12/17/05 - Red Rooster - Aberdeen, S.D.

December 17, 2005
Red Rooster Coffee House
Aberdeen, SD

Soundcheck:
| Raise Your Voices |

Set One:
| Poet Who Didn't Know It | Modern Day Fairy Tales | Piper | Casanova | Like a Spy | Punktry | Hello Ma Baby [Ida Emerson and Joseph E. Howard] | Damn the Man | Li'l Red Riding Hood [Sam the Sham and the Phaoroahs] | Potion |

Set Two:
| Cake | Breathe You In | Place | Christmas Time is Here (Theme from Charlie Brown Christmas) [The Vince Guaraldi Trio] / To the Next Episode | I'm a Bad MammaJamma (Who Works at Wendy's) | Clone You | Back in the U.S.S.R. [The Beatles] | Jumpstart My Rocket | Found My Boogie | Bullet In Your Head | Downtown Liquor Store | A Junebug Christmas |

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We were slated to take the stage at 9pm tonight, but since the crowd was a little slow in arriving, we didn't begin until 9:36. But that's okay. By then there were enough people there to really enjoy the rock we were bringin'.

A number of these songs haven't been played or practiced for awhile, so there were minor instances of fogetting how the songs went now and then. Case in point; the set started with "Poet Who Didn't Know It" and Tony didn't remember the part in which it goes to double time and then when to come back. Other than that, the song was great.

On "Casanova", Anthony invited some kid in the crowd to come freestyle along with him. I (tony) didn't catch his name though... They brought down the house and then Anthony beatboxed us home, as you can probably guess. God bless 'im.

"Like a Spy" was really solid tonight, as was the BRAND NEW song, "Damn the Man". The crowd perhaps didn't know what hit them with kick-ass rock grooves that were NOT crunchy. The four rock endings to that song left them wanting more... endings. We pulled it off.

Tonight's second set was the better of the two. To start off, Elizabeth Andrews played violin on the first four numbers. "Cake" sounded amazing, "Place" was very strong and even gripping with the violin, and the BRAND NEW song "Breathe You In" reportedly brought tears to audience members' eyes (for real). Then, in celebration of the Holiday spirit, Dustin and Elizabeth played a duet; "Christmas Time" from A Charlie Brown Christmas. But of course, as no one expected it to come from something as smooth and lovely as that, we very prettily sang "To the next episode..." and bang, we nailed right into it, Elizabeth and all.

After Elizabeth left the stage, we began "Bad MammaJamma" and in the midst, Anthony invited local rapper, BJ Campbell to freestyle a little bit. Or a lot bit, really. The song clocked in at over twelve minutes. About the time we figured BJ was winding down, he called up another fellow, whose name I did not catch, to join in the festivities. We didn't quite know what to do, but finally Anthony leaned over to Tony and said, "Let's end it." And when Anthony, the jam-band-man, says let's end it... then boy, it's gone a little long. Anyway, it's always interesting to showcase local hip-hop artists.

"Clone You" was next and it was another case of Tony forgetting how the song goes at one point. Oops. After that, we debuted a BRAND NEW cover of the Beatles' "Back in the U.S.S.R." That was a good time. The show continued solid right upto the end of the set. Stacy, an old school Junebug fan requested "Downtown Liquor Store" and we HAD to oblige. I mean, why wouldn't we?

After that, it was time to spread Holiday cheer once more with our original holiday song, "A Junebug Christmas". Good times were had by all, and yet another Junebug show was pulled off successfully.

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 |

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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.

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 |

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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.

10/29/05 - Red Rooster - Aberdeen, S.D.

October 29, 2005
Junebug Reunion Show
The Red Rooster Coffee House
Aberdeen, SD

Set One:

| Vacation to Oblivion | Modern Day Fairy Tales | Piper | Casanova | Poet Who Didn't Know It | Place | Punktry | Cake | Like a Dream | Clone You |

Set Two:

| Pay the Toll to Ride the Junebug Flow | I'm a Bad MammaJamma (Who Works at Wendy's) | Jumpstart My Rocket | Wanted Dead or Alive [Bon Jovi] / To the Next Episode | Like a Spy | Downtown Liquor Store | Bumblebee | Found My Boogie | Bullet in Your Head |

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At long last, Junebug has returned. It's been roughly three years since the last time we played a show. Children have been conceived, born, and have learned to walk and talk since the last time we played a show. It was good to be back.

There was a pretty decent sized crowd - over 75, which doesn't sound like a lot, but for the Red Rooster it's pretty good. There were fans present from the old days. Melissa Kindig, Mike Bowser, Alex Forred, Drew, just to name a few. I don't know why I don't know Drew's last name. But he's one of the baddest mammajammas ever to don a Wendy's uniform.

Our first set seemed a little rocky and low-energy. A number of the songs were a little slow, but we plowed through. We opened with the classic "Vacation to Oblivion" going right into a rockin' faster version of "Modern Day Fairy Tales." "Punktry" nearly derailed, but what surprise is that? We made it a point to NOT practice it. "Piper" went well with the new intro (that possibly wasn't noticed since it's pretty subtle).

We took a break after the first set and it apparently was what we needed. The second set rocked from the outset with "Pay the Toll" going right into "Bad MammaJamma" with no break. That got people bouncing in their seats and Drew was dancin' the night away in back and singing along. It also gave us a chance to try out the new ending to "Bad MammaJamma". Yes, after all these years, the song actually has an ending. The rock continued with a high octane version of "Jumpstart" and I think the crowd really found the groove after that. We paid tribute to our hero Bon Jovi with a cover of "Wanted Dead or Alive"... or did we? We slammed right into "To the Next Episode" from there and the new fans seemed a little confused. But the old fans were hollering and cheering and singing along.

We debuted a few new songs tonight; "Poet Who Didn't Know It", "Place", "Clone You", "Like a Spy", and "Bullet in Your Head". We got great comments from old and new fans. Sarah Ernhart, and oldschool fan, said it was like going back in time. Liza Johnson, a new fan, said that it was all very original and really great.

Tonight was the last party night before Halloween, so of course people were in costume all over the place, including onstage. Anthony was a highway patrolman, Tony was a biker, and Dustin was a Rock 'N' Roll of Toilet Paper. However, after the break, the toilet paper was gone. Dustin was quoted as saying, "When you gotta go, you gotta go." Classic.

Junebug is back, baby. The rawk continues.