Grandma, Dad, and Mom left this world through the gap years.
My inheritance from Dad: Gwen and Sim
Quite a lot has transpired in the *checks notes* EIGHT YEARS?! since I last published on this platform. Obama left, the masses elected the "you're FIRED!" guy, the human race endured a pandemic, and partway through the work-from-home era we elected the former vice president to the first African-American president at the tender age of 77.
THAT'S POLITICS, BABY.
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I wanted to cement things on this Alphabet server since I've half-assedly abandoned the Artist Formerly Known as Twitter which I had been using as a digital diary of hastily photoshopped pictures of interesting things along my journal through life. Side note: when the hell did LiveJournal go full Russki?
This timeline, man.
Here are just a couple of bangers(sigh) from the past five days.
NOT MY GOD
Skold and Co. made a return to the area once again. This is Tim's third appearance in just the past 15ish months. Three different acts. Man hustles and I absolutely respect that. I remember at the SKOLD show over the summer the promoter told the crowd Tim would be back soon. Thought I misheard him but no, was not expecting Tim to return with Nero and bring their electronic/industrial act NOT MY GOD to the fine folks of Overland Park. Knew I was going to have a nice night when in front of the merch area there was suspension play happening just...there, right there. Death LovesVeronica said it best, "You guys have a cool scene./s"
SPARK AND SPARK!!
The audio was not the best for the acts including I thought the main hitter at times but man SNAKES OF RUSSIA had that shit cranked to 11. At one point I just closed my eyes and thought fuck, I feel entombed, drugged, and want to die feeling like this(is this why people go to raves). That one-man sound factory won me over that night and I still can't make sense of why I didn't grab something from his merch section. I took a second glance at his merch on the way out the door but in the end, I just left. Seriously might just support his Bandcamp page. Good shit.
sexy
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*not going to lie, I'm not even halfway through this shit and I think I'm going to bail soon. Rusty!!!*
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WAYBACK MACHINE KILLER TOUR
Click Click BOOM
I don't think I've ever felt so insulted by every goddamn act at this show. Their constant reminders that we're all fucking old and I can't believe you people want to see this shit on a weekday(oh, the humanity) but thank you guys for seeing our shit. Surprised no one was selling aspirin at the merch tables.
I wanted to live in my illusion that I'm still fifteen and I can't believe the people that are on Music Television talking about Shit Lifes, Benders, and Love Dumps are in my town altogether, and want to rock the fuck out for us. Tsk Tsk. Not without their unwanted assertions of age. Look, I'm glad you're not dead but can we commence the Death Trip. On second thought....
VINTAGE TEE
since 1999 we've been looking for this revolution and...
ah, so yes...the deftones played a blistering show at Harrah's last month. A set with oldies and live-show staples mixed in with new tracks off KOI NO YOKAN, their second album without Chi, which is debuting in just a couple of days. That's fate for you. Anyways, rollingstone.com has their entire album available for streaming and I must confess that it is phenomenal. Why the fuck is the Foo Fighters getting all the awards these days. Show these motherfuckers some love.
Stalker Mark landed some serious swag that night. Before the show he scored everyone's signature on his custom ONE LOVE FOR CHI banner (thanks Maria) minus Stephen's. I assume we didn't notice him walk by because he was in a cloud of pot smoke. Go figure.
Still trying to find video evidence of Chino taking Mark's banner and holding it up for the crowd to see during a break between songs. So far, no luck.
We had gambled a little before the gig and respectively lost around $40-50 each so we didn't bother going back after the show. Instead we finished the night with "after-concert-McDonald's".
DS AKA: "Baby Thang" "Black Ass" White Foot-Black Foot" "Old Man DS" (2007-2012)
In early 2007 our Nos-ferret-atu passed away right before the Inward Scream tour. Which started mine and Maria's superstition of bad shit happening right before or during trips. We didn't consider filing the void of our lost pet because we still had Mysterious, Vicious, and Lily...which was plenty :p
But one day in early Summer we set out to go buy a DS Lite from Game Stop but before that we stopped in Petco to purchase some FerretVite. Low and behold was this ferret in the display cage that stood out right away. I remember him being so active in there, running around and jumping at the top of the cage trying to bite our fingers.
We realized that the ferrets were the same exact price of the DS we were going to get. There wasn't any hesitation in our decision to forgo the DS and pick up the ferret. Later that night we thought it would be funny to call him DS to always remember that day.
He had the coolest looking coat ever. Super black ass with a white thin line right down the middle of his head. He had one dark colored foot and one white foot hence one of his nicknames. He also had white fur on his belly and we would call him Panda Belly from time to time. In his later years his coat became much lighter and eventually he took on a striking resemblance to Vicious but you could always instantly recognize him from the white stripe down his head.
When DS took a turn for the worse last month, we expected the long drawn out painful experience we have had previously before with our other ferrets. Luckily, he did not have to go through the agonizing stage of the death process where they seem to go delusional.
Old Man DS left us on my birthday which was a surprise but like I said, I am thankful it was not as terrible of an experience as it could have been.
Once again Maria, down to the fucking wire, came through with a costume for her family's Halloween party. She scrapped a lot of it the week before the party and still was able to finish in time to her liking. It was somewhat weird trying to have a good time that night because we had taken DS to Wayside Waifs the day before.
She was a hit that night and also on Halloween night for the neighborhood kids. I cannot even imagine what she will attempt next year.
Down goes Zappos!
People fucking around again via the interwebs. This is why we can't have anything good, people.
...and we ring in MLK day with not a single or double, but a triple homicide.
Pisses me off that I brought out my trash only to remember later there's no trash service today and the bag is now riddled with holes thanks to the squirrels.
BUT HEY....
.....it's gorgeous outside.
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So enough time has passed since the shows I saw in December. Enough time that the memories are starting to run into each other and I'm beginning to forget things. Better do this now or never.
TEXAS
Started off by getting to the car rental place at KCI 15 minutes before "fuck I forgot" opened so we could get our car. I always used Dollar in the past but decided to go the route of "fuck I forgot" because they were like 30 bucks cheaper than Dollar. I think they were new to the car rental scene. So anyways, the counter dude walks in shocked to see us there. "You guys must have had an early flight". Then he goes into the usual prying question. "Where you guys going?" Texas. "Uh, our cars don't go to Texas."
OH SHIT!
It was like a scene out of Office Space
Yeah, these cars are primarily for business folks and only registered to be in a four state area. Didn't you get the memo?
OUTTA THERE
Then we headed to trusty ass Dollar and used our net book to register a car for 6:15AM.
It was funny how the lady was pushing us to get the step-up from the economy because economy didn't offer cruise control. No thanks lady, I'd like the Aveo please. The car had the buttons for cruise control that I ignored for three hours driving because I thought they were disabled. Turns out they weren't. *Insert evil laugh here*
Lesson learned. Never use "fuck I forgot" unless you only plan on driving in MO, KS, NE or IA.
RAIN
RAIN
RAIN
There were maybe like two or three fifteen minute windows where it wasn't one form or another of the wet stuff coming down. I think I passed by 3-4 wrecks due to the shit.
HOUSTON
Finally made it to the same place we stayed at two years prior. Still had the same creepy ass elevator. Remember trying to find somewhere to eat at 10 at night. Only close option was the ghettofied McD's that had cops with two yutes in handcuffs across the street. Classy.
The next day we had time to kill before we needed to be at the venue. So we took are happy asses to the Houston Zoo.
Cat Scat Fever
The forecast for that day was cloudy with rain moving in by midday....and yeah, it certainly did. As soon as we entered the primate exhibit the sky opened up and it starting POURING down. The one umbrella between the two of us was no match for that torrential downpour. It was the longest exhibit in the world and by the time we stumbled out we were drenched head to toe.
We needed to change our clothes and what better place to go shopping than your local Goodwill store. Maria found one close by so we headed there and bought some shit and for some damn reason they didn't sell socks but they did have this sexy thing.
Next we found a Walgreens that only had these XMAS themed socks. Whatever, that shit's comfy.
Then stopped by a FIVE GUYS and fattened ourselves.
OFF TO THE SHOW
Found some cheap parking garage and walked two blocks to the HOB. Escalator ride to the third floor. Pretty awesome to have some protection from the rain. Some guy pulled me aside who recognized my exist trace shirt and gave me mad props and asked if I had seen them in Seattle. No :-/
Then the fellow opens his button up shirt to reveal that he is wearing the same f'ing shirt and tells me he was there. haha,
SMALL WORLD
VIP CLUSTER
Everyone's an expert.
AWKWARD / VIP
I think this was the one where some lady was wearing a red harlot's outfit that was all about the sideboob. I just remember the band members making comments amongst themselves and chuckling with each other when they saw her come up for her photo.
SHOWTIME
Typical issue of sound not being potted correctly at the start of a show, but man when they hit Lotus that's when it sounded amazing. The two-punch from Marrow was a pleasant surprise. Damn it was good. Funny moment happened when I caught myself saying OH MY GOD, OH MY GOD out loud when the recognition of Decadence was going to be played hit me.
I was wondering how the new songs would make the crowd react and I think for most of the middle of their set it made many NOT react. I can't blame them on TSUMI TO BATSU though. It's more of a performance piece. Speaking of performance, Kyo stole those shows both dates and what I hear from a Denver source he did the same there. This was the only show ever I've seen that they did not play The Final. Thank god because they played Kodou in the spot I believe would have been reserved for The Final.
Maria was next to this bad ass dude who was singing along the whole show which made the show one of the coolest yet. It was so much better than the lame ass whoops and hollers I do at their concerts.
Love that pouty foot stomp during his "last song" announcement.
Show ended and we stumbled into the direction of the car. The ground was nice and wet. When we were within a block of the garage me and Maria noticed that rare sight of money on the sidewalk. As we got closer I could make out the denomination of the bills...and they weren't $1's. They were $20's...and a lot of them.
BRING ON THE BAD KARMA
DALLAS
The drive to Dallas was short and sweet and we made it there around 3 or 4:30 in the morning.
The clerk had our reservation but said that we didn't have credit towards the room. WTH?! Here we go with the Karma.
The next morning I spent 45 minutes on hold before a Travelocity representative picked up. After another thirty minutes of back and forth between me and her and her with the hotel it turned out the hotel declined Travelocity's credit card. How the fuck?! Why wasn't this handled months prior when I paid for the damn thing. Craziest shit ever.
Anyways there was a shooting at the Amtrak that day. Another reason the government will trump up to install TSA at the rails.
Met up with Oregon's wild child Alex at her hotel and got to sit down and talk about her two week excursion to Japan after the earthquake. Her stories/pics/memorabilia were awesome.
We went to some Italian place she had been to the night before that apparently had an awesome menu but when we went there they only had five meals you could choose from. We learned they convert to that style of operation during the day. Weird.
VENUE
We get down to Trees late and play IMDB's iphone app to pass the time. Turns out I am horrible with movie knowledge.
VIP CLUSTER
?Blur?
I just remember seeing someone in a hospital bed in front of the stage.
ಠ_à²
SHOWTIME
Mic issues again. Kyo slams his mic down at the end of Hageshisa to...Then he comes back out for Obscure and beats his chest like an animal with the microphone. What a performer! Plays a little hide-and-seek with his jacket at the end of Rotting Root then rips that shit off for REPETITION. Ladies 'gasms commence. BEELZEBUB performance was mind blowing.
Standard good shit continues. HYDRA 666 was on fire. The phony ass trees in the place with the fog and Kyo's mask made the moment magical.
Love the intensity of the guitars in this song. Glad they played it.
POOF! OVER
Only thing I wish to hell they played was Decayed Crow.
Maybe on this upcoming metalcore tour.
We picked up some grub then dropped off Alex. Back at the hotel we realized we ganked her poster by accident.
THANKS
I decided to take the I-35 way back home. Forget that 71 highway nonsense.
Me trying to save some cash once again chose Frontier over Southwest to get to Denver. Of course some shit would come up. The gate next to ours was a flight to Vegas that boarded a half an hour before ours. We get on ours soon enough and the minute past our departure time I knew something was afoul. Apparently something was fucked on the Vegas' plane and the "higher ups" at Southwest were giving them our plane and we had to deboard and wait for the Vegas plane to be repaired. So we then find out our "new" plane had frozen water lines. Whatever that means and there's a chance we won't be flying at all that day. They then come back a half an hour later saying they can jerry-rig it somehow by using the laboratory's water supply but we wouldn't have access to the johns.
FUCK
but they gave us free TV for the 90 minute flight.
We land and then I make the dumbest mistake ever and go out the wrong side of the train at the end of the lime. At took like 4 trains later before I could correct the mistake. I've only flown to Denver like 10 times before. Jackass.
PARTY
I like catching her at her happiest. :D
PROUD MOMENTS
Pretty awesome how the graduation was on a Sunday during a home Broncos game aaaaand the convention center is down the block from the stadium. So driving for me was fun. I still beat Alicia's boyfriend getting there so I felt like a thug.
Shit was inspiring. But there was this family behind ours that wouldn't stop blabbing about the damn game. Sneaking out to find a TV somewhere and relay the score to others. Ended up God was taking that day off.
Quenched our thirsts later at this fine establishment.
END
Kinda shitty that the very next day was the Denver Dir en grey date.
At the end of this year my sister will walk some stage to collect a piece of paper that hopefully will make opening doors to better opportunities a little easier. So tonight, after stalling for two days *cough*, I purchased my plane ticket to witness this event. That two day stall cost me an extra Andrew Jackson. Someone better pay up!
Happy for her. Wonder if I'll get caught up in the moment that day and shed a tear.
Random:
I've been without a usb cable for my phone for a while now. Last Chinese $.99 eBay cable I bought was a complete failure. Teach me a lesson, will ya.
RetroCam app presents:
Maria found this gem in one of those bags thrift stores sell that are filled with miscellaneous bullshit. She thought it described me well so she stuck in on the speaker on top my monitor. I find it difficult to eat Twizzlers while at my battle station now. Thanks.
One of the two new additions to our ever growing family.
Backstory: Deftones tickets in KC went on sale back in January. Just like every other band these days, VIP options were made available. http://deftonestix.com/vip Hesitated and the Diamond package slipped away. Bummed, me and Mark settled on the Black package. Low and behold one month later an additional date was added to Denver. Maria pretty much made the call that me and Mark were going to go to Denver. Called Alicia to confirm our hotel reservations and it was game on. Mark scored Diamond and I secured two Blacks(?).
Famous Dave's was delicioso!!
"Spartans! Ready your breakfast and eat hearty... For tonight, we dine in hell!"
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Mad parking skills right here!
Before heading to the venue, Alicia wants us to check out a record store and book store that just ended up being to hip for me.
Who is Funeral Party? Almost like every other opening act, an afterthought.
Decided to take pics to pass the time.
Me looking constipated.
Guy In White is not impressed.
Drunk throws bottle of dew in street/wait for car to run over and cause an explosion of sugary liquid/instead scraggly looking man on bike decides it hold up traffic and stop to pick up said bottle.
