Last Friday (a week ago) I went to see Screeching Weasel (Screeching Weasel Myspace) in my hometown? of Seattle Washington. It was awesome. Over the years this band's music and aesthetic has influenced me musically, philosophically and lyrically. I really like Ben Weasel's tongue-in-cheek snotty yet highly intelligent take on punk rock and that's basically why they're still one of my favorite bands. I had never seen them play before and apparently they hadn't played in Seattle (or much of anywhere really) since '91, so this show was kind of a big deal.My friend Evan had to jet back East for family reasons so he couldn't make it to the show so he had to bail on his ticket. I tried to sell it for him, but nobody wanted it. I couldn't even give the thing away on the bus, it was fucked up dude. My friend Taylor the wino came over and drank beers and red wine with me but he didn't want to go to the show because he had fucked himself up at Slayer like a week before. C-Lo had to work, Buzz was broke, etc. So I went it alone.
When I arrived on the scene I bumped into some old associates of mine from my days as a media minion. We hit the show, the pit and the bar in various rotations for the entirety of the Weasels' set, which began promptly.
They were great, they played alot of stuff from Boogadaboogadaboogada, and My Brain Hurts and Anthem For A New Tomorrow. The bouncer told me not to do windmills and shits during the breakdowns. He wasn't a dick about it and I think he actually respected the New York style but it was an all ages show and he was like, "dude, yer gonna kill someone." I didn't get in any fights or arguments like sometimes happens to me at shows, especially in Seattle, but the band did cut their encore short because there were some idiots in the front row apparently going at it in the second row or whatever.
Here's a link to a video of "Slogans" from that show that I stole from some kid on youtube (I didn't film it, I'm a rocker, not a blogger): Screeching Weasel at The Showbox in Seattle, Washington on Sept. 17th, 2010.
Two side notes that are kinda funny: When I was taking a piss right before the band started playing I saw my friend Rob in the bathroom. What's interesting about this is that as far as I know, Rob's not into punk and I don't really know how or why he was there at that show, but there he was. When we first met I half-jokingly told Rob that "I Hate Led Zeppelin" in tribute to the Weasel song mostly. It's not like I really do, but if you asked me if I liked them or Screeching Weasel better I wouldn't say Led Zeppelin, and I just think it's a funny thing to say to people because everyone expects you to love them, and I don't. Anyhow, Rob got kind of pissed and got all up in my face, it was pretty intense actually. We worked it out and became homies but I was shocked to see him there at the show of the "I Hate Led Zeppelin" band.
Also, I was drunk and it was raining and I got really soaked walking all the way to Belltown to 1st ave by myself high on adrenaline and booze and weed. When I finally got home it was real late and I had work at 7 in the morning at a shitty job at a convenience store that I had just given my two weeks notice to. I guess I woke up and just turned my phone off and never went back to that shitty job. I didn't care. It was awesome.
