The drive back to Minneapolis is swift- swift in the sense I only make one stop for gas, and another for Wendy’s. Really wanted to nab a sandwich in town before I left, but the length of the street seemed to be consumed with avant garde delis, $10 sandwiches I could make at home (sidenote: $10 omelettes and sandwiches better be some shit you cannot concoct in the homestead. If it’s something you coulda whipped together with a hangover… it’s not worth $10), and sushi joints. My appetite is in a constant state of sushi-willingness… but for some reason, eating sushi while the sun is out just doesn’t feel right (unless it’s Miami). But yes, the ride was swift.
My ears are buzzing. Buzzing not from a high pitch overdosage of wheel screetches, mic checks gone wrong, or simply neglecting to wear ear protection while on-stage… my ears are thumping/throbbing/searching for the bass in everything. Since Honda’s manifold and muffler have gone on strike, the low level resonance that pulses through the car, builds for a drive that sounds like the acoustics of Tuba’s innards.
It’s all worth it (unless Honda breaks down), I’ve successfully violated the privacy of 300+ freshmen at the University of Northern Iowa. Just as any commercial, billboard, spam email, or online viral video has kidnapped attention… I have just done the same, but a little cooler. Hitting three giant dormitories with a backpack slung over my shoulder, and a box full of demos (3 tracks of mixtape music, 1 track of public service announcement for this Thursday’s upcoming show) w/ a flier attached to slide under resident’s door… it builds character, to say the least. No, I don’t feel old, I don’t feel tired- I feel responsible. It’s the very few moments that you take accountability for booking a show, that you go above and damn-far-beyond to promote it that makes you feel… responsible. Hmm, but did I really go “above and damn-far-beyond”? Not really, I actually did what I was supposed to, but driving 4 hours to Cedar Falls in the middle of the week to drop 300+ demos with fliers to immediate doorsteps is daunting. F--- this, burning m-----f-----ng 300+ demos is daunting.
From burning the first disc to showing up to the dorm… there’s just too much time and space to start doubting what the hell you’re doing. You have to block all that shit out, and run with “Yes, I need to do this. I must do this. If I don’t do this now, then what the hell’s the next show worth?”.
Passing out the last 20 demos by hand, I realize it has nothing to do with “will this work” or “garsh, I really hope everybody listens to what I have to say on these discs and gives a dog gone good minute to considerin’ goin’ to the show”. It comes down to how much you’re willing to work for what you want. Practicing going straight trillville on everything you do, means when it comes down to the moves that absolutely count, you’ll most definitely follow thru on them.
The crash course trip wasn’t really for the show, it was more to see if I was willing to actually drive to Iowa just to go gangbusters on a freshmen dorm with demos. I am.
Back to Minneapolis, it’s a fine grind of standing outside the Yelawolf concert with 1000+ fliers for April 9th’s Bight Club, DJ Fundo, Larva Ink, & The Blend’s show at The Varsity. Fundo is playing with Prof at Yelawolf, so the fliers will have a little more presence than the average for this one. Dave & I are gonna go in like thoughtless apes on this, and shovel out as much as we can. There’s one more show this weekend to hit for Bight Club, and then we’re a wrap- straight to the net for the online grind of slappin’ the promo vid to fbook walls, emailing, status updating, and being overall obnoxious assholes about getting the word out. Success = 500 at April 9th’s show. The past few Urban Home Companion shindigs have been virtual successes, but not feasible enough to keep bank rolling the operation. Hence, this one needs to yank are pants up… I think it will.
Urban Home Companion’s past several months of riders, headliners, and damn good shows…
July 31, The Varsity, Headliner: CECIL OTTER
Nov. 19, The Varsity, Headliner: PROF
Dec. 17, Triple Rock, Headliner: TOUSSAINT MORRISON
Jan. 21, Cabooze, Headliners: MARIA ISA & CECIL OTTER
Feb. 27, The Varsity, Headliner: TOKI WRIGHT
March 3, 7th St. Entry, Headliners: Homeless, K. Raydio, Don Royal
upcoming
April 9, The Varsity, Headliner: BIGHT CLUB
April 29, Loring Theater, Headliners: NAOMI MARIE & LIZ AKHAVAN
April 30, Cabooze, Headliner: ROCKY DIAMONDS, TOUSSAINT MORRISON, & CRUNCHY KIDS
And of course, to add to the shameless promotion for April 9th, I have to put it out there, seeing I grew a f----ng beard for a month, was told by my employers that I had to shave it to a goatee or go home- I was going for a handlebar mustache, goatee worked in my favour, no itchy cheeks ( say “that’s what she said” here).
Anyways, grew a handlebar mustache, here’s what we do for this shiz: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lpelq32V6sM
Advanced Tix:
No comments:
Post a Comment