Constantines Dream

“Ahh, this bed feels so nice. Much more comfortable than the tent I slept in last night. Gosh, I’m exhausted. Swimming and playing bocce ball in the sun all day long. And then the long drive home from Iowa. These family reunions definitely take their toll, especially when there are two in the same month. Hmph, back to the grind tomorrow. I should set my alarm clock. Hey look at that, I’m actually gonna get more than four hours of sleep tonight! OK, now I need to get out of bed and brush my teeth. I really don’t want to. I’m so tired. I’ll just brush my teeth extra hard tomorrow morning. No, I’ll feel like shit in the morning if I don’t brush my teeth now. It won’t take that long – just get it over with. I can’t. I can’t get out of this bed. I can’t even open my eyes. Well, I should at least pick out some music to listen to as I fall asleep. How about that Chavez CD I just found for $2.00? No, too rockin’. How about Godspeed? No, that’s so cliché; I always listen to that when I go to sleep. Oooh, how about the new Mountain Goats album? It’s so good. But I’ve been listening to it way too much recently. What’s something nice and relaxing that I haven’t heard in a while? When’s the new Xiu Xiu coming out? I really liked that one new song they played the last time I saw them. I wonder if Mercury Rev ever plays anything off of their first two albums when they play live. Even if they didn’t, I’d still like to see them. It’s probably a good thing that their tour with Doves was cancelled. Mercury Rev shouldn’t be opening for Doves, and they definitely shouldn’t be playing Clear Channel shows. I can’t believe all of my cousins are in college now. What was the name of that one girl who I knew in high school? I wonder what she’s up to. I hope my sunburn doesn’t peel too badly. Shoot, I should have applied for more jobs today. Shhh, don’t think about that now. I’ll tackle that tomorrow. How could anybody vote Republican? Fucking heartless. It’s too hot for blankets. I guess I could listen to Galaxie…5… zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz”

*****

“zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz…huh? Shit, quit being so lazy. Get out of bed and brush your teeth. OK, I’m out. I’m putting water on my toothbrush. I’m putting toothpaste on my toothbrush. I’m brushing my teeth. See? Now, is this so bad? I’ve gotten pretty good at brushing my teeth without slobbering all over the place. I’m still not as good as most people, though. Oh yeah, before I get back into bed, I should check the 400 Bar website to see when the Constantines are playing. I think it’s sometime this week. I would hate to miss that show. They haven’t been here since…sheesh, 2003. I remember that show – I was looking forward to it for months, but at the last second, I had to skip it to study for a test in a class I thought I was failing. I still regret that decision (especially since I ended up getting an A- in that class – talk about a curve! I was fretting for nothing.) There. I’m finished brushing my teeth. I can go to sleep with no worries now. What was it I was going to do? OK, I’ll check my email. Nope, nothing there. Oh yeah, 400 Bar. OK, let’s see…upcoming shows. Here it is. Constantines: Sunday, July 17th 8:00pm. So that means…wait, what day is it? No. Nononononononono! Tell me I didn’t miss it. OK, calm down. Yes, tonight is Sunday, July 17th. And yes, it does say 8:00. But in 400 Bar time, 8:00 means 10:00. It’s only, umm, 10:15 right now. Should I go? I’ll be really tired tomorrow during work. Why am I even debating this? What’s worse: being tired at work, or living another two years full of regret? Of course I should go! Clothes! I’m not wearing any clothes. OK, get dressed, get my wallet, get my earplugs, get out of here!”

*****

“So many stoplights! Why am I driving my car? I’d get there faster if I biked. Well, it’s too late now. Shit, I gotta stop for cash. Thank goodness the gas station is still open. What the hell? I never run into this many red lights. I think I’ve hit every single one of them! Do they know I’m in a hurry? What am I listening to? I can’t even tell what language they’re speaking. I need to wake up. Have I been listening to this the whole time? OK, there’s my spot. Now run to the 400 Bar!

“I can hear music, and it doesn’t sound like the Constantines. That’s a good sign. Hey, it’s Oxford Collapse, and this is their last song. I wish I could have been here for their entire set. Oh well, this song sounds good. I think I’ll pick up their new CD. Wow, 10:30. I made good time. I can’t believe I was in bed 20 minutes ago. Didn’t think I’d be here tonight.

“Yes! Here they are! The Constantines: a band that has taunted me for years with their perfect albums and their infrequent touring. At last, they’re all mine! I can’t believe this – I’m getting all excited like I used to in high school when I’d drive up from the suburbs to see a show at First Avenue. What’s this? Ah, a new song from the record due out in October! Of course it’s a good song – it’s the Constantines! I can’t wait for the new album. It’s too bad that Three Gut Records is closing up shop after its release, though. Canada will be losing its finest label. At least they’ll be going out with a bang!

“Oh, that’s a familiar hum. And those drums! Yep. Hahaha! ‘Young Lions,’ my freakin’ favorite song! I’m so glad I got out of bed to brush my teeth! Yeah, more awesome new songs, more hits! And a cover of ‘Why I Didn’t Like August 93’ by Elevator to Hell (another group of Canadians turned Sub Poppers). Oh c’mon, they gotta do an encore. Phew, they’re back. ‘Insectivora’ and ‘Seven A.M.’ Good, these rockin’ numbers should inject me with enough energy for the drive home.”

*****

“Funny, I’m hitting all green lights on the way back. Figures. OK, it is now officially my bedtime. I already brushed my teeth, so I can rest easy. Ahh, this bed feels so nice. I still need to pick out some music, though. How about some Ladybug Tran… zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz”

The Haves Definitely Do Have It

*ahem* it's The Haves Have It

Very few bands can claim that their club debut was at the 7th Street Entry on a Saturday night. But then again, very few bands actually deserve that honor. Every once in a while, however, the scene jumps on the opportunity to take on something completely fresh and original. The Haves Have It presented the opportunity, and the crowd at the Entry last night eagerly snatched it up.

Excluding last night, The Haves Have It’s sole performance was at a house party in May. Apparently, all the right people were in attendance at the party because word of their electrifying show spread like wildfire. So even though only a select few people actually knew what The Haves Have It sounded like, word-of-mouth was strong enough that curious people came out in droves for their Entry debut. I was really impressed by the turnout. I mean, even when big national acts come through, the Entry is usually empty during the first opener’s set. And the people that do come early enough are usually too shy to stand on the dance floor. Amazingly, The Haves Have It didn’t have to do any wrangling of the audience; multitudes of people showed up at 10:00 sharp, ready to rock.

Now, something must be said about the sexism that is forever ingrained in our society. Even the forward-thinking people who frequent the Entry don’t expect cute girls in skirts to produce some of the hardest-hitting music that the Twin Cities have to offer. I think that is why the collective jaw of the audience dropped immediately as The Haves Have It dove into their first song. The Haves Have It blasted us into a state of fervent bliss. Shit, they rocked! Throughout the night, I heard comparisons to Babes in Toyland and The Soviettes. Those comparisons, although inevitable, are completely inaccurate. The Haves Have It are truly in a league of their own. And with a completely straight face, I’ll assert that The Haves Have It are the most exciting thing to be birthed out of the Twin Cities in 2005.

The Haves Have It


Jenn and Dustin


Portia

Oh yeah, I almost forgot, some other bands also played last night. After The Haves Have It, we were treated to The Shim Sham Shufflers, a tap-dancing crew consisting of three ladies and a fog machine. I’m glad I didn’t blink because after one song, they were gone, just like that. Short but sweet.

And then Oddjobs…oops, I mean, Kill the Vultures. So here’s the story: Oddjobs formed here in 1996, and then after a while, they moved to New York. But after discovering that the East Coast hip-hop scene had nothing on the Midwest scene, they moved back, updated their sound, and changed their name to Kill the Vultures. So yeah, I guess it’s technically a different group. They seem to have a heavier edge to them now, which I thought went over well last night. I’m just left with one comment: what’s up with their album art? That’s the most confusing illustration of a…vulture…I have ever seen. I’ve been staring at it for hours, from many different angles, trying to make sense of it. Could somebody please help me out?

huh?


Kill the Vultures

For a second there, I thought I was going to go through the entire month of July without seeing Vox Vermillion. Thank goodness I didn’t. They topped off an incredibly diverse night of remarkable music. Vox found themselves, once again, without a drummer. No problem; it gave them the opportunity to experiment a little. They added a guitar player (Justin from Clair de Lune), and Ollie (the bass player) programmed some beats in his Powerbook. For a few songs, as Emily traded in her Cello for a Roland, Kelsey was able to step away from her piano and strut around the stage like the rock star she is. The experimentation worked especially well for their song “Controller,” which almost had a disco feel to it and had the audience dancing and clapping along.


Vox Vermillion

As an added bonus, I met a lot of really cool people at the show, including Kim, the bassist from my SXSW favorites, Shearwater. She recently moved up to the Twin Cities from Austin. Does this mean that we can claim Shearwater as a local band? Hope so.

Anyway, last night’s show was solid! I extend my apologies to anyone who missed it. But don’t worry, you can catch The Haves Have It next month: Friday, August 12 at the Triple Rock. They’ll be playing with Doris Henson and Tin Horns. Rush over to your calendar and mark it immediately.

A Pictorial History of the Past Two Weeks, Part 2

Horses outside of my parents’ house?


The 2005 Barnett Family Reunion in Knoxville, IA:

Cousins from left: Leah, Brad, Amy, and Brett

Airplane rides provided by Fred Barnett:


Aerial view of Barnett Rock:


Crayfish/Crawfish/Crawdad:


4th of July sparklers:


My very own blender (Thanks Grandma & Grandpa!):


Kirsten’s homecoming:

Andy, Ashley, Kirsten, and Brooks

Saints Game:

Counterclockwise from right: Brooks, Shawn, Nickie, Adrianne, Veronica, Jon, Me, Kirsten, Shawna, Ashley

Speaking of Kirsten, I’ll be meeting her in New York City to visit her roommate, Erin, at the end of the month. How cool is that? It’ll be great to hang out with my favorite Austinites again. Plus, I’ve never been to NYC, so I’m pretty excited.

See, I Told You I Have Friends

Now that more and more of my friends are becoming bloggers, I decided that I’d be kind enough to link up to them [look on the sidebar, below the archives]. So, to all my stalkers: you already know everything about me; now you can know everything about my friends!

Hmm…I didn’t notice this until I posted all of the links, but it looks like all of my friends are girls. Gosh, when did I become such the ladies man? I wish I could say that this is a representative sample, but it’s far from it. C’mon, where my boys at? Get with the times; start a blog! I guess they’re all too busy doing guy stuff like fixing cars, or watching football, or hosting slumber parties, or shopping for moisturizers.

A Pictorial History of the Past Two Weeks, Part 1

Unfortunately, my good friend, Hema, had to ditch the Twin Cities for bigger and better things in…Athens, Ohio. I miss her a lot, but now I finally have an excuse to visit Athens. Yes, Athens: the home of R.E.M., and the bulk of the Elephant 6 Collective. What? I’m thinking of the wrong Athens? Oh, then surely this Athens must be the birthplace of the Olympics. No? Hmmm…Well, I hear they have quite the Halloween celebration where people dress up like Michael Stipe in an Olympic wrestling singlet.

Athens, OH during Halloween

Luckily, I was able to spend some quality time with Hema before she left. Here’s what we did:

A nice, low-key performance by Fitzgerald and Romantica at the Entry:

Left = Romantica. Right = Fitzgerald

A vegetarian-friendly barbeque with Hema’s buddies from work:

Do I really need to demonstrate what a "baster" is for?

A tour of lovely downtown St. Paul:

The Cathedral


View of the Capitol from Cathedral Hill

Pride Festival in Loring Park:

(I forgot to take any pictures, so you'll have settle for this pretty picture I found from 2001 Pride.)

And peanut butter and jelly sandwiches:

The ones we made looked nothing like this.

Alright, Hema. I’ll have to come visit you during Halloween. I already have my costume picked out: