Evil Twin at the Bookclub

Riina's band!  It was hot.  Weird to be at a show with a bunch of kids who I saw grow up.

Altars 'headlined,' but Amy and I didn't stick around.  I think most everyone else did.  Jo said they were great.  Amy left the Spark on, AC running, for the entire show.  I guess that's an 'advantage' of an electric car.

Jon Langford at UIC

You can see him waiting to play if you look closely...

Ok, this wasn't really a show.  He just played two songs at some guys retirement party.  I'm still counting it.

Jon Langford at Tata's Tacos

We went to see Langford play at a taco place.  And I ate ceviche, because it came with the app combo Amy ordered but she didn't like it.  It needed salt.

Langford covered Strummer's X-ray Style.  The title track from the Mescaleros' first record, but still kind of a 'deep cut.'  I smiled.

Peter and Beth were supposed to join us (actually, we were joining them), but they were both sick.  Booooo.

Fotocrime, Austerity Program, Fools Ghost at Empty Bottle

I will be the first to admit that maybe I don't always add shows to this blog in a timely manner.  I forget!  So sometimes there are BIG gaps where I actually went to shows.  But, in this case, it has been a loooooong time since I went to a real show (there have been a smattering of backyard shows and rehearsal attendances).  The pandemic has not been kind to my already spotty show-attending schedule.

It was good to see real live bands playing loud music with real live people in a dark bar.

Stiff Little Fingers, The Avengers, Dummy at Bottom Lounge

Nonagon at Burlington

Jawbox at Metro

Bitterfest at Evelyn's, Racine WI

Drove up for the day with Tiny, Annie and Robert.  Stopped at Woodman's to get beer, jerky, oreos and nutter butters (can you guess what I bought?).  Did not run into my folks at Woodman's.

Antlercat is apparently Garth from The Rutabega and Ike from Out, but Ike wasn't there so Garth played with a drum machine.  I like it.  Kinda Joy Division-y maybe?

I liked the old man punk rock styling of Fowlmouth, but helped load Garth's car during their set anyway.

The Ornerys left no impression on me.  I think Annie liked them.

Blue Unit were great.  Maybe even better now that Robert Smith is no longer with them.

We heard the Scrimshaw was good, but Annie and I were hungry (stupid pizza with stupid cheese was available at the stupid bar, but it was stupid), so we walked the couple of blocks to a Thai place for dinner.  The food was good.  The booth was odd:

booth for one?

We got back just in time to see the last song of Scrimshaw, which was awesome.

Next up was This Is When We Should Have Left For Dinner.  Er, I mean Lilac Fortress.  Two guys, lots of effects, little-to-no beats.  They weren't as bad as I'm making them sound, but they also weren't as good as the woman who was enthusiastically dancing right in front of us.  Did I mention little-to-no beats?

Korean Jeans was kinda noisy.  I wasn't really into it, but the folks seem real nice (have I met them a couple of times now?), so I got a CD.  Maybe it'll grow on me.

I don't know that I've ever seen Heavy Hand before.  Big mistake.  Picked up two of their CDs.  Hoo-ray.

Met Dixie from Body Futures.  Maybe for the first time?  She gave me their Unitimidated comp (Wisconsin Musicians Against Scott Walker).  She said now that Walker was out of office, she wanted to get the cds out of her house.  Or maybe she was just being nice...

Montrose Man and Nonagon provided their usual awesome rock and/or roll.  Nonagon in particular sounded big, and I don't think that was just winter weight...

The ride home went pretty quick, despite the google maps-induced meandering to get back to the highway.

Nonagon at Crown Liquors

I did not stay for the headliners, Psychoid.