I didn't even know Detroit had a baseball team.

hello from atlanta!

Found free wifi next to my gate thanks to Seattle Best coffee and I don't get to blog from the road all too much in the past, so hey, this is what it's like.

wow.

It's 3am in LA but since it's 6 over here I'm hating it right now. one hour sleep or the catherine zeta jones in flight movie.

which is worse?

Oh took the tram between terminals. that was fast.

2.5 more hours until I land in Detroit Rock City. And snow.

All I wanted was a burrito.

After the last Kiss or Kill, a bunch if us decided to hit El Grande Burrito or whatever that place is called on Santa Monica and Vermont.

Well we went to the burrito place and ran into a crowd about a hundred or so made up of folks looking thuggy, most not or less so, and trannies...who were fighting.

Poor security guard was trying to break up a brawl when another would start a few feet away. Most customers played the part of not concerned, just hungry customer with a careful eye on the action. Those tipsy late night burrito cravings can be that overwhelming and a salsa cup side of punches makes it that more interesting.

When we drove into the parking lot there was one real cop in the street who was waiting for back up until one fight got pretty big. He pulled the cruiser up to verbally assist the security guard; people throwing fists at each other is fairly low in danger, and if you think about it, will continues until a referee breaks it up, friends grab arms, words tossed out into the air.

Sitting in the car we patiently watched this play through, still anticipating our burrito quest conclusion. Cars pulled in, cars backed out. We added commentary. A couple of trannies further back from the action broke into the Honda in front of me, one using a pointless little sparkling jacket to cover his friend reaching in.

People started to throw stuff at the cop car and yeah time to change course for the Brite Spot for our food. No More Delays! we yelled in unison (Ok we didn't do that) as we paused at the intersection for twelve cop cars speeding up Vermont with helicopter support.

The Brite Spot was pretty uneventful.
The soy chicken sandwich didn't quite cut it.

Just a test of utterz. Some of you might remember my drunk audio blogs, well I don't drink much (well not too much in one night much) but I have utterz on speed dial just in case! Now I'm itching to go on a bender.

Echo Park Log #63

[A few days after Thanksgiving or Yes, I'm a little behind in posting things]

Finally pull onto my street Monday evening from my Bay Area trip and noticed the sprayed tags were different this time. White spray paint on the sidewalks, walls and more prominently the 10x 10 tag on the black pavement. RIP 11-21-07 and the nickname of a young man shot on the other side of the lake roughly a hour into my drive up North. More backstory from a blogger up the street from me.

24 years of life gone like that. Now my brother (a cop up in the Bay Area) would say let them kill themselves off but it's a lot more fierce up there with kids stopping in a intersection pulling ak47s out and running towards another car shooting. Sad to summarize it as just one part of a back and forth turf battle which is what it boils down to; A person, someone's son, a neighbor down the street. That's how I see it.

Might be why my brother teasingly calls me a stupid liberal.

Rob Z's Holiday Hullabaloo Tonight!

The lovable Rob Z is having his annual FREE Xmas event tonight at El Cid with his brand of tongue in cheek amusement. I can and will vouch for good times this evening.

Not sure of the order at the moment, but expect:

Chissum Worthington - love love him, check his myspace for videos

Lockjaw Boy - another quality nugget from over the years

Rob Z crooning with his voice from God and a very talented back up band featuring Brandon Meyer, Jon Ryggy (from Underwater City People), and Rik Baron. (@9.30)

Plus the rocking of New Maximum Donkey !!! (@10.30)

Come on in for a drink, laughs, music, and fun all wrapped together - the night will be soaking in it.

Rob Z's Holiday Hullabaloo @ El Cid, Silver Lake
FREE - Starts at 9pm sharp!

Nothing says the holidays like beef jerky!

Little update/upcoming posts:

a new job
a NYE trip that will be icy/hot
a brother in LA (a fish out of water story)
a friend in WIRED magazine
a quest for a burrito (a tale of food and trannies)
a sister in the Boston Ballet
a haircut (not really a post; more of a reminder)
a new echo park log
a bay area log
a critique on Kenny Loggins' videos

The Kiss or Kill Documentary trailer.
Try to spot my fat head.

How I came across Kiss or Kill

One word: Midway

It was towards the end of 2003 and Corey, Cortney and myself were stalking this band Midway all summer and they were booked at some place called Kiss or Kill at the Garage. The line up: She, Midway, Ballentine, Bang Sugar Bang and the Dollyrots - I'd checked online and listened to some mp3s and liked what I heard.

The door chick asked for the two bucks and which band we were here to see. Midway...oh and Bang Sugar Bang. Oh I kind of want to see the Dollyrots too.

Over the years my answer was usually "Um, all of them."

In this way Kiss or Kill co-existed with the much hipsterized Silver Lake-centric music scene but without regard to what was hip, to what might be Pitchforked so you could say you were there first.

We didn't give too much of a shit about that. It was about a great set. It was about great conversations and if you didn't know the band being discussed no one looked down at you for that. That first night people smiled at you, the bartender was nice, there was great music of course and completely zero bullshit attitude that Los Angeles has a reputation for.

For me trying to put myself together after a long disintegration of a marriage Kiss or Kill allowed me to be that weird guy in the back, that new face thrown around to Bang Sugar Bang sets only to be picked up by a stranger and only after they made sure I was alright. I was learning to be social again after being isolated from creative stimulation. I've been on the far, far edge of scenes before (the Op Ivy, Green Day, Mr T Exp. Skankin' pickle, Berkeley Square, Gilman of the late 80s Bay Area - knowing people, seeing a few shows here and there) so when I walked into the Zen week after week seeing bands that supported each other, the fans and the always quality sets, I now understood the old adage You Know it When You See It. There was something special going on week after week and there was no way I was not going to be part of it.

It was worthwhile to show up early. It was worth staying late. Amazing bands, cheap beer, tequila gun shots, drunken conversations, and crazy crushes made it interesting. Favorite moments: pogo jumping to Midway, looking over to see Zen packed with every head in motion to King Cheetah, sobering up late at The Echo with The Letter Openers blowing my mind, starting the Holy Shit chant for Automatic Music Explosion the first time I saw them at Safari Sam's. The Dollyrots. The Randies. DG. ha.



I want to thank Cooper, Matt, Johnny, Andre, and Siria for their must see you play first booking policy. A couple points which should be noted: The Atomic Missiles and the NYC Street Wave crowd really upped the ante during the Echo period. More importantly, Cooper's letter in the first half of the Zen Sushi period had to be the turning point for Kiss Or Kill. It was heartfelt call to arms that solidified Kiss or Kill the community. It made a difference to many of us by realizing this special thing should be supported and not taken for granted.

It wasn't perfect - it was a scene after all with all the gossip and drama worthy of Melrose Place - but it was special for many of us. We all had busy lives and with what little money I had I commuted a hour each way to work, took a nap showered and drove in 35 miles almost every week for two years. This is how special Kiss Or Kill was to me. And sometimes it was the little things that reminded me why: If someone stepped on your foot or elbowed you they always apologized. Strangers bought me free drinks. I'd bought drinks for people I didn't even like but in the crowd we were all part of this fucked up, creative family - And hell, we all needed a drink in hand for the Beer Song, right?

God I'm sappy.

-Robert Dean [last name]
(aka Pissy Smurf to Matt Southwell) (hey my last name isn't Dean)

More How I Came Across Kiss or Kill Stories @ kissorkillclub.blogspot.com

Tonight is the last one folks.
It made the LA weekly pick of the week.
It will be a weird night for me - maybe you too.
Come early - stay late.

The Last Kiss or Kill @ El Cid

Underwater City People 9:30, Silver Needle 10:10, Midway 10:50,
The Randies 11:30, Bang Sugar Bang

blog will be private for 1 week

I sort of sent something from this email account to a place by accident so to be safe this blog will be private for a week or so.

Band: The Ackleys
Song: China Man
Why: I'm out of ketchup too



This album came out almost a year ago and as usual I'm a little late discovering this band from Alabama. Take a wander and stream the song Blank Mind at the Traffic Light on myspace - my favorite. Something about her voice just kind of does it for me...mixed with that early 90s buzzpop sound...and those subtle, but what would I do with out them keys. Oh yes.

buy @ house of love records

Also I love the gum chewing.