plankton show February 19, 05

Main Street Computers
4 Main Street
Knox, Indiana
February 19, 2005

This was really really really fun, even though we weren't the same kind of band as the other three bands playing this evening. Unfortunately, the batteries in my camera pooped and I didn't get any shots. If I get a hold of any I'll post them. Until then, I'll just describe what went down...
We'd never been to this place and it turned out it had only been used in this way once before. The first thing you get to do is carry all your gear up a huge double flight of stairs! The UNIVERSE holds a special place for roadies, I tell you. Thank you Justin! (and Justin's friend... sorry we didn't even get your name!) So, you get that finished and then there is no heat in the place. All this said, it is a really cool place. Obet, the owner, is nice and wants to do good things with the space. They bring in this kerosene heater thing and after it fired up I took note of and pointed out to my band mates/roadies where the closest exits were located. You know...just in case.

So, anyway, all the bands are using our sound system, and we get down to hooking up all the stuff. While we're doing this the kids begin to arrive. This room seems to be an old dance hall, ball room, or possibly part of a large depertment store - really really old and quite delapidated. The stage is not part of the original room, but rather something built possibly by the sponsors of the show, and holds up well to the evening's performances. In the crowd I spot that little blonde check-out girl with the pig tails from Park N Shop and ex-Grendel bassist Jimmy. I had seen other Park N Shop employees at a show we did last year with Minutes 'Til Yesterday. The PNS emps do a great job of getting out there and supporting the local scene. Thanks, peeps!

And about that scene...the three other bands playing are punk bands. Straight-up 3 chord punk. I figured no one would like us, but actually several people came up to me after the show and said they liked it. It was weird being the only band with no mohawk - headed member. It's even weirder that I am old enough to be most of these kids' mom and I looked pretty much like them when I was their age. [Later on, I got a bit misty for a moment while passing this little punker chick over my head after she jumped from the stage...good times, good times.]

By this time the first band is ready to go. By reading the guy's guitar, I assume they are called The Vandals. They are adorable. Mohawk bass guy, shaggy amphetamine guitar guy, and a drummer that I am not actually sure if he had ever played the drums before. They weren't horrible but the songs were very very short and I couldn't understand anything they were saying. They were all very nice guys. I am sure they will get much better with time.

We played next and all the moshing died down. People were paying attention, though, which was nice to see. Matt and Eric were both ill and felt like shiite through the whole thing. I felt pretty good. Oh, well. They all can't be stellar performances, I guess. We didn't suck, that's the main thing...

Next up...Displeased from Marion, Indiana. The drummer played standing up. That was interesting. I saw the drummer for the Drovers do it that way, too. They had a guitar guy, bass guy, and two singers to boot. And boots. And ammo. And mohawks. Very nice guys, everyone of them, honestly, and the kids loved them. I liked how every once in a while, one of their band members would drop instrument or mic and jump into the pit for a few go-rounds. We even had a bleeder! The guitar guy from The Vandals had a bloody face. I think he accidently got his lip busted whilst having fun. Good sign, right?! ;]

About that time Matt and Eric were really ready to go - on account of them both being sick and all, but there was one more band...Unsung Heros. They were quite good and had all the kids going. You know, now that I think about it, I don't think any of these guys had mohawks, either. The drummer, Joe, also works in Main Street Computers, the computer store down stairs, which is also owned by Obet. I think the bass guy was called Bruiser. There was a guitar guy and a singer who sat out on some songs. Since I do not listen to this kind of music on a regular basis anymore, I couldn't tell what was cover tune and what was original stuff unless the band specifically said so either way - for all the bands. All the guests and musicians seemed happy and pleased and appropriately drunk by age.

So, then we just packed everything up as fast as we could and headed home so the sick boys could get to bed. I told them if they'd stop kissing each other they wouldn't get each other's illnesses so much, but they won't listen.