Tuesday, May 25, 2010

those dreaded wednesdays and saturdays

I’m suffering brain drain. I’ve had a smokers cough type situation for about three weeks, which is odd because I don’t smoke. I’m tired. The last two nights have been more or less like this: asleep around eleven (already too late) up at three until four with a baby (really just lying there while my wife feeds her and then getting up to change her) and then up again at five when the kid in the other room starts knocking and yelling to be let out. This shit’s new, and requires some serious early morning daddying. You wouldn’t believe what’s on Nick Jr. at that ungodly time.

Around seven thirty my wife gets up and I go back to bed until about ten. Around ten, this coughing bullshit starts. I can’t think. I’ve got a big conference call this afternoon and I work tonight. The IRS is hassling me. Boning now occupies the same space in my existence as playing on a Slip n Slide in that it’s something I recall that I used to enjoy, but that I don’t really see myself partaking in this summer (thank you very much, unflinching, stalinesque post-birth ob/gyn rules).

Um, what else? I dunno…there’s probably a ton of shit to write about in this space that isn’t just me complaining but, not to belabor the point, I am suffering a brain drain. It’s all grandparents and little kids knocking on doors and suddenly I’m out at a bar until 2 for the first time in years and I’m thinking “wow, I could, in theory be enjoying this job if it wasn’t for the fact that I’ve got to wake up with that dude knocking on the door in three hours” and on and on like this. Well, that’s life, kids. First they take your sleep, then they take your party, then they harass you until you’re afraid. Then they put out a dancing with the stars that you can get behind and relate to, then you die.

Apparently the people that drive the rickshaws outside my new job don’t like me. Yeah, rickshaws- the mode of transportation that the ancient Chinese got exactly right. Only, these ones aren’t powered by running slaves, these are hipsters on giant tricycles who apparently don’t like being charged for their drinks when they drink at the bar I work at, and begin to cry when I hand them their bill, despite the fact that it’s my first day and I’m standing there with the owner and only a FUCKING MORON would discount a bunch of people he doesn’t even know on his first day at a new job while standing next to an owner who’s told him not to be just giving shit away. Well, end result? The rickshaw kids seem to think I’m trying to come in and lay down a bold new set of laws in which they’re forced to pay for their shots of Dead Guy Shisky (really?) and dumb beers. I’m like the Eliot Ness of the highly sensitive rickshaw set, I guess.

Oh well. I guess if I want to get anywhere in the six block radius from my bar, I’ll have to walk, which sucks, because if you ignore the fact that walking is free and about the same speed as riding on a dumb rickshaw with a drunk girl pedaling, well, the rickshaw’s a pretty good way to check out wrigleyville, that I’m gonna be missing out on, I guess. Jesus.

I work with this guy. His name’s david and he’s young and he’s got dynamic hair and face piercings and he’s good looking and a really, really nice kid. He’s gonna be doing the punk rock Tuesdays with me over there (which will be sort of opening soft tonight, I guess…come down to the Risque café on clark and Sheffield for cheap beer specials, good food and punk rock music straight out of my ipod [unless that dj dude is gonna be there. I think he’s got a local punk radio show and last time I caught a bit of his set he was playing good stuff {d4 and Dead to Me and Misfits and HWM and shit like that} so that’ll be cool too]) and he’s (remember, we’re talking about the kid I work with now) got some crazy musical tastes that I can only sum up as being um…generationally different than mine.

Have you guys ever heard of a band called ‘a day to remember’ or something like that? Ha! They’re pretty much just metal breakdowns with a more pussified tom delonge singing over it. I guess it’s cool. I mean, no. Okay, let’s discuss this just a bit: it’s not cool at all, but I see why someone would like it, I guess.

On paper, it’s kind of just taking New Found Glory to their logical conclusion, right? Pop and metal riffs. Done.

Now, NFG is hardly the coolest band of all time or anything, but they’re not worth getting all worked up about. I mean, personally, I like dudes who dress like they’re sixteen when they’re older than me. It’s funny. It worked for Fat mike. It’s working for New Found Glory too. I mean, who am I to deny a bunch of old men the right to wear huge shorts and bounce around like they still honestly think those little mid nineties hiccup-style stops in slick pop-punk songs are cool? I’m nobody. Those guys aren’t working at bars or writing blogs, man. They know what’s up. Now who looks ridiculous?

Anyway, this band with the metal and the dumb so-cal vocals, it makes no sense to me. I feel like a grandpa when this guy I work with puts on his music. It just sounds um, really, really wack to me. Since when does metal all sound like it’s being played with actual metal instruments? Since when do pop punk bands do crunchy hardcore chromatic breakdowns? I’ll stick to my VHS tapes and old timey songs about not taking too many showers, thank you very much.


Now, listen up, I’m all for innovation, but mark my words folks, this shit ain’t gonna age well. In ten years ‘a day to remember’ will be known as ‘a day at the county fair devoted to woefully out of touch musical styles from a decade ago.’ Hey, maybe I’ll be working at that county fair. Want a funnel cake?

Hey, what do I know? Stewart Copeland said the same thing about green day.

See you turds tonight. There will be no nu-emo. Promise.

38 comments:

sheila said...

re-post from yesterday...

here you go kids, as promised:

http://www.redbubble.com/people/sleepysmile/t-shirts/5244925-2-bsc-t-1

there are several different style (long sleeve, girly, hoodie, v-neck and even kids sizes!) and color (light on dark and dark on light) options, so be sure to take your time and look at everything.

and thank you for your order, brendan!

Candice said...

one of my favorite parts of the after party show for the 10th was when you plugged in your ipod and played bon jovi.

Eddie said...

my attempt at being artsy... http://www.flickr.com/photos/eddiee21/4639687336/in/photostream/
also, shout out to sheila. she makes good stuff kids. buy some.

Unknown said...

I love me some New Found Glory, and I don't really have a problem with grown men wearing shorts. Hell, I wear them all the time here in sunny California.

'A Day to Remember' however, is not so hot.

everlasting iconoclast said...

i'd argue that this is the nu emo. what ever it is, it ain't rites of spring.

Anonymous said...

I think my friend once played me a song by "A Day to Remember" and it was a wicked nu-emo-ish-thing cover of some famous one hit wonder pop song... Can't remember what it was but I do remember laughing and before it was over throwing up in my mouth a bit.

Scott said...

all i can say is "no nu-emo? I wish i could be there tonight"

I don't really understand a lot of the bands that fit into that "A Day To Remember" type sound. They seem to be super popular and taking over most of the ipods of people i know. Because of friends, I found myself starting to listen to shit like that a few years ago and I was bored with it right away. Before i even got that far into it, I found myself pulling out Lawrence Arms albums and obsessing over completing my HWM catalog with physical copies. Stuff like that. These shitty new bands that all sounded the same, showing up as the only music news on sites, showing up on magazine covers...it seemed like they were everywhere. I started looking back at the older stuff out there from bands that i like and learning about new bands that i might have been missing. This actually proved to be a pretty awesome time for me, digging back and learning.

It is good to know that there are other people, that are not just super jaded "record-store" assholes or stupid hipsters, that want to keep no just music, but good music going in public places.

Plus, I love bars with good food.

Anonymous said...

How can I drink cheap beer at a bar without coming across as a hipster? I usually try to go as local as possible, but sometimes I don't have that option.

Unknown said...

When it comes to drinking beer at a bar I always go with quantity over quality. There's no shame in it. The club I go to in San Diego called "The Casbah"(my favorite place in the world) has $4 PBR Tall Boys. You can't beat it. I can get nice n drunk for around $20 and watch the Larry Arms.

planespotting said...

Just wondering if any other socks or attendees of the benefit show last week came down with a terrible viral throat/nose/cough illness during the weekend after the show?

Because I've been sick as a dog with a fever every day since Saturday night. My throat feels like it's filled with razor blades, and this cough is coming on stronger with every wretch.

I work at a large corporate office people - we have corporate germs there, and I'm immune to all of them. But go to one show in Wicker Park and I apparently go home covered with hipster germs, sweat and beer.

I'm gettin' to old for this shit.

planespotting said...
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Robb said...

Jody - besides the actual name, do the owners keep the clash nods in check or have they gone hog wild w/ like joe strummer portraits littering the walls?

From the description A Day TR sound like Bayside, but with more nasally NFG/Blink vocals instead of A. Raneeeri's husky elf grunts or whatever?

Unknown said...

I actually haven't noticed anything Clash related at the club. Great club though. Cool staff, the crowds are always good, cheap beer as mentioned before, and Teenage Bottlerocket and Banner Pilor are playing there next month. hiyoooO!

Sickie27 said...

Brokencyde is playing the Masquerade and I know you wish you could be checkin' them out with me!

Sickie27 said...

JK. It's tomorrow night. Which means, YOU STILL HAVE TIME.

Bridgett said...

Throw that "Miracles" song on for shits and giggles. You know the one. Fuckin' magnets, man.

PS: What happened to Static Age? Did they fire you already?

Anonymous said...

Plane - I was there and feel great. Also my balls have never smelled better. It's weird.

limited nobility said...

a day to remember have that four year strong thing where you know something is awry but its not as straight up terrible as the hawthorne heights type stuff that went on 05ish.It kinda sucks because I'd like to tell these kids "god man you are listening to complete shit" instead of "uhh,there's is way more rewarding stuff out there man but umm... I can kinda see the appeal of this".Plus,adtr and fys both look like they could be dudes in line for the dear landlord show at the fest or something.what happened to the easily derided haircuts and threads?

Tima Tzar said...

I like you're blog a lot!!!

limited nobility said...

speaking of emo's,there is a video of fat mike that proves that cokie didn't dose kids at sxsw with peequilia and his mom is alive and well backstage getting a kick out of the whole ruse!just kidding bout the second part suckers!.................lame

limited nobility said...

I hate them!forgot about that

Garfield Roscoe said...

Brendan...

Got a question...

Were you playing the beginning of "Give It Back" by Lagwagon when you were warming up at the benefit show at the subt?

Just curious. Thought I caught it. Lagwagon, got some great riffage.

Unknown said...

I always thought like 18 Visions,Bleeding Through,Throwdown and whatever Victory and Trustkill records were putting out 5 years ago was bad. These newer bands are even worse, give it 3 or 4 years. That is how these cycles work.

Sean said...
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Sean said...

so last Saturday my girlfriend and I went to some improve comedy club called "The Hot Karl" located downtown.

I guess their motto is "if you don't leave offended/disgusted then we aren't doing our job!" or something like that. Well, I wasn't really grossed out OR offended, but it was pretty alright and funny.

The point is, they talked about "vajazzling," and it made me think of the much funnier blog you posted about it, which I decided to reread when we got back to her place.

I then began talking about how awesome your blog is, which I think always makes my girlfriend annoyed that I spend so much time quoting you instead of... you know... relationship-y... stuff......

... something.... something.... blowjob...

Unknown said...

A Day to Remember sucks pretty hard, as did New Found Glory and as do Four Year Strong... they all sound so manufactured to me. It's like, "HEY! Let's castrate ourselves and play the corniest fucking breakdown that's been done a thousand times before... yeah, the kids are gonna eat this shit up." Maybe the guys in those bands are making music for the right reasons, but it sounds like unoriginal garbage.

This is the part where I thank BK and the Larry Arms for keeping it real... thanks douche!

Brian said...

I went to catch a Strike Anywhere show a few months ago in downtown chicago. Didn't buy tickets in advance because its a low key punk show at reggies. I get to the place and there's a huge line full of neon colored shirts and emo haircuts. 4 year strong was playing with SA. The show was sold out. So angry

stranger than fistin said...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q77sJT8O56E

Brendan, I think I speak for the entire Sock Drawer when I say your opinion on/dissection of this video is direly needed.

Robb said...

Mm. Shennanigans like teen wolf here almost make my inner mongoloid yearn for a temporary massive cultural regression back to the Regan '80s or farther, in which the foregone outcome for teen wolf would have been a life-changing beating from a pickup truck's worth of jocks unencumbered by the hyper self-awareness of being an antiquated breed which weighs upon today's high school jocks. It would last just long enough for teens nationwide (no hope for Japan, I know) to understand such increasingly retarded forms of self expression are unacceptable

Robb said...

Reagan! Haha jesus

Drunken Acorn said...

Hey BK, when I win the Power ball tonight I'll get you a one of those british nannies so that you can sleep and your brain starts working again. Hell after I win the Power Ball all I'm gonna do is become Batman so getting you a nanny is no biggie.

Hey Planespotting,I had the same problem after shows. I would get all sick just like you. Then I started to hobo bathe in the restrooms right after the show. No more getting sick. You may get some weird looks for washing your hair with hand soap but trust me it works.

limited nobility said...

I agree robb!I bet most of the teen wolf bullying going on is hierarchical type shit within the "pack".Like,im sure at least one poor kid has tried stuffing his abusive stepfathers beloved Davey Crockett hat down the ass of his pants to create that bushy tail look only to have the thing stand erect causing him to be ostracized by the wolves and later be beaten at home for making the hat smell like "butt".sure?I mean...hopefully

limited nobility said...

Ardi Rizal

Christian said...

In response to Trainspotting, I was at a different benefit show last week and within about 3 days I ended up with a terrible sore throat/headache/congestion dealy. I think it's just going around. Here's to our health.

stranger than fistin said...

I'm positive that I would've gotten the shit beat out of me if I were to partake in that sort of behavior when I was in HS.

And what the fuck kinds of parents do these kids have? My mom used to freak if I wore a Bad Religion t-shirt. If I would've left the house with a leash and a tail and contacts that makes it look like I have cat eyes, I like to think that she would have poisoned me.

Sean said...

... just bought a replacement BSC shirt from Sheila to replace mine that was DESTROYED at the Subterranean benefit show last week...


Thanks Sheila!!!

Blake said...

Yeah, Sean. Judging by your default pic, you need a new shirt.

Eric said...

@ planespotting

I got sick also