It was a crazy busy weekend. We played a show Friday night at Emo's which went really well. We still can't quite fill the place all the way on our own but we're getting close. Maybe if we implement my long discarded plan of not playing in town so damn much.

Saturday was a nice brunch/lunch at Michael and Corrine's. It was very relaxing and yummy and ended with everyone telling some of the grossest stories I've heard in a while. That night Choo and I went to see Caroline play out in Manor at a place called the Oaks which is an old BBQ place turned into a music venue. The bands were all good as were the two burlesque dancers (very classy-like) but Caroline killed. I think I saw tears in Choo's eyes at one point. Awwww...

Sunday was boat party time for Tina and Cory birthdays. It was totally relaxing after the part where I wasn't paying attention while driving and got us on the wrong highway and made us have to race out there. That part was no fun. But after that we swam a bit, drank a bit, and ummm that's about it.

The busy weekend only leads into an even busier week. We leave for tour next Monday so we have to get in at least one practice but we're also playing the Whisky Bar on Thursday (free! $1 drinks til 12!) and Assim's party on Friday night. But the real fun is that I'm going on LA on Friday for the day. Trail of Dead are playing the X-Games (!?) during the afternoon and so I'm gonna fly out on a red eye early Friday morning (after having played the night before), tech for their show, catch a plane back then try to bust it over to Assim's to play the party. I normally would've just said I couldn't do it but I think they were kind of stuck and, besides, I'm afraid if I say I can't make it too many times I'll just stop getting calls (and I actually enjoy doing this stuff). Oh yeah, and I have to work my regular job too!

addendum: I ain't making it back friday night. party is off - or rather it is on but we're not playing it. me=jerkface who ain't gonna be there.

Hey, I'm leaving for the first Brothers and Sisters tour in about a week and a half. It sounds more ambitious than it looks on paper but it's a start. We have other stuff planned as well for this fall - in New York at the CMJ Music Marathon in Oct/Nov and then three weeks in Nov/Dec with a certain noisy rock band that I won't give details on yet because it's not totally set. Anyhow, here's the dates. Annoy your friends in and around these cities and make them come see us.

Aug 08 2006 Burt's Tiki Lounge - Albuquerque, NM
Aug 09 2006 Plush - Tucson, AZ
Aug 10 2006 Damien Presents @ SDSC - San Diego, CA
Aug 11 2006 The Fold @ El Cid - Los Angeles, CA
Aug 12 2006 Sea Level Record Store - Los Angeles, CA
Aug 14 2006 The Echo - Los Angeles, CA
Aug 15 2006 Cafe du Nord - San Francisco, CA
Aug 16 2006 Marilyn's - Sacramento, CA
Aug 17 2006 Hotel Utah - San Francisco, CA
Aug 19 2006 Kilby Court - Salt Lake City, UT
Aug 20 2006 Hi-Dive - Denver, CO

"Last month about 30 Dallas police officers raided what the local CBS affiliate described as "an illegal high stakes poker game," arresting 10 people and citing 72 others for gambling. Radley Balko highlights a detail the TV report omitted: The raid was carried out by a heavily armed SWAT team, accompanied by a camera crew filming the operation for the A&E series Dallas SWAT." Full article...

Ray Davies was excellent. Opened with "I'm Not Like Everybody Else" then into "Where Have All the Good Times Gone?". Probably 2/3 of the set was new songs which is about what I expected but I even enjoyed those. During the obligatory acoustic portion of the set he led everyone in a singalong of "Sunny Afternoon" which was both totally cheese-ball and totally awesome. He was funny and energetic. Almost all the "hits" (except for "All the Day and All of the Night") were missing from the set but it was still great. Encore was "Low Budget" which was an unexpected, but fun, choice. The only real disappointment was that "Waterloo Sunset" was absent from the evening.

Fri. 07/28
Brothers and Sisters, The Black, The Theater Fire, Pink Nasty at Emo's (late show)

I'm going to see Ray Davies tape an episode Austin City Limits tonight! I have to get there early, and I fully expect to sit in the waning hours of the blistering sun before I get in but that's ok because I get to see Ray Davies tape an episode of Austin City Limits tonight!

I saw the new pirate movie on Saturday night. It was crazy fun which just what I wanted. Also, I briefly got to meet Frank from the fabulous Sons of Hercules. While they are great in their own right, they're most famous for the fact that Frank was in the Vamps who opened for the Sex Pistols at the San Antonio show in 1978. (while trying to figure out the name of Frank's old band I came across this article in the chronicle that has a bunch of old Austinites telling their story of that night)

I really hate that people use their hands-free things on their cell phones all the time. It makes me think that there has been a marked increase in schizophrenia with all these people talking to themselves. I understand using them in your car (even though studies have found that it actually doesn't make talking on the phone while driving any safer than using your phone normally) but people walking around talking to themselves is rather disconcerting.

Has anyone read Gravity's Rainbow? I almost picked up a used copy at lunch and decided against it. It seems like a bloated, pretentious, rambling book but that can cut either way - really good or really bad. So anyone have any opinions/advice?

In other news, I quit playing with Camp X-Ray yesterday. It's too bad. I like the guys and I like the music but I was becoming a bit frazzled. I wasn't really giving it my all and it was pretty obvious. I feel like a jerk but better that than doing it half-assed.

I realize that I haven't really written anything on here for a while but I haven't had anything to say. Waiting for the spirit to move me. These days it's mainly work then practice then tv/book/computer then sleep then repeat. Very much a holding pattern, saving money for imminent unemployment + tour. We're leaving Aug 7 and returning around Aug 22 (depending if we drive straight back from Denver or stop somewhere for the night.)

Almost everyone at work is in training all week. This means it will be nice and quiet.

In other news, I finally found a Bob Dylan record I like - Desire.

Our cable box messed up yesterday so I missed watching the new Entourage. It made me very sad. In better HBO-related news, the third season of the Wire comes out on DVD on Aug 8 then season 4 starts airing on Sept 10.

Syd Barrett dies, aged 60.

"Syd Barrett, the former lead singer of Pink Floyd and one of the key figures of the 60s, has died at the Cambridgeshire home to which he retreated as a recluse more than 30 years ago.

The Guardian has learned that the singer, 60, who suffered from a psychedelic-drug induced breakdown while at the peak of his career, died last Friday from cancer.

His brother Alan confirmed his death, saying only: "He died peacefully at home. There will be a private family funeral in the next few days."

Having the fourth off really messed up my internal work-week calendar. I can't tell if it's tuesday or friday. It turns out it's thursday. Who knew?

I went to a cookout at Chris and Jennifer's for the holiday. I had a good time but it was all babies and married people, and as much as I like those things, I was feeling a bit out of place. I watched some of the fireworks over town lake as I drove home in the rain.

This past weekend is kinda blurry. On saturday I went out early to see Miss Alex White and the Red Menace (w/the Strange Boys) at Beerland. Both bands were totally awe-some. Later was Cody's surprise birthday party which, of course, ended with a poker tournament. For the first time in a while I played really well and ended up winning $105. Sweet. Later, just after I got home 2am-ish, Andra came home with Alex+band as they were staying with us for the night. Andra had put on a second show for them later that night but it was totally busted up by the TABC. I was all tired and woozy but stayed up chatting with some really drunk guys from Detroit/Chicago. They next morning we all went for breakfast tacos before they drove home.

ps. Brothers and Sisters are playing tomorrow night (friday) at the Hole in the Wall. It is free.