Junebug Show Diaries: 2006

Saturday, December 30, 2006

12/29/06 - Wild Oats - Aberdeen, S.D.

December 29, 2006
Wild Oats
Aberdeen, SD

Soundcheck:
| Piper |

Show Closer:
| With a Little Help from My Friends [as performed by Joe Cocker] (with Pops Blue Rhythm Band) |

After playing a show already tonight at the Aberdeen Eagles, we hightailed it over to Wild Oats for a pre-New Year's party with BlacKat Bone and Pops Blue Rhythm Band.

Our dear friend Molly from the old days was present tonight and she requested that we play "Piper". So there it was, just for her! It was also Tony's friend Erin's 21st birthday, so he shouted out to her.

After stunning the crowd with "Pay the Toll...", we dedicated "Bad MammaJamma" to the hardest working bad mammajamma in show business - the late, great James Brown. It was only tonight that we realized we should have actually played one of HIS songs.

The balance was good, and the sound was good too. The energy was there and the crowd was a pretty decent size. We worked our way through a pretty rockin' set. There were definitely people gettin' their grooves on during "It" and it continued through "Money" and "Dr. Phunk".

After "Jumpstart", Tony and Josh unitentionally hijacked the set and went into "Last Night". We followed up with a very abbreviated version of "Bullet" that went quickly but still got the point across. We finished our set with the classic, "Sledgehammer" which met with very fine reception. Who doesn't love Sledgehammer...really?

After we were done, Pops Blue Rhythm Band took the stage and played the night out. The final number, however, was a conglomeration of Pops and Junebug for the Joe Cocker version of "With a Little Help from My Friends". After a couple false starts, it was underway and it was a blast. Later reports said that it didn't necessarily sound the best, but it was really fun. It was indeed.

Thanks to BlacKat Bone, Pops Blue Rhythm, Randy and Wild Oats.

12/29/06 - Eagles - Aberdeen, S.D.

December 29, 2006
The Eagles
Aberdeen, SD

Soundcheck:
| Piper |

Tonight's show was the "Christmas Breakdown" featuring Groove Reflex with Junebug - an A-List event. Following the great success of the Halloween Hoedown, Groove Reflex invited us onboard for this show and we readily accepted. It was at the Eagles again, but in the big bingo room this time.

It was a little slow getting started. The crowd was a bit small at the beginning and most were hanging out toward the middle of room where all the tables were set up. The energy level started a little low. Anthony informed the crowd, "Dance floors do not bite, ladies and gentlemen." He later let everyone know that there actually is "no legal limit on ass-shakin'."

Tony mentioned later that he had trouble hearing the rest of the band. He stated that about 95% of the time, he was simply running the songs through his head and playing by memory. However, members of the crowd said it didn't necessarily sound like it. In fact, Josh mentioned that "Chosen Ones" was perhaps the tightest we've ever played it. Listening back to the video, it sounded way better than we had thought.

At one point in the show, Tony came out from behind the drum kit to the foot of the stage and removed his pants. [Un]forunately nobody but Liza and Katie seemed to notice. How strange.

We pushed on, rawking our way through the set and as the night went on, some familiar faces showed up at the front, but perhaps we didn't see much of the faces for all the dancing and bouncing and jiggling. We ended on a positive note with our version of Joe Cocker's version of a song done in a different version by the Beatles. Anthony hopped up on top of the subs and finished the crowd off in near-rockstar fashion.

Thanks to the Eagles, A-List and Groove Reflex.

Saturday, December 2, 2006

12/1/06 - Red Rooster - Aberdeen, S.D.

December 1, 2006
Red Rooster Coffee House
Aberdeen, SD

After taking over a month off from performing in order to practice and plan for recording, we came back with a vengeance and rawked that ol' Rooster one more time. This was what Dan Cleberg referred to as his "dream gig." However he and his wife couldn't make it because they were ill. The show started off with the lovely Georgette - a violin and accordian duo - with their hit song "Ghost Cat" and their unique version of the Cure's "Love Song". Next up were a very fun synth rock band from Brookings, called Welcome to the Cinema. A good time was had by all, but the night was just beginning.

The show started out pretty high-octane with such hits as "Chosen Ones" and a little known hit of ours from the 1960s called "Paint it Black". That was of course the era in which we were known as "The Rolling Stones".

After ripping through "Pay the Toll...", Anthony announced to the crowd that we are a band that believes in Hope. Dustin added, "Hope...Charity...Grace...and all the other characters on Passions." Indeed.

In the midst of the band intros (in the middle of "Bad MammaJamma"), in the place where Tony usually introduces Anthony, he drew a complete blank and had nothing to say. Then, because Tony forgot Anthony's name, it was up to Cheryl Tullis, Red Rooster regular and Junebug fan, to announce him for us. It was a very loud and boisterous introduction indeed.

Tonight, good ol' Dr. Phunk made an appearance. The Rooster got its first taste of the good doctor, and we got to experience him with a brand new groove, never before heard. And just when the funk was too much to handle, we rocked it to the next episode. Now, if you follow our shows at all, you know that in the middle of "Next Episode" Dustin generally plays a different guitar solo - generally something well-known. Tonight was no exception, but it was exceptional. At Dustin's solo break, he retrieved a music stand and a book of Christmas music. He opened to a random song and with the help of a couple spectators, set the book up on the stand. He then began sight-reading "O Come All Ye Faithful". During this beautifully awkward moment, Josh, Tony and Anthony all left the stage and left the spotlight to Dustin. The crowd sang along with his performance, and finally, we kicked back in to complete a dancetastic version of "Next Episode".

Just when we thought we were going to end the show tonight, Anthony and Tony suggested that we play "Downtown Liquor Store". However, Dustin was tired. He set down his guitar and rested for awhile. He soon came back to it, but laid down on the couch next to the stage to play out the end of the song. Tony didn't know where he was though, and spent most of the song very confused. He could hear the guitar, but not see him anywhere.

Tonight we played a special request for the birthday girl. Sarah requested that we play "Bumblebee" and it sure went out to her.

Tonight we also debuted a brand new song, "Crossroads". This will be the closing track of the forthcoming epic, Stan. If you missed tonight, you missed a good show.

Saturday, October 28, 2006

10/27/06 - Eagles - Aberdeen. S.D.

October 27, 2006
Halloween Hoedown
The Eagles Club
Aberdeen, SD

Halloween shows are inherently fun. But few shows have been as enjoyable and entertaining as tonight's. It may not have been the best show musically, but as far as the crowd, the energy, and the atmosphere, this show was one of best and most fun we have played.

First things first - and that is the costuming. Anthony was a Slaughter superfan with mullet, sleeveless t-shirt and white trash moustache. The rest of the band were members of Kiss dressed up for Halloween. Josh was Gene Simmons as a gangster, Dustin was Ace Frehley as a pirate, and Tony was Peter Criss as a ghostbuster - complete with inflatable proton pack. From my perspective (Tony's that is), it was pretty amazing to be playing a show and look over at Ace Frehley, or to have Gene Simmons turn around and smile at me. In addition, it was pretty strange and sweet to have Alice Cooper in the front row for nearly the whole show. After the show, I (tony) even autographed a drumstick for him.

It was a star-studded evening, to be sure. Not only was Alice Cooper in attendence, but both Beavis and Butthead were seen finding their boogie. Also spotted were Jason Voorhees, Leatherface and Waldo. Where's Waldo? In the Junebug crowd, that's where. There's also got to be a shout-out to Drew B. That guy is a total Junebug superfan, and his white trash getup did not disappoint.

It's also safe to say that this is the most skin we've seen at a Junebug show - because apparently at Halloween, females like to dress as sexy kittens and slutty nurses and the like. Lots of short skirts and low-cut tops and such. So to those scantily-clad ladies who are "of age" rather than "jail bait", thanks for that further boost into the rock 'n' roll lifestyle.

It has been nearly two months since we've played a show, and in that time, we were able to work up two new tunes that we debuted tonight. "Last Night" and "Good Vibes" met with great approval tonight.

We played for about an hour and a half, ripping through a high-octane set - no slow stuff for this party. Bad MammaJamma, Jumpstart My Rocket, Found My Boogie, Damn the Man...the rawk was there. Also, what would a Halloween show be without some good ol' Halloween music? Even though Urban Revue played it earlier in the evening, we had to go ahead with our rendition of "Ghostbusters". And to close the show, we played a rockin' version of a classic: "The Monster Mash".

At the end of the night, the final crowd tally for the night was approximately 450. That's probably the biggest crowd that we've played for. It was a freaking fun show.

Saturday, September 9, 2006

9/8/06 - Red Rooster - Aberdeen, S.D.

September 8, 2006
Red Rooster's 10^th Anniversary
Red Rooster Coffee House
Aberdeen, SD

Tonight was part of the fantastic ten-night Red Rooster tenth anniversary celebration. Junebug's first real show was at the Rooster on May 6, 2000 and the Rooster has been a huge part of our existence thus far - this was our 27th show at the Coffee House. When introducing us tonight, Dan referred to us as a "quintessential Rooster band". Them's big words m'friend.

After starting them off with some real rock and funky rhymes, we invited Fed By Doris onstage to recreate an old tradition - a communal performance of "Da Bomb". Talk about high octane. View it here.

Next was the energetic combination of "Sweet Love" and "Bad MammaJamma", followed by the reason we do this. That's right - money. We certainly are good little capitalists. The Money Medley came out in full swing for the first time in front of the Rooster's crowd.

After playing our newest song, "M'Lady", we had a really intense workout, closing the first set with three doozies of rock-fest. "Found My Boogie", "Refrigerator" and "Chosen Ones" really did the job and our break was well earned. (When we started "Chosen Ones", a fan could be heard exclaiming, "FINALLY!")

Elizabeth Andrews lent her beautiful talents to the first four songs of the second set. She is wonderful on the violin and we love her.

Before we played the most country-fied version of "Cake" ever, Dustin was tuning his guitar to a slide tuning. He said, "I'm going to attempt something that I've never really done before, and I KNOW for a fact I'm not good at it. But that's half the fun, right kids?" Anthony replied, "Well that's just the flavor of this band, you know? We can't do anything wrong." Indeed.

We found that after Liz's set, we really didn't have a lot of time left, so we played three more tunes. "Another One Bites the Dust" is always a crowd pleaser. As is our own mega-hit, "Jumpstart My Rocket".

We closed our set with another popular Junebug tune, but a different start than usual:
Anthony: Thanks for coming out...we are now rockin' you to the end of the night. But it's another episode of your life.
Dustin: And it's the end of ten years, and the beginning of who knows.
Anthony: Of another episode of another ten years.
Dustin: Of the next decade.
Tony: The next what?
Dustin: The next decade!
Tony: Oh, decade. I thought you were gonna say,
ALL: TO THE NEXT EPISODE!

We didn't even plan it. We are simply amazing.

But even more amazing is the Red Rooster Coffee House. Thank you, Red Rooster for the great times and all the shows.

Sunday, August 27, 2006

8/26/06 - Wild Oats - Aberdeen, S.D.

August 26, 2006
Wild Oats
Aberdeen, SD

Set Three:
| Rapper's Delight [The Sugarhill Gang] (with elements of "The Humpty Dance" [Digital Underground]) / To the Next Episode | Jumpstart My Rocket | The Money Medley (For the Love of Money [The O'Jays] / I Need Some Money [John Lee Hooker] / Gimme Some Money [Spinal Tap] / Money [Pink Floyd] ) | M'Lady | The Date | Another One Bites the Dust [Queen] | Damn the Man | Downtown Liquor Store | With a Little Help from My Friends [The Beatles (Joe Cocker version)] |

Tonight was the Sizzlin' Summer Nights car and bike show in Downtown Aberdeen. When we all arrived at the Oats, there was a big parade of classic cars and motorcycles happening outside. Wild Oats was packed with families still eating dinner and enjoying the event. Very many of these people stuck around for the show - which was cool.

We got a bit of a late start because the Oats was doing pretty good business and people were still being served at the tables. When Randy gave us the go-ahead, he asked that we start out a bit quieter than we were last night. Oh, but we picked it up later on in the night, let me tell you. And stuff. The crowd seemed a little bemused when the "3 furious" portion at the end of "...Junebug Flow" reared it's head. But everything was okay when we played "Back in the USSR". I mean, who DOESN'T love the Beatles? The first set was short but sweet (only 44 minutes) and only a tiny portion of folks left at the break.

The second set was a great set suitable for finding one's boogie, and find boogie they did. "Paint It Black" was a good shade faster tonight, to the delight of Sarah and Liza. It apparently made an impression, since midway through the third set, a man was heard shouting, "Play some more Stooonnnes!" "Found My Boogie" seems to have re-emerged as a dancetastic superhit for us, with a solid beat and bouncy lick.

Just before "Clone You", Anthony's guitar cable started throwing out some static. As he worked on it, Tony, Dustin and Josh threw out a killer jam that segued perfectly into the song. Hear it now by clicking here.

The show was so fantasmic that during the second break, Josh had to run down the street to his shop to get super glue for his blistering fingers. In spite of his precautions, he still ended up playing out the show with a pick. That's some true RAWK, if you ask me.

The third set started with a funky, danceable version of "Rapper's Delight"...but not surprisingly, we delighted ourselves all the way to the next episode.

We offered a little therapy session as well tonight in the third set with an installment of the destined-to-be-classic "Dr. Phil" series. Tonight was Part Two: Dr. Phunk. Afterward, the same man who wanted to hear more Rolling Stones music asked Sarah if the Dr. Phil number was on the "soundtrack". Apparently, it should be because it was the best song to that point in the show. At least we're making a difference in that man's life.

Tonight's peformance of "The Date" was crazy-fast, but good like that. Who knows if it will be that fast again, but it was appropriate for this show. Later on, Dustin played the riff from "Another One Bites the Dust" and a person in the crowd asked incredulously, "Are you REALLY gonna play that?" Anthony replied, "No, we don't play that song." But Josh picked it up and Tony kicked in and Anthony shouted, "Oh no we didn't! SNAP!" And we rocked it. Solid.

After Damning the Man, we Robbed a Liquor Store in Ashton Kulesa's honor. And finally, we closed the show with a powerhouse, high-octane performance of Joe Cocker's version of "With a Little Help from My Friends." WE got a little help from OUR friends as well. We invited folks to come up and sing along, and all participants were known members of the Aberdeen music scene. Jason Hill (Urban Revue and solo work), Joel Burckhard (Pops Blue Rhythm), Will Brown (solo music and The Blue Orange), and Nick Howell (Urban Revue) all came out and sang their hearts and their lungs out. It was a fantastic, high-energy ending to a real kick-ass show, if I may say so.

The Aberdeen music scene COULD be so amazing. There are so many great musicians in this town that need support and we truly and deeply THANK Randy and Wild Oats for taking a chance on us. We loved playing this venue and we hope that we can play there again. If more venues could do what Randy did and take a chance, they may find that people in this town will come out for a show like this.

Thank you, Randy. Thank you, Wild Oats. Thanks to everyone that came out and supported us and rocked out. Good times.

Saturday, August 26, 2006

8/25/06 - Wild Oats - Aberdeen, S.D.

August 25, 2006
Wild Oats
Aberdeen, SD

We finally got our first shows at Wild Oats in Aberdeen. This is a very good thing for us because people actually go to this bar and most of them are people around our age that have an appreciation for local music. So if we want to play around town, this is a good venue to have available to us.

We decided it would be worth it to rent some gear from Pauer Sound to blow the crowd away and make us sound amazing. Enter Joel Burckhard. He helped us set up and set levels on the sound board. According to him and the crowd, we sounded amazing.

We played three sets tonight, featuring our best known songs as well as a few new covers we whipped up for this very occasion. Tonight was the debut of our versions of "Paint it Black", "Another One Bites the Dust", the Joe Cocker version of "With a Little Help from My Friends" and the "Money Medley" which includes a full version of Pink Floyd's "Money". These all went over well - and we later found out that the crowd kept expecting "Next Episode" to pop out of any of them! Ah, our goal was finally achieved.

It was a good night. People came in and stayed (with the exception of the table of women that exited past us single file during the first song). It took a little while, but the crowd bought enough beers to fall into the music and find their boogies. It was a really great experience to play in front of a largely different Aberdeen crowd. The night ended with the great closer, "Sledgehammer". There was no sitting with arms crossed or bored brooding. Everyone was dancing, bobbing, nodding or moving in some capacity. It was tons of fun. Afterward, a few regular Junebug show-goers went so far as to say it was one of the best 'Bug shows they had ever seen. High praise indeed.

And Josh got a mic for the first time tonight.

Huge thanks go to Pauer Sound, Joel Burckhard, and Randy from Wild Oats.

Sunday, July 2, 2006

7/1/06 - 720 Space - Minneapolis

July 1, 2006
The 720 Space
Minneapolis, MN

This was the much anticipated (by us) first appearance in the Twin Cities. We played at a new venue called "The 720 Space" in downtown Minneapolis. It's not immediately obvious by looking that there's a venue there. At first it just looks like an office supply company. The area around there is made up of old warehouses that have been converted into lofts for business and such. The Space is just one of many lofts in the building. While we were loading in (on a freight elevator) and setting up, we heard a band practicing in one room and while we were loading out, there was a rave going on in another. So the building is well used by businesses and other groups.

The show got underway roughly around 10pm with Junebug starting out the night. The crowd wasn't massive, but it wasn't entirely miniscule either. We opened the show with "Poet Who Didn't Know It" to a really good response. "Bad MammaJamma" was next and got screaming cheers afterward. We kept the set concise, rounding out at 50 minutes, and we made sure to have a diverse sampling of our work, ranging from "Spring Fever" to "Refrigerator" to "The Date". After the show was over, Anthony and Tony both referred to the set as "high octane". And it was indeed a very fun and energetic show.

Minneapolis bands The Brutes and Solid Gold and the Massachusettes-based Animal Hospital also performed tonight.

Special thanks are extended to Brandon from the 720 Space for hooking us up with the show. Also thanks to our friends who showed up at this show: Logan and Melissa, Chuck, Bryna, Heather and Isaac, and PJ. (And of course Sarah, Jenny and Liza!)

Sunday, June 25, 2006

6/24/06 - Red Rooster - Aberdeen, S.D.

June 24, 2006
"Junebug in June" Weekend
Red Rooster Coffee House
Aberdeen, SD

Tonight was the continuation of the Junebug weekend at the Rooster. The opening act was a reunion of the Dimbulbs, with Adam Hoox on guitar and lead vocals, Trevor LeBoo on bass and Floam Chomsky on drums. It was fantastic to hear that band again. They have been missed. The final number was "You're the One that I Want" from Grease, with Hobo on drums and Sierra on the female vocal part. Oh, such fun had by all. One fan was heard outside saying, "I wouldn't want to follow that." Well, follow that we did - and hopefully lived up to expectation.

After kicking things off with "Junebug Flow" and bringing the boogie with "Bad MammaJamma", Anthony said, "We've got a song that we should have written, but I think you will recognize it..." And boy did they. Junebug dared to play the old Fed By Doris standard, "Da Bomb". The crowd danced and sang along and we played "Refrigerator" and all seemed right with the world.

And then Anthony's guitar got cranky and stopped working. Not to worry, because Anthony and Dustin in their infiniate wisdom managed to figure it out. For a couple songs. It got grumpy again during a rockin' performance of "Chosen Ones". No matter. The set kicked ass anyway and the Rooster Rats seemed to love what we were bringing.

We kicked the second set into gear with one of the new favorites, "Poet Who Didn't Know It" followed by the title track from our forthcoming second album, Share. Then, since we didn't get the chance to play all the songs from last night's bucket show (or give away either of the two free CDs), we deviated from our setlist and had members of the crowd come up and finish it off. And it was a great decision. The very first drawing was "Casanova" and Adam Hoox did a guest spot freestyling. It's a shame his mic wasn't turned up louder, because as Dustin and Tony both agreed, it was probably the best "Casanova" guest spot to date. That d00d's got skillz.

After we finished off the bucket, Dustin launched into on of the most famous guitar licks in history - and we played "Money for Nothing" by Dire Straits. The looks on faces of the crowd were priceless when we whipped out that gem. And the looks were even more amazing when we whipped out the NEXT EPISODE. Yes, indeed.

It was high-octane from there on out with "Jumpstart" and "Found My Boogie". The next song on the setlist was actually "Clone You" but Ashton, a girl in the crowd really wanted to hear "Downtown Liquor Store". We put it to the crowd and the consensus spoke. And quite fittingly, during the song two uniformed Aberdeen Police officers came into the coffee house and eyed the band. After the song was over, Tony assured them it was only a song - just a story. They seemed satisfied.

For our show closer, we performed the Aberdeen debut of our cover of Peter Gabriel's "Sledgehammer". When it began, the crowd had varied looks on their faces - "could be?" "is it?" "I think it is"... I wanna be - your sledgehammer! ... "Yeah!" According to Paul Lundstrom, "It was the rockingest version of 'Sledgehammer' I've heard."

We want to thank the Red Rooster Coffee House for hosting this "Junebug in June" weekend. It was a total blast.

Saturday, June 24, 2006

6/23/06 - Red Rooster - Aberdeen, S.D.

June 23, 2006
"Junebug in June" Weekend
Red Rooster Coffee House
Aberdeen, SD

Tonight was the first night of the "Junebug in June" weekend at the Red Rooster Coffee House. Adam Hoox played tonight as well as a sort of reunion by the Blue Orange.

Tonight's show was a "Choose Your Own Show" show. After we started the show out with "Vacation to Oblivion" and "Modern Day Fairy Tales", there were song titles in a Country Crock tub. The members of the crowd were to come forward, draw one title out, read it allowed to the rest of the class and we would play it. And we did.

The experiment worked and it was fun. There was talk that it may become an annual thing: The Bucket Show -OR- as Anthony called it, the "Choose Your Own Show Show". The experiment worked well although "Bumblebee" showed up a little sooner than we usually play it, as did "Bad MammaJamma". But no worries we still rocked the rest of the show.

"Piper" was drawn out of the bucket and we all gave one another an imperceptible acknowledgment and started the song. In the middle of the number, "Next Episode" pushed it aside and took over! We played through the whole song, and when it was over, "Piper" took over where it left off. It was much like the "Episode" incident that took place on June 9, 2001. When it was done, Anthony explained to the crowd that you never know when that song is going to rear its head. Dustin referred to it as a "two-fer".

This show was kind of like coming home for us. The Rooster gave us our first show on May 6, 2000 and we have played there like crazy since then. In recent months we haven't played there so much, but this show was great and so welcoming - people in the crowd knew our songs, they danced, and when certain songs were pulled from the bucket, people cheered.

It was a fun, fun show.

Friday, June 16, 2006

6/15/06 - Nestor Bar - Fargo, N.D.

June 15, 2006
The Nestor Bar
Fargo, ND

Soundcheck:
| Like a Spy |

Thursday night at the Nestor. The bar was smokey, the crowd was sparse, and the bar staff was friendly. It was a pretty typical Nestor night. Totally Killer Nachos opened for us tonight. They were comprised of some guys we knew back in Jamestown: Travis (formerly of "Outpatient 13", Bud (formerly of Mediocrity and Meddle) and Chris (formerly of Meddle). Also on bass was a guy that Tony met once twelve years ago and actually remembered.

We opened our set with the newest incarnation of "Junebug Flow". That song keeps changing bit by bit. I think it's actually getting better. It was fun at any rate. Continuing the supercharged beginning of this show was "Underneath the Sweet Love" right into "Bad MammaJamma". Man, does it get any better?

"Casanova" had the groovy jazzy beginning tonight. It's been awhile since we've done that. "Vacation to Oblivion" made a brief appearance tonight as did our old friends the Golden Girls. Also tonight we debuted our NEW cover of Peter Gabriel's "Sledgehammer". We learned that the song happens to be a Totally Killer Nachos staple, so we invited Travis and Bud to sing with us on that tune, which was our show closer.

Tonight was Dustin's sister's 21^st birthday. But she couldn't come in to the show. She was so drunk they wouldn't let her in. Yikes. Poor Jennie.

Some old friends from Jamestown were there tonight. As was mentioned before, Travis, Bud and Chris were there as well as our old friend Clare Olson and old buddy Sam Mandan. Good times. Good times.

All in all, it was a pretty rawkin show.

Wednesday, May 31, 2006

5/30/06 - Broken Axe - Moorhead, Minn.

May 30, 2006
The Broken Axe
Moorhead, MN

Soundcheck:
| Piper |

Encore:
| Black Betty [Ram Jam] | Bumblebee |

First off - the Broken Axe is a great venue. It's a new bar in Moorhead, Minn. that used to be part of a zoo built in 1939 by the federal Works Progress Administration following the institution of president Franklin D. Roosevelt's "New Deal" (specifically the so-called "Alphabet Acts") as a means of combatting the economic effects of the Great Depression, namely the loss of jobs, by hiring mostly unskilled blue-collar workers in various diverse construction projects. But less history lesson, more rawk.

The Broken Axe's stage is literally above the bar. All the gear needs to be hauled up a narrow staircase and the stage is on the open second story above the bar. If you were to drop something off of the front of the stage, it would actually hit the bartenders on the heads. Dustin even offered to stage dive if people called their friends. Long story short, it didn't happen. Anyway, there is a sound guy and a lighting guy and it all turns out looking and sounding really good.

The show started tonight with Kelsey Lee, an old friend from high school. She played the opening set and we love her as usual. We took the stage with "Found My Boogie" and rawked good and hard right off the bat. The first set consisted mainly of older, upbeat Junebug material that we had fun with. The second and third sets were more rawkin' and funky and the crowd seemed to really get into them. We sold a few EPs and ate some great food. We also watched half of "Roger Waters: The Wall Live in Berlin" on their TVs before the show.

The crowd roller coastered, big then small, etc. but it seemed pretty good for a TUESDAY night. We had a great time and the Broken Axe is certainly a venue we would love to return to in the near future.

NOTE: The cover of "Black Betty" was not planned. And we don't even know the song. It's just that Anthony was told we'd get free shots if we played it. I don't know if the shots happened.

Tonight's show was otherwise noteworthy on two counts: This is the first show we have ever played in the great state of Minnesota and we debuted a brand new song, "Share".

Tuesday, May 30, 2006

5/29/06 - 10,000 Skates - Aberdeen, S.D.

May 29, 2006
10,000 Skates Festival
Melgaard Skate Park
Aberdeen, SD

One month after the last outdoor Melgaard show we all got together for a second. This one was called "10,000 Skates" and was organized by Ryan Clay and Josh Andrews of YAPA, and our very own Anthony Bergman from the Donkey store in Aberdeen. There was a skate competition and bands played on a stage comprised of a flatbed trailer. There were concessions provided by Thatzza Pizza and the Coffee Smith. It was a great time. Young and old came out to enjoy this event and the weather was absolutely gorgeous.

Junebug took the stage around 4:30 p.m., just as the sun was coming over the trees and beating down on the area in which we played. The crowd was great and they were ready to boogie. There were a lot of familiar faces today (including Drew - ROCK ON) and many new faces to us as well. We even sold two EPs. Sweet.

We debuted two NEW SONGS today - "Aphrodite" and "Refrigerator". They both went pretty well and we're excited to show these songs to a Fargo audience tomorrow night.

We were joined by guests on two songs today. First, "Casanova" featured B.J. Clark with a little freestyle hip-hop and "The Date" featured our dear friend Elizabeth Andrews on violin.

What a fun show. Everyone should write letters to the editor of the paper letting the people of Aberdeen know that this kind of event is welcome and appreciated. Do it before the old people complain first.

See you in Fargo tomorrow night!

Sunday, April 30, 2006

4/29/06 - Nestor Bar - Fargo, N.D.

April 29, 2006
The Nestor Bar
Fargo, ND

Soundcheck:
| Underneath the Sweet Love |

Tonight was the longest show we've played thus far. We had the stage from 10:00pm until closing. We played three lengthy sets and rawked Fargo good and hard. Then we were pooped.

We broke out a couple oldies tonight. We opened with "Pay the Toll" and also threw in "Crystal's Answering Machine". The third set started with an oldie called "Rich & Poor" that was thrown out to Chris and Bud from the old Jamestown band Meddle, who were present tonight and really wanted to hear it.

Tonight we debuted parts one and two of a three part series about a particular man possessing eternal wisdom: Dr. Phil. The first was a free form jazzy sort of jam while Anthony read from a Dr. Phil book. The second was a little more sexy and a lot more funky.

At one point tonight, Dustin started playing "Rock and Roll Ain't Noise Pollution" by AC/DC and a guy in the crowd yelled, "Play that! Don't tease us!!" Tony then explained that we as a band actually DO believe that rock and roll IS noise pollution. "We're gonna be bold and say that."

Later, while Anthony was tuning, the other three began playing "Another One Bites the Dust." We stopped and Anthony started "Poet" and the crowd was heard groaning in protest of our not continuing with Queen. Bam! Got 'em again!

Thanks go out to Seth the soundguy for being cool and making us sound good. Also, props and big ups to the faithful Junebuggers who came to Fargo just to catch our show. Your loyalty amazes us.

Monday, April 24, 2006

4/23/06 - Melgaard Park - Aberdeen, S.D.

April 23, 2006
First Annual Spring Jam
Melgaard Park
Aberdeen, SD

Today's event was organized by a fellow named Spencer Dockery. Tony actually knows him from a few years ago when they did a play together (Shakespeare's R&J for anyone who cares). The event was referred to as the first annual Spring Jam and was sponsored by the NSU Multicultural Student Affairs Office and the NSU Rugby Team, with the sound system provided by Pauer Sound.

The event started at noon and went until sundown. We weren't actually sure of what to expect before we got there today, but it was really cool. The bands played in the Melgaard Park band shell and many many people sat out on blankets and lawn chairs. People danced and threw frisbees. There were all types of people there of all ages. It was like a bona fide festival, but free and right here in Aberdeen. It's something we'd like to see again. From stage Josh said, "I just want to say that this is really kick ass and if we could make this a more regular event...this is one of the most beautiful things I've seen in this town in a long time."

Junebug took the stage at roughly 5:00pm for a 5:30 start. We played a very fun and strong set today that lasted just under an hour. It was a beautiful day for an outdoor show.

Nothing too out of the ordinary happened today, except that during "Damn the Man", a man was cuffed and arrested by three police officers. I smell some unfortunate irony.

Thanks to Nick Howell for the use of his drum kit and Spencer Dockery for setting this baby up.

Sunday, April 16, 2006

4/15/06 - Nestor Bar - Fargo, N.D.

April 15, 2006
The Cosmic Break Tour
The Nestor Bar
Fargo, ND

This was the big night we've been gearing up for. It was the Cosmic Break Tour's stop in Fargo, N.Dak. at the Nestor. It was a competion amongst four bands; The Public Market (Bismarck, N.Dak.), WBPN (Fargo, N.Dak.), The Legionnaires (Fargo, N.Dak.), and of course JUNEBUG. The winner receives a "substantial" package from D'Addario strings and Evans drum heads and a slot on the Saloon Stage at this summer's 10,000 Lakes Festival.

The night started out with an amazing surprise for us. Our dear friend and chief Junebugger, Danny Ch. lives in Colorado, as many of you know. But somehow, some way, the gods smiled upon us and Mr. Ch. was at the Nestor tonight. He and Bryna schemed to not let us know he was going to be there with her and other friends of ours from high school. It was great to have a bit of a delegation at a contest out of town. And having Danny Ch. there pumped us up incredibly.

We kicked off the set with "Jumpstart My Rocket," a tune we usually reserve for the ends of shows. But we decided the best kick to the face was to open with a high-octane powerhouse. And this was a good decision. "Bad MammaJamma" was next and folks, they were a-dancin'. The groove was tight and the balance was solid. We were off to a great start.

Dustin tried to make a deal with the crowd. He said, "I have a special offer for the audience: Anyone I don't know who comes up with a ticket that says 'Junebug' on it, I'm gonna shave part of my beard." He held up the shaver and turned it on to prove it was for real. Surprisingly, shockingly, there were no takers. It's a mystery. After "Clone You," he said, "No takers on the beard yet? I just grew this for Lent. Lent's over now." Still, no dice.

Really the only shaky portion of the night was "Spring Fever." Dustin and Anthony had a difficult time hearing each other and on the beginning part they were a couple beats off. But really, if that's the worst that happened, we played a good show.

Before "Place" Dustin said, "The one is dedicated to our friend Pete. The end."

Tonight was the first time in a long time that we actually played all the way through "Damn the Man" beginning to end. And if I may say so, it rocked. We were on tonight. And at the end when Dustin jumps to cut off the song, all four of us jumped (and Tony even landed wrong sustaining an injury to his ankle - now THAT's rawk and role).

Tony used his new cymbals for the first time tonight. They were a welcome addition.

The crowd was great tonight. This was the first time since January 26, 2001 that we have played in Fargo. Five years was a long wait, but Fargo was good to us again. This was also the first time Danny Ch. got to see the new incarnation of Junebug. The fans present who had heard us in the past had nothing but wonderful things to say to us and left us feeling amazing. Some said it was the best they've ever heard us.

This was a contest, but even if we didn't win we've planted the seeds for a solid fanbase in Fargo. It was fun. And regardless of the outcome, we can be proud of ourselves for a rawkin' show.

Sunday, March 26, 2006

3/24/06 - Red Rooster - Aberdeen, S.D.

March 24, 2006
QUADMAN
Red Rooster Coffee House
Aberdeen, SD

Tonight was a showing of the epic lo-fi sci-fi, Quadman. On May 5, 2001 the film was premiered at the Red Rooster Coffee House. Junebug performed at the pre-party and were given VIP status, arriving in the limo and passing the paparazzi on the red carpet.

Tonight was the first time in a long time that it has had a public showing, and Junebug was asked to open for the film again this time around. (Also Fed By Doris played a reunion. Visit their MySpace for more.)

All the songs except one from the 2001 set were played tonight. We brought back the past with our Poison intro to "Next Episode", but reminded them it was 2006 with our "Inspector Gadget / Hall of the Mountain King" interlude in the middle.

We even played "Fargo Gypsy Girl" tonight for the first time since 2001. At the Quadman premiere, Bruce Likness actually sang the song with us, so tonight we played the song in his honor and dedicated it to him. We had two versions of it before; the acoustic version and rock version. Now it seems we've created a new sort of bossa version. I think it was fine. It was fun.

We performed "The Cacophony Trilogy" tonight for our old high school friend Peter. He hasn't seen us for a long time. He wasn't actually there tonight, but he was in spirit. "The Cacophony Trilogy" was always one of his favorite things that we did, so we figured tonight we'd send it out to him.

And to let history repeat itself, we ended our set tonight with "Jumpstart My Rocket", just like at the Premiere. And it makes sense. It's a movie about aliens, isn't it?

Good times.

Sunday, March 12, 2006

3/11/06 - Generation Xtreme - Aberdeen, S.D.

March 11, 2006
Generation Xtreme
Aberdeen, SD

Let me start by saying that tonight was as great as last night was horrible. Did that make sense? As much as last night wasn't good, tonight WAS good. Part of the greatness was the massive amount of positive energy radiating from the general direction of Anthony's mother and aunt who were present and dancing tonight. Not only them, but our long lost friend and show recordist PJ Pearson was here as well, having driven six hours specifically for this show, with recording gear. NICE.

We started out with a high octane powerhouse consisting of "Back in the U.S.S.R." and our straight up funk tunes all jammed together. The audience that was there when V-Twin ended stuck around for our show and the crowd grew as the night went on. There was dancing and it really seemed that the folks enjoyed the rawk we were bringin'. Though there were a couple nearly missed train wrecks, both sets were very solid.

Before the second set began tonight, the bar was still playing the radio from our break. Eric Clapton's "Cocaine" came on and we played along with it. When the bartender turned the radio off, we kept going. How fun.

So to start the second set, we decided to pull out all the stops, as they say, and hit them in the face with "Jumpstart" right off the bat. It worked. The crowd was immediately re-pumped. Yes.

For "Next Episode" tonight, we whipped out an intro that we used recently at the Yapatorium; the "Inspector Gadget" theme song mixed in with some Grieg. It was a totally different crowd so the recycling was excusable.

During "Like a Spy" our video camera caught an extremely intoxicated and creepy old dude trying to hug and kiss a table full of young ladies just as Anthony sang the line "Maybe I'm not the stalker you've been looking for." Life imitates art. It was amusing.

Oh, man. The energy level continued, even grew until the night ended. From "Found My Boogie" on until closing time, the dance floor was taken up by younger and older alike. EVERYONE found their own boogie tonight. It was BEE-YOU-TEE-FULL. We played up until roughly 1:45 a.m. and after our last tune, "Clone You," the crowd was chanting "One more, one more!" Unfortunately, we couldn't play on since Generation Xtreme was closing. So Tony said, "You know how they say 'leave them wanting more'? That's what we're doing."

Great show. Great music. Great people. Rawk.

Saturday, March 11, 2006

3/10/06 - Generation Xtreme - Aberdeen, S.D.

March 10, 2006
Generation Xtreme
Aberdeen, SD

Tonight was the first of a two-night gig at Generation Xtreme with Aberdeen band V-Twin. Tonight, we opened with V-Twin headlining and tomorrow will be a flip-flop.

First things first... this show was not our best show. The sound was really off, sometimes tuning was off and there were other things off too. The crowd wasn't very big and the music just didn't feel right. So, you know, we've had better shows. That being said, I'll continue on.

The set tonight was made up of mostly older-era material. There were only two newer-era songs; "Clone You" and "Bullet in Your Head". We also whipped out for the first time in four years our ode to breasts entitled "Breasts". (The last time we played it was December 1, 2001 at the Last Chance bar.) It went over quite well here too. I mean, really. Who doesn't like boobies?

Sometimes when we play in front of a new crowd, we're not surprised, but mildly disappointed at the lack of understanding that goes along with "Next Episode". Those who are fans realize that any time we begin a cover tune, "Next Episode" might just rear its ugly head. But I could see the drunken confusion on the faces of this crowd when we started "Purple Haze" and Anthony sang, "'Scuse me while I kiss the next episode!" I get it. You get it. And that's all that matters.

"Downtown Liquor Store" always goes over well in the bar setting and tonight was no exception. Same with "Bullet in Your Head".

Alright, so it wasn't the best set ever. Someone was even overheard saying "horrible". Tomorrow will be better.

Friday, March 3, 2006

3/2/06 - Yapatorium - Aberdeen, S.D.

March 2, 2006
The Yapatorium
Aberdeen, SD

Tonight was the big show at the Yapatorium in Aberdeen. On the bill were The Cha-Cha, Junebug, Passions, and Claire de Lune. The crowd was made up mostly of a good number of local teens with a bunch of college students mixed in as well.

Our set tonight was about 45 minutes long and we tried our best pack in the rawk. We opened with a tribute to the metal kids in the crowd; a metal version of the theme from "Inspector Gadget" intermingled with "In the Hall of the Mountain King" by Edvard Grieg. We then, of course, kicked into "To the Next Episode". I think, and correct me if I'm wrong, but I think it's the first time we have ever opened a show with that amazing hit. The end of "Next Episode" was surely a treat as Dustin smashed an acoustic guitar, earning a place in the hearts of the crowd and giving a few eager fans some coveted souvenirs which, I might add, were autographed after the show...yearbook style.

We flew through "Chosen Ones" and rocked it out, flying into a brand new song, debuted tonight; "Underneath the Sweet Love." A funky little ditty about the way a man loves a woman. You know what I mean.

From there we went directly into "Bad Mammajamma". The looks on some of the faces were that of recognition, as if to say, "Oh THIS is the band that does that song." Yeah, that was kind of cool.

We kicked "USSR" and "Jumpstart" in the pants in the usual manner. Elizabeth then joined us onstage for the remaining three songs. On "Place" there was an inexplicable pileup in front of the stage during the beginning. Dustin got pulled in and then got tangled in his cord. Fun was had by all.

"Poet" was started in an unusual manner, much to the chagrin of our violinist. We all played in different keys and Tony played a different tempo and poor Elizabeth looked baffled. Unfortunately, when the song kicked in normally someone was so out of tune that it didn't sound much different. Ah well. It's a good story to tell to the grandkids. Or not.

The Yapatorium was good to us. It was nicely intimate and supremely loud, and it was quite a fun venue to play. We hope to again soon.

Sunday, February 12, 2006

2/11/06 - Red Rooster - Aberdeen, SD

February 11, 2006
Red Rooster Coffee House
Aberdeen, SD

Tonight we played a show after almost two months off to rehearse new material and to break in our new bassist, Josh Rieck. In the middle of the first set, Joel Burckhard called out from the crowd, "What are all those low notes?" Well, tonight was Josh's first show and he was fantastic. Following the show we received many comments about how full the sound was and how Josh added so much more than we could have hoped for.

We opened the show with two brand new songs, never before heard; "Chosen Ones" and "Spring Fever". Both were met with approval. After "Spring Fever" a girl in the audience was overheard exclaiming that it was "awesome."

"Casanova" was like nothing you've heard from us before. It started as a lovely fun little bit of a down-tempo jazz improv. But of course, when Anthony exclaims that he doesn't care if you spend the night, we KICKED it in...old skool.

All in all, the first set was very energetic. Lots of rawk and sweat. And why half the crowd left at the break, I'll never know. It was unfortunate, because they missed a great second set. Anthony had informed the crowd that we were doing something radical and revolutionary in clearing some space for dancing. Not many did, except our newest superfan, Paula. More on that later.

The second set started with "Place", a newer Junebug tune that seems to be a pleaser, and then moved into a cover of Dire Straits's "Money for Nothin'"... "We got to move these refrigerators, we got to move these color TVs...TO THE NEXT EPISODE!" Yeah. You didn't see that coming.

We played the song "Like a Spy." Afterward, Anthony said "Maybe I'm not the stalker you've been looking for." Paula could then be heard exclaiming, "Oh yes, yes you are." Then after "Found My Boogie," she asked to say something into the mic. "Who dares to dance? I bet there must be somebody that dancing better than I do, so...Come on!" After a little persuasion from Anthony, a couple folks got up and danced with her. But no tango, even though Dustin requested one. "Bullet in Your Head" was then dedicated to Paula since she was really inspired by it the last time we played.

We closed with a brand new one, "It" that was pretty funky and went over well. Dustin thanked everyone for coming exclaiming that this was a marathon for all of us; that a few dropped out, but thanks for finishing.

Tonight was the live debut of four songs; "Chosen Ones," "Spring Fever," "The Date" and "It." Tonight was also the debut of our cover of Donovan's "Sunshine Superman" with a little bit of Beck's "New Pollution" thrown in as well.

Saturday, December 30, 2006

Saturday, December 2, 2006

Saturday, October 28, 2006

Saturday, September 9, 2006

Sunday, August 27, 2006

Saturday, August 26, 2006

Sunday, July 2, 2006

Sunday, June 25, 2006

Saturday, June 24, 2006

Friday, June 16, 2006

Wednesday, May 31, 2006

Tuesday, May 30, 2006

Sunday, April 30, 2006

Monday, April 24, 2006

Sunday, April 16, 2006

Sunday, March 26, 2006

Sunday, March 12, 2006

Saturday, March 11, 2006

Friday, March 3, 2006

Sunday, February 12, 2006

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