Home sweet home.

Kudos to all the dedicated bloggers. I don't know how you find the time. For the last couple of months, with all the other shit I had to do, I just didn't want to spend any time on the computer that wasn't absolutely necessary. I got tired just looking at this fucking machine. After I actually got my computer up and running again, it was all business. BTW it's running better than ever. It's just that I had so much other shit to do that if I spent any time blogging, I felt irresponsible because I had much more pressing matters to attend to. I got a new job at a middle school that kind of blows, but I got hired when most teachers are getting pink slips, so I can't complain. I had to deal with taxes, post grad application submission deadlines. I'm still doing a little GRE prep workshop on weeknights. NOT TO MENTION I played 7 shows in last 11 days with Batwings. We went up to San Francisco, Sacramento, and Reno, and played some local shows as well. Since Larry joined the band we've already played almost 20 shows. We booked it ourselves, I made flyers, printed merchandise, cd ep cover art, making cds, transportation arrangements, etc... anyway I was busy. Touring is fucking fun though.

Thanks to Amy for your appreciation.

Wild Weekend found a third bassist with a girl I've met several times named Cara. I didn't even know she played bass. I'm thinking about checking them out at the Pink Elephant on Thursday, April 10th, for their record release party. She's got some big rocking shoes to fill. Hopefully they've written more originals too.

This Saturday, April 5th, I went to the Tower bar to witness the triumphant return of The Corvinas. They haven't played out since Rene left the band and started his own band called Chango Rey y El Moreno. I have yet to see them play, but I hear good things. Ironically, the guitarist that replaced Rene for the show on Saturday, Clayton, also plays guitar in Chango Rey. Lady Vain and a band called The Fast Takers also played. The Fast Takers are from Portland and feature a very energetic and charismatic, however legally blind, frontman. Hernan is from El Centro, and spent some time living in San Diego before unfortunately losing a good percentage of his ability to see, and moving to Portland. He used to play drums in a speed metal band when I was in Jr. high, and he was in high school . I heard they formed after he placed a classified ad in the paper. The Fast Takers are an AC/DC meets Johnny Thunders and the Heartbreakers rock punk and not punk rock playing five piece. I missed Lady Vain. I don't know anything about them at all.

Also, Calico Horse has a new website. Awake In The Clouds

Wild Weekend and Squiddo @ The Tower Bar

If you read my Blog about the Sessions Fest, I talked about having seen Wild Weekend's first show ever at the Coffee House on Broadway, I recognized that they had some room for growth. I'll admit I don't give a lot of credit to cover bands, and I understood the obvious gimmicky element of an all girl cover band. However, I really like the Zeros and I thought it would be fun. So, I didn't give up and decided to give it a second go at the Tower Bar on Saturday 12/01/07. The show was billed as Wild Weekend, The Sexies, and The Rich White Males. Both The Sexies, and The Rich White Males canceled at the last minute, so Squiddo stepped in to fill one of the spots. I was glad that I had come out because I think much of that growth has come on rather quickly for Wild Weekend. The two girls from The Atoms, Melissa and Kaitlyn, have left the band. No disrespect to Melissa as a drummer, but she's been replaced by Brian Hill (formerly of the Plot to Blow Up the Eiffel Tower and The Prayers), who's quite the bad ass drummer. Kaitlyn has been replaced by Wendy from The Sexies, who is considerably more comfortable with the bass guitar. One description I heard of Kaitlyn's bass playing was "it always looks like she's taking a test," and well Wendy's got a lot of strut to go with her strum. Kelly's coming out of her shell as a performer, she's a lot more mobile, and sang lead on a song ("Leech," which can be heard on her personal myspace page here). Maren's solo's were timed sublimely, which is something that I really couldn't say for the first time around. She knows her way around that big ass yellow hollow body guitar. All three girls are hitting the back up vocals strong and right on queue. Also, they've started writing and playing originals. The originals are speedy pop punk girl shout anthems that remind me a lot of the Soviettes when the girls are singing. You can hear a big difference in Maren's vocals when she sings the originals, they're just a better fit, more natural. Wild Weekend is a much tighter, more engaging band than before, and I hope to hear more good things.

I'd seen Squiddo play before, and they made a much stronger impression on me this time too. I wonder if Squiddo's bummed about the covers project possibly overshadowing their own. The funny thing is, I think that Squiddo songs sound more like Zeros music than the Wild Weekend originals. Actually that makes a lot of sense considering Hector Penalosa, one of the original members of the Zeros, is in Squiddo. It's kind of a weird situation altogether.

Now that Brian Hill is drumming, this puts Wild Weekend ahead of The Vultures and The Prayers as my favorite post-Plot project (Mostly because I refuse to buy into the hype). I gave the Prayers a good long listen, and that Madonna cover just gets on my god damned nerves. I don't dislike the Vultures, I just don't see what all the fuss is about.

In other news: I am super bummed about having missed some really good shows recently: M.I.A., Jay Reatard, The Walkmen, Calico Horse, Repeater... next time.

Sessions Fest and the not so distant future.

Tomorrow morning I head off to Rosarito Beach in Baja California, Mexico, for a wedding. I'm staying in Mexico til Saturday, and hopefully returning to San Diego in time to catch the Sessions Fest in Golden Hill. Then on Sunday I have to drive to Riverside, Ca where I'll be spending the week doing some work for the Sd County office of Ed. Yay. The week after that it's Santa Ana for another week. I get back the day before Batwings' first show in alomst 3 months. Easily the longest we've ever gone without playing a show. Hopefully we don't suck total dick.

Here's the complete set list for the Sessions Fest, which is Scott Cat Dirt's baby, with a little break down of the bands I'm familiar with.

12:15 to 12:45 - The Corvinas

I genuinely really like this band, not just because they are all good friends of mine. They're fellow Imperial Valley Rats now based out of San Diego. My band shares a practice space with them, I work with the singer, and the second guitarist used to live two blocks from me and introduced me to my first girlfriend in High School. All coincidence... They are a rockin' three piece garage punk band and sorely underrated. Get there early.

1:15 to 1:45 - Wild Weekend

All girl Zeros cover band. I saw their first show at the Coffee House on Broadway (or CHOB). I give them credit for it being their first show, but they definitely could have been a lot tighter, and maybe more enthusiastic on stage, but it's not like I couldn't recognize the songs or anything. Maybe it's too bad that more of their draw/appeal might be a matter of the other bands that these girls that have been in (members of the Atoms, and Squiddo) and the simple fact that they are cute girls, and not the fact that they are playing Zeros songs. I really couldn't say why people were there. There was a pretty decent sized crowd (including one of the members of the Zeros). However, it didn't seem like there were as many people who were familiar with the songs as I would have thought. This will be their third or fourth show. I'm sure they tightened up and are maybe a little more comfortable stage, so I'm looking forward to seeing them again. I love the Zeros and I had fun at their first show. I'm pretty sure that the singer is dating one of the members of the Zeros, and that he's now joined her band Squiddo. My band played a show with them at the San Diego Sports Club about a year ago, but I don't think they stuck around to see us play. It was kind of a lonely night for both bands as far as attendance was concerned. SDSC is kind of a shitty venue to begin with, but wednesdays can be rough anyway.

2:15 to 2:45 - Red Pony Clock
3:15 to 3:45 - Kite Flying Society

Haven't gotten a chance to see this band live yet, but always hear lots of good things. Pretty and delicate pop ala Shins, Rogue Wave...

4:15 to 4:45 - Habitat Sound System
5:15 to 5:45 - Pizza!
6:15 to 6:45 - MC Flow
7:15 to 7:45 - Atoms

You like Devo or the Dickies? They do too.

8:15 to 8:45 - Fifty on their Heels

Singer Junior Metro is another Valley rat. We went to the same high school, even attended at the same time, but have never really met. He is a few years older. He's been in bands since I was in jr. high. If you haven't heard Fifty on their Heels yet, get your ass out there. Dancey, kinda of snotty, and well versed in all your favorite punk and new wave bands.

9:15 to 9:45 - The Prayers

Ex members of Plot to Blow Up the Eiffel Tower. The only time I've seen the Prayers was at a house party and I couldn't hear shit. I am, as of yet, undecided about whether or not to believe the hype.

Sessions Fest is in Golden Hill Park, 25th Street & Russ Blvd., north of the Turf Supper Club, parking on the street and in the park.