help a talented artist

Pardon the multiple postings in one day, but Jason wrote this blog and I feel that I needed to share it with my internet friends. Even though I share the exact same sentiment, and Jay worded it better than I could.

*****************************************************
I count Aaron Wood as one of my very good friends and one of Asheville's (if not NC's) greatest export. An amazing musician, soulful singer, and dedicated father, he's been trying to make it in the music business for the last 20 years.

He was about to give up entirely, he had resigned himself to selling all of his instruments and working at a job he hated just to keep a roof over his families head and food on the table, when he met my sister. My sister Jessica has a million contacts and a lust for life that she wanted to share with Woody, so she called in a ton of favors from friends and business partners to put a few of Woodys songs together professionally.. and now the rest is up to the world.

Using the business incubator Kickstarter.com, they've put together a business plan to make a full blown record and introduce Woody to the world.

I post this here because there is a special incentive for regional fans. Donations of $25 or more get you invited to a huge party on the 4th of July. Delicious food and drink included.. with an in ground pool and 40 foot slip and slide, where Woody and some of Avilles finest musicians will play all day while you play in the sun.

Please see the link here: Kickstarter.com and watch the video and read the story, and if you like it, please tell your friends. I believe talent like Aaron's should not be wasted and will be donating myself after my next paycheck.

Thanks for your time.

You and Aaron "Woody" Wood make an album together.

*****************************************

this week in the life of des

The other day, Jessica took us hiking. Well, hiking's a bit of an exaggeration - it was a fairly easy uphill trail that was less than a mile. But I had my camera along of course and took lots of pictures. Go check them out at my flickr. I'm too lazy to upload all 68 pics to blogger because the system sucks. Also I think they're all pretty darn good so I didn't want to just choose a few. There are lots of landscapes, and a few of me, Jason, Jessica, and the dog Femi. I'm sure I'll go hiking again soon. And take more pictures.

In other news, I had a second interview for the job I want at the grocery store. This time I was meeting the store manager. I think it went well, but the store manager was much more businessy and less personable than the other guy I was talking to. We were talking about me benig a vegetarian, and the store manager said "well I do have an opening in the meat department. Would you be willing to work there?" I told him it's definitely not my first choice, but I would glady take something over nothing. Plus there is always the possibility of advancement and / or switching departments, which is one of the points they kept repeating. I couldn't tell if it was a "test" or if there really is an opening there. This interview wasn't as long as last time's (but how could it be - that was an hour and a half!). I asked if the first guy still wanted me to call and check in on Tuesday, and he said "Definitely - unless I call you first!" so the second interview definitely ended on a high note.

I keep having dreams about getting a puppy. I don't even know if we're ready for a new puppy yet (we haven't technically moved into our own place yet), but there was an ad on craigslist for border collie / austrailian shepherd puppies being weaned at the end of this month. They were only $25. I would love to have that kind of dog, but Jay wants another lab. So we'll see.

Other than that, I still keep on keeping on.


edited to add: I just got a call saying I didn't get the job in the meat department. But he's going to pass my info on to another department, and apparently I did impress the store manager. I didn't want to work with meat anyway.

as promised

Full report on the Rev show, while it's still fresh in my mind:

There were 3 bands, and they all rocked my socks: Backyard Tire Fire, who has been touring for years and never been to Detroit. Nashville Pussy, who I didn't really like until I saw them open for the Rev last time (but damn do they put on a show). And of course, the Reverend Horton Heat, one of my favorite 3-piece rockabilly bands.

Opening bands usually disappoint, but BTF totally rocked it. They were southern rock with ventures into blues and rockabilly. NP has 2 chicks and 2 dudes. The chicks are the key - lead guitar and bass, and damn, they fuckin wail. Seriously, go check out some of the videos. The Rev is always a good show, but I think he was off his game last night. I think he was sick or something - his voice was scratchy and he wasn't his usual showman self. But a bad Rev show is still much better than lots of other "good" shows. Plus, the first 2 bands rocked so hard that it was more than ok.

Now for some of the more interesting details of the concert experience.

The bad:
Because there was a bar there, there were drunk people. And they decided to try and start mosh pits... you know, because it was a speed metal show. Oh wait, no. Rockabilly. Not mosh music. There was one guy in particular - totally smashed and really into "involving" everyone in the crowd in his impromptu shoving and hitting. I'm not sure where the transition is, but at some point he was yelling at Jay for calling security on him. (Jay wasn't the one.) Then he turned to me and we had the following conversation:

-"Hey, would you call security on me if I accidentally bumped into you four times?"
-"Actually dude, you kept hitting the guy in front of me who had a lit cigarette, and the cigarette came very close to hitting me in the eye. So yes, I would have called security on you."
-"It was HER! it was her!" (It wasn't me either.)

This is where he started he started pointing at me, with his finger so close to my face that I could see every grain of dirt under his jagged fingernail. I don't stand for that, so I slapped it away. This really got his bubbles boiling, so he kept doing it. Jay handed me his jacket so he could teach this guy that you don't point at a lady like that. Drunk Guy warned Jay that "you don't know who you're messing with - I'm a five time felon!" That was clearly a total lie, but Jay was ready to get him out of society's hair. Luckily Drunk Guy's friend stepped in and ushered DG out, and semi-apologized to Jay, and DG left the concert unscathed (at least by us).

Then came the awesome part where Drunk Guy #2 spilled beer on me. Not just a little bit - it was all over my hair, my face, my arm, my boobs, and my jacket, which was tied around my waist. He felt pretty bad about it, though he never came through on buying me a drink like he said he would. And that didn't change the fact that I was wearing a satin shirt and had wet beer boobs for most of the night. (It's not as hot as it sounds, trust me.)

I spent most of the show up front near the stage, but eventually had to retire to the edge of the crowd because a group of drunk chicks were trying to mimic previously mentioned Drunk Guys. Drunk Chicks kept trying to start their own little mosh pit, but could barely stand up on their own so it failed miserably. They did keep shoving my new friend Concert Buddy because she was dancing on her own and not touching anybody. I had to leave that area because one Drunk Chick kept leaning on me and shoving me, and rather then give her a beatdown I went to go find the boys.

The good:
I mentioned Concert Buddy already. We had the unspoken bond that exists between 2 concert goers just out to have a good time. We danced next to each other and knew that we had each other's back if someone like Drunk Chick needed to be shut up. In fact, when DC kept shoving her, Concert Buddy would throw 'bows and punches trying to get them to leave her alone. She was careful not to hit me, because she knew I wasn't the one being a retarded drunk bitch. Sadly, DC finally got too annoying, and Concert Buddy disappeared before I got to tell her that she was awesome and cute and I totally loved her hair.

When I finally left to go find the boys, they were hanging with... the chicks from NP. That's right. Jay got them to sign his concert flier, and I had the following discussion with the guitarist (who is shorter than me, btw).

-"Hey man, you guys are pretty good for chicks" (nudge nudge wink wink)
-"Fuck, I ROCK like a chick, man!"
-"Fuck yeah you do!"
-"And I throw like a girl!"
-"Yeah!"
-"And I'll fuckin hit like a girl too!"
-"Fuck yeah!"

At this point she gave me a leaning-hug, as she was also quite drunk. (Also as in like a lot of the people of the show, not me.)

This morning I am stiff from being so jostled, but I had a super great time. It was worth the 8 month wait. Incidentally, for some reason they didn't let me keep my ticket stub, but I did get a giant Rev sticker in exchange because I happened to be at the right place at the right time. Sorry for the long post, but you know, things to share.



ps - don't blame NP for their name, which is a bit crass and off-putting. Blame Ted Nugent, who of course is from the D.

I need yourr help!

My sister is getting married in 3 weeks. I am flying across 2/3 of the country to be there. The problem is, my mom - who lives in the same state as my sister - might not be able to make it.

My mom doesn't work because she has Multiple Sclerosis. Traveling is hard on her, but finances are even harder. My sister is already in over her head with the wedding, and I am barely putting food in my mouth as it is. So my mom might not be able to afford the trip.

But there is only one way I know to raise money. I make jewelry. So please go buy some.

my etsy store

I have a ton of stuff for sale, and it will only take a few people buying things for me to raise the $200 or so needed for my mom to get to my sister's wedding. Most of my things are between $10 - $20, so they are totally affordable. If you don't see anything you like, I can make you something special. (I even make stuff for guys.)

So go buy stuff. Buy things for yourself. Buy things as gifts. Tell other people to buy things.

Pretty pretty please? Don't you think a mom should be at her first daughter's wedding? I promise that 100% of the proceeds will go to my mommy. Please help.

one month!!!!!

Go sponsor me!!!!!!!!!!!



On the left, click on "sponsor participant." Then enter my last name **.

hey ladies!

Don't you want to be considered a published author? For those of you already carrying this distinction, don't you want to be a published author that writes about the first time she* got her period?

Some friends of mine are putting together a book, called Congratulations, You're a Woman Now! which will be a collection of short(ish) essays by women concerning this topic. I of course will be submitting my own story because I find it quite funny (spoiler: I do use the phrase "I'm a woman now" when telling my mom) but I want all you ladies out there to submit as well. To quote the editors,

A woman’s first period is a universal rite of passage. While it can be horrifying when it happens, it often becomes heartwarming or humorous when we look back at it years later... When will we overcome the stigma that surrounds menstruation and start looking at the humor that’s in so many of our stories?

Details here:

http://www.youreawomannow.com

Start writing! You only have til September 1 !!!





*Sorry boys. You can still be published, just not in this book.

'sbeen a while

... since I posted anything new over at jewelry by des, but today I made a purdy new necklace. (Maybe because everyone's at BlogHer still?) Go check it!

Creme de menthe necklace

blogs are for hugging

I got this. I think the first one to officially bestow it upon me was Suebob. Then, in no particular order, I was mentioned by Count Mockula, mar, and Suzanne. At the same time, one or more of these people mentioned other blog friends of mine like Ms. Little Pea, Alex Elliot, Average Jane, and mdog.

I'm supposed to now give this prestigious award to 10 of my faves. Well, I've just mentioned 8. (As I said to mar, part of the problem with running in the same blog circle is that there is plenty of repetition in things like this.)

So, 2 more people:

Arlene - She is wonderful, and I'm not just saying that because she's been known to mail me 2 pounds of sweet tart candy hearts. She writes about a whole range of things, most of which I've never gone through on my own. AND she takes super awesome photos.

Amy Jo - She makes me laugh and laugh. And she has the cutest babies in the whole wide world, which I've been saying for years. She also takes photos. Hmm, maybe this is a trend?

There you have it. There are plenty more blogs that I read and enjoy, so check out my blogroll to the left over there. Believe it or not, I do keep it pretty updated. (If you're reading this and don't see your blog listed, btw, it's not because I hate you. It's because I am sometimes lazy and forgetful. ALSO, if I didn't mention you as have had mentioning me, hit me on the head with a frying pan.)

All of these people I've listed are ones that I've either met in person or feel like I have. We're totally blog buddies. I love youse guys! *sob*

**UPDATE**
And I realize now that my prophecy came true: I did not list flutter simply because she is not one of the 1st blogs on my alphabetical list.

Everyone go read flutter. And not just because she made me a purdy purdy rug. She is a beautiful writer, and so often I read her and am just knocked totally off my feet and I can't even comment.



ps - Can we decide on a universal term meaning blog buddies? I know mar uses "bliends" but that makes me feel like I've just mistyped binds or blends. So let's come up with something, and then force it into the internets' lexicon. Ideas?

Sunday des-pair

I still don't have a job. The temp agency hasn't called me since I turned down the last job. I spent some time regretting that decision, but I also spent some time going over the logistics of spending 45+ minutes each way in a car that isn't mine with gas that costs like $4 a gallon. I had high hopes for another job at an un-named popular gothy mall store, but when I went back in to apply and talk to the person again, she made it sound like there wasn't a position they were hiring for specifically. (Before, she'd indicated that they would be hiring a new store manager in June, which is why I even applied.)

So besides still not paying my bills, recent events have occurred that have and will continue to put a massive drain on our finances. Not to mention I still have to pay for a trip to CA in October for my sister's wedding. I don't like to think about the trips I'm giving up, like back to NYC for Suzanne's book release party and to San Francisco for this year's BlogHer conference. I'm crankin out jewelry like crazy, but nobody's buying. In fact, the other day I had to report someone to Etsy for "buying" something but never paying - or responding to my emails, for that matter.

I spend my days at home not spending money. We recently got a membership at Stupid Video Rental, which wouldn't let me sign up because I don't have a MI driver's license. AND our Jay's membership is only good at that location, even though it's a nationwide chain. We haven't gone to the zoo lately because we sleep til noon and the zoo is only open til like 4 or 5. So even though it's free because Jay is a member, it's not worth the hour round trip to just spend a coupla hours there.

So yeah, that's my life still. I keep waiting for things to change, but they really aren't doing so. But sometimes when I whine in a public forum like this, wheels get set in motion. Let's do that.

stuff for sale! (now with working links)

Etsy Buy Handmade desjewelry

Don't you want to buy something with your economic stimulus check? Go to desjewelry. etsy. com and pick out something nice.

Or if you feel you want to do something more worthwhile with your money, don't forget I'm also collecting donations for the AIDS Walk.

Heck, you can even donate AND get some cool jewelry.

Go see!

I made the purdiest necklace in the whole wide world.

sunset choker

Go look at it.

ps - why aren't you subscribed to desjewelry? I wouldn't have to keep reminding you!

Self Esteem Sunday

I don't really need a self esteem boost. I mean, I'm already totally vain. (And that's helped when my boyfriend tells me how pretty / sexy / smart / awesome I am.) But yesterday I got a few.

Remember the male waitress? Well we went back to the brewery for lunch, and Male Waitress was there. He talked to us, and found a way to touch my shoulder. It was relatively innocent, which is why Jay didn't have to give a beatdown, but still a little annoying because I don't like being touched by strangers.

Then later we were in the parking lot fixing the DirtyBird, and Male Waitress came out with a young lady that was probably his girlfriend. He kept throwing glances at me, but I was very careful to not make eye contact. Then as they were kissing goodbye, I got a glance. That's right, he looked at me while kissing his girl. I ran away and hid next to Jay, who was too involved in making sure his car would run to notice. I told him about it and we all agreed it was very creepy.

So I went about the rest of my day with only a minimal amount of teasing from the gang. When I checked my sitemeter, someone had found this blog with this sentence:
"pictures of pretty women with super short hair"

Now, I realize that I haven't posted any pictures of myself recently, but I did just get my hair cut short a few days ago. Anyway, I choose to read it as a compliment to me. Because I'm vain like that.



ps - stay tuned tomorrow for adventures at the zoo.

mad skillz

I haven't had internet for days. Days! I'm going a little nuts. But I do have some stuff to tell.

For one, I got the Best Camera Ever. It meets all my requirements:
1.It's tiny, so I can carry it all around with me. This means less phone shots.
2.It has a macro setting AND a super macro setting. So so so so useful when a girl makes as much fine jewelry as I do and needs to see details.
3.In addition to the other 20 or settings, it has a setting specifically for fireworks. Have you seen my fireworks pictures?
4.It also has a self-portrait mode, for taking pictures like this:

5.It has a super big, clear LCD screen to view the awesome pictures it takes.
6.It takes awesome pictures.
7.It's blue. Blue is fun. In fact, the blueness is what drew Jason's eye to it, and he is what drew my attention.

The camera was purchased on Friday, which turned out to be among the Best Days Ever. There was this thing called a "snowstorm" so Jason couldn't make the hour and a half drive to work. Damn shame, that. So we had a nice relaxing morning with a yummy breakfast, then set out for adventures. We ended up at Dave and Buster's, which it turns out is the Best Place Ever. It's a bar / restaurant AND a giant arcade. They have regular video games and the kind that gives out tickets. We played for a while on the machines that have coins in a big pile, and as you add coins, a shelf pushes them, and when any fall over the edge you get tickets. That was fun for a while, and then we saw the Jumprope Machine.

The Jumprope Machine is basically a big lighted disc with a mat in front of it. Colored lights give the appearance of spinning around like a jump rope. When it gets to the bottom, you jump over it and the mat senses whether or not you virtually trip over the rope and fall flat on your face. Now a little background on me. When I was a kid, I was jumping rope at every recess. My elementary school had a jump roping team. I was on it. There was a jump-a-thon for heart disease. I did that and kicked heart disease's ass. I won a special award for jumping even with a sprained ankle. I knew all the tricks, like double- and triple-unders. Double dutch? I was a pro. You give me a rope and I could jump over it.

So of course I wanted to show off my mad skillz (and make sure I still had them). The first round, I jumped my darndest and won some tickets. I think I inadvertently cheated because the ticket-giver was jammed, which means I'm pretty positive that I got some tickets that the people before me should have gotten but were too impatient to call over the maintenance guy. But whatevs.

I went back for more, after a break. This time, I won. I jumped and jumped and didn't make any virtual mistakes. Then all the machine's lights went off. Then they all came back on, flashing and making noise and generally causing a ruckus. I heard someone behind me yell Winner! and applause, and I turned around. Suddenly there appeared behind me about 15-20 people that were definitely not there when I started. I raised my arms in triumph, and turned back to the machine to hide the fact that I was laughing in astonishment at the magical crowd. It took a few minutes for my hundreds of tickets to pour out of the machine, but not as long as some lady that had "played" another game* and was receiving tickets for seriously 45 minutes straight.

We checked out the options for our bucketful of tickets and weren't incredibly thrilled with anything, so we decided to save them for another day. We had originally planned to go see the Djangofest in Downtown Detroit, but apparently had spent several more hours playing videogames than either of us had realized, so we ended up missing the start of the show. Our fallback plan is always karaoke, so we headed there. I think I had spent all my little energy jumping like a madwoman (besides the fact that I had only eaten nachos, so there wasn't much energy to expend in the first place) so I wasn't really feelin the karaoke. That didn't stop me of course, but my Stray Cat Strut and Crazy Little Thing Called Love weren't my best works. However, Jay repeated his performance of Big Balls, and finally got the reception he deserved. I've said it before, that boy can put on a show.

In between songs, we made a few new friends. One was Alison, wearing a tank top and baseball cap and doing "fagulous!" She, like everyone, said that Jay and I are absolutely gorgeous, so that won her over in our favor. Then she realized that we are cool people in addition to being really really ridiculously good looking and bought us a round of drinks and a pitcher of beer. The drinks went drunk (maybe a mistake on my part) but the pitcher stayed put.

On our other side was Lonely Jennifer. I officially gave her that name, but she practically gave it to herself by the way she was acting. She confessed that she never goes out, and was drawn to Jay and I because we are so "young and good looking." She was a nonstop talker, and even called us out on it when we were discussing this point amongst ourselves. At one point she made me feel her hair. (Creepy!) We were about to ditch her when our old friend from New Year's, Magic Dave, appeared. He showed us a new magic trick and we thanked him by giving him our untouched pitcher of beer and introducing him to Jennifer. Then we left the bar, speculating on what would happen between Lonely Jennifer and Magic Dave.





* I say "played" because neither Jason nor I nor anybody else ever saw her actually playing. She was just standing there while tickets flew out. We wondered if maybe the same thing happened to her that happened to me at first, where she got other people's tickets in addition to hers. But it went on for so long we figured she must be just that good.

go see

I made a new necklace. It's a perfect Valentine's Day gift.....

quick quick update, kinda

So here I am in Michigan. The trip was looooong, but thanks to some very good friends, I was all packed and fed and ready to leave Brooklyn and begin. We had reservations in a hotel on the PA / OH border, but thanks to a very long day (my Jason was up at like 4am to catch the flight to NYC), a little bit of snow, and a stupid Uhaul that took way more gas than one would think is humanly truckenly possible, we ended up stopping somewhere much closer. The motel had signs all over expressing their distaste for accepting pets, so my Jason did a little distracting while I snuck in with a (thankfully quiet) kitty. Oh, I mean that Jay was very interested in the free coffee and donuts that were offered in the morning and genuinely had some questions that needed answering.

The next morning we got up and continued our drive. I had bought some funny little herbal drops to calm the kitty, but thankfully I did not need them. Yay for Mecru being the best traveler ever! We arrived in Detroit around 8pm, unloaded the necessities (cat tower, food, litter, and our overnight bags) and went to sleep. Woke up the next day and finished unloading the truck. Thankfully we had a few extra days on the rental.

Yesterday we ignored the boxes everywhere and went grocery shopping, returned the truck, and went out to dinner. The Brewery we ate at had a very yummy vegetarian friendly menu, and there was an awesome live band performing with 2 acoustic guitars, an upright bass, and yes, an accordion. Is it correct to say that that guy rocked the accordion? I think it is, and if you had been there for the performance, you would agree. Today is a day of unpacking, but my mood was ruined when I saw my last work check had been deposited. Oh good, my $46 came in. Yeah that's right. Apparently I worked for 2 weeks and got less than $50 for my effort. You can bet an email went out post-haste. If this doesn't pan out, someone in NYC is gonna have to go firebomb something. Just sayin.

But so yeah. Unpacking, more blog updates, and at some point, a job. Neato.


ps - the most beautiful tattoo in the world is almost done with the peeling stage, so pictures will come soon.
Also, stay tuned for the story of Mecru Meets His First Dog, who is also his new roomie.

the old wet / dry

Luckily, today I was dressed for a thunderstorm. I had my rain boots (my moon boots, if you will), rain jacket, and my penguin umbrella tucked into my new waterproof backpack. This is good because when I got off my train to go meet Suzanne to see Persepolis, there was a thunderstorm. So I got semi-drenched on the 3-block walk. (Incidentally, this is when I found out that my backpack was waterproof.) But the important thing was that my person and personal belongings were dry.

Until later in the night when me and Zoe were eating dinner at Dojo. We were gushing about our respective boyfriends when the guy next to me spilled his water... all over my jacket, shoes, and bag. I looked down, looked at him with one raised eyebrow*, and went back to my conversation, a la Superbitch.

When he left, Zoe told me that she watched him playing with his water glass. He had his hand inside the glass, and was tipping it from side to side. So when he spilled his water all over me, it wasn't really on purpose per se, but it was a stupid thing to do. I obviously didn't see this, which is why the guy was allowed to leave the restaurant in one piece. Luckily, today I was dressed for a thunderstorm.




* Ok, I probably didn't have one eyebrow raised, since I can't do that. But believe you me, there was a look of utter disdain and disgust.

questions answered

So, what did des do over her winter vacation? Who is this Jay dude?

All these questions and more can be answered if you just follow some links. Yes, you have to go to myspace, but you don't have to be a myspace member to read them. Any comments you wanna make can be made here.

So go read:

part 1

part 2

part 3

part 4

And yes, there will be more, it's a work in progress. I'll keep you updated.

Go now!

two things: blood and xmas

1. So did you know that berries have a chemical in them very similar to aspirin? Aspirin makes your blood thin, which means you will bleed more if you are cut, or say, get a huge tattoo on your shoulder. Did you also know that I love berries and may or may not have had a berry smoothie from Jamba Juice immediately preceding and (a little bit during) such a tattoo?

So while the constant influx of sugar stopped me from passing out, and the straw in my mouth gave me something to fixate on, I was really damning myself to a day full of blood loss. Next time? (And yes, there is a next time ) I guess I have to skip the smoothie. Oranges have the chemical too, so I can't go to my second fave as a last resort even.

2. We started playing xmas music in the store today. The big boss man was "giving us a break" by delaying it from the day after Tgiving, but not much of a break since we still have to actually hear it. All day. Every day. Until xmas.

The first thing we heard was a promo cd featuring all these tv stars singing. OK, some, like Bebe Neuwirth, can carry a damn fine tune. However, others, like Sean Hayes, cannot. And I mean Can. Not. Yeah, that cd didn't last long before my other coworker and I tried to impale ourselves on expensive luggage to end it all.

Then I used the magic of XM radio to find us a suitable station. The good thing about them is that they try not to repeat things too often. Sadly, though many people have recorded xmas music, there is only a very small selection of songs from which to choose. I hate that song Santa Baby, btw. I liked it at first. Sure, the baby doll woman singing is extremely materialistic and shallow, but that's what xmas is all about right? But after about the 5th time hearing it by varied artists, it became the worst song ever. Worst. Ever. Even my love Madonna did a version that was so bad I wanted to stick my fingers up my nose to jab my brain so I wouldn't have to hear it anymore.

Also? I hate Mannheim Steamroller. Who was the ad wizard that came up with that one? "Hey you know what would be the best thing ever? Xmas music pretending to rock, but comprised of tens of thousands of synthesizers!" No, Chip Davis. No. That is not the best thing ever. In fact, it is one of the least awesome things ever conceived, regardless of what millions of record sales say.

So yeah.




ps - there are no pictures yet because my pretty leaves are still marred by redness and ugly ugly bruising. Gimme like 1 or 2 days ok, all you impatient little monkeys?

pps - I have, and will continue to have, Santa Baby in my head for the next 2 months. Suck.

ppps - I do like that video of the house lights synched to MS's Carol of the Bells that I'm sure you've seen and I am too lazy to look it up anyway. But that's not because of MS. Carol of the Bells is my fave xmas song.

long live the Rev!

You all should know by now that I had been trying to see the Reverend Horton Heat for a very long time now. 6 years, is it? And it's not that I became a fan and was like, oh I'll go to that show someday. No it was like every year he came to Sacramento, sometimes multiple times, and every year I was out of town on that date. Every year. That made me immensely upset.

But now I live in the Big City, where so many bands come through that I can no way afford to go see them all (I don't have to mention that ticket prices here are not as we say cheap). But I got word that the Rev was comin 'round. I checked my calendar out of old habit. Wait a minute! November 16 is a Friday! I won't be out of town until Saturday! Yes, that's right folks. The universe narrowly missed a chance to thwart me once again. I think I uttered a little (read:big) yelp of surprise and utter joy (surjoy), so much so that when C came into the room, I was already buying tickets. Since C has seen me suffer through my years of Revlessness, I was able to buy a ticket for him too.

Then the day came.

The opening band is one I have never liked. Their name is Nashville Pussy. So I planned on taking my sweet time getting to the show because it would be *ok* if I missed them, just this once. But even after a leisurely dinner accompanied by strawberry-pineapple juice (yum!) we were still early. There was no coat check, so we stuck out a place along the rear wall lest some asshat hillbilly spilled beer on my warm fuzzy coat or my Good Time Tiger (that's a backpack shaped like a tiger that goes fun places with me) and des would have to choke a bitch.

This is the point in the evening where I discovered that there were bathroom attendants. As I made clear when I saw Dick Dale, I hate bathroom attendants. I do not need someone to do the following:
1. turn the water on for me
2. pour soap in my hand
3. (not) turn the water off
4. hand me half of a paper towel. Now, I'm frugal with my paper towel usage, but seriously, half is not enough to dry even my tiny hands.
So anyway this person did all that, and since I hadn't planned on having it done for me, I did not give her a tip. It was not a service that I wanted and to tip her would only encourage more of the same.

Back to the show.
NP was still craptastic, but they are good at what they do. The chick guitarist and bassist had the rock thing going on, one sporting a fishnet shirt with black bra, the other wearing a low cut denim vest which showed her bright red bra. The singer looked like that dude you see angrily yelling at passing cars while sitting in his lawn chair, drinking a beer in front of his trailer. This is the look they were going for, and they pulled it off. I cut them some slack because I *do* like live shows, and they managed to do that thing that I like that makes the bass line pound in your chest outbeating your heart. Plus I had a rum & pineapple to kill the time. So NP wasn't as bad as I'd prepared myself for. I still wouldn't see them by themselves, but as a first act, whatever.

Up next was Hank III. You may have heard of his father, Hank Williams, Jr, or his grandfather, regular Hank Williams. Hank III's band was drums, a steel guitar, a fiddle, an acoustic guitar, and an upright bass. I felt like I was in a honky tonk bar and I loved it. I also realized that a cute cowboy twang isn't so bad. That is until Hank changed his vest and took off his cowboy hat to reveal long metal hair. There were a coupla switches on stage, and my cute little country band turned into a hardcore / death metal band that was so bad that I seriously considered shooting myself as a way out. Luckily, I had no gun. But I was in a really bad mood for the rest of the set, not helped by the drunken frat boys being overly homoerotic and invading my space a little too much (read: when they stepped on me and I kicked them with my doll shoes, they did not notice).


This tiny dot is Hank when he was still all cute and country:



Then came the Rev. The upright bass had flames on it. The Rev himself wore a bright orange blazer. I knew my 6 years of Reverend Frustration had paid off. They played lots of songs I knew, including a cover of Black Sabbath's Paranoid, which when done in rockabilly form and sung by the drummer, is actually quite good. They did not play my favorite song, New York City Girls, which was so disappointing because if you're gonna play that, now would be the time. Plus he kept talking about how pretty the girls are here (thank you) and how ugly-as-sin the guys are. That last part made me laugh uproariously because, well, the Rev is from Texas. He also kept being a jerk to this drunk guy up front who kept climbing on stage. Note to self: do not go see the Rev and be retarded and keep jumping on stage. The Rev has a silver tongue that will cut you down and make you look like quite the fool.

These tiny dots are the Rev and co:



** note **
This post was originally written on 11/17 at 8:38 in the AM, the morning after the concert. However, I had to leave for a plane that day (which I did, 20 minutes late thanks to this) and so left off thinking that I would remember all the details and my review would be just as good when I came back. So uh, no, it wasn't. Sorry about the incomplete post, but sometimes my brain gets wiped clean and there is nothing I can do about it.
I think you get the gist, though.


ps - the one failing if my cameraphone is that it does not do distance shots. This I know.

pssst

You should go read Suzanne's account of our adventures together in a sex shop.
Sounds intriguing right?