Road Trip!

Once or twice a year a certain group of friends and I travel out of town to watch (so... how about) that local sports team. Although the game we take in is the reason for the trip, it invariably takes a back seat to the many hours of hilarious conversation in and out of the car. Like, my-face-hurts hilarious. It's a special sort of mood unique to this activity.

We usually plan these trips months in advance. They tend happen during cold weather and this was no exception. We plowed though whiteout conditions at one point. The road was clogged with safer-than-they-need-to-be drivers. One car actually tried to block me from getting in the passing lane. I waited patiently and safely passed him anyway. This self-appointed guardian of public highway safety was apparently pissed and laid on the horn. To that guy I say this: I know my limitations in bad road conditions. You do not. I suggest you call the police and let them handle the matter, rather than taking the law into your own hands. Because of the slow driving conditions, we ended up being quite pressed for time, but made the game with a few minutes to spare.

Next up, the bonus round: a reunion show in another town by a favorite semi-local band of yesteryear. Great times, indeed. I wish N could have been there. Mt_n shows have such a different feel compared to H_x. People there seem a lot less concerned about looking or sounding trendy. It's quite refreshing. It seems like even the more artsy-leaning bands that come out of there rock in a more down-to-earth way. I really like that. On the other hand, maybe this show only drew people who like good ole' fashioned, badass, playfully offensive punk rocknroll... with the more timid, politically correct, progressive thinkers of the city staying home. The band we saw would never have drawn that sized crowd here; I think people in this town fancy themselves too highbrow for this type of show. It's a cultural difference I've noticed for a long time. I think it's kind of a bummer. Somewhere it the middle of the two extremes is where I feel most comfortable: rocking out with a sense of creative adventure.

There were at least 300 people at the show, maybe even 400. I went up front and rocked out for the band's entire set. Like, literally rocked out. It was weird... I always used to dance hard when this band played back in the day, and had not done so in close to a decade. I didn't feel old though, because many other mid-30s people who grew up with BL13 were doing the same thing. It was kind of awesome. Like the bee-girls in that video.

When I saw the crowd rush to the stage I remember thinking "Fuck it. No earplugs tonight". BIG MISTAKE. My ears can't continue to take that sort of punishment. I never practice or watch live bands without earplugs now. Last night I got too caught up in (literally) busting a move like it was 1993. Unfortunately, it's 2007, I've played in amplified bands for nearly 20 years and have a mild case of tinnitus. In my right ear today: not so mild. Kind of scary, actually. Fuck. I'm gonna be deaf someday, and it sucks. I sort of panic a little when I think about it.

Anyway, thoughts of hearing impairment were not on my mind after the show. We hit a big stop at about 3am and rolled into town around six. All agreed that this was an awesome trip. It seems like a new crop of recurring inside jokes emerges every time we do this. That's what it's all about: the road trip permagrins.

The day before we left, I sat down with a couple of cold beverages and prepared a playlist for the drive. I wanted about 9 hours of music. Track order and flow is absolutely essential; the audience's tastes are also paramount. Amazingly, this mix covered all but the final five minutes of the trip.

*makes pretend gun with finger, blows pretend smoke from barrel*

I've taken the time to list the bands we heard, in order (anti-internet-search policies be damned). I could tell you where we were on the road for each.

Motorhead
Mika Miko
Turbonegro
Tranzmitors
Gun Club
Replacements
Zombina & the Skeletones
Dwarves
Brutal Knights
Regulations
Redd Kross
Angry Samoans
Gang Of Four
Delta 5
Scissor Girls
LiLiPUT
Essential Logic
Jale
Undertones
Partisans
Sham 69
PiL
Slits
Parliament
Os Mutantes
Circulatory System
Beatles
Ofo The Black Company
Supercharger
1910 Fruitgum Company
Johnny Cash
Loretta Lynn
Dixie Cups
Lee Hazelwood
Link Wray
Little Richard
Antoine et les Problèmes
Shirley Ellis
Seeds
Pink Fairies
Captain Beefheart
Bubble Puppy
Blue Cheer
Pink Floyd
Simply Saucer
Hawkwind
Fig. 4
Guided By Voices
Tobin Sprout
Robert Pollard
Apples In Stereo
Pointed Sticks
We've Got A Fuzzbox And We're Gonna Use It
X
My Bloody Valentine
Strokes
Bob Mould
Velvet Underground
Jonathan Richman
Stinky Toys
Rondelles
Troupe diCoupe
Supergrass
Fela Kuti
Venom
Dead Kennedys
Corrosion of Conformity
Verbal Abuse
Poison Idea
SSD
Jerry'd Kids
Gang Green
F.U.s
DYS
Negative Approach
Bad Brains
Black Flag
Misfits
CI
Career Suicide
Formaldehyde Junkies
Edith Nylon
Oberkampf
Bérurier Noir
Métal Urbain
No-Talents
Shearing Pinx
Mutators
Mars
Teenage Jesus & the Jerks
James Chance & the Contortions
Afrika Bambaataa
LL Cool J
Yellow Magic Orchestra
Kraftwerk
Peaches
Grandmaster Flash
Suicide
Sun Ra
Neu!
Ash Ra Tempel
Slayer
Voivod
Pissed Jeans
Killdozer
Flipper
Devo
Nervous Gender
Gary Flanagan
Der Plan
Judge Dread
Tom Jones
Martha & the Muffins
The Cure
Lambrettas
Papas Fritas
Olivia Tremor Control
Kevin Shields
Dog Day
Lemonheads
Talulah Gosh
Avengers
Germs
Descendents
The Kids
Da Slyme
Crime
Flux Of Pink Indians
D.I.R.T.
Crass
Fugazi
Embrace
Barrington Levy
Can
Guess Who
Deep Purple
Black Sabbath
Judas Priest
Live Fast Die
Jay Reatard
Breeders
Go Gos
Camera Obscura
Cub
Helen Love
Gories
CPC Gangbangs
Demon's Claws
Catholic Boys
Hospitals
Homostupids
Stooges
Black Lips
Buzzcocks
David Bowie
Isaac Hayes