Do They Owe Us A Living

Received a letter from our State Labor Department mandating I go to "unemployment counseling". Failure to adhere would mean they could screw with my benefits. So, today I went. We were herded into an office and advised on various methods of assistance, including career consultation, training in email, resume advice; etc.
All useful for the unwashed masses. However, as a former upper tier exec, I found it all depressing and humbling. That might be arrogant, but looking around at my fellow jobless, I could understand why most of them were unemployed. People had problems filling out simple forms. Sad.

On the bright side, I have used my addictive personality to continue hitting the gym almost every day. Where were YOU at 8 am on New Years' Day? I was running the treadmill. Of course, as I get older, it takes more effort to get the pounds to melt away and grow muscle. That sucks. But, better to beat the shit out of my body than beat the shit out of my liver. Or something. I've lost a couple of pants sizes already and put some size on my biceps. I guess i can always do some nude modeling if things get really bad.

Toonage:
Pylon - Working Is No Problem
Nick Lowe - Cruel To Be Kind
The Cramps - Love Me
Curtis Mayfield - Hard Times

Nutted By Reality

The dreams are getting so real and detailed that there are often times in which I am not sure that my memories are genuine or not. Walking down the street, it's like I am invisible. No one takes notice, not even the bums. To completely disappear, who, aside from the immediate family, would be aware? How long would it take for friends to realize I was gone?

The waking hours are spent fighting sleep, and the sleeping hours are spent fighting awareness.

Strange days indeed.

Toonage:

Husker Du - Reoccuring Dreams

Smithereens - Behind The Wall Of Sleep

Nick Lowe - Nutted By Reality

Ramones - Sleeping Problems (unreleased demo)

A Caterwaul, Indeed

We came, we played, we kicked ass.

Caterwaul Of Sound played in hipster Williamsburg in Brooklyn USA Wednesday nite.
Our first show. In fact, the first show ever performed by our rhythm guitar player and our singer! As reported before, we were on a bill with a bunch of metal and goth type bands. We, of course, are neither.

But, dare I say we acquitted ourselves nicely. There may have never been a band anywhere that had as much fun playing as we did on Wednesday nite.

People even came to me after the show and told us we were really good! And they weren't even our friends! In fact, our friends even said we were good (and our friends would've definitely told us if we sucked!). And, we had the biggest crowd. It was sorta like a reunion of sorts for a bunch of us folks who have drifted apart. So it was nice to get everyone together again.
Lots of photos taken and a pro (2 camera video) with sound from the board is being mixed and will be ready next week. Maybe I'll even post some up!

There were some very strange "surgically enhanced" gals walking around in bustiers and whatnot, they ended up doing back-up vocals for my friends' band Guns Religion And Money (they were the ones who set up the show).

Unfortunately, we were promised a 55 year old "Betty Page" type stripper; and that failed to materialize.

Highlites included our lead singer falling down and doing a faceplant on the steps leading to the stage, the lead guitar getting kicked in the head, and yours truly tripping over his cord several times.

The setlist:
nervous breakdown (black flag)
surfin bird (ramones)
in and out of grace (mudhoney)
too much junkie business (johnny thunders)
celebrity skin (hole)
the jeffersons theme song - movin on up (dedicated to obama) >
interstellar overdrive (pink floyd) >
highway to hell (the short dudes from australia) >
the ballad of kurt cobain (stormtroopers of death)


Rock n Fucking Roll.
Toonage:
Redd Kross - Star Lust
The Soft Boys - Rock n Roll Toilet (Demo)
Nick Lowe - They Called It Rock
Superdrag - Sucked Out
Mott The Hoople - All The Way From Memphis
Rolling Stones - Star Star (live 1978)
The Hookers - Rock n Roll Motherfucker

Hungry Freaks, Daddy

Crawlin' everywhere. Nameless, shapeless dread. They're distorted, like thru a fun house mirror. Bunch of freakin' monsters. Buzzing, buzzing, buzzing. Gettting closer. There's an itch I can't scratch...

Toonage:

Swell Maps - Blam

Nick Lowe -Marie Provost

Pink Floyd - Waiting For The Worms (The Wall demo's)

X- Under The Big Black Sun

Warren Zevon - Lawyers, Guns and Money (Live)