Rebuilding Raleigh Red Cross Benefit - Pourhouse - 05/26/11

So the problem hasn't been lack of inspiration or motivation (okay maybe a little motivation), mostly a overall feeling of exasperation with life in general. One of my best friends, Shawn, and I have been on this same weird cycle of "Oh god dammit life, gimme a break" where nothing seems to be going right. I got dumped, State screwed him over with his student loans, I'm having a financial crisis, He got in a car wreck. I mean... COME ON CAN WE NOT GET A BREAK. I had this kinda light bulb moment, that I've actually already had about 400 times in my life at different times, where i decided that I am going to force myself to be happy.

SO - I let one piece of me spiral and then it all goes downhill. I don't understand people who have coping skills. I have none. I only know how to ride it out and wait for the clouds to break. Which is what I did, which is kinda what happened. I had a good idea that seeing someone I had seen perform in the past that I knew gave me the shivers would certainly help... I have recently "discovered" (because I'm a little slow on the uptake people) that you can track bands and shows on reverbnation by creating a fan page and basically stalking favorite bands' shows. My show calendar is now out the yinyang with shows by bands like Gray Young, Birds & Arrows, and the band I knew would give me that last little push to get me out of the rubbish bin... Stella Lively.

I first saw Ashley C Carter performing with Jeff Crawford at this year's Love Hangover and it was pretty much a love at first trill situation with me. I am smitten with her voice. It's as if, in my mind, I sound just like that when I sing but i know I don't because she is so good and I am dog food, comparatively. Ashley has some pipes, man. She ranks really, really high on my WHY NOT ME-o-meter. It's a kind of Stevie Nicks/Nina Simone/Patti Smith/PJ Harvey/Bonnie Raitt hybrid, but better, if that's possible. Definite soul, definite pain, definitely a lot of living and pain and love behind that voice. It's one of those things where you have to have lived it to see it. Maybe like the Pestrals in Harry Potter; you can only see them if you've seen death. You can only hear what I hear in Ashley's voice if you've lived that kinda of hurt. (PS I just nerded it up.)

 

This performance, a part of the Rebuilding Raleigh benefit for the tornado victims, started early. But I was on time, by God. I wasn't going to miss my girl! I was there at 7:30 and made it in plenty of time for this set. Ashley and Dave played about 45 minutes of an incredible acoustic set. Several songs I hadn't heard before that I loved indiscriminately and instantly. Then ending on the song that sold me the first time around, PJ Harvey's "Rid of Me" ... a song I would never dare to try and cover because I know I don't have the chops, but again, She killed it. I was so excited that I just had to make a video.

After their set, I made sure to tell Ashley how much I loved it, and I truly did. It was pretty incredible for a set played to a handful of people in a virtually empty venue in broad daylight, but the power and perfection of her voice and Dave's wailing guitar more than filled the space with enough energy to make up for any insufficiency of ears or ambiance. I was charmed and riled and I can't wait to see the whole band play at next week's Local Beer/Local Band! I am telling you all now, do me a solid and come to Tir na Nog next week to see them play. It's a free show and may be one of the best new things you've seen in a while.

Next up was a band called Bitter Resolve. Not really my style, but i kinda liked it. Sounded like, the Deftones song "Change" underwater. Psychedelic metal. New to me and I love new to me. Anything new and different is almost always good.  I told Tomlin that the guy's voice was scary but sorta fascinating and he said one of the best things ever which was, "and it can all be yours for $60!" and I said why and he said that was probably how much the pedal he was using costs. hah. I also really liked the tiny lesbian (only assuming here, looks like a duck walks like a duck, etc.) but because she reminded me so much of my friend Brandy, but mostly because she had that heavy succinctly defined drumming style like John Stanier from Helmet. And you'd never think it, but i reeeeeeally like Helmet. "Betty" stays in pretty consistent rotation with me. Bitter Resolve I would give a thumbs up to, I would probably see them again if they were around, but I'd have to be in the right mood. Which would be in the mood to raaaawk.

Next up was Appetite for Destruction, a Raleigh staple, the self proclaimed "Ultimate Tribute to Guns n Roses." I can't tell you how long these guys have been around (website says circa 2000,) but they have been around a while. they are a Guns n Roses coverband by the way. Roo (with James and Brandy in tow,) messaged me about 2 songs in and asked "how is the musics?" to which i replied: "OMG SO GOOD RAGING (if u like guns n roses)." which was the case, exactly. Now people, I was never a huge Guns n Roses fan, but i did grow up in an age where MTV actually played music videos and quasi-decently produced music still got radio play. My brother was really into GnR while I was still in a deep RnB haze, singing in my middle school gospel choir. So while I never had my own cassettes and spent hours reading liner notes of albums, I knew all the songs. It was time, everyone knew the words. Everyone for about a year there had Welcome to the Jungle stuck in their heads. This whole set was like a time machine to a place where I still believed the best in music and everything got a chance. i wasn't such a snob and I didn't really question who Mr Brownstone was and I just rocked out a little.

 

Probably everyone in Raleigh has seen Appetite for Destruction at this point, and as many times and I had meant to, it never happened until now. I aligned myself with the superfans (mostly the best friends and siblings of the band members) up front and threw it down. One of those situations where i didn't realize i knew so many songs until i realized i knew every song. I was in a text frenzy with my brother berating him for not being there (texting him things like, "SHANANANANA KNEES KNEES" over and over.) and making him swear to me that we would go see them next time they play. So there aren't a lot of straight Cover Bands that I've gone to see, other than the one b52s cover band I was in for a hot second and IWTDI's U2 show. And there is a certain level of obsessive perfectionism that goes into recreating someone else's stage show. AFD nailed it. "Axl" never broke character and sounded exactly like him. LOOKED exactly like him (pre-plastic surgery and cornrows). Slash looked like Slash, Izzy looked like Izzy - these guys love doing this show and it shows. (Personal aside, Izzy unwigged was the cutest thing I've seen in town for a long time and I wanted to kiss his face off. I gave his sister my card and told her to get him in touch with me so that i might, therefore, kiss his face off. I will definitely go see these guys again and i will drag my brother with me and he will rage and then i will kiss "izzy"'s face off.)

 

see that dude kicking? oh yes, that is your superfan.

this show was a perfect funk-killer. it was after Appetite that I somehow wound up outside running into my Jayseph and being talked into a quick walk to Neptune's for a barefoot throwdown dance party. And so it was. And so it was probably always be.

ew you guys, ew.

Just a heads up

I’m on a little hiatus at the moment. Pausing for existential crisis. Been to shows but I’m feeling a little too futile and crowded out at the moment to share. I’ll be back when I feel inspired. See you out and about, kids.

Birds & Arrows CD Relase Party with Justin Robinson & The Mary Annettes and Gray Young - Local 506 - 05/07/11

Everyone has inside of him a piece of good news. The good news is that you don't know how great you can be! How much you can love! What you can accomplish! And what your potential is! - Anne Frank

This quote has been in my mind a lot lately. Longtime readers of this blog (hey j9) know my big love and reverence for Anne. I relate to her little heart so much and sometimes when the right feelings, circumstances, events and people align in my life and in my soul, I think of her; her joy, strength, passion, and gifts, and I thank God that she exists. That’s kinda where I’m at in life at the moment; things are going pretty good. I feel really happy and loved, I feel inspired and encouraged, and I feel challenged and rationally fearless. Opportunities present themselves and I have weighed options and made good decisions and had some great experiences in the past couple weeks; up to and including the following: I took the initiative to seek help for a medical issue I had been ignoring for a long time and I feel very mentally and physically relieved. I spent some quality alone time with several close friends and had good long discussions (the existentially and theologically deep kind that I really like.) I met a really groovy guy who seems to be on the same page with me and is treating me pretty damn well. I got a big chunk of my finances in order. I took the initiative to change certain factors in my life that left me feeling insecure and neglected professionally. And I got to see one of the best shows I’ve probably ever seen at Local 506.

Last Thursday evening, I was iffy about LBLB as I was unfamiliar with any of the bands in tow. I was still riding high from my Steve-o encounter earlier in the evening and was trying to bail, but Roo insisted I drop in at least to see Justin Robinson and the Mary Annettes. He had seen them somewhere else not long before, Durmah perhaps?, and assured me that I would probably love them. He was right, I did.  I had missed the beginning songs of the set and therefore didn’t feel it was fair to do a review on a partially attended show, so I deferred to Roo. Then, after their performance and all out dance party up front at Tir Na Nog, I spoke with the band briefly and found out they would be playing along with (dun dun DUNNNN) Gray Young at the Birds & Arrows CD Release party… A show I was not fully committed to attending, as I had originally planned to spend the last weekend in DC. However, a wicked sinus infection that kept me out of work for a few days intervened. I wasn’t able to take the time off work to visit the capital, so I stayed in town… kinda. I went to Carrboro Saturday night.

Something I noticed about this show, not nearly as many wild “Here’s me with THIS friend!” arm-reach self-portraits. Could be because I was barely drinking, due to the antibiotics. Could be I am kinda losing interest in the whole, like, “drunk” thing. I have this feeling that I tried it for a year and I’m bored now. (Those who know me know full well how entirely possible this “bored now” concept is.) Could be because this was a show I had a little reverent respect for and wanted to give my full attention to. Who knows? Either way, I filled my camera flashcard at this show. I got some of THE best show pics I’ve ever taken. I have figured something out… if you just keep taking pictures, eventually one of them will turn out pretty okay…. PS I AM A PHOTOGRAPHY EXPERT NOW.

First up in this incredible line-up were Justin & the crew… Justin is a statuesquely enigmatic and beautiful front man. His depth and kindness not only present themselves so passionately through his songs and lyrics, but also through his movements and his eyes. He loves what he does. The girls, Kyra and Sally, love what they do. Josh loves what he does. This band is four sweet souls playing something you’ve never heard before, breaking the hell out of your heart and changing your life a little. The reason you’ve possibly heard of Justin Robinson and the Mary Annettes is because he was originally part of the Carolina Chocolate Drops. Let this be the reason you go see them, Let this be the reason you talk your friends into coming with you, but drop your guard and leave your expectations and gruff exterior at the door. You will hear something you never expected and it will be beautiful and it will be enchanting and it will be something you talk about to all your friends for days. Throughout their set, there were moments where I found myself thinking …. “Okay now, this was the song during the show Thursday where I *thought* I was feeling this way, let’s see if I was right…” and then sure enough… there it was.

I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately, sorry to tangent, but I keep wondering if everyone, and I really hope this is true; If everyone has something in their life that keeps them going, gives them hope and fills them with meaning the way music does for me. Yeah, yeah, everyone likes music, I know this, but the way I experience, the way I need it, the way it feels to me, the level of intensity that I have attached to certain bands or songs or artist or NOTES for Christ’s sake… I hope everyone has that thing that means as much to them as writing this blog, seeing these bands, hearing these sounds, has meant to me.

To further my point in this vein of thought, let me continue telling you about JR&MA; the sound they create feels a little different than just about any live act I have seen in the past year or so, (probably with the exception of Valley Young.) And it’s not just the fact that they veer a little more “folk with a synthesizer beat” genre, (which, by the way doesn’t exist,) but mostly due to the fact that there is a lot of heart on stage with these songs. There is a BIG love in this sound. This is the sound of persecution, awkward first kisses, desperate midnight phone calls, strength, joy, something. This was my second time in a week seeing this band perform and Roo and I will be going to see them again this weekend, I am thrilled and honored to participate. One of my favorite moments from this set was watching the heads turn to each other all around me as people’s eyes and ears were suddenly opened to what was happening in front of them, the murmuring buzz I could just barely hear behind me, “who ARE these guys?”

A few months back I was in a dark place, we all know how to find them; some of us get lost in them and never find their way out. I know the secret; it is the music. You have to hear just the right song at the right time, you have to hear the saddest damned pop song you can tolerate about 14 times in a row until you say, “Enough!” and you claw your way out of the sadness. I have been known to put the weight of the world on my bony ass shoulders and my overactive heart and let myself get real low down. It is always the music that brings me back. Bono, Moz and Byrne have saved my life about a million times each. I can very vividly remember driving back from Cup a Joe on a weekday evening, twisting my way back towards Cameron Village and this slow, bittersweet small chord starts playing on WKNC. Suddenly a woman’s voice, clear and strong filled with love and longing; a breathy strength. The right kinda lyrics that I needed at the right kinda moment… “In a place so old with the light so new; it was always you…” and the choke, that instant little sting in the eyeballs when you know you’re hearing *your* love song, you know it will always stay with you and it will always mean that one (wo)man at that one right moment. I stayed a little too long at the stop sign to pull up the 88.1 playlist and get a screen cap; Birds and Arrows – Honeymoon Song. Thus was my introduction to the band.

Birds and Arrows, for those not in the know, consists of Andrea (guitar) and Pete (drums), a married couple, and Josh (cellist.) So I’ll admit it right now, I am a sucker for a cello. It’s almost a guarantee if you throw a cello on just about anything I am going to eat it up; it is probably one of my favorite sounds, followed closely by the oboe and practically any song written in Eb minor. I am stating this up front because I don’t want any of what I have to say about ‘the couple’ to detract from the essential element that Josh brings to each b&a song; it is necessary, it is lovely and it is perfection.

I was during their performance that I began chastising myself for not owning or knowing more songs. I suppose the point of this show, as it was a cd release party, was *NOT* to know the songs, as they were all new. But I had that nagging anxious feeling I get when I feel like I may have showed up a little too late to the party and I already missed the piñata… I’m not ashamed to admit I like knowing first. Who doesn’t? I’m mad at myself that it took me actually being at the show to come to the realization that THANK GOD I WENT TO THIS SHOW. Of course my original draw for this show was Gray Young, (let’s not fool ourselves here,) but I remembered that lonely night and my first kiss with Birds and Arrows, I knew I would like it, I just wasn’t prepared for how much.

So, hey, I am a crier. I’m a weepy, sentimental person. If I am happy, mad, in love, in pain, confused, see the right little bird bouncing across the sidewalk in the right light, it’ll bring a tear to my eye… Birds and Arrows got me very emotional *several* times with some of these new songs. These songs sounds like we got a special invite into the Connollys’ bedroom and lucky us; we get to watch them falling in love! Yeah, that potentially sounds dirty, but think of it on a more communal John & Yoko level… we are invited to fall in love along with them, with the very best of intentions. There were several instances where I was irritated with myself and completely embarrassed when Roo or James turned to tell me something and I had to quickly wipe my eyes. (Bad decision on my part to wear my contacts, by the way.) When you are open, observant and in love with love, you see it all around you, you hear it in everything. These songs are some of the clearest examples of the truest love I have heard in almost ever, in person.

When I think of my "Heavy Hitters", my big bands, my go-to’s when someone asks about my favorite artists, they are mostly men. There is an unfortunately small drop of envy that cautiously limits me form liking female leads too much. I want to do that, so in an effort to boost my own ego, I neglect more than what I should. Only a few essentials usually sneak through; Sinead, Kate, Judy, even Whitney Houston. However, as I have never seen any of these ladies perform live, I can truly say with no hesitation that Andrea Connolly has the best, strongest and most appealing lead vocals of any female I think I have ever seen live. I absolutely LOVE her voice. And the more the night went on, the more I fell in love with it. I want to take her voice to a nice hidden bistro covered in vines and sit on the patio telling stories about trips across Europe. I want to drink wine with her voice by a creek in autumn. (Apparently I want to take her voice on a date to Caffe Driade?) Several times throughout the performance I heard Roo or James or myself say “I have *never* heard a voice like this in person.” absolutely magical.  After Justin Robinson, I wasn’t sure anything was going to touch my heart in such a personal and delicate way the rest of this night, I was very touched. I was truly honored to witness this performance. I am a fan for life. Already got the next couple shows on my calendar. I have no idea why I would have ever doubted that I would like them as much as I did, given that they are such good friends with the gray youngs.

Speaking of…

I was already in a super sentimental mood, I was feeling warm and fuzzy and loved and happy. There was a voice in the back of my head telling me that I needed to keep an eye open for whatever opportunity presented itself to give me the “shtick” I needed to write YET ANOTHER gray young review. Honest to god, not two seconds of the guys getting on stage I had already decided, no shtick; only love. And my God you guys have you really not figured this out yet; I love Gray Young. I don’t feel like joking about it today, I feel like telling you more about why.

 I love Gray Young because I am addicted to the sound of Gray Young; the feeling their music evokes in me. I do not simply like Gray Young because they are my friends, they became my friends by proxy. I do not like Gray Young because I have a crush on Chas. I do not have a crush on Chas because he is a rock star. I have a “crush” on Chas because he is a huge awkward dork that I used to see at the coffee shop and the irony of his shy awkwardness compared with the person I see when he is on stage amuses the hell out of me. It is entirely coincidental that this guy is the LV for my favorite local band. Therefore, let’s be honest here people, I don’t have a crush on a guy, I have a crush on the whole band. I am courting this band; I am in love with them. I feel giddy when I see a show announced like I got asked to the prom. I worry that the “joke” about how much I love Gray Young has eclipsed the root of the root & the bud of the bud: I love the music. Everything else is entirely adventitious. I go see Gray Young every chance I get because I feel entirely blessed and lucky every time I get to see Gray Young, not unlike the way I feel entirely blessed and lucky to see U2 live. And you guys, that is some HEAVY SHIT coming from me. Do you see?

GY played last in this set, not unlike the last time I got to see them at Slim’s where they played after the headliners, essentially rounding out the show. I don’t know why this keeps happening, but I don’t mind. It allows me to perpetuate the myth in my own mind that GY are always the headliners. Although, you know, now that I think about it, I never really have paid attention to any sort of crowd at a Gray Young show; my eyes are closed like, 80% of the time, like I just dropped acid at a Dead show or something, so I am oblivious. I am enraptured by the sound. I couldn’t’ tell you who was around or behind me at any point of this show apart from James Hall or Mike G, (essential attendees as the Army must always represent!) so if there were 6 or 60 people in the audience at this point, I have no idea, but they played their hearts out for us. They always do: Reason #349 why I love them.

Highlight moment: GY and B&A are good friends. I believe, if am remembering correctly, the gorgeous GY shirt I proudly sport about town was in fact designed by b&a; The more I think about it I think the only way the lineup could have been better would have been like, Bonn and Edgers showing up to do an acoustic set out of nowhere or something (ps also I would probably never recover from that). Anyway. So, to close the show, Birds and Arrows joined Gray Young to perform one of my personal favorite songs, “Tilling the Wind.” A song that, as I have already confessed to you once in this blog, brings me to tears every time anyway; but after the big-smile-face busting, good-love, big time happyheart night of music I had just had, it felt like the crescendo of bliss my night needed. It was probably one of the most incredible things I have ever heard, despite my wavering envy that a girl was singing a Gray Young song on stage *with* Gray Young and this girl was not me, and was, in fact, singing one of my very favorite songs. The fact that it was Andrea is completely allowable, however. This was beyond perfection, it was transcendence. I cried like a bitch and I didn’t care who saw.

 

 Love you guys, no joke.

Posing in front of Gray Young like I am posing in front of the Grand Canyon. Brilliant!

EDIT: the next damned day: dude dumped me.... never. fucking. mind.

Guitar Wolf - Local 506 - 05/11/11

"Where words fail, music speaks." -Hans Christian Andersen

Guitar Wolf. I’m not going to lie; I knew literally nothing about them, having only heard rumors about the wildness. I plundered around online a bit before the show, listening to a few youtube clips and reading some reviews, but nothing could have prepared me for what I saw. I asked dude if he wanted to get up front with me. He declined, said something about not being really into crowds, So, me being me, double fisted and camera armed, I pushed through.

Note: anyone interested in going to a show with me ever in the future: I push through. I am master of pushing through. I will get up front. One day I will find a dude that pushes through first. This might be a true love moment for me; a guy that grabs my hand and drags me to the front of the stage at a rock show. It’s usually me. I’m so aggressive; it’d be kinda spectacular. I get starry-eyed just thinking about it!

Having recently been to a hardcore (albeit not necessarily punk) show not too long ago, and having been relatively protected and treated semi-delicately because I’m totally a chick, I didn’t worry too much. I don’t know if it’s because it was a legitimate punk show, or because Chapel Hill dudes are ungentlemanly asses, but I got the crap knocked out of me. I had learned my lesson at Thorr (no heels), but I hadn’t planned on being dumped and angry and drunk and raging, so there I was, front and center in the middle of a god damned mosh pit in 3 inch heels again. It’s been almost a week and the tops of my feet are still black and blue. I actually found myself semi-protecting the girls behind me. No one was apparently going to watch out for me, so it was the least I could do. Oh, and also I am a million foot tall.

ummm... Gigi? that you?

I think if I hadn’t been in the particular mindset I was in at the time, I wouldn’t have enjoyed this show half as much as I actually did. I was angrrrrryyyyyy! And anger and punk shows are a delicious combo, I’d say. Maybe it was divine intervention on part of the universe to get me to be absolutely wildly in love with all bands I see live and if I was all having to hang back and just watch the show with some dude, I’d probably be just telling you about the sound quality (hey, sounded good to me) or a little about the band’s history (Japanese) their style (straight mod leathers and sunglasses) or the theatrics (polished).  From where I was standing (bouncing) things sounded pretty amazing. There was literally no break between songs. A 2 minute power-rager and then maybe one chord held out a little longer than necessary and then *AHHHSCREAMINGRANDOMJAPANESETHINGS* and then …RALLY! It had been a long time, with probably good reason, since I had been this trashed at a show. Literally, physically and alcoholically. I’m not making excuses for myself and I’m certainly not apologizing. I got trapped there. I had fun for a bit. Then I decided I was done. And I walked away from the stage. Found dude, apparently, and then he dropped me off at home. Done.

Valient Thorr 10th Anniversary Party @ King's - 04/30/11

We all have those defining, earth shattering moments that change us permanently; something that sticks with us indefinitely, that story you tell over and over again when the time is right and even when it’s not so right... The birth of a child, surviving a tornado, skydiving, etc. For me, as you can probably tell, the stories I tell over and over again are usually about “the first time I saw ____ play live”. Here is one such story…

Many years ago, when the planets aligned and the moon was in the seventh house, my friends Bart, Josh P. and I decided to hit (old) King’s and see a show. Bart had seen this particular band before and was utterly convinced my mind would be blown to bits by their performance. He described a madman, a ringleader from outer space, a rock god irresistible to mere earth women. I couldn’t resist. We shot off to McDowell Street and paid our, what $4? and blasted off on the mothership to Planet Superrock with Valient Thorr. What then proceeded was the most intense, sweaty, feral, and licentious rock show I had seen to date. This was approximately…. 2003? Pre-jean jackets and mega-beards. Oh yes, there were jackets and beards, but there was a jim Morrison-esque super-fringed leather jacket worn by Valient himself.

The legend surrounding this show has grown beyond rational recollection. Every time Bart and I talk about it, the fringe on the jacket gets longer. The stories get wilder; women paying to drink Valient’s sweat... Did you hear he charged through the crowd and knocked people over like bowling pins? Did you know there was a brawl during “Tough Customer?” I heard the mayor showed up.... all kinds of blown-out-of-proportion insanity. Who knows if these memories were real or were just scarred into our membranes by the magical rock powers of the Thorrs? Either way, it was a show that went down in history and is implanted in my memory banks as one of the best first shows I ever saw of a band. It then became my intention to see them play live every chance I got from then on. I’ve pretty much done that.

Last year, on Hopscotch Eve, King’s threw a party with VT that resulted in one of the wildest, drunkest throwdowns of my life. That was the last time I got to see them before this past weekend, their 10 year anniversary party. Now, I’m not one of those hardcore metal kids that have tattooed the band all over me or driven across the country to see them. Nor am I hard rock connoisseur, I likes what I like, and there are many pieces to the puzzle of Valient Thorr that result in my eternal faithfulness and fandom: These are local boys, These are good people, I have a long lasting relationship with them, They are amazing and incredibly professional, the mystery/mystique/legend of the band is brilliant, they NEVER fail to destroy the crowd and melt faces when they play and it is virtually impossible to walk out of a VT show without being a major fan and having a story to tell afterward.

This Saturday was a little different for me… I was fighting a shitty cold that had suddenly decided to settle over my sinuses and clog my pathetic ears even worse than they already are. The majority of my show-going friends were either out of town or indisposed, so I went completely alone without any knowledge or assumptions that I would have anyone to hang with and couldn’t care less. Shows like this sometimes turn out to be the best shows because you meet new friends, obvs. As it turns out, my good buddy PBR was there to help me forget about my ear pain and then help me spot some peers lingering in the peripherals.

It’s just not a VT show without Michele. She was with me Pre-Scotch last year, (we even closed the weekend down together, face first in a plate of cheese fires at the times at 3am, bless her) and it was only fitting we throw down together, it has now become a tradition.

Static minds; amazing. Dynamite brothers, whom I had never seen before, rocked ass. But after a brief stint outside, bragging about meeting Steve-o (still chuffed ‘bout that, btw,) I ran back upstairs to the show, just counting down for takeoff. In my frenzied excitement, I bypassed probably everyone I could possibly have known and made a snap decision which would change my life forever; I decided I MUST BE IN THE PIT... THE TIME HATH COME.

And there it was, suddenly, I knew what I had suppressed all along; I was a Valient Thorr Superfan; a Thorrior. I felt the change, it was like a little rumble in my belly and a tingle in my temples and I knew it was a long time coming. I had to celebrate and wiggle my fingers, begging for more guitar, and stomp around and get bruised; worshiping at the altar of the mighty Thorr. That was why the story stuck with me for so long and that was why I was so thrilled to be a part of the music video for "Sleeper Awakes" last weekend and that’s why I have so voraciously flirted with the members of the band whenever possible (one in particular, YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE,) because I love them. I am proud of them. I am a part of them.

There is no questing for the one superfan at a Valient Thorr show. If you are within 25 feet of the stage, you are a superfan. If your arms are up and your throat is hoarse and your toes are throbbing and you can feel the bruises before the end of the third song, you are a Thorrior. You don’t have to know dates and facts and song lyrics, you just have to have the passion. I stuck it out; I made it all the way against the stage and didn’t wind up with too many bruises or covered in too much beer. One vital lesson was definitely learned this evening: no 3 inch heels in a mosh pit, ladies. Next time I attempt such inanity, I will find, buy and wear some sort of steel toed boot option.

I look at other people’s pictures from this show and I see that I am, as it would appear, the only girl up front. Therefore I pose this theory to you all: I Am Awesome. (Or completely stupid.) Either way, I feel like I survived the running of the bulls or something. This was my skydiving. I will say, there was a group of about 3 guys surrounding me that kept me safe. At any point, I could feel a protective arm around me when a boot went past my head or the surge of the crowd got a little too rough. Who would have known the Thorriors would be such gentlemen? Well done, sirs!

This was a highly energized, highly intensified, highly perfected show. The crowd was ballistic, the sound was impeccable, the band was on point and the energy was through the roof. It is probably going to get a special, spectral reserve seat in my memory banks. 

I might tell my grandkids about this one. Fuck ‘em if they don’t understand. 

Yeah, I just told my unborn grandchildren to fuck off. That’s how a Thorrior rolls!

Steve-O at Charlie Goodnight's - 04/28/11

Karla 101: i have been known to have a crass, insensitive and juvenile sense of humor. my brother and i were inseparable friends throughout our childhood and his awful sense of humor had a tremendous influence on me. yes, i was the gentle piano playing nerd reading in the corner, but nothing could get me rolling like a good fart joke. in fact, brother and i, to this day still speak of "the chainsaw"; a fart so gloriously acoustic, flagellated upon the most perfectly wooden lacquered surface that it rattled the kitchen windows... we are crass, we are juvenile, we will do anything for a laugh. most of my friends know this about me already, you get this lesson for free: I'll usually take any dare and i find the most disgusting of body functions the most hilarious.

it's no wonder in the dawn of CKY and Jackass, my brother and I were smitten. Here were a group of guys doing the most taboo antics on national television and getting PAID for it. It was magical. Raab himself shitting the window, anything party boy, anything dicamillo because he is the love of my life (seriously) and then my sweet, sweet steve-o mutilating himself and barfing all over the place - It was glorious. (Can i just say the beehive limo was one of the funniest things I have ever seen in my life? seriously.) I'd never seen anyone else do the shit my brother dared to do in real life other than steve-o. just, straight up dumb shit; anything for a laugh. granted my brother never pierced his ass cheeks together, but still... They are twin souls. and i love my brother, there is no one on earth funnier to me other than myself than my bro.

Yes, this is a music review blog, but you are going to have to take some special consideration, here. Music is not my only passion in life: Comedy. I am a standup junkie. My brother and I worship at the altar of George Carlin, Bill Hicks and Chris Rock. there isn't an Eddie izzard, Mitch Hedberg or Louis CK standup i can't quote for you word for word. I love to laugh. I love standup. I also like poop and fart jokes and seeing dudes get kicked in the balls, what can i say? I'm a 13 year old boy; the secret is out. Poop is hilarious.

Some website randomly announced Steve-o was doing Standup at Charlie Goodnight's. Before i could even comprehend what that even could entail, I pounced and bought two tickets for me and my brother. SUPERFANS! I can't even begin to count for you the number of times we've watched the Don't Try This at Home videos. I had bought the tickets months before the performance and literally had no idea what to expect and refused to read reviews of previous performances because i love surprises. I didn't know if he was going to do legitimate standup or light his nuts on fire with leeches attached to his eyes, I didn't care. bring it on! ....SUPERFANS!

It was positively surreal to see the man in the flesh. Kinda like seeing an old friend you hadn't seen in a thousand years show up at a Target. Random. He looked amazingly healthy, (his teeth were perfect, I have to say.) He clarified right from the beginning what we had all assumed and hoped, that he had been drug and alcohol free for nearly three years, was a vegan and was in the best health of his life (awesome. please live forever, steve-o.) He then spent the rest of the majority of his time recounting guffaw-inducing stories from his past (one story involving an oral situation with a certain girl that ending in flatulence that reduced me to tears as i was laughing so hard) and humbly, yet hilariously, making himself and his wiener the butt of many, many jokes. (PS - I also said "making his wiener the butt" because I am awesome.)  I was not expecting A) an actual honest to god, very well structured standup comedy routine and B) that it would be really fucking funny. I was very pleasantly surprised and highly amused. Maybe I am biased because I have a long history of fandom, but I think anyone with the right sense of humor and adventure who didn't know quite as much as my bro & I did would have truly enjoyed this show.

I also did not expect the drunk muscleheads being so disrespectful and heckling/shouting out random bullshit throughout his routine. i apologize on behalf of Raleigh. It irritated me, too.

He ended his performance with a handful of nail biting stunts in which i found myself pulling my knees up into my chest to survive. (I am easily entertained by such things, but i still worry. seeing them on video and seeing them in person was a different world.) After partially blinding himself and practically lighting himself on fire, the show was over, much too soon. He promised everyone in the room they would get the chance to get a picture with him, and we all did.

WE ARE IN LOVE

btw, did you know my brother is amazing???

I later went back, once the crowd had died down to try and talk to him for a sec and get his permission to use the pictures on my site. he agreed, of course, because he is actually incredibly nice. and then proceeded to take a handful More pics with me, using my own patented arm stretch self portrait mode. (*soulmate*).

 WE ARE THE CUTEST COUPLE - WHATEVER!

I CAN FEEL HIS WIENER ON MY LEGGGGGGGGG

Just really want to say thanks for making my goofy little dreams come true. It's bizarre, I know. But I love Steve-O. I really, really do; as a person, as a perseverer and a performer. I had made a joke with my friends/brother that I was going to be able to convince him to come hang out with me (because I'm obviously so irresistible, right?) But when it came down to it, I got shy and reverent and I was just really honored to meet one of my heroes. thanks for coming to Raleigh, come back any time! xoxo