The Octopus Project

I went to see The Octopus Project last night at the Paradox. It had been ages since I'd been to an all-ages show. It's funny, all ages shows were the only decent bands touring in Huntington before I left. I went to them all the time but over the years I felt creeper and creeper being the bald guy with a bunch of kids down at the YWCA. That tops the list of creepy Huntington feelings and reasons I’m here in Seattle today.

I was excited to see The OP because before I moved out I had booked them to play a show (at a bar) in Huntington. No one had heard of the band so I worked really hard to get people to the show, going as far as walking around with a CD player and making people listen to them. The day of the show they called me with the sad news that their van was stolen that day on their way out of NYC! They were devastated, I was devastated, it was a disappointing situation all around.

I even had a great idea for a poster (that was fully realized by Ben (the mastermind behind designing boptart.com)and K. Thor Jensen) that played upon the southern phenomenon of Donkey basketball, thusly Octopus Basketball.



So at last nights show we arrived an hour before The OP started so we sat around eating M&Ms and drinking coffee for about ten minuets before someone suggested we go to a bar. Actually, I think that someone suggested going to a bar as soon as we got there but it took ten minutes of a terrible screamo band to rush along the decision.

After a beer at a neat little Ballard bar near the Paradox, Mike's Chili Palace or something, we headed back to the show.
I’m so glad I went out, The OP were amazing. It was loud gritty drums, guitars, and a Theremin, with no vocals. Some of the better moments reminded me of seeing Spiritualized (for lack of a better term) "jam out" when you see them live. Really, really really, good. They had great set dressings too. On stage they had crafted sheets made to look like huge monsters that they and put over the speakers with Christmas lights under them.

1upsmanship.

My friend Adam wrote me yesterday with some fresh video game rhymes. So I decided to 8 mile with him, dork style, and spit some of my own.

Adam:

I wanna whip you into a Castlevania frenzy,
and rev up your Excitebike-
I can do up-down-up-down-left-right-left-right all night,
I'm on a Duck Hunt for 8-bits of love.

I'd pay a River City Ransom,
to be your Kid Icarus for the night,
I'd even Punch Out! Mike Tyson,
In a Double Dragon/Battletoads fight.

If you'll be my Princess, I'll be your Mario-
Drop down your Warp Pipe for subterranean treasure,
Eat a Magic Mushroom to increase my size,
Finding your Fire Flower is my ultimate pleasure,
As I Jump-kick your Koopa shell for infinite lives.

Mine:

Ketchup Burgertime cuz you're Oregon Trailing me
Got hands thick and calloused, more game than genie
Rocking blocks like R.O.B. cuz I'm Gyromighy
RC Pro-AM to PM, I kick the stick nightly.

I'm like Hagar or Rygar you're like Captain Planet.
I've read Stone Hands, so you know my shit is granite
I'm a double dragon just like Robert Patrick
While you're typing to Larry "put on prophylactic"

I'm the master, brain and blaster
got 'em saying "it's a hit" like an 8bit sportscaster
So many coins in my pockets, I gots endowment funds
When it comes to the game I'm Thor Aackerlund

Seriously, you try rhyming "blowing in her cartridge" with anything other than "partridge". It's hard!

Blimpy.

When I worked phones at Amazon I used the greeting “Thank you for calling Amzon.com this is Lindsey, how can I help you?” That worked fine for me until one day someone said “Hello Blimpy” and then it happened THREE MORE times that day where someone though my name was Blimpy. It actually started to make me mad because after the second time I try to enunciate more clearly...but it kept happening! It was a one day phenomenon that I forgot about until recently when it happened again at my current job. Only once...but still! Is Blimpy even a name? Why would someone think I’m saying Blimpy? Is it dew to some sort of telephone headset reverberation? Does anyone who calls me at work ever notice this?

I think I’m a little name sensitive growing in a girl Lindsey’s world but I’ll take Lindsey over Blimpy Baker any day.

My Super Sweet 30!

Leslie's birthday (happy birthday Leslie and Trish) this weekend has got me excited about my birthday in June. I've been thinking hard about "my super sweet 30" party for a while and I had some huge news come though about it this week. It looks like Harvey Sid Fisher is going to play! If you're unfamiliar here's a bio I found online:

Harvey recorded his 12 Astrology Songs the mid-80s, and found it released on San Francisco's Amarillo Records (started by Gregg "Is He Neil Hamburger?" Turkington, who also put out the recorded work of Anton LaVey, by the way). In ensuing years it became an underground favorite, no small thanks to its accompanying video which was played at the beginning of every zodiac cycle on Comedy Central's Daily Show with Craig Kilborn.
Every damn public, non-stuffy, non-NPR station in America has probably worn out their copy of this album. In the process, Harvey's become an unadulterated cult favorite who continues to tour the country. He's also become a big favorite at what's arguably the most successful indie-rock festival in the world, Austin's South X Southwest. Harvey's backup bands from his tours have included members of Superconducter, Cheer-Accident and the wonderful Paley Brothers. (Next month he's sharing a bill in Denver with none other than Daniel Johnston.)
There's a lot more to Harvey than just that, though. He was one of the original song peddlers hanging around the hot Brill Building in the early 60's, appeared on numerous situation comedies from that period from I Dream of Jeannie to M*A*S*H, had a role in Lethal Weapon 3, has been a tireless advocate for macrobiotic living, and was voted one of the 10,000 most beautiful people in Los Angeles. By whom, I don't know, but damned if they ain't right.

It was kind of a pipe dream have him play for my birthday. I got to see him live down at SXSW three years ago and he was amazing! It's one of the funnest shows I've ever been to so I wanted to share that with everyone for my birthday. Needless to say, I'm super excited. Another fun little detail is that it looks like I'll be assembling the backing band. Ingrid is on board as a background singer so things are shaping up nicely so far. If you play an instrument you may be getting a call from me soon. I'm also trying to think of a venue, any ideas?

Friday, June 2nd! Mark it on your calendar!

Fox hunting...

played an important part in the main or background themes of in all my dreams last night?

Don Knotts.

I contacted Don Knotts publicist a few months ago to see if I could do an interview for Crown Dozen. I’d heard his health was deteriorating so I worried when they called back and said he was no longer doing interviews. I love Don Knotts. He's from Morgantown, West Virginia so he's kind of a celebrity back home. Watching 'The Ghost and Mr. Chicken' was pretty much a monthly activity with my family, and 'The Andy Griffith Show' a nightly one. If you haven't seen 'The Ghost and Mr. Chicken' I highly recommend it, it's honestly one of my favorite comedies ever. I also recommend 'The Love God' the “controversial” film that ruined his movie career for a while. The plot is Don Knotts, playing Abner Audubon Peacock IV, gets duped into turning his Audubon magazine into skin mag. Bird watching, get it? It's totally mild but Andy Griffith fans hated seeing Don Knotts in Hugh Hefner mode so it bombed.



I’ll miss you Don Knotts.