4.26.2011

Viaduct Theatre (Chicago, IL) 4/22/2011

Lights, camera, action! That’s what it felt like at the Viaduct Theatre. Minus the cameras…this whole get up felt like we were on American Bandstand.

Was seriously so cool to do something different. Loved this backdrop and three tiered stage.


Huge thanks to everyone who watched my butt video, listened to what my ass had to say and showed up early to pick up some free VR shwag. We hope you are enjoying it, or at least put it in someone else’s Easter basket or Passover dinner.

If you were there early you likely caught an AMAZING set by Young Jesus. It was such a treat to share the stage with them and the dudes in Par Avion who also rocked socks.

What a warm welcome back home. We couldn’t be happier.






Until next time...stay steamy my weenies.

4.21.2011

A Special Message About Tomorrow's Show At Viaduct Theatre



My ass said it right, the first 40 people through the door will be treated to FREE VR condoms, lighters, bottle openers, buttons and music.

Remember there are a few other special things about this show
  1. This is a theatre...but it's not a porn theater... meaning you'll have to be on your best behavior...you can take your neighbor's pants off, but ask politely and use proper English if you do.
  2. There will be beer..from what I understand very good beer and also very cheap beer...not super particular to this show... but different for a usual theatre setting...
  3. Par Avion and Young Jesus will be there.  They are two really awesome Chicago bands that will be sharing the night with us. If you haven't checked out our previews of them...click on their names to learn more.
  4. The theatre is under a Viaduct at Belmont, Western and Clybourn... And next to the Viaduct is parking lot.  You can park your car in their lot for $5 or you can find street parking which usually is pretty easy this far west.
  5. It's our first show in Chicago after 26 shows far far far far away from our favorite city and our favorite people! We miss YOU!
Come early for your free shit.

Friday, April 22
Viaduct Theatre
3111 N Western Ave
Chicago, IL

17+
$7
Young Jesus @ 10
Par Avion @ 11
Verona Red @ 12

Facebook Event: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=111690785580257

4.19.2011

4/22 Viaduct Theater Show Preview: Young Jesus

3 days and then rock and roll at the Viaduct Theatre.  I really dig their name, their sound, and the idea of playing with them in less than half-a-week.  Who is they?  They is Young Jesus.


Young Jesus @ 10
Par Avion @ 11
Verona Red @ 12

I really love the feeling of honesty that comes from this band. Their songs pull at some emotion in you that is somewhere between sadness and positively looking forward. Kind of like an "ah fuck it" vibe that you can pick up on... it took me out of my own head when I listened to them for the first time, and I've been digging it since.

Fans of The National, Titus Adronicus, Death Cab or The Pixies should check 'em out for sure.

They just got back from The Rites of Spring Festival at Vanderbilt Univeristy...where they may or may not have shared a tent with Edward Sharpe? That's pretty badass.

Favorite lyric:
"Somebody told me rock and roll is gonna die, let's not let it be tonight"

AMEN.

Check em out.



Friday, April 22
Viaduct Theatre
3111 N Western Ave
Chicago, IL

17+
$7
Young Jesus @ 10
Par Avion @ 11
Verona Red @ 12

Facebook Event: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=111690785580257

4.13.2011

4/22 Viaduct Theater Show Preview: Par Avion

Our 4/22 show at the Viaduct Theater is 11 days away.  Please do a few extra squats and calf exercises in preparation for Par Avion.

Young Jesus @ 10
Par Avion @ 11
Verona Red @ 12


Par Avion is the kind of music I want lose myself to in a club full of popsicle swinging tranny's.

Legit
  • Filthy beats
  • Fizzling "catch up" bass sequences
  • Anthemic power pop shouts and squiggles
  • "Fuck me subliminal"

If you are a fan of Muse, The Faint, or other local fantastics The Glide, you will enjoy their set.





Friday, April 22
Viaduct Theatre
3111 N Western Ave
Chicago, IL

17+
$7
Young Jesus @ 10
Par Avion @ 11
Verona Red @ 12

Facebook Event: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=111690785580257

4.10.2011

(Backlog) Tour Day 7: Cicero's (St. Louis, MO)

Just woke up an hour ago (about 9 AM) to one of of St. Louis' finest wrap-a-tap-tapping on my driver side window with his flashlight. "What's goin on here?" 'Oh nothing officer,' I'm thinking to myself…'just sleeping cramped up in the front seat of this van under a pile of backpacks and trash because the bed was too damn hot to sleep in with two other guys last night.'

"Um nothing, we're just crashing here, we played at Cicero's last night and need a place to sleep before getting back on the road."

"Can you please roll down the window sir."

"Oh, sure, um nothing, we're just crashing here, we played at Cicero's last night and need a place to sleep before getting back on the road."

"Oh yeah, you guys some kinda cover band?"

"No we play mostly originals…"

"Can I see some I.D. then?"

I push some of the backpacks and trash off of me and begin to look for my man purse (as a traveling, blogging band, you find that such a feminine article is required to carry photo cameras, video cameras, flyers, phones, batteries etc…) and thus you have to put up with the humiliation of looking through a purse when 3 large mustache bearing police officers are glaring down at you presumably upset by the fact that you aren't a cover band for some reason.

As I reach for "european carry all" officer number 2, standing behind flashlight officer number 1, sternly demands to know why it is I'm reaching for a bag. I explain with full sincerity that my pants are simply too tight to contain my Costanza-sized wallet. He takes a look down somewhat sympathetically as if to say, "yes I understand what it's like to wear tight pants on the weekends," My mind immediately goes to cross-dresser or Scissor Sister fan…but is then distracted when he obliges and permits me to continue searching through my bag for my wallet.

At this time officer number 3 is walking around to the passenger side of the van. He requests Brad opens the sliding back seat door to see what he can see and as he reaches in Adam and Mike (up in the bed) are quick to fork over their driver's license.   A conversation about what each of our records will show if you run our names through the system begins and I start to feel a bit uneasy about some of the admissions that I'm learning about my bandmates for the first time.

The confessions don't seem to phase officer 3 as his shaded sunglassed eyes seem to be affixed on the two grown men sleeping together on a twin size futon mattress behind the first row of bench seats only inches from the ceiling.

"You boys sleep up there every night?"

"Every night we can't find someone to sleep with…" stupidly flops out of my mouth.

"Well doesn't seem to be enough room for any pussy in this thing…you boys get out of here…someone's gonna mistake you for gypsies…there's known to be shootings in this neighborhood."

We re-situated and began the drive back home to Chicago, another leg of the 2011 Pound tour under our belts.

Here's some pics to recap the night



Huge thanks to The Goodtime Engineers for joining us the night before at Cicero's. Every rock and roll band has a soul that seeks to connect with the audience… when you can feel it, you know it's working. Tuesday's GTE set was one of the best feelings I had all tour.



4.08.2011

Verona Red Returns to Chicago 4/22: First Show at Viaduct Theatre!


23 shows since our record release in February & we are back in Chicago for our first appearance at the Viaduct Theatre.  Frothy loins.

Lace up for the midnight show. Two wonderful bands make an early bird special.

Par Avion (Chicago) at 11 - digital, bump, grind, and love them like we do. http://tinyurl.com/6hegycx.

Young Jesus (Chicago) at 10 - "here's to rock and roll and leaving ghosts behind" - http://tinyurl.com/6e95uld.

17+
$7
Young Jesus @ 10
Par Avion @ 11
Verona Red @ 12
F and Grand Slam Breakfast

Facebook event page: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=111690785580257

4.07.2011

(Backlog) Tour Day 6: The SoundPony (Tulsa, OK)


So far Oklahoma has the best roads I've ever driven on. Seriously its like sailing down a sea of silky pavement. All of a sudden you'll look down and realize you are going 230 knots and you didn't even realize it.

If it weren't for the masses of smoke from roadside grass burnings mixed with chemical fumes from the innumerable chemical plants along the way you could probably sleep like a baby through this entire stretch of the Indian Nation Turnpike.


At the moment we are leaving Oklahoma, just entering Missouri where I'm doubting the roads will be as nice based on what I remember from our last trip to St. Louis in June.

The show last night at The SoundPony was a lot of fun. Again we were met with another bustling tight knit music scene similar to Newport and Nashville. The crowd on a Monday night was fantastic.  Adam's parents even made the 3.5 hour drive from Kansas to see us!  What an awesome surprise!


The staff awesome too. The offered us unlimited free hotdogs and three-two beers which I had never heard of until yesterday.



Another first for me was a fat and floppy spill off the bass drum near the end our set. I went for a usual epic jump at the Marty McFly ending of After All and unfortunately botched the approach entirely, slamming down into Mike's toms nearly knocking over one of his cymbals.  I was embarrassed for a moment, but then remembered there's no points for proper dismounts in rock and roll.

After the show we scored our fourth consecutive place to crash on this leg of the tour. This time in the MOTHER F'ING EMBASSY SUITES….WOOT WOOT who's on their way up now?!?!?!

HAHA seriously though it was very sweet of our new friends Alicia, Allison and Laura for letting us crash with them. Strangely enough two of them worked at Maxine's in Hot Springs where we played this past Friday night. Laura was actually working there the night we played…small world, but very cool to see some familiar faces hundreds of miles away.


And finally, the absolutely most important news... with only one show left, Mike and Brad have begun pulling away from the pack in the ARA Radio Challenge.  Adam and I still suck.  Marissa...sorry had you got in earlier you may have been in the lead.

"Adam Rubs America Radio Challenge" Scoreboard
Mike - Foo Fighters - 5
Brad - Metallica - 5
Steve - Red Hot Chili Peppers - 3
Chris - Doors - 2
Adam - Creedence Clearwater Revival - 1
Marissa - Beatles - 1

(Backlog) Tour Day 5: Momo's (Austin, TX)

The road to Tulsa is windy…so much so, Adam is literally fighting the steering wheel to stay in on I-35 North right now, it's pretty intense, but when mixed with the 70's funkaldelic radio jams we've been enjoying for the past couple hours, it's actually kind of entertaining.  I think scanning between classic rock stations can only go on for so long before you start going nuts.



The show last night in Austin at Momo's was quite different from our SXSW experience a few weeks ago. 

We rolled into town around 6 PM, grabbed some BBQ at Stubb's which was actually not only a BBQ place but a really badass music venue.  The Scissor Sisters were playing on the outdoor stage behind the restaurant while we were eating.  We snuck looks at the show when we could.  Although I was impressed how they managed to put all windows and doorways at angles and spots where non-ticket holders couldn't really see the stage.  Still the large gaggle of cross-dressed and barely clothed concert-goers made for entertaining snooping regardless.

After amazing BBQ brisket, ribs and a side of beans and Serrano cheese spinach ( (yes we're made of millions), we headed over to Momo's to set up for the show.



We weren't expecting much out of a midnight slot in Austin on a Sunday night the week after SXSW…but actually we were surprised by the number of people who stayed out.  Many of them expressed that they had to get up for work before 7AM, but didn't really care about their jobs, so that worked out for us.



After the show we crashed with Mike's cousin, George.  He put us up for a few nights during the festival as well.  It was good to see him and his dog Rogue again, fun to get my balls smelled and what not.  A quick nap and we were back on the road for the 9 hour drive to Tulsa.  And that takes to where I am right now, blowing all over the road between blog writing and hot Commodores jams.

We're really looking forward to tonight's show at The SoundPony in Tulsa.   I've never been there before, so I get to check another city off my list.

"Adam Rubs America Radio Challenge" Scoreboard
Mike - Foo Fighters - 4
Steve - Red Hot Chili Peppers - 2
Brad - Metallica - 2
Chris - Doors - 1
Marissa (Online submission) - Beatles - 1
Adam - Creedence Clearwater Revival - 0

4.03.2011

Tour Day 3: The Double Wide (Dallas, TX)

Back on the super wide Texas highways en route from Dallas to Austin. Excited to see what Austin is like in the aftermath of SXSW. We had so much fun in Austin two weeks ago, everyone is really happy to be going back. There is certainly some BBQ brisket in our near future.

Last night at the Double Wide in Dallas was an unusual night. Kind of an off night for us. Certainly wasn't the best show we've ever had, but we still managed to see some weird shit.  This girl won a pickle for this awkward feat.


Sometimes a really fun/quirky venue with a good staff can make a bad night good again. A few drinks after the show with new friends never hurts that either. Especially the kind of drinks they had at Double Wide. I'm a huge White Russian guy, so this was hilarious.


I was shocked by how tasty this was with Yoohoo.

After the show we partied with two new friends. Thank you again to Misty and Kui. So nice of you to put us up for the night. Several drinks and a few old punk albums later we crashed till low flying airplanes shook us awake in the morning.


Southern hospitality is the balls.



In other news, Mike continues to crawl ahead of the pack in the ARA Radio Challenge. Looks like he is starting to pull away…oddly enough Adam hasn't scored a single point in his radio challenge.

"Adam Rubs America Radio Challenge" Scoreboard
Mike - Foo Fighters - 4
Brad - Metallica - 2
Chris - Doors - 1
Steve - Red Hot Chili Peppers - 1
Adam - Creedance Clearwater Revival - 0

Tonight it's Momo's in Austin. Can't wait for brisket and rock and roll!

(Backlog) Tour Day 2: Maxine's (Hot Springs, AR)

Hot Springs totally blew away our expectations. All we knew of Hot Springs was that Bill Clinton was born and probably scored with tons of chicks down there. Other than that we just figured it was a quiet little town.


Yeah guess not, there's actually a really vibrant nightlife in downtown Hot Springs. We had a great time performing at Maxine's.



After the show we checked out the Strip Karaoke joint, for a few seconds until they told us it was a $10 cover to sing and watch strippers. We met up with our new friends Shannon and Carol. They were the great. We hung out in their hotel for the night grabbed some showers in the morning and took off for Dallas around 1:30 the next afternoon.

After about two minutes of driving our oil light came on, so it was off to the Walmart to get 5 gallons of store brand oil. Good stuff.  We also discovered you can get a machete for the low everyday price of $8.48.

The drive to Dallas has been cushy, these Texas highways are super wide and allow for maximum "driftability." Which is good because I'm driving (yes I'm writing this in my head right now…it's actually Sunday morning.)

Tonight we'll be at Double Wide in Dallas. The local papers have us playing at a couple different venues. But it's looking like The Double Wide will be our best bet!

And last but not least…Mike has taken a slight lead in the ARA Radio Challenge.

"Adam Rubs America Radio Challenge" Scoreboard
Mike - Foo Fighters - 2
Brad - Metallica - 1
Chris - Doors - 1
Steve - Red Hot Chili Peppers - 1
Adam - Creedence Clearwater Revival - 0

4.02.2011

(Backlog) Tour Day 1: Cowboy Monkey (Champaign, IL)


Backlog...yep I'm already behind with finding time at places with good free wifi to post these. So we'll have to pretend like it's yesterday afternoon again.

So night one of Pound tour leg 2 is in the books. We arrived in Champaign around 6 PM for load-in/soundcheck and to meet up with our good friend Tim Wilson on his 22nd birthday. This was our first time at Cowboy Monkey, which I have to say is a really really nice music venue. It's a little bit buried admits the curvy weird streets in downtown historic Champaign, but if you ever get a chance to check it out, it's a real nice find…

We had a great time bouncing around a roomy stage.










Major props to Neoga Blacksmith and Black Jack Radio, two good local bands two good sets.

After the show we went to Joe's and drank with the University of Illinois's finest/drunkest. It was a dance party sandwich.. normally I'd say we were the salami, but last night so we were more like the creepy side of french fries.


After a few drinks we ended up missing our connection for a place to crash, so we snuggled up with the laptop and some Super Troopers and fell asleep.

Brad, a good friend that came along with us to lend a hand/keep it real/hang out, made a miracle run to get 24 bottled waters, pizzas and pop tarts so we all went to bed well fed and whatever the opposite of thirsty is.

Today we're on the road to Arkansas to play in Hot Springs at Maxine's tonight. Drive has been pretty nice, lots of grass and rocks to look at. It's a nine hour drive and so far Adam has been rocking it all on his own. He's a machine, he is to driving shifts as Sting is to tantric sex.

That's pretty much it. We're excited to make our first Arkansas appearance later tonight. We drove through it on our way to Austin a week and a half ago, and really enjoyed variety of hybrid city names like Texarkana and Arkadelphia. Anyone know any other cool ones down here? San Antonasa? Arklehoma? Las Vegasaw

Oh yeah I almost forgot the most important part. We started a contest yesterday to see who could guess which band/artist we would hear the most on the radio over the next 7 days. The winning band from the last road trip was Aerosmith, Phil Collins was the one before that. So far most of us aren't doing so well on this trip. Steve (playing the bass for us on this tour) is the only with a mark on the board after 14 hours of drive time already logged.

"Adam Rubs America Radio Challenge" Scoreboard
Chris - Doors - 0
Mike - Foo Fighters - 0
Adam - Creedance Clearwater Revival - 0
Steve - Red Hot Chili Peppers - 1
Brad - Metallica - 0

If anyone else wants to get in on the ARA Radio-Merica Challenge. Send us your picks and we'll you enter you for a chance to win the grand prize…. a full massage package from Adam, a $45 value as gift from us to you.