SEATTLE: I jumped in a van full of NEON PISS on Saturday and it was so fun. Seattle's Black Lodge is an amazing venue, and the show was packed. The bathroom lineup was walled with thumping bass from the bar next door, and you could drink your own beer inside. And pals from Olympia were there!
AGATHA was fucking rad and I didn't buy a record, because sometimes after a couple beers I get really tape stubborn and convince myself I won't and don't need vinyl and damn all that record collecting anyhow. Made-up morals, fabricated ethos. BLOODSWEEP were good, choppy riot grrl, and the bass player had a pink flying V guitar (!!!!). NP played, it was good to see them in a place where you weren't concerned about turning around and seeing creepy guy winking at you, or telling you have nice legs (I don't care what my name is, fuck off with that shit). And the sound was better than at Iron Road in Vancouver. And of course SNUGGLE & RVIVR played and I sang some words I knew, and by this point was drunk enough to sing the ones I didn't know, and it was all lovely lovely lovely.
IN BETWEEN (actually, slightly south of Tacoma): There is a totally sick army surplus in Ft. Lewis!! The last exit, I think. The one with the WA Nat'l Guard giant compound.
TACOMA: The 5th Dimension is fucking badass. And it's in Tacoma?! My vision of that city five years ago was juggalos hanging out at gas stations where you ran in to pee and buy your second sixpack on your way to Portland. Now it is a brilliant backyard and being shitty at darts in the garage with the woodstove and dogs loping around muddy boots. And super fun living room shows. Everyone can see! The ceilings are tall and you can perch on the staircase. And everyone is friendly, and if you're socially anxious can just drink past it all until you are the friendliest socially anxious Canadian the town has ever seen.The show was comprised of HYSTERICS, who are tough as shit ladies from Olympia, who make me want to start a hardcore band and break faces at the same time. NEGATIVE PRESS are good hardcore from Tacoma. The singer has a giant Husker Du tattoo (fucking cool) which he displays by removing his shirt during the set. But good band. But shirts on, dudes off, dude. I think I missed CRIMINAL CODE when I was playing shitty darts.
THE END: Things I have had re-affirmed: Punk is great. The NW is great. Vancouver, Bellingham, Seattle, Tacoma, Olympia, Portland. I still love punk. The border makes anyone feel like they are wrong, all of the time, so fuck the border. I need to hang out more, in my own city and in others, because try as I might, isolation just ain't bringing me up.
If you haven't already, check out Greg from Neon Piss' blog REMOTE OUTPOSTS and check out all the aforementioned bands!
AGATHA was fucking rad and I didn't buy a record, because sometimes after a couple beers I get really tape stubborn and convince myself I won't and don't need vinyl and damn all that record collecting anyhow. Made-up morals, fabricated ethos. BLOODSWEEP were good, choppy riot grrl, and the bass player had a pink flying V guitar (!!!!). NP played, it was good to see them in a place where you weren't concerned about turning around and seeing creepy guy winking at you, or telling you have nice legs (I don't care what my name is, fuck off with that shit). And the sound was better than at Iron Road in Vancouver. And of course SNUGGLE & RVIVR played and I sang some words I knew, and by this point was drunk enough to sing the ones I didn't know, and it was all lovely lovely lovely.
IN BETWEEN (actually, slightly south of Tacoma): There is a totally sick army surplus in Ft. Lewis!! The last exit, I think. The one with the WA Nat'l Guard giant compound.
TACOMA: The 5th Dimension is fucking badass. And it's in Tacoma?! My vision of that city five years ago was juggalos hanging out at gas stations where you ran in to pee and buy your second sixpack on your way to Portland. Now it is a brilliant backyard and being shitty at darts in the garage with the woodstove and dogs loping around muddy boots. And super fun living room shows. Everyone can see! The ceilings are tall and you can perch on the staircase. And everyone is friendly, and if you're socially anxious can just drink past it all until you are the friendliest socially anxious Canadian the town has ever seen.The show was comprised of HYSTERICS, who are tough as shit ladies from Olympia, who make me want to start a hardcore band and break faces at the same time. NEGATIVE PRESS are good hardcore from Tacoma. The singer has a giant Husker Du tattoo (fucking cool) which he displays by removing his shirt during the set. But good band. But shirts on, dudes off, dude. I think I missed CRIMINAL CODE when I was playing shitty darts.
THE END: Things I have had re-affirmed: Punk is great. The NW is great. Vancouver, Bellingham, Seattle, Tacoma, Olympia, Portland. I still love punk. The border makes anyone feel like they are wrong, all of the time, so fuck the border. I need to hang out more, in my own city and in others, because try as I might, isolation just ain't bringing me up.
If you haven't already, check out Greg from Neon Piss' blog REMOTE OUTPOSTS and check out all the aforementioned bands!