinese restaurant, the beds upstairs had already been taken by SEA SICK and the folks who lived there. There was a small anarchist library in the open space of the main floor that had some couches. Dan, Mike and Joe made themselves comfortable and were greated by a cat. The place had a bad smell to it, and after wondering about the black mould situation the night before in Lima, I decided that I didn't want to risk sleeping in any more places that might end up giving my respiratory problems. I'm grateful that someone offered to let us crash at their place and my standards aren't that high but I just wasn't in the mood. There was a resident cat to keep the guys company; Cam and I decided to sleep in the van outside. We were told that the occasional crackhead might wander into the parking lot but not to worry; that they were usually zombies who'd just walk around and bump into things, then wander away. We kept the windows open a crack.

"Landlocked Motherfucker" from My Poetry Is Out Of Control by Jason Penner

I'm tired
Stick to the ribs
Go for the bones
Swallow the marrow
You've taken on an allegiance
Of the unfathomable
Bake a cake
Summon the peasants
Arm them with cookbooks and rakes
Not only am I hungry
I am Saturn of Findlay


Errr...


As I was saying... John and Jim are really into collecting "African American Christmas decorations".






UNDER PRESSURE and KURSK.


George Michaels


Taking a stop while on a toll stretch of interstate. Fuck that. They have the occasional bullshit multiplex where you can stop... and do what? It's actually impossible to buy anything healthy outside of a heavily waxed apple or a bottle of orange juice.


Or fuck around with a guitar in the parking lot.


SEASICK @ Now That's Class in Cleveland, Ohio


Joe and I cool off after our set. He appeared pretty exhausted but Joe always has another wind in reserve. He's a goer.


DRY ROT @ Now That's Class in Cleveland, Ohio








Drew finds himself a blunt object.



All of Jason's photographs from Under Pressure's 2007 US tour can be found here.

Under Pressure US Tour - Day 4 - July 28, 2007

Chicago, Illinois...

Our stay was quite relaxing. I recall staying up really late to watch a serial killer movie. I think it was Ed Gein. I'll tell you, Bryan and Sarah have by far the most beautiful character apartment I've ever seen. Hardwoods and absolutely gorgeous trim on all the baseboards, windows and ceilings. There's a front veranda and also a back fire escape that also effectively serves as a deck. It's incredible how much light the corner suite had, and it breathed really well. Sarah cooked the band some vegan biscuits and gravy and we ate them up, then made a run for it.

We didn't end up making very good time on our drive to Detroit. The van was still overheating and we had to stop to let it cool down again. We still didn't know what was wrong or how this might end up affecting our tour. It was 11 PM by the time we pulled up to the 2500 Club. The bar is located in central detroit. Pretty creepy location; it was surrounded by grown-in vacant lots and industrial waste. We were told that it was a rough neighborhood.

I can't imagine going out to have fun at the local punk show and having to navigate violence and possible death. I suppose that we all do that in reality, just not to such a degree where you are forced to acknowledge, the odds of you getting fucked make every drop of paranoia rational and entirely palpable.

Even so, we were returning to catch up with our friend Tony and THE BILL BONDSMEN. In my opinion, one of the US's best current hardcore punk bands. And it's not like the local bar isn't going to take care of our security. built around the bar's "parking lot" and patio was a high chainlink fence. We were guided in and the gates closed behind us. Sitting at a table on the deck, you could glimpse through the fence covering and see weeds growing through empty property, and street lights further off, then buildings just beyond them.

Tony was already there. It was nice to see him again. We loaded in and set up our merch, then looked through some bins that other folks had brought to the show. Music played loud over the PA and some androgynous dudes dressed in some pretty sassy clubwear were gyrating on the dance floor. Sometime later DRY ROT pulled into the compound and unloaded.

It was a month or two before the tour that the inevitable happened; tour overlap. I try to book our tours as early as possible so that I don't have to be the one cut out of playing shows or having to rush to juggle dates around another band's schedule. In reality though, this still happens, even if you're the early bird, although I supposed it's lessoned. I believe it was the promoter handling our Pittsburgh notified me of DRY ROT's tour. When I looked through DRY ROT's schedule I saw several dates that were overlapping or only a day off. I didn't know anything about the band. I assumed they would be a grind band judging from their name. I stumbled upon some MP3s online and was pleasantly surprised. To me they sounded like a cross between VOID and BLACK FLAG, with something else thrown in. I tracked down their singer Drew's e-mail to see if we could rework our schedules to mutual benefit. Maybe UNDER PRESSURE would be touring with another band. Well, Drew and I hit it off well through correspondence and our bands were soon scheduled to play 10 shows together.

I don't recall saying much to the band before the live music started up. My subconscious intentions were probably to take in all the music, then start up a conversation after things had calmed down. After all, I had some investigating to do, right? No, not really. I grew up in a city where homophobic, pro-life Christian metalcore was not just big, it was huge. Victory Records circa mid-90's huge. Hundreds of kids at shows huge. I really hated everything Christian. But I've since realized that not everything Christian is tied to the wrongdoings of the Catholic Church or the retardation of evangelicals. I don't really understand why progressive minds would choose religion but some do and they're good people. So, there are Christians who I should have no reason to tell to fuck off and I wasn't really that motivated to part ways with DRY ROT on the basis that someone told me they were Christian, or even if they were Christian. Nothing in their music evoked religious overtones so unless something horrific was encountered, I decided to deem this a non-issue.

DEATHSKIN RAZORS were on first. They were a young band and their sound was a bit all over the place, at least rooted within the genre of hardcore punk. They were a bit new-school-ish sounding, perhaps on account of the metal tendencies that I recall hearing creep up in their songs. Not really my thing but I'd be curious to hear them again should they stick around and dial in their sound more.

DRY ROT followed and I waited up front anxious with anticipation. Jordan, their guitarist, set up a full stack and an array of effect pedal oddities in front of him. Cam, their bassist, reminded me of Jason Lee. I think it even went beyond the moustache. As soon as they launched into their first song, Drew transformed with mic in hand. He slithered, lurched and contorted himself all over the stage, completely irate. I loved the dynamic on stage. Drew flew into Jordan, knocking him momentarily off of his playing. In return, Jordan pushed Drew and kicked at him, all while Cam took pause, perched upon his bass amp, eating jelly beans and offering some to the audience. I loved it.

We were on next and I thought we played a decent set. Some neighborhood crackheads wandered into the bar while we played and walked up to shake our hands upon our conclusion. Then it time for locals THE BILL BONDSMEN. Fantastic. Tight, pissed off, exhibiting exquisite taste in influences while completely locked in its own identity. A band that is rare to be found nowadays. Someone brought a wheelchair in and before you knew it people were taking turns slinging each other around and eventually destroying the piece of equipment.

After pulling out my earplugs I got to socializing with Tony and the guys in DRY ROT. Everyone seemed really excited about the music that they had taken in that night. We organized a convoy and made our way to Tony's new suburban home. We needed not worry about getting shot anymore. We pulled into a welcoming secluded neighborhood. With a cool breeze washing through the lush foliage of tress that towered above houses, we contemplated just laying in the front yard. We ended up eating some spaghetti, then DRY ROT went to another house to get some sleep while we went into Tony's music room where we spun vinyl into the night. He played us a lot of great old rock'n'roll, some weirdo obscurities. I decided to make myself comfortable and laid down on the carpet floor while everyone around me continued talking music. I recall listening to Bob Seger's early recordings and "That Smell" by Lynyrd Skynyrd while I drifted off. A great night, just as I had anticipated.

"Elect Stone" from My Poetry Is Out Of Control by Jason Penner

Smack dab in the middle of it all
Crackers
Try one and you'll know
Elect Stone


Cam and Sarah chatting over breakfast.


Bryan and the family dog.


While fueling up on rock fuel at a grocery store, I instructed Joe to jump into a nearby shopping cart and work his magic. He sang to the sun as if he were howling at the moon.


Upon settling in at the 2500 Club, Joe requested that I take a photo of his jungle rot guitar in the bar's fecal playground.


DRY ROT @ the 2500 Club in Detroit, Michigan (Note the bottle of bleach by the drum kit. This will become an important detail at a later date.)




THE BILL BONDSMEN @ the 2500 Club in Detroit, Michigan (I was still getting used to shooting digital and was using existing light beyond the camera/lens's abilities but the shots aren't all that bad. Well, perhaps not all that great either.)



All of Jason's photographs from Under Pressure's 2007 US tour can be found here.

Under Pressure US Tour - Day 3 - July 27, 2007

Madison, Wisconsin...

After crashing at Ariel's place we packed up and went down to Earwax, the local punk record store. Rob, one of the folks who runs the shop, bought some records off of us. We then said our goodbyes to Ariel and made our way towards Chicago.

The van was still overheating. We stopped using the air conditioning (which didn't really do much anyhow) and that seemed to help curb the problem a little. It was time to get a mechanic to take a look at the vehicle. And what better place to do it than Rockford, Illinois.

The guy working the desk at the garage chain told us it would be a few hours so we walked across the road to a shitty mall that only seemed to be selling cellular phones. The oil was changed and they ran some diagnostics but couldn't find anything wrong with the van. (In the end, this assessment will prove the most accurate one given to us by a mechanic on tour.)

We made it to Chicago with time to spare. The venue had changed several times in the last few weeks. Brian/CHRONIC SEIZURE was originally supposed to set up the show but he moved into an apartment with his wife Sarah and the house venue he had lived in was no more. The show was handed off to Benny/NO SLOGAN but his venue fell through as well, so we were added to another house show that we didn't know existed. It turned out to be a good one, despite providing us with the second time experience of a basement show featuring a backed-up sewer.

Although Benny didn't show up, No SLOGAN guitarist Christ showed up with his distro. He also played guitar in the opening band of the evening. BARREN kind of reminded me of an early Lookout Records band for some reason. Perhaps it was a bit in part to the female vocals.

They were followed up by a band I didn't catch the name of. They played fast crusty hardcore. Their singer laid out some paint and a bed sheet before their set and finished off a painting within minutes. I found this entertaining but I don't think he has anything on John Kilduff. It also would have been cool if the message would have read... say something along the lines of "tits suck dicks rule" instead of something political. I'm no anti-PC fascist but I guess I'm just too burnt out on "fight the power" slogans. It's got to be really good to get me into John Lennon & Yoko Ono mode. I'm more into honking these days.

DISROBE were the highlight of the night for me. Really manic pissed off hardcore punk that had everyone in the basement bouncing off the concrete walls. It's a shame that they never get the chance to tour; they've been around for a while now and largely remain an unknown. If you like bands like DOUBLE NEGATIVE, check these guys out if you have the chance.

Two touring bands from Minneapolis played after; grind band DIAGONA and QUESTION. DIAGONA weren't really my thing but I'm completely burned out on grindcore (fuck, that's two things I realized I was burned out on in one night!) so it's hard for me to be objective. I enjoyed chatting with locals like Jake (ex-FOURTH ROTOR, currently in CANADIAN RIFLE, awesome guy) but regret hanging out in the back yard during QUESTION's set. QUESTION is fronted by Sairah (ex-DETESTATION) and play thrashy punk. Fortunately I would be able to take them in at a later show on the tour.

UNDER PRESSURE played last and a lot of people had cleared out by that time, either tending to the BBQ going on in the backyard or gone home. After our set I chilled out for a while, cooling off in a quiet corner of the yard, then brought the van around and slowly began to load out.

After we had almost finished packing up the promoter, a guy named Carlos, walked up and thanked us for playing, then apologized for not being able to pay us anything. I replied with something along the lines of "huh?" Carlos went on to tell us that Benny had given him assurances that we didn't want any money. I told him that we had said no such thing but that if that's how it was, then so be it. Carlos walked away and then I began to get mad.

If we had at least been told earlier in the evening we could have mentioned at the beginning of our set that we were not getting paid and could use donations for gas money. And although it was hardly "our" show (it was a show for the QUESTION/DIAGONA tour), there were people who told me that they came and paid just to see us. I realized that we became involved in this show at the last minute but... any decent promoter would have scrounged up a few dollars for gas, or passed around a hat... and any somewhat less than decent but still not awful promoter would have at least made it clearly known that we weren't getting paid anything the moment we pulled up to the venue. I don't think I'm being too harsh with this assessment because I'm a promoter and I always make sure that bands are taken care of.

I had Cam bring Bryan over and I told him about the situation. He took it upon himself to talk to Carlos and ended up getting some gas money out of him. That was very decent of him. Bryan then hopped into the van with us and we drove to his apartment, where Andy/Fashionable Idiots and his girlfriend were also going to stay after coming out for the show.

"Very Suggestive" from My Poetry Is Out Of Control by Jason Penner

Lecture me from your deepfried fortress
On wheels
There are deals for every make-up,
Every cosmologist
Don't interrupt those descending
Astro-naughts, holy beings and meteorites
Living, mystical and material beings
All descending
For every cosmologist
A taxidermy
Then a hanging


Rockford wasn't very rocking, but that didn't stop us!




BARREN @ a house venue in Chicago, Illinois


Hanging out with Andy at the merch table in the back yard of the venue.




Unknown band. Before playing, their singer painted a slogan on a bed sheet and hung it up on a wall in the basement.


DISROBE @ a house venue in Chicago, Illinois

All of Jason's photographs from Under Pressure's 2007 US tour can ben found here.

Under Pressure US Tour - Day 2 - July 26, 2007

Minneapolis, Minnesota...

Through the course of the previous evening I discovered that two boxes of Come Clean jackets were missing. I did a complete inventory, then another, then we searched all over Andy and Eric's place, I called UPS... I thought it was happening all over again. The last time I manufactured a record a couple of boxes went missing while being delivered and it took me 6 months to get reimbursed. I was starting to get really pissed off at my misfortune when we came up with possibility that our boxes were successfully delivered to the Extreme Noise music store in the city and that Andy and Eric overlooked them when the parcels were picked up. We drove down to the store and sure enough, two beat-up boxes addressed to Primitive Air-Raid were sitting on the floor right in front of the cash register. What a relief.

We then drove northwest of the city to the small town called Hanover, Minnesota. There was a customized vans dealer there that were able to install seatbelts in the bench seat of the van. We considered it a worthy investment.

It was late afternoon by the time we were ready to roll again. We had show in Milwaukee to play that night. It was originally supposed to be with some punk bands at the Koolaid house but unfortunately the place was busted and shut down by the police because roommates partied outside the previous night. We were then added to a bar show.

As mid-evening arrived, so did our first major setback. We were already deep inside Wisconsin and making decent time. A storm was rolling towards us from the Great Lakes. Visibility on the road was reduced and I almost drove into an 18-wheeler while merging back onto the interstate thanks to those small, distorted, taped-on mirrors. Pretty nerve-wracking to say the least.

Then I noticed that the van was overheating. Badly. We took the next exit, just outside Delton, Wisconsin. We popped the hood and radiator fluid sprayed all over the engine and ground. Not good. Cam got on the phone with his dad for advice while I took some from an elderly woman who came over to investigate. She figured it was either the water pump or the thermostat.

We ended up waiting for about 30 minutes for the van to cool down, then topped off the radiator with water and pulled back onto the interstate. The van overheated again about 30 minutes later and we were forced to pull off into another station. The storm intensified, whipping down sheets of rain and lighting up the surrounding forest. We gave Dave, the promoter, a call at 11 PM. It didn't look like we were going to make it. Our first canceled show of the tour and only on our second day.

Dave did a very kind thing and gave us the address of a friend's place in nearby Madison. We limped our way into town and made our way to Ariel's downtown apartment. We were really thankful for her giving us a place to crash for the night and ended up having a good time, staying up late visiting. It made up for not being able to play.

"Purple Cravings" from My Poetry Is Out Of Control by Jason Penner

I am your travesty
I am your majesty
Uncrowned royalty who wiped
With your fancy tapestry
Oops
There it is
Rolling down the mountain top
Ricochet of the hidden valley
Sinking its teeth
Setting its jaw
Locking you into economy for the night
No shirt, no shoes, I'll fuck your ass
And make you humble
P-I-E





All of Jason's photographs from Under Pressure's 2007 US tour can ben found here.

Under Pressure US Tour - Day 1 - July 25, 2007

Winnipeg, Manitoba...

Six months of planning. Always the last minute shake-up; shows falling through, logistics short-circuiting, my multitasking capabilities being overtaxed. It's that time again, and what better time than late July through to the end of August? I mean, I love temperate climates; why not bake myself in a tin can on wheels for a month? Sure, I recently bought my first house and found no limit to the delights of air-conditioning. Fuck that. I'll roast myself alive in a tin can on wheels and baste my flesh in the collective sweat of the band.

Planes, Trains & Automobiles; that's pretty much how Under Pressure converged on Minneapolis. I remember the movie being a lot more funny. Joe's parents drove the two of us down. Cam jogged across the border raising money for some sort of charity, then sucked cocks for rides. Dan had that ultralight that he had never got around to building. I forget what Mike did.

Anyhow, I really enjoyed meeting Joe's parents and visiting with them on the ride down. We made it to Fashionable Idiots headquarters (Andy and Eric's Minneapolis apartment) without incident. Cam was already there assembling records. It's kind of a miracle that both of our two new records, Come Clean and Black Bile, shipped on time.

It wasn't that much later that Dan and Mike arrived. We checked out the Fashionable Idiots tour van, sorted out our equipment, then slowly made our way down to the Cube house to officially kick off the tour. It was nice running into Steve Smiley and catching up. His band, Pandamonium, played first. I really enjoyed them; fast, ferocious female-fronted hardcore. They were followed by loose crusty-type band called Ganglion (featuring Jim from A.S.S--I really liked that band) and a hardcore band from Philadelphia called Lighten Up! I took photos of the bands but unfortunately I haven't developed the film yet so I'll have to come back and add them at some later date. Overall, an enjoyable evening in a small basement; the perfect setting for a loose, energetic Under Pressure set. I wish I could get down to Minneapolis more often these days, as I've fallen out of touch with some people I used to hang out with several times a year. Still, it was nice visiting with those who showed up.

I can't remember exactly when it was that we were listening to records at Andy's apartment. Someone threw on a DRY ROT 7". We were going to be playing several dates with them on this tour, and the southern California band had just recently played Minneapolis. When prompted on a verdict of their show, Andy told us that they were weird and that we'd either love them or hate them. He didn't seem entirely sure whether he was feeling the love. He also told us that he heard they were... Christians.

[insert knee-jerk reaction here]

What stance would UNDER PRESSURE take? Would we take action, maintain punk purity and fuck shit up? Would we confront them on thousands of years of mismanaged and squandered superpowers? Would we talk about them behind their backs and shun them from our tribe with long and awkward silences? Or would we become converts?

So I stumbled upon a little project. I was yammering to myself in the van and realized that I was honking. Honking is something that I can't really describe to you other than to say that it is something not unlike verbal diarrhea. To really know, you would need to have a conversation with me about it when I'm in the zone. Anyhow, I decided that I would immerse myself into this state of being and use this little-known and misunderstood tool to chisel out some poems; a mandate of one a day.

The tour has started. Touring is kind of like a new exercise or diet that you are forced to immerse yourself in with no reprieve. It's a daily regiment that yields results you will only realize a week or two down the road. Touring makes you dumber. It makes a lot of things really funny. It buries your grasp of time. It gives you a labido the size of the biggest dildo you've ever seen. It pulls you away from the confines of everyday life; it gives you a new perspective. It shows you just how big and incredible/shitty the world is. It lowers your standards. It raises your ambitions. It introduces you to some of the most awful/amazing people you could ever meet. Every tim