Wherein Our Hero Descends Into A Quagmire Of Sub Mediocrity

This is the first track from my "Live at the Hotdog Party" CD. More info on the HDP in the comments.

(Get Flash to see the track player.)
posted by ba (7 comments total)

The last Hot Dog Party (and only one I attended) was held on a farm in Western Illinois in 1998. The incredible band Woo-Woo Stick had thrown a series of Hot Dog Parties at the site over the years, often with 100's of fans camping out, eating hot dogs, and enjoying a home-brewed outdoor music festival.

By the time of the last HDP, many of the members of Woo-Woo Stick were working in the concert production field, so they were able to stage an event involving a giant sound system, video screens mounted on a barn, state of the art lighting, and a remote truck digitally recording audio and video. All this in the middle of a soybean field, and powered by someone shimmying up an electrical pole and tying in to a power line (DO NOT EVER DO THIS!!!!)

Bands included me, some professors from Chicago's Columbia College, The Country Melvins, a bunch I can't remember, and, of course, Woo-Woo Stick, who spectacularly melted down and disbanded on stage during the course of their set.*

My show is broken down into five parts. I can post more if anyonne wants. Or email me and I'll happily send you a disk, or ftp the whole thing over.

If anybody else was there, maybe you remember more about the gig than I do?


* and then had to spend the next day dismanteling the staging and loading the trucks together.
posted by ba at 10:20 AM on November 27, 2006

That's you ripping up the sax? Awesome! Yea, post some more!
posted by snsranch at 4:22 PM on November 27, 2006

Yes, snsranch, me on sax and megaphone (and I had premade the backing trax out of a mishmosh of field recordingsat The Pontiac Cafe, loops of 80's jams, and homemade beats. On Upcoming tracks, Steve Slivka plays a guitar-tracking synthesizer, and Lord Ishtar screams some stuff.
posted by ba at 8:51 AM on November 28, 2006

Man, I've gotta stop wearing boxing gloves and smoking crack while I'm typing.
posted by ba at 9:10 AM on November 28, 2006

Do you still play at the Pontiac or elsewhere in town, ba? This was awesome, would love to hear more live.
posted by psmealey at 1:03 PM on November 28, 2006

I have nothing booked, psmealy, although I'm itching to do something in mid-Jan. My problem has been that every venue I've played has asked me not to return (it's not really beer-selling music). Venues that don't want me back include The Beat Kitchen, Club Vertigo or the Chase Cafe. If you know anyone who does bookings or has a performance space (I'm open to art galleries, empty stores, whatever) please let me know.
posted by ba at 1:49 PM on November 28, 2006

I left Chicago in '04, but I still know some folks there that might be able to help with that kind of thing. I'll forward this link around and see what I can find out for you (I'll reply off line).
posted by psmealey at 1:56 PM on November 28, 2006