Wavves!!

Yesterday was quite possibly the weirdest day ever.
It started with my mandatory reporting for Jury Duty.  When I got the original jury summons last October, I had to have it rescheduled because of Cassie and Mark's wedding.  The rescheduled date wasn't a problem until we had to reschedule a mandatory software training at work in January.  I reported for that date but I informed the staff that I had mandatory training at work but I showed up because of the reschedule.  They told me I could reschedule again but I HAD to report or else!  Just kidding - but I really did have to report or else I would've been in trouble (apparently).
Lo and behold - my jury duty was scheduled the same day as Wavves!  So I made a day of it in the city.
I had anticipated being at the courthouse all day but I was luckily let go at lunch time so I rolled around Atlanta - stopping at Cameli's for pizza, killing time at UO (getting a wardrobe update for that night and good thing I did because it was hot!) and meeting up with Michael for some coffee talk



And then it came time to hang until showtime.  I settled in to the parking lot of Book House until they opened (getting my eyebrows wrangled next door) and once the doors opened, I planted myself at the bar and had a few dark and stormies.  Lauren was kind enough to meet me once she got off work and I entertained myself by talking to this guy who had his California driver's license on the bar.  I asked him where in Cali he was from and he told me that he was actually from Hawaii and we started talking about island living and all that fun stuff and I honestly had no idea it was the lead singer of FIDLAR that I was talking to.  WHAT



So - that was crazy.  FIDLAR was AMAZING.  So were the Cheatahs.  I wish I had more cash so I could've bought CDs from each but I spent most of my cash on booze and some Wavves goodies.

Wavves was INCREDIBLE.  The energy was so much better than last time, I have to admit.  Last time was awesome, don't get me wrong but this time was even more awesome because this happened



I was able to get way better photos than last time (despite having to crop out some guy's ridiculously large and obtrusive afro - which you can see here) and overall, it was just fucking awesome!!  I mean, we all know how much I LOVE Afraid of Heights and experiencing those songs live was pretty amazing.

I also ran into my most FAVE BLOGGER EVER - Matt T.  He let me know they were hitting up the Clermont - which you can read about here.  I kinda wish I had stayed but I was really exhausted since I got up so freakin early for jury duty...All in all, it was a great fucking night!  Thanks Wavves, FIDLAR and Cheatahs!  You guys were great!

Check out more Wavves photos here!

Wavves is BACK and better than ever

I was going to save this Wavves post until AFTER the show here in Atlanta next Monday but I can't wait any longer.

Afraid of Heights is AMAZING.

When Demon to Lean on was released, I was reblogging the crap out of it on Tumblr and I shared all his video posts of any and all performances of that track on Facebook.  When I heard about the pre-order, I signed up - a little too late - and I ended up missing out on the limited-to-500-pressing of the splatter vinyl of Afraid of Heights.  *Sigh* but I did get my t-shirt, a regular record, two CDs and 3 pins (which I lost almost immediately - ffffffff...)



I think I love this album so much because:

1-Nathan (and friends) paid for it themselves.  That's a pretty crazy feat in itself and you have to give major props for that - even if you aren't a fan of his music.

2-The lyrics, while they sometimes seem childish, have this underlying seriousness as if they were a not-so-serious-serious cry for help. Maybe not for Nathan specifically but maybe to you or me as the listener. I could be reading way to much into it (like I tend to do) but think about it next time you listen to a few tracks...And you have to admit, ladies, you'd like to be on the receiving end of one of his catchy loves songs, right?

3-Even though it was hard and we had Life Sux to calm our nerves for a bit, he took his time to make what he wanted and it was definitely worth the wait.  There's no denying that.  Afraid of Heights is wonderful and I suggest that you grab it (if you haven't already) and turn that shit up.

The End of an Era - The End of MCR

The day has come for all of us secret and not-so-secret Killjoys / MCRmy members - My Chemical Romance has broken up.

My old man let me know that it was the top story on BuzzFeed's side bar on Saturday.  I had to read the article to make sure it was true.  I didn't want to believe it.  I still don't.  It's devastating.  I've turned my not-so-secret-anymore Killjoy Tumblr into a mourning / memorial page as I reblog and post random MCR love letters and messages from the incredible fans who have taken the time to make some really awesome GIFs







And so on...

But the burning question is: WHY?  Why all of a sudden?  And why like this?



It was so sudden and so not like them.  I mean, how can you sum up an amazing 12 year ride in such a short paragraph?  We were all stunned, of course.  Then last night, I saw links to something that Gerard had written via Twitter / TwitLonger.

It was beautiful.  I read it over and over - some sections more than others - with tears in my eyes at the thought of Gerard, Lindsey and Bandit chasing this bird around and Gerard feeling heavy-hearted that the iconic band he created that had saved so many lives (including mine) was over.

Tumblr, of course, is taking this terribly but I'm trying to remain optimistic.  I know the guys won't stop doing what they're doing - they love it too much!  Whether they take a break for a few months or a few years doesn't mean they're gone forever.  That's a little TOO dramatic, if you ask me.  Gerard's collab with Deadmau5 was only the beginning of things to come.  You know he's collaborating with others and he's got comics coming out and all that fun stuff.
Same thing for Frank, Ray, Mikey and the rest of the gang - I'm sure they're collaborating with others in other forums and things, so there's no way it's a total loss.  It is a shame, though.  My Chem got me through a pivotal part in my life and kept me from doing something I would've regretted forever and the only thing I can do is what I've been doing: holding them very near and dear (and secretly) close to my heart.

Thanks for everything Gerard, Frank, Ray, Mikey, Bob and everyone else who took part in this amazing band.

Killjoys will never die and your memory will carry on.

New music for Thursday: Savages

Remember that band I told you about? Of course you remember Savages. Naturally, you'll want to know about new tracks right? Well you're in luck. Here are some new tracks from Diamondz that I think you'll enjoy.

What We Do Is Secret

A few weeks ago I came home from work to the sound of weird punk rock coming from upstairs.  I knew my old man was home and I thought he was watching some horror movie but the music was pretty familiar.  When I asked what it was, he told me he had started watching What We Do Is Secret and promptly turned it off.  I had no idea what it was about so he gave me the basic rundown: it was a movie about the Germs.
So let me tell you, I was a little punk kid when I was growing up and I dabbled with Germs but most of what I listened to was because I was hearing it through someone else - like in someone's car or at someone's house.  I hardly owned any music from my teen years because it was all on comps or tapes or I didn't buy it because I knew somebody had it.
I had first heard of the Germs when I told the story of how Pat Smear tried to get Oni and me on the Foo Fighters bus back in '96.  We only knew him as "former member of Nirvana" Pat Smear at the time and we commented on his super awesome bright neon green pants.  That prompted him to try and get us on the bus to show us more pants.  WHAT!!!  We were stopped by a security guard before we could even get one foot on.  He apologized, ran to a window and proceeded to show us many of his crazy pants out the window!  That was amazing to me at the time because it was one of my first shows (without adult supervision - whoa rebel) and a former member of Nirvana was actually talking to us!
Later, when I told that story to someone, they told me: He wasn't just a former member of Nirvana, he was a member of Germs.  Germs?  Huh?  Uh, duh, the most influential punk band from L.A.  Huh?  Yeah, I was clueless but you know I wasn't really into that kind of punk at the time.  At that time, I was into The Queers, Screeching Weasel, The Donnas, Teen Idols and pretty much everyone on Lookout! Records and I was pretty open to whoever my friends played.  I had one friend in particular, RM, who played stuff that was more along the lines of Germs and I know it was through him that I heard them.  Our other friends gave him grief for listening to stuff like that and Subhumans and The Exploited, etc but I didn't care.  I have a pretty open mind when it comes to a lot of stuff, especially music.
So when I heard the weird noises coming from upstairs that day, it definitely sounded like I was back in RM's basement sitting around listening to music.  So why not watch the movie?
I did a little IMDb-ing and discovered that my *secret* boy-next-door crush Shane West (from such greatest hits as A Walk To Remember) plays the one and only Darby Crash.  Okay - I HAD to watch it now.  Especially since I also read that Shane is the new lead singer for the newly re-formed Germs.  WHAT.  Okay - definitely had to watch.
One Saturday afternoon, I sat down and watched it.  And I LOVED IT.  Weird acting, bad wigs and Bijou Philips aside, it was great watching Shane West as Darby Crash.  Just like watching Gary Oldman as Sid Vicious, Shane West played this role to perfection.  I was swept away in the romance of Darby Crash.  I felt like was a teenager again and I was part of his Germs philosophy.  His words cut through me.  I was rooting for him and I was crushed when he overdosed (even though I already knew that was coming).  He kept reminding me of someone I know and maybe that's why I got so emotionally invested.  It was hard to watch at times because there are quite a few similarities between Darby and my friend but Shane West really took me there and I wished I had been born earlier to have experienced the punk scene in L.A.
Ugh.  Did I really say that?  Yes.  But I'm glad I didn't experience that because I'm experiencing great things now.

Anyways back to Shane West.



I felt this weird universal connection to something greater than myself.  I felt like Darby's words made sense.  In fact, I felt like I would be the Pat Smear to Darby Crash.  Pat seemed to really grasp what Darby was talking about and their relationship was rooted some place deep.  Before I had even realized it, I was feeling like I was missing that person in my life.  Like, you know, someone I could connect with on an adventurous level.  Sure, I have a very VERY close confidant and I love him dearly but I miss the old reckless days too...

Ben Weasel assaults 2 women (and my teenage self) at SXSW 2011

My teenage self is crying.
Ever since my teenage self found out Screeching Weasel was going on tour, my teenage self has been holding out hope for getting her old friends together.
When the subject of the Screeching Weasel show came up in conversation last night with one of my best friends, he informed me and my teenage self that the show was no longer happening.
Immediately, I thought it was Ben's kids (who he speaks so fondly of on his Twitter feed) or one of the other guys couldn't come for some reason - but no. Carter informed me that it was far worse. Far worse than what? Carter didn't want to tell me because he didn't want to break the spell cast on me so many years ago but I begged and pleaded. He told me the heart-wrenching news: Screeching Weasel had spontaneously broken up. But why? What could have happened to make the band just quit? I have been waiting too long to be on the cusp of such an awesome event and have it not happen. Right?
Apparently at SXSW this year, Ben Weasel felt the need to HIT A WOMAN IN THE FACE. That's right. He fucking hit a woman in the face causing the band members to spontaneously quit the band and cancel the tour.


I get it - you're a punk. Some kind of outburst is kind of expected from you. I understand that. But what the fuck was so terrible that you felt the need to outright punch someone in the face and then attack the person trying to stop it all? I get it - she was (possibly) a snotty nosed brat throwing ice cubes for the entire show (apparently). But instead of hitting her, you could have just gotten security to stop it or move her or whatever. Or maybe she was trying to revive the days of yore when that kind of behavior could elicit some kind of response from any front man - like playfully throwing something back or turning the audience on them or verbally abusing them.
My punk days might be slightly over but I can safely say I'm a little disappointed at Ben. Sure, you can bitch about Screeching Weasel playing at a corporate sell out event but you're the ones who decided to play SXSW. YOU made that decision knowing full well that there was a strong possibility that there were going to be brats in the audience. Your fans love you and they'll do anything to get your attention - including throwing stuff at you.
So I guess it was you, Ben, who decided Screeching Weasel were going to use SXSW as a starting point to mark their return. I never expected to hear Screeching Weasel at SXSW but times change, yes, and I guess Ben felt the need to showcase the new (and improved?) Screeching Weasel where they would get some kind of publicity. Not like this, Ben, not like this.

My teenage self is still crying.

Love and kisses,
Katzi
S.L.Y.A.S.D.I.