(forewarning: this post is super pic-heavy. Too many good shots to resist! There were many, many more. Find me on facebook to see the rest!)
Sometimes the planets just align and the Gods of Rock shine upon thee and a spectacular night of amazing friends and intensely good music just... happen. Saturday was one of my favorite nights out in yonks... could be the people I was running wild with, could be seeing some favorite bands, could be the decadently perfect period of time in my life. I'm learning not to question when good things happen, lying in bed trying to justify the karmic blessings i receive, I'm trying to just let them happen and be grateful.
The night began at Mecca, which as someone who grew up inside the beltline Raleigh (there are like 4 of us, i swear,) and having a dad who worked his entire career on Fayetteville Street, it still baffles and amuses me that Mecca has turned into a "spot". This place looks and smells the exact same way it has since i first went there almost 30 years ago. bizarro. Next it'll be something even weirder, like, "hey all the cool kids are hanging out at the M&F Bank!" wtf. okay. Ever since we "lost" Neptune's, the jackpot alumni club still searches for a place to belong. Mecca will do for now. although, let me reiterate... IT IS WEIRD.
The Cellar Seas... another one of those instances where i am so excited to see my friends succeeding in a band that it almost eclipses the music. Almost. I am so excited to see B.Shaw playing out that my pride vomits all over my thrift store shoes. I want to digress into a "I have no real reason to adore Brian Shaw as much as I do, but I do. Here is why" diatribe. How did i meet BShaw? Jackpot, i reckon. He is the Rob Gordon of Raleigh. So much so it really confuses me that he didn't work with us at Record Exchange. I haven't met anyone else who hoards and autistically categorizes vinyl the way i do except some old ex-coworkers and BShaw. BShaw has an air of superiority over him that seems misplaced, but apt. If you didn't know him you would think he was such a pretentious ass, but the truth is he is a quirky, nice, goofy guy with really obscurely awesome taste in music. which segues into my next BShaw bit: Jackpot DJ. The Alumni has a little joke about him... "No one can clear a dance floor like BShaw." Brian shaw plays music for Brian Shaw when he dj's. if you know the song (you probably won't) then you may dance, if not, tough titties. he really could care less. Unlike Meuller, however, with enough constant pressure and pestering and drunken pleading Brian Shaw can occasionally be convinced to play Kate Bush. /Digression. Long and Short, I really liked Cellar Seas, but as per yooshe, I can't tell if it's because I'm so excited to see my friends follow their dreams or because I like the LV's voice so much. Speaking of which, the LV is a guy I have seen around town for approximately 744 years, but as of yet still have never introduced myself. Hey guy; i like your voice quite a bit. I'm definitely going to be making an effort to see the guys again when the opportunity presents itself.
; In my little heart I feel like I've reviewed LW a thousand times, when the truth is more like never. But the confusion lies in this: members of LW are in so many other bands, one. Two, I have seen LW play about 40 times. (ps I always exaggerate, have you guys figured this out yet? I think I have seen LW about 8 times.) So having seen them so many times, it might be a scenario of me assuming everyone knows how i feel about them. But you know what they say when you assume; you make as ass of karla anne. If you don't, I will. I will almost always make an ass of myself, assumptions or no. Mostly you can assume I don't care either way.
Lonnie Walker Superfan!!
I have never not enjoyed a Lonnie Walker show. But the thing is this; I have never seen LW as the opening band. They always seem to be in the exact right spot before every band I'm really psyched to be seeing when i see them... Lonnie Walker has inadvertently become my own personal Hype Man for Triangle shows. They are the Flavor Flav of Raleigh. Or like Bez with the Happy Mondays... Or like BP Fallon hanging around in a Trabant circa ZooTV.
(obscure U2 reference for my peeps! wahoo!) When I see LW on a bill, I always know it's going to be a show I am really excited to see and that LW will get me really excited before whoever is going on after them. I am personally putting out to the universe at this point that the time of Lonnie Walker has come; they are certainly catchy and fun, full of energy and they never disappoint - Dear Universe, it is time to make Lonnie Walker the headliners. I got your back, bring it on!
Birds of Avalon; am I biased? Of course i am biased. Is it because I see Mr. Mueller and Paul what seems every day of my life at some point (exaggerating) or because it was at one of their shows about 800 years ago (exaggerating again) when i remember very consciously thinking "wow, I am really going to make an effort to go to and support local music from now on, this is too good!" ... all of thee above. also, BoA is one of those random local bands that pop up on my ipod (a la veelee or gray young or heads on sticks [ha!]) that i always have to look down and confirm that Yes, I actually know people in real life that impress me this much. Also I really like on
the band wiki there is the big spiel about the whole "this band pretty much owns King's." I dunno why i like to forget this. The fact that Paul saved Raleigh via King's isn't the only reason we love BoA. we love this band because they put on a really flipping Pro Show, they always bring some heavy energy and the crowd loves them. ((addendum: I was just outside Cup a Joe having a smoke, waiting for the pics to load thinking about this part, and realized I wanted to add an honest to God big thank you to Paul for bringing back King's. We all missed it, we all needed it. And now we don't have to drive to Crapple Hill every time we want to see a decent show. Bless You. then I was thinking all karla-like and was all "man, we should throw a party in his honor to say thank you." and then i realized this is every night on Martin Street. Every show at King's is a great big THANK YOU.))
I was also given a special gift this night from the universe. I have a special quest to seek out and document every band I see's Superfan; it amuses me. I was right up front, in full Mueller view, hanging with Trent and Michele when suddenly I realized; I wasn't standing with just Michele and her husband; I WAS STANDING WITH MICHELE AND THE SUPERFAN! oh hell yes.
TRENT BOWLES - SUPERFAN!
This is a shot of me suddenly realizing trent was in fact, The Superfan. Complete Amusement.
Later, after the show, Michele and I were chatting with Paul. I gave him the whole (not sober) gushing "OMG U GUISE R SO GOOOD!" hug and what-not. I said "dammit why didn't you play another song?" to which Paul replied, "We'd have to go write one first." god. damned. brilliant.
completely unrelated aside: Pre-BoA; roo, michele and I went to Capital Club. I'll let the pictures speak for themselves.
So I don't mean to be completely crass (all the time) but in an effort to fully articulate my passion in this fact, I must be so;
I FUCKING LOVE MY FRIENDS.
