I just need the airfare and I’m gone: [Blessed with Lucky 7's]
Friday, July 10th, 2009
A veritlbe Pharm Party.
[If you don't know what the "airfare" posts are about, please see this description.]
Being sober is a funny thing. I used to do drugs. I mean, a lot of them. Any of them. Probably all of them. I still miss ecstasy. Every once in a while I’ll reminisce then regret it in the morning. Getting wasted is overrated but if you haven’t done it you don’t know what you’re missing. I’ll probably talk more about this later. But for now, back to the point.
Like any drug, no matter how often you do it, the come down always sucks. Tour is no different. Your body gets used to the grind, the drive, the adrenaline. For anyone who’s tried their hand at sobriety you know how difficult it is. Sure, the first few days it feels just like heaven to sleep, shower and hear yourself think…then it hits: you aren’t going anywhere for awhile. It’s like your supplier was just incarcerated for an indefinite amount of time. Your skin starts to itch. Your anxiety goes through the roof. After a couple of months you’re dying. Let’s just fucking GO. Get the hell out.
Despite how much I enjoy getting away for a couple of days every other week and then coming back, I always leave whatever city [except Birmingham] with a sense of longing–you want to stay inside the feeling, the experience. It’s why people shoot heroin 10 times a day. You don’t WANT it to go away. But it always does. It’s a story that’s been told a hundred times before.
Oklahoma City, OK, July 6th, 2009
Hotel: none
Budget after initial costs: $211
Other Attractions: Lacuna Coil and Kill Hannah at the Diamond Ballroom [OKC], Jeremy Dawson and his storm chasing van
Oklahoma City really doesn’t have much to offer. So there’s not much to say. The Diamond Ballroom is a tin-can off the interstate in the middle of nowhere surrounded by rusting 18-wheelers and gravel. However, you can still smoke inside, which is more than I can say for 90% of the venues/bars I visit these days. That’s a plus, I suppose. I didn’t bother with a hotel since I’m staying in Tulsa, at the moment.
The show in OKC was the kick-off in an almost month-long jog between Lacuna Coil and Kill Hannah. I’ve been listening to Lacuna Coil since I was in high school years ago and was excited to see them live. Although, like meeting people in person, sometimes that can disappoint you. The vocal mix sounded terrible, among other things. The idea of Lacuna Coil still excites me however and I’ll still listen regardless.
Kill Hannah debuted new touring guitarist Gil Baram along with a host of songs from their upcoming album, tentatively titled Wake Up the Sleepers. [A line from one of the new songs they've been playing called "Strobe Lights," which, by the way, is an infectious mess of guitar-gasms, dance beats and catchy everything.] There were very few breaks in the set’s energy and for a first show with a new member I’ve definitely seen worse. My money is still on the re-worked version of “New York City Speed” which even had the plethora of Hot Topic goths bobbing their heads.
Openers Dommin were fun–some weird mix of Depeche Mode, Joy Division, Voltaire, The 69-Eyes and, occasionally, the vocals reminded me of early 90’s Tool. Their song “Dark Holiday” from the Dommin EP sounds like they’re playing a saloon in Hell. I believe I invented a dance called the “goth shuffle” for their set. I talked with their bassist, Billy, for a long time over a few cigarettes and we attempted to answer the ongoing debate: The Cure Vs. Depeche Mode [I won't say which side I'm on.]
Seventh Void are knitted together using members of Type O Negative and Inhuman, and were the other opening band on the bill. While I didn’t enjoy them at all they seemed to garner a sizeable reaction from the crowd in OKC. That’s probably because while the entire country is blanketed in shitty Staind-esq rock, OKC has a larger concentration than most.
After I had an amusing back and forth over wine and leftover lamb. FYI, two words a boy in a band never wants to hear are these: blood disorder.
Instead of hitting the bar 30 fucking minutes away I opted to head home. I’m getting old, apparently.
Kansas City, MO, July 7th, 2009
Hotel: The Q[uarterage] Hotel
Budget after initial costs: $176
Other attractions: Lacuna Coil and Kill Hannah at the Beaumont Club, The Riot Room, some gas station on I-35
The Q Hotel in is arguably the nicest hotel in the city. It makes a true effort to be eco-friendly and it’s standard amenities include almond-scented Aveda products which is a complete win. Aveda is one of my favorite bath and body lines, with natural ingredients that usually smell amazing. The rooms had very clean looks, bright greens, blues and whites, hi-def TV’s and more mirrors than I knew what to do with. The coffee bar downstairs was decent and there was a little bookshelf with a sign that said “Need a book? Take a book. Have a book? Give a book.” Which nearly melted my little black heart. I left some swag on the shelves. Who knows where it’s all at now. Their front desk staff was very friendly and the on-site spa looked a little creepy but regardless it’s always nice to have a massage option before doing any heavy partying.
The Q Hotel, Kansas City, MO
Each band had a tighter set in Kansas City and was the exact same from the night before. I spent most of my time catching up with everyone I’d missed so dearly in the last few months. You never get enough time but, hey, that’s tour. You take what you can get, when you can get it. It’s a given rule. I even met an extremely nervous girl who stopped me just to say she read my site. I was flattered and gave her some stickers and buttons for her courage.
As I stood outside during Seventh Void, the crowd was not so friendly however, as most of the smokers going in and out were trying to escape their set.
After the show we went to the Riot Room for some band I thankfully missed after a detour back to the hotel. I was accused of starting the night off right with Patrón shots for myself and Gil, and I might or might not plead the 5th. Gil’s a fucking firecracker on and off stage. I’m pretty sure I wasn’t in bed until 5:30a.m., even though I had to be up at 9a.m. to hit the road home. Completely fucking worth it.
Check back in the next few days–I just so happen to have an interview with Gil Baram coming your way. [I'm still editing the John Bourke interview. It'll be live soon, promise.]
P.S. There are a lot of things that get left out in between the words. It’s like a cryptogram. Whether it’s shame or selfishness there are some things that must be left unsaid, to be mulled over on your own. You fall in love with it, every bit, even the bad parts. Even if you want to scream your entire story to the waiting universe sometimes, well sometimes dear orphans, you just can’t find the words. It is yours.
