Might be rather longish... Maybe not... Depends on if you read the cuts.
First and foremost, I should have done these pictures like a month ago, but I never got around to it. So, I apologize, but here are the MSPaintings I was commissioned for:
B's:
Kelly's:
Rainy's:
If anyone else wants one, I suppose I could do more. But you've been warned about the potentially poor turnaround time.
Kelly and I drove out to Cleveland yesterday to see the loudest band in existence, Guitar Wolf. It was both one of the worst and one of the coolest concerts I've ever been to.
Cleveland is about 2, 2 and a half hours away from us, depending on traffic. Kelly had to work until 5 yesterday, so we left in the middle of rush hour, bumping it up to a 3 hour trip. It was okay, though, because the show didn't start until 9. We made it to The Grog Shop (the bar where the show was) at around 8:50, with the time it took us to get ready to leave and with a slight bit of getting lost (Mapquest said to make a right turn onto a road from a circle (circles suck ass, BTW). Anyway, EVERY turn onto any road is a RIGHT turn when you're in a circle, and the directions didn't differentiate east from west. We took the wrong turn, of course), only to be told the show would start at 10, doors opening at 9:30. There was an earlier show (at 6) that presumably went over (we could hear them still playing). Kelly has wanted to go to a little coffee shop down the street anyway, so we went and she had some mocha marshmallow concoction. There were a lot of Guitar Wolf fans there, including this obnoxious 16 year old group we kept running into all night long. Kelly also got a huge bottle of vanilla syrup, because she likes to brew it into her coffee and had run out.
After she finished her drink, we went back to the car to drop off the vanilla. On the way, we ran into Guitar Wolf (Seiji) out on the street. He was there with either Bass Wolf or Drum Wolf, I can't remember which. They were walking back to the bar where the show was, and I was a little in awe, so I just nodded a hi and walked on by. Seiji smiled and kept going. It was very cool. We dropped the vanilla off at the car and went back to wait (it was about 9:25).
They didn't open the fucking doors until 10:15. Over an hour after the show was originally supposed to start, and 45 minutes after the rescheduled door opening. I hadn't worn a coat, thinking we'd be able to go right inside, so I was freezing my ass off in a short sleeved shirt the whole time. We went inside, and found the t-shirt stand. Kelly went a little crazy, but it was such a good deal. Everything was $10. She bought 5 t-shirts (for me, her, and her brother (who wanted to go to a show in Baltimore but didn't make it)), 3 CDs, and a DVD for $90. At most other concerts, she'd have spent that buying one t-shirt for each of us.
The crowd shuffled in, and the show started at 10:45 or so. With an opening band. I think they were called the Hurricanes or something (names are listed on the Grog Shop's site, I just don't feel like looking). I understand opening bands, they're supposed to get you pumped up for the main act, but it was already so late, everyone just wanted to see Guitar Wolf. Kelly and I got to be right up front, though, with maybe one person in front of us. They went for a half hour, and then the show started up again at 11:30. With another fucking opening band. I was already sick of this, and then two drunk assholes started moshing and slamming into everyone. I feel bad for the people who hit me, because I reflexively shoved them back, even though it wasn't their fault.
Guitar Wolf took the stage at 12:30. Two things need mentioning now: 1) I had put 4 hours on the parking meter, thinking "Oh, there's no way it'll go past 1 AM."; and 2) We didn't book a hotel, planning that I'd be able to drive home after the show. Neither of those things was looking very good at the moment. The guys were awesome. I had to pull Kelly out of the crowd shortly after they started, because, again, there was moshing. I don't get it. Why would you pay for a fucking ticket, with real money, if you don't want to actually pay attention to the band? You can crank up your stereo and slam around at home, save your damn money. Aside from not really liking it anyway, I had brought my digital camera, and I'd be damned if some drunk ass was going to smash it. We pulled back a little, and it was for the best. There was an air conditioner right above where we ended up settling. Anyway, Guitar Wolf played 14 songs (the setlist was taped in plain view, but written in Japanese), though paused twice the entire show. i.e., the songs ran right into each other, with no breaks. It was pretty freaking cool. At one point, Seiji pulled a guy up on stage, gave him his guitar, and reached around him to play. Then he let the guy play by himself. They did an awesome version of "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction," but my favorite was probably "Jet Generation," which was the first encore. Speaking of: about half the crowd left before the encore. What the hell? Unless music starts playing over the loudspeakers, the show is not over. That's the golden rule of concerts. They did two encores, and it was cool.
The show ended at 1:45 or so. We hung around afterwards, and got to meet the band. Drum Wolf came out first, and he was very nice and polite. He signed autographs for anyone that asked, and even took pictures in the photo booth with one girl (Kelly was very jealous for not thinking of it first). Bass Wolf came out next, and he was a jerk at first. He was pretty trashed, and just wanted to go to the bar and get more alcohol. After maybe 20 minutes, though, he was in much better spirits, and signed autographs and joked around. One guy asked him for a hug, and he said "Okay, but I'm not homosexual. That's Seiji." Which got a laugh. Last, but not least, we met Seiji. He was awesome. We were the absolute last ones there, so I think we got to spend a little more time with him than the rest of the fans. I gave him my German copy of Wild Zero to sign, and he was shocked. He had never seen the German DVD before, and when I told him where it was from (translated into Japanese by Kelly, because "Germany" meant nothing to him), he was impressed.
The top third or so is Seiji's signature. He wrote "Guitar Wolf" in Japanese, something else I assume is his name, and drew a picture of a UFO (a constant theme in their songs, and in Wild Zero). The next bit is a "B.W." for Bass Wolf, and again, what I assume is his name. The last is Drum Wolf's signature. His is a bit more legible. It has his name and "The Rock and Roll Drifter '05". The bottom says "L.A.M.F.", which I'm thinking stands for "loud-ass mother fucker(s)". Which they are.
And Kelly took my picture with Seiji. Which was awesome (even though I look horrible, but it was crazy late, so that's why). We both shook his hand and left. It was some time after 2:30 AM. Probably closer to 3.
Somehow, when we got back to the car, there was miraculously no ticket, despite the meter being 2 hours expired and supposedly enforced 24-hours. We probably should have gotten a hotel, but I decided to drive home instead. We stopped at a rest stop to eat and get some caffeine, and that was enough for me to get home. At about 6 AM.
Like I said, the concert was good and bad at once. Everything with Guitar Wolf (their set, the cheap shirts, and of course meeting them), was incredibly awesome. Most of the other stuff (the long drive (especially the drive home), the dumb fans, the other two bands, the wait, the venue... etc...) was crap. But in the end, the good stuff was totally worth it. I just probably won't be back to The Grog Shop anytime soon.
One last thing. Kelly keeps bugging me to tell you guys about Found Magazine. It's really cool, and basically it's stuff people find and mail in. They can be actual objects, but are usually scraps of paper with either writing or sketches or something on them. They can be very interesting. The site has some samples. There's also "Dirty Found", which is just as it sounds. The raunchier bits that don't fit in the regular magazines. I've gotten quite hooked, and so has Kelly (through me). They can be a bit hard to find, but there is a compilation book that is much more readily availible. Check the "Humor" section at the local Barnes & Noble or Borders. They have lots of cool stuff in that section, which isn't all "humor." It's like the pit where they throw unclassifiable stuff.
B's:
Kelly's:
Rainy's:
If anyone else wants one, I suppose I could do more. But you've been warned about the potentially poor turnaround time.
Kelly and I drove out to Cleveland yesterday to see the loudest band in existence, Guitar Wolf. It was both one of the worst and one of the coolest concerts I've ever been to.
Cleveland is about 2, 2 and a half hours away from us, depending on traffic. Kelly had to work until 5 yesterday, so we left in the middle of rush hour, bumping it up to a 3 hour trip. It was okay, though, because the show didn't start until 9. We made it to The Grog Shop (the bar where the show was) at around 8:50, with the time it took us to get ready to leave and with a slight bit of getting lost (Mapquest said to make a right turn onto a road from a circle (circles suck ass, BTW). Anyway, EVERY turn onto any road is a RIGHT turn when you're in a circle, and the directions didn't differentiate east from west. We took the wrong turn, of course), only to be told the show would start at 10, doors opening at 9:30. There was an earlier show (at 6) that presumably went over (we could hear them still playing). Kelly has wanted to go to a little coffee shop down the street anyway, so we went and she had some mocha marshmallow concoction. There were a lot of Guitar Wolf fans there, including this obnoxious 16 year old group we kept running into all night long. Kelly also got a huge bottle of vanilla syrup, because she likes to brew it into her coffee and had run out.
After she finished her drink, we went back to the car to drop off the vanilla. On the way, we ran into Guitar Wolf (Seiji) out on the street. He was there with either Bass Wolf or Drum Wolf, I can't remember which. They were walking back to the bar where the show was, and I was a little in awe, so I just nodded a hi and walked on by. Seiji smiled and kept going. It was very cool. We dropped the vanilla off at the car and went back to wait (it was about 9:25).
They didn't open the fucking doors until 10:15. Over an hour after the show was originally supposed to start, and 45 minutes after the rescheduled door opening. I hadn't worn a coat, thinking we'd be able to go right inside, so I was freezing my ass off in a short sleeved shirt the whole time. We went inside, and found the t-shirt stand. Kelly went a little crazy, but it was such a good deal. Everything was $10. She bought 5 t-shirts (for me, her, and her brother (who wanted to go to a show in Baltimore but didn't make it)), 3 CDs, and a DVD for $90. At most other concerts, she'd have spent that buying one t-shirt for each of us.
The crowd shuffled in, and the show started at 10:45 or so. With an opening band. I think they were called the Hurricanes or something (names are listed on the Grog Shop's site, I just don't feel like looking). I understand opening bands, they're supposed to get you pumped up for the main act, but it was already so late, everyone just wanted to see Guitar Wolf. Kelly and I got to be right up front, though, with maybe one person in front of us. They went for a half hour, and then the show started up again at 11:30. With another fucking opening band. I was already sick of this, and then two drunk assholes started moshing and slamming into everyone. I feel bad for the people who hit me, because I reflexively shoved them back, even though it wasn't their fault.
Guitar Wolf took the stage at 12:30. Two things need mentioning now: 1) I had put 4 hours on the parking meter, thinking "Oh, there's no way it'll go past 1 AM."; and 2) We didn't book a hotel, planning that I'd be able to drive home after the show. Neither of those things was looking very good at the moment. The guys were awesome. I had to pull Kelly out of the crowd shortly after they started, because, again, there was moshing. I don't get it. Why would you pay for a fucking ticket, with real money, if you don't want to actually pay attention to the band? You can crank up your stereo and slam around at home, save your damn money. Aside from not really liking it anyway, I had brought my digital camera, and I'd be damned if some drunk ass was going to smash it. We pulled back a little, and it was for the best. There was an air conditioner right above where we ended up settling. Anyway, Guitar Wolf played 14 songs (the setlist was taped in plain view, but written in Japanese), though paused twice the entire show. i.e., the songs ran right into each other, with no breaks. It was pretty freaking cool. At one point, Seiji pulled a guy up on stage, gave him his guitar, and reached around him to play. Then he let the guy play by himself. They did an awesome version of "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction," but my favorite was probably "Jet Generation," which was the first encore. Speaking of: about half the crowd left before the encore. What the hell? Unless music starts playing over the loudspeakers, the show is not over. That's the golden rule of concerts. They did two encores, and it was cool.
The show ended at 1:45 or so. We hung around afterwards, and got to meet the band. Drum Wolf came out first, and he was very nice and polite. He signed autographs for anyone that asked, and even took pictures in the photo booth with one girl (Kelly was very jealous for not thinking of it first). Bass Wolf came out next, and he was a jerk at first. He was pretty trashed, and just wanted to go to the bar and get more alcohol. After maybe 20 minutes, though, he was in much better spirits, and signed autographs and joked around. One guy asked him for a hug, and he said "Okay, but I'm not homosexual. That's Seiji." Which got a laugh. Last, but not least, we met Seiji. He was awesome. We were the absolute last ones there, so I think we got to spend a little more time with him than the rest of the fans. I gave him my German copy of Wild Zero to sign, and he was shocked. He had never seen the German DVD before, and when I told him where it was from (translated into Japanese by Kelly, because "Germany" meant nothing to him), he was impressed.
The top third or so is Seiji's signature. He wrote "Guitar Wolf" in Japanese, something else I assume is his name, and drew a picture of a UFO (a constant theme in their songs, and in Wild Zero). The next bit is a "B.W." for Bass Wolf, and again, what I assume is his name. The last is Drum Wolf's signature. His is a bit more legible. It has his name and "The Rock and Roll Drifter '05". The bottom says "L.A.M.F.", which I'm thinking stands for "loud-ass mother fucker(s)". Which they are.
And Kelly took my picture with Seiji. Which was awesome (even though I look horrible, but it was crazy late, so that's why). We both shook his hand and left. It was some time after 2:30 AM. Probably closer to 3.
Somehow, when we got back to the car, there was miraculously no ticket, despite the meter being 2 hours expired and supposedly enforced 24-hours. We probably should have gotten a hotel, but I decided to drive home instead. We stopped at a rest stop to eat and get some caffeine, and that was enough for me to get home. At about 6 AM.
Like I said, the concert was good and bad at once. Everything with Guitar Wolf (their set, the cheap shirts, and of course meeting them), was incredibly awesome. Most of the other stuff (the long drive (especially the drive home), the dumb fans, the other two bands, the wait, the venue... etc...) was crap. But in the end, the good stuff was totally worth it. I just probably won't be back to The Grog Shop anytime soon.
One last thing. Kelly keeps bugging me to tell you guys about Found Magazine. It's really cool, and basically it's stuff people find and mail in. They can be actual objects, but are usually scraps of paper with either writing or sketches or something on them. They can be very interesting. The site has some samples. There's also "Dirty Found", which is just as it sounds. The raunchier bits that don't fit in the regular magazines. I've gotten quite hooked, and so has Kelly (through me). They can be a bit hard to find, but there is a compilation book that is much more readily availible. Check the "Humor" section at the local Barnes & Noble or Borders. They have lots of cool stuff in that section, which isn't all "humor." It's like the pit where they throw unclassifiable stuff.