This is going to be FUN!! Great line up, cool venue, and people are taking the next day off from work just to hang out and get fucked up with me on my Birthday. I hope you're one of them there tonight - yeah, I'm talking to Y-O-U! :-) See ya there!

Man, those Long Island Ice Teas sure are tasty! :-)

A really boring Super Bowl game yesterday. The last 5 minutes were pretty good, but other than that? Blecch. I was too busy eating and drinking and catching up with what's going on with everyone's Life right now to pay too much attention to the TV. I'm glad the Giants won, because as a Raiders fan, my motto was "Anybody but the Gaytriots". Loved that Tom Brady's bitch Gisele Bündchen complained about the receivers dropping some important passes in clutch time. She's absolutely right. They catch those passes and New England wins. Oh well. Congrats Giants! 6 months until preseason Football starts. Aug. 11 Raiders vs. Cardinals. YES!!! <3

The only good thing about Football season being over is that I can now focus on Hockey! :-) The Sharks are on fire right now, and I for one couldn't be happier. I'm going to San Francisco in a few weeks and I'm catching a couple of games while I'm up there, against Anaheim and Boston. One door closes and another one opens. Time to switch out the silver and black jerseys for the teal and black jerseys. Go Sharks!!

Hey, my band Aluminum Falcon is playing our first gig of the year this Weds. @ the Bikini Bar with The Heroines from San Antonio, TX., not the Local group of malcontents who were once led by Kelly Benway. It's my Birthday party show, and we're playing with The People's Whiskey and the Quitters, who are 2 of the better bands gigging around the City right now. I wish I had a flyer to show you or to use to promote the gig, but apparently the Promoter didn't get my text messages about sending me one, so whatever. And please, when you create an event on Facebook, would it kill you to post the flyer for the gig on the page, or at least a link to the full size flyer on there somewhere? Fucking lazy bunch of bastards, myself included. I could of made a flyer for the gig myself, but what for? There obviously was one already made, and besides, that's the Promoter's job, right, and I don't wanna do the Promoter's job. That's why they get the big, big bucks, right? LOL If you're into kick ass Punk Rock and Roll music, then get your ass to the Bikini Bar and check the gig out. Birthday shots are always appreciated, but only AFTER I'm done playing. Yeah right. ;-)

Happy Monday! Everything is updated. New Pictures of Vanish Twin and Fuzz So Low added to the website. It's gorgeous outside. Get off your ass and do something! Me, I'm going out back to work on the yard. It's always good to get a little sunshine on your face. :-)

Dudes! It's Super Bowl Sunday morning, and I could give 2 shits less about the game than ever. No Raiders = No Interest for me. I don't know jack shit about the Giants, and I fucking hate the New England Gaytriots, which is the only reason why I'd like to see New York win. No, today for me is all about the get together, the excuse to party with Friends both old and new and the Family members I hold near and dear here in Las Vegas. I'm sure I'll be texting away with my Family back Home on the Rez, but that's another story for another time. ;-) The celebration starts @ 3 pm. Casa de Amoroso. if you don't know then too bad for you.

After the Game, if you can avoid the D.U.I. checkpoints that will be up everywhere all around the city, head downtown to the Bunkhouse to see Banner Pilot with Deadhand, TheCore, Holding On To Sound and Murder Majesty, if ya can believe that. Yeah, apparently they're still a band and yeah, Pulsar gave them the slot on the bill instead of my band. Phooey. Anyways, it should be a good gig and you shouldn't miss it, although being too drunk and wasted to make it down there is perfectly acceptable. It is Super Bowl Sunday after all... heh heh

The Bronx are playing a Special 'Invite Only' gig next week and you can't go. I'm just saying... ;-)

Everything is updated (I think). Have a great day. Go Giants! Fuck the cheating Gaytriots!! I hope Tom Brady get's Theismann'd during the game. If he does, remember that you read it here first! ;-)

I'm sorry, but I had to. It was like I felt compelled to do it, like something deep inside of me was just yearning to break out and pontificate upon this travesty that's being thrust upon my Friends and Family, and the sad part is, some of them are actually getting into it. They're actually HYPED on it, which just boggles my mind. I mean, really? REALLY??? Am I that far out of the loop, or are all of you just that stupid? Maybe a little of both?

Wowsers. I am beyond disappointed in this. They better hope that the late night club shows are interesting, because if not, then I really got no reason to be anywhere near this stink fest. Lemme break this down for you band by band, to better illustrate what a farcical gathering of Poseurs this thing is going to be - just based on these "headliners", or "West Coast Heavy Hitters" as the Punk Rock Bowling website is billing them as. Le Sigh. Fucking dooshbags, and BTW, that chick on the poster looks totally 'Punk Rock', doesn't she?

Rancid:
My hatred for this band is Legendary, because, let's face it, they suck big wet donkey balls and ask for seconds when they do. Biggest bunch of jokes I've ever had the displeasure of seeing play live, and their songs are just terrible. There's just nothing there and Tim's pronounced farcical English accent is nauseating. Rancid is about as Punk Rock as Hot Topic is. Enough said.

NOFX:
They just played here like last month, so for them to be headlining one of the days is a bit of a slap in the face to their fans here. I'm not even sure that HOB gig was sold out either. It's just a bit of lazy booking that they're even on the bill. Not to mention that they've been running on fumes for years, and that the schtick has been stale and old for years now. Years.

Pennywise:
Even if you ignore the fact that they're currently gigging around with a new singer that sucks, these guys have no business being on here. I've never understood what anyone likes about this band, and the Braah's that do like this band make me stay away from them even more. I never liked Jocks. :-) But even when they had their original lead singer, they fucking sucked anus, and with this new guy they're parading around, I'm sure they've only gotten shitty and more sucky, if that's at all possible. Bro-Core invades Punk Rock Bowling and all of you won't give a shit, because you all like it. Sing loud when they play Bro Anthem dooshbag. Yeah, I'm talking to you.

The Adicks:
Oh man, this one, wowsers. These fucking Rockstar pieces of shit got chased out of town with their pussy ass tiny English puds tucked firmly between their clown faced painted ass cheeks after what they tried to pull on Roxie and the LVCS. Anyone remember that? Probably not, and it doesn't matter. Punk Rock Bowling feeds on the ignorant few like you. Nostalgia for Monetary Gains. You're all gonna be there dancing along to Viva La Revolution, acting like you're so original and hardcore and whatnot when really, you're just a fool, a fucking sheep in the crowd. This band is not worth supporting and should be loudly Booooo'd and pelted with feces when they take the stage. Fuck them. Do you remember the last time the Adicks played here in Vegas? I do! It was at Diablo's. There was like 20 people there. Pathetic. And now they're one of the headliners, sneaking back in to play Vegas through a little loophole, a favor from a friend, acting like everything's cool and like they are loved here. Fuck that, and Fuck them. What a fucking farce. Fuck off Wankers!

The Briefs:
I really got no beef with the Briefs. Heroin's a Hell of a Drug, ya know? I mean, if you've never seen the Dickies, 999 or the Devil Dogs before, then I guess I could see why you like them. Unoriginal. The Briefs are just a yawn inducing snooze fest to me.  I saw them play a Punk Rock Bowling awards ceremony opening up for Manic Hispanic @ Pinky's many, many moons ago, and was just nonplussed while watching them. I guess the biggest thing with them being announced on here is the fact that the Briefs are being put onto the same level as NOFX and Rancid when they clearly are not. They're not very good, and they never were. Definitely nothing to be hyped about.

So yeah. If these are the best bands that are going to be playing Punk Rock Bowling, then count me out! I'm gonna stay as far as fuck away from it as I possibly can. There's a reason why Motörhead has never played Punk Rock Bowling. Think about it. ;-) And, on that note, I'm gonna step off my soap box and get back to editing the photos I took on my trip to Cali. Everything's updated. Yada Yada Yada. I hope Punk Rock Bowling gets some better bands playing, otherwise I got better things to do, like check out the new water park that's opening that weekend. Hyped! :-)

What a long, strange trip it's been. :-/

Well, I'm back from San Diego, no worse for wear, and a little bit enlightened as to how 2012 is going to be for me. It's always great seeing my Family back home and catching up on the going ons and whatnot, but I dunno if I could ever live back there. Again. I need the Sound and Fury of Civilization. I need the Bright Lights of the Big City. I need Music - Punk Rock Music, and I need it all the time. I might not wanna move back Home right now, but I may not have a say in the matter after a bit. In the back of my head, I know I'm always heading back Home someday. We all do. It's always Beautiful there. Always.

I left the Rez at midnight on Friday. I was gonna stop by and see Surrounded By Thieves and Battle Born at some bar in San Diego, but I was tired and knew if I didn't get my ass Home that I was never gonna make it back in time to return my rental car,, and that I would get stuck paying for 2 extra days that I didn't have to, so sorry guys. The trip is usually a 6 or 7 hour drive, depending on traffic, but I made it in a little under 5 hours. How did I do that, you ask? Well, let's just say that I like to drive fast. :-)

Yeah, so now I'm back, with a shitload of catching up to do. I added the Pictures I took of Die Laughing from that gig @ the Arts Factory I went to last week before I left, and you can click here to check them out. I'm gonna get cracking on everything I need to do to get back on track with everything website related, and I leave you with this video I took of the Mapes playing at the Arts Factory, doing one of their many "hits". The song is called Voltron. Enjoy! :-)

Yeah, look at what you missed out on... heh heh

I know! A new Mapes song! And it rules!! ha ha ha It's worth watching just to see Haywood J. putting his mouth around a beer can and guzzling it down with no hands involved! LOL Now that's Sexy times 12! ;-) Oh man, Friday night was sooooooooo much fun. Yeah, I know everyone and their Mom went to that Adolescents / Youth Brigade / Vermin gig @ LVCS (sheep), and I heard it was a pretty OK show (what was up with TheCore cancelling?) but the gig @ the Arts Factory had better bands and a record swap meet, with lots of crates and boxes full of colored vinyl goodness! I was in Heaven!! ha ha ha I easily blew hundreds of dollars stocking up my vinyl collection with stuff I used to have and stuff that I never had before. F-U-N. Phooey to the elitist record collecting scum dogs who wouldn't take my money for their records. I lost out on a few choice pieces of vinyl because of it, but that's OK because it was their loss. :-) All the Bands that played were cool. Vanish Twin from AZ. were easily the highlight of the night, playing some twisted Neurosis type ambient noise grind-core shit. Here's a video of them doing a song called Looking For Flames. I stopped recording at the end of the video because I thought they went into a different song. ;-) They continued playing for like 3 minutes after I stopped filming... heh.

Yeah, I was just hanging out and walking around doing my thing and observing the happenings and goings ons and whatnot. Life's Torment kicked things off with a blistering set of Noise not Music that was just broooootal as fuck. Why don't these guys just pack the places they play in with fans going ape shit over their music is beyond me, but whatever. I'm all about catching small, intimate performances with little to no one there, as opposed to big HOB corrals full of automatons and sheeple. Lame. Watching Bob play drums is a trip, because he's a lefty, but his technique is destructive and he's got a good sense of timing and fills which is cool to watch. Larry looks like he's channeling demons when he plays his guitar and screams into the microphone, and Travis acts like he's being tortured and mutilated while he shreds the bass and screams along. Life's Torment are fucking Ace and they just get better and better every time I see them. They're pretty fucking sick and you should check them out each and every time you get the chance. If you like your Punk music chainsaw fast and just as delicate, then look no further than Life's Torment. They bring it each and every time. I posted the photos I took that night already, and they're over to the left of these words. ------------------------>

Speaking of checking things out, check out this thing that Fuzz, one time bartender extraordinaire at the Legendary Cooler Lounge (R.I.P.) has going on. It's a solo project called Fuzz So Low (get it?) with Fuzz playing guitar while accompanying himself on a kick drum and set of high hats. It was pretty cool stuff and it's always fun watching Fuzz kick out the jams. Kick out the jams... get it? Oh, the puns are flying fast and furious today! :-)

Fuzz So Low played inside, and everyone else played outside. Good Greens ( a total Sublime rip off band) played inside, and Spotted Dick And The Love Stew cancelled. Again. Do those guys just sign up to play gigs and then don't play them or something? LOL Sabertooth Snatch (from AZ.) played, and they were pretty good, in a Victim's Family kind of way. I don't think they went over too well with the majority of the crowd, either because they were a bit different then what Die Laughing and Life's Torment threw down, or because everyone was inside checking out the Record Swap Meet. Either or, not a lot of people were checking out Sabertooth Snatch, which was a shame because they were pretty good. Check them out for yourself and see.

_And last but not least is Die Laughing. They were pretty good but their set kind of just meshed into the Life's Torment set, because they played back to back from each other and they're basically the same band but with a different bass player. How Bob pulled that one off I'll never know. ;-) The music they play is kick ass though, so it makes it worth it. Their set was short but sweet, ending with a Black Flag cover that brought Travis from Life's Torment back on stage to handle lead vocals. Check out the video and see how well they did thrashing out Gimme Gimme Gimme.

So yeah, there's my little video wrap up of everything that was going on at the Arts Factory last Friday night. It was a great time and if you weren't there, then you're lame. And if you were at that gig at the LVCS instead of this one, then you're stupid - real stupid. :-)

Yeah, I realize the irony in protesting censorship of the Internet by self-censoring myself ON the Internet, but still, pretty funny stuff. It's also funny how the news about the censorship of the Internet movement was spread via the Internet as well. Oh the delicious irony! The fact that some people out there optimistically believe that they have any say in what the Government is or isn't going to do is laughable to me, although this little censorship issue apparently caused 30 Senators and Congressmen to flip-flop on their position on this, so who knows? Maybe the People can have a say in what goes on in their Government? Or maybe this is feeding the masses just enough to keep them from starving. Giving the dog a bone. Whatever. I thought it was interesting. I participated. The End.

Hey! I don't know if you saw the flyer on your way in here, but there is this pretty fun looking gig happening this Friday at the LVCS: Adolescents / Youth Brigade / The Vermin / TheCore It should be interesting, to say the least. I haven't seen either headlining band in a while, so hearing them running through their 'Greatest Hits set seems like a pretty good way to cap off a Friday night. My Friday night is going to start at the Hellpop Record Swap Meet, where I'm gonna have a grip of cash to buy records with, and if I'm not too busy drooling over some pretty colored vinyl, I might check out some of the bands that are playing, which includes Life's Torment, Die Laughing and, of course, The Mapes. <3 There's some new band playing that's composed of members of 1/2 Ast, but those guys don't like me anymore, so phooey to them. Check them out if you're there though.

Speaking of things you should check out if you're so inclined, tonight @ the Double Down Deadhand are playing some AVN kickoff party or some shit. They're playing with some shitty bands that aren't worth mentioning, bands that think that sexual gimmicks and sloppy blow jobs will allow them to 'make it', whatever that means. The sad part is that some of my Friends like them... Jeesh! hahaha Whatever, go check out Deadhand tonight - you will not be disappointed, unless they decide to play some of their shitty acoustic covers they've been doing as of late for that other 'Punk Rock' website here in town. Acoustic guitars are NOT Punk Rock. Neither are beards, for that matter. Get over it already. Seriously.

Sunday! Sunday!! Sunday!!! Old School Metal comes to the House of Boooooo's when Anthrax, Testament and Death Angel tear shit up there. I've seen all 3 of those bands many, many times before and if I'm feeling all nostalgic I may just stop by and see how well they've aged. Anthrax's new album Worship Music is pretty good, so I may go just to hear how new songs like Fight 'Em Till You Can't and The Devil You Know sound live. And, to watch Charlie Benante play drums. <3

Everything is updated. See you around.

It's not like I forgot about Steve's passing, because I didn't. I know it hit a lot of people in a hard way. I wasn't as close to the guy as everyone else in town was, because the Double Clown wasn't my hangout during the Steve era, but the few times I was there when he was there he was always cool to me. I knew the guy, I respected him, had nothing bad to say about him, and when I heard that Steve The Liar had passed away, I was a little bummed. Getting old sucks ass. I'm learning this each and every day. Steve was a really nice guy, he was definitely well loved and revered in this town, and I felt like I had to say something about the guy's passing because he was a integral part of the Las Vegas Music Scene. Here's to you Steve. Long may your memory live. Salud! 

So yeah, fun weekend at the Motor City Cafe for the S.F.T. CD release show. It was entertaining, to say the least. I bought a kick ass S.F.T. embroidered hat that looks really cool. I'm gonna be sporting that shit everywhere I go. L.V.H.C. :-) The band sounded OK, debuting their new drummer who, uhhhmm, how should I say this, needs A LOT more practice. Maybe it's because I know the songs like the back of my hands, but seriously, the guy was a mess. I hope he gets better, I really do. That band needs a good drummer. The front 4 of S.F.T. were great, with Bryan working the crowd up on the mic, Carlos and Tom drinking beer and playing guitar, and Jamie just prowling around back and forth rocking the bass. People were digging them, and the band seemed to be having fun, which is always good to see. Break The Cycle  from San Diego played too, but they sounded too much like Rancid (they covered Radio) for me to care too much about them. Jeremy says that if you don't play Matt Freeman's bass lines right, then you shouldn't play Rancid covers. Yeah... enough said. And the Vegascendents didn't play their best set, but I'm told it either sucked or was really, really good, depending on your level of intoxication. I was too busy vomiting in between songs to notice or care. All liquid no chunks. I haven't done that in years, and that will teach me not to go all day without having anything to eat before playing a gig. Lots of people came out to see us play, and then they all left right after we were done playing, the frivolous finicky bastards. Ha Ha Ha We played a few new songs, Zack sang a couple of them, and people stood far away from us while we played. It makes for a boring read, but trust me - we were all having fun! Thanks to everyone for coming out, and Congratulations to S.F.T. for putting out one cool sounding CD. Kudos!

Everything's updated. Melt Banana Show Review posted (click here to read it), same with the December Music Reviews, featuring the latest from Jesus Lizard, TheCore, Culture Shock, The People's Whiskey, and Nirvana. Click here to read that. Better late than never, right? Lots of stuff going on this weekend. In true Vegas fashion, it's all happening at the same time and on the same days. Le sigh...

I've been keeping quiet about this, because I know that this is not the time to be airing such grievances, and I originally wrote this little diatribe and shelved it, because I'm trying to stay away from Drama and focus on the Positive side of things, but after talking to a huge handful of people about what's going on, I figure I gotta let this sentiment go, because I'm not the only one thinking it or saying it. Plus, any chance I get to call out that hack Joe Perv on his misconstrued actions is always relished. :-)

So yeah, it's understandable - people grieve in different ways. This whole Doug De Nada passing has been effecting lots of people hard and in different ways, with his passing being like a rock dropped into the middle of a lake, with the ripples still making their way to the shore, to be dealt with accordingly once they get to their intended destination. Everyone wants to help but nobody knows what to do. So there's some talk about doing benefit shows to help offset the obvious costs that come when one passes away, and as far as I know Doug had no Family here, but he does have a sister somewhere, so, again, as far as I know, there hasn't been any 'Official' benefit shows announced as of yet, but I know that some big ones are in the works. And then there's this gig @ the Bunkhouse this Friday, which seems a bit more capitalistic in nature than helpful. This gig was booked weeks if not months ago at the Bunkhouse this Fri., a gig with some pretty laid back and mellow bands on it, including Big Like Texas, which is Joe Pervz latest band. I had the misfortune to sit through them when Sin dragged me to the Double Clown a month or so ago. And just in case you were wondering what I thought about them, yeah, they suck. Go figure. Hackneyed Countrybilly played by a bunch of old Punk Rock guys. Whatever. People dug them so what do I know? I do know it's only a matter of time before Joe Perv runs out of musical genres to exploit and be a part of, because once people get hip to what he's all about, he runs away and reinvents himself and again tries his hardest to "make it", whatever that means. Anyways, enough Little Man bashing, because I can do this all day, so let me get back to my point.

Like I said, this gig happening this Friday has been booked for months, with flyers being made and the obligatory Facebook invite page made to get people to come to it, and all that jazz. The flyer for the gig says it's a show for some guy named Gary, as well as a benefit for homeless veterans, which means when you bring a can of food they'll give you a discount of the cover price at the door, whatever that is. So a few days after Doug passed away, the Facebook event page was suddenly changed to announce that it was now a "Benefit show for Doug Frye". I thought that was a bit odd so I posted a comment on there asking exactly how it was a benefit for Doug and within minutes my comment was deleted. Hmmmmm. So I posted another comment, saying I wasn't trying to be a dick or cause trouble, but that I was just asking how this was going to benefit Doug, and where the benefit aspect of it was? Was it the money being raised at the door? Where was it going? Was a hat going to be passed around for people to contribute to the cause? I asked these questions and again, my comment was deleted within minutes. Nice. Then I saw who was behind the event page and it all made sense - Joe Perv, that fucking dickhead. Look, I'm all for doing whatever you have to do to get people to come see your shitty band play, whether it's announcing that your Singer will perform in a diaper or letting people know that there will be chubby girls dancing while you play, but when you announce that the show is now a benefit show for a recently deceased person, and then you can't back up your Words with Actions, well, I'm gonna call shenanigans on you. I have to. If I don't do it, nobody else will, ya know? So fuck you Joe Perv. When are you just going to move away and immerse yourself in mediocrity somewhere else. You've burned all your bridges here. Nobody likes you. Just. Go. Away. Please.

So in closing, that gig on Friday at the Bunkhouse may or may not be a benefit gig for Doug, and if it is, and you go, please give until it hurts. Anything helps but trust me, it's not the only benefit gig that's going to be happening for him - believe that. Doug's real Friends are putting something in the works that is going to do the man Justice, a real benefit gig / send-off that's worthy of someone who was so loved and adored as he was. Big names, Big bands, a big fucking benefit, not something tacked on to an already established show. It's gonna be fun, it's going to be electric, and it's going to have the coolest vibe about it - just like Doug did.

I don't recall the first time I met Doug - Double Down? Cafe Rainbow? Wet Stop? Elks Lodge? A gig in the desert? I don't know. I know it was at a gig, that's for sure. It seems like Doug was always at the gigs, either playing in a band or just one of the many spectators in the audience - the guy was always around somewhere. I would run into him and we'd hang out and talk and party and just do whatever it is that 2 semi-casual acquaintances do when they're hanging out and making the 'Scene'. I'm not gonna pretend we were BFF's, but I knew the dude, ya know? Doug was always that cool cat that knew where the all the Hip places were at and who all the Cool bands were. Doug knew more about bands that nobody had ever heard about before than anybody I knew. It was always a treat to hang out at his cool little house with the musical equipment in the front room and just jam or party and sometimes do both at the same time, with the Hipster Elite of the Vegas Music Scene ha ha ha Doug always had a smile on his face and a helping hand to lend out to anyone who needed it. He was really a fucking nice person. One of the coolest guys you could ever meet, and now he's gone. Fuck.

I just saw Doug at Goth night at Artifice in the beginning of December. He was walking around the place looking happy and high with a vodka tonic in his hand. "Hey Gilbert! Whats happening?" he said to me. "What are YOU doing here?" I started laughing and retorted That's just what I was going to ask you! What are YOU doing here? I said, shaking his hand."I'm DJ-ing!" he said with a smile. ha ha ha Of course you are, I said. Of course Doug was the DJ. The Man was a musical encyclopedia, from the most obscure Punk band to the stankiest Funk and Soul bands, there really wasn't much music that he didn't know about or ever hear of. Impressive stuff. I asked him to play me some songs, and of course he did, and that was that. Last time I saw or hung out with him. The part that I can't get my mind wrapped around is how he seemed perfectly fucking fine to me. Smiling, Grooving, Happy. And then less than a week later, he's in a hospice with stage 4 stomach cancer, given only 2 months to live. That's. Fucking. Crazy. Him being hospitalized was probably the worst kept secret in the History of the Vegas Music Scene, because it seemed everyone knew about it, and when I was asked about it, I played dumb. Hear Nothing See Nothing Say Nothing. It kind of makes sense though, because everyone knew Doug. EVERYONE. And just like that... he's gone. I fucking hate Cancer. I really and truly do. My real Friends know why. It fucking sucks.

So Rest In Peace Doug De Nada. Godspeed Sir. Peaceful Be Your Journey. Go Easy. Step Lightly. Stay Free.