Above High Society

What I'm doing is fulfilling dreams and fantasies. Not long ago I jammed with my friends Brian and Jonh. We're working overtime on resurrecting me and brian's old band shakin michael j out here in Seattle, and we're having a bunch of fun doing it. Jonh's been playing bass...we're practicing some of our older tunes (J Classics if you will, and you will, mutherfucker) as well as writing some new ones. I could shit myself I'm so happy. While we were recently playing, at one point, I found myself dicking around playing bass with brian on drums and jonh on guitar. We were jamming on some art fag introspective indie rock type shit, mostly due to my lack of prowess and creativity as a bassman. I'd love to rip like Matt Freeman but my shityness only allows me to play more like a bad, paled Kim Deal. (I love Kim Deal so don't be trippin, I'm just makin a point here) Anyway I was stoked to be playing bass in some grungy space in Seattle--a fourteen year old dream realized.

The next night we went to see Brian's other band, The Chandelears play at this place called the FunHouse. The FunHouse received "best punk rock club of 2007" from some magazine out here, if you wanna know. I read it on a plaque on the wall. Punk Points.
But the place was rad. They had two dollar jello shots which friends of mine were abusing, stoking and bumming out the crew all at once. They also had a pool table where games were only fifty cents apiece. I couldn't believe! So Jonh and I played Brian and Jamie (it was a couple vs. a couple of scumbags.) Me and Jonh lost. The whole game sucked cause most people were more interested in talking to each other and checking out the live music than playing pool, myself included. Jonh eventually scratched on the eight ball and the scumbags lost.

Eventually the Chandelears played around 11pm and they were sick. They played as a three piece, without their female vocalist who is on a gnarly trip to peru or something. The band's singer Douglas rips on vox and git and I liked them live. Brian's no slouch on the bass and the new drummer, Nick was tight as fuck as well. If Nick plays his cards right he will be playing drums for the J real soon. Seattle should duck and cover...

Without Dani, the Chandelears missing female vocalist, the band's material was cut down to only around seven songs. One of the new songs they played sounded like New York Hardcore with breakdowns and stuff so I threw down some east coast moves, even though the chandelears aren't necessarily a punk band but what the fuck y'know, do what feels right. Jonh rocked the fuck out to every song, knew all the words and even got it goin on with a little bump and grind dancin with a female Chandelears fan. So I went outside to smoke a bat and when I came back the band was playing its last (seventh)song. I wasn't hatin cause I'm friends with the dudes in the band, but I was pissed at myself for going outside, and I wanted a longer set. I'm sure that will come with time and especially with the return of Dani, their other singer.



Outside at the FunHouse there's a basketball court that is illuminated by the lights from the world famous Seattle Space Needle. I went out there and told some stranger to pass me the rock, expecting him not to, but he did and I proceeded to fire off an air ball before smoking some weed and going back inside. The scene was just beautiful, man. In New York and Boston and (i guess?) Burlington, "punk rock" bars that I have been to have been dripping with pretension and holy-than-thou snobbishness. Out here these fools had the vibe goin pretty good. I can't wait to play some shows out here and take advantage of the mellow and receptive vibe. They'll be sorry...










We've been working like dogs burning and stamping abomination nation compilations. Look for yers in the mail and if you didn't get one get in contact with me and join the Minion Mailing List. Say Werd...