22 November 2014: Playing In The Rain And Losing @ Gypsy Lounge: Austin, TX

“Some people walk in the rain, others just get wet.~ Roger Miller

So guess what? NANCY SILVA PROJECT returned!

Also returning was the rain. And the trials. And the tribulations.

Damnit.

I think that our area yesterday’s 24 hour rainfall totals were 3-4 inches.

And I was out in it, just trying to get on a bus to go see NANCY SILVA PROJECT play locally again.

I had been to the Gypsy Lounge before to see Poc Nation. But it was a miserable experience. And here I am complaining about rain? Yep. That’s me.

Thankfully I still had that umbrella from long ago when I got caught in an unexpected rainstorm and some guy came to me and handed me his umbrella. I brought it with me. But the bone chill was already setting in. No matter how I held that umbrella, some part of me was getting soaking wet.

Upon flagging down the next bus like an idiot, I had hoped that by the time I reached the club that the rain would at least let up enough for me to manage the quick jog over to the venue from the corner.

It did, but then it didn’t. I was sitting in massive puddles of rushing raining water, praying that lightning wouldn’t strike me. For whatever reason, it was a real concern I had until I knew that I was safe from the elements.

Gypsy Lounge for those of you who are keeping score has an outside stage and a rather intimate and small indoor stage. I’m not sure what their capacity is inside, but outside there’s a full on stage for bands to play live music. However, the rains got to it before anyone stepped foot on there to play. They attempted to cover up the outside venue but from what I heard from some of the other musicians there to play, was that it wasn’t enough and everything was soaking wet. 

I was greeted by someone who said I had been contacting him through Facebook. I did send a message, warning them of my arrival that night and they needed to be keeping an eye out for my accessible needs. The guy gave me a free beer and I was then set in the corner. Along the walls were several art pieces. I didn’t know what was going on inside. And inside was not where I wanted to be, I wanted to be outside because that’s where the music was supposed to be. But the guy said that they were making a decision as to whether or not to hold the music outside or inside.

Why it took so long is beyond me. A band called “Celeste’al Descent” was supposed to kick things off at 9:30. Then NANCY SILVA PROJECT at 10:30… then I had to make a decision either to wait out the rain or attempt to leave and get back home at an earlier hour and potentially face the storms again.

Then I saw someone that I recognized from Nancy Silva’s group of people. He went outside and then brought inside for me to say hello.

It was at that point that she told me the horrible news that NANCY SILVA PROJECT was not going to be playing.

Celeste’al Descent

Needless to say that it was disappointing. The planning, the time spent being drenched in the rain, the struggle was real. And there was not to be any “Lift Me Up” or “Yesterday.” DANG!

Finally, the decision was made to have the music brought inside. And the art pieces surrounding the intimate sized stage were to be lifted away. And at last, Celeste’al Descent was ready to get it started. A very cleaver play on words as the lead singer’s name is Celeste.

She appeared to be quiet and shy as she prepared to sing on stage. Then when the drummer counted them in, she exploded like a ticking time bomb had gone off and she never slowed down until the end of their set.

That was a surprise. Considering that she didn’t have a lot of room to move around in. But she covered it all I think.

I was sitting up front of the stage so hearing her voice even without the use of the microphone was surreal. But usually I am up towards the front any way, so it really shouldn’t be much of a surprise to me. But to hear that is a cool thing to experience.

As their set went on, it started sounding better and better and better and better.

Come to find out, they are from San Antonio as well. Just like NANCY SILVA PROJECT.

Why do they always have to come from out of there or Houston? Why?? Ugh… I digress.

I was happy to see that Nancy Silva had made the decision to stay for the rest of the music even though she wasn’t going to be performing. She was probably just a few feet behind me. So yeah, I’ll take it.

Trashy & The Kid came on stage next. The band who was celebrating their album release.

Evidently, their Kickstarter project had collected enough money that they were able to offer that the night be free from a cover at the door. They earned that much money!! I think from what I researched, more than $1,000 than what they were looking for. So yeah, the show was free.

Trashy & The Kid

I did not have a problem with Trashy & The Kid. Although how they had six musicians up there on one stage at one point, I’ll never know. And then meanwhile I kept getting smashed in the back with a Gucci bag that was being worn on a woman’s shoulder.

I really did think about throwing an elbow, hoping to deflect the expensive purse the other direction. But the woman had drinks in both hands and I thought better of it.

Upon the ending of Trashy & The Kid… the place just DIED. Nancy Silva even said that they were leaving, and going home instead of staying the night.

There wasn’t much left for the last band of the night.

My intention was to return home as well, but every exit from the place either had huge steps or the side door was blocked by musical equipment. Nope. It wasn’t cool.

I had to wait for the entire night to be finished before I could leave. Meanwhile, I kept myself occupied talking to these girls who were walking around in underwear that was being sold by Trashy & The Kid. Basically just underwear, fishnets, and high heels. After that adventure I was able to get out of there. The rain had stopped. The night was somewhat peaceful.

Flagging down a taxi took some doing but I got one. And then I lost my shoe.

Incredible!!!

I hear someone has it. Who, though. I don’t know. But I came home without it. Of all the things to lose at a rock show.

2:00 AM is when I arrived home. Frustrated, yet somehow content. How that is- I don’t know.

I’m thinking that members of NANCY SILVA PROJECT kind of owe me for all the crap I went through just to get to that show. I don’t know what exactly, but they do. They even admitted through a text message that they said that they would make it up to me… yeah, right. We’ll see!! They have to come back here first.

If ever Celeste’al Descent come to town… I’m there!! Maybe they can do a show with NSP……………. ahh, heaven!!

I can dream though.

12 November 2014: One Last Blast With Fear Control: Dirty Dog Bar- Austin, TX

“Well, my brother says Hello. So, hooray for speech therapy.”~ Emo Philips

I made it out to Dirty Dog Bar tonight and back in one piece. And even though we are experiencing what seems to be our first freeze of the winter months, which honestly doesn’t happen until the first week of December, I made it out and came back and I was more than happy to have done so.

Another show. But one last hurrah for FEAR CONTROL at least for 2014. And I battled whether or not I was going to go to begin with but lead singer Kash Sarkaria talked me into it, mentioning that it would probably be the last time FEAR CONTROL played live in Austin for the year.

Most recently, my adventures saw me going to the last live performance of CASKET OF CASSANDRA, it made sense to go to FEAR CONTROL. Plus hey, I love FEAR CONTROL!

I think that going back, that I have gone to see FEAR CONTROL play live the most out of any other musical acts in the state of Texas in the year of 2014. I’ll have to go back again and just count, but I know its more than just a couple.

The weather however was very much threatening to be a serious factor which dictated just how late I would be able to stay downtown before having to come home. And yet it came to be that the headlining band, 36 CrazyFists, is actually from Alaska. So if they were going to be out, then certainly Texans could come out to the show.

So I rolled out into the streets to get to the bus stop, not really knowing just how long I would be dealing with the elements first hand. I did dress in layers and was quite warm. I even took a shot of whiskey for good measure, and everyone who reads this knows I don’t really “drink” so… that was that.

To my personal dismay, the southbound bus stop was engulfed in construction. I had to go north just to get turned around and go south so I could head downtown. It took me an extra fifteen and about three miles extra before getting put in the right direction.

My biggest concern was the descending, colder temperatures as I spent the evening with music that I can appreciate and enjoy. Thankfully there was no precipitation expected.

I rolled on inside at the Dirty Dog Bar and had been kicking back for about fifteen before I actually and literally got kicked OUT.

It was 6:15 PM. Doors were posted to be 6:00 PM. And I’m being told I had to go back outside. Back into the cold. Back out into the impending darkness. What the hell, people?!??!?!?

I saw then on the doors that they had printed a time of 6:30 PM for the doors to be open and the show starting promptly at 7:00 PM.

I’m getting really sick and tired of these times getting screwed around. I’m tired of sitting outside- for no good reason- when door times are posted at a certain hour. I do not know who’s fault that is… but if I ever find out, LOOK OUT!!

So then FEAR CONTROL hit the stage as the second scheduled act.

FEAR CONTROL has new material, new songs. And through the sharing of privately marked YouTube videos, I was able to get a taste of the new stuff when others were not able to. I was excited. Their new song, “Masks” rocks to the center of your core. I was thrilled and pumped up to hear it live. 

But I had to get inside first. That didn’t happen until about ten minutes before seven. Absolutely stupid and retarded.. I swear!!!

FEAR CONTROL took over on stage and kicked it into overdrive. I mean, it was expected to happen but you never really know just how far Sarkaria is going to take things.

Guitarist Frankie Rodriguez allowed himself into consumption with the metal gods as he wailed on his instrument.

The band just compliments one another to bring forth the entertainment in heavy metal music as one has never seen before. They do so well with one another on stage.

“Masks” was played live early on. Its in the beginning stage of becoming one of those tunes that sticks with you to the end of time. Much like “Off With His Head” has done with me. I really cannot wait for their second appearance inside the recording studio to hear what these new songs are to be like. Its one thing being played live, its another when its recorded.

One thing that I have come to know about and admire about FEAR CONTROL is that they play with the same level of energy and passion no matter what the size of their audience is. It could be a packed venue or a filled up parking lot or it could be about fifteen people inside the same building and they still come at you hard and strong. 

But going back, “Masks” was an absolute treat for me personally. I cannot wait to hear it more and more and more.

FEAR CONTROL is one of these bands that I stumbled across.

Ever since then, I’ve been stuck and surrendered to their invoking metal powers.

I found myself just lost and not really caring much about the cold and bitter outside world that was just a few feet behind me through the double doors which led to Historic Sixth Street.

Needless to say that I have never been disappointed with FEAR CONTROL. Even when they got snipped at to cut things short and they played a shorter version of “Off With His Head” at the end of their set a few months ago, it still was entertaining and fun for me that I just melted away from the world just for a little while.

What was rather amusing was the impromptu game of “Let’s Fuck With The Time Keeper” as they were told that they had time left for one more song and they fully intended on playing “Off With His Head” but would it be the shortened version or the full on seven minute epic version?

The band blazed through and Kash Sarkaria kept his eyes peeled and what happened can only be described as the “speed metal version” of “Off With His Head” which was performed from beginning to end in its entirety but instead of taking a little more than seven minutes, it took just under five.

The brotherhood of FEAR CONTROL off the stage is through the roof and phenomenal. I dare say: off the chain. It honestly hasn’t taken very long since I first saw them play live at SXSW 2014 to the point where I’ve had the opportunity to know the members of the band personally. It is awesome, awesome stuff. 

“Masks” and “Off With His Head” are going to probably end up being those two great songs that can identify the band as their journey continues. My younger brother and I still believe that they have the sounds of Death Angel and both my brother and I still believe that FEAR CONTROL needs to contact Death Angel to get together and do some work together whether that is a tour or whatever.

If you like Death Angel, you’ll like FEAR CONTROL, hands down. No second guessing.

But as I had feared, the outside weather and temperatures were dropping like it was hot. Er, cold.

So I left, almost ditching their merch girl Sam as I was hanging out with her after the set. I’m not sure if that will prove to be a mistake and if so, if it will be fatal. One moment I am there, the next moment I am out the door without saying much at all in the ways of a farewell. Sam was looking quite fetching!!! That could have spelled DANGER for those who can’t handle it!

Thankfully my journey across downtown led me to the bus stop and I didn’t really have to wait long at all before I boarded the bus heading back up north and got home before 10:00 PM. Nice!

Just a couple of days shy of the very intense event of my highest honor of meeting fetish model, Red Vamp, as she will be in town. I did write about it briefly in a previous blog post. I’m trying not to flood this blog with my nervousness and excitement about it before it even happens.

So chalk up another show for me and FEAR CONTROL. I cannot wait to see what they will bring to the table in 2015!!!!!

 

Douchebag Award For November 2012

“Let’s have a toast for the douchebags, Let’s have a toast for the assholes, Let’s have a toast for the scumbags, every one of them that I know.” ~ Kanye West

This photograph quickly surfaced all over Facebook this evening. It has been posted time and time again like a repetitious wildfire. Of course many people are up in arms about it with about as much publicly expressed rage as I felt deep within privately.

And this completely disgraceful and disrespectful action was only meant to be a joke???? NOBODY IS LAUGHING!!!

The person shown in the photograph has gone into self-defense mode, stating that they are a self-proclaimed douchebag.

Mission accomplished.

Arlington National Cemetery isn’t just some random final resting grounds for those who have passed on. But rather this place, this national landmark is watched over by American soldiers. How she was NOT caught doing it at the time is beyond me. But then again, I do not have any information that she didn’t receive any discipline for it.

However in my strongest personal convictions and beliefs, I believe that something like this should be criminal as well as punishable.

A true mockery towards those soldiers who paid the ultimate sacrifice for their country and laid down their lives so that the rest of us can live our lives in the freedoms that we have today. And there she is, giving the middle finger to them all and apparently pretending to shout because the sign is request that there be silence to show respect for those fallen soldiers.

She’s also defended this horrible action by stating that she’s also been photographed smoking near a NO SMOKING sign. Which is just…. a stupid action.

There are several OTHER public places in which state that there must be silence maintained, such as public libraries or other places of business, or schools. She could have posed as if she was screaming inside of a library. It most likely would have been received better to have been funny than this. This is just poor judgement.

What I am finding fascinating on Facebook is that these posts are including the URL to this woman’s personal Facebook profile. I am guessing that for those who are extremely disturbed and offended will most likely send messages that will tear her a new one. I’m going to theorize that she’ll be swamped by it all and eventually run off into the hills and close down her profile for a time.

But its honestly too late, that photograph is circulating on the Internet. It is going to be there forever.

I will admit that my first reaction was to have the desire to give her a neck hug. But after a few different versions of the post that were being displayed, knowing that the URL is included, I decided to allow the masses of the public to go for it, because they are going to do and say whatever they are wanting to anyway.

God help her!

I’m just disgusted by the extreme lack of respect for the dead, particularly for those who served and died for their country.

So there’s your Douchebag Award, ladies & gentlemen. Pray that I will not have to issue another one for a long, long time.

http://thisainthell.us/blog/?p=32934&cpage=1

 

Change For Nobody But Yourself

“Many persons have the wrong idea of what constitutes true happiness. It is not attained through self-gratification but through fidelity to a worthy purpose.”~ Helen Keller

Today I was met up by someone that I had not seen in a very long time. It was a nice moment from the beginning as I began to wonder what had happened to them since we had departed from one another. And then suddenly, those thoughts had changed. I began to remember why it was that I had departed from them in the first place.

I have been saying all day, “Some things never change”. And it could’ve been really depressing if I would have dwelled upon it longer. But I had the strength to shrug it off and move on.

I think that I’ve had a hard time as of lately because I see things in people that they cannot see themselves. But that’s not to say that other people cannot see things in me that I cannot. Particular situations and events arise and I stop to think to myself, “Why in the world would you allow yourself to go through with that?”. Quite honestly though, it really isn’t my call. It is not up to me to say what a person can and cannot do. I just have to worry about myself in the long run. And whatever is the outcome of the decisions of others, is not for me to worry about as it is only they, who must deal with their own actions.

I had then thought, “Maybe it is I who needs change”. And at that point, the entire struggle within myself came to an end.

Nobody should change for any one else but themselves. Sure, we can sacrifice our own happiness for the happiness of others as they say, and to do that is the greatest form of love above all.

But it is only one small and certain area in our lives that we are “changing”. We’re not really doing a lot of changing. It is more adapting than anything. To change ourselves would mean a whole new and different person. And the way that we lived our lives before is totally gone.

We should always do whatever makes us happy, and yet in the same sentence it should also be said that we don’t need to step on other people’s toes in order to do whatever it is that makes us happy. If we’re stepping on toes and running people over, its just greed. So I think that I should really throw caution to the wind in saying that being selfish is not the same thing as being happy. We might think that what we are doing will make us happy, but in the ultimate end we only made ourselves miserable.

We are in control of our own lives. We make the choices to allow every individual into our lives. And we have the control to omit them as well, if they are certainly not making us happy. Which is what I had done so long ago and hadn’t seen or spoken to them until today. And I was reminded of that by one of my best friends today. If certain people are making you unhappy, let them go.

There’s just no plausible way to make the entire world approve of us. To try and do so would be in vain. But we, can decide if someone is making us happy that we would like them to remain a part of our lives. And discard and walk away from those people who do not.