The Rich Girls Are Weeping

25 August 2006

Lo siento!! Obviously, an entire week has passed without last week's weekend update, which is still due being that we went to three shows in three days, on top of our regular Wednesday night DJ set at Chain Drive, which features 3 more bands. What is this, motherfucking Rocktober?! This is unprecedented for summer, seriously. And on the delay: kids, this is what happens when you grow up and have a real job with a title like "Executive Director," or "Editor" after your name; some days you just don't have time, and when you do have a precious moment to catch up between meetings, reports, and general duties, you hold on to it with such desperation that you don't want to waste it on your blog. Which is not to say we don't love you, dear readers. Just, you know, sometimes corporate America makes it hard to do so. But enough whinging.

Things learned over the weekend of 8/18-8/20: 1. One of our friends "came to Will Sheff--over and over and over..." (we think that might be cut out of the Okkervil River documentary, though), and 2. "Brojobs: It's not gay if it's on the road." Luckily, these quotes weren't heard at the same event (nor at the Final Fantasy show), though one was delivered over breakfast.

Writing about Final Fantasy after the fact is rather anticlimactic -- especially considering the circumstances under which we saw young Owen Pallet for the first time in January 2005 when he was on the magical Partridge Family-esque school bus tour with the Arcade Fire (actually there was no bus--just like fifteen people crammed into a van). And it's hard to write about August-in-Texas shows with any degree of glee, because there sure isn't any when you head out for the night and it's still over ninety degrees. Still, Owen charmed us with a fabulous set which included the song we'd all been waiting for -- his cover of Mariah Carey's "Fantasy" (as documented in this entry). [And, in case you care, we found Bob Wiesman tiresome and kind of accidentally missed The Curtains, even though Cindy was pretty hot to see them. Er, oops.)

Meta: Tom Tom Club -- Genius of Love
Final Fantasy -- Peach, Plum, Pear (Joanna Newsom cover)

Look, we've gotta be really frank about this: If you missed the Evangelicals on tour with Get Him Eat Him, you missed one of the absolutely unabashedly fun and exciting bills of the summer, perhaps even of the year. Get Him Eat Him have really come into their own as performers since we saw them last in January; their new songs are wonderfully fun and danceable, in that spazzy kind of way that we really only tolerate from Matt LeMay and His Indie Rock Army. The Evangelicals' set, sparking a with an unhinged riotous energy only really hinted at on their recordings, was the kind of thing you so rarely see -- a set that makes you remember exactly why you head out in 100+ degree heat to hang out in a (mostly air-conditioned) rock club during the utter dog days of August. Luckily for you, the Evangelicals tour pretty much non-stop -- they're back out on the road with Sereena Maneesh (and later, Say Hi To Your Mom) through September and October.

Evangelicals -- Here Comes Trouble
Get Him Eat Him -- Exposure


Sunday morning saw us open Pinkie's daintily appointed apartment to the five young lads of Get Him Eat Him -- never let it be said that we don't send our favorite boys back out on the road without a good brunch. There was lots of giggling, gossip, and a few serving mishaps (we'll not talk about when Cindy dropped some eggs on the floor...) before they headed out on the road, a ziploc bag of cookies in tow. Get Him Eat Him's second record is being tweaked this fall (it was recorded in DC at Inner Ear with the Dismemberment Plan's Jason Caddell at the helm, and includes a guest appearance from Charles Bissell of everyone's favorite band, The Wrens...) whilst the rest of the lads return to the coal mines of higher education for two more semesters. If you're in NYC tonight and tomorrow, catch GHEH at the Mercury Lounge with mp3blogger faves Beirut (if there's still tickets, that is!) and ... hey! The Curtains! Small world, huh? Anyway, bring them cookies, or other healthful snacks, if you're so inclined. They might be hungry!

After all that fun, we headed out around 8:30 pm to get in line outside (while, yes, it was still unbearably hot...) that wonderfully kitschy Austin institution, the Carousel Lounge, to catch the "secret" Okkervil River show that was being filmed for a documentary. Said documentary apparently will, in addition to featuring the shows filmed in Denton and Austin, also star TRGAW superfriend Summer Anne as The Best Okkervil Fangirl Of All Time, which is very appropriate -- for she does indeed fit that role quite well. We're really actually quite shocked that the fire marshall wasn't called -- there were hundreds of people squashed into the tiny Carousel Lounge along with a tiny crane and a whole lot of cameras. We ended up sitting in one of the booths by the bar, knitting (yes, that was us, if you were there, wondering what those two weird girls were up to...) the whole time, as it was impossible to see anything without being crushed in the front. Cindy was able to see a small portion of Jonathan's eye and nose if she stood on the seat, but that was about it. Though fun, it was, overall, a weird little show -- as with events staged for filming, the setlist was a little uneven, perhaps filling in gaps from the night before rather than geared toward being a crowd-pleaser. However, it was a nice opportunity to catch up with old friends and people-watch (who were all those sorority girls, anyway?) and evaluate people's outfits -- even if it was, overall, a kinda bizarre and oppressively hot experience.

Needless to say, after all that excitement, we were quite wiped out. However, we managed to get out Wednesday night to catch a semi-repeated bill of one of the best shows of the first half of the year -- a solo set from Jonathan Meiburg (see above, and you know, also of Shearwater...) and the fantastic Baby Dee, who mixes just the right amount of pathos and riot -- dirgey, creepy Edwardian parlor-esque songs and raunchy vaudevillian humor -- in her shows so that you're not sure if you're laughing or crying by the end of it all. Both sets were wonderful, but so very intensely personal -- but sometimes that's just the kind of rock show you want on a hot weeknight in the rather nicely super-chilled front room at Emo's, sipping on a coke whilst perched on a barstool.

Jonathan Meiburg -- Child of Never
Baby Dee -- Lilacs


Naturally, this weekend can't possibly be as exciting as the last, but that's okay, really. A girl can't party all the time.

But, just as a quick reminder, we'll be at the Chain Drive dj'ing again on Wednesday the 30th -- the 5th Wednesday of the month -- occurrencence that naturally merited a spankin' new flyer... On the bill: Summer Wardrobe, Vacation Gold, and The Midgetmen -- and, as always, there's no cover! Hope to see you there!



Also, best wishes to Cindy's little sister, the Judge, who got all moved in and settled at Michigan State this week! This one's for her...

Ladyfuzz -- Oh Marie

4 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

Jonathan Meiburg -- Child of Never

Ah, the one track that absolutely refuses to import from my CD copy of that album. Thanks TGRAW!

Friday, August 25, 2006 7:19:00 PM  
Blogger cindy hotpoint said...

Wow! Glad we could be of assistance, L-Train! xo

Friday, August 25, 2006 7:57:00 PM  
Blogger carolyn rhea drapes aka chacal said...

thanks for props to the judge. massive move-in for all and we are still making trips to target, meijer (sic? and pronounced something like meyer.) are there ever enough white hangers? was cindy's entree into the world of oztown's ut this protracted?

Saturday, August 26, 2006 10:05:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

It must've been to "Lady Liberty," right?

Tuesday, August 29, 2006 11:45:00 AM  

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