Latest Listening Pleasure 15 - Live! - Faster Pussycat

Last Saturday night my metal friend Mike and I took the short trek to Janesville to see Faster Pussycat live at The Back Bar. 

First, let me get this out of the way, there were two types of tickets, and I don't know if this is the first time they tried it or not, but it was not a very good system.  We paid almost 10 dollars more for 'preferred seating,' not that seating was necessary but the higher price ticket should have some clear-cut amenities and not vary depending on which staff member is manning that post, tending the bar, or taking tickets at the door.  Let's just say that the inconsistencies left it a bit awkward up front as most were seated  and there was about a four foot empty space between people and the stage.  Of course the cheaper ticket people wanted in, there was tons of room!  What got in later were drunkards and rock piggies.   I'll ask a few questions and want to see something in writing on the website maybe before I spend the extra again.  Now I've gotten my venting about the venue out of the way.  On to the show!  Do watch out - the strobe-y lights make the videos go funny once or twice.

First up, a repost of the first video just so I have them all in one post: Slip of the Tongue and Number One with a Bullet.

I know I said I wasn't going to take much video, but I did - a lot.  Five and a half songs worth.  Well, I couldn't be the one to walk up to center stage like I did at last year's U.D.O. show at the same place, it was not the same vibe.  Some that did got asked to move by the people seated behind them.  Yeah,  rock and roll, baby.  That is probably why I wound up recording more than planned.  Trying to stand back and to the side is boring, I like being in the mix up front.  That doesn't mean moshing or jostling for position, just getting as close as you can to the stage without touching your neighbor.  LOL, that's my speed these days and - quite frankly - what it is actually like when you get people more or less my age at a show!  It's the young whippersnappers that cause most of the trouble...  *shakes cane* Get off my lawn!

I've seen this band once before in the late eighties (or possibly the very early nineties) opening for Iron Maiden.  I remember because Frehley's Comet was first advertised as the opener but was replaced a few weeks before the show.  Too bad I don't remember much from the concert.  This night I had a few drinks early but then only water as it is a bit of a drive back home. 

Faster Pussycat has one original member though three of the four others have been with him since 2001, and even in the band The Newlydeads.  Including bassist Danny Nordahl, whom I posted about recently.  He was around in the bar (surprise!) before we got there so, yes, I was able to give him a hard time about the falling down video.  He laughed it off and got another beer -  professional drinker, methinks.  In fact, most of the bands were around all night before they were to go on the stage.  Most of us didn't care because they weren't Taime Downe, lead singer and original FP member.  I got my tee shirt before the show started.  I have to, bands don't bring enough 2X shirts so I usually have slim pickings and have to get it early and stash it in the car if I can.  Actually, the cute little girl that I bought the shirt from was Taime Downe's daughter, Katie, I think.  You can hear him say her name at the beginning of this second video when he calls an audible and they play Poison Ivy for her, which I guess they don't play live much anymore.


The band played well and I was familiar with everything they played.  Maybe 13 or 14 songs or so, but I enjoyed being there.  I've loved their music for a long, long time and hearing it and watching it from feet away was a thrill, though dampened by the venue's odd tickets and undefined rules.  I was there for one thing, to watch and listen to Taime Downe, and that is exactly what I got.  I've never stopped loving Taime Downe and Faster Pussycat since 1987 and I shall continue to enjoy them.  I did overhear Ace (Von Johnson, the newer guitarist) over at the bar say they were working on a new album.  I found that to be good news as albums come far and few between for this band, only 4 studio albums since 1987 - with a live one and a couple EP's and compilations mixed in.


Let's finish* with the last video I took, the last part of the show.  I started in the middle of a break in the song Bathroom Wall, and kept it recording through Shut Up & F**k and the finale, Babylon.


Previous LLP Posts...
LLP 1 - Pain
LLP 2 - Nightwish
LLP 3 - Die Antwoord
LLP 4 - Pain part 2
LLP 5 - Andrew Bird
LLP 6 - Nightwish part 2
LLP 7 - Paramore
LLP 8 - Newsted
LLP 9 - U.D.O.
LLP 10 - Nightwish Imaginaerum Movie
LLP 11 - Kiss
LLP 12 - Rick Springfield
LLP 13 - Hyrax
LLP 14 - In This Moment


*I say 'finish' but I will post just one picture after the break, but it's an ugly one!

Faster Daffodil! Bloom! Bloom!

We have our first bloom in our yard, or almost anywhere, a daffodil growing among the irises in the flower bed out back.  It is nice to see something in bloom, most things are barely started or have not come up yet at all.  My wife has some tulips in various places around the yard, I suspect those will be next to burst forth with color.



I went to see the band Faster Pussycat on Saturday night and had a ball.  I do want to take the time to write about it properly so I will post more later.  For now, the first of the 3 videos I took:

Friday Night Quiz

Um, never mind....   via

Red Green Live!

My wife and I went to see Red Green perform at the Barrymore tonight.  It was a nice evening, no opening act and split up with a short intermission.  The crowd leaned to the older set, but there were younger people there.  He's probably the cleanest stand up act I've ever seen, but he doesn't need to be dirty.  His humor is more the differences between the sexes and the generations, among other things. 

Red Green on the Barrymore stage just hours ago.

It's hard to describe Red Green's appeal to someone who has never heard of him or seen the long-running 'The Red Green Show.'  The show ended in 2006 (that long ago?) after 15 seasons and exactly 300 episodes.  The Canadian show was shown by PBS stations in the states, actively helping with pledge drives and making select appearances in those markets.  If you've never seen the show it is definitely worth looking up on Youtube, especially you older married guys out there!

I actually met Red Green about, oh my, it had to be about the mid 90's, almost 20 years ago!  (He's rather small and I remember my hand swallowing his when we shook.)  I happen to be going to the mall with a friend when he was doing an appearance and signing autographs in a record store.  He was selling his new videotape, which I bought and he signed.  I also got him to autograph a flyer for the boys at the lumberyard where I worked at the time.  We put it between two pieces of plexiglass, framed it with - what else - duct tape, and hung it on the wall of the break room.  It may still be there for all I know.

Overall a fun - yet early - evening (especially at over 50 bucks a ticket).  As he says at the end of every episode...  Keep your stick on the ice!

Faster Pussycat Rock Moment

I've seen this in a few places by now, so I may as well post it.  The bassist in Faster Pussycat gets drunk and takes a header into the bass drum (about 1:30 in) then gets carried off the stage.  The bassist for the opening band steps right in and saves the day!  Pretty Effing funny, to me.  Like Taime says, 'that's rock and roll' and I hope I can give him spit about it in person this weekend.

I'm a huge fan of Faster Pussycat and will see them live - very soon.  I can't believe I haven't had them as an LLP post yet, but that will be resolved, probably this weekend.  I took video of U.D.O. when I saw them last year and it took away from the experience.  This time I will try to get some video, maybe a song, but not much because I really want to enjoy the moment rather than try to capture the show right in front of me on a tiny screen in my face.  But I do want to get something on video and anything less than a complete song is crap on Youtube.  Whatever, I'll do my best and I really won't worry about it as much as I am now. PTFO

Kiss Rock and Roll HOF Induction

My all time favorite band from last night's "Rock and Roll Hall of Fame"* induction. Not the best quality video, but you could wait another month and a half to watch it 'live' on HBO.


*I feel the way Paul Stanley feels about this 'honor.'  If you don't know, look it up.  He's talked a lot about it lately to anyone who will listen.  Probably because his book just came out, too. (I'm about a hundred pages in so far.)

Five Years Blogday

I missed it, but April 8th was my 'blogday.'  Happy Blogday to me!  Five years now.  Wow.  This all started back in 2009. 

Thanks to all who have visited and even more thanks to all who have commented!

Weak Week

What a week so far...  At least it has been very nice weather-wise, we've had highs in the sixties.  Plant sprouts are taller and, if my eyes aren't deceiving me, the lawn has turned slightly more green.  Next week will start off cooler, below average again with highs in the 40's.

Sam Dekker and Ben Brust after the loss.

The week started by waking up Sunday and avoiding all the articles on the Badger's one point loss the night before in the Final Four.  Oh, I got around to watching and reading most things eventually, but it was a hard pill to swallow.  68 teams go in but only one lucky team finishes with a win.

We'll get 'em next year, boys!

Instead I used my time on Sunday to get started on yard work.  I got the front and back yards fully raked, and I dug up and replaced the drain extension on the side of the house.  There is still some work to do there, though, so maybe I'll post a picture when it is completed.  Other than that there is not much to be done outside yet.  Kate has cleaned up the garden and planted a few things earlier this week.  I'm still hoping she will take over the posting at the garden blog.  I can take pictures easily but she would be better at describing what is happening back there.  My posts tend to be short and dependent on the pictures I take.

Yesterday morning I coughed really hard and threw my back out again.  I did go to work but left after a half day and took today off to try to recover.  I have to go in tomorrow, I just have too much to do.  Also, I have some time off later next week and I'm going to need to have some loose ends at work tied up and a good back to get done what I have in mind.  Back problems never arise at a good time, there is no good time.  I just do what everyone does - deal with it as best you can and carry on.

Badgers - Final Four

source

Tomorrow night, 7:49 pm CT, 24 hours from now!

Lawn Worries and Summer Projects

I've been a bit concerned about the spottiness of brown in the lawn since the snow has melted.  I don't remember seeing anything like this the last few years since we've been here.  It is too early for me to be very worried, though.  But there is a known squirrel den above and I really hope it is not from their droppings all winter.

I am glad spring seems to be coming now... well, eventually, but with it will come much work to be done.  Very soon I will replace the drain hose thing on one side of the house, I'm sure I'll post about it so you'll see what I mean then.  and a couple manly things to make in the garage this summer with power tools and wood.  Some screen guard 'lids', for lack of a better term, for the garden so the squirrels can't un-plant what my wife sows in the fall for the next season.  And I keep thinking about a cat box container under the basement stairs.  It would so much help the sweeping we have to do in the area.  The idea seems practical, the design is still under consideration, still a secondary project if anything else comes up.

And then there are all the regular spring things to do as with anybody that wants a respectable yard and landscape.  May all your neighbors feel the same way.  PTFO