Comments on: Wherein Our Hero Descends Into A Quagmire Of Sub Mediocrity

Wherein Our Hero Descends Into A Quagmire Of Sub Mediocrity

ba — Mon, 27 Nov 2006 10:17:55 -0800

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

By: ba

ba — Mon, 27 Nov 2006 10:20:47 -0800

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.

By: snsranch

snsranch — Mon, 27 Nov 2006 16:22:43 -0800

That's you ripping up the sax? Awesome! Yea, post some more!

By: ba

ba — Tue, 28 Nov 2006 08:51:12 -0800

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.

By: ba

ba — Tue, 28 Nov 2006 09:10:35 -0800

Man, I've gotta stop wearing boxing gloves and smoking crack while I'm typing.

By: psmealey

psmealey — Tue, 28 Nov 2006 13:03:46 -0800

Do you still play at the Pontiac or elsewhere in town, ba? This was awesome, would love to hear more live.

By: ba

ba — Tue, 28 Nov 2006 13:49:54 -0800

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.

By: psmealey

psmealey — Tue, 28 Nov 2006 13:56:18 -0800

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).