Saturday, November 19, 2005

11/18/05 - Red Rooster - Aberdeen, S.D.

November 18, 2005
Red Rooster Coffee House
Aberdeen, SD

Set One:
| Pay the Toll to Ride the Junebug Flow | Modern Day Fairy Tales | Li'l Red Riding Hood [Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs] | Poet Who Didn't Know It | Punktry | Potion | Casanova | Cake | Place | Hello Ma Baby [Ida Emerson and Joseph E. Howard] | Downtown Liquor Store |

Set Two:
| I'm a Bad MammaJamma (Who Works at Wendy's) | Clone You | Thunderstruck [AC/DC] / To the Next Episode | Jumpstart My Rocket | Jamming Out in a Soundproof Room | Like a Spy | Piper | Found My Boogie | Bullet in Your Head | Bumblebee |


Tonight's show at the Rooster was a really good time. There was a good cross-section of old and new fans, including old school Stacy and her son, Ethan who has actually been listening to Junebug all his life. We were told that we are seriously his favorite band and "Bad MammaJamma" is his favorite song. It blows our minds.

Our first set was solid from the beginning all the way until "Punktry" as can probably be assumed. That frickin' song. We didn't quite "end" it per se. We pretty much just stopped playing it, much to the joy of the crowd. Dustin said, "I always feel the need to apologize for that."

Tonight was our second performance of "Potion", the first for the Rooster crowd. It went over well, garnering applause at the quiet section. Perhaps they just thought it was over, who knows. At any rate, it was good.

Tonight, we also performed out barbershop rendition of "Hello Ma Baby" for the first time at the Rooster. Again, it went over well, though some thought it was a little shaky. But the only way to get better is to KEEP DOING IT.

At the start of the second set, we were introduced by little boy Ethan who introduced the first song of the set, "Bad MammaJamma". Throughout the rest of the show, Ethan was dancing like crazy and having a great time. Afterward, Dustin said we should hire him to make appearances at all our shows.

We decided that since AC/DC went over so well at our last show at Generation Xtreme, that we would do some more here. Dustin played the riff for "Thunderstruck", perhaps a little more choppy than usual, perhaps due to the Newcastle that Dustin slammed during the break, and I think that Tony may have come in at the wrong place. Things were delightfully crappy and it fell apart before it even really got started. Anthony shrugged and chuckled and shouted "To the next episode," and we were off. In the midst of "Next Episode", in his guitar solo section, Dustin played a very pretty version of "Silent Night".

Tonight saw the return of a classic, "Jamming Out in a Soundproof Room". Dustin said beforehand that he wasn't sure he remembered how to play it since he hadn't practiced it. Afterward, Tony said, "Whew. We made it."

The second set was really strong and I think the three of us really felt that old chemistry that we all have always held. A couple folks said that our rapport was totally evident and that it made the performace intense. Elizabeth Andrews also said that the show was nostalgic and fun. We got a lot of great comments after the show from people who hadn't heard us yet this time around. They were consistent in praising the new songs and really encouraging us to keep doing it. We were told that there is an audible difference between the old stuff and the new stuff and that it's a good thing.

Tonight's poster was designed by Paul Lundstrom and it is one of the most amazing posters we've ever had for a show. Some people are grossed out by it, some love it, and some are just confused. No matter what you think of it, it's eye-catching and people noticed it. We really want Paul to do more posters and flyers for us in the future. That guy is warped.

Friday, November 11, 2005

11/10/05 - Generation Xtreme - Aberdeen, S.D.

November 10, 2005
Generation Xtreme
Aberdeen, SD

Set One:
| Bullet in Your Head | Piper | Modern Day Fairy Tales | Cake | Casanova (featuring Fat Cat) | Li'l Red Riding Hood [Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs] | Punktry | Hello Ma Baby [Ida Emerson and Joseph E. Howard] | Downtown Liquor Store |

Set Two:
| Vacation to Oblivion | Clone You | Highway to Hell [AC/DC] / To the Next Episode | I'm a Bad MammaJamma (Who Works at Wendy's) | Jumpstart My Rocket | Poet Who Didn't Know It | Place | Like a Spy | Found My Boogie | Potion | Bumblebee |


So here was our first ever headlining gig at a bar. You may remember years ago when we opened for Five Point Theory at the Last Chance bar and there were five point three people there. Yeah. This was better than that.

Starting the night were local band, Almost Gone. They were really good and they also were so kind as to lend us a bunch of their gear, including mics, monitors, and drumkit. After putting forth a fantastic set, they gave the stage to us.

We started the first set with the new hit, "Bullet in Your Head". As anticipated, it went over well in a bar setting. We ripped through some old favorites, "Piper", "Cake", "Modern Day Fairy Tales". On "Casanova" we invited Almost Gone frontman, Fat Cat to get on the mic and freestyle alongside Anthony. It was an amazing display. We lament that there was no audio recording of this show because "Casanova" has never sounded so good before. It was a real treat.

Next was our cover of the old hit, "Li'l Red Riding Hood" which was fun and went over well. We, of course, had to play our experimental mixture of Punk and Country called "Punktry". After it was over Tony said, "Don't judge us based on that. But DO judge us based on this." Then we sang our newly worked-up a capella rendition of the classic 1899 tune, "Hello Ma Baby". We thought it was good. A couple people in the audience said it was a little "off". I guess you'll have to ask them. We closed the first set with the immensely appropriate "Downtown Liquor Store". How could we go wrong with that?

The second set started with the classic "Vacation to Oblivion" going into the new "Clone You". Afterward, Dustin said into the mic, "That's a hit right there." Earlier in the night, Paul was in the crowd requesting AC/DC, so we decided to play "Highway to Hell". But, as you may have guessed, half way through we sang "Highway...to the next episode!" And oh yes. We rocked it, yeah. Dustin then said, "Two hits in a row! Get ready for a third." "Bad MammaJamma" was next and it hit indeed. And we dared to throw "Jumpstart My Rocket" at them next. And yes, another NEW hit, "Poet Who Didn't Know It".

An intersting thing happened before we played. One of the guys from Almost Gone broke a string, and he hadn't broken a string in over year. So Dustin decided that before we played, he was going to run to Pauer Sound and get a set of strings. Tony said he should probably get another pair of sticks as well. When Anthony was asked if he wanted a spare set of strings, he said, "No. I never break strings. I have a technique." As it turns out, Anthony broke a string during "Place". Dustin and Tony took this opportunity to go pee while Anthony changed his string.

We played "Like a Spy" and then it was on to "Found My Boogie". The feel of this song has changed a little bit. Instead of a faux disco beat, it has a bit of a surf-rock/cheerleader beat. In fact, the song started with Anthony and Dusting cheering, "We've got boogie, yes we do! We've got boogie, how 'bout you?"

We debuted a brand new song tonight that we just learned last week called "Potion". It turned out pretty well, though a little bit rocky. So we closed the set with "Bumblebee".

We ended the set at about 1:50am, just when everyone was supposed to be kicked out. We played long and we played hard. We drank some beer and Tony even spilled a little. And to our surprise, Heather and Bryna drove all the way from the Twin Cities to see the show tonight - after they told Dusting they weren't going to make it! So that was nice.

All in all, it was a great show. I'm glad I was there.